How
did you first come to writing poetry? What is it about the form that resonates?
I loved writing poetry as a 13-year-old in Secondary One (equivalent of Grade 7) in Singapore. My first poem was three lines (not haiku); and it included an acerbic, political comment. I'm glad I escaped, unscathed.
I grew up in a Protestant home; and it was the poetry of the Old Testament that most appealed. The music, the cadences, the high emotional/philosophical/sensual content—all of it resonated with me. Now—I'm an anarchist Buddhist, and I lean toward the freeing quality expressed through poetic language that doesn't fit into conventional boxes or rules. It's the combination of freedom, linguistic condensation, and creation of innovative forms that resonates with me.
How does a poem begin?
It's a mystery how it begins. Often, it's an image, or an incident. Sometimes it's an idea which quickly becomes embodied in a title. Tastes or smells inspire, at times. Music is a great companion when I write.
You’ve published four novels as well as two poetry collections. Do you see your writing as a single, extended project, or a series of disconnected threads? How do you keep the genres straight?
Neither—I don't think of the writing as a single, extended project, nor as a series of disconnected threads. If anything, I see the works (both fiction and poetry and visual art) as threads woven or entangled together to form a multidimensional exploration of themes, imagined landscapes, longings, emotions, political and personal values.
With two published full-length poetry collections published to date, how are you finding the process of learning how to put together a manuscript? What have the challenges been?
The Colours of Heroines (Women's Press, 1994) was my first book and first book of poetry; sinuous (Turnstone, 2013) was my second book of poetry. They're such different books. The latter is one long poem or extended lyrical essay/meditation—however you wish to think about it. Each book has an identity and texture unique to itself; and I suppose that attitude helped me try to piece the work together. There's an inner rhythm and pacing to sinuous that must take into account the relationship of the parts to the whole, and also include a sense of movement and inter-relatedness that's much more continuous or looping into itself.
The Colours of Heroines was much more about organizing poems thematically; and then there were the longer poems which I placed together in one section, because, you know— long poems.
Have you a daily schedule by which you work, or are you working to fit this in between other activities?
No daily schedule. Call me a chaotic, moody writer. But seriously—every poem or work of fiction has a fluctuating pull on me, depending on its needs and urgencies. And sometimes, the work wants to take a break or vacation. I do my best to be a loyal and dedicated companion to the work that wants to be written. I fit it in;. or the work compels me to arrange other activities around it. It's complicated. But then, I'm never bored.
What are your favourite print or online literary journals?
Gosh—there are many great journals out there. I really don't feel like singling out particular ones. But of course, I do appreciate talking about strawberries all of the time as being so welcoming and supportive of many poets, including me.
Who are some of the writers you are reading lately that most excite you?
I've got a number of books on the go, including these: Hazel Jane Plante's LITTLE BLUE ENCYCLOPEDIA; Bernadine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other: Kai Cheng Thom's I Hope We Choose Love; and last but not least, Ursula K. LeGuin's essays published in Words are My Matter.
Lydia Kwa has published two books of poetry, The
Colours of Heroines (Toronto: Women’s Press, 1994) and sinuous (Winnipeg: Turnstone Press, 2013). Kwa’s first novel This Place Called Absence (Winnipeg:
Turnstone, 2000) was nominated for several awards, including the Lambda
Literary Award. Her next novel The
Walking Boy was nominated for the Ethel Wilson prize. Pulse was re-issued in 2014 (Singapore: Ethos Books). Her fourth novel
Oracle Bone was published by Arsenal
Pulp Press in 2017. A new version of The
Walking Boy was released in Spring 2019 (Arsenal Pulp) as the second novel
in the chuanqi 傳奇 trilogy. She is currently working on the third novel
in this series. Kwa has also self-published two chapbooks linguistic tantrums; and tree
shaman; and has had two art shows related to those works.
Photo credit: Ronnie Lee Hill Photography.
A selection of her poems appeared in the third issue.
I loved writing poetry as a 13-year-old in Secondary One (equivalent of Grade 7) in Singapore. My first poem was three lines (not haiku); and it included an acerbic, political comment. I'm glad I escaped, unscathed.
I grew up in a Protestant home; and it was the poetry of the Old Testament that most appealed. The music, the cadences, the high emotional/philosophical/sensual content—all of it resonated with me. Now—I'm an anarchist Buddhist, and I lean toward the freeing quality expressed through poetic language that doesn't fit into conventional boxes or rules. It's the combination of freedom, linguistic condensation, and creation of innovative forms that resonates with me.
How does a poem begin?
It's a mystery how it begins. Often, it's an image, or an incident. Sometimes it's an idea which quickly becomes embodied in a title. Tastes or smells inspire, at times. Music is a great companion when I write.
You’ve published four novels as well as two poetry collections. Do you see your writing as a single, extended project, or a series of disconnected threads? How do you keep the genres straight?
Neither—I don't think of the writing as a single, extended project, nor as a series of disconnected threads. If anything, I see the works (both fiction and poetry and visual art) as threads woven or entangled together to form a multidimensional exploration of themes, imagined landscapes, longings, emotions, political and personal values.
With two published full-length poetry collections published to date, how are you finding the process of learning how to put together a manuscript? What have the challenges been?
The Colours of Heroines (Women's Press, 1994) was my first book and first book of poetry; sinuous (Turnstone, 2013) was my second book of poetry. They're such different books. The latter is one long poem or extended lyrical essay/meditation—however you wish to think about it. Each book has an identity and texture unique to itself; and I suppose that attitude helped me try to piece the work together. There's an inner rhythm and pacing to sinuous that must take into account the relationship of the parts to the whole, and also include a sense of movement and inter-relatedness that's much more continuous or looping into itself.
The Colours of Heroines was much more about organizing poems thematically; and then there were the longer poems which I placed together in one section, because, you know— long poems.
Have you a daily schedule by which you work, or are you working to fit this in between other activities?
No daily schedule. Call me a chaotic, moody writer. But seriously—every poem or work of fiction has a fluctuating pull on me, depending on its needs and urgencies. And sometimes, the work wants to take a break or vacation. I do my best to be a loyal and dedicated companion to the work that wants to be written. I fit it in;. or the work compels me to arrange other activities around it. It's complicated. But then, I'm never bored.
What are your favourite print or online literary journals?
Gosh—there are many great journals out there. I really don't feel like singling out particular ones. But of course, I do appreciate talking about strawberries all of the time as being so welcoming and supportive of many poets, including me.
Who are some of the writers you are reading lately that most excite you?
I've got a number of books on the go, including these: Hazel Jane Plante's LITTLE BLUE ENCYCLOPEDIA; Bernadine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other: Kai Cheng Thom's I Hope We Choose Love; and last but not least, Ursula K. LeGuin's essays published in Words are My Matter.
Photo credit: Ronnie Lee Hill Photography.
A selection of her poems appeared in the third issue.