An Interview with Lisa Young // Jack Dempster

Lisa Young spends a great deal of her time working as the founding editor of Juniper – A Poetry Journal. As head of Juniper, Lisa has published award-winning poets as well as poets publishing for the first time. Each year for poetry month, Lisa also teaches the art of poetry through online workshops. Here she talks about her relationship with poetry, what prompted her to start teaching, and the highlights and challenges of running a journal.

Jack Dempster: Can you tell me a few things about your journey to become a poet?

Lisa Young: Well, I’m remembering a significant event—when I returned from a poetry retreat (which was very intense) and started reading poems on the internet, all kinds of different poems. I was so touched by them. They were magical. They brought me to tears. And I had this impression that poets are all linked in some way, or at least I felt a connection with these poets. And that’s when I realized: I really want to be a part of this, whatever this is. This is my aspiration, to join this seeing. It seems to me, that poetry is an attempt to really see something. Now, whether that happens or not, the effort is something to strive for.

Jack Dempster: What pushed you into this particular art form as your main literary pursuit?

Lisa Young: Originally, I wanted to be a novelist but I kept getting blocked, so I turned to writing poetry. And then poetry just took on a life of its own. That said, I still wrote short stories. I wrote a draft of a novel that I was actually able to complete. But slowly, over the years, I’ve found I have less and less interest in fiction, although I love to try to figure out how a story works. And there’s a lot to learn, I think, in fiction that applies to poetry as well. But to be honest, poetry becomes so all-consuming. I have a very dramatic relationship with poetry. Fiction just can’t compete.

Jack Dempster: What is the toughest part of being the head of a poetry journal? 

Lisa Young: I think the toughest part, for me anyway, is the sheer amount of work. I always have a sense when I start a new issue that I have to really immerse myself in it. It’s the kind of work that you have to bring your whole self to. You can’t just kind of do it casually. So maybe that’s the hardest part.

Jack Dempster: What is the most exciting part? 

Lisa Young: Honestly, the most exciting part is reading a poem that just blows you away at first reading. But then there are also the poems that creep up on you and continue to speak to you. They also become like companions and stay with you. I think a pretty close second is the creative aspect of putting an issue together. It feels like a co-creation—all of the poets are in conversation with each other. And there is something interesting at work, because themes do emerge issue to issue. For example, our summer issue has a thread of mythical creatures and unusual creatures.

Jack Dempster: What led you to become an online poetry instructor? 

Lisa Young: Online is so practical—for me, anyway—because you can reach all kinds of people from all over the world and you’re not as reliant on times and schedules. It just felt like the right fit. From pretty early on, I swore I’d never teach because it’s such a difficult job and you’re teaching something instead of doing it. But when my dad died and I was looking back on his life, I began to realize that one of the things that made his life great was that he was a teacher. He gave so much to others and he had a rich life. He learned so much too, from teaching. I really feel now that a teaching life is a wonderful life. So, I’ve completely changed my perspective. Additionally, I had reached a plateau and felt that I needed to try something new. Several of my colleagues were starting to teach workshops and I saw how much they enjoyed it and how much they were getting out of it. It’s a way of giving back to the poetry community. I’ve certainly really appreciated poets who, as busy as they are, still take time to reach out to emerging writers and give poetry workshops.

Lisa Young is the founding editor of Juniper – A Poetry Journal and the author of When the Earth (Quattro Books) and This Cabin (LyricalMyrical Press). She has published poems and short stories in several print and online publications, including Minola Review, Verse-Virtual, The Quilliad, and The Maple Tree Literary Supplement. Lisa works as a freelance editor and writer in Toronto. Visit her website for more information.