Spotlight On Writers
Melissa Lemay
- Where, do you hail from?
- What is the greatest thing about the place you call home?
I can’t quite define the area where I live. It isn’t totally rural, and it isn’t exactly the suburbs. It is removed enough from the amount of light pollution in the city so that when I go outside on a clear night, I can look up at the stars. I think that is my favorite thing. Seeing the stars, and all of nature. There are nature preserves, hiking trails, places to kayak. Being a local, I know my way around.
- What turns you on creatively?
What doesn’t turn me on creatively? Since I started blogging and really getting into writing again, I love participating in poetry and writing prompts, especially at dVerse Poet’s Pub, which I’m blessed to be a part of. I love learning, so I love the technical aspects of poetry. Believe it or not, I wrote my first sestina, sonnet, and so on, all within the last year. I enjoy writing about things that might not seem ideal to write about. Nothing is off limits.
- What is your favorite word, and can you use it in a poetic sentence?
There is a deficit of love in the world. I tell people I love them, because that is the free expression of love. In order to love others, we must all be vulnerable and open ourselves to that free expression that can be messy and can be uncomfortable. People need that right now. Loving others is often doing the opposite of what my brain tells me to do. We already have radical hate; we need radical love. “But for now, three things last — trust, hope, love; and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Cor 13:13
The morning brings love / on blood spattered wings / of a dove
- What is your pet peeve?
Being limited. I’ve mostly deleted the word “but” from my vocabulary. It usually isn’t necessary. I’ve had to teach myself to be flexible and expand my thinking. Most things don’t have to be either, or. So many things can be “and” instead. It opens up many more options. It alleviates the disconnection between all of us.
- What defines Melissa Lemay?
Perhaps cliché, I don’t like being defined. I believe there are hidden worlds inside all of us. One of the best things about writing is I can be whoever I want to be, which is essentially true each morning I wake. I am a human, mother, daughter, friend, writer, volunteer, lover of animals, advocate for mental health and human rights, person in recovery from substances. I am a beautiful mess, and I would love for more people to embrace the parts of themselves that scare them.❤️
- Better Late Than Never - April 29, 2024
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- Spotlight On Writers – Melissa Lemay - October 21, 2023
