Interview with Terrence Abrahams
Terrence Abrahams
Terrence Abrahams (he/him) is a Libra, poet, and editor. He is the author of four chapbooks, the most recent being what we call home (Collusion Books, 2021), co-authored with Cleopatria Peterson.
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?
Terrence: I actually wrote or re-wrote all of the poems I submitted specifically for this issue. Sanna reached out to me about submitting, and I was very thankful and very inspired. I’m glad that “arranging poem” was the one chosen!
Manahil: I find writing often emerges from a conversation. What conversation is happening in your work?
Terrence: I think it is in conversation with every prose poem I’ve ever read. The form is beautiful. It’s also a conversation with my surroundings: I wrote it thinking of the many wildflowers and plants I have seen and made note of over the years.
Manahil: What is your favourite plant from the ones you’ve listed in “arranging poem,” and why?
Terrence: This is incredibly difficult to answer, but I’m inclined to say clover.
Manahil: What is something you’re working on that you’d like to share!
Terrence: I’m currently trying to get back into writing more poetry. I’ve been in a valley for quite some time. My ultimate goal is to write a novel-in-verse or interconnected series of poems one day.
Manahil: In closing, what is a poem, story, painting, chapbook, or book you would like to recommend others read?
Terrence: In continuing with the plant theme, I want to recommend the work of my best friend and frequent collaborator, Cleopatria Peterson: their chapbook, Growth in Small Gestures (Soapbox Press), contains two beautiful short stories about transness, gardens, growth, and finding oneself.