Interview with Terrence Abrahams

Terrence Abrahams

Terrence Abrahams (he/him) is a Libra, poet, and editor. He is the author of four chapbooks, the most recent being what we call home (Collusion Books, 2021), co-authored with Cleopatria Peterson.

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Manahil: This is Canthius’ s tenth issue, and the first for which we have a guest editor, Sanna Wani. Whether you’ve been a long-time reader of Canthius or are just getting introduced us, how did you come to decide what pieces you wanted to share with the magazine? 

Terrence: I actually wrote or re-wrote all of the poems I submitted specifically for this issue. Sanna reached out to me about submitting, and I was very thankful and very inspired. I’m glad that “arranging poem” was the one chosen!

Manahil: I find writing often emerges from a conversation. What conversation is happening in your work?

Terrence: I think it is in conversation with every prose poem I’ve ever read. The form is beautiful. It’s also a conversation with my surroundings: I wrote it thinking of the many wildflowers and plants I have seen and made note of over the years.

Manahil: What is your favourite plant from the ones you’ve listed in “arranging poem,” and why?

Terrence: This is incredibly difficult to answer, but I’m inclined to say clover.

Manahil: What is something you’re working on that you’d like to share!

Terrence: I’m currently trying to get back into writing more poetry. I’ve been in a valley for quite some time. My ultimate goal is to write a novel-in-verse or interconnected series of poems one day.

Manahil: In closing, what is a poem, story, painting, chapbook, or book you would like to recommend others read?

Terrence: In continuing with the plant theme, I want to recommend the work of my best friend and frequent collaborator, Cleopatria Peterson: their chapbook, Growth in Small Gestures (Soapbox Press), contains two beautiful short stories about transness, gardens, growth, and finding oneself.