12 or 20 (second series) questions with Gitz Crazyboy

Gitz Crazyboy M.Ed (he/him/his) is a Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot) and Dene father and Indigenous Educator from Mohkínsstsisi (Calgary). Gitz’s passion and purpose is helping, guiding and most importantly, learning from the next generation, and he has held many positions within the youth education profession.

As an activist, Gitz is known for his leadership and participation in establishing the Bear Clan Patrol in Calgary, as well as organizing with the Idle No More movement. He has spent most of his life learning and living with different Indigenous Nations around the world. His travels have taken him to Germany, Ecuador, Guyana, Puerto Rico and sacred spaces all over North America.

Currently Gitz resides in Calgary and is actively reconnecting with his Siksikaits-itapi roots. He believes the truth of who we are can be found in the beautiful things our ancestors carried—riddles, mysteries, ceremonies, songs, medicine, love, life and laughter.

1 - How did your first book change your life? How does your most recent work compare to your previous? How does it feel different?
My first book was a challenge, the idea, the vision and the support was all over the place at all times. I had to confront a lot of self-doubt and discover the discipline to not only start but complete a book.  Not completing a story, whether it's a novel, novella or short story, is a trap a lot of us fall into. It was cathartic to finish it. When it was done and finalized, you have to let it go and however the world accepts it they accept it.  Thankfully, people loved it enough they wanted me to write more.

My most recent work is similar in that, I am writing stories in the celebration of our people.  I love stories about journeys, I love the thick and thin of walking pathways, getting lost and hopefully finding yourself.

This is a different kind of journey and a different kind of story, based loosely on a Siksikaitsitapi boy dreaming about becoming a Doctor.  There was so many parallels I found that our people endure and go through in their academic careers. And I just love that so many people now are identifying with the main character or the characters found throughout this story.  When people say, "That was me or this person reminds me of my uncle" It really hits home.

2 - How did you come to fiction first, as opposed to, say, poetry or non-fiction?
Back to the Future and Ferdinand really impacted me. They were the first real fiction stories that transported me into a different world with rules and mythology. I remember thinking I could have been one of Marty McFly's peers or an audience member watching Ferdinand the bull. But you know, Bull fighting from a Siksikaitsitapi perspective is such an insanely sad and tragic story and in this world there is this Bull who'd rather love then get violent, always spoke to me.  Where do we find these moments of peace and create these space of love when were at the mercy of a world we didn't construct.

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?
The start takes as long as it does, which can be very long or very short and it all depends on my attitude and enthusiasm. Sometimes the idea for the story is a moment inspired by a song, thought, turn of phrase, poem, movie, memory or where ever ideas come from.  Sometimes I see the ending and am inspired of how a character would get there or sometimes its the middle of the story and I wonder both how they got there and where they're going. Writing can be slow and it can be fast, the hardest thing to do often is just sit infront of the computer or have your writing utensil in hand and just put down letter after letter or word after word.

Drafts are drafts, try not to get too married to the ideas because some are great and others aren't.  In the flow of telling a story, just write it out see where it goes and if it works it works and if it doesn't, let it go and put it in the memory box you can return to later on in a different part of this story or a completely different story altogether.  Sometimes when I am discovering or shaping a character and their motivation, I'll write an extra scene that isn't ever intended to go into the actual story but it something for me to draw upon when I am wondering what my character would do or should do or cannot do. I do have a drawer of B-stories and scenes or things i call five minute adventures.

I do know one thing, your story gets better with each draft and then at some point it starts becoming worse. You have to know when to write and when to stop and that comes with a few people who know stories and whom you trust.

4 - Where does a work of fiction 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?
Fiction begins in moments of life where I hit a line of possibilities that I cannot move forward on or imagine is happening. The stop light is red, what happens if I took a step forward, would a portal open up, would i get hit by a car, would the vehicles suddenly be repelled by me, what if this was the moment of realization that everything was an illusion, theres almost an infinite possibilities of what would happen if I took a step and also if I didn't take a step. I'm also sure, every guy has put himself in the shoes of, "What would happen if this bank was robbed, and I as a customer was stuck in it, what would I do?"

I have scenes and moments I write out and hope they fit in a story and if not, they go into the drawer.
I love getting stuck when writing, I'll think about it, re-read it and then something happens, I have no idea what it is but a light turns on and I have a way out or a way to move forward.

5 - Are public readings part of or counter to your creative process? Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing readings?
I love to engage with people, I love hearing the responses and I love doing readings.  I think mainly, there are some amazing insights people share with you. It's this exchange of words and whatever it is that ignites in their brains.
 
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?
Things generally don't age well, and I wonder where and when that moment will be for the things I've created.  When things become dated and with that the nostalgia of the time, and then even that fades as it becomes a fairy tale word.

I don't know if I'm necessarily answering questions, its more of an explanation or exploration of ideas and themes.

The current question if there is one, is how these characters endure and get through it or they dont and how does the world respond, if it does indeed respond at all.

7 – What do you see the current role of the writer being in larger culture?
We tell stories, we tell truths, we tell lies, we hold up a mirror and sometimes we do a great job holding the mirror and sometimes we do a terrible job. Whatever you are meant to see, you see and if we can evoke your imagination and get you to at least wonder what lies within the darkness or within the light, then weve done our job.

8 - Do you find the process of working with an outside editor difficult or essential (or both)?
It's a challenge, but at the foundation of it must be trust. I love who I worked with, they were God's blessing. The relationship is key and they can push you to do better or at least a little clearer about what you're trying to say. A good editor will challenge you, a terrible editor will tell you everything is beautiful as the ship is going or gone down. Who would you rather have, the person helping you to right the ship or the person too afraid to tell you a terribly high waterfall is coming.

9 - What is the best piece of advice you've heard (not necessarily given to you directly)?
100% of the time, when someone tells you there something wrong with a specific part of the story, they are 100% right.

100% of the time, when someone tells you exactly how to fix a specific part of the story, they are 100% wrong.

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?
I write better at night and I wish I could write throughout the day. (I say this as I am writing well into the dusk meeting dark hours)

11 - When your writing gets stalled, where do you turn or return for (for lack of a better word) inspiration?
Experimental music that's not quite jazz but also doesn't follow any rules of verse, chorus, verse. I like movies that break rules of storytelling (Adaptation from Charlie Kaufman,  Stranger than Fiction or something brilliant from different cultures Sanjuro, Sword of Doom)

12 - What fragrance reminds you of home?
Stew and Bannock

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?
We are oral storytellers, our creation stories, ceremonies, song, victory, medicines is ongoing and infinite encyclopedia of knowledge. Everything is an influence and everything is trying to communicate with you.

14 - What other writers or writings are important for your work, or simply your life outside of your work?
Helen Knott, Tasha Spillett, Richard Wagamese, Mark Tilsen, Tanya Tagaq, Tommy Orange and even the writings of students I've worked with, or cousins and family who havent shared their beautiful stories with the world.

15 - What would you like to do that you haven't yet done?
Write a movie, A tv show, a video game, start a band, purchase a house, and make peace with some folks that I'll never see eye to eye with.

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 mean, writing is my side hustle. I love being an Artist Educator. If I could pick another profession than that, I would have continued to be an outdoor guide.

17 - What made you write, as opposed to doing something else?
I am making the stories I've always wanted to read as a kid, as a teen and now as an adult.

18 - What was the last great book you read? What was the last great film?
The Shadow of the Wind - is amazing.

Frybread Face and Me - Indigenous royalty.

19 - What are you currently working on?
Something super top secret ;)

12 or 20 (second series) questions;

12 or 20 (second series) questions with Wanda John-Kehewin

Wanda John-Kehewin (she, her, hers; photo credit: Tammi Quin) is a Cree writer who uses her work to understand and respond to the near destruction of First Nations cultures, languages, and traditions. When she first arrived in Vancouver on a Greyhound bus, she was a nineteen-year-old carrying her first child, a bag of chips, a bottle of pop, thirty dollars, and a bit of hope. After many years of travelling (well, mostly stumbling) along her healing journey, she shares her personal life experiences with others to shed light on the effects of trauma and how to break free from the "monkeys in the brain."

Now a published poet, fiction author, and film scriptwriter, she writes to stand in her truth and to share that truth openly. She is the author of the Dreams series of graphic novels. Hopeless in Hope is her first novel for young adults.

Wanda is the mother of five children, two dogs, two cats, three tiger barbs (fish), and grandmother to one super-cute granddog. She calls Coquitlam home until the summertime, when she treks to the Alberta prairies to visit family and learn more about herself and Cree culture, as well as to continuously think and write about what it means to be Indigenous in today's times. How do we heal from a place of forgiveness?

1 - How did your first book change your life? How does your most recent work compare to your previous? How does it feel different?

The very first book helped me feel like I was a writer. I did think after one book, it was easy street from there (Not). Now that I am on my 9^th book (two were grade one and two readers) it feels like I am a writer. I am still not on easy street but I love what I do!

2 - How did you come to poetry first, as opposed to, say, fiction or non-fiction?

It was such an easy form for me to write about trauma or things that were traumatic because to a point I could hide behind details and make inferences to things and not actually say the traumatic thing or event.

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?

I think my work or any work for that matter comes out when it needs to come out. My writing is sort of a conspiracy between the ancestors and the universe! I think I am lead to write what it is I am supposed to write about. Sometimes the writing comes quickly and other times, not so much. My work comes out in bursts with a lot of help from my editors. Editors are so wonderful. Without them, that is what it would be, bursts of ideas!

4 - Where does a poem or work of prose 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?

I work on poems first and collect one-liners and then it takes shape later on. It comes to fruition when there is a container for it. I do not start with a container, it sort of reveals itself afterwards.

5 - Are public readings part of or counter to your creative process? Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing readings?

I do like readings. I also like to share and I think it is a big part of teaching about Indigeneity on a micro level, I believe when we get to know people, and when people get to know me, we can get past stereotypes and stigmas and perhaps even have our biases challenged.

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?

I think the biggest thing I do with my work is stand in my truth which, I believe helps others who come from trauma to stand in theirs as well. When we stand in our truth and aren’t ashamed of it, we can begin to heal.

7 – What do you see the current role of the writer being in larger culture? Do they even have one? What do you think the role of the writer should be?

This is a big question and I am sure has many avenues but to me, the role of the writer in larger culture depends on genre. I can only answer thoroughly from a poet's perspective, YA, and perhaps graphic form but the answer will be different each time. I think the role of the writer is to tell a relatable story in whatever genre it is meant to be in in order to reach the largest audience. It also depends on what the author’s intent is with it, my poetry, I would say is to help others stand in their truth, and my YA is to help others understand and offer some answers to those in the process with similar experiences as my character.

On a macro level, the role of the writer should be alongside what we as humans need. Some will be fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, YA, graphic form, plays etc. I would say there is not one way to tell a story but the different ways we tell it will attract the different audiences.

8 - Do you find the process of working with an outside editor difficult or essential (or both)?

I find it essential, their name is on the line as well. Editing is their livelihood and so they are going to do the best they can as well.

9 - What is the best piece of advice you've heard (not necessarily given to you directly)?

Stand in your truth, Vera Manuel.

10 - How easy has it been for you to move between genres (poetry to fiction)? What do you see as the appeal?

Thankfully, I have had some great editors who have helped make that transition smooth and very informative. I am a better writer because of them.

11 - What kind of writing routine do you tend to keep, or do you even have one? How does a typical day (for you) begin?

Lately, I only write for two hours\ on Sundays to finish the 3^rd part of the Graphic Novel, Dream series. It will look different as things change, for sure. Change is the only thing I can depend on and I have to find ways to adapt.

12 - When your writing gets stalled, where do you turn or return for (for lack of a better word) inspiration?

My children

13 - What fragrance reminds you of home?

Strawberry Jam

14 - 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 experiences, memories, feelings and connection to spiritual self and ancestors are also places books come from.

15 - What other writers or writings are important for your work, or simply your life outside of your work?

Vera Manuel was someone who started me on my writing path to actually believing that I could share my poems and stories without crying and grieving and that one day, it would be possible for me.

16 - What would you like to do that you haven't yet done?

Write a memoir

17 - 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 would be a philosopher! Or a spiritualist! But still a writer!

18 - What made you write, as opposed to doing something else?

Writing was done as a way to make sense of colonial history within the Indigenous communities. I needed to understand it and poetry gave me the ability to process and to think critically.

19 - What was the last great book you read? What was the last great film?

Last great book I read? Jessica Johns, Bad Cree. The last great film? Bones of Crow by Marie Clements.

20 - What are you currently working on?

The third and last part of my graphic novel series, Visions from Spirit.

12 or 20 (second series) questions;