Angelle McDougall is neurodivergent and a dedicated world traveler, retired college instructor, mother of adult sons, graduate of The Writers Studio at SFU, and loom-knitter. Angelle lives in Edmonton, Alberta and writes poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. She also enjoys chronicling the fantastic adventures shared with her author husband.
You can read her poem Regeneration in the April 2024 issue.
Would you like to tell us a little bit more about your poem? For instance, how or why you wrote it, or perhaps provide some extra context?
I come from a long line of women who are incredible cooks. One of my aunties baked a particular cookie every Christmas that was my favourite. A few years after she passed away I wanted to include the recipe for those cookies in a family cookbook I was writing. Unfortunately, none of her children knew the recipe. Those lovely gems were gone along with my beloved aunt. It made me think about the importance of traditions in family culture. I began my journey of exploring how cooking knowledge is passed along through food, recipes, techniques. So much of what is learned is not written down, but transferred by doing (gardening, berry-picking, breadmaking). This is especially true about how things were done fifty or 100 years ago. This poem uses potatoes as a metaphor for the transference of family traditions and knowledge from one generation to another.
Why was the poetic form the best fit for this particular piece of work?
In the poem I finish each stanza with an incomplete line that ends on the first line of the next stanza. This was to emulate the transference of information from one generation to the next. It was a way to connect each idea to the next one.
Do you have a collection of poetry or even a single poem that acts as a touchstone?
I have a series of poems that follow my genealogy from my maternal grandmother down, focused primarily on family traditions about food – cooking, planting, harvesting, butchering, preserving. Threads from these poems feature in many of my other writings.
How do you revise your work?
Honestly my process is always in flux. It all depends on the poem and its subject matter. For some, it’s important for me to write a draft, then put the poem away and come back to it later. For others, the more I write the clearer the picture/story becomes and there’s very little revision required.
As a poet, what does creative success or achievement look like for you?
This takes a lot of different forms. Sometimes success is having a poem accepted by a certain magazine – this was certainly true for Regeneration. I am over the moon to be included in Pinhole Poetry!** Other times, simply getting to the heart of a poem and reflecting that on the page is success for me.
**(Editor’s note: Thanks Angelle!! This really makes my day!)
What are you working on now?
I usually have ten to twenty poems in various stages of development. I’m also finalizing my first draft of a chapbook manuscript.
How or where or with what does a poem begin?
My ideas for poems come from everywhere! I have a veritable revolving door of poetry ideas circling around in my brain at all times. It can be from something someone says, a dream, something I’ve read, or simply a new way of seeing something.
How do you make space for poetry in your daily routine?
My partner is also an author, so we encourage each other to write daily. We go to coffee shops, libraries, and of course our home, to write. Being retired helps with having more time available.
Have you ever received advice (or has there been something you’ve learned on your own) about writing or revising poems that has made you a better poet? What was it?
One of the best pieces of advice I received was to ensure that no matter what revisions anyone (including editors) suggests, I must be diligent about maintaining my voice. My acceptance rate improved dramatically once I did that.
Do you belong to a writer’s group? If not, where do you find poetry community and feedback?
I belong to a monthly critique group and I send my work out regularly to a marvelous poetry editor. I also attend workshops, courses, and drop-in writing sessions.
How did you begin writing poetry? Was there a specific inspiration or reason?
I have written poetry most of my life. It has always been a part of how I communicate and especially how I process trauma. I am neurodivergent and sometimes communicating my feelings verbally is too overwhelming. Writing has always provided a safe way to cleanse and calm my mind and heart.