what is your name?
Candi Viola Auchterlonie
how would you describe what you do?
I’m a free agent! I live a secular slightly off kilter life, quite poor; though I feel tremendously privileged to live my little frivolous lifestyle, I stay home with my son, play all day long like a child, which offers me a unique pure perspective on this ever quickening world. I get to see the world with child’s eyes, I wouldn’t trade that for any amount of wealth.
And then by night, I’m an insomniac working like a madwoman on my writing.
I mostly write adult contemporary poetry, with an emphasis on the unyielding beauty of the lessening natural world surround, love and hatred in all their doctrines- fear being the recurring source from which I find most other emotions stem, I basically write about this spectrum disorder called humanity.
what are you currently working on?
My second book of poems, titled “Creation Sandbox” (pretty sure I’ll stick with that title, but it could change during the publishing process? And if so, I’ll keep everyone informed 🙂
And a couple stories I’ve been simultaneously trying my hand at, one is a children’s book, the other is a romance, both are in their intermediate stages of editing.
what has had the greatest influence on your work?
I’ve fretted and mulled myself into migraines over such questions as this one; but the source of my fire is found everywhere, I find inspiration in small unseen by the common eye things, I like to slow down and write about what I see in just everyday things, extraordinary moments found in ordinary existence. I write about people- their stories, love, children, nature, philosophy.
But my love, truthfully- is autumn, I’ve always been so drawn to autumn, it is so easy to be swept away in autumns’ endless metaphors flurrying around us, it’s necessary death to become born again, it’s eternal and annual falling in love, fervent passion, the cold “denials”, nurture versus nature, the smouldering colours tiled against the abysmal slate grey’s above, it’s fall, and it’s eventual rise.
And I would be lying if I said that my influence stopped there, my teacher’s, the many living and dead writers I idolize have certainly branded me with their voices. I would lie if I said that Jelaluddin Rumi, did not have a spell over my soul, heart and mind.
what is the greatest misconception about you or your work?
The greatest misconception about me, would be that I’m not a fighter; some might think at first glance, but I most certainly am.
I take everything in, and take from it something constructive to try and better myself and my writing, hard critiques from people who disliked my work, or people who feel the necessitative need to impose their advice or viewpoints on what one is doing “wrong” with their lives, or my life, I take what I can from it, and slough off the rest, and keep true to myself, I’m very strong willed, with a strong sense of self, and purpose.
what do you see as the main strengths and weaknesses of the medium you work in?
My strength is my perspective I bring, I feel my writing style and voice are unique; and on the flipside, I think my weakness, sometimes can be my use of description and imagery, and the length of my pieces can tend to be rather long, so I am working on getting out of my comfort zone, and have tried my hand at some new topics to write of, and have showcased some shorter pieces to show my ability to be versatile, and learn new techniques and methods, while still staying true to my voice.
how has technology impacted upon the work you do?
In every conceivable way entirely, it has definitely been a tool not a burden, I think that their are some misconceptions out there about technology destroying writing, and I admit I even was one of those who romanticized writing as a sacred thing that should be kept separate from this commercial/technical age, but some of my closest writer friends- from all reaches of this world, my muses, and my connections to the literary world have been through the internet, I shudder to think what I would be this day, without all of them.
what’s the greatest piece of advice you would like to pass on?
Keep your tunnel vision; stay focussed on what fires you, live for aspiring to that, find a way.
where can we find you online?
http://www.erbacce-press.com
http://www.erbacce-press.com/#/candi-v-auchterlonie/4536537954
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=417560459
http://home.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=517723240
http://www.candivauchterloniepoetry.blogspot.com/
what are you reading at the moment?
Susan Minot “4am”, and Eugenio Montale “collected works”
what are you listening to at the moment?
My faves’ playlist:
Andrew Byrd “Anonanimal”, Damien Rice “Volcano”, ColdPlay “Strawberry Swing & Warning Sign”,
Death Cab for Cutie “Bixby Canyon Bridge”
anything else we should know?
Nothing comes to mind. 🙂