Welcome Back to Jonah Asks. Meet Jeff Alessandrelli. Jeff is a poet, professor and publisher of poetry. He is the John Stockton of the world of poetry, dishing out assists like its 1989. This is an interview for writers and creative folks. We drift from Erik Satie to Samuel Beckett to Bill Knott to Adam Haslett to our own thoughts on identity, from what it means to write and share your work to the psychology of writers and eventually we discuss nihilism solitude. Jeff's website and books:https://jeffalessandrelli.net/booksJeff reads selections from his poetic biography "Erik Satie Watusies His Way Into Sound"0:08Impressions from ChildhoodJeff recalls a time during middle school when social pressure was difficult to handle. 0:15Skateboarding Jeff wrote a book of essays on skateboarding and music. (insert link)0:24Growing up in Reno and family history.0:30NebraskaJeff lived in Nebraska. He earned a PhD in Literature with a focus on Poetry. After returning to Portland for a short time, he returned to Nebraska to teach at a small university, while he commuted from Omaha. Jonah visited Nebraska with family in 1991 and recently set a short story in Nebraska. 0:45Writing: Samuel Beckett, Bill Knott and Writing IdentitySatisfaction vs endless striving. The creative process vs literary world. Recognition and validation. Poet Bill Knott. Identity -- writing identity versus real life identityWhat does it mean to like yourself as a writer? 0:59Fonogrof Editions Jeff started a non-profit poetry press. It began with putting out albums of poetry on vinyl. The press now releases books as well. https://fonografeditions.com/Jeff is an editor and curator. "I started reading and finding an identity in books from a very young age. Fongoraf is an extension of that. And I've always been a big music fan."Fonograf published Mark Leidner's "Returning the Sword to the Stone," which made the NY Times Best of 2021 list for poetry. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/10/books/review/best-poetry-books-2021.html1:03Appreciating Jeff's Editing and Assisting in PoetryJeff's literary role: Like John Stockton in the 1990s, Jeff dishing out assists to poets. Jeff edits poetry and runs a small press. Jonah appreciates Jeff's editorial insights. Jonah writes about the ambiguities of self-publishing his poems.http://thefanzine.com/bad-business-is-good-art-fonograf-editions/1:10Writing, Solitude and the Imaginative LifeNobody Marries ThemselvesIn 2003, I read Adam Haslett's story collection "You Are Not a Stranger Here." I finally re-read it a few months ago. Adam Haslett's "The Perpetual Solitude of the Writer""One of the paradoxes of writing...in order to fulfill the urge to communicate something to other people, you end up spending huge amounts of time on your own."https://lithub.com/the-perpetual-solitude-of-the-writer/Jeff, on The freedom of writing poetry: "One of the beautiful things about poetry, but also challenging, is that there's no money in it."1:36Focusing on Gratitude and Dropping Cynicism1:41Politics: Taking Voting Seriously1:47Discussion of Nihilism1:51Films: "Nebraska" and "The Station Agent"Jeff teaches Nebraska in his composition class. Students have to make a definitional argument. 1:55Writing is Unique to the Writer2:00Jeff Alessandrelli has a very long last name!Find Jeff and Jonah online:Find Jeff and his books online at jeffalessandrelli.netFind Fonograf Editions Find Jonah's latest book of poems at Blurb.More of Jonah's writing at www.darkoindex.medium.comon Twitter @darkoindexThanks for Listening and Sharing,Jonah