by Mary Maceda
Andreevich has been working the past several months with mentor poet Joe Mills and took the time to answer Mary’s questions about the experience. Tew will enter the UNCG MFA in Poetry next semester. We are grateful for his time, gorgeous poetry (p. 18 and 53), and wish him well in all his upcoming endeavors.
Andreevich Tew is a queer poet that seeks to explore healing through writing and how to form a healthy language and culture that cares for the bodies we inhabit. He is a recent graduate of UNC Greensboro, majoring in English with a minor in creative writing.
You’ve been working with poet and professor Joseph Mills through a mentorship program. What has that experience been like for you, and how has it influenced your writing?
This has been a great opportunity to sharpen my poetry through the lens of a committed third party. Joseph Mills has such a keen eye for finding the most interesting part of an image and concluding from it, which has made me reevaluate the potential energy in my poetry.
What is something you learned from working with Joe Mills that really changed the way you think about poetry?
We’ve had several conversations about the idea of field poetics and the way a poem, at first glance, dictates the way a reader comes into the experience. In my experience as a poet, we can get caught up in the smallest of details in our work, but it’s important to maintain the bigger picture of what’s going on.
Which literary devices or techniques do you especially enjoy using in your poetry? And why?
Although I could certainly get into the weeds and talk with you much longer about the subject, the biggest strength of poetry I have found is its power of imagination. All the greatest works of art inspire more opportunities for art afterward, and I have found the same to be true for poetry. To steal from Rich, part of the responsibility of poetry is to remain “diving into the wreck,” and that requires opening yourself to whatever you may find there.
Has working with a mentor changed the way you revise your poems or approach your craft?
Joseph and I have spent several sessions discussing the grouping of poems together, whether that be for online publication, chapbook assembly, or as we’ll have on the 18th, a public reading. All of these forms require a different eye for composition, and I’ve found that poems can form their own symbiotic relationships with each other when consumed in tandem.
For students or emerging writers who are just starting to share their poetry, what advice would you give them?
Attend as many open mics as frequently as possible. If you are a poet who only consumes poetry in the written form, you are missing an entire other half of the poetic tradition. Mics are one of the easiest ways to grow your poetry community, which is invaluable for an emerging writer.
Which poets or writers inspire your work the most?
I’ve always been called to Jane Hirshfield’s work, alongside Gregory Corso, Diane Di Prima, Natalie Diaz, and torrin a. greathouse. Emilia Phillips’ book Nonbinary Bird of Paradise has also become one of the cornerstones of my inspiration when writing.
Since you’re part of the North Carolina literary community, which local bookstores, literary magazines, or writing spaces do you recommend people check out?
I semi-regularly host the UNCG undergraduate open mic, and the Chime In Open Mic at Lanza’s Cafe in Chapel Hill is one of the most welcoming mics I have had the pleasure of attending.
What themes or ideas do you find yourself coming back to in your poetry?
My poetry seeks to celebrate the queer body and explore personal relationships to it regarding healing, sex, and shame. These ideas usually end up intersecting with themes of community, religion, and self-identification.
What are you currently working on, or what are your goals for your writing in the future?
I am incredibly proud to say that I have committed to UNCG’s MFA in Poetry for the fall and will be learning under the guidance of some of the finest poets I know. My goal in writing is to continue to heal and spread joy in my community, and to welcome more people into this circle