John Kilroy tells iguanaland, "I write so differently from most people that I'm not always confident in my perspective on my work. I've found that self-delusion is rampant among poets, and I don't know how you can ever honestly detect it in yourself."

Is John deluding himself?
Why don't you judge for yourself:
Pomona Drag Races
John Kilroy
aka
cyberclem

His life as a poet began alone in the bleachers of his Southern California high school when he was juiced on F. Scott Fitzgerald and tried to write something creative and profound. Nothing happened and it felt like there had been some form of surgery that he didn't quite remember, something removed without his knowledge. It was more than 12 years after that day before he wrote a line he was proud of. He spent the next two years writing fairly steadily, hoping to be a successful novelist. However, every time he became confused between what's great and what's acceptable to the market he'd write a poem. For him there is no confusion in poetry. Stuff happened, as it does, and he didn't write much. Then about five years ago he started again. In about a year he hopes to have a book ready to publish of almost 175 poems. All he can say for sure about the book is, "It'll be a ride."

John lives and works in Southern California where he is the editor of an auto racing magazine. He is 46, married and has three children. He thinks poetry is the lightning.

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