Brenda
Sciberras is a Winnipeg poet, who’s first poetry collection Magpie Days (Turnstone Press) won the Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First
Book at the Manitoba Book Awards and was also nominated for the John Hirsch
Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer 2015. Her poetry
has appeared in Canadian literary journals including Room
of One’s Own, CV2, Rhubarb, Prairie Fire and the Literary
Review of Canada. As well as anthologies; A Cross Sections: New Manitoba
Writing (MWG, 2007), I Found it at the Movies: An Anthology of Film
Poems (Guernica, 2014) and Heartwood: Poems for the Love of Trees (LCP,
2018.) Her second book of poetry, Starland, was launched with Turnstone
Press (2018) this past April. She holds a Bachelor of
Arts degree from the University of Manitoba and works as Library Technician in
a high school. Brenda currently sits on the National Council for the League of Canadian Poets, as the Manitoba representative.
1 - How did your
first book change your life? How does your most recent work compare to your
previous? How does it feel different?
Having my first book accepted by Turnstone sent me over the moon!
It was the validation I needed to raise my confidence that I hadn’t been
wasting my time writing all those poems, for all those years. My first book was
twenty-five years in the making, between raising three daughters, working
full-time in a library and going to University part-time evenings, I somehow
managed to fit in writing a few poems. That collection was confessional/persona
poetry; coming-of-age, marriage, divorce, death of parent, all those life
moments. I just wrote what came to me and figured out where it fit into a
collection later. For my second collection, “Starland,” I focused on developing
the craft, trying out more formal poetry; ekphrastic, elegy, erasure, the ode,
villanelle and a ballad. I knew where I needed to go to make it a book. I had
much more confidence in my ability as a writer for the second collection.
2 - How did you
come to poetry first, as opposed to, say, fiction or non-fiction?
Necessity I suppose. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t write
poetry. Other than a diary or journal, I found it to be the best way to stay close
to sane. Also, time was a big factor, as one can write poetry in little spirts
of time and play with it later but fiction, is a whole other story.
3 - How long does
it take to start any particular writing project? Does your writing initially
come quickly, or is it a slow process? Do first drafts appear looking close to
their final shape, or does your work come out of copious notes?
For me it’s a slow start into any new project. For my second book,
I did a fair bit of research before I began to write most of the poems. I read biographies on Hank Williams, Amy
Winehouse, Marilyn Monroe, and I studied some astrology. The second book was
more planned out with a theme in mind from the start and I knew where it had to
go.
4 - Where does a
poem usually begin for you? Are you an author of short pieces that end up
combining into a larger project, or are you working on a "book" from
the very beginning?
The poem begins with single words, little notes or phrases I’ve scribbled
down, hopefully building toward a poem…then revise, revise. I have the
advantage of working in a library all day and I also have access to old
catalogue cards which are lovely for this purpose. A few of my poems have just
come to me and only need a small adjustment, but I have a limited number of
those beauties. My first collection slowly evolved into a book, the second one,
had a theme from the start and I worked on that theme until I felt I had enough
material for a book.
5 - Are public
readings part of or counter to your creative process? Are you the sort of
writer who enjoys doing readings?
Performance equals anxiety as I’m rather shy and don’t like being
in the spot light. I don’t freak out, but I do suffer from a few sleepless
nights before an event. Public readings are certainly not something I think of
during my creative process, however I do censor what I read aloud depending on
my audience.
6 - Do you have any
theoretical concerns behind your writing? What kinds of questions are you
trying to answer with your work? What do you even think the current questions
are?
Maybe I’m questioning human nature or humanity. Why society
behaves as it does. I might be trying to make sense of an ordinary life, mine
or someone else’s, or maybe a not so ordinary life too. I think we are missing
empathy in our everyday lives and I find it all disheartening, so I write to
try and make sense of our fast-passed world. I don’t think I’m answering any
questions, just trying to figure things out.
7 – What do you see
the current role of the writer being in larger culture? Does s/he even have
one? What do you think the role of the writer should be?
As a writer, I hope I entertain, and that the reader connects with
what I’ve written on some level. I don’t believe a writer has a role other than
to write the best they can. A poet however, needs to keep poetry alive and well
into the future, as it has a remarkable past.
8 - Do you find the
process of working with an outside editor difficult or essential (or both)?
I would have to say both. This is the process of being published
by a publisher, otherwise self-publish.
Working with an editor is a necessary process in making ones work stronger
by gaining another perspective (a professional one) that you would otherwise
miss out on.
9 - What is the
best piece of advice you've heard (not necessarily given to you directly)?
Write about subjects that matter to you and don’t take yourself to
seriously.
10 - What kind
of writing routine do you tend to keep, or do you even have one? How does a
typical day (for you) begin?
These days I write whenever I can steal some free time. For years,
I used to set my alarm clock for 5 a.m. and write for an hour before I got
ready for work, but the older I get, I realize I can’t keep those hours
anymore. I work seven hours a day, five days a week, I have an elderly Mother, my
husband and I have eleven grandchildren….sometimes life and all it’s
responsibilities just gets in the way.
So, I do try write a few evenings a week and sneak in some time on the
weekends. I always have a notebook handy too write when I can, and I manage to
get it done.
11 - When your
writing gets stalled, where do you turn or return for (for lack of a better
word) inspiration?
That’s were those little old catalogue cards that I’ve scribbled
on come in. I keep them in a large envelope and peruse them periodically for
ideas. I also turn to other poets. I have book shelves over flowing with poetry
books, so when I’m in a slump, I pull a book off the shelf and just plain read
poetry. A walk outdoors in nature always helps.
12 - What fragrance
reminds you of home?
Roast chicken…sorry all you vegetarians! As a child growing up in the country, we did
raise chickens for a time, and Sunday family dinners were special. Needless to
say, roast chicken and all the fixings, was a common meal in our home. To this
day, that aroma takes me back to my childhood and is still my go to comfort
food.
13 - David W.
McFadden once said that books come from books, but are there any other forms
that influence your work, whether nature, music, science or visual art?
I think my poetry has been influenced by all the above. I tried my
hand at ekphrasis poetry after seeing Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” in Florence. I immersed myself in the music of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Amy
Winehouse, Leonard Cohen and David Bowie as inspiration in writing their poems.
I studied astronomy and astrology to write about “stars” and I took walks outdoors
in nature thinking of what comes next.
14 - What other
writers or writings are important for your work, or simply your life outside of
your work?
My first mentors, Sue Goyette and Phil Hall were important in my
development as a writer. I do love so very many poets and there are some that I
return to often for inspiration… Elizabeth Bishop, Leonard Cohen, Lorna Crozier,
Dorothy Livesay, Gwendolyn MacEwen, Anne Michaels, Susan Musgrave, Mary Oliver,
P.K. Page, and Molly Peacock, and that’s just the start of my list! I mainly
read poetry, literary fiction, biographies, anthologies and essays.
15 - What would you
like to do that you haven't yet done?
Learn to play the guitar has been a goal of mine for a long time.
16 - If you could
pick any other occupation to attempt, what would it be? Or, alternately, what
do you think you would have ended up doing had you not been a writer?
I’ve answered a couple of those career questionnaires in my
lifetime and they always come back with the same three occupations; Librarian,
Writer or Documentary film maker.
I would love to give the documentary film business a try!
17 - What made you
write, as opposed to doing something else?
Necessity I suppose. I’ve always been drawn to writing as it
helped me navigate this complicated world and clear my head. Also, the
convenience of the craft…you only need pencil and paper and your thoughts, no
other supplies…anywhere anytime!
18 - What was the
last great book you read? What was the last great film?
That’s a tough question…again there are so many classics and
Canadian literature to choose from that I could name but I’d have to say the
book I’m reading at present is a great book, otherwise I wouldn’t keep reading
it. Not sure if that makes sense? I usually read about eight books at a time,
not including two or three poetry collections. I juggle my books. I have four
going at home, three fiction and one biography, at work in my library, I’m
reading three fiction and one non-fiction. I know exactly where I left off in
each book. Granted it takes me longer to finish “a” book per say, but this is
my process and it works for me. The last
great film I watched was, Paterson….of course it’s about a poet!
19 - What are you
currently working on?
Currently, I’m mulling around an idea for my next poetry
collection. I like to research my idea first then delve in. I rarely reveal
that idea until my manuscript is well established.
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