I’d like to take a moment to recognize the pieces of work created by my students during my time running this studio. The books featured here were written by poets after attending one (or in some cases, several) of my workshops. These are also books that I had the pleasure of editing.

There are three other collections not listed here that I also had the privilege to work on, but are still in development. Then there are the 100s of poems written by my students over the years that are also deserving of incredible respect and acknowledgement. You can read my love letter to my writing students here.

Now, the books:

Waves: Poems on Grief
by Gloria Eid

In ‘Waves‘, Gloria Eid explores the grief she experienced after the death of her father with wisdom and rawness. Grief is a hard topic to write about. Yet, in this energetic and sincere collection, Gloria allows herself to be truly seen by us, the readers, during a very vulnerable period of her life. Gloria now regularly runs a grief writing and movement circle, which you can learn more about here.

My Approach to Editing this Book

I worked with Gloria specifically on the order of the poems in this book. This was no small task.

An important consideration I brought to helping Gloria find its eventual shape was this: grief is not necessarily linear, starting out with heavy emotion and then gradually moving towards lightness. With this in mind, I tried to find a shape that allowed the poems to ebb and flow (just like water); sometimes surprising the reader with a heavier, emotional poem when it seemed like things were looking up, and other times offering a gentle reprieve when grief was becoming overwhelming.

I was also aware of the private, internal conversations that took place throughout the book. A question or inquiry whispered in one poem might be picked up and answered in another. So should this asking and answering be side-by-side? Not necessarily. Sometimes it made sense for an answer to arrive immediately. And other times, a large amount of space between them felt necessary and appropriate. A question asked at the very start of the book might be best answered in the final poem of the collection, for example.

I recommended the title ‘Waves’ after noticing how often water imagery appeared in her work. It feels so perfect now.

After putting together a suggested shape for the book, Gloria and I met and discussed my choices. We read the book out loud together and noticed how the order felt in our bodies. We made some small changes. A few poems were added. And then Gloria did her own research on chapbook publishing, designed the cover, chose the typography, and then published her first book. It was a pleasure to support her through this process.

My Inside Voice
by Lea Chambers

‘My Inside Voice’ by Lea Chambers explores the tender, often complex journey from inward reflection to outward engagement. It traces the dual nature of the self, the masks we wear to navigate the world, and what it truly means to step into connection—with others and with ourselves. This is some of what I’ve found in this collection at least.

I’ll let Lea speak for herself. This exquisite line comes from the first poem of her collection, ‘Teach Me’: “She is stepping into the body / that was always t(here). Hers.”

My Approach to Editing this Book

Lea Chambers registered for the very first writing workshop I ever taught back in 2020, and then she kept coming back. Again. And again. Each time, I could see her growing as a poet and coming into her own.

When she completed the manuscript for her first book of poetry, I was invited to be one of her beta readers. I stepped into the task wholeheartedly, reading through her collection and sharing my thoughts. I shared my favourite poems and individual lines (reflecting back to her not just which I loved, but also why they had that impact on me). I offered gentle questions when a poem didn’t feel exactly right — such as inquiries into the music being made by the line breaks and syntax. I reflected back to her relationships I noticed between poems, and imagery that repeated, but in different ways.

One of the delights of this collection was the presence of the body. Lea invited me to sense my own body through the rhythm of her words and lines that specifically called my body and my breath into the reading experience.

The cover is Lea’s artwork. After spending time with the editing notes she received and finessing this collection with care, she brought this book into being herself in an act of unwavering dedication. Learn more about Lea’s artwork and this book here.

Hoping Coping
by Mariana Ikuta

This piece of art has a slightly different story.

Mariana attended one of my poetry writing classes, curious about the process of putting words to her artwork. Over the course of the series, she began to experiment and blew us all away.

After the series was over, I reached out with a contest recommendation by Room Magazine that I thought would be a fit. She entered and won second place! Here’s how she describes her approach:

“My work is centred in human connection exploring lyrical and emotional expression. I feel incredibly inspired by complex feelings and discovering more about the inner world. Feelings have infinite shades, densities and patterns. They are currents that take you to multiple directions at the same time, to places where even words lose meaning. These are some glimpses of some bits and pieces that usually prefer to hide away, little corners I spent a long time in.”

I have played a very, very small role in Mariana’s growth as an artist. The truth be told… she’s played a larger role in mine.

In 2022, Mariana started My Heart to Yours, a Substack where she shares her artwork and reflections, and it is an absolute delight to read. In these beautifully designed and thought out newsletters, you get to see what she’s making and hear the story behind it. Here’s one I especially love: My Sun/Son.

Finally, to the poets still in the middle of it — the ones whose collections are still in process — this post is for you too. Writing takes the time that it takes.