Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Ginese.
Hi Stephanie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in South Lorain, Ohio with my mother. South Lorain is a very special place to me. I don’t think there’s anywhere quite like it in the world. My family was a part of an extremely tight-knit community of Puerto Rican families that relocated from the island to Lorain during the 1950s-60s. Growing up, my dream was to be a singer or actress, but I was such a devoted reader that I eventually decided to pursue writing. I used to carry a notebook everywhere with me in high school, writing poems, prose, and song lyrics. After graduation, I attended community college for about a year and then moved out to Cleveland. I worked quite the number of odd jobs: telemarketer, shot girl at a Western-style bar, salesperson at one of those cell phone kiosks in the mall. At 21, I had my first child, followed by my second at 22. I had the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom until they both went off to school. At that time, I started working in the service industry and got back into writing heavily. I started seeking out workshop opportunities around the city and landed at the library downtown for a workshop with poet Kisha Nicole Foster. She was a big champion of my early writing and got me involved with the non-profit, Twelve Literary Arts. That’s where I really began to find community and success as a writer. I worked as their Director of Programs in Residence for a few years before taking on the role of Residency Coordinator at SPACES, which is where I’m at currently. I am also on the Programming Committee of and teach workshops through Literary Cleveland. I’ll start working towards my Bachelor’s in Creative Writing with a minor in Spanish at Cleveland State University this fall and just published my debut collection of poetry, Unto Dogs, in July of this year on Grieveland (www.grieveland.com).
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. At all. In fact, it has been a very pothole-infested road to say the least. Growing up with a single mother, being Puerto Rican and low-income in a place with very little opportunity to begin with was a breeding ground for struggle. I had some really unfortunate experiences throughout my childhood and adolescence. I for sure made a few poor choices in my early years of adulthood as well. Then, becoming a single mother myself with a bare minimum education, the road continued to be pretty treacherous. However, I’m on the other side of all that and have been blessed with a really wonderful support system and some considerable opportunities, which now allows me to look at all the struggling as a point of inspiration.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a writer and poet. I mostly write about my experiences and my people. I’m really interested in the interrogation of history, specifically in Puerto Rico and its relation to the United States. My mother is originally from the island, and my father is from Southern Italy, so both of their backgrounds and journeys are really important to me. Though I was raised by my mother and my Puerto Rican side of the family so I tend to write about that experience exclusively. I’m most proud of my authenticity and how my voice comes through in my writing. Multiple people have told me that I write how I talk and I think that’s a good thing. I don’t really stick to the regulation of forms or rules when I write, mostly because I’m not as well educated in the various forms of poetry. Like I can write a slick sonnet, but other than that, I like to mix forms. Go from 10 stanzas of a couplet into a paragraph of prose. I don’t know if it necessarily sets me apart because there are surely other poets that do it, but they definitely don’t do it like me.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I used to be more of a “risk-taker” when I was younger. I think becoming a mom and knowing that my choices affect my children has lead me to be less of a risk-taker. I tend to move pretty cautiously now. Like, I don’t think I’ll ever go sky diving, and I’m okay with that. As far as writing though, that’s where I take all the risks. The stakes are way lower on the page.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sginese.com
- Instagram: @st.ginese
- Twitter: @StGinese
Image Credits
Michael Thornburg
LA Carr
