An interview with David Martin

David Martin works as a literacy instructor in Calgary and as an organizer for the Single Onion Poetry Series. His first collection, Tar Swan (NeWest Press, 2018), was a finalist for the Raymond Souster Award and the City of Calgary W. O. Mitchell Book Prize. David’s work has been awarded the CBC Poetry Prize, shortlisted for the Vallum Award for Poetry and PRISM international’s poetry contest, and has appeared in numerous journals across Canada.

How did you begin writing, and what keeps you going?

I started writing poetry when I was in university. At that time, I had been taking an introductory survey course on English poetry, and I happened to meet a group of Calgary writers who would get together once a week to share their work and discuss poetry. This combination of studying poetry and being surrounded by those for whom it was a living art was the main catalyst for me to start writing poems myself.

I’m not completely sure what keeps me going. Someone once asked me if writing poetry is “fun,” and I replied that it isn’t, really, but that there is a certain kind of satisfaction in completing what you think is a pretty good poem. Maybe that’s what keeps me going.

What poets have influenced the ways in which you write?

Lots of poets have influenced me over the years, though some of the poets who affected me when I was a young writer no longer have a hold over my imagination. Lately, I’ve been hoping that the brilliance of Michael Donaghy’s work will rub off on me, but that might be wishful thinking.

Have you noticed a difference in the ways in which you approach the individual poem, now that you’ve published a full-length collection?

Sometimes I approach a poem knowing that it will be part of a larger project and connected thematically with the others, but often I start a new poem not really knowing where it’s headed.

How important has mentorship been to your work? Is there anyone who specifically assisted your development as a writer?

I’ve been lucky to have a number of artists who have offered their advice and encouragement to me over the years. When I was beginning to write poems, Calgary poet Kirk Miles was immensely important as a mentor to me. I was also lucky to work with Bert Almon at the University of Alberta, and I learned a great deal from him.

Can you name a poet you think should be receiving more attention?

There are numerous poets who could do with more attention, but I guess I’ll just pick one. Sylvia Legris is a really great poet from Saskatchewan, but she seems to get more recognition for her work in the United States than in Canada.