BCC Shines A Light on: Frances Klein
Name of the piece published by BCC:
When/where was it originally published:
Amaryllis Poetry, 2017
What is the background of the piece? What led you to write it? What’s your process?
This poem is based on an actual Tlingit legend, which I first read when I was a docent at a totem pole museum in my hometown of Ketchikan, Alaska. (Ketchikan is part of the traditional homelands of the Tlingit people.) The legend has stuck with me for years due to the unsettling outcome. The piece began when the first line popped into my head fully formed, and remained mostly unchanged from the first draft to the final product.
How did you feel when it was first published and how have your thoughts or feelings on the piece changed from then to now?
This is still one of my all time favorite poems that I’ve written. I love the opening lines. It’s a very different poem in tone and voice from a lot of my other work.
Is there a specific message you'd like readers to take away from reading this piece?
Indigenous mythology is rich and fascinating and deserves more attention in our culture!
Where can readers find more of your work? (Website/social media, etc)
Twitter/Instagram: @fklein907
Website: kleinpoetryblog.wordpress.com
