A Conversation with Gene Gazelka: On Tenderness, Transition, and the Power of Poetry

Gene Gazelka

Gene Gazelka writes with a voice that is both lyrical and unflinching, grounded in truth and uplifted by grace. His latest chapbooks, Bodies in Transition and Tender One, offer readers two deeply resonant explorations: one of the physical and political realities of trans experience, and the other of spiritual tenderness, grief, and awakening.

Each book stands firmly on its own, yet together, they paint a vivid portrait of a poet navigating body, faith, and memory through verse.

The Emotional Pulse of Tender One

The title Tender One comes from a line in one of the chapbook’s untitled poems, where the speaker addresses a beloved:

Tender one—

It is not our universal plight:
suffering, loneliness
that binds us together

It is indiscriminate love
and care.

This idea of direct address - a spiritual letter, a psalm, a whisper to someone cherished - runs throughout the collection. Many of the poems feel like offerings or devotions, lyrical moments of deep presence. Love, loss, and spiritual inquiry live in the same breath.

One poem, Storyteller, holds particular weight. Gazelka wrote it for his sister during a moment when words felt scarce but necessary. Like many of the poems in the chapbook, it looks back while also reaching forward - grappling with memory, relationship, and emotional continuity.

The Physical Reality of Bodies in Transition

In contrast, Bodies in Transition is a more grounded and corporeal collection. The poems center the lived experience of being transgender in today’s world - where personal transformation is too often politicized, policed, or misunderstood.

The collection began as a chapbook and was later expanded with editorial support after receiving an Honorable Mention in the John Rezmerski Memorial Manuscript Competition. The writing process took over a year, with a few close friends reading early drafts.

Where Tender One journeys through the inner self and the soul, Bodies in Transition brings the body itself to the forefront. It captures the experience of occupying space as a trans person, moving through public systems and private rituals alike.

“The final poem in Bodies in Transition reflects on the bureaucratic aspects of identity,” Gazelka shared, “how even paperwork becomes part of one’s body story.”

Writing Process and Poetic Practice

Gazelka’s writing process is both intuitive and structured. “It usually involves coffee and a cigar and my little notebook,” he said. “I like to write a hard copy first. First thought, best thought, as the beatniks say.”

Still, he’s meticulous in revision. “I revise as I write. I’m very fussy about my lines. If I don’t like the poem, I will junk it altogether.”

When assembling a collection, he relies on instinct. “It just comes to me as I’m imagining the story of the collection. It’s kind of like placing chapters or scenes.”

He describes knowing a poem is finished when it flows like a complete sentence - when it says what it needs to say in the way it needs to say it.

Inspiration, Influence, and Creative Courage

Gene draws inspiration from the natural world, current events, dreams, and internal musings. His literary influences range from Hemingway and Langston Hughes to Angela Y. Davis, Christopher Poindexter, and fellow contemporary poets Romlynn Ramos, Isra Al-Thibeh, and JETO.

His writing is marked by a fierce honesty, though some topics remain emotionally demanding to revisit. “Love poetry is really hard to write,” he admitted. “I really do not feel like writing love poetry if I do not currently have a lover.”

Despite this vulnerability, he encourages other poets to keep going. “It’s okay to expose oneself through writing,” he said. “Keep writing. Just write as much as you can, as often as you can.”

Resonance and Response

For Gazelka, the greatest reward comes when readers connect with his work - when someone sees themselves reflected in his lines. “I hope readers feel inspired. Motivated to make a change. Hopeful. Present.”

Sometimes, it’s the smallest things that have the biggest impact. “I’ve left a couple copies of some of my work in free places, and it is always a shock how quickly it gets snapped up.”

Every interaction matters. “Every single one,” he emphasized.

What’s Next

Gene is currently working on a new poetry collection and a fiction novel. His creative journey is ongoing, expansive, and ever evolving - just like his poetry.

Through Bodies in Transition and Tender One, Gene Gazelka invites readers to witness not only what it means to change, but what it means to care - to hold tenderness, transition, and truth in the same breath.