Alex Silvius, the creative genius behind The Depths We’ll Go To ocean themed anthology, is a talented writer living in Ontario, Canada. Alex is very enthusiastic about books and much of his free time is taken up with reading and writing, but he also enjoys spending time with his friends and family. Fun fact: Alex Silvius is actually a pen name and not the only name he writes under. He stated, “It was originally started as a free space for me to share poetry, but now I’m really enjoying the anonymity that comes with it. Being under a pen name is one of my favorite things, and definitely one of the best choices I have ever made.”
Read our full interview below to learn more!
Q) How long have you been writing?
A) I started writing at the beginning of high school. When we learned about poetry, I decided that I liked poetry but not…the poetry that school was teaching me. That’s when I started writing the poetry I wanted. Poetry has now turned into short stories as well, but I am not as comfortable with my prose as I am with my poetry.
Q) Why do you write?
A) I write because words are such a clear way to show emotion. I can reveal a lot about myself without needing to see how people react to it. It means I can talk about whatever I want and not have to deal with the reactions face to face. For some reason, that makes me love writing personal poetry.
Q) What are your top three favorite books and why?
A) Because most of what I do is poetry, I’m going to do my top three poetry collections.
- The Flowers Need Love to Grow Too by SJ Blasko is at the top of the list. Blasko writes the most amazing poetry, really digging into their personal life to talk about what’s important to them. It is something that really inspires my own writing.
- Erratic and Unnecessary by Erelah Emerson is another amazing collection. Emerson is known for writing whimsical, dark poetry. It can seem senseless, but there’s always something right under the surface that grabs me. I can’t get enough of it.
- The Garden Going On Without Us by Lorna Crozier. This collection has some parts that I hate, but the bulk of it is amazing and really pushed me when I read it. It made me realize that poetry can be a craft in so many ways, and all forms of poetry are valid to some point.
Q) Describe yourself in three words.
A) Creative, emotional, and lost.
Q) What song would be your life’s theme song?
A) Maybe? by Hollyn. This song is all about the way life and your perception of life can change. Sometimes we feel crazy, but we’re really just seeing things from a different point of view. A lot of the song is also about how relationships can affect the way we live. It’s just such a good song that deals with so many feelings.
Q) Who is someone that inspires you?
A) I can’t think of a specific person, but I find myself inspired by indie authors every day. The drive they have, as well as the passion to share their story, is just amazing. I am so glad to be part of this community.
Q) Can you tell us about what poems/stories/books you have currently available?
A) The Irrelevance of Knives is the first collection I published. I wrote it in an evening…all 50+ poems. It was part of a challenge I was doing where I wanted to write as much poetry as I could in one night. The collection holds a lot of variety. The poems range from personal to fictional to political (only one, lol) to humorous. After that, I published Jellyfish Through My Heart. It’s a short collection of ocean poetry that inspired me to create an entire anthology of similar pieces. My most recent collection is The Animals of Pink and Yellow, which is now available as a deluxe edition with Nathaniel Luscombe. I had so much fun creating this collection with him. It’s a spooky collection with a wide range of poems, all of which have a sharp edge to them.
Q) Can you tell us about The Depths We’ll Go To and your own pieces featured?
A) The Depths We’ll Go To is something I thought of and jumped into. I didn’t plan, I just opened submissions and wished for the best. It has been the most chaotic, fun project I’ve ever been part of. My pieces in there are mostly from Jellyfish Through My Heart, with a couple original ones that I was able to write between work and reading submissions. As far as topics, there is a lot of jellyfish ones, one about the ocean and the scary things it holds, and one about diving to find the truth. I find that a lot of my poems end up being short but packing a punch. I rarely write poems that are over a page long. Some of my poems are only two sentences.
Q) What was it like putting together the anthology?
A) A little stressful. I had to figure everything out as I went along, and there were definitely some times when I didn’t think I would get it done, but now that I’m done I can’t wait to do it again! My favourite part was meeting all the authors.
Q) Can you tell readers about any of your current writing projects and/or future anthology plans?
A) I am running at least one more anthology. It’s going to be all poetry, and the main topic is going to be happiness. I have some exciting plans for this one. I can’t wait to see how it goes. As far as my own collections go, I am working on two at the moment but neither are moving very fast.
Q) What goals do you have for your writing?
A) To have fun. I’m not trying to get famous, I’m just trying to experiment with my writing and see what I can do with it. Running the anthology pushed me out of my comfort zone, which is something I’m trying to do more often. I think that writing is a gift, and I refuse to let it burn me out.
Q) Can you tell us how your faith intersects with your writing?
A) I believe that creativity is one of the best gifts that God gave to humans. We’re all creative in our own way, and we owe it to Him to create with the talents He gave us. I love to write and explore the world around me with that writing. I consider it a duty to create, but also create in a way that reflects Him. That’s why personal poems and poems about nature are quite common for me. Both of those are things that I can clearly see Him in.
Q) Will you tell us a little about your own faith journey?
A) I grew up in a Christian family, so finding my faith wasn’t hard. I can’t imagine living life without faith in the promises that God will care for me. I accepted Him out of need, and I continue to follow Him out of a need that never goes away. I’m young, so I have a long journey ahead of me. I hope it continues to get better and that my faith will develop and mature.
Q) Do you have a favorite Bible verse?
A) Proverbs 4:23 – ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.’
Q) What advice would you offer aspiring authors?
A) Dreams take work. Aspiring for things is amazing, but it also means that you have to do whatever it is you’re aspiring to be. I see so many people who want to be an author but don’t want to write. You can’t be an author if you don’t write. Write, whether it’s five words a day or five thousand, and you’re helping your dream come true.
Order your copy of The Depths We’ll Go To here!
Order your copy of The Animals of Pink and Yellow here!
Order your copy of Jellyfish Through My Heart here!
Started reading and so far I am pleased. Will update when I am half way thru with positives and negitives. So far Iam giving a positive for purchasing