Author Palmer Smith Spreads Her Wings in “The Butterfly Bruises“
Palmer Smith weaves together poetry and prose in her debut book, “The Butterfly Bruises.” This intimate collection of poems and short stories captures the complexities of a “new world—some full of magic, others full of mystery.” Her writing explores everything from the wonder of New York City to the history of Charleston. As she delves into mystical memories and dreams, we join her on a journey of growth, self-discovery, and resilience. Page after page, we admire her metamorphosis: the way she transforms before she spreads her wings to fly.
We had the opportunity to chat with her about her experience writing her first book and the inspiration behind “The Butterfly Bruises.”
[UNPUBLISHED:] Publishing your own book as a college student is a phenomenal accomplishment. How did you maintain a balance between focusing on your academics and writing your book? Do you have any tips for young writers looking to pursue a similar journey?
[PALMER SMITH:] I will say I took a lot of writing classes in college so I had the benefit of being able to work on the craft while in school, that was definitely a privilege. I held onto the writing from the time I was in college until now so all the writing I had written in college I still have with me. I’m really glad I held onto it. Some short stories originated from something I wrote during those four years.
But, I will say that I didn’t really start publishing my work until 2018 and 2019 because I didn’t think I was confident enough in my work while I was in college. I can’t say I know why that was. It was probably because I was surrounded by all these really talented professors so I read their work and I was just thinking to myself, “I’m not old enough yet.” Once COVID hit, it was the benefit of having more time that instigated me to publish.
For people in school, I recommend carving out 15-20 minutes a day to just work on your writing and make it part of your routine, and then it makes it easier to work up a poem or short story you want to get published. Don’t be afraid of trying to publish while you're in college. It’s the kind of thing where the sooner you start the process becomes easier!
[UNPUBLISHED:] How did you decide on the title, “The Butterfly Bruises?” What about this title did you find encompassed the various themes present within the book?
[PALMER SMITH:] When I was a kid, I have always been fascinated with butterflies. I don’t really know where that fascination comes from. They’re such delicate and beautiful creatures. But, I was always interested in the process of a butterfly; the stages of growth are so interesting. I think I wanted to incorporate it in the title because, first off, I really liked the alliteration of “The Butterfly Bruises.” But also, the overarching theme of the book is this idea of being hurt or going through something difficult and trying to move on or grow from it.
I had never heard of a phrase like, “the butterfly bruises.” It’s always like, “the bee stings” or like an “animal does this.” But, the butterfly never really hurts anybody. I thought the idea of something being so beautiful, but also able to inflict pain was an interesting idea. Also, I wanted a butterfly on the cover and I think it turned out really beautifully.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What led you to create a book consisting of both poetry and prose? How do you think the mixture of poems and short stories brings The Butterfly Bruises” to life?
[PALMER SMITH:] Originally when I started writing in college, I only wrote short stories. I always thought the first book I would hopefully publish would be a book of short stories. To be honest, when I first started writing poetry in high school I didn't really understand how it made more sense to read poetry than to read short stories or novels. I don't think I quite understood the validity of certain kinds of poems like their formats and I think a lot of that might be because I was in a very traditional high school at the time. I loved all my English teachers, but they tended to teach the same kind of poets in high school that I think a lot of high schoolers are exposed to—like Shakespeare, Robert Frost, and Walt Whitman. But, specifically, there was a lack of women’s voices in what we were reading. Now that I look back at it, if I took a poetry class in high school that had a more diverse range of voices I would appreciate it more.
But, later on, when I was in college, I signed up for writing classes at the last minute and the only option I had was a poetry class. I didn't really know what to make of it. I thought if I really want to be a writer I need to know what is so special about poetry that makes people love it. So, I took this writing class with a poet named Tina Chang who was so kind and taught me so much. She was the poet laureate of Brooklyn. She was just amazing. She really went out of her way to show me the difference between prose and poetry. I eventually saw connections between the two. And even now when I write short stories now, I can see certain poetic terms moving into my prose writing. It’s really interesting seeing how writing poems affect the prose eventually.
I didn't set out to write poetry to begin with. Once I took that class I just really fell in love with everything we were learning. My professor always thought of a poem as a meditation. It shouldn't be a story, it should be a meditation on a moment and I think that’s what stuck with me.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What would you consider as the main sources of inspiration for your book? Which writers, artists, or other creatives influenced you the most?
[PALMER SMITH:] The first inspiration would definitely be journals that I’ve kept. Since I was a kid, I pretty much kept all of my journals. When I’m struggling to write something, I’ll turn to one of my journals. I’ll take a memory and rearrange it almost—change the perspective or change the setting. Basically, using real-life to make a poem or a story. Sometimes I keep it non-fiction and other times I change it—especially if I feel like it'd hurt someone's feelings.
Something else that I always come back to is the main theme of setting. I just like New York City and the entire state. I am truly a New Yorker through and through. Anytime I move away, I always want to come back. I think about it all the time, especially Central Park, which is like my safe place, my safe haven. I think cities, in general, are very inspiring to be. But at the same time, the southeast and small towns are very inspiring to me too, especially in the south I would say places like Charleston, my mom’s from northeast Florida, the low country of South Carolina. The nature in the South I'm constantly inspired by. I also think the cultural differences are very interesting in terms of just like the way people interact with each other.
What attracts me to New York City in a lot of ways is the anonymity you can have like nobody really cares who you are. That's very freeing versus small towns or in the South where everybody knows each other. It’s very interesting. It’s so different.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What is something you wish you could tell yourself when you first began writing your book?
[PALMER SMITH:] I would say be more patient. Sometimes when I write, I have this great idea and I want to flesh it out but fleshing it out takes longer than I thought it would. I am not a fast writer and I need to just accept that fact. But, with my second book specifically, I would say to take my time with deciding where I want to publish it, who I want the audience to be. But also, poetry is a hard sell, unless you’re already a very well-known poet. Otherwise, it’s hard to get an agent and hard to get a big book deal. But with a novel, I think it's worth it and 99% of people think it’s worth taking your time.
If you want a book deal, take the time to find the agents you want to reach out to, take the time to find whatever publishing house you can contact. I think because the reality for a lot of writers is that they don’t get paid very much. If you feel like you have a novel or a book idea that you put your heart and soul into and spent years working on it I think you shouldn't sell yourself short. I am trying to take at least a year and a half or two years to write this new book that I’m working on and I don't want to sell myself short. It's your writing. You did it. It’s your idea. You spent a lot of time on it. It’s important to you. Don’t let anybody take advantage of what you've done.
[UNPUBLISHED:] How would you describe “The Butterfly Bruises” in only three words?
[PALMER SMITH:] Creative, refreshing, and emotional.