Biography
Lina Ramona Vitkauskas is a Lithuanian-Canadian-US citizen and award-winning poet and video poet. For full bio, visit her website at linaramona.com.
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/linaramonavit
Micro-interview
Yes. I grew up in a Lithuanian household, so poetry, art, and classical music were subjects we were taught to respect. There were some traditional Lithuanian poets, such as Maironis, taught at my Lithuanian school, but by the time I was in high school—like every brooding goth kid—I was reading Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath, but I was particularly drawn to Surrealism. I would not be exposed to Surrealist, Dada, or Cubist poetry, however, until about age 19, in college (Breton, Tzara, Mina Loy, Apollonaire). I was introduced to, however, poetry in high school like many US students: to 16th-17th century literature; Byron, Shelley, Shakespeare, etc. I'll never forget that in US elementary school, the first poems I was introduced to were by Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein.
College - around 19. I was writing short stories and gave up. My fragmented, tangential mindset didn't seem to fit the linear, narrative nature of prose.
To make people think. Also to be the unsung legislators (Shelley).