“To Our Indolent Cancer”: Eight Questions for Greg Delanty
Throughout my life, I’ve never been fond of poetry. My schooling experience gave me a negative perspective of poetry, school would make poetry seem like a form of punishment. Instead of allowing us to freely read poetry and books, they would always tie complex poems relating to the poem or book and make us interpret in a “correct” way. Which usually aligned with how they interpreted it. When I was given the opportunity to participate in a poet interview project for a completion project grade, the grade was my main motivation to conduct an interview. However, as I searched for a poem to do for the project, one stood out among the rest, it had seemingly unprofessional language, but was a joy to read. That poem was “To Our Indolent Cancer” by Greg Delanty. Through reading it, I realized why people could be liked, especially when reading it independently. Instead of following a set interpretation, you can create infinite interpretations about the poem. While I was reading this poem, I found myself imagining moments from my life sparked by the plot of the poem. “To Our Indolent Cancer” references the word “languid” multiple times, meaning slow or sluggish, likely referencing a person, as the name suggests. While reading it, one of my closest friends appeared in my mind, and an internal question I had was: is this something we can all relate to? A friend that really slows us down and is really dependent on us, yet we still keep them around. I found joy in being able to incorporate my life into this poetry, and this poem has forever changed my perspective on poetry.
Greg Delanty was born in Cork City, Ireland in 1958, and since 1986, he resides in Burlington, Vermont. He teaches English related courses at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. Although not from our major poetry awards list, he has received some awards for his poetry, such as the Patrick Kavanagh award in 1983, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Surprisingly, although he writes poetry, he also heads Creative Writing at Saint Michael’s College, which has been an enemy of poetry for quite some time, being a speculated leader of poetry’s downfall. He has published many poems throughout his lifetime, and one featured in the 2025 edition of Best American Poetry was “To Our Indolent Cancer.” He also has strong activism, and likes to incorporate social, economic, and political aspects into his poems. He has been to events voicing his opinions on these real-world matters, as seen on his website. A big idea he seems to incorporate into his writing is his life experiences, some of which are heavily relatable.
I’ve noticed that you teach at Saint Michael’s College, do you teach about poetry, and if so has any class you’ve taught or your teaching experience in general sparked a poem?
Yes, I teach at Saint Michael’s College and all my classes are on poetry, whether it be a poetry introduction class, Irish poetry, US Poetry or a poetry Workshop.. And yes the following poem which was from my Book Seventeen, published in 2012 has the following poem:
To a Teacher
Once more you stand before a cabal of epheboi,
instructing them how to look at the sun.
You pin-hole a sheet of paper.
The light is blacked out, then emerges
out of the night of the moon.
Some pupils observe,
lit by learning, others show
not a glimmer of interest. How
can you guide them away
from eclipsing Acedia, Confusion,
Mammon: the dark gods of our day?
You bow your head as if before a shrine
reaching to set a candle alight.
When you were writing this poem, did you feel like you had a friend or a peer who would be the “Indolent Cancer,” and would feel like the “turtle”?
I am using what is called nosism in grammar – it is when one uses the plural pronoun for oneself – like the “royal we”. So I am talking to myself, or rather the cancer in myself and as if it was another self. When one is told that one has cancer it is hard to believe at first and the doctor told me that the type of cancer I has was “an indolent cancer”, which is the official term used for this often ‘slow cancer’– the term is a kind of personification itself. And yes I was aware that other’s have cancer too so it kind of brings them in. The poem is a prayer, a litany that is kind of flattering, fawning, buttering up, pleading, addressing my cancer. Some of the words are difficult to understand… as is/was my cancer.
What was the significance in the stutter of a few words in the poem, for example “lull-lull-lullaby”, was it to add onto the message of the indolent cancer being slow and sluggish, or was there another reason for the stutter?
Yes, it was what you say, but also the sounds emphasize the rich soft sounds of soothing a child or someone to sleep… as well as perhaps, suggest a stutter of nervousness etc
In the title, when you say cancer, it feels as if we wouldn’t want the person you are describing to be in our lives. However, when I read your poem, I could think of a person in my mind who seems to fit this label, and he is one of my best friends. Was this the intended message based on your own experiences, or were you looking for something else, for example for it to be a relatable poem?
The technique of nosism brings in the address of you say – see answer to second question above.
While writing your poems, do you take strategies and styles from other poet’s works you’ve encountered? If so, which ones have been the greatest influence?
Yes, to your question. I have been reading poetry for over 50 years…. Form and content are important—the style or form of a poem must fit the content, what the poet has to say. I’ve have a long essay on this. I can send it if you want. Since I read poetry every day and for the last 50 years, the list of poets and poetry would be too long to give….
Recent research has shown a decline in the popularity of poetry. Why do you think that is, and what do you think a good solution to this problem is?
I have no answer this – since I don’t believe it, and think it off.
I see that you write poems and books, so while generating ideas, what is the main thing that helps spark ideas for poems, and is it the same thing for your books or is there a difference?
This answer to this question is too various and too extensive and in its way a mystery…
Do you believe that it would be beneficial for poetry if there were more poets, even if some of them couldn’t produce as great quality as others?
I don’t know.
Finally, as a bonus question I asked him, as I may want to read some of his other poetry:
Are you currently working on any new poems that I could be looking forward to in the near future?
Yes – I have a new book about the state of the world, about climate change etc – including poems of young people with my poems. See attached. If you’d like a copy I’ll send it to you when it comes.