5 Questions with Alesa
Alesa Bernat is the author of Everything Is Fine, a self-published poetry collection about Bipolar Depression. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in print and online literary journals and magazines such as Boreal Zine, Sad Girl Diaries, Black River Review, and North Star. Bernat received Honorable Mention in Seneca Park Zoo's 2024 Nature Poetry Contest. Her work has also been included in the anthology "True North: Words and Images from New York's North Country.
Learn more about Alesa’s work at alesabernat.com
1. What’s a word you love irrationally? What’s one you wish would disappear forever?
I love the word "loam". I've been studying soil composition. I like to garden, but I'm also delving into concepts of growing and the work of mothers for my next book. This word just feels good in the mouth. It feels rich and balanced.
A word I wish would disappear is "retarded". At one time it meant to "delay" or "hold back", but it has negative connotations for people with developmental needs. As a speech-language pathologist, I work very closely with exceptional children. When I hear people use this word out in public, I always make sure to stop and educate them about why it shouldn't be used anymore. People with needs are "exceptional," and that word fits so much better.
2. Do you have an “I cannot write unless…” ritual?
I wouldn't say that I have a ritual when it comes to writing. I go where the feelings, thoughts, or words take me. I tend to write a lot at night when the house is quiet, but sometimes a great word or phrase will come upon me during the day. When that happens, I write on the closest thing, whether that be a notebook, scrap paper, or napkins. Recently, I got a phone with a stylus, which helps me out when there is nothing close at hand. I write myself a little note on the phone and go back to it later in the evening. I like to research words and concepts. I guess I could say, "I cannot write unless I have obsessively researched".
3. What’s the weirdest compliment you’ve ever received — and secretly loved?
Last year, someone told a group of people that I am a "wavemaker, but not the tsunami kind." Generally, when you hear "make waves," you think of a troublemaker and a person who is there to be a tsunami destroying the status quo. At first, I was a little offended when I heard myself described as a wave maker, but as this person kept talking, I realized they might have meant I'm a "changemaker". I'm stubborn and I will do what's right, no matter what.
4. If you could live inside any fictional universe for one week, where would you go?
Hogwarts, of course! I had the great fortune of growing up and always being the same age as Harry Potter when the books were released. I graduated from high school just as the last book came out. I'm still waiting for that Hogwarts letter...
5. What item in your home feels like it has a secret life when you're not looking?
My kids socks live some sort of fantastical life when none of us are looking. I have three sons, and their socks are always on some sort of adventure when least expected. They disappear, reappear, and suddenly get massive holes or stains on them...it's very perplexing.