In an interview with Boloji.com, one of India’s most popular e-magazines, UMBC’s Robert Deluty revealed the origins of his transformation into a poet and shared a few select pieces spanning more than 20 years.
According to Dr. Deluty, associate dean of the graduate school, he did not discover his talent for writing poetry until he was in his late 30’s when he adapted a “long-winded, self-righteous, and boring” essay into his first published poem expressing his views on entitlement. It was published in The Baltimore Evening Sun newspaper.
Surprisingly, however, it was his 30-plus years as a psychology professor and practicing clinician that drew him to pursue poetry. “When I provide therapy as a psychologist and when I write poetry, my goals are typically the same: to connect with my audience, to relieve burdens, and to promote greater awareness and insight,” said Deluty.
Deluty’s poems and essays have been published in newspapers, journals, and anthologies such as The Wall Street Journal, Modern Haiku, Psychiatric Times and the Journal of Poetry Therapy. His 42nd book, Saluting from the Shore, will be published in August 2013.
