Reflecting on “In the Light of Nostalgia”

In the Light of Nostalgia is Jennifer Bagwell’s debut book of poetry written in free-verse. In her writing she chronicles her experiences of love, pain, heartache, grief, and mental health and explores healing and fondness within her introspection through nostalgia. Outside of her moving words Jennifer reflects in our Q&A interview about her writing and creative process.

Q: What inspired you to become a writer?

A: As an elder millennial, I grew up being told that I could be anything I wanted to be. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and more specifically, I dreamed of moving to New York City to be a Journalist. While I still hold onto hope that we can all grow up to be what we want to be, you realize that priorities can change quickly once you're an adult. A reality that I needed to sit with for a while was that a roadblock many of us face in pursuing our dreams is the lack of opportunity. Living in poverty, not having examples of family that attended college, and the need to work multiple jobs to survive can feel like impossible hurdles to overcome, and they often are. As I entered my thirties, I was fortunate enough to find stable footing and decided that although I’d never live in a big city working for The New York Times, my writing still meant something. It was still something worth pursuing, even if it was only a passion project.

Q: Can you share a memorable moment from your writing journey?

A: The most memorable moments I’ve had have come from close friends reading my poetry and offering their candid, unfiltered feedback. There’s a sense of magic that happens when your work resonates so deeply with someone else in such an impactful way. I’m eternally grateful for those conversations because they gave me the bravery to push forward in my journey. As a writer, imposter syndrome often comes with the territory and it takes a village to help you break through those walls.

Q: What themes or topics do you explore in your writing?

A: I write a lot about pain, in all the forms it can present itself. There are so many universal human experiences, but I’ve found that pain is the most transformative.

Q:What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

A: You have lived a vast, interesting, and meaningful life. You deserve to speak authentically about it. It’s important to honor your journey, and to tell your story in the way only you can.?

Q: Tell us about your writing process from idea to publication.

A: When an idea comes to me, I allow myself to sit with it. I hadn’t written poetry for nearly twenty years when I decided to try again. I allowed the writing to lead me where it wanted to go instead of the other way around. I’m allowing a similar journey for my fiction projects. They’ve been simmering for years but have finally begun to blossom.

Q: What are your future writing goals and projects?

A: I’m really proud of my poetry collection, but fiction is my next endeavour. There’s so much world building, character development, and dialogue necessary to write a compelling story. Poetry is equally as compelling, but I’m looking forward to pulling myself and my own experiences back and creating something out of thin air.

Q: How do you approach the creative process when writing a poem?

A: I don’t filter it. Whatever comes out in my poetry is supposed to! Admittedly, this was the most difficult thing for me to process when writing In the Light of Nostalgia. I’m fortunate to have a beautiful, easy life these days. It felt almost disrespectful to write about everything in the previous lives I’ve lived, but it all shaped me into who I am now. I wouldn’t have the life I have today without all of it, all of the people who were part of it. My firm belief is that the nostalgia is worth honoring.

Q: Can you describe your favorite poem that you’ve written and what inspired it?

A: ”Porches” from my upcoming debut poetry collection, In the Light of Nostalgia. I wanted to capture the feeling of sitting on a porch in a way that readers could envision themselves on that very same porch throughout their lives. Somehow, I was able to do that while also offering a very personal glimpse into my own life. On those porches, I was accompanied by lovers, friends, family, and even grief joined me from time to time. It wasn’t written about any particular person or moment, but rather, all of them all at once.

Q: Are there any recurring themes or messages in your work that you’d like readers to discover?Are there any recurring themes or messages in your work that you’d like readers to discover?

A: Nostalgia is a beautiful thing, and it’s something I honor in my work. We only exist in specific moments in time once, but we can always revisit them. I hope something my readers take away from my work is to notice when they’re in those special moments. What did the sky look like as this life changing thing was happening? What emotions were at the forefront? What song was playing in the background? What did their laughter sound like?

I’ve experienced a significant amount of loss and impermanency in my life, so the one thing I’m the most grateful for is having done that. I’ve etched those tiny, seemingly insignificant things into my memory.

Nostalgia can be incredibly healing, but it’s also sacred.

Q: Describe the emotions you experience when you finish writing a book.

A: If I’m being honest, I feel relieved. Writing is such an emotional process, so when you’re finally able to put the pen down or close your laptop knowing that you’ve poured everything you have into it, there’s always relief waiting on the other side.

Thank you so much Jennifer for taking the time to discuss the creative process behind your writing and give insight into your book In the Light of Nostalgia, which can be found on amazon: In the Light of Nostalgia. Stay tuned as Jennifer also has a new piece of work, a coming of age fiction novel, Coast.