CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT:
Interview with Marlo Scheitler

Rappahannock Review Interview Editor: The focus of “Is she adopted?” is the mother-daughter relationship. What do you hope it portrays about this relationship?

Marlo Scheitler: The connectedness of a new mother to her child and the dedication that comes with the love of this tiny new human that you have nurtured and formed a special bond with since birth.

RR: The stanzas vary in length throughout the poem, varying between 1 and 3 lines in each. What is the cumulative effect of this?

MS: The structure of the poem is intentional. The first couplet begins with the focus on mother and daughter. The last mono-stitch ends with a focus on the mother and daughter. The variation in the number of stanza lines is a representation of life and love in that you never know what you are going to have come your way and there is no control. The last stanza is a monostich acknowledging the certainty of life, what is known even though we can’t possibly know everything. This is ironically also the case of the saleswomen in the boutique attempting to gatekeep the narrative of how this mother and baby came to be as well as put them in a box by implying the adoption of a natural-born child because of their skin color, hair and facial features, looping the reader back to the title.

RR: The poem ends with spoken words from the narrator that put collective doubt to rest. Why did you choose to end the poem like this?

MS: Ending with the narrator’s response gives the narrator agency instead of passive acceptance as the recipient of the speculative, blatantly rude, and unprofessional behavior of the salespeople. It is never tactful, good form or okay to ask a complete stranger a personal question about their child. It is especially rude in the formal setting of a place of business. However, something about the narrator and her child gave these salespeople the impression that these social graces were not going to extend to this shopper, who is a person of color with a white-looking baby.

Not only does it put their collective doubt to rest, but it reinforces that sometimes things are exactly as they appear despite our prejudgments or lack of exposure to what we may think something should be. Furthermore, our ignorance around how something should add up from our limited point of view may create insensitivity. The bottom line is that families come in all shapes and sizes no matter the genotype, their genetic composition or phenotype, the observable physical characteristics of the people.

RR: You mention hosting “monthly Poetry Night Out events” in your bio. Tell us more about how you bring this community together!

MS: Monthly, I host a Poetry Night Out at a local independent bookstore. It is a community event where I feature a guest poet who performs a reading of their work, followed by a Q&A that I conduct to give the community a chance to learn about the literary artist, their journey, and their craft. This is usually followed by a book signing, and then I open the second half of the evening up to the Open Mic portion, where everyone is invited to share their voice. Sometimes there is a theme. For example, one event featured three poets with their ekphrastic pieces. Another event featured poetry that speaks to family, friendship, and places. This is the first time this community has ever had anything like this, and the attendance and feedback overwhelmingly speak to the appreciation. The mutual support of a local independent bookstore in conjunction with these events has helped to anchor the place as a safe space for literary artists and other creatives to freely engage, which has become increasingly important in the aftermath of the pandemic as well as the current attempts to ban, block and defund art initiatives.

RR: Who is your favorite poet?

MS: This may be a surprise, but the late Shel Silverstein is one of my favorite poets. I was incredibly young in elementary school, 4th or 5th grade, when I discovered his book, Where The Sidewalk Ends. It was that discovery where poetry really connected and hooked me. He was masterful at being outrageously funny and profound. Because the poems are also accompanied by his drawing and the musicality of his work, they made an indelible impact on me. Recently, about 6 months ago, I found a special edition reprint with twelve new poems. Best find ever! My inner child was screaming in anticipation of the chance to playfully engage in the pages of his book of poems again.