A Conversation with Perugia’s Intern: Zora Danticat
In January, Zora Danticat completed an internship at Perugia Press, sponsored by the Praxis Program at Smith College. This was the first winter Perugia was able to offer this internship, as a partnership between Perugia and Smith College. Jean Blakeman, Perugia Press board president, interviewed Zora about her experience as a Perugia intern and as a poet.
Q: What first brought you to poetry?
A: Poetry found me as a little girl. In my fourth-grade writing class, I turned Maya Angelou’s poem “Caged Bird” into a song, and sang it in front of the school. That is my earliest memory of coming into contact with poetry, and writing my own came shortly after, with our class experimenting with several forms, including haikus, odes, ghazals, and prose poetry. Poetry was the first time I felt so free when writing. I had so much fun writing that I felt like I couldn’t stop. I still remember the joy I felt when it was “free-writing time.”
Q: How did you first encounter Perugia Press?
A: Debra Immergut from Smith College’s Lazarus Center pointed me to Perugia Press, since I have an interest in going into publishing after graduation this May. A remote internship for a publishing press in J-term (January) when I was struggling with a sprained ankle but still hungry for some experience in editing and publishing? It was almost too good to be true, but it was!
Q: What have you been involved with so far at the press?
A: I had the privilege of being a reader for the Perugia Press Prize contest. Because the contest opened in August and the press was moving toward the end of the contest, I was reading some crazy-good contenders. It was a LOT of reading in three weeks, but thanks to my supervisor, Becky Olander, I was able to read over 50 poetry books in three weeks. I was also tasked with designing poetry prompts based on two books that were published by Perugia, American Sycamore and Beg No Pardon. Maybe some of those prompts will be posted on the Perugia Press Instagram soon!
Q: What are some things that stay with you from the books you’ve been working with?
A: A lot of what stays with me is the depth of grief in some of the books. Who the speaker has lost, how they remember them, and how that remembrance is expressed. Some elements are fantastical, and some are down-to-earth, such as placing the speaker in the hospital. Sometimes it’s rough, but it’s also beyond beautiful to read.
Q: Other than being Perugia’s intern, tell us a bit about yourself.
A: I’m Zora and I love to write! It’s been a part of my identity for as long as I can remember. I love to write poetry, prose, songs, and I even wrote an essay, once. I’ve had two major dreams since I was a child: to publish a novel and to go to Japan. In January 2024, I finally made that dream come true after nine years of studying Japanese, and it opened my eyes to what I can make come true. I’ve started the first draft of a fantasy novel. I also love to sing, and I’m a member of Smith College’s Blackappella.
Q: Do you have a favorite poet? Or a favorite poet of the moment?
A: Recently, I found out that Tiny Desk does live poetry readings, and I watched Aja Monet read her poem “why my love,” and I fell in love. Her “Sonia Sanchez” style and stunning words blended so well with her musical accompaniment. I love listening to that Tiny Desk concert to relax and ground myself.
Q: Perugia’s work centers on highlighting the work of women writers. Do you see a connection between the mission of the press and that of Smith College, where you are a student?
A: Smith College holds a lot of “firsts” for women in higher education, and as it hits its 150-year anniversary, I see how much emphasis it places on making sure women have a safe space to shine in a world that wants them to be silent. I feel that Perugia Press does the same for its writers, inviting women of all ages, races, sexualities, and classes put themselves out there and have a chance to have their early work published for all the world to see.
Q: How do you see poetry fitting into your life as you move forward?
A: These past few years, I have had a bit of an estranged relationship with poetry. I certainly feel like I haven’t had the time to sit down and write poems. But I’m taking notes. And I’m staying observant of the world around me, and how I feel inside my heart. I’m poised to get into iCloud Notes or a random Google document to write something. Anything. I can’t wait for that day.
Editor’s note: It was a joy to work with Zora Danticat this winter – a great match was made between Smith, Zora, and Perugia Press! Thanks to Jean Blakeman for conducting this interview, to Smith for funding the internship through Praxis, to Debra Immergut for helping to connect us with Zora, and to Zora for all your wonderful work.