real estate

Libby Foster

Free | Walter McDole | Photography

Interview with the Author

What was the inspiration for this piece?

I grew up in an affluent suburban section of Louisville, KY. During high school, it became apparent that our sheltered lives were not protecting us from struggles with mental illness. In fact, it felt like our largely materialistic existences were just leaving us hollow. I use sparse and intentional language in this piece to outline the ennui that comes from being given everything while wanting nothing. More than anything, I wanted to highlight the fear of becoming a conformist in an environment saturated with capitalism and conformity.

What was your creative process?

This poem was based on a picture my best friend Lucy Wiedmar took in a housing community in our area. The picture is of one of our friends walking out of a construction site. I wrote this piece as soon as I saw this image, as it reminded me of the unifying struggle we all felt in recognizing that our privilege did not lead to fulfillment. We grappled with the realization that our parents’ paths to the upper middle class may not fit our definitions of success while struggling to redefine our preconceived notions of happiness.