Biography
Josie Di Sciascio-Andrews has written seven collections of poetry: The Whispers of Stones, Sea Glass, The Red Accordion, Letters from the Singularity, A Jar of Fireflies, Sunrise Over Lake Ontario and Meta Stasis. Nature and one's place in it, as well as memory and social justice, are her muses. Her poems "The Red Accordion" and "Emerald City" were shortlisted for Descant's Winston Collins Best Canadian Poem Prize and The Malahat Review's Open Seasons Award respectively. In 2015, her poem "Ghost" received first prize in Big Pond Rumours Journal Contest. Josie is the author of two non-fiction books: How The Italians Created Canada and In the Name of Hockey. She is the host and coordinator of The Oakville Literary Cafe Series. Josie lives, teaches, and writes in Oakville, Ontario.
Micro-interview
Yes, I read poetry when I was in high school. I read work by Margaret Atwood, Irving Layton, and Diane Wakoski.
I mostly loved song lyrics, which in the late 60's and 70's were poems to music. I loved Cat Stevens and early Elton John work, as well as Leonard Cohen, and so many others.
The song that started me writing poetry was "For Everything There is a Season" by the Byrds. It is also a passage from the bible. I wrote my first poem entitled "Time" when I came home one day after a grade 9 English class, where we heard that song with a slide presentation about war.
I believe that was the song that made me into a poet.
A poet's job is to transcribe the essential.
I believe each one of us has a way or perceiving things that is unique. We each can serve others by leaving our poetic messages to the world.
I would choose "I Feel the Sun" by Wang Xiaoni because it is a sincere meeting with the essential.