How does a poem begin?
For me, the poem begins with the observation, that one thing that strikes me in the heart to tell me that this (this experience, this moment, this feeling) is a poem. A lot of the time it is an injustice that I experienced. It could also be a feeling that comes across me, like a breeze grazing my skin.
Why is poetry important?
That is such a big question! Poetry is our conscience. Without it, we would not be human.
How important is music to your poetry?
Many of my poems are inspired by music. In my latest book, Surviving Home, you will find allusions to certain songs I listened to as a child. Music in and of itself is poetry.
When you require renewal, is there a particular poem or book that you return to? A particular author?
Lately, for me, it is all about Audre Lorde. I have her complete collection. I'm re-reading The First Cities right now. One of my favorite poems in that collection is "Echo." It is a poem about being stuck, about the desire for renewal.
What other poetry books have you been reading lately?
I recently discovered a poet by the name of Matthew Johnson. His collection Shadow Folk and Soul Songs is spectacular. I highly recommend it. I'm also slowly reading Tracy K. Smith's book Such Color.
What poets changed the way you thought about writing?
Audre Lorde and her book Sister Outsider changed the way I saw myself and the way I saw poetry. I learned how poetry belonged to Black women because it was something that we could do anywhere. It is an art of economy. It is an art that gives us power. You can write poetry on a napkin and stick it in your pocket. It can carry the weight of the world, and it can fit on the tiniest slip of paper. How amazing is that?
What do you find most difficult about writing poetry?
Writing good poetry requires a tremendous amount of vulnerability. Opening yourself up like that is very difficult. It is the hardest part of the job.
What do you feel poetry can accomplish that other forms can’t?
Poetry works very hard to earn our trust, and once the trust is earned, it strikes the heart. It is hard to get that trust in other forms because the audience is often waiting or looking for the hook. Poetry does not have a hook. It is pure.
How does your work first enter the world? Do you have a social group or writers group that you work on ideas and poems with?
My work enters the world in various ways. Recently, I was on an airplane, and I looked down and saw a golf course and on that course was a group of golf carts chasing one another. It reminded me of geese, so I wrote a poem about elitism. I also have a poetry group. We're called The Canyon Poets. We meet every Thursday night. I provide a theme and the next week we bring a poem to share. Inspiration strikes me in many ways at several places. I am most inspired in the morning before the rest of the house wakes. It is pretty much the only time my mind is allowed to work, rest, and wander.
Has your consideration of poetry changed since you began?
When I began, I was a traditionalist who was married to form. Now, I know there are many different forms. I also understand how there can be no form to a poem. Poems are similar to life, and life is not predictable. A poem should not be predictable. You should not know where a poem is going until you get there.
How do you know when a poem is finished?
Like life, a poem is only finished when you die. For me, one poem is often an extension of something else I have written, so I can never say a poem is truly finished.
How did you first engage with poetry?
My mother was a teacher and an academic, so poetry has always existed for me. She gave me a collection of Edgar Allan Poe poetry when I was five years old.
She is a 2021, 2020, and 2019 Pushcart Prize Nominee. Her stories have been published in The New York Times and The Huffington Post.
Her first book, Changing the Lines, was released in August 2017. This work is a conversation between mother and daughter as they examine what it means to operate within the world as black women.
From 2000 to 2003, she served as the Poet Laureate of Sunland-Tujunga. During that time, she started a poetry festival and ran several poetry readings. She has a B.A. in English, International Studies and Creative Writing from Saint Louis University and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
Katerina Canyon currently lives in Seattle. She now works to improve the lives of children. She also helps others by promoting and teaching poetry.
Readers can connect with Katerina Canyon on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. To learn more, go to https://www.poetickat.com/
What are you working on?
I am working on two things. I am currently revising a novel I wrote. I am also working on a new collection of poetry focused on the history of Black people in this country.
