Connie Veenendaal: 101-Year-Old Poet and Inspiration

New Hampshire Teen Poets Laureate Team

Written by Catherine Manley

In recent weeks the New Hampshire Teen Poets Laureate Team has had the pleasure of connecting with 101-year-old poet and educator Cornelia “Connie” Veenendaal. Through her generosity and time we have been able to learn about her relationship with writing, risk-taking, and perseverance. 

Ms. Veenendaal was born in 1924 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Her career as a professor of writing has brought her to Mount Holyoke College, the University of Colorado Boulder, and UMass Boston. She has continued to be an avid member of New England’s writing community and has published multiple books. Her most recent publication, Sky of Sudden Changes, came out just last August. We highly recommend it and have attached a link to purchase the book below. 

One of the first pieces of advice Ms. Veenendaal told us was to “follow your own ideas and impulses.” To illustrate this, she told us about how, oftentimes, walking is “a good way to start a poem.” This can be a long, intentional walk, or even just a short break in the middle of the day. “Sometimes [poets’] poems are little more than descriptions of where they have been,” she told us, demonstrating the importance of nature and being aware of one's surroundings. Comparing the writer to a painter, Ms. Veenendaal said that by “stopping on a walk and sitting down,” the poet can write “about the landscape as if they were painting.” 

Given the unique opportunity to speak with a poet of such experience, the team asked Ms. Veenendaal how she continues to find inspiration each day and the motivation to continue writing. “I don't think any poems would be written without influence,” she replied. “You relate so strongly to certain works. I think that's one of the great gifts of poetry.” When asked about her writing process, Ms. Veenendaal explained that “a lot happens unconsciously . . . things just go on inside and begin to emerge.” She connected this to a process that she had heard from Grace Paley, short story author, poet, and political activist. “[Paley] said, when I think of a story, I don't just write it down. I wait until I think of another story. I have to have more than one kind of material to go together . . . it makes the story deeper rather than just [one] straight line from start to finish.” In tandem with capturing the mind's curiosities, the second great task of the writer is to synthesize them into a work of art. 

On the usage of form, Ms. Veenendaal told us about a sonnet she read recently by a friend of hers. “It's about a bear lying on its back in a raspberry patch and letting the raspberries fall into his mouth.” Not only does her description paint quite a languid scene, but it also speaks to the versatility of structure. “The simplest idea can be very wonderful in using forms and not really dominated by them,” she explained. “Just enjoying them.”

Ms. Veenendaal told us a story about a short yet compelling conversation she had with a colleague. While talking about a student, the fellow educator said, “You’ve got to level with him.” She said this word, “level,” struck her so much that she put it into a poem. This idea of leveling connects back to writing through connecting with both the mind and its curiosities, and truly understanding one’s place in the world. “Sometimes it's just memory or language,” Ms. Veenendaal remarked. So pay attention to the fragments of experiences and words you collect, level with them, and maybe you’ll get a poem out of it too. 

In 1973, Connie Veenendaal was one of seven poets who founded Alice James Books ​​— an independent press with an emphasis on publishing poetry by women. It provided one of the first dedicated spaces where female poets claimed a space in a male-dominated publishing world. When asked about her relationship with this community, she said, “I think it was important to me for my own career.” Going through a divorce during this time, “this gave me something very tangible to have.” Now, Alice James Books continues to thrive and has published more than a hundred poets, many of whose works have garnered national and international recognition and awards.

In writing, and in life, Ms. Veenendaal shared that she thinks “risk is very important.  . . . something comes and you just have to do the best you can.” Most importantly, the very first step is to push yourself each day to work a little bit toward your goals. Whether that be writing or not, she said that life is unpredictable and taking risks is an invaluable skill to strive for. 

“What I’ve learned,” Ms. Veenendaal imparted, “is that a society must really have the arts, and specifically poetry.” Through writing “You become much more aware of language,” and of your experiences as a whole. So go take a walk, write, and remember that poetry is a life-long journey towards a deeper understanding of human curiosity and the simple beauties it allows us to find.

––––––––––––––––––––––––– You can find Ms. Veenendaal's newest book, Sky of Sudden Changes, at the following websites: BlazeVOX, Amazon, and Asterism Books.