Interview with Devon Rae

Devon Rae is a poet who grew up in Montreal/Tiohtià:ke. She now lives on unceded Coast Salish territories (Vancouver, BC).

Manahil: This is Canthius’ tenth issue, and the first for which we have a guest editor, Sanna Wani. Whether you’ve been a long-time reader of Canthius or are just getting introduced us, how did you come to decide what pieces you wanted to share with the magazine?

Devon: I have long admired Canthius, and it is so exciting to be published in this magazine! I submitted poems that I felt had a feminist sensibility. My two poems in Canthius 10 celebrate the body in a world that often tells us our bodies are unworthy of celebration.

Manahil: I find writing often emerges from a conversation. What conversation is happening in your work?

Devon: I am fascinated by the etymology of the word “conversation.” The root of the word means to dwell with. Isn’t that beautiful? My poems in the most recent issue of Canthius are conversations between me and my body. I am curious about what it means for us to live together.

Manahil: I love the sensuality of your two poems in this issue. What sensuality emerges from these dialogues with various parts of the body, whether human or animal?

Devon: Bodies are so sensual! They are full of feeling. Some of this feeling spilled out of my lips and my tail and into my poems.

Manahil: What is something you’re working on that you’d like to share!

Devon: I am currently working on a series of essays about finding joy in ordinary places: birthdays, gardens, sleepovers…

Manahil: In closing, what is a poem, story, painting, chapbook, or book you would like to recommend others read?

Devon: I read Best Young Woman Job Book by Emma Healey this summer, and I can’t stop thinking about it. It is a stunning reflection on making art under capitalism. The sentences in this book are beautiful.