Six Questions interview #98 : Lana Crossman

Lana Crossman is an Ottawa-based poet who grew up in rural New Brunswick. Her poetry has been published in G U E S T, Bywards, Apt613, FEED, FERAL, and The Light Ekphrastic. She won Carleton University’s Lilian I. Found Award for Poetry (2020), and was on the shortlist for the John Newlove Poetry Award (2018).

Q: How long have you been in Ottawa, and what first brought you here?

I grew up in a tiny rural community in New Brunswick, called Turtle Creek. I moved to Ottawa over 25 years ago to study journalism at Carleton University. I didn’t initially plan to stay, but the city won me over -- along with job opportunities and the close group of friends and family that I formed.  

Q: How did you first get involved in writing, and subsequently, the writing community here?

I’ve always written professionally, currently as a speechwriter, but I’ve only found my creative voice and community in the past 4-5 years.

I was playing (flailing) around with poetry on my own, but I needed feedback and accountability. I found a writing circle online and started taking some short low-stakes workshops. From there I began to find community and get more intentional about my writing.

Q: How did being in such a community of writers shift your thinking about writing, if at all? 

Initially, it helped give myself permission to identify as a poet - imposter syndrome is a real thing for me! Now, my interactions with other writers inspire me to keep working on my craft and to push myself to try new things.

Q: What do you see happening here that you don’t see anywhere else? What does Ottawa provide, or allow?

The Ottawa poetry community is very inclusive and encouraging. I’ve had the opportunity to take workshops with excellent poets like Deanna Young, Pearl Pirie and David Stymeist. They’ve stayed in touch with me and continue to show an interest in my work.

Ottawa has great public cultural institutions and festivals. I think this has created a more popular involvement in the arts. You don’t have to be from a certain background to think of yourself as an artist -- or maybe just that’s my privilege talking?

Q: Have any of your projects responded directly to your engagements here? How have the city and its community, if at all, changed the way you approached your work?

I can’t think of a specific project, but I do credit any progress I’ve made to the many opportunities that the city has given me.

Early on, Bywords gave me a huge boost by publishing a few of my poems, and selecting me as a runner-up for the John Newlove Award. The Tree Reading Series has always made me feel welcome in its workshops and open mike readings. VerseFest and the Ottawa International Writers Festival have introduced me to poets from across the country.

Q: What are you working on now?

Over the summer, I worked on a chapbook and am starting to send it out to publishers. This fall, I’ll be doing a workshop with George Murray, a poet based in Newfoundland. Also, in October, I’ll be collaborating with an East Coast craftsperson, writing a poem based on their work which will be included in an Atlantic Canada travelling craft and poetry exhibition.