Spotlight: Raw Emotional Reflections Poet R. William Parmenter.

This week’s spotlight features a Poet who uses few words to impart much meaning in every line.

This week’s spotlight may seem a little “lighter” at first glance, as the Author values brevity when speaking about himself. In contrast, his poetry is rich and deeply meaningful for those of us dealing with mental health struggles.

I’m happy to let his words speak for themselves with a bit of added flair from the addition of my graphics*. I’m honored to do this guest post, and even more thrilled that through it, I discovered Parmenter’s lovely & relatable poetry. I’d be remiss not to mention that I do not have the gift of brevity, so strap in for a long one, folks!

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“Between The Dark and The Light”, R. William Parmenter’s debut collection of poems, was published late last year. He was gracious enough to fill out the interview survey and shed some light on his writing process - plus how he finally came to published this work.

Find out more about today’s Spotlight Poet via his Socials Link Directory (including where to buy his book): https://lnk.bio/rwilliamparmenter

Let’s crack on!

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~ R. William Parmenter is a writer originally from the state of Michigan, in the Uppertmidwestern United States - the Great Lakes region.

Traveling full-time in an RV all over the West Coast and the Southwest United States has influenced a lot of his later writing. Being on the road changes a person, as it’s impossible not to see society from a bigger picture POV when you’re constantly meeting new people.

But, Parmenter has been writing poetry and fiction since his early teens… he likes to say his first serious work was a horror story written and illustrated in the 1st grade!

Besides poetry, he has been working on a cozy mystery series and a fantasy series that have been simmering on the back burner for decades.

When he is not writing, he is reading, exploring nature, and watching shows with his wife - or playing games with his kids.

What drew you to writing poetry?

As an artist and a writer, I found that poetry is a lot like painting and drawing. I started developing both more seriously around the same time in my teens. It was easier to convey what I was feeling and experiencing by painting with words.

Playing with those words and trying to capture an image and a feeling were always really exciting to me.

What sort of themes and ideas do you explore in your work?

My work has mostly explored mental health, especially in helping me explore the range of emotions I can feel. As someone who has lived with bipolar disorder, ADHD, anxiety, and depression, writing poetry has been a major creative outlet and therapy for me.

~ Nature is also an inspiration for me to write about.

Often, I like to combine nature with mental health themes and attempt to draw parallels with them. Sometimes it's nice to only write about nature when dealing with deep subjects such as mental health.

While my art focused more on expressing the things I could see, my poetry focused more on things I could feel.

Do you have a favorite style or structure you follow?

~ Most of my work is free form.

It’s my favorite style because I have the freedom to explore my subjects in whatever way that fits them.

I have two personal structures that I follow:

1. try to never repeat words - unless it fits the poem

2. say as much in as few words as possible

~ In other words, I like to keep my poems short.

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What’s your approach to writing?

Typically, an idea, word, or phrase will come to me, and I like to start with that word or phrase.

Sometimes these come to me at three in the morning, or they can appear while walking the dogs.

The notes app on my phone has changed my life, so I can quickly jot down that idea or phrase, and then come back to it when I can give it my full attention.

Like a photographer, I click the shutter to capture the initial composition. Sometimes it is fine as is, but mostly I like to refine it in post-processing to get the final image and feeling I'm looking for. Like any art, nothing is ever finished and I have to reach a point where I'm happy that it feels most complete.

What advice have you received that has propelled your poetry forward?

What’s helped me to become a faster writer since I wasn't editing at the same time is:

1. Whether it is writing poetry or fiction… write now and edit later

2. The 1st draft is always going to be messy, and that's okay

3. Get the initial idea out 1st, then refine it later

Another bit of advice is that there is an audience for everything. I had fears of putting my work out there, but realizing that not everyone is going to like it kind of clicked with me. I don't like everything I read, and that's okay. For as many things I don't like, there's so much more that I do.

And, the same can be said for readers — for as many people who don't like what I write, there are so many more who do.

What does your relationship with "Writer's Block" look like?

~ I've learned to treat it as a sign that my brain needs a break.

I try not to take a break for more than a week, but have had them stretching for months. Sometimes, I get down on myself for not writing, but I always remind myself that it isn't a race. When I return to writing, I don't go straight to whatever I was working on.

~ Instead, I do some free writing as a warm-up exercise.

It can be about the work in progress or something else entirely, but the point is to let the words flow and not to take it too seriously.

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What compelled you to write this piece, and what do you hope readers take away from it?

As a lot of us do when growing up, I grappled with becoming my own person and doing something without the approval of my parents.

~ As if I were afraid of letting them down.

I wrote this thinking about that and how we can get too comfortable with the way things are instead of taking a chance on the way things could be.

• If there's one thing I want someone to take away from this spotlight

  • it’s to go ahead and take flight

• Compile that poetry collection, finish that novel, record that record

  • find your true self

    • do the thing!

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What was the hardest part of getting your work published?

Having the confidence and overcoming anxiety to go through with it.

My wife was the only other person to read or hear these poems, so the thought of having others read them was unnerving.

I went through a lot of phases, from being confident and ready to publish to losing all confidence in my work and becoming super anxious about it.

Over three years, I went back and forth with it.

At one point, I had my book uploaded to KDP and was ready to click publish, only to remove it and not touch it until a year later.

Something sparked my confidence again…

…but this time I shared it with an editor. I wanted to get a professional's eyes on it to let me know if there was anything that needed work or if it was any good to begin with. This was the best decision I ever made because she gave me the confidence to publish it.

How do you process receiving negative feedback or reviews?

I'm always a little bummed out at first, but like I mentioned earlier, not everyone is going to like everything they read. There's nothing wrong with that. I don't enjoy dwelling on it, so I keep writing and producing work that people may or may not like.

And how do you decide which pieces to include in a collection?

~ I decide on a theme and pick poems that align with that theme.

When I first had the idea for “Beween The Dark and The Light”, I knew I wanted to put together a book that covered my journey with mental health, hoping it would resonate with someone — helping them to feel less alone on their journey, and that they can keep going.

I added a few other pieces that are more social commentary and less internal, but felt they belong because social and political environments definitely contribute to our mental health.

~ I have a couple of other collections that I'm working on...

One is going to be very political, and the other is nature-themed.

Is there anyone who's inspired your writing?

~ I hope this isn't too cheesy, but every poet writing today is an inspiration.

There are so many voices from different walks of life, and there are so many ways of writing poetry.

I find it all inspiring, especially when a poet is getting ready to publish a book.

I love cheering everyone on!

Are there any poets or poetry books you'd recommend to readers?

I've been reading a lot of indie-authors lately, and could recommend so many. The Bones in the Garden: (and other things found there) by Elizabeth Michaud, The Fragile Humans We Are by V. Walker, I Can Picture The Ghosts Here by Andi Leigh, Into The Rain by Robert Eldridge, and Almost Loved by Rena Joy are books I've read recently that really struck a chord with me. On Threads and Bluesky, there's a great poet by the name of Malachy Moran who posts a daily poem and video that I look forward to seeing. On Substack, look for a poet who goes by KillerPopSorrowful who is putting out some strong work almost daily.

Parmenter’s book is available from a variety of Booksellers listed on the Author’s Link Directory: https://lnk.bio/rwilliamparmenter

Amazon direct link: https://a.co/d/9F89Oi0

“Between The Dark and The Light, the debut of R. William Parmenter, is a powerful collection of poems exploring the raw and authentic experience of living with bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. This deeply personal work journeys through the shadows of mental illness, while also uncovering the moments of light and inspiration that give hope. It traverses the social issues that cause strife, but also shows the beauty in humanity.

Created to share the realities of mental illness and to inspire others, this collection reminds readers they are not alone on their journey. Through honest reflection and uplifting resilience, Between The Dark and The Light offers a beacon of understanding and encouragement for anyone seeking hope amid darkness.”

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Thank you so much for reading R.’s Author Spotlight! I’m honored to guest post here on BookStack. Please do go check out his Poems, and let him know who sent ya! 😊

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Misadventures of a Modern Mess: How-to Be Absurd

. (*Yes, I am for hire!)