Salem Paige is a queer and trans poet who plays with the
conventions of poetry to bring intentional discomfort to their reader through
sublime language. Their works revolve around the exploration of queer &
creative identity as they create existential and often visceral imagery.
They were shortlisted for the Bridport Poetry Prize in 2022. They
have had poems published in BiPan magazine, flo. literary magazine,
STREETCAKE magazine, and others.
Paige lives and works on Algonquin Anishinaabe territory (so-called
Ottawa, Ontario), where they spend time napping excessively and annoying their
partner and their two cats. More on Paige can be found at www.corpseofapoet.com
or @corpseofapoet on instagram and twitter.
Q: How long have you been in Ottawa, and
what first brought you here?
A: I grew up as a
military brat, so I moved a number of across Canada and the United States in my
early youth. I've been in Ottawa the longest -- I went to high school here and
am about to complete my undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa.
Q: How did you first get involved in
writing, and subsequently, the writing community here?
A: I've been
writing since I could hold a pencil. I think most writers are like that,
though. I've been submitting my work since 2020 so I suppose I'm relatively new
in the greater community, but I've already made some amazing connections and
friendships - I have a few longtime writer pals who I met a few years before
then as well, and without them I probably wouldn't be writing at all today.
Q: How did being in such a community of
writers shift your thinking about writing, if at all?
A: You can write
for yourself. That is one thing, and I could go in depth about writing for
yourself for a long time. But to write among a community, to write for and with
people you care about and connect with, share values with, share memories with,
is a completely different thing altogether. Sharing your writing with someone
allows them to see you in the shape of your words instead of how you exist from
their perspective. That goes both ways; to read the work of someone you care
about and understand how they are experiencing the world - that is a feeling
unlike anything else. Being able to write not only for yourself but for the
people who mean something to you adds an extra layer to the experience. The
support of working with other writers is also such a great motivator to write.
Life is a boxing match in which self-doubt is the artist's eternal opponent.
Having people in your corner makes you more likely to get up after being knocked
down.
Q: What do you see happening here that
you don’t see anywhere else? What does Ottawa provide, or allow?
A: I absolutely
love Ottawa's markets, where I get to meet other creatives in person and make
connections and friendships. I just went to one last weekend hosted by Nosy
Mag, and the Arlington Art Market tends to be hosted in spring, summer, and
fall - the last one was at the beginning of this month. The selection of zines
here are great, too - everyone I've worked with in Ottawa is so professional
and the production quality is very high. These people are experts at what they
do.
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?
A: The community
here is incredible, and without their radical acceptance I would not be taking
my writing as seriously as I am now - I wouldn’t be seeing my work for what it
is nor seeing myself as as capable as I am. As far as the literal city, I have a
series of poems in which I communicate back and forth with the Rideau Canal. I
often walk to the canal to write. There's something about her that always calls
me back.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I have a few too many concepts and outlines kicking
around in my documents, but my two major projects that I'm focusing my
attention on are two poetry manuscripts, one of which I'm in the process of
querying, and the other I'm almost finished. The first is a very personal
collection that explores discomfort, identity, and the impermanence of
existence; the second is more narrative and plays with the concepts of time and
space to reflect on human self-importance. I'm really excited to be working on
both and can't wait to have readers connect with and interpret them.
