#10 Stephanie Taralson, writer

'I also have a vintage trench coat that I wear when I want to feel literary'.

Stephanie is from Treaty 6 lands on the prairies of western Canada. She studied music and German, specializing as a classical pianist. Her writing has appeared on Freunde von Freunden/Friends of Friends, in LOLA Magazine, Die Leere Mitte, and Almost Magazine, and she's the author of Everywhere, Twice - and other poems (2020). She also publishes 'cultural writings for readers who may or may not want answers' at Questions to Ask. She lives, writes, and works in Berlin, Germany. You can follow her at @stephanie_taralson.

Where do you write? 
Usually at my kitchen table or lying on the couch.

Morning writer or late-night words?
Sometimes I join the 9:00 am (CET) session of Writers' Hour with the London Writers' Salon because it keeps me accountable, and I often end up writing something unexpected. Otherwise, late-night words. My creative brain functions better when the day-to-day clamour quiets down. 

Coffee, tea or any other drinks?
I don't drink anything with caffeine after 2pm anyway, but I'm considering taking a break from coffee. I should probably drink more water...

Handwritten notes or phone files?
Both. Part of my poetic practice is anthropological, so I use my phone notes for my 'field research'. Then I work out the first drafts with pen and paper.

Something to nibble while you write?
I can't multitask like that, sadly!

What's your most tempting distraction?
These days, it's the cat that recently came to live with me - he's very sociable.

Any desk essentials?
Something to drink. Various notebooks and pens.

What's on the speakers?
Nothing. If I really need to focus, I'll put on headphones but won't turn any music on.

Writer uniform?
A preoccupied stare into the middle distance, maybe? I also have a vintage trench coat that I wear when I want to feel literary.

What are your pre-writing rituals?
For structure, I rely less on rituals and more on hard deadlines. It would probably be less stressful to do things the other way around, though.

Perfect bookshop to hide on a rainy day?
One of my favourite local bookstores is Buchhafen. To spend a rainy day, it has to be Dussmann [both in Berlin].

The best word in the English language?
I like zoetic, concatenate, elegy, tender, ataraxia. 

A poem that has changed your life:
'what resembles the grave but isn't' by Anne Boyer.