BEN: Name?

BF: Becca Faulkner

BEN:Age?

BF: 51

BEN: What do you do with your days/profession?

BF: I’m a writer and the Managing Director of Arbutus, a nonprofit founded by artist and musician David Byrne. 

BEN: Food you can’t live without?

BF: Marcona almonds

BEN: What do you feel most proud of accomplishing or doing in your life so far and how does it make you feel?

BF: I am enormously proud of publishing my first collection of poetry in 2023. I’ve been writing poetry for decades, but never considered myself a “proper writer,” and had never thought that publishing was an option for me. All that changed in 2020, and it’s been remarkable to lean in to my passion, and to have all the hard work pay off.

BEN: When and why did you decide to share your poetry with the world? What was happening in your life for you to decide to follow your creative path? Was there a definitive pivot moment?

BF: The pivot moment was the pandemic. Five years ago, as the world shut down and we all retreated indoors, I started sharing a poem a day on social media, partly as a way of processing what was happening to us all, and partly as a way to harness my creative practice. Furloughed from my job, I spent more time writing than I had in years, taking poetry workshops on Zoom, gaining confidence in my craft, and finally publishing my work widely, both in the US and the UK. A book prize followed in 2022 and it’s been uphill ever since. I recently finished a second collection of poetry, which engages with the life and work of five mid-century women artists. It’s been a massive life lesson to hold fast to dreams. With enough grit and determination, you can make them happen!

BEN: You recently landed your dream job, working for Arbutus, David Byrne’s foundation. What is it like working with him? What would your 13 year old self say to you now?

BF: It’s an absolute joy to be working with David and the incredible writers, artists and filmmakers who make up the team at Arbutus. We have some fantastic new projects in the works, and our online news magazine, Reasons to be Cheerful, continues to go from strength to strength. I think we can all agree that we need as many reasons to be cheerful as we can get right now, as well as the creative vision and unstoppable energy of artists like David Byrne. 

My thirteen year old self, sitting in her London bedroom with a dodgy haircut and a stack of vintage vinyl, (including plenty of Talking Heads) would likely shrug, and say “yeah that’s possible”! I’m sure she’d be dead chuffed. Teenage me always wanted to live in New York and be a writer. Working with David Byrne and the team would absolutely make her proud.

BEN: How is 50?

BF: Fabulous. We’re so conditioned by our youth-obsessed culture to see midlife as the end of something, but I see it as my harvest time. 50 is the culmination of all the many things I’ve done; the places I’ve traveled, people I’ve met, and the work I’ve done. It’s a privilege to get to this age and to know oneself, as a mother, an artist, and a woman who is unafraid to take risks. I wouldn’t have had the courage to do so many of the things I’ve done in the last five years when I was in my twenties or thirties. Or to write about them. Age provides focus, clarity, and liberation. 

BEN:When do you feel most inspired?

BF: During my morning runs in Prospect Park, with a banging playlist and the sun shining.

7. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

BF: Pour yourself a drink, put some lipstick on and pull yourself together. (Thanks Liz Taylor.)

BEN: What’s your favorite color?

BF: Red.

BEN: What’s your favorite movie from growing up?

BF: Harold & Maude. 

BEN: What has been a challenge that you’ve faced in your life, how have you lived with it, and what has it taught you for the future?

BF: I’ve lived in the States for half my life, and have spent decades saying goodbye to people I love in both London and New York. It doesn’t get any easier, and although my home is very much in Brooklyn, with my family, a big piece of my heart remains in London. Moving between places provides enormous perspective on where you come from; and forces you to reflect on both the good and the bad. There’s a Nathaniel Hawthorne quote that resonates for me, about the benefits of striking roots into unaccustomed earth, and I return to that when I feel unmoored, or out of place. I remind myself that there are upsides to a liminal life, in no small part because I draw so deeply from both places in my writing. 

BEN: All time favorite song? (also impossible, so sorry)

BF: Impossible to pick, but Cloudbusting by Kate Bush is definitely up there.

BEN: Which BEN piece are you and why?

BF: Part Kerfuffle, part Epic. Isn’t it self-explanatory?!