Coughlin reads poetry during Graves Lecture

Coughlin’s reading of “Preferable” imagined what his life might have been like if, instead of remaining in Boston, he had moved to San Francisco at age 25, and become a surfer, modeling expensive clothing.

He described the second poem, “Strides,” as a confused love poem to northwest Nebraska. He extolled the virtues of being able to walk for weeks and never meet a Wal-Mart greeter but admitted it would nice to find a Cracker Barrel restaurant or Barnes and Noble bookstore among the Sandhills.

In “It” he described the moment when everything aligns and how trying to recapture that moment and its illusive high can become addictive.

He also read poetry from his book, “Another City,” published earlier in 2015 including “Helen’s Bar Room,” “Winter Refrain,” “Special Recognition,” and “Adam’s Thirst.”

During discussion following the presentation, Coughlin explained his approach to revising his poetry, describing himself as an obsessive reviser. He advised young writers in the audience to make the leap to understanding the importance of revising.

“What we’re trying to do with the first draft is get something going so that we can build toward something better,” he said.

He explained the difference in approaches explaining that a friend of his sees first drafts as playing with the lines while Coughlin forces himself to write for three hours daily. In earlier years, he would buy a cinnamon roll, sit at a coffee shop and write, rewarding himself with the cinnamon roll only after a self-imposed minimum of two hours writing.

“For me, I wrestle with the first drafts. They take me forever to write. The thing I enjoy, the fun I have is when I’m revising. I could revise all day. I love revising,” he said.

When asked if he listens to music while he writes, Coughlin said that he did when he was younger, but now prefers the quiet of his office. In a follow-up question, another audience member asked if music from the 1980s or 1990s takes him back in time.

“Sure, my sister listened to ‘Hungry Eyes’ from ‘Dirty Dancing’ for eight years one summer. When I heard that song, it brought me back to that very moment and I wrote a poem about it. Movies bring me back, too. I never related to the poets who talked about high art all the time. That’s not me. I love the Boston Red Sox, Bruce Springsteen and I love watching bad TV and I want to be able to talk about those things in my art,” he said.