Interview
with Jamie Sugai
GS&NS: Hi, Jamie! Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Jamie: My name is Jamie Sugai and I'm currently a junior at Kuna High! I spend a good chunk of my time painting or drawing in my sketchbook, and the other part of my time is spent working as an editor on the KHS yearbook. Art is my passion and I'm often inspired by music to create.
What advice would you give to emerging writers? Another way to think about it: what advice would you give to your younger self?
Write all the time. Even if you're not always in the mood, write everyday. This goes for other means of creating too! I've been sketching everyday because I want to improve as a visual artist. Practice is the only way to get better, and find something you love, like a movie or music, to inspire you!
(Optional): Provide links to your website, social media, or other places where readers can connect with you. (3 links max)
Instagram: @jamielyn_photography OR @itsjamiedarling
GS&NS: Your poem, “The Great Perhaps” marks the passage of time in the life of death of a person. Why was it important to note the specific number of days and what how does it contribute to the poem’s meaning?
Jamie: I chose to mark this character's life in “The Great Perhaps” with numbers of days to show how quickly our life can change. In a short number of days, you can go from laughing with someone you love to losing them. The girl described in my poem chose to take her life, leaving behind her friends with no explanation. The days in the poem show how fast things can change and that you need to cherish the people around you and the memories as they happen.
GS&NS: Who or what inspired you to write “The Great Perhaps”?
Jamie: I was inspired to write “The Great Perhaps” by the YA novel, “Looking For Alaska” by John Green. My poem is a reimagined story of the main character, Alaska, and her life and death. She was a mystery to the people around her and I wanted to tell the story of a girl who was loved deeply but tragically lost.
GirlSense and NonSense