Robert S. Pesich is the editor for Swan Scythe Press and is the author of Burned Kilim.
He also works as a Lab Manager / Research Associate for Stanford University School of Medicine and Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research. He is the President of Poetry Center San Jose and Coordinator for the Well-RED Reading Series, hosted by the gallery Works/San Jose.
His literary work has appeared in many journals and reviews such as Apercus Quarterly, The Bitter Oleander, Circulo de Poesia (Mexico City), CutBank, Oyez Review, Red Wheelbarrow, Slipstream and others. He was awarded the Littoral Press Poetry Prize and fellowships from Djerassi Resident Artists Program, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation as well as an artist fellowship from Arts Council Silicon Valley. He lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area.
What did the Fellowship or Laureate mean to you at the time you received it?
I greatly appreciated the encouragement. The application process was a good exercise for me to think about my work, what I was trying to do and how to explain that endeavor. The award also allowed me to take time off from work to write, travel and work on translations.
What do you do now? Has your art evolved or changed?
I currently work as a research associate and lab manager for Stanford University and the Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research. I am also the president of Poetry Center San Jose, coordinator for The Well-RED Reading Series, and editor & publisher of Swan Scythe Press. My work has evolved to include one-act plays, video, and flash fiction.
What is one piece of advice you would give to an emerging artist?
Consistently take the time to follow your bliss, making your endeavor a regular practice.
Briefly, how would you describe the state of the arts locally, as well as national and beyond?
More corporate giving needed locally.