Personal Questions
Who are you?
To answer briefly, I am KM Zafari. This is my pen name, my real name being a bit of a pickle to spell.
Why “The Bat in the Hat”?
I’m a little bit Seuss and a little bit Poe. They are also my literary heroes. Plus, I genuinely love bats – and hats.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since I was in third grade, so subtracting eight from my current age makes that… a longer time than I’d care to admit without having more to show for it.
Are you educated?
That all depends on your definition. But here are some of my papers.
Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies, Screenwriting – ASU
Associate of Applied Science in Motion Picture and Television Production – SCC
Associate of Arts – SCC
Associate in General Studies – SCC
Certificate of Completion in Screenwriting – SCC
Certificate of Completion in Film Production – SCC
Certificate of Completion in Broadcast Production – SCC
Certificate of Completion in Editing – SCC
Certificate of Completion in Film Analysis and Criticism – SCC
In case you can’t tell, I really love film. 🙂
Have you ever published or produced anything?
I have some short stories available for free on Kindle, along with an anthology of microfiction. I have also contributed to
Otherwise, I’ve never really tried to work with a traditional publisher or get a screenwriting agent or manager. My writing, which was so prolific when I was younger, took a backseat during my marriage. I’ve only recently made it a priority in my life once again.
Why do you write?
The answer to this is best summed up with a poignant quote.
Art is a guarantee of sanity. That is the most important thing I have said.
-Louise Bourgeois
It’s vital to note, though, that I don’t actually write; rather, I edit the writings of my subconscious mind.
Questions About Writing
What is “prose poetry”?
Prose poetry is often considered a form of flash fiction, but it is also known as microfiction, “Twit Fic” or “Twit Lit” (by the Twiterati), “twisters” (by @ArjunBasu), hint fiction (by @Hint_Fiction, naturally), and probably goes by a bazillion other names I’ve never heard of.
There is also a further blurring of the lines with other types of short-form poetry, such as Haikus, which are rife across the Twitterverse.
I am @thebatinthehat. I also curate a lot of great Twit Fic on @TweetyBlurred.
There are many ways to define prose poetry, but, in general, it really is just a combination of prose and poetry. It is considered contemporary but is definitely not new to the Internet era.
Consider (“This Is Just to Say”) by William Carlos Williams or “Fog”.
The fog comes
on little cat feet.It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
-Carl Sandberg
In fact, it may go back to 19th Century France.
More coming soon…