Poetry Quebec: Are you a native Quebecer? If not, where are you originally from? Why did you come to Quebec?
Eleni Zisimatos: Yes! I am a native Montrealer. I was born at the Jewish General.
PQ: When and how did you encounter your 1st Quebec poem?
EZ: I first read a poem in grade 2 at Edward VII school in Mile End. It was a short poem by Sara Teasdale.
PQ: When and how did you first become interested in poetry?
EZ: I started writing poetry at a young age. I remember being 8 and going to weekend Greek school in Montreal and writing poems in Greek! I have been writing poems all my life.
PQ:What is your working definition of a poem?
EZ: Emily Dickinson wrote: “If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can warm me, I know that it is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know it is poetry. These are the only ways I know it. Is there any other way?” I tend to agree.
PQ: Do you have a writing ritual? If so, provide details.
EZ: I used to have a ritual, where I would go in my quiet room, sit on the floor with pillows and use a typewriter to type. I especially liked doing this in the winter, when it was crisp outside. I also had a teapot of oolong tea nearby and a small Chinese cup that I would keep refilling. But now, I just sit quietly in front of the computer and come up with deep thoughts. I miss my typewriter.
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| Eleni Zisimatos © DHFoto |
PQ: What is your approach to writing of poems: inspiration driven, structural, social, thematic, other?
EZ: Mostly inspiration driven. I tend to write about loss a lot. I am trying to write more spiritual poetry but it’s not coming easily. I guess I still have a lot of conflicted passions to write about (but I guess they can be spiritual too).
PQ: Do you think that being a minority in Quebec (ie. English-speaking) affects your writing? If so, how?
EZ: Yes, the French language constantly infiltrates my writing. I listen to French music and sometimes some of the rhythms and words stick in my head.
PQ: Do you think that writing in English in Quebec is a political act? Why or why not?
EZ: Yes, I guess it is. I think it is important to preserve English in Quebec. I guess the ideal would be a perfect bilingualism. The younger generation seems to work well in both languages.
PQ: Why do you write?
EZ: I write because I love it and it is the only thing I know how to do really well.
PQ: Who is your audience?
EZ: I haven’t been publishing much since I had a baby five years ago. I’m starting to again, and hopefully someone will want to read a word or two that I write.
PQ: Do you think there is an audience, outside of friends or other poets, for poetry?
EZ: That’s a hard question. The contemporary word is so full of “slogans”, as Leonard Cohen said in an interview. The public wants excitement and poetry is often more sobering. But if people tire of all the crazy fashions and slogans they may turn to poetry. But generally I think there is a community of poets who read and appreciate poetry.
PQ: Does your day job impact on your writing? How?
EZ: Yes, I am an editor and ESL teacher. Although related, sometimes reading other people’s words makes me a little distracted to work on my own. But I try.
PQ: How many drafts (beer too) do you usually go through before you are satisfied/finished with a poem?
EZ: I usually don’t drink when I write. I usually do about three drafts for shorter pieces.
PQ: Do you write with the intention of “growing a manuscript” or do you work on individual poems that are later collected into a book?
EZ: I used to write long poem sequences, with narratives, that formed complete manuscripts. Now I try to write good poems that I will collect into a book eventually.
PQ: What is the toughest part of writing for you?
EZ: Right now, I’m having trouble writing longer poems. I guess I have too much going on in my life to really focus, like I used to do with my tea and typewriter. But I don’t get writer’s block or anything.
PQ: What is your idea of a muse?
EZ: I think there is a poetic spirit floating about. We tune in to a kind of other-world sometimes when we write. I don’t know what else to call it.
PQ: Do you have a favourite time and place to write?
EZ: I usually write late at night. I used to be a café freak. I would write volumes at Romolo in Mile End. But now I just write at home. I am not a morning person.
PQ: Do you like to travel? Is travel important to your writing? Explain.
EZ: I have traveled somewhat, but I don’t crave it. I tend to be a home-body. I think traveling does help with writing, though.
PQ: Do you have a favourite Quebec poet? If yes who and why?
EZ: Yes. I really enjoy Leonard Cohen. I like his “spirited passion” and his imagery. I like Nicole Brossard too.
PQ: Do you write about Quebec? If so, how and why? If not, why not?
EZ: Sometimes I write about Montreal, but not specifically about Quebec. I plan to!
PQ: Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau once declared, "The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation." We agree, but PQ does want to know who are you in bed with. Literally. What poets are you reading these days? What book(s) are you sharing your bed with? Are you a monogamist or a polygamist reader?
EZ: I edit Vallum Magazine and read a lot of great poets and also review some. I just finished reading Ilona Martonfi’s book, Blue Poppy and am reading Mahmoud Darwish’s The Butterfly’s Burden. But mostly I’ve been reading philosophy and theology. I am definitely a polygamist reader. I have many books going at once.
Eleni Zisimatos is editor of Vallum Magazine. Her poetry has been widely published in journals, including The Antigonish Review, The Fiddlehead, Other Voices, The Dalhousie Review and others. She has been short-listed for numerous awards, including the National Magazine Awards. She has published balancing edges, Summations: travels through Italy, and various chapbooks and on-line publications.
