“Hurricane María occurred on September 20th, and I started writing on September 21st.”
In Inheritance of Drowning (CavanKerry Press, 2024)
A question from Karisma Price: Do you have any self-care practices you include when writing about something heavy?
I enjoy being outside with nature, especially going for a walk. There is something special about being surrounded by trees, birds, and flowers, especially in Puerto Rico. I usually feel better about seeing the vibrant bursts of colors, and birds foraging for food. If that fails, then I listen to music and bake. A good song by Prince and slice of lemon loaf are usually magical. They work wonders!
A question from Toni Ann Johnson: Why are you writing about what you’re writing about?
It is very important to me that people are aware of the massive devastation Hurricanes Irma and María caused when they struck Puerto Rico in September 2017. These hurricanes took place almost seven years ago, and Puerto Rico is still grappling with recovery. Some people still have blue tarps on their roofs because their roofs have not been fixed. In my neighborhood, the walls of many abodes have major filtration issues. To this day, the walls have not been fixed because the insurance company has not paid the claims. After the hurricanes, some businesses closed, and people left Puerto Rico because there was no electricity for months. It took almost 11 months for the entire island to have power again. In Inheritance of Drowning reflects some of these experiences. I also wanted to explore some of the various injustices happening in the United States. Hopefully, this will lead to discussions about how we can have social transformation.
What’s the oldest poem in your book? Or can you name one piece that catalyzed or inspired the rest of the book? What do you remember about writing it?
Many of the poems were written after right after Hurricane María in September 2017. Hurricane María occurred on September 20th, and I started writing on September 21st. My neighborhood did not have electricity, and it was also very difficult to travel by car because the roads were blocked by fallen trees and debris. Then, we lost our access to water. Suddenly, everything had changed, and I was trying to process the stressful situation. How would we get food and water? Was everyone safe? Would I go to work? What about my child’s school? How would we receive any news? What was happening in other parts of Puerto Rico? When would the power and water return? How much damage had occurred? The only way that made sense to me was writing, so I wrote in a notebook on a daily basis and eventually penned the first part of In Inheritance of Drowning. The rest of the book came as I was witnessing certain injustices in the United States, especially during the beginning of the pandemic. The pandemic was also a time when everything was slowing down. Once again, I also found myself trying to process a stressful and strange situation. The poems came as I wondered about the possibilities of social transformation and what social change would look like.
Which poem in your book has the most meaningful back story to you? What’s the back story?
All of the poems in In Inheritance of Drowning are meaningful to me. I have had a few people comment that “How I Lost My Name” and “Everyday Drowning” are particularly notable and powerful. I think “How I Lost My Name” will resonate with anyone that has experienced being in a situation where people have intentionally mispronounced their names. “Everyday Drowning” is a somber poem that mentions some of the Black victims of police brutality. It is a heartbreaking poem.
A question from Lucien Darjeun Meadows: I’m always fascinated by ancestral lines, inheritances, and legacies. So, I would love to ask: What three (or so) authors, creatives, or works most influenced your collection? And/or, if readers are moved by your collection, who would you recommend we next seek out?
I think my book is in conversation with the work of Yesenia Montilla, Diannely Antigua, Evie Shockley, and Lucille Clifton. I also think In Inheritance of Drowning aligns with some eco-poets, such Craig Santos Perez and Camille T. Dungy.
A question from Noreen Ocampo: What is something that fuels you as a writer, your writing practice, or just you as a human being?
As a writer, I remember the words about the importance of telling my own story or the great risk of having others tell it for me. For the writing practice, I try to be kind to myself. There are days when I am exhausted, and my mind cannot process writing or revising a poem. On those days, I no longer seek permission to unwind. I just say, “Let’s slow down.” Sometimes, a break/pause is needed and appreciated.
A question from Amy Barnes: What is your favorite fairy tale and how would you modernize it?
I just composed a poem with a modernized Cinderella, but I prefer a modernized Red Riding Hood where she is the victor. My poem, “Why I Left My Book Club,” has a line about Red Riding Hood turning the “big bad wolves” into “a new overcoat.” You can read the poem in Atlantis: Critical Studies in Gender.
A question from Monica Macansantos: Do you ever find yourself inspired or guided by your childhood in your work?
I have a poem in my collection about my childhood in Philadelphia called “Mad Love for Philly.” The poem is about my love of Philly, especially the food and culture. I have such memories of street vendors, pretzels, hoagies, the Gallery, and so much more. The poem also shows how I grew up at a time where certain encounters made me question how BIPOC communities were being treated—and are still being treated.
A question from Monic Ductan: Who are your literary heroes? Why?
I enjoy many writers, such as Audre Lorde, Sandra Cisneros, Nikki Giovanni, and Martín Espada. They are fearless and candid in their writing. I appreciate that they take risks; they say what needs to be said.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my second manuscript, which has some of the same themes as In Inheritance of Drowning. However, it also explores familial discord and trauma in a profound manner. One of the poems that will be in that manuscript has been published in Shenandoah. Here is the link.
What question would you like to ask the next author featured at Speaking of Marvels?
What books are you reading right now? How are they influencing your writing? If you could pick a public place to showcase your writing, where would you want your writing to be? Why?
*
Dorsía Smith Silva is the author of In Inheritance of Drowning (CavanKerry Press, 2024). She is also an eight-time Pushcart Prize nominee, Best of the Net finalist, Best New Poets nominee, Poetry Editor at The Hopper, and Professor of English at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. Her poetry is forthcoming in The Ecopoetry Anthology: Volume II, The Cimarron Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, and elsewhere. She has received support from Bread Loaf and Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing and is a member of the Get the Word Out Poetry Cohort of Poets & Writers in 2024. Contact her @DSmithSilva.
Speaking of Marvels 