Laura Dilworth on The Heartbreak Chronicles

Wendy & Rich 0:01
Coming to you from the Freedom Federal Credit Union Studios, Hartford County Living presents, conversations with Rich Bennett. 

Rich Bennett 0:27
My lady had put a post on Hartford County Living, the Facebook group, about a book to Hartbreak Chronicles. And then when I did some research, it's like, okay, this book looks like it's good. I kind of reached out to her and asked her about coming on to podcast and she thought I was a nut or something. 

And then I told 

Laura Dilworth 0:53
Wendy about 

Rich Bennett 0:53
it. And so I thought 

he read it. Let me phrase that I read. I don't read the books before 

Laura Dilworth 1:06
all 

Rich Bennett 1:07
an 

Laura Dilworth 1:07
on 

Rich Bennett 1:08
the show. I do what is called the Larry King. Larry King never 

Laura Dilworth 1:13
read. 

Wendy Beck 1:15
I don't know if I mean, hey, like, we do a lot of podcasts and I wing it. Like honestly, like I walk in that door and I don't even know sometimes who's coming because I'll be 

Rich Bennett 1:25
Well, 

Wendy Beck 1:25
like. 

Rich Bennett 1:25
that's why you're good at what you're doing. 

Wendy Beck 1:26
Well, no, but when you 

Laura Dilworth 1:28
you. With 

Wendy Beck 1:30
this book, I was really excited about it and I actually read it. So I'm 

Rich Bennett 1:34
today. 

Wendy Beck 1:34
prepared 

Rich Bennett 1:35
Well, in that 

Laura Dilworth 1:35
it's 

Rich Bennett 1:35
case, 

Laura Dilworth 1:36
a fun read, I think 

Wendy Beck 1:37
it is. And I'll tell you a little bit about how that went for me. But yeah, 

Rich Bennett 1:43
we have. 

Wendy Beck 1:43
So maybe we should introduce 

Rich Bennett 1:44
Yes, 

Wendy Beck 1:44
her. 

Rich Bennett 1:45
we have large deal worth on death. Yeah, deal worth. 

Laura Dilworth 1:48
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 1:49
And well, Wendy is going to take it over because. You give 

Laura Dilworth 1:55
me. I'm 

Wendy Beck 1:57
not. That's not true. Hi, Laura. 

Laura Dilworth 2:00
Hi, Wendy. 

Rich Bennett 2:00
Hi, Laura. 

Laura Dilworth 2:03
Hi. 

Wendy Beck 2:04
Like I said, Rich gave me your book and I was intrigued because it's a book of poems, 

Laura Dilworth 2:11
Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 2:12
basically. And it was. I had a hard time putting it down to be honest. I really, really, I really enjoyed it. It's the heartbreak chronicles and reading through it. I had some questions for you, like almost immediately, but I first want to hear, like, you know, your version of how this book came to life. 

Laura Dilworth 2:31
So I started writing this book. I was going through, like one of the worst hard breaks I've ever been through in my life. And I didn't see how I was going to get through it. I didn't think that I was ever going to be happy without that person in my life. So I just started writing as an outlet. And then as I'm writing, it sort of brings me back into my past things that I never really had sat down and really worked through. Like this boy I dated when I was 16 and, you know, dated him throughout high school. And then I never really worked through my emotions with that work through some feelings I had postpartum and then worked through some feelings I had just within myself, like with my self image. And so I just started writing and writing until. 

Wendy Beck 3:19
And that's one of the 

Laura Dilworth 3:21
questions finished book. 

Wendy Beck 3:22
Yeah, and that was one of the questions that I had as I was reading through it. Was it in real time, were you writing as it was happening, or did you go back and write it after? 

Laura Dilworth 3:33
Some things I wrote in real time and then some things I went back, you know, like obviously I'm not 16 anymore. 

Wendy Beck 3:41
Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 3:43
This 

Rich Bennett 3:43
You 

Laura Dilworth 3:43
first. 

Rich Bennett 3:43
just look 

Laura Dilworth 3:44
it. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 3:46
Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 3:47
Funny. This first poem in this book was something that I wrote when I first had started dating this guy that eventually like just tore my world apart. And in the first poem I'm kind of like not really sure about it. And then so I decided to make that the first one in the book and that was actually the first one that I wrote about him. And then I ended the 

Wendy Beck 4:12
girl with the knife. 

Laura Dilworth 4:12
Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 4:13
Okay. 

Laura Dilworth 4:13
And then I ended it with the once I wrote this last poem that's in the book, I was like all right this book is done. 

This is me sort of like finding myself and being okay with just being a poet like you know in this last book and sort of like honing my power with my pen and my paper and being okay with it. 

Wendy Beck 4:37
I love it. 

Laura Dilworth 4:37
Now 

Wendy Beck 4:37
I love 

Rich Bennett 4:38
So 

Wendy Beck 4:38
it. 

Rich Bennett 4:38
you said that when you were going through all this and you said you were writing, obviously you weren't writing the book yet. I guess you were more or less journaling. 

Laura Dilworth 4:46
Well, 

Rich Bennett 4:46
[BLANK_AUDIO] 

Laura Dilworth 4:46
I just would go in like my notes, and I would just like write down my feelings, and I would be like, I think I could make this into something, 

Rich Bennett 4:53
know? 

Laura Dilworth 4:53
you 

Rich Bennett 4:53
So that's where you decide to make it. 

Laura Dilworth 4:54
And I've always been interested in poetry. So when I was in middle school, I had a poem that was published that I wrote in middle school, and my teacher sent it in and it got published. 

Rich Bennett 5:07
Oh, in a magazine. 

Laura Dilworth 5:09
Um, in some kind of anthology, 

Rich Bennett 5:10
can't 

Laura Dilworth 5:11
I 

Rich Bennett 5:11
really 

Laura Dilworth 5:11
name a bit, I should have brought it with me. Yeah, my mom has the book. And then when I went to tell some university, I studied creative writing. And so I wrote a lot then too. I've always liked writing. I've always liked reading. And so that just became my outlet for how to get these emotions out. And 

Wendy Beck 5:29
Well, and I notice it is a journey. 

Laura Dilworth 5:31
yeah, 

Wendy Beck 5:31
It really is. And I have some things marked as like my favorites, and I might even would you be okay with like maybe reading one? 

Laura Dilworth 5:38
yeah. 

Wendy Beck 5:39
Okay. Yeah, when we get when we get there. But yeah, I, because I noticed I noticed the progression. 

Laura Dilworth 5:44
Yeah. So 

Wendy Beck 5:45
I, and I thought that was kind of where you the artist on the cover? 

Laura Dilworth 5:47
No, so this is actually a great friend of mine. Her name is Hope White. She is an author herself. She wrote a children's book. And she is just so creative. All of my crazy ideas. She can put into a vision. And it's always beautiful. She's made multiple shirts for me, where I'm like, I really want to shirt that like, you know, I'm going to a concert and I want a shirt that looks like this. And I'm like, okay, done. Like 

Wendy Beck 6:13
well 

Laura Dilworth 6:13
she's so creative. She's so brilliant. Her name is Hope White. She is, she lives in Kingsville, so she's not far. 

Yeah, 

Wendy Beck 6:23
I like 

Laura Dilworth 6:23
she she's amazing. 

I think her and her husband both do art. So yeah, you can look around and Facebook. 

Rich Bennett 6:31
Those of you listening, so the cover. It's 

Laura Dilworth 6:34
what you think 

Rich Bennett 6:35
heartbreak. You see the regular, you know, the heart that everybody draws with the crack. Now this is like somebody standing there basically ripping their chest open where the heart would be. That is. 

Laura Dilworth 6:48
And there's no heart. There's no heart. 

Rich Bennett 6:51
Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 6:52
The heart's gone. 

Wendy Beck 6:53
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 6:54
Man, I'm sorry Wendy. 

Wendy Beck 6:56
That's okay. No, that's okay. 

Laura Dilworth 6:57
I mean she's amazing. Her name is Hope, Hope White. She she brilliant. So I actually I think I 

Rich Bennett 7:02
she needs to come on too. 

Laura Dilworth 7:04
she 

Rich Bennett 7:04
Is she still 

Laura Dilworth 7:04
Here 

Rich Bennett 7:04
writing? 

Laura Dilworth 7:05
on she writes, I do think she writes, she actually wrote her father passed away and she wrote a journal. The dead dad's society. 

Rich Bennett 7:15
Oh, wow. 

Laura Dilworth 7:16
Yeah. So it's really. My dad hasn't passed away, but I did look at it just to see and it's it's pretty 

Wendy Beck 7:24
intense. 

Laura Dilworth 7:24
Intense, intense. It's pretty. Helps people work through those emotions when their father passes away. That's pretty. 

Rich Bennett 7:29
Wow. 

Laura Dilworth 7:30
You know, I think I put in here that she is the illustrator somewhere in here. Maybe not. 

Rich Bennett 7:36
You get to just gave her credit 

Laura Dilworth 7:38
I just gave her credit on 

Wendy Beck 7:39
on exactly 

Laura Dilworth 7:39
this. 

Wendy Beck 7:40
So you have these, you know, your this healing journey that you're on 

Laura Dilworth 7:43
and. 

Wendy Beck 7:44
and you also decided at some point to put them all together. 

Laura Dilworth 7:47
Yeah, 

Wendy Beck 7:48
And then when you did that, you self published. 

Laura Dilworth 7:51
Yes. So I self publish using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. 

Wendy Beck 7:55
Yes. 

Laura Dilworth 7:56
And it was actually a pretty easy process. I was surprised. But you go on and you put your cover design in and then you can write a little. 

Wendy Beck 8:04
Yep. 

Laura Dilworth 8:04
Thing on the back. And then you can get your own ISBN number or use one that Amazon gives you. So I just use the one Amazon got me. But I have learned that if I want it to be in like Barnes and Noble and stuff, I need to register through there. So 

Wendy Beck 8:19
register it through Kindle or through Barnes and Noble 

Laura Dilworth 8:21
through it's called Ingram Spark. 

Rich Bennett 8:23
Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 8:23
Okay. 

Laura Dilworth 8:24
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 8:24
Another one that self publishers use 

Laura Dilworth 8:27
Yeah, 

Rich Bennett 8:27
because. 

Laura Dilworth 8:27
but that's where Barnes and Noble. 

Rich Bennett 8:29
all honestly. 

Wendy Beck 8:29
It 

Rich Bennett 8:29
If you would have 

Laura Dilworth 8:30
tried 

Rich Bennett 8:30
find 

Laura Dilworth 8:30
to 

Rich Bennett 8:31
a publisher, you probably would still be 

Laura Dilworth 8:33
because. 

Rich Bennett 8:34
searching 

Laura Dilworth 8:34
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 8:34
Fortunately, poetry is not published a 

Laura Dilworth 8:37
No, 

Rich Bennett 8:37
lot. which 

Laura Dilworth 8:39
it's not 

Rich Bennett 8:39
to me is a shame I'm big. I love poetry. 

Wendy Beck 8:44
I love poetry. I like it too. And you know, I have a few books that have you know been 

Laura Dilworth 8:47
famous in 

Wendy Beck 8:48
this format, where you can just. And, you know, open it and anywhere, 

Rich Bennett 8:52
Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 8:52
any place and read it. But then the book of poetry, I'm more apt to reread than another book because I can just pick it up and I'm like I know how this book made me feel. I knew when I was feeling that what it did for me. And I feel like this is one of those for sure. 

Laura Dilworth 9:10
And not all of these I took from experience, some of these are fictional for me, but in a way that someone going through similar heartbreak would be able to understand it. I think good brother is one where I think her husband was like cheating on her and he ended up dying. 

Rich Bennett 9:32
Oh, 

Laura Dilworth 9:33
and so obviously that didn't happen to me, but I'm sure someone out there can relate to that kind of heartbreak. 

Rich Bennett 9:39
Well, and that's just the 

Laura Dilworth 9:40
thing these 

Rich Bennett 9:41
are people and everybody let's face it everybody's been through heartbreak. 

Laura Dilworth 9:45
right 

Rich Bennett 9:45
So the 

Laura Dilworth 9:47
way 

Rich Bennett 9:47
everybody and it gets me not just about if it's a relationship that's gone 

Laura Dilworth 9:52
wrong, 

Rich Bennett 9:54
even 

Laura Dilworth 9:55
you 

Rich Bennett 9:55
know with death, the somebody's lost a loved 

Laura Dilworth 9:58
one. 

Rich Bennett 10:01
I don't know about losing a job or whatever, but I mean. It could be I guess 

Wendy Beck 10:06
I mean, I think sometimes you know when someone else's dark moments we can relate to. 

Rich Bennett 10:12
Yeah, 

Laura Dilworth 10:12
and you know, 

Rich Bennett 10:13
with poems, they're just like songs, it's the it's a 

Laura Dilworth 10:20
who's 

Rich Bennett 10:20
husband 

Laura Dilworth 10:21
ever reading 

Rich Bennett 10:22
If 

Laura Dilworth 10:23
it. 

Rich Bennett 10:23
I read it, it 

Laura Dilworth 10:24
mean 

Rich Bennett 10:24
may 

Laura Dilworth 10:25
something 

Rich Bennett 10:25
completely different to me then 

Laura Dilworth 10:27
what 

Rich Bennett 10:28
Laura 

Laura Dilworth 10:28
right 

Wendy Beck 10:29
root 

Rich Bennett 10:29
over 

Laura Dilworth 10:30
time. 

Rich Bennett 10:32
It may the meaning may change for Laura as well. That's the one great thing about it's an art. 

Laura Dilworth 10:37
And art is objective. 

Rich Bennett 10:39
Yeah, 

Wendy Beck 10:40
yeah. Well, I like, I like this one and I don't 

Laura Dilworth 10:44
know. 

Wendy Beck 10:44
This one or not, but 

Laura Dilworth 10:45
I think it's the one about postpartum depression. 

Wendy Beck 10:48
Her and me and I I freaking love this because would you mind reading this one. 

Laura Dilworth 10:57
No, you can I can read 

Wendy Beck 10:58
it. Yeah, I would rather you read it. 

Laura Dilworth 11:00
Yeah, 

Wendy Beck 11:00
and I just I loved this. 

Laura Dilworth 11:04
All right, you ready? 

Wendy Beck 11:05
Yes. 

Laura Dilworth 11:06
She's awake, a hope, beautiful and innocent reaching for me from the depths of her crib newborn smiles and the smell of baby powder, a joy baby pink curtains hang in the room. Congratulations echo in my mind cherish this moment cherished. You must be overwhelmed I am she's beautiful and yes she is indeed look at her look at her look at me empty lost loose skin and messy hair. I'm awake always piles of laundry and dishes stacked crying, but whose tears take this pill they shove a little blue pill at me screeching at night I'm empty. I'm awake. I'm no longer me I was only a vessel. How can you be happy when you're so sad, sad, 

Wendy Beck 11:46
sad. And I just but this she just I feel like you just you could see that in your mind and it could relate to anyone because you know motherhood is very you know euphoric in some ways but it is also very sad in other ways because you're losing a sense of yourself this is something that you've never experienced before and everyone has all of these different emotions attached to it and I just I just thought that this was beautiful. 

Laura Dilworth 12:14
Yeah that was about like my struggles with postpartum depression and I felt like nobody I didn't want to say nobody cared about me but it was all about the baby. 

Rich Bennett 12:23
The baby yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 12:24
And she was great. She still is great but like what about me you know and then you try to talk to the doctor about it and they're like well take this pill you'll be fine like 

Wendy Beck 12:34
right 

Laura Dilworth 12:34
and it's like but I'm not like 

Wendy Beck 12:37
how long did that if you don't mind how long did that 

Laura Dilworth 12:39
for 

Wendy Beck 12:39
go on 

Laura Dilworth 12:40
probably a couple months and then ironically when I decided I was going to leave that relationship that was in, I got a little bit better but then I ended up getting pregnant with she was 

like six months 

Wendy Beck 12:59
old oh 

Laura Dilworth 12:59
yeah so 

Wendy Beck 13:00
wow 

Laura Dilworth 13:00
then I was pregnant again yeah 

Wendy Beck 13:03
like almost like twins 

Laura Dilworth 13:04
yeah but I was living with my mom then and my mom was an angel throughout all of that so yeah she really helped me through it. 

Rich Bennett 13:13
Yeah that's got to be that's got to be hard and I think we've talked about part of 

Laura Dilworth 13:19
what we're 

Rich Bennett 13:20
on here and it's yeah a lot of people don't get it especially men I hate to say but men don't 

Laura Dilworth 13:27
understand what the 

Rich Bennett 13:29
one 

something 

Laura Dilworth 13:32
something 

Wendy Beck 13:33
tell me try but 

Rich Bennett 13:34
yeah 

Wendy Beck 13:34
you know they don't really have any perspective they they can't they can't do that 

Laura Dilworth 13:38
just you know and then especially after you've like carried a child for so long and then you 

Rich Bennett 13:42
it's 

Laura Dilworth 13:42
you're not it's like you feel sort of empty inside like I don't know how really to explain it other than that. 

Rich Bennett 13:49
What was the hardest, hardest poem for you to write? 

Laura Dilworth 13:52
the hardest poem for me to write in this book was, uhm, I'll tell you, it's called a really, really fast car. 

Rich Bennett 14:03
Why was that 

Laura Dilworth 14:04
right? 

Rich Bennett 14:04
so hard and 

Laura Dilworth 14:05
Uhm, this particular poem was hard for me to write because it was about this particular relationship that I felt just... tore me apart. 

Rich Bennett 14:22
just 

Laura Dilworth 14:26
And uhm, I was comparing the relationship to a car being told on the side of the road. 

Rich Bennett 14:32
Oh wow. 

Wendy Beck 14:33
And I think, uhm, I can't remember it right the second but I'm trying to find it chapter 6. 

Laura Dilworth 14:40
And there was a lot of emotions that went through with that. Uhm, it was just a 

Wendy Beck 14:48
lot. It looked like, you know, a lot of... I 

Laura Dilworth 14:50
it's 

Wendy Beck 14:50
really, 

Laura Dilworth 14:50
like two pages long. It's one of the 

Rich Bennett 14:52
Oh 

Laura Dilworth 14:52
long... 

Rich Bennett 14:52
wow. 

Wendy Beck 14:52
Okay. 

Rich Bennett 14:54
Hello to take you not that poem, but hello to the actually, 

Laura Dilworth 14:57
Actually. 

Rich Bennett 14:57
because I'm sure there's probably a lot of poems that you that 

Laura Dilworth 15:00
wrote 

Rich Bennett 15:01
aren't in the book. So, now. 

Wendy Beck 15:05
Oh. 

Laura Dilworth 15:06
Might be another 

Rich Bennett 15:06
book. Well, that's... My question is, 

Laura Dilworth 15:10
how long 

Rich Bennett 15:12
was the process for you to, once you decide it, you wanted to write a book. And then figuring out which poems you were gonna put in there, 

Wendy Beck 15:20
that you 

Rich Bennett 15:20
wrote until the end, until you finally hit that 

Laura Dilworth 15:23
button. 

Rich Bennett 15:23
publish 

Laura Dilworth 15:24
How long... 

Rich Bennett 15:24
What's that process? 

Laura Dilworth 15:25
Uh, that was about a year and a half. Wow. 

Rich Bennett 15:28
Wow. 

Laura Dilworth 15:28
Yeah. So I... Because I didn't want to just throw together some poems 

Rich Bennett 15:33
Right. 

Laura Dilworth 15:33
and... You know. Call it a day. I wanted to really lay it out in a way that sort of made the most sense. 

Rich Bennett 15:40
Mm-hmm. 

Laura Dilworth 15:40
And I wanted it to sort of be like in... Um, I wanted it to be like a journey like you. 

Wendy Beck 15:48
kind 

Rich Bennett 15:49
Almost 

Wendy Beck 15:49
of 

Rich Bennett 15:49
like a 

Wendy Beck 15:49
chronological... 

Rich Bennett 15:50
Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 15:50
And 

Laura Dilworth 15:50
Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 15:51
that's what I noticed about it, and that's what I liked, 'cause I felt like I was like... I was going through this with you. 

Laura Dilworth 15:56
Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 15:57
I 

Laura Dilworth 15:57
That... 

Wendy Beck 15:57
really did. 

Laura Dilworth 15:58
It's a bee, and I wanted someone who was maybe going through the same thing, 'cause like you said, we've all been through heartbreak. We've all been through so many different things in our I wanted them to be able to read it and say, "Okay, I'm not alone. This girl can get through this. I can get through this." 

Rich Bennett 16:13
Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 16:14
I wanted it to be like that. 

Rich Bennett 16:16
Oh, 

Wendy Beck 16:16
Can 

Rich Bennett 16:16
why? 

Wendy Beck 16:16
we read another one? Can we read another one? Can we read another? 

Laura Dilworth 16:19
Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 16:19
I have 

Rich Bennett 16:19
Why 

Wendy Beck 16:19
a... 

Rich Bennett 16:20
are you asking me? 

Wendy Beck 16:20
heart... 

Rich Bennett 16:20
It's at the 

Wendy Beck 16:21
Well, I 

Laura Dilworth 16:21
read whatever you want. 

Wendy Beck 16:23
Hayes? 

Laura Dilworth 16:25
Do you have it up? 

Wendy Beck 16:26
Yeah. Okay. 

Laura Dilworth 16:27
It's okay. 

Wendy Beck 16:28
I just... I felt like it'll give the audience a little bit of a perspective. 

Rich Bennett 16:33
Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 16:34
So this one... I got the name from it, because... Well, I'll read it, and then I'll tell you 

Wendy Beck 16:40
Okay. 

Laura Dilworth 16:40
why. This. I hope that when the dark creeps in, and it's cold, and it's nighttime, and you're all alone, that you think of me, and I hope it hurts. And I hope you cry. The kind of cry that feels like you just got punched in your gut. Hit by a truck. The kind that sets the core of your soul on fire. And then I hope you stay up and look around at all the pieces of me that you scattered everywhere. I hope they are sharp, like glass, and I hope they go for blood. Pierce your heart. I hope you find solace in the smoke, in the dark, in the cold, when the night creeps in, and you're all alone. 

Wendy Beck 17:13
Hey, 

Rich Bennett 17:13
Damn, 

Wendy Beck 17:13
like... 

Rich Bennett 17:14
they gave me flashbacks, so some people are used to date. 

Laura Dilworth 17:17
I... Hey, 

Wendy Beck 17:19
oh no! 

Laura Dilworth 17:19
As you know, when someone is smoking and it just has that... 

Rich Bennett 17:24
Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 17:24
That's why I named it that. 

Rich Bennett 17:27
Wow. 

Wendy Beck 17:28
But you can hear your anger in some of these. Like, it's like... You know what I mean? 

Rich Bennett 17:34
I always feel it! 

Wendy Beck 17:36
Yeah, and it's funny, and I have to tell you this because 

Laura Dilworth 17:39
when 

Wendy Beck 17:40
I... 

Rich Bennett 17:40
No. 

Wendy Beck 17:42
And I took it with me when I went to my boyfriend's house. And I was like, "You need to... Let me read this to you, and I was... 

Rich Bennett 17:49
No. You 

Laura Dilworth 17:50
You 

Rich Bennett 17:50
read 

Laura Dilworth 17:50
read 

Rich Bennett 17:50
that 

Laura Dilworth 17:50
that 

Rich Bennett 17:50
one 

Laura Dilworth 17:50
one too? 

Rich Bennett 17:51
too? 

Wendy Beck 17:51
I read a lot of them. I thought they were really good. And he was like, "Wow. These are really good. They're really 

Rich Bennett 17:55
Oh. 

Wendy Beck 17:56
deep." Right? 

Laura Dilworth 17:57
That's very... 

Rich Bennett 17:57
Not funny. No! Gared. 

Laura Dilworth 17:59
Oh, 

Wendy Beck 18:00
and it's funny because he was like, "Some of these could be like a song." And so he started... So 

Laura Dilworth 18:06
He 

Wendy Beck 18:06
he was 

Laura Dilworth 18:06
was reading 

Wendy Beck 18:07
reading... 

Laura Dilworth 18:07
them as though they were like, "Layer." 

Wendy Beck 18:10
And it was so freaking cool. It was. 

Laura Dilworth 18:13
"Patter 

Wendy Beck 18:14
It was 

Laura Dilworth 18:14
a 

Wendy Beck 18:14
like, 

Laura Dilworth 18:14
couple people, say to 

Wendy Beck 18:15
I 

Laura Dilworth 18:15
me." 

Wendy Beck 18:16
hope that went that's dark. it. Just 

Laura Dilworth 18:18
And it was just love 

Wendy Beck 18:19
so awesome. 

Rich Bennett 18:20
had... The heartbreak chronicles 

Laura Dilworth 18:22
I've 

Rich Bennett 18:22
turned into death 

Laura Dilworth 18:23
A 

Rich Bennett 18:23
metal. 

Laura Dilworth 18:23
couple people say to me, like, "Have you ever thought about making these into songs?" And I'm 

Wendy Beck 18:27
"Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 18:27
like, And 

Wendy Beck 18:28
it has that." 

Rich Bennett 18:30
And the other thing is too 

Laura Dilworth 18:31
to 

Rich Bennett 18:31
when it comes 

Laura Dilworth 18:32
that. 

Rich Bennett 18:32
Cause I used to write songs, let me rephrase that. I used to 

Laura Dilworth 18:35
lyrics. 

Rich Bennett 18:35
write Yeah. And the music part was in 

Laura Dilworth 18:40
head. 

Rich Bennett 18:40
my 

Laura Dilworth 18:40
And I didn't 

Rich Bennett 18:41
know how to write the music down, 

Laura Dilworth 18:42
uh yeah, I 

Rich Bennett 18:43
That's 

Laura Dilworth 18:43
couldn't. 

Rich Bennett 18:43
the 

Laura Dilworth 18:43
hardest part. 

Wendy Beck 18:44
Well, yeah, I mean, 

Laura Dilworth 18:45
uh, 

Rich Bennett 18:45
but you'll contact. 

Laura Dilworth 18:47
Well, go for 

Wendy Beck 18:48
Well, 

Laura Dilworth 18:48
it. 

Wendy Beck 18:48
I 

Laura Dilworth 18:48
I 

Wendy Beck 18:48
mean, 

Laura Dilworth 18:49
got 

Wendy Beck 18:49
songs- 

Laura Dilworth 18:49
some ideas in my little notes app here. 

Wendy Beck 18:52
Songs are poetry, you know. 

Rich Bennett 18:53
They 

Laura Dilworth 18:54
They 

Rich Bennett 18:54
are. 

Laura Dilworth 18:54
are, yeah. 

Wendy Beck 18:55
With just-with a chorus and whatever. 

Laura Dilworth 18:57
I mean look at Taylor Swift or Trotterd Pauwitt's department album. Those are all-all poems, 

Wendy Beck 19:03
sir. 

Laura Dilworth 19:03
Oh, yeah, it was-it was a couple of years ago, but it's all though-if you really like take the music away and read those, 

Wendy Beck 19:12
impressive. Yes. 

Laura Dilworth 19:13
it's pretty 

Wendy Beck 19:14
Yeah, and that's kind of-that's kind of the feel that I got here. 

Laura Dilworth 19:17
just, you know, I just, 

Wendy Beck 19:18
And I 

Laura Dilworth 19:18
I wouldn't have heard anybody 

Wendy Beck 19:19
who, you know, is curious to-to definitely go in on Amazon and purchase it. And I think that you'll 

Laura Dilworth 19:26
of. 

Wendy Beck 19:26
get a lot 

Laura Dilworth 19:27
There's 

Wendy Beck 19:28
a lot of short poetry books. I can't think of anything right now. And then I've read that I have read over and over again. And I, for some reason I just can't think of any of the names right now that I have them at home, but this reminds me- It's 

Rich Bennett 19:44
funny because my 

Laura Dilworth 19:45
knows-so 

Rich Bennett 19:45
daughter she got me- 

like a history book. So it's-it's-it's-each day is like a day in history, and the guy, the author, explains what I happen that day, and then he'll put a poem after it. Not one that he's written, but, you know, like a famous poem that 

Laura Dilworth 20:06
It's 

Rich Bennett 20:06
he believes- 

Laura Dilworth 20:07
time. 

Rich Bennett 20:07
Yeah, not necessarily from the times, but upon the he believes reflects what happened 

Laura Dilworth 20:13
Oh, 

Rich Bennett 20:14
in that time. 

Laura Dilworth 20:14
Wow. I love that. He's got like 

Rich Bennett 20:16
almost the bar afterwards. It's almost like he'll write something that he's grateful for. 

Wendy Beck 20:21
He's 

Rich Bennett 20:21
And each day you know I'll read them and-yeah, 

Wendy Beck 20:26
got a little history lesson. 

Laura Dilworth 20:27
I'm 

Rich Bennett 20:28
so 

Laura Dilworth 20:28
getting the history 

Rich Bennett 20:28
lesson. 

Laura Dilworth 20:29
he-I'm 

Rich Bennett 20:29
I'm 

Laura Dilworth 20:29
here, I'm reading 

Rich Bennett 20:30
poems. 

Laura Dilworth 20:30
the 

Rich Bennett 20:31
I'm 

Laura Dilworth 20:31
moving on to something that you're very grateful for. 

Rich Bennett 20:33
This is brilliant. 

Wendy Beck 20:35
Well, I think poetry is creative. I mean writing is creative. You know, you can write something very clinical, or you can write something from the heart. But, um, I feel like poetry just really takes you into the mind of the person. 

Rich Bennett 20:49
So when you took creative writing, is that what you-were taking it for? 

Laura Dilworth 20:52
I took the-yeah, 

Rich Bennett 20:53
For 

Laura Dilworth 20:53
poetry. 

Rich Bennett 20:54
poetry. 

Laura Dilworth 20:54
Yeah, yeah. So actually when I was in that class, um, I had sent one of my poems in for a contest, and I won that one, and that one's called the pen, and that isn't here somewhere. 

Rich Bennett 21:08
Can you read that

Laura Dilworth 21:08
one? 

Sure. 

Rich Bennett 21:11
You're listening to the conversations with Rich Bennett. We'll be right back. 

I have to tell you about one of our community's best resources. Harford's Heart Magazine. If you're all about living local from the stories and events to the businesses that make Harco special, this is your go to magazine. It's literally Harford County's only, truly, local lifestyle magazine, connecting you with everything happening right here and who. Each issue is packed with community events, local eats, fun things to do, spotlights on neighborhood businesses, and stories that capture the heartbeat of our county, from forest into halving a grays, and bell-air to Paulsville. And best of all, you'll find it for free at hundreds of spots all across Harford County, restaurants, shops, libraries, and more, or read the Interactive Digital Edition anytime online. So support local. Stay connected. And keep it local with Harford's Heart Magazine. Check them out at harfurtzheart.com. 

Laura Dilworth 22:24
It's in an anthology called Quilted Reflections. 

Wendy Beck 22:27
think-- 

Laura Dilworth 22:27
I 

Wendy Beck 22:27
Oh, I saw all that. Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 22:28
Yeah. I think it's-- 

Wendy Beck 22:29
remember 

Laura Dilworth 22:29
I can't 

Wendy Beck 22:30
her name. 

Laura Dilworth 22:31
But 

Here it goes. The pen. Dark, black, and velvet smoothing my thoughts over paper, white, crisp, and empty, a canvas awaiting your arrival. Love or hate, the choice is yours. Get life sometimes. Breathe it into existence. Start a war or end one. You hold such power. Do you even know? Signing laws and taking away life. You don't hold back. Your ink is permanent, leaving a mark on this world with words. Bleeding through your victims. The power is unfathomable. 

[Sounds of fathom] 

Wendy Beck 23:03
I love it. 

Rich Bennett 23:04
Damn. 

Wendy Beck 23:05
Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I just-- I just enjoyed this book so much. I felt like-- I really connected 

Laura Dilworth 23:10
I really love 

Wendy Beck 23:11
you. 

Laura Dilworth 23:12
the hype after every time 

Rich Bennett 23:13
I read it. Well, now 

Wendy Beck 23:14
I'm 

Rich Bennett 23:14
because-- 

Wendy Beck 23:14
like, "Yeah." 

Rich Bennett 23:14
With that we-- 

Laura Dilworth 23:15
You 

Rich Bennett 23:16
said the pen, I'm like, "Huh, okay, 

Wendy Beck 23:18
fuck--?" 

Rich Bennett 23:18
where 

Wendy Beck 23:18
No, 

Rich Bennett 23:18
the 

Wendy Beck 23:18
but 

Rich Bennett 23:18
I 

Wendy Beck 23:19
that, 

Rich Bennett 23:19
mean then Rene, 

Wendy Beck 23:19
anyway. 

Rich Bennett 23:20
it's like, that tells you how powerful. 

Wendy Beck 23:23
Yeah, 

Rich Bennett 23:24
they 

Wendy Beck 23:24
is-- 

Rich Bennett 23:24
always 

Wendy Beck 23:24
How 

Rich Bennett 23:24
say the pen 

Wendy Beck 23:25
accountable, 

Rich Bennett 23:25
to 

Wendy Beck 23:25
you 

Rich Bennett 23:25
get 

Wendy Beck 23:25
need 

Rich Bennett 23:25
into sword. 

Laura Dilworth 23:26
This 

Wendy Beck 23:26
for your 

Laura Dilworth 23:27
That's 

Wendy Beck 23:27
words-- 

Laura Dilworth 23:27
sort of where I got it from. You know, it's about, uhm, I wanted to write something about something that people take like, yeah, like a pen, a black pen. You know, it's just a black pen, but it's the pen. 

Rich Bennett 23:41
Do. 

Wendy Beck 23:42
Right. 

Laura Dilworth 23:42
Yeah. Yeah. Wow. 

Rich Bennett 23:44
Yeah. That's me. Alright, 

Laura Dilworth 23:46
so

Rich Bennett 23:47
somebody wants an autograph copy. 

Laura Dilworth 23:49
Oh, yeah. 

Rich Bennett 23:50
They're not going to get that from 

Laura Dilworth 23:51
No, 

Rich Bennett 23:51
Amazon. 

Laura Dilworth 23:51
they're not, but if they reach out to me, I actually had an author. Tyler, not Greg. Gregson, have you heard of him? He's pretty, uhm, well known in the poetry. 

Rich Bennett 24:03
Okay. 

Wendy Beck 24:03
Okay. 

Laura Dilworth 24:03
So I'm, I actually sent him a copy. So, uhm, if he reached out to me on Instagram. So, yeah. So Instagram, Facebook, I'll send you a copy. And 

Rich Bennett 24:13
it, 

Laura Dilworth 24:13
when 

Rich Bennett 24:13
and 

Laura Dilworth 24:13
was 

Rich Bennett 24:13
when was it published? 

Laura Dilworth 24:14
August 29th. 

Rich Bennett 24:16
Oh, I'll 

Wendy Beck 24:16
Oh, 

Rich Bennett 24:16
see. 

Wendy Beck 24:16
this year. 

Rich Bennett 24:17
Alright, we're recording this. What is today's? 

Laura Dilworth 24:19
November 5th, 

Wendy Beck 24:20
November-- 

Laura Dilworth 24:20
yeah. 

Rich Bennett 24:20
November 5th. So not that long 

Wendy Beck 24:23
ago. No. 

Rich Bennett 24:23
And how are sales going so far? 

Laura Dilworth 24:25
Pretty good. I actually was, uhm, I'm part of, like, Kindle Unlimited and I ran a promo and I was number one on Amazon for a while. So 

Rich Bennett 24:34
Nice. 

Laura Dilworth 24:34
that was pretty good. And then, uhm, just being in, like, the top 100 for, like, new releases in poetry was just, like, amazing to me. You know, I was literally, like, like, right me and Tyler, not Gregson. Actually, we're, we're toggling and then I had 8 of the moan under me and then she was above me. And I was like, this is unreal. 

Rich Bennett 24:52
Wow. 

Laura Dilworth 24:53
Like, that's 

Wendy Beck 24:55
cool. 

Rich Bennett 24:55
I 

Laura Dilworth 24:56
was like, this 

Rich Bennett 24:57
unreal. 

Laura Dilworth 24:57
is Like I didn't, I didn't think anyone would buy it. I thought I would just put it out and like, you know, big my friends to buy it. 

Wendy Beck 25:04
Any 

Rich Bennett 25:05
plans on doing an audio version 

Laura Dilworth 25:07
of it? Um, I would. I mean, I haven't thought of it. I don't know how that works. But I would do an audio version just 

Rich Bennett 25:13
like what you're 

Laura Dilworth 25:14
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 25:14
doing here. 

Laura Dilworth 25:15
Yeah, 

Rich Bennett 25:15
basically, I mean, you're just reading it from front to back and then either you or you hire somebody to do it or you get different people 

Laura Dilworth 25:23
to 

Rich Bennett 25:24
read the poetry. 

Laura Dilworth 25:25
Yeah. Okay. 

Rich Bennett 25:27
Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 25:27
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 25:27
So yeah, I could be. 

Wendy Beck 25:28
And I could get John to do it in his Slayer voice. 

Laura Dilworth 25:31
Slayer voice. I love it. 

Wendy Beck 25:32
Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 25:32
Yeah. It was pretty 

Wendy Beck 25:35
good. 

Laura Dilworth 25:35
pretty good. 

Wendy Beck 25:35
It was 

Laura Dilworth 25:36
Actually, instead of um, since I couldn't make it into music, I do have all my Apple music. A heartbreak Chronicles playlist for people who like that. And I put a lot of like songs that I listened to while writing it in there. 

Rich Bennett 25:48
really? 

Wendy Beck 25:48
Oh, 

Laura Dilworth 25:49
So, 

Rich Bennett 25:50
so, all 

Wendy Beck 25:50
Anybody can 

Rich Bennett 25:51
right. 

Wendy Beck 25:51
find that. Is it on Spotify? 

Laura Dilworth 25:53
Apple music. 

Rich Bennett 25:54
what you should do is because 

Laura Dilworth 25:56
This is 

Rich Bennett 25:57
this is 

Laura Dilworth 25:57
basically 

Rich Bennett 25:57
basically printed order, right? 

Laura Dilworth 25:59
So 

Rich Bennett 25:59
you can go in and make changes at any time. 

Laura Dilworth 26:02
Like a bunch of songs that I listen to. With 

Rich Bennett 26:06
print orders, I mean, you can go in and make changes at any time. 

Laura Dilworth 26:09
No, I 

Rich Bennett 26:11
was going to see. 

Wendy Beck 26:11
No, you have to resummit the whole. 

Laura Dilworth 26:13
you have to, especially on Kindle direct publishing. 

Rich Bennett 26:16
Yeah, 

To your playlist 

Laura Dilworth 26:21
about that, but I actually, I have, I meant to bring you one. I have bookmarks and business cards, and they have a QR code, but I've got to bring it. 

Rich Bennett 26:29
I know. 

Laura Dilworth 26:30
I know. 

Rich Bennett 26:32
You believe 

Laura Dilworth 26:34
this 

Wendy Beck 26:35
time 

Laura Dilworth 26:35
next 

Rich Bennett 26:36
next 

Laura Dilworth 26:36
time 

Rich Bennett 26:36
I 

Laura Dilworth 26:36
next time. 

Rich Bennett 26:37
so, all right. We knew you said the fast car was the hardest one for you to 

Laura Dilworth 26:41
yeah, that one was hard and then another one called things we don't talk about. 

Rich Bennett 26:46
write. Oh, 

Laura Dilworth 26:47
That one was hard because I had, I wanted to write about losing a child. And I. Oh, 

Rich Bennett 26:54
shit. 

Laura Dilworth 26:55
Yeah, it's called we don't talk about it. Sorry, I knew I got the name wrong. And I wanted to talk about what it was like to lose a child. And while I had not been through that myself, I know a lot of people who have, so I really had to tap into their emotions. 

Rich Bennett 27:11
Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 27:11
Their feelings. And that was hard for me to write. And I wanted to do it justice. You know, so I, that's, that's another like, 

Wendy Beck 27:19
so this isn't just about you. It's just 

Laura Dilworth 27:21
yeah, 

Wendy Beck 27:21
like 

Laura Dilworth 27:22
some, 

Wendy Beck 27:22
things, 

Laura Dilworth 27:22
some things are, 

Wendy Beck 27:22
some things are that everybody's, 

Rich Bennett 27:24
yeah, 

Wendy Beck 27:25
heart breaks, so 

Laura Dilworth 27:26
wouldn't say works of fiction because people have gone through it. Like the good husband or good brother That one, 

Wendy Beck 27:30
I 

Laura Dilworth 27:31
you know, I've, I've never been married. So I, you know, have not lost a husband. Let alone a husband that cheated on me, so. 

Wendy Beck 27:39
Right. Right. Well, I mean, but again, you can imagine. 

Laura Dilworth 27:42
Yeah, so I wanted to do those types of things justice while writing. 

Rich Bennett 27:47
Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 27:48
And so 

Wendy Beck 27:48
it's not completely autobiographical 

Laura Dilworth 27:51
not all 

Wendy Beck 27:51
That's 

Laura Dilworth 27:51
the 

Wendy Beck 27:51
not a 

Laura Dilworth 27:51
way 

Wendy Beck 27:51
word 

Laura Dilworth 27:52
now. 

Wendy Beck 27:52
autobiographical. 

Laura Dilworth 27:54
Most of them are. 

Wendy Beck 27:56
Is that 

Rich Bennett 27:56
If 

Wendy Beck 27:56
even 

Rich Bennett 27:56
you 

Wendy Beck 27:56
a word? 

Rich Bennett 27:57
said it, it's a word. 

Laura Dilworth 27:58
I'd say 99% of them are. 

Wendy Beck 28:01
Yeah. I mean, and that's kind of the feel that I got 

Laura Dilworth 28:03
Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 28:03
from it. So. 

Rich Bennett 28:04
What was your favorite one? 

Laura Dilworth 28:06
The last one in the book, 

Wendy Beck 28:08
which is short. It's 

Laura Dilworth 28:09
called hour. Oh, 

Wendy Beck 28:11
okay. I thought the very last one 

Laura Dilworth 28:13
hour. 

It's called hour. And that was the one that when I wrote that one, I was like, okay, this is going to be the last poem of the book. Like this ties it all up. I mean, I can read it if you want. 

Wendy Beck 28:30
Yeah, I would love to. 

Laura Dilworth 28:31
Okay. 

Wendy Beck 28:32
I feel like I'm in a poetry reading. 

Laura Dilworth 28:34
It's a lot of fun. 

Wendy Beck 28:35
And this is. It is. 

Laura Dilworth 28:36
I 

Wendy Beck 28:36
love it. 

Laura Dilworth 28:37
Okay, hour. This is the hour of poets and writers and some react and seekers of power. The rest of the world cuddling up with the cousin of death. Not us. We're thriving and doing our best work with our hands, seeping through our fingertip like some kind of quick sand. Don't think so fast. There's no rush at this time. Your madness can last till the sun comes back alive and there's no more wine left. You might even spill your questions. Fill your glass on the paper. You chose to forfeit. You might have 10 minutes of rest and wake up refreshed by now at 6 a. m. The town is just getting started. The smell of coffee feels the city air as you rise again and act normally. Like you weren't just staring out the window of your cold apartment at 3 a. m. In the hour of writers and poets. We aren't scared of the dark. We love it. Show yourself in the morning. No sign of defeat. We're exhausted. But we stay quick on our feet. Life gives us inspiration for the words we speak. Get your morning coffee. Go to work live. But I'll meet you here again at 3 a. m. The hour of poets and writers. I'll bring the wine. You bring the pen. 

Wendy Beck 29:33
I love that. I love it. Love it. Love it. No. I'm serious. Like this is. I feel like anybody who likes to write like even though like I'm not like a superb writer. Like I just can totally 

Laura Dilworth 29:48
with. 

Wendy Beck 29:49
connect 

Laura Dilworth 29:49
Yeah. Thank you so much. 

Rich Bennett 29:52
I want to ask you something about the dedication in the. 

Laura Dilworth 29:55
Okay, explain that. It 

Rich Bennett 29:57
reminds me of a 

Laura Dilworth 29:58
song. 

Rich Bennett 29:58
country 

Laura Dilworth 29:58
So 

Rich Bennett 29:59
go ahead and tell everybody what the 

Laura Dilworth 30:01
dedication is for all the boys I ever loved. Thank you because they know when they read this book if they read this book, which I'm sure they will. She said 

Wendy Beck 30:10
she said they will. 

Laura Dilworth 30:11
They know which poems are about them and I wouldn't have those poems if it weren't for them. 

Rich Bennett 30:17
So you had a little swifty thing in there in the back of your head when you wrote that in there. 

Laura Dilworth 30:22
Well, I just wanted to be a little petty 

Rich Bennett 30:28
I love it 

Laura Dilworth 30:28
because 

Rich Bennett 30:29
though because I mean think about it. If you don't go through all that shit. 

Laura Dilworth 30:33
That's 

Rich Bennett 30:33
When it be. 

Laura Dilworth 30:34
why that's why it's there. 

Wendy Beck 30:35
Yep. 

Laura Dilworth 30:35
You know. 

Wendy Beck 30:36
Yeah, and I'm a firm believer. If you know me that I love purpose behind the pain. 

Laura Dilworth 30:42
Can't 

Wendy Beck 30:42
name. 

Laura Dilworth 30:42
name 

Wendy Beck 30:42
Pain behind the purpose. I can guess it can go either way. 

Rich Bennett 30:45
So what's the next big thing for Laura? 

Laura Dilworth 30:48
Maybe another book soon. I don't know another. 

Rich Bennett 30:50
Another poetry book. 

Laura Dilworth 30:52
I might go crazy and write a fantasy novel. I've been really dabbling with that idea on my head, like it really into like vampires, like I don't know. Just because 

Rich Bennett 31:01
Halloween 

Laura Dilworth 31:01
just. I think so. I was a vampire for Halloween. 

Rich Bennett 31:05
I'm 

Wendy Beck 31:06
into 

Laura Dilworth 31:07
witches. Yeah, like I don't know. I was like maybe I should just 

Wendy Beck 31:09
fan 

Laura Dilworth 31:09
write a 

Wendy Beck 31:09
or it's just very, you know, but 

Rich Bennett 31:13
nothing. 

Wendy Beck 31:13
it's 

Laura Dilworth 31:13
It's what 

Wendy Beck 31:14
I love it 

Laura Dilworth 31:14
right now. 

Wendy Beck 31:16
No, I've like, you know, just but there's there's like the green which and the head which 

Laura Dilworth 31:22
and like all 

Rich Bennett 31:23
them. 

Laura Dilworth 31:23
of 

Rich Bennett 31:23
Okay. 

Wendy Beck 31:23
Like that's I'm we don't even go into that unified somebody who would talk about witches and I'll come 

Laura Dilworth 31:29
It's 

Wendy Beck 31:29
on. 

Laura Dilworth 31:29
like when you get into like vampires like there's so much about vampires like. 

Wendy Beck 31:33
So the Salem which trials. 

Laura Dilworth 31:35
Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 31:36
And the reasoning, you know, behind why they I just read something. The witches of Pennsylvania as a book. The William Penn did not play into the witch, the witch myth 

Laura Dilworth 31:55
right, 

Wendy Beck 31:55
at 

Rich Bennett 31:55
right, 

Wendy Beck 31:55
that time. And so when people will come and try to accuse them, he was like, you know what there's no laws against writing a broom, because they would literally say, you know, like this person to this or that or whatever. And so that's why there wasn't a, the witch trials. Because he was not going to feed into that. And but I just I find it fascinating because it is history as 

Laura Dilworth 32:17
Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 32:17
well. 

Rich Bennett 32:19
For next Halloween a book on poetry about witches warlocks, 

Wendy Beck 32:25
why does I just read the witch's daughter. So that's why I think. Kind of like in 

Laura Dilworth 32:29
I'm 

Wendy Beck 32:29
my 

Laura Dilworth 32:29
like 

Wendy Beck 32:29
head, 

Laura Dilworth 32:29
the 

Wendy Beck 32:29
too. 

Laura Dilworth 32:30
vampire tires was big when I was in high school, so that's 

Wendy Beck 32:32
yes. Like 

Laura Dilworth 32:33
in my head. 

Rich Bennett 32:34
with with poetry is there I mean I remember years ago you could go to coffee shops they would always have people there you know staying up on stage 

Laura Dilworth 32:44
yeah I think they still have those I need to look into them I would love to do that 

Wendy Beck 32:49
there is there is a there is one in Pennsylvania it's a poetry society and there's probably one ever in every county every 

Rich Bennett 32:56
have 

Wendy Beck 32:56
town you just 

Laura Dilworth 32:57
it's just hard because a lot of times they're at night and like I have my kids like you 

Wendy Beck 33:00
yeah 

Laura Dilworth 33:00
know so 

Rich Bennett 33:01
how many other local poets do you know 

Laura Dilworth 33:04
poets 

Rich Bennett 33:05
yeah 

not many 

Laura Dilworth 33:08
any local poets 

Rich Bennett 33:11
um 

Laura Dilworth 33:14
I'm 

Rich Bennett 33:15
coming off crazy idea 

Laura Dilworth 33:16
I'm the only person I know that writes poetry 

Rich Bennett 33:19
all right let me let me I didn't have many songwriters local songwriters do you 

Laura Dilworth 33:24
know I know a songwriter her name is also Laura okay 

Rich Bennett 33:30
her name 

Laura Dilworth 33:31
Laura 

Rich Bennett 33:31
is 

Laura Dilworth 33:32
Kim and I have um worked with her um with a poem that I wrote that I really I was writing it I was like this is 

Rich Bennett 33:44
is a song 

Laura Dilworth 33:44
this 

Rich Bennett 33:44
yeah yeah 

Laura Dilworth 33:45
yeah this is this is a song and she is so talented and so I sort of have given that to her I'm not sure what she has done with it yet but I think we're gonna find out soon so um she also has like a coaching business which is really 

Rich Bennett 34:01
cool right 

Laura Dilworth 34:02
because coaching is like different than therapy and I find it really cool um so she's super talented too but she writes songs and um I think that's pretty awesome and the 

Rich Bennett 34:12
and 

Laura Dilworth 34:12
reason 

Rich Bennett 34:12
the 

Laura Dilworth 34:12
I 

Rich Bennett 34:12
reason 

Laura Dilworth 34:13
asked 

Rich Bennett 34:13
now is because 

Laura Dilworth 34:14
we 

Rich Bennett 34:15
we 

Laura Dilworth 34:15
started 

Rich Bennett 34:15
started doing 

Laura Dilworth 34:16
once 

Rich Bennett 34:16
once a 

Laura Dilworth 34:16
a month now we do 

Rich Bennett 34:16
month 

Laura Dilworth 34:17
live 

Rich Bennett 34:17
live podcast recordings not broadcast live 

Laura Dilworth 34:20
recording 

Rich Bennett 34:20
live 

Laura Dilworth 34:20
yeah and 

Rich Bennett 34:22
and I'm in here thinking it's like how awesome 

Wendy Beck 34:25
to 

Rich Bennett 34:26
have a couple and actually do live readings 

Laura Dilworth 34:30
yeah 

Rich Bennett 34:30
and then 

Laura Dilworth 34:31
yeah 

Rich Bennett 34:31
you know after each reading talk about what it meant to 

Laura Dilworth 34:35
person 

Rich Bennett 34:35
each 

Laura Dilworth 34:35
yeah that'd be cool 

Wendy Beck 34:36
I 

Laura Dilworth 34:36
it 

Wendy Beck 34:37
like 

Laura Dilworth 34:37
I like it too 

Rich Bennett 34:38
well 

Wendy Beck 34:39
I like it because we were just we're basically doing that right now and you know 

Rich Bennett 34:42
yeah but she told us what it 

Wendy Beck 34:45
meant and I did well 

Rich Bennett 34:46
I didn't want it meant to 

Wendy Beck 34:47
no but I when I asked her to 

Laura Dilworth 34:48
you 

Wendy Beck 34:49
read the the ones that I had tabbed like they 

Rich Bennett 34:52
yeah I know yeah all you keep thinking about is slayer 

Wendy Beck 34:58
I don't know if I had a favorite right at this moment um but I they were the ones that I actually like tabbed because I just I really did like I liked haze and I liked 16 

Laura Dilworth 35:09
which one is oh 16 yeah I 

Wendy Beck 35:12
liked that one too because that was what that's actually what sucked me it well no the girl with a knife too like honestly in the very beginning these two me in and I was like wow this 

Laura Dilworth 35:22
is I 

Wendy Beck 35:23
I want to see where this goes 

Rich Bennett 35:25
I know what I'm going to start reading today 

Wendy Beck 35:27
what 

Laura Dilworth 35:28
her 

Rich Bennett 35:28
boy 

Laura Dilworth 35:29
her 

Wendy Beck 35:30
boy 

Laura Dilworth 35:30
well you'll have to let me know which one is your favorite I think when I was talking with Jim Hurtle he liked the poet that was his favorite one he read 

Rich Bennett 35:37
what 

Laura Dilworth 35:37
it 

Rich Bennett 35:38
what what's your 

Laura Dilworth 35:38
favorite my favorite one is is the is the last 

Wendy Beck 35:42
one the 

Laura Dilworth 35:43
last pen the hour hour 

Wendy Beck 35:44
the hour oh the hour 

Laura Dilworth 35:45
yeah yeah the poet is one 

Rich Bennett 35:46
that the pen was awesome I 

Wendy Beck 35:48
that 

Rich Bennett 35:48
love 

Wendy Beck 35:48
yeah 

Laura Dilworth 35:48
the pen 

Rich Bennett 35:49
that was yes 

Laura Dilworth 35:49
yeah that one was a lot of fun too 

Wendy Beck 35:52
I think it's hard to pick a favorite to be on 

Laura Dilworth 35:54
yeah so 

Rich Bennett 35:56
somebody you just gave you an idea you could write a poem about 

Laura Dilworth 36:00
do anything you wanted 

Wendy Beck 36:02
it listen to her 

Laura Dilworth 36:03
I could I don't know if that sounds cocky but I think I could I 

Wendy Beck 36:07
love 

Rich Bennett 36:08
that that's confidence I like that 

Laura Dilworth 36:09
yeah 

Wendy Beck 36:09
mm-hmm 

Laura Dilworth 36:10
I I've always said I'm like I could do it I can do anything that anybody needs me to do you just have to tell me I mean even at my work I you know I've been cross trained in every single department in my work and I am confident enough to say that if someone in you know like programming wasn't in programming I could step in and do that if someone in management wasn't in that day I could step in and do that if they needed the front desk to be run I can do that if they need someone in nursing to be run I could do that if they need someone to go do personal care 

Wendy Beck 36:43
I can do that when I think that kind of says a lot about you and even when you took that poem that wasn't necessarily about you you can absorb absorb absorb the information and kind of do it 

Laura Dilworth 36:56
yeah 

Wendy Beck 36:56
so like 

Laura Dilworth 36:56
I'm a Pisces you know just take it all 

Rich Bennett 37:01
in February 

Laura Dilworth 37:02
March March 15th yeah 

Rich Bennett 37:04
two days two days before the best holiday in the 

Laura Dilworth 37:07
well 

Rich Bennett 37:07
world 

Laura Dilworth 37:07
all right 

Rich Bennett 37:08
best 

Laura Dilworth 37:08
second 

Rich Bennett 37:09
second best holiday 

Laura Dilworth 37:10
I 

Rich Bennett 37:10
really 

Laura Dilworth 37:10
know, and my best friend's birthday is actually March 17th, so, we have a lot of fun that weekend. 

Rich Bennett 37:16
Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 

Wendy Beck 37:20
Well, it was wonderful. 

Rich Bennett 37:21
Well, I'm giving you a, I'm giving her a mission 

Wendy Beck 37:23
Okay, 

Rich Bennett 37:23
now. Because, 

Laura Dilworth 37:24
okay. 

Rich Bennett 37:26
I, 

Laura Dilworth 37:26
Be 

Rich Bennett 37:26
I, 

Laura Dilworth 37:26
righted down so I don't forget. Just 

Rich Bennett 37:28
just, Hearing, 

Laura Dilworth 37:28
hearing. 

Rich Bennett 37:30
which you read. 

Laura Dilworth 37:31
It 

Rich Bennett 37:31
just, it just has me hooked already. I'm a big poetry fan and I think it's something that's missing because for some reason, I don't understand why publishers don't like to put more poetry books out there. I'm giving you a mission to make poetry cool again. 

Laura Dilworth 37:48
I'm trying my best. 

Rich Bennett 37:49
And, but no, now, I mean, you did a good start because the heartbreak chronicles, it's like you said, it's almost like in chronological order. It's telling us. 

Laura Dilworth 37:57
Uh-huh. 

Rich Bennett 37:58
And at first when I was joking about the Halloween poems, but that could be a thing because that's on it. It's 

Laura Dilworth 38:06
I 

Rich Bennett 38:06
a neat. 

Laura Dilworth 38:06
did market it a lot like Halloween-wise, like when I was um, just making like post on Facebook. Right. 

Wendy Beck 38:12
Right. 

Laura Dilworth 38:13
I would put um, I don't know if you have me on Facebook. Oh, it's not going to load because I don't have internet. 

Rich Bennett 38:18
no. 

Laura Dilworth 38:18
But I would put like ghost don't scare her, but heartbreak did. Like, I put 

Rich Bennett 38:23
stuff 

Laura Dilworth 38:23
like 

Rich Bennett 38:23
like 

Laura Dilworth 38:24
that. Which, that was a lot of fun to do. But 

Rich Bennett 38:29
you, you could work what you said hope wrote a children's book, 

Laura Dilworth 38:32
I 

Rich Bennett 38:32
right? 

Laura Dilworth 38:32
put ghost don't keep her up at night heartbreak did. 

Wendy Beck 38:36
No. 

Rich Bennett 38:37
Who, who white was a who-white did 

Laura Dilworth 38:40
uh, 

Rich Bennett 38:41
the, 

Laura Dilworth 38:41
thing. Oh, yeah, she illustrated it. Yes, 

Rich Bennett 38:43
but she all, you said she also wrote a children's book. 

Laura Dilworth 38:45
It's called The Mouse and the Gordon, and it's. 

Rich Bennett 38:48
think if you 

Laura Dilworth 38:50
I 

Rich Bennett 38:50
in all honesty work, get, get with her and work on a children's book of poetry of poems for children. 

Laura Dilworth 38:56
I think she could probably do it herself, she's so talented. 

Rich Bennett 38:59
She writes poetry. 

Laura Dilworth 39:00
I think she could if she wanted to. 

Rich Bennett 39:01
Uh, 

Laura Dilworth 39:02
Okay. 

Rich Bennett 39:02
okay. 

Laura Dilworth 39:02
She's so 

Rich Bennett 39:03
talented. So many different 

Laura Dilworth 39:04
you 

Rich Bennett 39:04
things that 

Laura Dilworth 39:04
could 

Rich Bennett 39:04
you 

Laura Dilworth 39:04
write 

Rich Bennett 39:05
could 

Laura Dilworth 39:05
forms of value, and 

Rich Bennett 39:06
write. And 

Laura Dilworth 39:07
saturate 

Rich Bennett 39:07
the market, and people would want to start reading again. Even saying it. Learn it. Me. 

Wendy Beck 39:16
you. 

Rich Bennett 39:16
I 

Laura Dilworth 39:16
About 

Rich Bennett 39:17
mean about 

Laura Dilworth 39:17
We 

Wendy Beck 39:17
Santa. Right. 

Laura Dilworth 39:18
could write poems 

Wendy Beck 39:19
about. Well, 

Laura Dilworth 39:20
there's tons of poems about Santa Claus 

Rich Bennett 39:21
Yeah, 

Laura Dilworth 39:22
already. 

Rich Bennett 39:22
and kids would, kids would read it. I think they would love it. 

Laura Dilworth 39:25
Yeah. I 

Wendy Beck 39:26
mean. 

Rich Bennett 39:27
to. 

Laura Dilworth 39:27
Because you 

Rich Bennett 39:27
Because 

Laura Dilworth 39:27
got 

Rich Bennett 39:27
you got to 

Laura Dilworth 39:28
Well, 

Rich Bennett 39:28
get. 

Laura Dilworth 39:28
the parents would read it to the kids. Well, what did you get? Well, 

Wendy Beck 39:31
well, what 

Rich Bennett 39:32
did you get? Which is good. 

Laura Dilworth 39:32
did you get 

Wendy Beck 39:33
Kids. 

Laura Dilworth 39:33
kids 

Wendy Beck 39:33
What 

Laura Dilworth 39:33
interested in 

Rich Bennett 39:34
poetry that's gonna. It's going to bring poetry 

Wendy Beck 39:36
back. 

Laura Dilworth 39:36
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 39:37
Because let's face it, there are a lot of adult. 

Laura Dilworth 39:39
There 

Rich Bennett 39:40
a lot of. There 

Laura Dilworth 39:41
are 

Rich Bennett 39:42
are a lot 

Laura Dilworth 39:42
There 

Rich Bennett 39:42
of. 

Laura Dilworth 39:42
are a lot of. How many. 

Rich Bennett 39:43
How many men do you know that even would even admit that they like to read poetry? 

Laura Dilworth 39:47
I don't know any men that would like to admit that they can read. 

I mean, 

Rich Bennett 39:54
So. 

Laura Dilworth 39:55
there's that. 

There's 

Rich Bennett 39:59
a lot of adults you go into somebody's house. Look and see how many books you see about poetry. 

Laura Dilworth 40:05
Oh, here's the dead, dead journaled. 

Wendy Beck 40:08
Oh, okay. Okay. 

Rich Bennett 40:11
Wow. 

Laura Dilworth 40:13
Well, 

Rich Bennett 40:13
Laura, is there anything you would like to add 

Laura Dilworth 40:16
She's 

Rich Bennett 40:16
before when? 

Laura Dilworth 40:18
not 

Rich Bennett 40:18
going to know what the question is. I don't even know if you could read them. 

Laura Dilworth 40:23
don't have anything to add. 

Wendy Beck 40:24
Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 40:24
I'm just 

Wendy Beck 40:25
I 

Laura Dilworth 40:25
excited 

Rich Bennett 40:26
to 

Laura Dilworth 40:26
here. 

Rich Bennett 40:26
be 

Wendy Beck 40:27
No, it's been a pleasure. I love it. I think this has been really cool. And when I saw Rich in September for the rage against addiction bingo, one of the first, I, does that when you gave me the book? 

Rich Bennett 40:38
Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 40:39
Oh, okay. But then I think I mentioned to you afterwards, I asked you if you read 

Rich Bennett 40:43
it. Yeah, I 

Wendy Beck 40:44
that. 

Rich Bennett 40:44
said 

Wendy Beck 40:44
And I was, and what was my reaction? 

Rich Bennett 40:47
Probably like, why not? 

Wendy Beck 40:50
No, it was like how awesome it was. 

Rich Bennett 40:53
Oh, oh, no. Well, I gave you the book at the bingo. 

Wendy Beck 40:57
Right. 

Rich Bennett 40:58
And then, oh, it was, I think when we did the library, 

Wendy Beck 41:02
Gordon, okay. Okay. 

Rich Bennett 41:03
You asked me that and I was like, well, no, I haven't read 

Wendy Beck 41:06
And I said, you need to. 

Rich Bennett 41:07
it. Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 41:08
Okay. 

Laura Dilworth 41:08
I love all the hype 

Rich Bennett 41:09
get. I 

Laura Dilworth 41:09
you 

Rich Bennett 41:10
will. 

Laura Dilworth 41:10
Giving me. 

Wendy Beck 41:10
Yay. 

Rich Bennett 41:11
You sold me on the book. That's the. So 

Wendy Beck 41:14
Right. 

Rich Bennett 41:14
I think it's worth to write it. I'm just not sure how to write it. Yeah. Because I've seen authors go 

Wendy Beck 41:17
can't. 

Rich Bennett 41:17
on. 

Laura Dilworth 41:17
I 

Wendy Beck 41:17
I can't. 

Rich Bennett 41:18
And 

Laura Dilworth 41:19
The author. 

Rich Bennett 41:19
the author doesn't even get. Like 

Laura Dilworth 41:22
Two words. 

Rich Bennett 41:22
two words. And because the host, 

Laura Dilworth 41:24
They 

Rich Bennett 41:25
if 

Laura Dilworth 41:25
read the 

Rich Bennett 41:25
they read the book, basically gave you 

Laura Dilworth 41:27
book. 

Rich Bennett 41:27
the book away. The last thing you want to do is give a book away. 

Laura Dilworth 41:34
(laughter) 

Rich Bennett 41:35
A lot of 

Laura Dilworth 41:36
people should be 

Rich Bennett 41:38
interested when you purchase the book 'The Heartbreak Chronicles' by I love Dillworth. If you read it, make sure you leave a full review on Goodreads, Amazon, and don't pass the book onto somebody else. Purchase. Book for other people. As a matter of fact, I would say even 

Laura Dilworth 41:59
you-- 

Rich Bennett 41:59
where do 

Laura Dilworth 41:59
[INAUDIBLE] 

Rich Bennett 41:59
We go for heartbreak. 

Wendy Beck 42:02
The bar. 

Laura Dilworth 42:02
That's what I was thinking. 

Rich Bennett 42:05
Maybe that was 

Wendy Beck 42:06
Or 

Rich Bennett 42:06
the wrong-- 

Wendy Beck 42:06
the gym. I 

Rich Bennett 42:07
I 

Wendy Beck 42:07
don't-- 

Rich Bennett 42:07
think I was the wrong 

Laura Dilworth 42:08
[INAUDIBLE] 

Rich Bennett 42:08
question. Say, just leave a copy in a doctor's office or whatever. 

Laura Dilworth 42:15
OK. 

Rich Bennett 42:16
You don't leave it at the bar. 

Laura Dilworth 42:17
Is that the bar? 

Wendy Beck 42:21
Or no, I'm just saying, I didn't know what you meant. 

Laura Dilworth 42:24
I didn't know either. That's 

Wendy Beck 42:25
cry in there. 

Laura Dilworth 42:26
Me and her were on the same wavelength. Never mind. 

Rich Bennett 42:29
All right, so Laura, pick a number between 1 and 100. 

Laura Dilworth 42:33
15. 

Rich Bennett 42:34
Y 

Laura Dilworth 42:34
Because 

Rich Bennett 42:34
15. 

Laura Dilworth 42:35
that's my 

Wendy Beck 42:40
birth. I mean, I don't-- 

Rich Bennett 42:41
You know what-- 

Wendy Beck 42:42
4? 

Laura Dilworth 42:43
No, 

Rich Bennett 42:43
I've been-- No, I've been doing it with-- 

Laura Dilworth 42:45
[INAUDIBLE] --with 

Rich Bennett 42:47
virtually. And I started bringing them in with me now. 

Wendy Beck 42:50
OK. 

Rich Bennett 42:51
So this is good. So 

Laura Dilworth 42:54
Laura 

Rich Bennett 42:55
told us her story before we even recorded. She did not talk to her-- 

Laura Dilworth 43:00
talk about her story. 

Rich Bennett 43:00
On this episode, because we want her to come back for another episode. But this is a good question. What does true courage look like to you? 

Laura Dilworth 43:11
Oh, true courage. I think that would be doing something even if you're afraid of how it might pan out. You should do it scared, do it broke, do it alone. Do it, just do it. Just have the courage to write the book, to publish the book, not only that. But even in your everyday life, if it's something that-- if something's going on that you don't stand for, you should have the courage to stand up against it, you know. 

Rich Bennett 43:37
Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 43:39
That's just courage, doing something even if you're scared. 

Rich Bennett 43:43
Good answer. 

Wendy Beck 43:44
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 43:44
Do you have anything else, Wendy? 

Wendy Beck 43:46
No, just buy the book. And like you said, leave a review and all 

Laura Dilworth 43:51
Laura, 

Wendy Beck 43:52
that. 

Rich Bennett 43:53
I want to thank you. Laura, I want to thank you so much. Those of you who are listening, I want to thank you for listening to Conversations With Wendy. 

Laura Dilworth 44:02
And thank you 

Rich Bennett 44:02
Got 

Laura Dilworth 44:02
for-- 

Rich Bennett 44:02
it. Next to you, Nick. Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 44:04
So thank you for all the hype. I love that you read it and that you love it. That's like-- 

Wendy Beck 44:08
Absolutely. 

Laura Dilworth 44:08
it's going to go straight to my head. 

Rich Bennett 44:10
That's-- 

Wendy Beck 44:10
It's OK. 

Rich Bennett 44:11
But it's good. I 

Laura Dilworth 44:13
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 44:13
mean, just 

Laura Dilworth 44:14
The one-- 

Rich Bennett 44:14
the ones you've read to me are good. And like I said, you got me 

Laura Dilworth 44:17
There 

Rich Bennett 44:18
hooked. 

Laura Dilworth 44:18
you 

Rich Bennett 44:18
I'm 

Laura Dilworth 44:18
go. 

Rich Bennett 44:18
ready to go home and read 

Laura Dilworth 44:19
Thank 

Rich Bennett 44:19
this. 

Laura Dilworth 44:19
you so 

Rich Bennett 44:19
saying 

Laura Dilworth 44:20
much for 

Rich Bennett 44:20
it. Well, after my next recording. 

Laura Dilworth 44:21
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 44:24
after the meeting, 

Laura Dilworth 44:24
And 

Rich Bennett 44:24
to-- Well, see, that's the one's good 

Laura Dilworth 44:26
poetry. 

Rich Bennett 44:26
thing about 

Laura Dilworth 44:27
You can 

Wendy Beck 44:28
I 

Rich Bennett 44:28
read-- 

Wendy Beck 44:28
liked it. 

Rich Bennett 44:28
It was-- It's not chapters. 

Wendy Beck 44:30
You can 

Laura Dilworth 44:30
You just pick it up and read 

Wendy Beck 44:31
read it. 

Laura Dilworth 44:31
it. 

Wendy Beck 44:31
You can-- Oh, and pay-- 

Rich Bennett 44:32
Yeah. 

Laura Dilworth 44:33
Yeah. What? 

Rich Bennett 44:33
But what I also love about it, like you say, you want to read it in order. 

Wendy Beck 44:38
I mean, you-- 

Laura Dilworth 44:39
you can. It's not necessarily-- 

Rich Bennett 44:40
No. 

Wendy Beck 44:41
Half to. 

Laura Dilworth 44:41
I 

Wendy Beck 44:42
But 

Rich Bennett 44:42
like it 

Wendy Beck 44:42
you don't 

Rich Bennett 44:42
better now. 

Wendy Beck 44:42
have to. 

Laura Dilworth 44:43
Yeah. 

Wendy Beck 44:43
I don't have 

Rich Bennett 44:44
I 

Wendy Beck 44:44
to. 

Rich Bennett 44:44
know you don't have to, but I like it better now. I think it just-- 

Laura Dilworth 44:50
It's like an album, like music, you know? Sometimes-- 

Rich Bennett 44:52
Yes. Listen 

Laura Dilworth 44:53
to it in order, but you don't have to, you know? 

Rich Bennett 44:57
I got to get you on more podcast. 

Laura Dilworth 44:58
Lar-- 

Rich Bennett 44:58
Lar--

Laura Dilworth 44:58
[LAUGHTER] 

Wendy Beck 45:00
Thank you. It was 

Laura Dilworth 45:00
you. 

Wendy Beck 45:00
nice 

Laura Dilworth 45:01
Thank 

Wendy Beck 45:01
meeting

Laura Dilworth 45:01
you. It was nice meeting you, too. 

Rich Bennett 45:03
Thank you for listening to the Conversations with Rich Bennett. I hope you enjoyed today's episode and learned something from it as I did. If you'd like to hear more conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast, so you never miss an episode. And if you have a moment, I'd love it if you could leave a review. It helps us reach more listeners, and share more incredible stories. Don't forget to connect with us on social media, or visit our website at ConversationsWithRichBendit.com for updates, giveaways, and more. Until next time, take care, be kind, and keep the conversations going. It takes a lot to put a podcast together. And my sponsors help add a lot, but I also have some supporters that actually help me when it comes to the editing software, the hosting, and so forth. There's a lot that goes into putting this together. So I want to thank them. And if you can, please visit their websites, visit their businesses, support them however you can. So please visit the following. Full circle boards. Nobody does charcuterie like full circle boards. Visit them at fullcircleboards.com. Sincerely, Sawyer Photography, Live in the Moment, They'll Capture It, Visit Them At SincerelySawyer.com. The Jopetown Lions Club, Serve In The Community Since 1965, Visit Them At JopetownLinesClub. org, And Don't Forget The E At The End Of Jopetown, Because They're Extraordinary.