Greg Santos is a poet, editor, educator, and QWF’s latest featured member. His most recent book is Ghost Face (2020) and he has published several other poetry collections. His writing has appeared in CBC First Person, The Walrus, Geist, AGNI, The Best American Poetry Blog, and World Literature Today. He has worked with the QWF’s Writers in the Community Program, Vallum Society for Education in Arts & Letters, Poetry in Voice, and the Thomas More Institute to spread the joy of verse and creative writing to diverse communities. He is the Editor in Chief of the QWF’s online literary journal carte blanche. He is an adoptee of Cambodian, Portuguese, and Spanish heritage. Greg lives in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal with his wife, two children, two hamsters, and a leopard gecko.
QWF Communications Officer John Wickham spoke to Greg about his writing, his work with QWF and carte blanche, and what’s on the horizon. Here are five questions (plus a bonus one) for Greg Santos:
1. You’re leading a workshop with QWF this fall, “The Poet’s Toolbox.” I have to ask: What are your most-used tools in your poetry toolbox?
The act of playing is a big part of my creative process. When I feel like I’m in a writing rut, a creative game, prompt, or exercise gets me out of my regular habits. A favourite tool that I like to pull out of my “poetry toolbox” is writing an ekphrastic poem. At its most basic form, an ekphrastic poem is one that is inspired by a work of art, but this can also include other creative works such as film, television, pop culture characters, architecture, and even dreams.
I’m often on the lookout for books that feature creative writing prompts. A couple of good ones that I’ve come across recently and would recommend are Everything is Writeable by Kelli Russell Agodon and Annette Spaulding-Convy and The Magic Words by Joseph Fasano.
2. carte blanche, for which you’ve been the Editor in Chief since 2019, turns 20 years old this year. How has the magazine evolved over your term? Do you have anything special planned for the magazine’s anniversary?
Wow. It still boggles my mind that carte blanche is twenty years old this year! I’ve actually been a part of the magazine for a while now. I joined as co-poetry editor back in 2012 and took on the Editor in Chief position right before the COVID-19 pandemic.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Maria Schamis Turner, our co-founder and former Editor in Chief (stay tuned for our interview on the cb blog). According to our first issue’s description, carte blanche aimed to “promote the work of emerging writers and create a sense of community amongst writers participating in QWF workshops” and featured three sections: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
It’s wild to know that this was our humble beginning and that we have grown to become the recognized literary magazine supporting Quebec, Canadian and international creators that we are today. Our latest issue, number 49, includes works of fiction, poetry, translation, creative nonfiction, photography, and comics on the theme of “Play.” I love that we feature so many different ways to tell a story!
It’s been a fascinating journey and one that I’m incredibly honoured to be a part of, along with our small yet mighty team. Diversifying the masthead, opening up our content to feature more marginalized voices, updating the website, and collaborating and building relationships with different literary and artistic organizations in Montreal have been particularly rewarding aspects of my tenure as Editor in Chief. I feel like I’m constantly learning and growing with the times as a creative artist myself, and I hope that carte blanche reflects the evolving times as well.
We are currently in the process of organizing the 20th-anniversary party and details are being worked out but do save the date for January 30, 2025. Can’t wait to share more details about the event soon!
3. Tell us a bit about your most recent chapbook, Anne, George, and Me, and your last collection, Ghost Face.
Anne, George, and Me was originally self-published as a limited edition chapbook printed for Expozine. I was shocked and thrilled when I learned that it was a finalist in the English Literary category for the 2022 Expozine Awards!
I’ve been working on a full-length manuscript inspired by Beaver Hall Group painter, Anne Savage (1896-1971) for quite a number of years. My childhood home in Montreal was the house Savage lived in for much of her adult life. I have been haunted and inspired by Savage’s life story, as well as her work as an artist and influence as an art educator.
Some of the poems featured in my project include imagined dialogues between Savage and myself, persona poems, found poems, and personal journal entries. It also touches on the apparent disappearance of Anne Savage’s half-brother, George, at the turn of the 19th century. I learned about this after I discovered documents relating to his disappearance one day when visiting my childhood home.
I consider Anne, George, and Me a sampling of my work-in-progress manuscript. I hope it whets readers’ appetites for the full-length project! Copies of the chapbook can be found at Phoenix Books and Argo Bookshop.
My most recent full-length poetry collection, Ghost Face, was published in 2020. It is my third title with Montreal’s DC Books and edited as part of their Punchy Poetry imprint by Jason Camlot.
The book, which I see as poetry-as-memoir, explores my heritage as a Cambodian adoptee, pays homage to my immigrant adoptive parents, and unpacks my hyphenated identity as a person and a parent. I was very nervous when Ghost Face first came out, as I felt very vulnerable, but I’m really proud of the book and so grateful that it is out there in the world.
4. What subjects inspire your writing? Where do you find your ideas?
The poet Stuart Ross has described my writing as “intimate, dark, enigmatic, playful, and surreal.” I’d say that my poetry is known for touching on identity, migration, adoption, parenthood, family, humour, pop culture, love, loss, and imagination.
5. What’s next for you?
I aspire to live a poetic life every day and will continue to write my full-length Anne Savage-inspired manuscript. I see the finish line coming up soon.
Bonus: What are you currently reading?
I usually have a few things on the go at once but I just finished reading the haunting and beautiful novel, Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel.
Thank you, Greg!
Greg’s Links:
- Ghost Face (DC Books, 2020): https://dcbooks.ca/ghostface.html
- Blackbirds (Eyewear, 2018): https://blackspringpressgroup.com/products/blackbirds
- Rabbit Punch! (DC Books, 2014): https://dcbooks.ca/rabbitPunch.html
- The Emperor’s Sofa (DC Books, 2010): https://dcbooks.ca/Emperor’s%20Sofa.html
- Author’s website: https://gregsantos.me/
- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/gspoet
- X/Twitter: https://x.com/moondoggyspad
- Facebook Author’s Page: https://www.facebook.com/gspoet/