Six Questions interview #69 : Jay Heins

Jay Heins was born and raised in the Ottawa Valley. book of hours, his first collection poetry and photography, explores love of place, family, the body, aging, grief, and loss. Jay holds a BFA from University of Ottawa and does art direction/production with the OER Project. He lives in Ottawa with Tanya and Samuel.

Q: How long have you been in Ottawa, and what first brought you here?

Born and bred in Ottawa and area, left for a few years to travel across Canada. First, southern Ontario and then later, to the west coast. Returned to be with family. It’s a bit sleepy here, sure, but this town still has a quiet dignity.

Q: How did you first get involved in writing, and subsequently, the writing community here?

Writing has been a bit of an odd and dislocating journey for me, so far. I’ve been working at poetry for a few years but am still relatively new to the Ottawa writing community. Joined around the time of the start of the pandemic in March 2020. I’ve only been able to get to know a few members of the community via social media. It’s definitely not the best way to get to know people but unfortunately, all we have these days. Still, hope is on the horizon.

Q: How did being in such a community of writers shift your thinking about writing, if at all? 

Developing community is a such a challenging work in progress right now but I am grateful to the folks who’ve helped guide my nascent writing career thus far: Conyer Clayton, Khashayar Mohammadi, Michael Dennis, Stuart Ross, Natalie Hanna, Robert Hogg, Jason Christie, rob mclennan. Most of those I have yet to meet IRL. I cannot wait until it’s safe to meet and make new Ottawa poet and publishing friends. To get together to laugh and to grieve.

Q: What do you see happening here that you don’t see anywhere else? What does Ottawa provide, or allow?

Ottawa’s close proximity to countryside and woodlands is its secret superpower. Half an hour in any direction and you’re out of town. Space to be alone and think.

Q: Have any of your projects responded directly to your engagements here? How have the city and its community, if at all, changed the way you approached your work?

My poems are rooted in specific experiences of people and places. My travels through the city and nature that surrounds gives rise to events that lodge themselves in my imagination and demand exploration. 

Q: What are you working on now?

Honestly? Getting my attention span back, it’s so trashed, for obvious reasons. After that, a collaborative chapbook of haiku and drawings with my friend and talented illustrator, Andrea Emery.