Between the Lines: An Intimate Conversation with a Literary Legend

An Interview of Michael Lee Johnson

Conducted by ILA Contributing Editor/Interviewer,

Carl Scharwath

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Today, I had the great pleasure of interviewing Michael Lee Johnson. Some of you may already know him, but if not, here is a prolific poet who has accomplished a great deal. I hope you, the ILA readers, will enjoy learning about him.

Thank you, Michael, for being with us, today.

On your time in Canada: You spent a decade in Canada during the Vietnam era. How did that experience shape your perspective as a poet, and are there specific themes from that time that sill resonate in your work?

Michael Lee Johnson: The Time when one is a youth is in a capsule. Swallow one capsule or make another response. I made another response, but I was in trouble and on the run. Even in youth, life in exile is an unknown hell, with each day revealing its horrors. Will I be sent back to the USA? In Canada, there is a rotating postal strike; we don't have that in the USA. But after traveling alone, hitchhiking north then back south, stalling for time, I eventually got my green card to work in Canada. How does that affect a person sleeping in Farmer Brown's barn with cattle shit on hay? I don't know.

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Prolific output: With over 653 published poems and 344-plus YouTube videos, you've created an extensive body of work. What drives your creative process to maintain such productivity, and how do you balance quantity with quality?

Michael Lee Johnson: I guess my response is, stupidity. A total belief in myself beyond roadblocks and high image buildings. I don't think I'm Jesus, but it is under review. The truth is that those who question in anguish, love the Lord. All my poems have been published; none remain unpublished to this date.

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International presence: Your poetry has been published in 46 countries and translated into multiple languages. How does it feel to have your work connected with such a global audience, and do you adapt your writing for different cultural contexts?

Michael Lee Johnson: I dream, I care, I want to leave a legacy that extends beyond my years on earth.

Since I have little family left or friends who care, many of my poems likely will be lost to history. But

a sense in me beyond "me not being of this earth" says I will. Keep counting the numbers, I have faith

in myself ot the end of my time.

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Song lyricist and poet: You're not only a poet but also a song lyricist. How do you navigate the differences between writing poetry and crafting song lyrics, and do the two forms ever influence

each other in your work?

Michael Lee Johnson: I never thought of the differences in the beginning and was very lucky to have

poets who were also songwriters and singers to take my rough-edged free-verse poems and mix and

chop them into melodies that worked. Now I'm much more sensitive to musical song techniques,

and my poems have become more self-styled lyrical. I would also add that, at first, I found that my

old, simple poems worked best for song conversion attempts.

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Poetry anthologies: As editor-in-chief of three poetry anthologies, what is your process for curating

and selecting poems? How do you balance your vision as an editor with your identity as a poet?

Michael Lee Johnson: This is a tough response required. There is no balance between - just gut feeling and experience. I recall that while working on the three poetry anthologies with my co-editor, Ken Allen Dronsfield, we would almost always agree on poet/poem selections. However, there were a few

times when I selected a "budding" poet with potential just because I felt the motivation behind their

spirit and perceived drive. Ken Allan Dronsfield and Christine Tabaka were just two of them, and both have gone on to successful careers in poetry and production of poetry books.

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Advice for aspiring poets: With such a distinguished career, what advice would you give to emerging poets trying to establish themselves in today's literary landscape?

Michael Lee Johnson: Don't get discouraged from all the social media now "poets everywhere syndrome." View poetry as a passion and as solid bricks lodged into a building, no temporary storm

can destroy. Avoid AI temptations, it will make you look like Shadow Dark and an obvious cloud to editors. Most editors reject AI-generated submissions at this time and may likely ban a poet from their site. AI is helpful for informational research, minor corrections, or suggestions. However, if you put a William Shakespeare poem into AI, it will come out so perfect that even Jesus Christ will wonder about the validity of his halo. It is sort of like a painter whose paintings are so perfect that they can't be distinguished from a photograph, too perfect, and no one buys them.

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Michael Lee Johnson lived in Canada for ten years during the Vietnam era. Today, he is a poet in the greater Chicago-land area, IL. He has 348-plus YouTube poetry videos. Michael Lee Johnson is an internationally published poet in 46 countries, a song lyricist with several published poetry books, and a nominee for 7 Pushcart Prize awards and 6 Best of the Net nominations. He has over 673 published poems. He is the Editor-in-chief of three poetry anthologies, all of which are available on Amazon, and has authored several poetry books and chapbooks. Michael has administered and created 6 Facebook Poetry groups. Member of the Illinois State Poetry Society. His poems have been translated into several foreign languages. Awards/Contests: International Award of Excellence "Citta' Del Galateo-Antonio De Ferrariis" XI Edition 2024 Milan, Italy-Poetry. Poem, Michael Lee Johnson, "If I Were Young Again."