Editor:  Tell us a little about your background.
R. D. Roy:  From a working class, mixed french/english home in Montreal Quebec.

Editor:  When and why did you begin writing?
R. D. Roy:  Began journalism and creative writing for an underground/political highschool
               student newspaper in Montreal during the War Measures Act.

Editor:  When did you first consider yourself a writer / poet?
R. D. Roy:  Was doing some freelance journalism 10 years ago. I started feeling like a
               writer about 7 years ago after my first collection of short stories. I had some
               poet friends who kept pushing me to read at their poetry events so I learned to
               write 1200 word short stories that I could read in less than 10 minutes.
               Eventually I got hooked on the poetry itself.

Editor:  What does poetry mean to you?   How important is poetry to you?
R. D. Roy:  Poetry as a form of expression allows me the most creative use of language.
               You can bend and ignore rules of grammar and punctuation in poetry, make up
               words and  use sounds, and you can't do much of that in prose.

Editor:  What was the hardest part of writing your poetry?
R. D. Roy:  There are several challenges for me. I try to make the poem honest and by this
               I mean, less about me and more about the subject matter. I also try to make the
               poem accessible to others. A poem might be based on my own personal
               experience but it should express a common humanity that others can identify
               with. The third struggle is with finding inspiration. I have to allow myself to
               become vulnerable to the world around me in order to let people and events
               touch me. There is risk in this because we are open to both the ugly and the
               beautiful when we remove our armor, but this is how I connect.

Editor:  Who is the intended audience for your poetry?
R. D. Roy:  My work leans to the social and political, with an occasional venture into the
             spiritual. I'm good at singing to the choir. I don't aim to convert anyone to my
             way of seeing the world. I do try to provide sustenance to those I share a general
             direction with.

Editor:  What new poet has grasped your interest?
R. D. Roy:  Ben Sheedy (North Shore Series, Hidden Brook Press) Ben is teaching me to
               less literal and to really push the imagery. He's a master at that!

Editor:  Some people think that the art of poetry is a ‘waste of time’. What would
              you say to these people?
R. D. Roy:  Well, I think that spending two evenings a week drinking in a pub and
             screaming at people over very loud music is a waste of time. But, it seems to be
             very popular with thousands of people, so I guess it's each to their own.               

Editor:  Where do you see yourself going creatively in the future?
R. D. Roy:  I will continue to explore the form of poetry and to improve my skill as an
               effective writer. I'm looking forward to revisiting the short stories too.

Editor:  What have you been up to on the literary front this year?   Tell us your
             latest news?
R. D. Roy:  There was the reading and speaking tour in Havana, but of course you were
               there and know all about it! That was my second trip with the CCLA and was
               a great sharing and learning experience.

Editor:  Yes, I was there, but I want you to tell the audience LOL. 
              Your book Three Cities, how much of it is based on your own experiences
              and how much of it is fiction?
R. D. Roy:  It is all  fiction based on my own very real experience. If we include perception
               as part of experience, then there is no other answer I can give.

 Editor:  Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
R. D. Roy:  The book spans 35 almost 40 years and is mostly a celebration of struggle in
              adversity. My editor, Elizabeth Greene, discovered that the poems drawn from
              more recent experiences were not the strongest in the collection. This was an
              important revelation to me as a writer. My best work seems to come from a
              certain degree of detachment from an event. If I'm not going to wait 20 years
              before writing about something then I have to find ways of stepping away from
              my personal involvement. I'm working on it.

 Editor:  How do you promote your poetry book ?
R. D. Roy:  I don't. I'm a terrible business person.

Editor:  Can you tell us, are there any more books for the future?
R. D. Roy:  Yes. I'm working on another poetry manuscript. I'm also collaborating with 
               Kingston writer and poet Jennifer Londry on a collection of poems and short
               stories. We both have a fascination with the adaptive dysfunctions of living, and
               Jen's poetry can peel the paint off the walls. It's going to be a fun project

Editor:  Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule  and we wish you well
              with your future books and projects.
R. D. Roy:  The pleasure was mine.  I thank you.
                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editor's Note:  R.D. Roy has quickly become a favourite in the mid-east / eastern poetry circles. When he takes the stage / floor and begins his reading the audience is in for a treat, as Mr.Roy not only reads precisely and with feeling but reads slowly, clearly and distinctly, giving his audience a sense that words matter. He takes the time to give his audience any necessary pointers so that they can fully comprehend and appreciate his 'words' as he understand words matter.
                             

R. D. Roy's book is also reviewed in this issue.  R. D. Roy Review