An Interview with Bill Haywood

I was born, raised, and received my college education in Iowa. I spent ten years managing prairies and woodlands for Black Hawk County Conservation Board. Then, I built my career as a Professional Forester and started “Forest Improvement Services,” spending nearly thirty years renewing degraded woodlands on private land across Iowa.

Following retirement, I embraced two hobbies: making unique tables and benches from slabs cut out of discarded tree trunk sections and, writing poetry. While hand-finishing the wood pieces, writing provided a mental diversion and an opportunity to share my lifelong outdoor experiences and appreciation of the natural world.

My wife, Wahneta, and I raised six daughters and continue to live on our small acreage near Janesville, Iowa.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The title was very easy because it was the inspiration behind every poem. I wanted people to get away from their hectic life by reintroducing themselves to the beauty and peace of nature.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

I really liked the cover. Ronaldo did an awesome job of creating it. It was fun to send him ideas and see the result.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I’ve always admired writers who can transport the reader’s mind into the scenes they are describing. John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, Peter Matthiessen’s Snow Leopard, and Huston Smith’s The Religions of Man. There are so many great poets that connect people to nature. A few that come to mind are William Wordsworth, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Sara Teasdale, and Douglas Malloch.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I spent forty years of my working career managing natural areas—prairie, marshes, woodlands. Probably what would surprise readers most is that a career forester writes poetry.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

The most wonderful part of having Get Out, Go Alone, Get Away published is that Atmosphere Press has allowed me to share my thoughts with other people.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I hope the readers’ favorite poems will motivate them to connect, or reconnect, with the natural world. To actually go out and discover the things that have been taken for granted or muted by the busyness of the world.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

I am working on a follow-up book where the poems are accompanied by the thoughts behind the message. As I write poems, I make notes.

I continue to work in my shop daily, take my woodworking projects to area art shows, and maintain my website, www.naturalflats.com.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

I thoroughly enjoyed having Atmosphere Press publish Get Out, Go Alone, Get Away. Their people were professional and easy to work with. They respected my desires every step of the way. Nate was my go-to person for development. It was obvious he had read each poem and cared about my work and publication. Alex did an uncanny job matching the staff to work with me. Thank you to everyone.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.