Personal

The following are things that are important to me or important to know about me.

I was born on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary in a Catholic Hospital in Lewiston, Maine. My birth name was Mary Joyce though I  legally changed my name to Joy in 1998. Mary Joyce is my parents' child. Joyce is my ex’s wife. Joy Olivia Yourcenar is mine. Joy is what my friends have been calling me for the past few years; Olivia is a variation of Olivette, my maternal grandmother's name; Yourcenar I chose for its association with a French writer I admire, only to learn that she too left her native land. Marguerite Yourcenar moved to Maine to live with her love, just I have come to Canada to be with Eric. It was only after I had already filed the legal papers for the name change that I learned that Yourcenar was an anagram of her birth name, Crayencour.  She had wanted a new name for her new life, just as I did, a serendipitous parallel that reaffirms my choice of surname. 

I am of Franco-American descent and am presently trying to immigrate to the very country that cast my ancestors, the Acadians, out. Ironic, n’est-ce pas? Until I came to college and met Jim Bishop (Mother Tongue) and Rhea Cote Robbins (Wednesday’s Child), I didn’t know Franco-Americans wrote poetry. I did know we told wonderful stories though. I don’t speak French though I hope to remedy that someday. I am the first woman in my family to complete a college degree and I'm a founding femme of the Franco-American Women's Institute.

On February 2, 2002, Eric and I were married in a wedding revel in Halifax. It was a most untraditional wedding with a jester, best people, a minstrel and storytellers from all over North America. Every other person there was a photographer and the poets were well-represented too. In August 2003, Eric, Zoe and I moved to Moncton, New Brunswick.

The good part of my first marriage was that it gave me my children.  I have a son, James, age 17, who lives with his father in Washington state and a daughter, Zoë-Genevieve, age 10, who lives with me. My children are my joy and have expanded my world in ways I could never have imagined before they existed. Sometimes it is not much fun for them having a mother who is a writer because when the Muse sends me a poem, I generally have to drop everything and write it. I hope they will be proud of my writing and I try to make it up to them in other ways. They are both composing their own stories and poetry of which I am very proud.

I am a cancer survivor and, while it left me with permanent disabilities, I can honestly say that it brought me more than it took away. It showed me how fragile and precious life is. I learned not to wait to be happy and not to look for my happiness in others. Being seriously ill gave me permission to think about what I wanted and to start writing again. Every day is a gift now and I think I am a better person more able to enjoy it.

I have been among other things, a child, a student, a wife, a mother, a reporter for a local weekly paper, a liaison staff person for the Maine Foster Parents Association, a court appointed special advocate, a researcher for a public policy survey firm, a substitute teacher, a proof-reader, and a technical writer for the Maine School and Library Project. I am a loyal friend but I do not claim to be perfect. I do not ask anyone to do things I am not willing to do myself. I believe in forgiveness and redemption. I believe in the power of words, to hurt or heal, to build up or tear down. I choose to be a builder and a healer. I don't have to be right, but I do have to be responsible. We are all responsible.

I have always been a writer. I do not remember a time when I did not write poetry though it did not occur to me until relatively recently that anyone else would care. I've been accused of being arrogant and an elitist about my writing which amuses me to no end: writing is the one thing I have never had low self-esteem over. I can always, always do better. That's why the Muse gave us revision.

I try to be a positive person in that I don’t believe that there is anything impossible for me if I put my mind to it. I have never set my mind to achieving a goal and failed. I don’t stay mad and I often have a hard time with people who can’t let things go. I tend to feel emotions very strongly and I believe my ability to process my feelings through the catharsis of poetry keeps me sane. I stopped writing for a while when I was married and I was not a happy camper. I am a reactive poet and draw my inspiration from the people around me. I use mythologies a lot to frame my poetry…our personal mythologies help define who we are.

In 1999, I cohosted the  Rec.Arts.Poetry annual Picnic, Bare-it's Private Tears, with fellow Haligonian, Ryan Deschamps.  Poets from California, Chicago, Boston and the UK converged on our fair city. The PrivateTears photo to the right was taken by Eric on Polaroid film. Jim Sherman didn't make it but his spirit guided use through our revels.

 Influences

Presently, my most frequent Muse is my lover and collaborator, Eric Boutilier-Brown. His photographic work beautifully reveals what I struggle and revise to convey. There is an obvious connection between imagery and images. We are collaborating on a website of visual poetry and are working toward a book.  Before Eric, one of my greatest frustrations as a teacher and a writer is how distanced people feel from the poetry in their lives.  Placing my poetry side by side with his work makes the living breathing elements of poetry more explicit and obvious. I think this is because photography is an art so intimately connected with every day realities. The first person who made me aware of this interplay was Farnham Blair, my teaching mentor and a wonderful poet. In many ways, his poetry prepared me for the richness I found it Eric's fine art photography.

I also do photography though not at the level or the kind Eric does. I have a lot to learn which is an exciting prospect if you're of a certain turn of mind.. In addition to be the family historian and visual record keeper, I am learning contemplative photography, also known as Miksang photography. "Nattering on the Sublime," the poem that gives the title to my upcoming book was inspired after seeing a slide show of Miksang images. It's a non-linear art form and is more about the essence of things than a story. A Miksang photography tends to be like a visual haiku. You can learn more about Miksang photography by clicking here. The remaining photographs on my bio are examples of my Miksang work.

When I was a small child, my father read to me all the time. Everything from Lisel Moak Skorpen’s We Were Tired of Living in a House, to Bruce Catton’s This Hallowed Ground to the back of cereal boxes (Cheerios and Comet share a common ingredient, TCP…really.)

I started reading at 3 years of age and became a voracious reader. I still am. I love to finish a book in one sitting and usually can. Favourite books growing up were fantasy and historical novels. One of the perks of having a vivid imagination is that you become part of the story. One of the drawbacks is you also have nightmares when you read Stephen King novels all night alone in your attic bedroom…but I digress which is pretty normal for me. I am very tangential.

My favourite contemporary novelist is Neil Gaiman; American Gods is incredible. I vibrated like the just plucked string of a harp after reading it. I feel a literary obsession coming on. I will let you know if this is a good or a bad thing. Marguerite Yourcenar comes a close second , placing first if you narrow the category to historical novels. My favourite fun reading is Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. He's a very punny guy, a trait both Eric and I admire, being addicted to word play.

My favourite poet changes too often to list just one. Atwood's imagery gives me shivers. Edna St. Vincent Millay's sonnets blow me away, I adore Shel Silverstein. Some of the best literature written today is for children and young adults. Jack Kerouac taught me a lot about writing in a way that freed me up and I treasure him. Perennial favorite reading includes Sharon Olds, Terrell Hunter and Rumi (now there's a dinner party trio! I would sit Sharon in the middle and let the guys fend for themselves.). Michael Ondaatje's lush sensuality has heightened my awareness of the potentials of all the senses, both in life and in poetry.  Leonard Cohen is as much a musical as a poetic influence.  Jason Wood is my favourite living poet.  He has moved to Boston and I miss him like chocolate.  If you know where Jason, a.k.a. J. Arthur Wood, is, give him this URL and tell him to write me.

It would be totally fatuous to say that I have one favorite poem. "The Cinnamon Peeler's Wife" captures me but for sheer longevity of regard, I'd have to go with Stephen Crane who was, in my opinion, a better poet than he was a novelist. I have a memory impairment and this is one of the few poems I can quote in its entirety from memory. Okay, it's short but I think every word counts.

THINK AS I THINK

"Think as I think," said a man,
"or you are abominably wicked;
you are a toad."
And after I had thought of it,
I said, "I will, then, be a toad."

I strive to be a toad. I am the essence of toadness. Given the state of the world, that's more important than ever.

The best way to get to know me is through my poetry. As Leonard Cohen would say, "Come, let’s compare Mythologies."