Gilda Morina Syverson is an award-winning author, artist, poet, educator, and speaker. She has taught memoir writing and workshops for the past 24 years, 15 years at Queens University in Charlotte, NC. She has also taught Fine Arts at the high school, college, and university levels. Her Italian American heritage is the impetus for her two award winning memoirs. Her most recent book is A Healing Journey, From 9/11 Beyond the Pandemic. Her first memoir is My Father’s Daughter, From Rome to Sicily. Gilda led a tour group, In the Footsteps of My Father’s Daughter, taking participants to the regions she had been with her parents and husband throughout the story. She has published two collections of poetry, Facing the Dragon and In This Dream Everything Remains Inside. Gilda has exhibited her art regionally, nationally, and internationally. Her Mixed Media angel drawings are presently on exhibit at Pamela Quarles- Adams Fine Artist Gallery in Davidson, NC.
I am delighted to be able to interview Gilda for my blog today. Gilda, you seem to be an incredibly creative person. You’ve successfully pursued fine art, poetry, memoir, and teaching. When did you first learn you were a “creative,” and how have you moved so smoothly between different creative pursuits?
There were several poignant times in my life when I felt this awareness of being a “creative” even if I didn’t know the term at the time. It started in 3rd grade. I didn’t tell anybody, but I felt an attraction to the arts, not only in participating in making art itself, but also in crafting designs and word posters after school while helping the teacher hang art on display boards and around the room.
I’m not sure I moved smoothly between the different creative pursuits—art, memoir, poetry, and teaching. Once I discovered my love for writing and art, I was confused. I would meditate and hope I’d get a message from the question I’d repeat in my head over and over again, “art or writing, art or writing,” until I came to the realization, I could do both and more if I wanted to. That awareness gave me great freedom.
What was the impetus for your new book, A Healing Journey?
After getting my first memoir, My Father’s Daughter, From Rome to Sicily, published and I was busy moving through the marketing process– a whole different challenge-- I yearned to just write and not be concerned with the business end of publishing a book. So, I went back into my files and pulled out what I always referred to as “My Healing Touch Days.” I began to rework journal entries I had written during those years after 9/11, and those experiences came alive again for me and are a big part of my book.
What was the most challenging aspect of writing A Healing Journey?
The most challenging aspect of writing A Healing Journey was when I came to what is now the end of Part I and moved cautiously into Part II. I had wanted a woman from my generation to become President. Instead, the 2016 election felt to me like a new 9/11. I could not stop writing about how I was feeling, more challenging was putting out my thoughts for someone else to read.
What are the special challenges that affect writers of memoir that do not necessarily affect poets or fiction writers or even fine artists?
Memoir writers are very reflective thinkers, more like poets than fiction writers. That’s probably why I do both poetry and memoir writing. The main character is the author and there is much contemplation of self in one’s life and in their world. I also learned that as a memoir writer, I must be twice as hard on myself than I am on the other characters in my stories. After all, what we are writing is how we see the world, not how others see the world.
You have been teaching memoir writing for many years and have been rated one of the top memoir teachers by LinkedIn. Several of your students have published their own memoirs. What is the most important idea you hope to pass on to your memoir students?
One of the most important messages I pass onto my students is something I’ve said to them many times over the years, “If you do not tell your own stories they will die with you or worse yet, someone else will attempt to tell your tale.” Often those I work with come in initially feeling that no one really wants to hear their stories. But I don’t believe that. It could be a great- grandchild or someone other than a relative. I would do anything to hear my ancestors’ experiences in their own words, and many people feel the same way.
Thank you so much, Gilda, for this thoughtful interview. Readers can find Gilda’s book about a transformational quest, A Healing Journey: From 9/11 Beyond the Pandemic, and also find out about her classes online here.
