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PROFILE SUSAN KSIEZOPOLSKI
Poet at heart
By Margaret Jetelina
Italian-born Susan Ksiezopolski has been in Canada a long time — since 1961, in fact — but her heritage still influences her today, including in her passion for poetry. Although a public sector employee in Ontario by day, Ksiezopolski is a poet at heart — indeed, with a big heart; she donated the proceeds of her self-published book of poetry, My Words, to the United Way of Halton Hills in Ontario.
Why did you decide to donate the book’s proceeds? Volunteering and community involvement is something that I am very committed to. The United Way’s funded programs touch many lives. Having been a volunteer and a board member of the United Way of Halton Hills, I saw firsthand the positive impact that these funded programs have on moving people out of poverty, helping children to succeed and building healthy strong communities.
How much did you raise? My Words raised $3,500, which will benefit one in three Halton Hills residents.
Tell us more about your poetry? Writing is a way for me to get my emotions and thoughts into words and onto paper. When I write poetry, it is almost as if the words are jumping and screaming for attention to get out. If I don’t capture them on paper, they just circle around and around in my head.
As I got older, writing poetry became a way of expressing my experience of life. I enjoy the creative process. It is both comforting and rewarding to see the reflection of myself and the expressions of my life experiences in the words on the page. It’s almost as if seeing the words in black and white confirms and validates LIFE.
How has your Italian heritage influenced your poetry … your life? The infusion of my heritage and living the Canadian experience has enriched my life and writing tremendously, and for that I am eternally grateful. I have returned to visit Italy numerous times, and although there is a strong sense of home and returning to my roots when I go back, there is an undeniable sense that my true home is and always will
Italian-born Susan Ksiezopolski shares her poetry on her website at mywordsnow.com. be Canada. I guess that’s the dichotomy of the immigrant experience.
Living the immigrant experience provided me with a backdrop to write about. I have written about the anguish of leaving family behind and not knowing if it would be the last time we would embrace. This experience changes how you view the world. It deepens your appreciation of relationships. A large chunk of my writing is about relationships, resilience and strength. These are the cornerstones of the immigrant experience.
When did you begin writing poetry? I can’t really recall a time when I was not writing poetry. I have a photo of me typing on my dad’s typewriter when I was in Grade 3. It flourished in high school as my English teacher inspired me to keep writing and to write from my heart. I joined the Writers’ Circle while at Bloor Collegiate Institute in Toronto and in 1976, [Canadian communications philosopher] Marshall McLuhan selected my poem in a competition and I was awarded the Writer of the Year Award. His feedback on my work was a real gift as this also influenced me to keep writing.
You now run your own poetry writing workshops? I have developed a series of writer’s workshops that are now being offered through a Meetup group established in the Brampton and Mississauga areas of Toronto. The purpose of the workshops is to help others learn how to free the writer within. I believe that words have the power to transform, inspire and connect us! The sessions explore how to tap into the creativity that we all possess and to harness word power for self-expression and personal transformation. There is a wide range of attendees, including some immigrants.
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B.C. >> The deadline to apply for the Lilian To Bursaries at Ashton College in Vancouver, in partnership with Canadian Immigrant, is July 7, 2014. Ashton College is offering four bursaries to outstanding students who wish to enroll in a full-time program. Each bursary has a maximum value of $8,000. Eligible programs include bookkeeping, sales and marketing, human resources, business and international trade. Find out more at ashtoncollege.com/events-features/grants.
B.C. >> SUCCESS’s 100-foot-long colourful dragon is poised again to lead walkers at Lumberman’s Arch, Stanley Park on July 20, 2014. This year, the fundraiser aims to raise $400,000 to benefit services and programs provided by the Vancouver-based settlement agency.
Saskatchewan >> Premier Brad Wall shuffled his cabinet in June, including a change to the minister in charge of immigration. While Bill Boyd remains minister of the economy, Jeremy Harrison, now the associate minister of economy, will be responsible for immigration, along with trade, tourism and innovation.
Ontario >> Harbourfront Centre’s South Asia Calling festival is coming to Toronto July 4-6. It’s a three-day celebration of South Asian music, dance, poetry, humour, food and film inspired by ancient gurus.
Nova Scotia >> The province of Nova Scotia announced that any international graduate from a Canadian college or university can apply for permanent residency if they have a job offer from a Nova Scotia employer under the Nova Scotia Nominee Program.
CANSPEAK
Roll up your sleeves If you’re prepared to do some hard work, you could say it’s time to “roll up your sleeves.” While you may literally roll them up while painting or cleaning, the idiom has just become a metaphor for working hard, regardless of what you’re wearing.
Push your buttons Someone deliberately annoying you? Do they know what upsets you and use it against you? They are trying to “push your buttons.”
Get the ball rolling When you kick off a new project or process, you are “getting the ball rolling.” Like in sports, once a ball is rolling, things start to progress!
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