I Asked the Wind: Interview with Poet Valerie Nifora

I had the pleasure of speaking with poet Valerie Nifora about her new book I Asked the Wind. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, I Asked the Wind is a collection of poems about love. Valerie and I chatted about her book and what advice she has for aspiring poets and anyone searching for love.

Scroll down for the video, or continue reading for a summary of our chat.

MC: I love the story surrounding your cover photo. Could you give a quick summary for anyone who hasn’t read the book?

VN: The photograph is a picture of my mother’s village in Greece. My cousin, Elias Grammatikogiannis, took the photograph and was gracious enough to let me use it. This is a brother and sister he saw walking down the road holding hands. I thought it was the perfect description of love. It’s like it says, “I’m never going to let go no matter what.” 

If you look at the picture, the little boy looks distracted as if he wants to go in a different direction, but the little girl is keeping him on the path. That’s what true love does. It keeps you on the proper path and it’s a journey you take together.  

The book covers my journey. It’s 15 years of my life. Falling in love, falling out of love, and suffering through the loss of love. The book is divided into three parts to take the reader through that journey.

My favorite part is the epilogue. It’s like a reflection. Do you decide you’re going to end it or do you decide to fall back in love with that person?

MC: You say in your book that you remember each time you wrote your poems and the book spans 15 years of your life. Did you know you were going to publish the poems when you were writing them?

VN: No. It was how I was dealing with heartbreak, or how I was dealing with loss, or how I was dealing with falling in love. I never intended to publish any of the poems. They were my way of dealing with what was going on. I had a journal I kept buried in the bottom of the closet that I would bring out when I needed to express something. 

Once I expressed what I needed, I would put the journal back in the closet. It was definitely a choice to share these personal experiences. I don’t want anyone to feel like they are alone. My goal and hope in deciding to pursue publishing was that people would read my poems and feel like they weren’t alone.

MC: Your poems have such a wonderful rhythm to them. Is this something that comes naturally to you or do you work at it?

VN: It just came. First there would be a rhythm I started to feel. I would hear a pattern, and then the words would come. The pattern or rhythm was very much in that moment. Some are slow and some are very fast. Every word had a beat, a placement, and a meaning. There was a beginning, an end, and an emotional anchor. 

Being able to tell the stories in such a small space was a challenge in and of itself when I was writing them. I wanted to fit everything in that represented the moment I was writing each poem. 

MC: What advice do you have for aspiring writers, especially poets?

VN: Share it. It’s okay. If you have the desire to write, that’s a gift. Use it, because not everybody has that desire. Sometimes we shy away from what we know, but sharing what we know helps people. 

Once you let it go, there’s really nothing to be afraid of anymore. The fear comes before you publish and once you’ve done it, it’s over and there’s nothing you need to hide from anymore. It wouldn’t be in you if it wasn’t meant to be shared.  

Once it’s done it’s done. Writing is freeing, but publishing is really freeing, and it feels really incredible.

MC: There are a number of photos included in your book. How did you choose which photos to include?

VN: Depending on the poem, there is a picture that adds to the piece visually. Many of the photographs were taken by my cousin. The black and white photos play on memories. I chose photos that added a sense of nostalgia. 

MC: What would you say to someone who has given up on love?

VN: Please don’t give up. It’s a cycle. If you’re not in love with someone right now, oh well. It will come. It always comes. It may not come when you want it or in the way you think it will, but it will come. 

Nothing lasts forever and, for me, it’s gratitude. Be grateful for the moments you’ve had. We don’t get to command love, it comes when it comes, and we need to be open to receiving it whenever it comes. 

Thank you for chatting with me, Valerie!

You can find I Asked the Wind at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Powell’s and a few indie distributors. It may even be at your local library. To learn more about Valerie, visit her website valerienifora.com.

What better way to celebrate the month of love than by picking up a copy of I Asked the Wind?