A Forget-Me-Not Interview with Esther Fisher

FMNP: Who are you? Please introduce yourself. Name or pseudonym, and whatever other information you feel comfortable sharing.

EF: My name is Esther Fisher and I am a writer/poet who lives in Toronto, Canada. I’m 26 and have an extreme love of reading and writing. I have a BA in English and Creative Writing and have been a part of the Humber School for Writers. I have had over 40+ publications in the past year which I am very proud of. I am currently editing two novels, one about the Titanic and the other about Anastasia Romanov. I am hoping to have these two novels accepted for publication for this year. I’m also working on several collections of poetry.

FMNP: What made you want to be an artist/writer?

EF: There was never a concrete decision on wanting to be a writer or a photographer. It all just sort of came to be over time. I liked reading and eventually writing became a big part of my life in high school. The same with photography. It was a slow and gradual conclusion that sort of snuck up on me. I think it really started when my brother came to me with an idea for a story and it just took off from there.

FMNP: What is your favourite piece you’ve created to date?

EF: I think my favourite piece to date was a poem first published with Intangible Magazine titled Broken Glass. It’s a poem that took a saddened inspiration from the war in Ukraine. This is my favourite so far because I forgot it was mine. The magazine used a verse in their promotion for the issue of the magazine on Instagram. It came up on my feed and I read the verse. I was absolutely amazed by the use of language and the imagery it created. I fully did not realize it was my poem until I looked for the author name. It was me. It was my poem. And that’s why it’s my favourite, because I didn’t recognize it and I thought it was beautiful. There was no author self doubt because I didn’t know to feel it.

FMNP: What is one piece of advice you have to other creatives out there?

EF: As much as you want every line and every word to be perfect and powerful, it shouldn’t be. You would notice a diamond more easily in a pile of rocks than you would among other diamonds. All the memorable quotes that you find do not reflect the whole writing. Focus on the words and what they are, not what they could be. You will have those brilliant lines, but they have to be surrounded by the mundane. Focus on making, whether perfect or ordinary.

FMNP: How did you discover Forget-Me-Not Press?

EF: It was through my friends Instagram page. She posted about how she and a few others were going to be creating an online press. I was excited and I wanted to support my friends in their goal. I was just excited to submit and be involved in their dreams.

FMNP: What do you like about Forget-Me-Not Press?

EF: I always love the variety of creative works that come out of each issue. It’s amazing to see how one theme can be interpreted in so many different ways and yet at the core still hold the theme. I also love how kind the staff are. Every time I have a question and email, I get the kindest message back. It really feels like they care about the people submitting and there is no intimidation. No intimidation is important, especially when it comes to artists being vulnerable and submitting their work.

FMNP: Why do you keep submitting to Forget-Me-Not Press?

EF: I want to keep supporting Forget-Me-Not Press. I want to support my friends. Even if my pieces are not accepted, I love that there is a theme to each issue. I love playing with the themes and turning them into something you wouldn’t expect. Forget-Me-Not gives me a certain freedom to play with new ideas and pieces without the fear of being judged.

FMNP: What is your favourite piece from the Issues you have been a part of?

EF: Issue 1 I think my favourite piece is The World We Live in is Haunting by Aliyah Sumar. The piece gave me chills and I couldn’t agree more with the message. It’s sad that there is so much truth to her words, but she captures everything perfectly.

Issue 2 my favourite piece was the collection of photographs titled Winter Night in the Forest by Jean Ayotte. I have never been good at long exposure photography so to see his is spectacular. When I first saw the collection, I didn’t even realize that they were photographs. I thought that these were paintings. They have an ethereal and mythically detached feel to them, which I admire. It feels like I’m seeing the world through a faerie veil. Everything is the same but so different at the same time.

Issue 3 was Stay by Janet Kvammen. I adore when old works are brought into new works. This is a wonderful example of a glosa. I especially love it because it includes the Robert Frost poem that the whole issue theme is about. It’s so refreshing to see form poetry is still being used. I hardily ever see it in publications and am always pleasantly surprised and excited when it makes an appearance. This submission is no exception.

The most current Issue 4 was The Labyrinth Beneath Our Feet by Peter Devonald. I love the idea that myths are timeless. This piece just brings together past and present and presents it beautifully. Nothing really changes, and the monsters in myths are still with us. I absolutely am enchanted with this.

FMNP: Let us know where to find you! Please share any of your social media, websites, etc.

EF: I can be found on Instagram @e.f.fisher. It’s my main writing profile and I absolutely love when I have the chance to get to know people so come on down and say hi.

Esther Fisher has works featured in all four issues of Forget-Me-Not Press

Issue #1 Haunting: In the Same Clay

Issue #2 A Cold Winter’s Night: Orange and Clove Candlelight, Golden Glaze, and Silent Night

Issue #3 Nothing Gold Can Stay: The Golden Age of Arthur

Issue #4 In the Dark: In the Chrysalis