How to Write Poetry About Painful History — Julie L. Moore | Ep 102

✍️ Join the BuildWriting newsletter for writing prompts, craft lessons, behind-the-scenes ideas, and conversations for serious creative writers: https://buildwriting.com/newsletter/ How do you write poetry about painful history without turning the poem into a history lesson—or telling the reader exactly what they should think? In this episode of BuildWriting, poet Julie L. Moore, author of Devil’s Backbone, joins me to explore the craft and responsibility involved in writing about difficult history. We talk about research, historical truth, finding your place inside a story, knowing when you may be crossing a line, avoiding sentimentality and preaching, and why some subjects require years of reading, revision, and humility. Julie also shares the decade-long journey behind Devil’s Backbone, how feedback changed poems she initially thought would work, why writers need to read far more than they write, and what it means for a poem to create a full-body experience rather than simply communicate an idea. In this conversation, we explore: How Julie returned seriously to poetry after years of teaching Why reading became her substitute for an MFA The experiences that eventually became Devil’s Backbone Researching history before trying to write about it Finding your ethical position inside a historical story Writing beyond your own lived experience without appropriating another voice Knowing when discomfort means “keep going” versus “stop” How to avoid making political or historical poetry preachy Historical fact versus poetic truth Whether poems about horrific subjects can still be beautiful Why humility and feedback matter when writing difficult material What writers should do when they're terrified of getting history wrong Why curiosity may be a writer's most important quality Connect with Julie L. Moore Website: https://julielmoore.com/ Book: Devil’s Backbone — available through Wildhouse Publishing, Bookshop, and other major booksellers. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to BuildWriting, share it with another writer, and leave a rating or review. It helps more poets and creative writers discover the show. Keep writing. Keep building your craft. Chapters 00:00 — Writing painful history without preaching 01:01 — Julie's earliest life as a writer 06:32 — The moment she returned to writing 11:28 — The fear of never writing her book 13:50 — Reading as a writing education 14:07 — Where Devil’s Backbone began 18:35 — When individual poems became a collection 22:28 — Artistic curiosity vs. fascination with trauma 25:15 — How much research is enough? 29:24 — Where do you belong in the story? 31:21 — Knowing when you've crossed a line 37:07 — When does a poem become preachy? 40:43 — Historical fact vs. poetic truth 46:38 — Can horrific poetry still be beautiful? 49:14 — How Devil’s Backbone changed Julie as a writer 52:25 — Advice for writing difficult history 55:12 — What should a historical poem do to the reader? 57:43 — Rapid-fire questions 1:01:57 — Persistence, curiosity, courage & discipline 1:04:13 — Where to find Julie and Devil’s Backbone