In a new series for "A Collection of Quaint Intensities", I talk to poets to discuss life, writing, and everything in between. Our first poet and author is Heaven Joy Smith, who describes herself as "a Neurodivergent Honors Graduate, lover of warmth and conflict resolution."
Phoenix Tesni: You have one of the loveliest names I’ve ever heard. What’s the story behind being named “Heaven Joy”?
H.J: Thank you. The name was a well-intended mark of hope for improvement; my father insisted that this would be my name no matter what because he was looking for healing, and it fit right in with my extended family’s ultra-religious background and the fact that I survived a difficult birthing journey as I came into this world. It’s fun to use when I write romantic pieces, and it has uplifted those who encounter me; but it hasn’t been safe nor worked well for me, in a practical sense. I’m still learning to make peace with it - thank you for asking!
I’m really sorry to hear that. I hope the future is kinder to you with regards to your name. Tell us something about your creative work! You work in so many different genres. Which one is your favorite to write?
I absolutely have a soft-spot for poetry. The options for wordplay are endless, and the impact can be appreciated in many ways. There’s a beautiful dance—intellectually and emotionally—whether you’re reading or writing it.
Songs and anthems are often narrative poetry set to music. Poetry comforts us on headstones, within prayers and eulogies. It celebrates with us through wedding vows and greeting cards and love notes.
We see it in acrostic form when viewing safety protocols or learning concepts for reference in school… I love it so much; and that’s where my aspirations started, so it stays with me.
You mention “intersectional advocacy toward Trauma-informed Care & Accessibility.” Can you expand more on this?
Absolutely! I’m glad you asked, and I’ll answer this as best as I can, within the limits of my active confidentiality agreements. When I’m not writing, I do a lot of work related to policy advisory and disability inclusion. These efforts apply the framework of trauma-training and trauma-informed care principles to several areas at once; when it’s more common for initiatives to have a more pointed scope where (for example) you’ll be denied support if your PTSD isn’t a result of military combat, or your abuser was a caregiver instead of a spouse, or when the age-range ends at 30 but you’re 32. My efforts have been successfully expansive in multiple areas. The goal is to help survivors find assistance in spaces where they might currently qualify in one aspect but never move forward because they disqualify in another. I want to make human rights and community care and trauma recovery more encompassing, for everyone. A title that I have, for this, is called my “Survivor’s Grace Initiative”©. Thank you, for letting me speak on it. In relation to my writing and tying my knowledge into written work, I like to amplify these pitfalls and efforts in the arcs that my characters go through, and the experiences or dialogue that they have throughout the stories.
Thank you for telling me that! This work is so important and trauma looks the same on our minds and bodies irrespective of where it comes from. It’s baffling that the help given to it is controlled and gatekept. That’s really honorable work you’re doing.
Moving towards the publishing industry—you’ve been published since 2014– that means you’re hitting a decade-long milestone this year. Is there any experience that sticks out to you the most in the past ten years?
There are two: I was a 19-year old, trying to navigate the more “official and professional” side of the sector, without any tangible business knowledge or prominent connections to lean on. I’m not sure if he remembers, but, eventually I reached out to a favorite childhood author via the info on their website—and, thankfully, he was kind enough to respond.
Secondly, there was the experience of bookstore staff not believing that my birth name was genuine, and deciding to let me know that I sounded as if I were ten years old. They were less interested in discussing my work and so focused on needless banter—it was gross. It didn’t impact me much, but, I never forget their name and I giggle about it, each time I do something they swore I never could. Cheers!
Congratulations on moving past expectations that other people have set about you! You’re also a person-of-disability. To what extent does this affect— positively and negatively, your experiences in the publishing industry and with writing in general?
Great question! Thank you. For me, in all these years, my biggest obstacle in this industry has been event-based marketing. Either the costs are too high for someone on assistance, you don’t get hired due to stigma and ableism, or the venue spaces themselves are not adapted for mobility aids, unfortunately. On a more general level, it’s the cynicism and dissonance around whether or not certain things happen “in real life”; I write from what I lived or have witnessed. A positive, I would say, is that my disabilities offer a wealth of intricate experiences that allow for my writing to stay “fresh” or intriguing.
What does writing mean to you?
For me, writing is about listening to your heart; it’s introspection and loving-kindness and catharsis. Integration of my deepest truths and an outlet for my strongest yearning. I hope, in the process, to build stronger connections with my loved ones, and that I can help people make sense of their pain; knowing that they aren’t odd or alone or unheard.
Which writers, authors and poets do you consider your biggest inspirations?
I adore Lang Leav, Elizabeth Chandler, Gayle Foreman and Tyler Knott Gregson.
Also, in terms of “poetry set to music”: all my love goes out to Hozier, Shawn Mendez, Selena Gomez, Arctic Monkeys and Welshley Arms—I quietly hope to collaborate with a few, someday!
What’s the project– book, poem or otherwise, that you hold dearest to you?
I wrote a poem for a virtual event, once, called “The Human Chase” that looks at the shared grief and need to belong, using the fictional voices of people from all walks of life. I was pleasantly surprised at myself for blending that, and I love The Poetry Marathon, in general. [Read the poem here].
Time for a little fun question. You say you have a passion for all things toasty—do you have a go-to breakfast recipe?
French toast: pan-fried with syrup, berries, cinnamon and powdered sugar! Coating it in egg makes it beautifully light and savoury. My cousin, Zac, solidified my love for it when we were kids; he’s made the best I’ve ever tasted, to this day!
Sounds delicious! Lastly: I’m doing a pass-it-on question at the end where each poet passes on a question to the next person being interviewed. What question would you like to pass on to the next person?
I love it! Thank you for the opportunity. My pass-it-on question is:
Have you/Do you/Would you ever write characters that symbolize your inner-child or future-self, so that you could understand or “speak” to them?
Thank you for your time!
H.J is a five-star author of multiple genres who uses her creative platform as a point of outreach within her work amongst intersectional advocacy toward Trauma- informed Care & Accessibility. She lives with Dystonia and C-PTSD. Her activism, founded initiatives and art have reached both local and international audiences.
Phoenix Tesni (she/her) is a poet & multidisciplinary artist. A Best Small Fictions finalist and Best of The Net nominee, her works also appear in Surging Tide, Limelight Review, Sage Cigarettes, Celestite Poetry, and many other places. Once she worked in hospitality management and teaching, now her life revolves around consuming, curating, and creating art. Her latest projects include “darling, mister graphophone”, a short experimental film, and “Water”, a digital interactive fiction game. When she’s not immersed in creation, you will often find her watching a South Korean film, or petting a cat.
If you're a poet and would like to nominate yourself for this series, please fill out your application here.
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