Derek Webster grew up in Ontario and attended McGill (BA) and Washington University in St. Louis (MFA). His poems have appeared or are forthcoming in The New Quarterly, The Walrus, The Malahat Review, Agni, Boston Review and elsewhere. He lives in Montreal.
Questions & Answers
Is there a specific moment that inspired you to pursue poetry?
No. I just found myself writing things that later turned out to be poetry.
How/where do you find inspiration today?
Wherever it finds me. Reading poems by other people helps. You start thinking along creative and imitative lines that tend to result in more poems.
Do you use any resources that a young poet would find useful (e.g. books, films, art, websites, text, etc.)?
I find the dictionary to be a very helpful, quick way to dig deeper into the meaning and resonance of the words I am using.
For an aspiring writer, what would have been helpful/motivating to hear from a published poet?
Many things can prove inspiring in the moment but it’s only your own un-coerced interest in writing that will keep you doing it over the years. Don’t worry if you stop or give it up for a decade. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to come back to it.