BCC Shines a Light on: nat raum
Name of the piece published by BCC:
When/where was it originally published:
good luck have fun press, issue 1 (2022)
Tell us more about your piece! What is the background of the piece? What led you to write it? What’s your process?
The piece came about when I was playing Stardew Valley and picked up a clamshell on the beach. I was really struck by the in-game description of the item: “Someone lived here once.” (It’s since been updated in 1.6 to say “There’s a chewy little guy in there…”) The poem came pretty quickly from there.
How did you feel when it was first published and how have your thoughts or feelings on the piece changed from then to now?
I still really love the piece, but now I have even more nostalgic feelings towards it since the change of the game text. It feels a bit like a modern artifact, which is something that’s always really cool and interesting to me in the digital age.
Is there a specific message you would like readers to take away from reading this piece?
Not necessarily, other than to the extent that I always want to see more video game poetry in the world. Don’t be afraid to write about your obsessions, even if they don’t feel “poetic” enough!
What else would you like to tell readers about your writing?
I think I have a reputation for being fairly prolific, but I’m in a period of slowing down after working so intensely on my MFA thesis. I’ve been a little hard on myself about it, but it’s okay to slow down!
Where can readers find more of your work?
I am online at natraum.com and on most social media platforms @gr8earlofhell.
