Who is your muse?

I think my inspiration is in constant motion, so it would be difficult to pin the term muse on anything constant. I am often inspired by walks, essays and overheard snippets of conversations.

What inspired you when you started writing your poetry collection? And what is your creative process when you begin writing? 

This collection began with the poems I wrote while traveling in Ireland for the first time. Having grown up with such a rich Irish cultural identity, I was taken by the dissonance of expectations. After the trip, I began mapping out the structure of the collection, and then set to work on the first section, Southern Shore. This project required a lot of travelling to the places I was writing about in Newfoundland and Ireland, writing from within place.

I am not a great fan of structure, ritual or habit. As a neurodiverse writer, I work best when I have the flexibility to work when I can, for as long as I can.

When did you start writing poetry and why did you choose to write poetry over other forms of literature?

I actually can't remember whether I came first to poetry or fiction, and both impulses have developed alongside each other since I was a child. I still actively write both. For this particular book, poetry felt like the best way to present the narrative arc while crafting the acute attention to place, landscape, and individual moments of identity that populate the book. It also felt like an appropriate nod to a classic form of storytelling inherent to both islands.

How would you describe your poetry collection? 

Three words: identity, landscape, journey

What advice would you give to aspiring poets? 

Read more! Write more! Edit more! I find an absurd amount of aspiring poets don't particularly enjoy reading poetry, and it astonishes me. The best way to improve any craft is to critically observe the work of the others, and to learn what works and why. I also believe that the best way to become a good writer is to learn how to edit and be edited. It is so satisfying to finish a piece, and I know it is tempting to call it finished then, but in reality the work has only just begun. Learning to turn a critical eye on your own work, and to accept criticism from others, is such an important part of the writing process. 

Are there any poets or poetry collections that you admire?

Congratulations, Rhododendrons - Mary Germaine

Crow Gulch - Doug Walbourne-Gough

Short Haul Engine - Karen Solie

Small Fires - Kelly Norah Drukker

The Debt - Andreae Callanan

Caribou Run - Richard Kelly Kemick 

Paradoxides - Don McKay

Ocean - Sue Goyette

Ariel - Sylvia Plath

these are just some of the dog-eared collections in my frequent re-reads pile. 

Does music inspire you when you start writing poetry? 

Only the music of ocean waves, river sounds, rainfall, that sort of thing. I often listen to nature sounds when writing, but I find music too distracting. Though I Am a Rock by Simon and Garfunkle became something of an anthem for the long drives associated with writing this book. 

A poem from  Land of the Rock: Talamh an Carraig

abandoned house in aquaforte

sickly green of old man’s beard

cascading from cupboard door.

paint peels like lichen

on swollen chipboard.

we step high over settlements

of buckled floorboards, laid

by those who tried to root here, make it

to the kitchen. east corner wilted away

by time. In the empty space

where the wall once stood,

in and out of doors

exchange breath –

carpet thick with moss, kitchen sink tangled

in raspberry canes out front. no point

trying to keep anything out,

anything in.

* * * 

Heather Nolan is a neurodiverse writer from St. John's, Newfoundland/Ktaqmkuk. She is the author of Land of the Rock (Breakwater Books, 2022) and This is Agatha Falling (Pedlar Press, 2019) which was shortlisted for the ReLit Award and longlisted for the BMO Winterset Award. 

* * * 

During the month of April, you can buy Land of the Rock: Talamh an Carraig and any one of our other featured Poetry Express books for 15% off + free shipping in Canada with promo code ALUPOETRYMUSE. Or find them at your local independent bookstore! 

Keep up with us all month on Twitter,  Instagram, and Facebook with the hashtag #ALUPoetryMuse.

Discuss