First time I came across
the works of Kenyan-Israeli writer Elove Poetry was some years ago on the
literary forum, NaijaStories.com. I knew that someday I would get her talking
about her works and life but up until last year it was all but a dream. I was
finally able to get her to interview with me. The following interview is
intended to let us into the secret life of a writer, and why some writers write
the way they do. We do not have a photograph of Elove Poetry anywhere online,
and she never shares it. It’s her privacy and so we will respect and not
question it Enjoy!!!.
Who
is Elove Poetry?
Elove is a person of ambiguous ethnicity,
don’t ask how I am cocktailed, and I have two books which I self-published – Holy Innocence and Holy Crimes co-authored with Vincent de Paul.
What
inspired you to become a writer?
The desire to write an intriguing or thrilling
story that would have someone on the edge made me become a writer. Writing is
how I deal with stress, once I release the tension, I feel better.
How
and when did it start?
I used to be stressed by love, and life in
general when I was grappling with identity crisis like any other teenager. It
was like an unstoppable sieve when it started.
Would
you say you chose the art, or it chose you?
Apparently, it chose me. I hated poetry as
many of us do, but when I cried cold silent tears in my privacy because
emotions overwhelmed me, I realized that I released them on paper in verse and
rhyme. The other genres just fell in place along the way.
Is
it a job to you, or a hobby? How often do you write?
For me, it’s a hobby. I write anytime I
have time and something to write.
Are
there other things you do apart from writing?
Yes, I work (classified stuff) and run
private business.
What
inspires you to write? How does the muse come?
Anything apart from politics inspires me –
life’s experiences (both mine and others’), a line from a book or a movie, et
cetera. The idea just clicks and I say, I can write about that too, and there I
start running it on my mind whether it’s a short story or a poem or even a
novel.
Did
you grow up rich and privileged? Tell us a bit about your childhood. Has your
childhood influenced your writing?
No, I did not grow up in affluence. We
always had something to eat despite the challenges my parents had to go
through. It is through hard work, discipline and dedication to the cause we made
it. I was mischievous like any other kid, but I was tamed by my strictest
parents in the world albeit cruelly, what children rights activists would drag
a parent to court for. And yes, my childhood experiences have influenced my
writing a great deal.
What
do you love about writing as an art?
What I love about writing is that at that
particular time I am God. I create my own universe, complete with its creation,
breathe life into it and take it when I want to. The idea of being some kind of
a god tantalizes me.
What
are you currently working on? When does it hope to be published?
I am currently working on my first novel, Bachelorette Diaries, first published
weekly online on my blog from 2012 – 2013. If all goes well, it will be out on
the eve of the New Year, 2015.
How
has writing benefited you? Have you won any awards yet?
Rewards of writing come in bits, especially
when you are not famous, controversial, notorious or a newbie though I have had
meagre payments from online writing, not more than $50. I have not won any
award yet, but I was longlisted for the Nigerian Belgian-based writer, Chika
Unigwe Best Short Short Story Competition in 2013.
How
do you meet the needs of being a writer, wife, and mother?
Writing is demanding in terms of time. But
I do manage by making the best of the time I have at work or while away from my
family to write. When I go home it’s family time. Somebody said that your
children needs your presence not presents.
Who
are your mentors? What do you love about them?
I don’t have a mentor, but I am inspired by
American writers Iris Johansen and Jodi Picoult and Muthoni Garland (Kenya) and
Warsan Shire (Kenyan-born Somali) and South African writer of African
paranormal, Vered Ehsan. I love their simplistic yet captivating writing.
How
has Africa influenced your writing?
Africa has made me digress from the theme
most African writers tackle – politics, governance, culture and all. However, I
write just for entertainment, perhaps not literature material for schools or
one to be touted for an award.
When
you write, do you ever think about what people are going to think of you, your
work, and you in relation to your work?
Yes, I do think about what people will say
and think of me; but what the heck, they always associate me with what I have
written. Most people don’t differentiate between the persona and the author.
What
are your favourite themes, and why?
My favourite themes are love, religion and
crime. That’s because love is a bubble-gum myth that exists only in movies and
novels and I want to perpetuate it, religion sells when you are controversial
like me and crime evolves faster than the population replicates itself.
You
have a blog too. What kind of blog is it? What do you blog about?
My blog is a diary and poetry blog. I write
fiction diary stories and occasionally poetry, sometimes I write non-fiction
articles.
At
what time of the day do you write?
I write mostly in the mornings, from
3:00a.m. when I wake and during lunch breaks. Evenings are mostly for editing.
What
is your favourite and worst experience so far…as a writer?
Favourite experience – getting paid for my
writing and seeing my work in print. Worst experience – having the door slammed
to my face by a publisher, and not getting even a reject note from a publisher
who finds my work unpublishable.
Exactly
why do you write?
To manage my stress. To entertain. Revoke a
vice. Pass a certain message… but most of all it’s because it’s the perfect
distraction.
Let’s
get your take on this: Are writers born, or are they made?
For me, writers are made. You have to learn
the art, practice it, and practice it more often than your air intake to become
a good writer.
Where
can people go to stalk you and your works?
Stalk? Don’t dare do that. However, I am
all over the cyberspace: my blog www.elovepoetry.wordpress.com,
www.poeticjustnes.com where I
co-author with Vincent de Paul, on Facebook, Twitter, Triond, Amazon and the
Nigerian Writers’ Community NigerStories. Just type Elove Poetry and there you
will see me.
On
the fun side of this interview, tell us: how well do you love fashion- African fashion?
How many Made-in-Africa products do you currently use?
I am enthralled by African fashion, but
what I love most is the African décor. I have quite a number of African
customized things, but that is as far as it goes. Remember I am of ambiguous
ethnicity, so I jumble everything up.
What
are three most important things in your life?
My kid, my privacy, my work.
Thank you
Famous Isaacs
Founder & Editor, TAWKA
DiARiES
