Interview with Carolyn Guinzio
“Submit your work, women writers! To the Orlando Prize, to the To The Lighthouse Prize— to everything for which it is appropriate. That is a caveat, especially since contest fees add up quickly. Know the work of the judge, and make some calculated choices based on aesthetics.”
Carolyn Guinzio, Winner of the 2010 AROHO To the Lighthouse Poetry Publication Prize
AROHO asked 2010 To the Lighthouse Winner Carolyn Guinzio about what winning the To the Lighthouse Poetry Book Prize has meant to her and about what it took to get there.
AROHO: Has winning the To the Lighthouse Poetry Book Prize impacted either you personally or your writing career overall? If so, in what ways?
CG: Having Spoke & Dark selected by Alice Quinn for the To The Lighthouse prize was one of the best things that ever happened in my poetry career. I had known and admired AROHO for for so long for their trailblazing and legendary work on behalf of women writers. I’ll always be immensely grateful to them and honored to have my name among the hundreds of writers they have supported through the years.
AROHO: What advice would you give to those considering submitting their work, to the AROHO Book Prizes or elsewhere?
CG: Submit your work, women writers! To the Orlando Prize, to the To The Lighthouse Prize— to everything for which it is appropriate. That is a caveat, especially since contest fees add up quickly. Know the work of the judge, and make some calculated choices based on aesthetics.
AROHO: Do you have anything exciting that you’re currently working on?
CG: Through winning the prize, I’ve connected with so many writers. Further, it gave me the confidence to go in a different direction with my next project. My fourth book, Spine, will be out in Fall, 2015, and because of my positive experience with AROHO, I felt braver in taking risks with my work.
