Micheline Maylor : part one

Dr. Micheline Maylor is past Poet Laureate of Calgary. Her collection Little Wildheart is with U of A Press (2017) and was longlisted on both the Pat Lowther and the Raymond Souster awards. She teaches creative writing at MRU.

Photo credit: Nikki Reimer

How did you first engage in poetry?

            I was lucky. I grew up in a house full of art and books. My mother was important to my love of reading and learning. We moved to Calgary in 1974 and I remember hoping into her yellow Datsun 510 and heading over the library in the basement of Chinook Centre. Every Saturday I could bring back books and exchange them for new ones. I remember learning to read via Dr. Suess. So, my first experiences with reading were that of poetry. I think this is the case for many kids. The rhythms and cadences of the simple rhyme make for the best ways to teach reading.