33 1/3 & Under: Meet Poet Robyn Hager 

For twenty-five-year-old Robyn Hager, poetry is both a means of reflecting upon and making sense of the human condition and celebrating the beauty of her beloved Hudson Valley.  

Robyn’s love affair with expressing herself through words began in an unlikely way, as an elementary schooler crafting fanfiction based on her favorite books. In time, she would come to devote herself to poetry, publishing her debut collection, Sewage Flowers (NDR Press), at the age of 19, followed by works featured in literary journals such as Vocivia Magazine, Acid Bath, and Lightwood Press.  Her latest collection, Strawberry Season and 41 Other Poems, will be published in an upcoming edition of Pulpit Magazine. 

Today, Robyn is one of the most active and energetic wordsmiths in the Hudson Valley. Since 2021, she has hosted over 60 open-mic events titled “White Noise” at Kingston’s Green Kill Gallery. She is also co-curator of the day-long New Year’s Day Spoken Word Marathon, an event created by poet Bruce Weber and his artist-wife Joanne Pagano Weber, which began in NYC and is now headquartered in the Hudson Valley. 

Not one to rest on her laurels when it comes to creative expression, Robyn has recently immersed herself in the world of fiber arts and crocheting. Her goal with this new hobby? It’s to craft some suitably funky apparel that she now wears for some of her readings, as well as some that can be purchased on a dedicated Instagram site.

To see Robyn and some of the Hudson Valley’s most inspiring writers, head to her twice-monthly hosted White Noise open mic events at Green Kill in Kingston.

To hear more about her artistic endeavors and her Hudson Valley loves, read on.

INSIDE+OUT: When did you become interested in becoming a writer, and who were your most significant early influences?

Robyn Hager: An embarrassing but true story to answer this question: I started getting into writing through fanfiction I wrote in elementary and early middle school with characters from my favorite books at the time (The Outsiders, Harry Potter, etc.). Making worlds that I envisioned into writing was definitely an “ah-ha” moment for me, but these were just stories and didn’t really propel my interest in becoming a writer. That shift occurred during high school, when I started writing poetry in my little black Moleskine. It was a total release for me, and as I struggled with mental health issues, it was a way for me to create something beautiful out of the chaos I was facing internally. I began to think I had a knack for it and didn’t feel like I had many other interests that engaged me the way writing did. So, that is why I pursued it once I went to college. 

Some of my major early influences were, of course, the Beats—Jack Kerouac, Diane Di Prima, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, among others. Hunter S. Thompson was also a significant influence when I first started writing. He had a unique perspective on the world that both enticed and terrified me; two themes I still try to evoke in my work to this day. 

What motivates you to write poetry, and how has your approach evolved over the years?

Robyn Hager: If I don’t write all of the heaviness within me, it is stuck swimming around the void of my mind. The motivation is the act of creation. It is the effort to process and understand what feels like thousands of moving parts all firing at once. It is to distract me, to calm my nerves, to “regulate,” and to have others understand and, hopefully, relate to what I am projecting through the written word. 

My approach honestly has not changed drastically since I first began writing. For me, it’s always been – sit down and write. Sometimes a thought strikes me, and I know it’s the start of something good, or a book or piece of writing makes me want to create. But typically, it’s just, “Okay, I know I may not want to do this, but I need to do this.” And more often than not, something good comes out of it.

You have had a good deal of your work published in magazines, literary quarterlies, websites, and chapbooks. Tell us a bit about your work and what we can expect from your forthcoming collection, Strawberry Season and 41 Other Poems.

Robyn Hager: My work has always been exploitative, dreamlike, and a bit nonsensical. I’m not a poet who leans towards forms; the idea of writing in a structure never made sense to me. When I write, it comes out all at once, and most of the time, I’m not even sure where it is coming from. I just follow the flow of these thoughts and see where they lead me. It’s because of this that I try not to set restraints on myself or follow a pattern. I just let it happen and hope I strike gold. It is an amalgamation of my life experiences, observations, intuitions, and magical realisms that all seem to create this thing called a “poem.” 

Strawberry Season and 41 Other Poems is a testament to all of this. It’s about 60 pages, and the first part is “Strawberry Season,” which includes most of the poems I wrote in June 2024. Being literally the season when strawberries pepper gardens and farms, I also saw it as my own personal strawberry season, a time when I felt my poetry was fertile and rampant. Many of the poems are about my life, including its ups and downs, as well as my day-to-day experiences, while others offer societal critiques. The section “41 Other Poems” is 41 poems that I wrote in one sitting in a two-hour time span. I hoped to reach 50, but I fell nine short. Most are completely unedited (as a significant portion of my work is) and listed in the exact order in which I wrote them. It was a fun exercise, and the result was much more successful than I had hoped. 

Poetry appears to be regaining popularity as an art form, with many people of all ages writing, publishing, and participating in readings and slam events. Why do you think this is happening? And what is the best way for an aspiring poet to make an impact?

Robyn Hager: I think people are finding that it’s such an easy and effective way to get a point across, and, unlike other art forms, you don’t need much to do it. All it takes is a pen and paper, or, if you prefer, just your phone or computer. It’s one of the oldest forms of art in existence, and I think, like everything, interest waxes and wanes, but it’s really exciting to see more people embracing it. My hope is that the more people do it, the more others will become inspired to take it up themselves and realize the holistic and therapeutic benefits of this art.

The best way to make an impact is to use your talent to empower other poets, aspiring or not, whom you know. Create a community. Most importantly, don’t be scared of putting your work out there! If you prefer to write only for your eyes, that’s fine, but you’re not going to make an impact that way. 

Since 2021, you’ve hosted over 60 open mic events at the Green Kill gallery and performance space in Kingston. What inspired you to conceive and launch this series? And who are the kinds of people who participate?

Robyn Hager: Green Kill was the first place I started performing my poetry back in 2018 (at 18 years old) when they were holding an open mic called “Voiceless Readings” that my now-good-friend Noah David Roberts hosted. I felt a strong sense of community in that space, even though I was by far the youngest performer there. Some regular faces I saw there I later learned to be local legends, many of whom have now passed (Ron Whiteurs, Andy Clausen, Pamela Twinning), and became mentors for me as a young, aspiring poet dealing with a whole slew of personal issues that were manifested in my writing at the time. 

When COVID-19 hit, Green Kill shut down briefly, and Noah moved away. So, when things started to pick back up again, a slot opened up for an open mic, and D.B. Schell, the gallery owner, approached me and asked if I wanted to host one. I jumped on the opportunity and have been developing it ever since.

White Noise, my open mic, is open to any and all performers, though I have an obvious bias towards poets. But the other women who assisted me in starting it were intent on making it a space for performers of all kinds: whether you’re a clown, a musician, a poet, a muser, a public servant, etc., and invite anybody (as long as they are respectful) to perform whatever their heart desires. I don’t think I’d ever change that aspect of the event at Green Kill, though I have been looking to expand the event to other locations and keep the focus more on poetry. 

You also now help organize one of the tri-state’s biggest spoken word extravaganzas, the New Year’s Day event initiated by poet Bruce Weber and his artist partner, Joanne Pagano Weber. What has this experience been like, and how has it changed and grown with your involvement?

Robyn Hager: It’s been wonderful and truly such an honor to be a part of such a historic event that began before I was even born! I connected with Bruce and Joanne several years ago, and they’ve always been steadfast champions of me and my work. It wasn’t complicated to get involved; I just did what I always do: jump on an opportunity when I see one! Bruce and Joanne seemed thrilled to have me on board, especially since I bring a younger perspective and a wider range of folks to the event. In my first year of curating, I invited over 60 poets from the area. Ever since then, I’ve been part of the team and have been accepted and welcomed to offer my advice and contribute to the event in any way I can.

Who are some of the Hudson Valley-based poets that most impress and inspire you?

Robyn Hager: There are so many. Bruce and Joanne for sure! And the poets I mentioned previously, who have passed away, Ron, Andy, and Pamela, were huge inspirations to me and always impressed me with how dedicated and authentic they remained to their work throughout their lives. Philip Levine is a good friend who has inspired me with his command of every performance he delivers, as well as his willingness to always offer me advice on my work. Every featured poet I’ve brought to White Noise has inspired me in different ways, and I am always learning something from each new poet who comes to the event. There are so many poets I meet along my travels and many who also put together and host open mic events, which validates to me why I continue to do the same. 

Speaking of the Hudson Valley, you seem to have moved around a bit – living in Rosendale, New Paltz, and soon again in Kingston. What is it that drew you to the Hudson Valley, and what do you like most about living and creating here?

Robyn Hager: The beauty, the beauty, the beauty. It’s a gorgeous place to live. You feel every season so fully, and I’ve thus become much more in touch with nature and the natural world in general, learning immensely from the landscape and geography of this region. I just love that I can walk to somewhere that is picture-book gorgeous, and hundreds of people won’t surround me. I can exist in these spaces and meditate and contemplate. Nature is the only place that can grant me this space, and the Hudson Valley is abundant with these places. On the same vein, I feel that only when I can completely tune out the outside world am I able to create, so that’s yet another reason why it’s been such a privilege to live here, and why I never caved and moved down to the city. 

If you could have dinner (or drinks) with three poets, who would they be and why?

Robyn Hager: Eileen Myles, Fernando Pessoa, and Anne Carson. Such powerful, impactful poets in distinct ways, but each is so confident in the way they approach their writing. Each is mystical, enigmatic, and capable of elevating the minutiae of our existence to a macro level. To hear them all talk to each other and observe silently from the other side of the table (or bar) would be more than enough for me. 

Three years ago, you began exploring the world of fiber arts and crocheting, and you’ve just initiated an Instagram page and a pop-up where you sell your work. What drew you to take this up as a passion, and how does it, if it does, connect to the creative expression you get from poetry?

Robyn Hager: I picked up crocheting as an attempt to pursue a hobby that would allow me to create wearable clothing at an affordable cost! It took many years for me to reach the point I am now, which includes being able to freehand wearable items in the fit and style I like. The process has been an exercise in patience and trusting the process. 

Recently, I have dived deeper into the world of fiber arts and have begun spinning my own yarn to use for projects, which, yet again, has been a very trust-the-process practice. In an age where we are constantly encouraged to consume, taking the time to create something exactly the way I want it and being able to share that joy with others has been an extremely gratifying and valuable lesson. It’s in this way, I believe, that this passion most relates to my poetry, because I can show that through this expression, I am creating the building blocks of my persona and identity, and I hope others realize that the arts can help them achieve this as well.

What would be your dream assignment? 

Robyn Hager: As a full-time journalist on top of my artistic ventures, I’d say that my dream article would be interviewing a favorite contemporary poet of mine who, for whatever reason, is coming to the area I work in to do a reading or book launch. To bring up Anne Carson again, I’d probably say that if I could interview her for an article, that’d truly be a dream come true. 

Who or what inspires you personally? 

Robyn Hager: My environment. The view outside my window, the overwhelming heat or cold in my apartment, solitary hikes up mountains, long runs down train tracks or in trails lined with invasives, the first colors of spring and the last of fall, the seedy and the desolate parts of cities, liminal spaces like laundromats and train cars. Many people I’ve met, whether in reality or dreams, have had a profound impact on my life, whether grand or minor, and have also inspired my writing. 

Tell us something about yourself that people might be surprised to know.

Robyn Hager: I have two pet lizards and a cat, and, apparently, my cat and gecko are in love with each other. At least, this is what an animal communicator told me during a recent session. I’m also a Jersey girl, which I find is quite few and far between in the Hudson Valley. 

What is your favorite non-musical activity? 

Robyn Hager: If you mean non-poetic, I’d say that running is my favorite activity not related to the arts. As a historically non-athletic person, running has been one of the most important things I’ve discovered as a young adult. The release and “high” I get is unlike anything else. 

Photos courtesy of Robyn Hager

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Contributing writer Sal Cataldi is a musician, writer and former publicist living in Hudson Valley NY.

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