How did you first come to poetry? What is it about the form that resonates?
I came to appreciate poetry at a very early age, through language lessons in French and English. I wrote my first ever poem as an exercise in French and I was among the few kids in class who took the assignment seriously. I remember writing a poem in the style of Jacques Prévert, whose poems are still among my favorites. Medicine kept me away from creative writing for years, but the urge resurfaced later, after I finished my studies in medicine. I began to write, initially longer forms, I wrote in Greek, later on in English, mainly short fiction, then flash fiction and only lately have I dared to write a few poems.
How does a poem begin?
The way I see it, a poem starts with an emotion. The form comes unintentionally mostly, sometimes an idea needs the breath of a story, and other times, it requires the sharp, rhythmic punch of a poem. It all starts from an emotion, real or imagined, which I feel I have to dive into, explore, or explain.
How did publishing your first book change your writing? What have the differences been since?
My first book was published in Greek through a contest. It was a collection of short stories and I don’t think that contest fundamentally changed my process, only reading and writing can do that, but it did change my perspective. It provided a vital sense of validation. Realizing that my private thoughts could resonate with a stranger was a profound encouragement. It transformed writing from a solitary monologue into a potential dialogue.
Between poetry and flash fiction, do you see your writing as a single, extended project, or a series of disconnected threads? How do you keep the genres straight?
I see them as a continuum rather than separate threads. My writing is in a constant conversation with my life, so my 'obsessions' and themes naturally bleed across genres. I don’t try to keep them straight, I let the intensity of the theme decide the vehicle. If a feeling is a single spark, it becomes flash fiction or a poem. If it’s a slow burn, it stays with me longer.
Have you a daily schedule by which you work, or are you working to fit this in between other activities?
I’ve always viewed writing as my playground and words as my toys, so I avoid rigid schedules to protect that sense of play. Writing is my safe space. After a recent significant loss, I found that returning to the page was the only way to process the overwhelm. As Tom Robbins suggested in Skinny Legs and All, we all have an 'I’d rather.' For me, it’s: I’d rather be writing. I protect that desire by keeping it free from pressure.
What are your favorite print or online literary journals?
My two favorites are Blood+Honey and The Argyle, where I serve as a flash fiction editor. They’re relatively new but publish bold, experimental stories and poems, and their EIC, David Estringel, is doing a wonderful job. I also read for Okay Donkey and admire everything they publish. For the strongest flash fiction, I keep coming back to Wigleaf, Smokelong, Fractured Lit, and Flash Frog. When it comes to poetry, two go-to places for me are talking about strawberries all of the time and the newly founded Eulogy Press.
Who are some of the writers you are reading lately that most excite you?
As a flash
fiction writer mainly, I love the writing of Pat Foran and Cathy Ulrich, they
are my literary heroes, their writing is beautiful and poetic and unique, and I
go back to it every once in a while to get inspired. There are so many
excellent writers in the indie literary scene and lately I’ve been reading
poetry by Eva Alter and Martin Appleby and Damon Hubbs, which I love. I also
reread a few short stories by Raymond Carver a month ago and fell in love with
his writing all over again.
Mileva Anastasiadou is a neurologist, from Athens, Greece and the author of We Fade With Time and Christmas People by Alien Buddha Press. Her work has been selected for the Best Microfiction anthology and Wigleaf Top 50 and can be found in many journals, such as the Forge, Necessary Fiction, Passages North, and others. She's the flash fiction editor of Blood+Honey and The Argyle journal.