Nancy Daoust is primarily a poet, although she also enjoys writing creative nonfiction. Her writing often explores our relationship with nature and the places we live. It is also influenced by pop culture and music. Nancy is an associate member of The League of Canadian poets, and the treasurer for the Sudbury Writer’s Guild. She is currently completing her first book of poetry.
You can read window lets Tuesday sun in the October 2025 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?
Hiking uphill in a provincial park to a plateau that surveyed the entire lake, I discovered blueberry bushes, which are my favourite food. I just finished Annie Ernaux’s book The Years, and I was inspired by the book and her attempt to recreate a moment in time with precise language.
Is there a collection of poetry that never leaves your (perhaps metaphorical) nightstand?
Diane Seuss’ Modern Poetry. Her poems are free and clever. The metaphors are fresh and unique. She intertwines modern life and its concerns with poets from the past. For example, in the poem “Romantic Poetry”, she writes about Keats and Prince in the same stanza. She’s not afraid to be controversial, speak her mind or reveal all of herself.
As a poet, what does creative success or achievement look like for you?
I’ve been thinking about this question a lot lately because I’m almost finished with my first book of poetry and am wondering what will happen next. Will I be satisfied with a completed manuscript or will I feel successful only if I try to get it published? I certainly feel a sense of accomplishment and achievement when someone publishes one of my poems. I appreciate the validation which leads me to believe that I’ll need to pursue publication to solidify my sense of achievement.
How or where or with what does a poem begin?
It might begin with a line that is a reaction to something I hear or see or experience. I try to let my mind wander over the line and free style whatever comes next. The writing is often prose when I’m trying to sort out the poem’s purpose or key idea. From prose, I pull out lines that work in the poem.
How do you make space for poetry in your daily routine?
I dedicate time during the day to writing something. Sometimes something is a journal entry or a free write. When I’m working on a particular poem, I’ll play with it in my mind even when I’m doing something else like cooking. I’ll write down a possible next line, think about it, and then return to the poem. I also read poetry everyday. The Pollination Field by Kim Fahner is on my desk as well as the latest edition of ARC Poetry. The League of Canadian Poets’ Poetry Pause also pops up in my gmail everyday.
What are you reading or watching or listening to lately that intrigues or inspires you?
I recently watched ‘Dying for Sex’ starring Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate. Michelle’s character is unafraid and experimental and messy. I’d like to inject some of that attitude into my poetry.
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?
I had the honour of working with Marilyn Dumont this past May. She advised us to get rid of or try to get rid of the articles in our poems. It’s been a fun experiment. It changes the way a poem moves and looks on the and definitely opens up a poem for interpretation.
In terms of poetic style or craft, is there a big question you are trying to find an answer for?
How can I let my poetry loose on the page? I tend to write short, tight pieces that don’t take up a lot of space. I’m trying to let my words and ideas wander on the white page, but at the same time I want to understand and justify why the words are moving and the purpose of that stanza shape.