Interview with Conyer Clayton

Conyer Clayton is a writer, musician, and editor living on unceded Algonquin Anishinaabe land. She is the author of We Shed Our Skin Like Dynamite (Guernica Editions, 2020, Winner of the Ottawa Book Award), But the sun, and the ships, and the fish, and the waves (A Feed Dog Book by Anvil Press, 2022), and many chapbooks. Her poetry, essays, and criticism appear in Room Magazine, filling Station, Arc Poetry Magazine, CV2, The Capilano Review, and others.

Manahil: This is Canthius’ s 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?

Conyer: I have been a fan of Canthius for a very long time and was so delighted to get an acceptance! When I saw that Sanna was guest editing this issue, I chose pieces I thought would perhaps appeal to her. I had a feeling she would prefer my work that leans into family, connection, and community, rather than my body horror type of work, for instance.

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

Conyer: I am conversing with my past self in this poem. I often find myself struggling to relate to young Connie with compassion rather than shame, and I think a lot of people in recovery from substance use and alcoholism may relate to this. But poetry is often my avenue into self-compassion, a doorway into true conversation with young me, rather than a lecture, ha!

Manahil: Your sisters appear in your poem, “In the box of jewellery we went through when our mother died.” We’re both the middle sister of a trio of three sisters, and I find my sisters often appear in my poems as well. Your sisters also feature prominently in your newest book, But the sun, and the ships, and the fish, and the waves. Could you talk about your sisters as inspirations in your writing?

Conyer: I love my sisters so much, and I love how much you love your sisters, and I love how much we love our sisters, and that we are both middle sisters, and this sister question! Whenever we fought as kids, my mom said it made her sad and to cherish our relationships because they would be the most important ones of our lives. We thought it was annoying. But she was right. And even more so after her death, she was right. My sisters are, simply put, the most important people in the world to me. I live so far from them and often miss them so much, and we are so different but also so alike, and just seeing how we all grow and change as we become adults is so special. Typing this is making me tear up. I don't know how to speak specifically about them as inspirations to my writing expect that they are just ever-present in my psyche and heart.

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

Conyer: I am in the very beginning stages of working on a book of visual and erasure poetry using hundreds of my mother's letters, written to her own parents, from when she was in university. It is such a big and special project to me!

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

Conyer: I would like to recommend that everyone PREPARE THEMSELVES for natalie hanna's full-length poetry debut, lisan al'asfour, forthcoming with ARP Books in November!