We talked with our Young Writers Instructor, Negean Mohi, to learn a little more about her. Check out her answers below, and catch Negean at our Spring Break Camp and Summer Camp!
When did you first realize you wanted to be an author? What inspired you?
I first knew I wanted to be a writer when I was transitioning from middle school to high school, but I didn't want to be an author. I wanted to write for television. I would keep stacks of composition books hidden in my room, filled with synopses of television show pilots (and the everlong practice of fan fiction episode ideas of my favorite programs.) I remember hating having to format my scripts by hand, so I created a color-coded system for exposition and dialogue. Obsessed with Buffy and Charmed, most of my ideas involved magical realism, fantasy, and hours of world building.
I didn't know I wanted to be a writer until my final year of undergrad when I took my final elective: creative writing. There was an assignment where we had to write a short story in monosyllabic words and I found the restriction to be fascinating. My professor decided to share my piece with the class and lauded my efforts to not only write the short story, but how I also wrote a sonnet within the piece maintaining the restriction. I suppose this was my first experience in cross-genre writing. This professor convinced me to apply to the MFA program and continue my exploration in poetry.
Who is your favorite author? What is it that you like about them?
Any writer can tell you how difficult this question is to answer. My favorite author, I suppose, is the one who introduced me to boundary-breaking and removing labels from pieces that do not easily fit into labels. That author is Anne Carson. Carson is so prolific in her work that a single genre cannot contain her. I first read her work The Beauty of the Husband during my MFA program and I was enthralled since. What captured me most was how she defined this work as "a fictional essay in 29 tangos." I remember the epiphany I had that day as I understood only the author can truly determine the dimensions of their work. She gave me courage to experiment with language and lyric, and to not fear the oddities of my own creation. I have since read most of her catalogue. My particular favorites are her works regarding Sappho which seemed as though they were written answers for questions I dared never to ask. If Not, Winter is Carson's reincarnation of Sappho's surviving fragments arranged in minimalistic translation and as true to the original text as we can fathom. My favorite of her works is Eros the Bittersweet. Considered her first book of criticism and an essay, this book constantly centers me and brings me back to my younger ambitions. Another example of genre bending, this book was a revelation for both nonfiction essayists and poets alike.
If you could have tea with one character from a book, who would you choose?
This one is too easy and her name came to me before I finished reading the question; Myrna Minkoff from A Confederacy of Dunces. Myrna is a left-wing activist obsessed with sexual revolution. She is the antagonist of the main character, Ignatius, and is meant to be his antithesis. I feel as though Myrna and I have a lot of similar philosophies in life, but the difference in our background and upbringing could be cause for stimulating conversation. Although Myrna believes in dedicating herself to human causes without receiving pay, she is a rich girl from New York who could use a lesson from those she claims to want to save. Perhaps I could reveal her hypocrisy to her over a slightly warm cup of mint jasmine tea.
What advice would you give our young writers?
My advice for young writers is two-fold. Firstly, do not focus on monetizing a hobby that brings you joy. We live in a hustle culture that has convinced our artists that to be considered a professional means you must make a profit on your art. Chasing the payout will dim your light and your creative muse will be replaced by dead presidents. Make sure your love for writing comes first, as that will ensure your work is for you above all else. The best writers are authentic to themselves. Secondly, learn to differentiate between critique and criticism. I do not listen to criticism from those I do not respect. For example, during a graduate level poetry workshop I introduced a new genre of experimentation. I called it "phonetic Farsi" and the poems were written in my first language, but phonetically in English, so even people who did not speak Farsi could still "read" it. I thought this was revolutionary at the time, but in my class of eight white students, I was met with a comment from a young man who said "I don't want to read something in terrorist language." I think what I found most shocking was that my professor didn't say anything in response and allowed that interaction to occur without using it as a teaching moment. We all sat there under the thick, lingering words of this man. I think about this day often whenever I look for critique and am offered ad hominem attacks instead.
Do you have any upcoming projects or events?
I have recently completed the first draft of an abecedarian chapbook entitled Letters for the Poet. Each of the 26 poems are dedicated to a letter in the alphabet. There are overarching themes of conflict between the contemporary individual and concepts of mythical gods. The weight of imagery is compacted through the liberal use of entangled rhyme schemes and hypocritical moralities revealed in voltas of the final lines. I am currently looking to edit and shop my book to publishers. I will be presenting my works to poetry contests and open mics in the Denver area to gain visibility and community.
