Steven R. Southard (Poseidon's Scribe)

It’s not every week that I interview a poet, especially one with Hollywood connections. Let me introduce Tonia Kalouria, who has a poem in the anthology Quoth the Raven.

Tonia Kalouria is a former actress, recently returned from L.A. to “The North Coast” (i.e., Toledo), and considers herself a Midwest Gal at heart. Writing poetry helps her maintain her sanity in this topsy-turvy world, and she is a strong advocate for rhyming poetry. Her poetry has appeared in numerous publications, including The 5/2 Crime Poetry Weekly, Common Threads, The Senior Years, The Litchfield Review, Planet Green, and her own book, Aerobic Poetry.

Onward, to the interview:

Poseidon’s Scribe: When and why did you begin writing poetry?

Tonia Kalouria: I began writing about 2005 …  It all started with an  idea to do an “update” to favorite childhood nursery rhymes like “Jack and Jill”; “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” etc. as a children’s book. It culminated in my book, Aerobic Poetry, which actually has a “purpose” beyond the rhyming and emotional reactions to the words per se.

P.S.: Who are some of your poetic influences?

T.K.: I love the humor of Twain, light verse of Dorothy Parker, and Ogden Nash. I admire endings with a twist, a la O’Henry. Great titles are a must, replete with double meanings when possible. I relish the challenge of writing very poignant pieces in addition to my fondness for humor. Three such examples were published on “The 5/2 Crime Poetry Weekly Blog” (now in yearly ebooks.)

P.S.: You’re a former actress, with credits including the drama film Out of the Shadows and the TV series Passions. Please tell us about the Passions experience.

T.K.: I was in awe of James Reilly, Creator and Head Writer of NBC’s soap opera Passions, among his many other credits. He was able to produce material to fill five one-hour episodes per week in which he consistently shocked and amused, while concomitantly hooking us in with standard soap fare like great romances and dramatic strife. The show was replete with witches and a “live” doll/boy, aka Little Timmy, as well as great beautiful/handsome couples and evil villains. “Harmony” was anything but and clearly needed a psychiatrist.

Enter Dr. Wilson, played by me. And thus, you see how I get to defend my position in certain “discussions” by paraphrasing the old commercial: “Well, I’m not a doctor, but I play(ed) one on TV.”

P.S.: Is there a common attribute that ties your poetry together?

T.K.: Every poem I have written is unabashedly rhythmic and rhyming.

Except for one. And I am truly loathe to admit: It has been my biggest success, having not only been accepted by a “literary” magazine, but it was the winner of a Valentine’s Day Contest for radio listeners of the classic music station WCLV in Cleveland, OH: A “Romantic Weekend for Two” at the Ritz Carleton, as it were. Now, of course, I am equally excited to be included in our Poe anthology.

P.S.: What is it about rhyming poetry that attracts you, and causes you to oppose the more modern free verse style?

T.K.: Notwithstanding the contest poem, my goal is to write rhyming works that are understandable! Unlike, for example, the meandering Free Verse offerings in the New Yorker! But let me be clear: Most T. Kalouria poems can be enjoyed on many levels, with some folks “getting” all of my word plays, ironies, satirical aspects or other allusions, and other people, not so much. But everyone can at least follow along and enjoy the flow of the language and the story line, along with an appreciation of the “moral” or theme presented.

P.S.: Your poem in Quoth the Raven, “Advice is for the Birds,” is a funny twist on Poe’s Raven poem while commenting on the modern trend toward long, free verse poems. What prompted you to write it?

T.K.: My poem is a metaphor for– actually against–the Master of Fine Arts educational edict of “No Rhymers Need Apply!”

The Black Bird’s declaring that nothing mattered save Word Count is tantamount to said Ed’s Submission Admonishment that “If It Rhymes, Don’t Waste Your Time!”

Since Poe also wrote Satire and humor, I thought this might be a way to get my point across, and concomitantly, to be an homage to Poe’s “Raven” masterpiece.

(Two birds, one stone, so to speak.)

P.S.: What are the easiest for you, and the most difficult, aspects of writing poetry?

T.K.: The best – and worst – aspect of writing for me is the tweaking. I never, ever stop. Many times when I think, “Now, I got it; finally, I’m done!” I will then revisit it, perhaps days, weeks months or years later, and see it in a whole new way. I see things I had written subconsciously and decide to expand on those ideas, for example.

P.S.: Your book, Aerobic Poetry, is getting excellent reviews on Amazon. Please tell us about this book.

T.K.: The book is meant to be read aloud to help build-up breathing, especially after surgeries, or for those with chronic compromised lung or heart conditions. Even the fit person walking the treadmill can read it aloud as an extra challenge. And the guffaws provided by Kim Kalouria’s irreverent illustrations are a workout in themselves!

P.S.: What is your current work in progress?

T.K.: I just finished (?) my first Short Story called “Blind Justice.” Almost daily, I add to a running mixed prose and rhyme list of Epigram-type pronouncements which I call: “Dry Quips from Chapped Lips.” One example in keeping with my “Advice” theme is: “Advice, like Neuroses, is best in small doses.” (AKA: “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”)

Poseidon’s Scribe: What advice can you offer aspiring poets?

Tonia Kalouria: “To thine own self be true.” Write to please yourself above all so that you can get lost in that effort and feel clever and productive and creative when it seems “just right.” Confidence begets Confidence; Writing maintains Sanity.

Thank you, Tonia.

Interested readers can find out more about Tonia Kalouria on Facebook.

Poseidon’s Scribe