Local Authors Interview With: Chelsea Coupal
What is your story?
I’ve lived in Saskatchewan on Treaty 4 Territory my entire life. I grew up in the village of Sedley, but have lived in Regina since I was 18.
I didn’t take creative writing seriously until I was in university. Before then, I saw writing mostly in practical terms. I studied journalism because I thought it might result in a job afterward. I’m fortunate that I met professors who supported my writing while I attended the University of Regina.
I published my first poem in 2014 in a journal called Echolocation that’s produced by graduate students of the University of Toronto’s English department. I was 26. That was a big moment for me. It encouraged me to keep going.
My first poetry collection, Sedley, was published by Coteau Books in 2018. More recently, a chapbook, The Slow Reveal, was published by Anstruther Press in 2022.
What books do you remember reading when you were growing up, how do they influence you today?
The first series I was really into, Pony Pals by Jeanne Betancourt, is about three friends who love ponies. The second series I loved, The Saddle Club by Bonnie Bryant, is also about three friends who ride horses. (I went through a really long horse phase. Maybe I’m still in it. I don’t ride anymore, but I like to think one day I will again.)
I read a lot of books by Judy Blume. I read Goosebumps and Fear Street books by R.L. Stine. I read the Harry Potter series. I read The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. I read lots of children’s and young adult fiction published in the 90s and early 2000s.
Two books that made an impression on me growing up were Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson and Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.
I’m not sure I could point to how any of these books, on their own, influenced me today. I just know that I read a lot growing up – in some ways, probably more than I do now.
I don’t think I’d be writing today if it weren’t for the amount of reading I did when I was younger.
How does your upbringing influence your writing?
My mom was an elementary school teacher. She taught Grade 3. Instead of going home on the bus at the end of the day, I’d stay with her at school while she finished up her work. I did this from Kindergarten until Grade 6.
I liked having the school to myself without any other students around. Sometimes I’d go to the gym, or the art room, or outside on the playground equipment, but mostly I spent huge amounts of time in the school library. I can still remember the layout of the library. I swear I can still remember where certain books were shelved – that’s how much time I spent there. I believe this early experience – this access to books through the library – is one of the reasons I write today. I know I’m lucky to have had that access.
How is your heritage important to you, does it influence your writing?
I’m a settler of European (French, English and Scottish) descent. Many of my ancestors were farmers. In fact, my dad still farms. Growing up in rural Saskatchewan, in a small farming community, has absolutely influenced my writing.
Why do you write?
It’s something I feel compelled to do. It’s not easy, but I enjoy it. It’s worthwhile work.
I sometimes go through long periods where I don’t write much at all and think, “Maybe that’s it. Maybe I don’t need to write anymore.”
But so far, I’ve always come back to it.
What authors influenced you the most, and why?
In university, I discovered that poetry was being written by people living in Saskatchewan and that blew my mind, to be honest. It might seem silly, but I think I believed only people living in places like New York and Toronto published books, and that the setting could never be rural Saskatchewan.
I’ve read a lot of poetry written by poets from Saskatchewan over the years, but the ones who’ve influenced me the most are likely the ones I’ve had the privilege of working with. They’ve encouraged my writing, given me feedback, mentored me – poets like Gerry Hill, Medrie Purdham, Randy Lundy and Sheri Benning.
What is the most important part of your creative process?
I can tell you the hardest part – forcing myself to sit down and actually write. I avoid my own writing more than I should because I’m addicted to my phone and I’m afraid I’ll write bad poems.
I don’t know if I can identify the most important part. Reading, daydreaming, writing, and revising – it’s all important.
How do you want your writing to affect people?
I want them to enjoy it. I want them to feel something when they read it – it varies depending on the poem. I want them to feel joy, desire, nostalgia. I want the poems to feel familiar to them – even if they didn’t grow up in rural Saskatchewan. I want the poems’ places and people to feel real, recognizable.
Do you think building a connection between the writers of Saskatchewan's past and present writers is helpful to build the writer community?
Absolutely. If I hadn’t discovered poetry written about Saskatchewan, I don’t think I’d be writing creatively today. If I hadn’t been mentored by poets living and working in Saskatchewan, I don’t think I’d be writing creatively today.
How would you describe Saskatchewan’s or Regina’s writing community?
I’ve found Saskatchewan’s writing community to be incredibly supportive. The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild delivers valuable programming and events across the province.
What is it that you want to convey most about small-town life in Saskatchewan, and how do you go about that?
In some ways, I will always consider rural Saskatchewan home. I try to convey the complexity that comes with reflecting on our hometowns. I want to highlight the positives and the negatives; the warm memories and the bad ones; those ambivalent feelings our hometowns can raise in us.
I want to write about the beauty of rural Saskatchewan without over-romanticizing the prairies and the sky. I want to write about it critically, too.
Another idea I like to explore is the fact that our hometowns are always changing, just as we are always changing. The hometown we return to as adults will never quite be the place we remember, and we are not the same people we were when we lived there.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring poets/writers?
Be kind to yourself. It’s ok if your writing doesn’t pay your bills. Mine doesn’t. I work full-time and fit my writing in when I can. It’s ok not to write every day. It’s ok if your writing gets rejected or doesn’t win any prizes.
Keep reading. Discover what sort of writing resonates with you. Keep writing and revising. Share your work with others. If you love it, keep at it.
