Why this New West poet is a rule-breaker

Jónína Kirton is a self-professed rule-breaker, at least when it comes to writing—and in particular, writing poetry.

“The best part of poetry is that you can do anything you want. You don’t have to follow the rules of grammar. You don’t have to have capitals. You don’t have to have punctuation. Use the page anyway you like,” she says.

Kirton is incredibly confident, and listening to her talk about her love of writing you’d think she’s been doing this all her life. But the 67-year-old says that’s not the case. 

“I’m a late bloomer, so I didn’t start writing, truthfully, until I was 50, though I had always kept a journal,” she explains, adding one of the big drivers behind her writing has been to heal from past traumas. 

Today, the Red River Métis and Icelandic author is an award-winning poet. She was 61 when she received the 2016 Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award for Emerging Artist in the Literary Arts category. When she’s not busy writing, she’s passing along what she’s learned to others as an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University (SFU). She teaches a workshop called Widening the Circle, and has been involved with the SFU Writer’s Studio’s advisory board, of which she is an alum. 

“I’m intentionally simple [with my writing]. I’m intentionally writing accessible poetry. I’m using it as a narrative to tell a story. And there’s nothing wrong with being simple.”

Along with her simple approach to poetry, Kirton believes in the power of amplifying voices that are underrepresented, or might not have access to mentorship. She was the creative mind behind Turtle Island Responds, a project approaching news and current events through a poetry lens. People from various communities were able to respond to the news cycle through verse, with Indigenous, Two-Spirit, queer, trans women and trans men sharing their thoughts. 

While Kirton looks back fondly on that project, she admits it was a lot of work. 

“I wanted to feature emerging writers, and I wanted to offer them the opportunity to have some mentoring, because I know how important mentoring is. They don’t often have funds to pay for mentors, so it was an opportunity for them to get published.” Kirton adds the project involved an honorarium, and that she's never saying never to its return. 

“I’ve been busy with my third book, which has been getting a lot of attention,” she says, holding up a copy of Standing in a River of Time. The book, which was released this year, is a mix of poetry and lyrical memoir, delving into the intergenerational impacts of colonization on a Métis family. 

“I choose to write about myself because I think that, well, I know my own story best, and I think that other people have similar stories. Many people who are Métis, many people who are biracial, and many women in general because I write quite a bit, sadly, about domestic violence and sexual assault,” says Kirton. 

The book covers Kirton’s experiences, which start with her mother dying at the age of 31. “Her death was where and when it changed. A pivotal moment in my life where it wasn’t just her death, but how she died.” Kirton stayed with her mother in a cot in the hospital for almost two weeks; her mom passing away after a second battle with cancer.

Kirton makes it clear in the interview, however, that it’s not only the sad experiences that have shaped her time as a writer: as is the case with many in the city, she loves New Westminster. 

“My great-great-great grandfather brought Simon Fraser here. I think there’s something about this place, the river kind of called me towards it. His name was Jean-Baptiste Boucher, his other name was ‘Waccan.’”

One of Kirton’s favourite places is Queen’s Park. “I love being in the trees, the way [city workers] landscape, the people who take care of those gardens,” she explains. “When I’m there, I’m often thinking about problems that I’m having, something that I can’t quite solve.” 

Kirton, who was born in Manitoba, also loves that people in New West will say hello to her. “Winnipeg is a city, but it’s like a small town. I feel New West is similar to that: it’s got that nice feel, and people are helpful.”

Kirton says her goals are to keep writing, and to keep encouraging anyone who is interested to experience the magic of poetry. 

“There’s so many kinds. There’s so much to explore that it’s like a never-ending fancy little egg hunt for something. I love looking for the words and lines. There’s just something so satisfying about getting a line that really sings, and then getting a bunch of them to go together.”

Keep up with Kirton’s work through Twitter and her personal website.