Interview with Jennifer Borges Foster

We know from the Greeks that the poet is a maker of things. Looking at the root of the word poet, we find poiesis, which means making. In fact, Edward Hirsch tells us, “Open the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics to the entry for “Poesie” and you discover that in the Renaissance the word makers, as in courtly makers was an exact equivalent for poets. The word poem became English in the sixteenth century and it has been with us ever since to designate a form of fabrication, a type of composition, a made thing.” When we think about the poem being a made thing, we think about Jennifer Borges Foster. Not only does she create her own words in her own poems, she also makes her own literary journal, Filter. We asked her about her work, and below she explains the made-ness of her linguistic artifacts. After reading our interview, you just might think less about the Kindle and more about the human communication invested in poetry and book making. To learn more about Jennifer’s bookmaking, visit Ticker Finch. — Lori Huskey

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