Contributor Spotlight: Christin Geall
Christin Geall collaborated with Editor-in-Chief, Susanne Paola Antonetta, to curate the “Place & Space in Canada” special international section in Issue 74 of the Bellingham Review, which will be available mid-April 2017. Her introduction to the section is titled “O Canada: On Space, Place, and Identity.” Subscribe or purchase a single issue through our Submittable page here.
What would you like to share with our readers about the work you contributed to the Bellingham Review?
I’ve long seen the world through an environmental lens, but the writing in this issue truly inspired me. Also, writing the introduction in the early days of the Trump administration informed my approach: I felt sickened by the orientation of the new President of the United States and was grieving for a country I love.
Is there a Canadian aesthetic to writing about place and space? What impact does that have on your writing?
I tried to tackle this question in my introduction.
Which non-writing aspect(s) of your life most influences your writing?
Teaching nonfiction oddly inspires my writing. Otherwise gardening—I need the active silence.
What writing advice has stayed with you?
Spend it all.
What is your favorite book(s)?
Favorite writer(s)?
“In the Subjunctive Mood” by Michele Morano is a favorite essay of mine. At the moment, I love the writing of Beverley Nichols, a garden writer from the 30’s and 40’s.
What are you reading right now?
The Geography of Genius. Eric Weiner.
What project are you working on now?
An essay collection titled The Cultivated Gardener.
Anything else our readers might want to know about you?
I write a literary gardening column and run an urban flower farm and floral design business.
Where can our readers connect with you online?
CHRISTIN GEALL works with words and flowers and teaches nonfiction at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. www.cultivatedbychristin.com