Exclusive Interview With Poet Bartholomew Barker

Poet Bartholomew Barker graciously took the time to tell us at Ink & Oak more about his writing practice and involvement in the local literary scene. He lives in Hillsborough and is the author of the full-length collection, Wednesday Night Regular and a chapbook, Milkshakes and Chilidogs: and other food poems.

*Ink & Oak does not earn commissions on any linked products.

Poet Biography

Bartholomew Barker was nominated in 2021 and 2025 for the Pushcart Prize and Best Of The Net anthology in 2024. He’s been featured in North Carolina Poetry Society’s Poetry in Plain Sight program. Bart organizes virtual poetry critique sessions and more for Living Poetry. You can learn more about him and his work on his website.

Interview

Q1. You have published two works of poetry, Wednesday Night Regular and Milkshakes and Chilidogs: and other food poems. What can you tell us about the process of putting together a manuscript and readying it for publication?

The first step, obviously, is to have enough material of consistent quality. One great poem surrounded by dozens of crappy ones does not a book make. I think of poems as 45's and books as 33 and 1/3's so putting together a book is much like a band putting together an album. But I'm no musician so what do I know? Themes are good. So are narrative arcs, if you can find one. I'm still trying to figure this out too.

Q2. You are an admin for Living Poetry and run virtual workshops and a blog. Would you tell us more about these endeavors and how you got started?

A poet friend of mine found Living Poetry for me. At the time I was just another guy coming out of his second divorce, venting bitterness and regret through poetry. During the first couple of meetups my poems got a positive response from the other participants, so I started attending their feedback workshops to improve my craft. Back then LP had two monthly workshops and both were regularly full so I volunteered to run a third. Big mistake. The other two have since disbanded but I'm still doing mine 16 years later.

The blog is another matter. I started Bartholomew Barker, Poet to promote Wednesday Night Regular. But, like social media, I got a little endorphin hit whenever anyone read my posts so now I consider the blog my primary means of getting my words out into the world. Each post gets way more views than all the books I've sold over the years. Has the internet destroyed the poetry book?

Q3. On your blog is the tagline “Poets lie all the time but there are some truths only poetry can tell.” What does this mean for you in your practice, both as a poet and reader/consumer of poetry? How does it color how you interpret the work of others or how much you reveal in your own writing?

One of the things I tell my poets in our workshops is never let reality get in the way of a good poem.

And one of the things we all need to keep in mind, as readers of poetry, the poet is not necessarily the “voice” of the poem. The artist is not their art.

Q4. Many writers and artists I have spoken to recently voice concern over the futility of writing in politically contentious times. What would you tell them?

It is futile. But we must do it anyway.

Q5. Which poets do you enjoy reading or feel inspired by when you go to write?

I enjoy lots of classic poets, mostly from the 20th century, Frost, Cummings, Dickinson, Teasdale, W. C. Williams, and my poetry has really improved since I began regularly reading and sharing classic poetry with others.

For several years, I've had a monthly gig at a facility for folks with various stages of dementia. I'll prepare about a dozen poems on a topic, usually something seasonal, and read them to the participants, talking about the poet or the poem itself, what I really enjoy about it or the techniques I admire.

What's even more fun is at the end of the session we write a poem together and usually the poem turns out pretty good.

Q6. What is the best and/or worst writing advice you have ever received?

Best advice: To be a good writer you have to write. No waiting for inspiration. No I'm-just-not-feeling-it tonight. No fantasizing about being interviewed by the press. Just write.

Worst advice: Don't eat that. You don't know where it's been.

Q7. What are your favorite local NC bookstores or open mic spots?

My favorite open mic is Tongue & Groove which occurs monthly on the second Sunday afternoon in downtown Raleigh at the Artspace gallery.

Q8. You and I have previously discussed fraiku, which you feature frequently on your blog. For our uninitiated readers, what can you tell us about this form? What draws you to the fraiku?

The Goddess Venus visited me in a dream early one morning a few years ago. I was chatting her up in a jazz bar. She seemed bemused by my mortal flirtations. I pulled poem after poem from my notebook but her politely regal smile never shifted. She told me I was good but needed practice. I needed to learn brevity like him and Jack Keroauc stepped off the stage and next to her. He tilted his head toward the door and Venus excused herself. I watched them walk arm in arm into the dawn.

That's why I write fraiku and post them to my blog weekly.

Q9. What brought you to poetry? When did you begin writing? What keeps you going? What 2026 plans or goals do you have? Is there anywhere our readers can attend a reading of yours or support you?

My parents may have cursed me with an alliterative name, but they did not provide enough trauma in my childhood to make me a decent poet, that's why I had to get married. Twice.

For 2026, my goal is to submit 250 poems for publication, that's about five a week. But with simultaneous submissions, it's not difficult. I really do think publication is a numbers game. If you submit a lot, you're going to get published a lot. I may also put together a book but I thought the same thing in early 2025 then my life took a detour.

The best way for your readers to support me, is to follow my blog, http://www.bartbarkerpoet.com/, and share any worthy poems with their friends.

The Bottom Line

Thanks again to poet Bartholomew Barker for taking the time to answer our questions. If his answers or work has inspired you to write your next masterpiece, submit it to Ink & Oak today for a chance to be published in our magazine.