news | Thursday April 27, 2023

Interview with Wanda John-Kehewin

Rob Taylor conducted an amazing interview with Wanda John-Kehewin for Read Local BC. Their conversation is an in-depth exploration of the ethos of her latest collection, Spells, Wishes, and the Talking Dead:ᒪᒪᐦᑖᐃᐧᓯᐃᐧᐣ ᐸᑯᓭᔨᒧᐤ ᓂᑭᐦᒋ ᐋᓂᐢᑯᑖᐹᐣ mamahtâwisiwin, pakosêyimow, nikihci-âniskotâpân and its role in the trajectory of her writing journey thus far. John-Kehewin talks about experimenting with forms and writing her collection in in English, in Cree syllabics (ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ), and in romanized Plains Cree (nêhiyawêwin).

From the interview: “It felt foreign and still feels foreign to try to sound out Cree words, like I am trying to learn a second language when it should be my first.”

Read the full conversation here.