"Spotlight" Poet Interview:
E.G. Ted Davis
E.G. Ted Davis
Hello E.G. Thank you for being the Creative Inspirations “Spotlight” Poet for this month! It is a joy being able to interview you again. How has this year been going for you thus far?
This year has been going great; I am more focused on my editing and revision work on pieces that have been in my revisions file for years. I currently have approximately 3000+ pieces in my files that are in some sort of revision status all the way up to material looking for a home. Overall, it has been a very insightful year spiritually and due to a great teaching pastor, a year of some great teachings and better insight and understanding of the scriptures.
Your initials are interesting. I know part of your name is Ted and the initial E in your name stands for Edgar. What does the initial G stand for, and what do you prefer to be called? I go by MJ, the initials of my first and middle name (Maurice Jerome).
This question brings back fond childhood memories. The story is my grandfather’s name was Edgar Newton Davis, my parents named me Edgar George Davis. My poor grandmother would call out Ed to do something and we’d both respond. My mother had an Uncle Theadore that she adored (no rhyme pun intended), so they decided to nickname me Ted to stave off any further confusion, which led to a youth name of Teddy. Ted has actually become a legal signature name over the years.
Does the month of May have any significant meaning for you?
The month of May carries two significant events in it. The first is the memory of my brothers and sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice while dawning our nation’s miliary uniforms through either being drafted or through volunteerism. The second is my Age-o-meter rolls over this year to 67 y/o.
Tell us something good about the city or state you reside in.
Well Boise was a quiet little city when we moved here, over ten years ago, sort of a secret that no one seemed to want to participate in until Covid came, since then it has turned into something we no longer realize what it is anymore, sadly the influx has destroyed the agriculture and ranching nearby that we so cherished, the wide open spaces are being gobbled up by housing divisions and block style condos and such, sadly, our little part of the last of the wild, wild west, is vanishing in lieu of corporate buildup chasing the almighty dollar, local businesses have been hurt by all of this. So in a nutshell, if someone is looking for a quiet city, sadly, it is no longer here. I think the last statistic I saw, we went from one of the lowest cost of living and skyrocketed to one of the highest in our nation.
Tell us a little bit about Ted.
I am, or should I say, we, my wife and myself, are avid cyclists. Between greenbelts, the Rails to Trails and BLM and Forest service land, there are plenty of places to ride and get away from the urban area, get that much needed break away from population. I am the bicycle nut out of the two us, I’ve spent the past few years building bikes and our garage space is taken up by my efforts. We ride paved, gravel, trails and we ride also tandem. A lot of fun and great non-impact exercise.
For me out cycling by myself is also very inspiring for both Haiku and Poetry. And most of all it gets me out within nature and the feeling of His presence, to hear and see what He has created. We are also avid fans of our two 5 y/o Australian Shepards (Aussies), getting them out and running them in open ground and taking them on our Mountain bike rides.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Even though I’ve been retired for quite a few years now, and because my wife is still in her career, I still keep a pretty rigid schedule, something I inherited from time in military service. Mondays are just sort of my bum around home days, but includes word processing from my journal, revisions, and just hanging out with the Aussies.
Tues-Thurs the business of writing is serious at least 2 hours per day up to 6 if needed, these are again word processing days, heavy on the revisions day, and then the marketing/submission aspect of writing. Then Friday-Sunday I might tinker around some more revisions if time allows, probably a 30-minute stint and then no more than that.
How long have you been writing poetry?
I’ve been writing of some sort since being a teenager, I can’t really recall when poetry really kicked into a regular pursuit. As you know, our working years, our career and family tend to come first. I might say 2011 when I retired afforded me the time to really focus on it.
Are you on any social media platforms, websites, etc., that you would like to share with us?
If anyone would love to follow me along, I have a space over on Truth Social @edgargteddavis, I realize some folks might want to avoid this site as it is quite politically charged, but I’m there to share the gospel of Jesus Christ through poetry and Haiku, and throw in a wee bit of humor once in a while, but there are plenty of other things happening over there that are not political to enjoy, and its great having the freedom of speech truly protected. Besides who wouldn’t want to see an old guy out with his adorable Aussies in the real outback area of the wild side of Idaho??????
Anything that you are proud you accomplished last year that is still transpiring into this year?
Just continuing to try and reach the Lost through my writing and ministering to the rest of us.
What is a minor and major goal you would like to accomplish this year?
My writing is twofold. I would probably say 80% of it is about Jesus, the other 20% is not. That 80% I work on midweek, where I am submitting gospel related poetry into the journals that are not faith based, i.e., journals ran by the universities or independents. The point is to get the ideas in front of a reviewer, and editor or both, knowing full well the work, no matter how good the quality may appear, will probably get outright rejected due to its subject content. The main goal is to put those editors/reviewers in a position to accept the Truth, put it on the back burner or to outright reject it. In that matter, I’ve placed a witnessing document in their possession, now they have to make a decision. What will they decide to do?!
The thing that is neat about this, I have no idea in this present life how many I’ve led to the Lord, hopefully that will be shown in the next life.
And secondary to that, we have our believing children attending these universities and being persecuted for their faith, my hope is that they will review such a piece and be uplifted and know that they are loved and supported in one way or another.
The other 20%, I do mostly for my enjoyment, reminiscing, etc. However, with that work, and because earlier forms of poetry are more welcome in the UK, such as good fashioned rhyme and meter, I submit all that work to various listings for over in the UK.
What I see being published in journals here stateside, well let’s just say, when reading stuff to decide if I will submit to it or not, it’s pretty horrible.
Poetry is something that if its good enough is memorable and wants to be seen again and again generation after generation.
There’s no greater payment than knowing someone has clipped or copied or printed your published poem and attached it with a magnet to the fridge to read it again and again to inspire or remind them, whether it is spiritual or otherwise.
Can you share some advice for aspiring poets and writers?
It took me until I was in my 50’s to realize this one important fact when writing spiritual
work. Pray that the Holy Spirit would guide you…….tell your brain to SHUT UP!!!!!!......and just be……A SCRIBE!!!!!!!
I can say from my own experience writing is done in 3 parts:
The first is the journaling, this part is a blast, you just get to doodle and have fun,
Listening to voices around you, reading something, whatever you do, always have something to journal on within arm’s length at all times, don’t rely on your memory to save an idea, a phrase or a quote, etc.
The second, which is where the work begins, is the revision process, and sometimes we are our own worst judges about what we write. Sometimes, as much as we think we can turn nothing into something, that trashcan icon can be our best friend. If you’re struggling with a piece of work, file it away, leave it in that file for months to a year, then come back to it. Does the rough draft still appeal to you or is it just time to be gone with it and move on. Look at it one last time, maybe there’s still pieces of it you can develop, segregate those out to start other works. Keeping in mind that a year later, your work will improve and/or change as you mature in your craft. I know so much of what I do journal never will make it into my word processor if I let it sit long enough.
And don’t think you’re just going to jump in and be published with your first poem or your first draft, it probably is not going to happen, you have to take writing to be a long road trip-that eventually you’ll get more recognized the more miles you endure.
And the last one, number 3, is the marketing/submitting, whether to a competition or a
publication, or creating your own collection into pamphlet or book form. This is a struggle for me as there is so much time involved, understanding what the editor or publisher specifically wants, reading and reviewing the work they’ve already published, and by all means, pay attention to all of those details, because all of the time you put into it might be in vain, if you miss one small detail. And yes, for me, this is my least favorite bit about writing.
Thank you for taking time to do this interview, Ted. I appreciate your continued support of Creative Inspirations and its ministries! Please have closing remarks.
And thank you MJ for this interview it has been a pleasure, and it continues to be
a pleasure to be part of the Creative Inspirations family of writers.
This year has been going great; I am more focused on my editing and revision work on pieces that have been in my revisions file for years. I currently have approximately 3000+ pieces in my files that are in some sort of revision status all the way up to material looking for a home. Overall, it has been a very insightful year spiritually and due to a great teaching pastor, a year of some great teachings and better insight and understanding of the scriptures.
Your initials are interesting. I know part of your name is Ted and the initial E in your name stands for Edgar. What does the initial G stand for, and what do you prefer to be called? I go by MJ, the initials of my first and middle name (Maurice Jerome).
This question brings back fond childhood memories. The story is my grandfather’s name was Edgar Newton Davis, my parents named me Edgar George Davis. My poor grandmother would call out Ed to do something and we’d both respond. My mother had an Uncle Theadore that she adored (no rhyme pun intended), so they decided to nickname me Ted to stave off any further confusion, which led to a youth name of Teddy. Ted has actually become a legal signature name over the years.
Does the month of May have any significant meaning for you?
The month of May carries two significant events in it. The first is the memory of my brothers and sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice while dawning our nation’s miliary uniforms through either being drafted or through volunteerism. The second is my Age-o-meter rolls over this year to 67 y/o.
Tell us something good about the city or state you reside in.
Well Boise was a quiet little city when we moved here, over ten years ago, sort of a secret that no one seemed to want to participate in until Covid came, since then it has turned into something we no longer realize what it is anymore, sadly the influx has destroyed the agriculture and ranching nearby that we so cherished, the wide open spaces are being gobbled up by housing divisions and block style condos and such, sadly, our little part of the last of the wild, wild west, is vanishing in lieu of corporate buildup chasing the almighty dollar, local businesses have been hurt by all of this. So in a nutshell, if someone is looking for a quiet city, sadly, it is no longer here. I think the last statistic I saw, we went from one of the lowest cost of living and skyrocketed to one of the highest in our nation.
Tell us a little bit about Ted.
I am, or should I say, we, my wife and myself, are avid cyclists. Between greenbelts, the Rails to Trails and BLM and Forest service land, there are plenty of places to ride and get away from the urban area, get that much needed break away from population. I am the bicycle nut out of the two us, I’ve spent the past few years building bikes and our garage space is taken up by my efforts. We ride paved, gravel, trails and we ride also tandem. A lot of fun and great non-impact exercise.
For me out cycling by myself is also very inspiring for both Haiku and Poetry. And most of all it gets me out within nature and the feeling of His presence, to hear and see what He has created. We are also avid fans of our two 5 y/o Australian Shepards (Aussies), getting them out and running them in open ground and taking them on our Mountain bike rides.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Even though I’ve been retired for quite a few years now, and because my wife is still in her career, I still keep a pretty rigid schedule, something I inherited from time in military service. Mondays are just sort of my bum around home days, but includes word processing from my journal, revisions, and just hanging out with the Aussies.
Tues-Thurs the business of writing is serious at least 2 hours per day up to 6 if needed, these are again word processing days, heavy on the revisions day, and then the marketing/submission aspect of writing. Then Friday-Sunday I might tinker around some more revisions if time allows, probably a 30-minute stint and then no more than that.
How long have you been writing poetry?
I’ve been writing of some sort since being a teenager, I can’t really recall when poetry really kicked into a regular pursuit. As you know, our working years, our career and family tend to come first. I might say 2011 when I retired afforded me the time to really focus on it.
Are you on any social media platforms, websites, etc., that you would like to share with us?
If anyone would love to follow me along, I have a space over on Truth Social @edgargteddavis, I realize some folks might want to avoid this site as it is quite politically charged, but I’m there to share the gospel of Jesus Christ through poetry and Haiku, and throw in a wee bit of humor once in a while, but there are plenty of other things happening over there that are not political to enjoy, and its great having the freedom of speech truly protected. Besides who wouldn’t want to see an old guy out with his adorable Aussies in the real outback area of the wild side of Idaho??????
Anything that you are proud you accomplished last year that is still transpiring into this year?
Just continuing to try and reach the Lost through my writing and ministering to the rest of us.
What is a minor and major goal you would like to accomplish this year?
My writing is twofold. I would probably say 80% of it is about Jesus, the other 20% is not. That 80% I work on midweek, where I am submitting gospel related poetry into the journals that are not faith based, i.e., journals ran by the universities or independents. The point is to get the ideas in front of a reviewer, and editor or both, knowing full well the work, no matter how good the quality may appear, will probably get outright rejected due to its subject content. The main goal is to put those editors/reviewers in a position to accept the Truth, put it on the back burner or to outright reject it. In that matter, I’ve placed a witnessing document in their possession, now they have to make a decision. What will they decide to do?!
The thing that is neat about this, I have no idea in this present life how many I’ve led to the Lord, hopefully that will be shown in the next life.
And secondary to that, we have our believing children attending these universities and being persecuted for their faith, my hope is that they will review such a piece and be uplifted and know that they are loved and supported in one way or another.
The other 20%, I do mostly for my enjoyment, reminiscing, etc. However, with that work, and because earlier forms of poetry are more welcome in the UK, such as good fashioned rhyme and meter, I submit all that work to various listings for over in the UK.
What I see being published in journals here stateside, well let’s just say, when reading stuff to decide if I will submit to it or not, it’s pretty horrible.
Poetry is something that if its good enough is memorable and wants to be seen again and again generation after generation.
There’s no greater payment than knowing someone has clipped or copied or printed your published poem and attached it with a magnet to the fridge to read it again and again to inspire or remind them, whether it is spiritual or otherwise.
Can you share some advice for aspiring poets and writers?
It took me until I was in my 50’s to realize this one important fact when writing spiritual
work. Pray that the Holy Spirit would guide you…….tell your brain to SHUT UP!!!!!!......and just be……A SCRIBE!!!!!!!
I can say from my own experience writing is done in 3 parts:
The first is the journaling, this part is a blast, you just get to doodle and have fun,
Listening to voices around you, reading something, whatever you do, always have something to journal on within arm’s length at all times, don’t rely on your memory to save an idea, a phrase or a quote, etc.
The second, which is where the work begins, is the revision process, and sometimes we are our own worst judges about what we write. Sometimes, as much as we think we can turn nothing into something, that trashcan icon can be our best friend. If you’re struggling with a piece of work, file it away, leave it in that file for months to a year, then come back to it. Does the rough draft still appeal to you or is it just time to be gone with it and move on. Look at it one last time, maybe there’s still pieces of it you can develop, segregate those out to start other works. Keeping in mind that a year later, your work will improve and/or change as you mature in your craft. I know so much of what I do journal never will make it into my word processor if I let it sit long enough.
And don’t think you’re just going to jump in and be published with your first poem or your first draft, it probably is not going to happen, you have to take writing to be a long road trip-that eventually you’ll get more recognized the more miles you endure.
And the last one, number 3, is the marketing/submitting, whether to a competition or a
publication, or creating your own collection into pamphlet or book form. This is a struggle for me as there is so much time involved, understanding what the editor or publisher specifically wants, reading and reviewing the work they’ve already published, and by all means, pay attention to all of those details, because all of the time you put into it might be in vain, if you miss one small detail. And yes, for me, this is my least favorite bit about writing.
Thank you for taking time to do this interview, Ted. I appreciate your continued support of Creative Inspirations and its ministries! Please have closing remarks.
And thank you MJ for this interview it has been a pleasure, and it continues to be
a pleasure to be part of the Creative Inspirations family of writers.
For past "Spotlight" interviews, please contact MJ at the email below.
January - Uchechukwu Onyedikam
February - Melissa Dennison
March - Marjorie Pezzoli
April - David Fox
January - Uchechukwu Onyedikam
February - Melissa Dennison
March - Marjorie Pezzoli
April - David Fox
Creative Inspirations - P.O. Box 19051 Kalamazoo, MI 49019
[email protected] - www.cipoetrypublication.com
[email protected] - www.cipoetrypublication.com