‘The Guys’ share poetry, writing advice downtown

One refers to himself as the "young guy," the other the "older guy."

Augustana English professor and writer-in-residence Patrick Hicks and former South Dakota State University professor David Allan Evans shared some of their own poetry on Thursday, March 3, at 7 p.m. at Zandbroz Variety located in downtown Sioux Falls.

Hicks and Evans came up with the idea after getting together at a local pub.

The two alternated turns reading their own poems and then fielded any questions about writing poetry after they were finished. Both Hicks and Evans have been writing poems for several years and are inspired by their own life experiences.

"When you're a writer, it's never really turned off," Hicks said. "And no one is really safe when you're a writer. My wife is in my poems a lot and now my son, too, who isn't even speaking English yet."

Hicks shared some poems from his fifth and most recent poetry collection called This London. The poetry collection was published in the United Kingdom.

Evans is the current Poet Laureate of South Dakota and has given many readings across the U.S., as well as in England, China, Belgium and Puerto Rico.

For the last year and a half, Hicks said he has been focusing on fiction and writing very little poetry. His goal is to write 750 words a day.

"Sometimes that takes an hour and a half, sometimes it takes four hours," Hicks said. "And writing 750 brand new words takes almost as long as re-writing 750 old words."

Hicks also shared some advice when it comes to his writing style.

"One of the things that I say all the time is first draft is worst draft and I don't believe in writing but re-writing," Hicks said. "So I re-write all the time."

The two poets also shared some advice for how to deal with writer's block, a common condition in the writing profession.

"I just force the issue," Evans said. "I assume that every time you put a line or a word or a phrase down on paper that I'm learning something from that and that can lead to something else and something else and something else."

Hicks pointed to surrounding his life with interesting things and places to help move his writing along and avoid writer's block.

"I think having interesting things and interesting people around you is really helpful," Hicks said. "And particularly if you do interesting things with your life, you've got this big reservoir of experience you can draw on."

Hicks said this is one reason he made the choice to study and live abroad for a number of years of his life.

Following the event, the pair of poets signed books for people that attended the event.

Hicks said it can be difficult to become a writer because there are not structures in place when it comes to learning how to write.

"You kind of have to forge your own path I think with writing," Hicks said. "But I can't imagine doing anything else. I just feel really lucky that someone pays me to do what I love."