Stratford Poet Profiles: Jennifer Paquette

Jennifer Paquette is one of the Stratford-based poets who are included in local poet Heidi Sander’s Canada Is Our Poem anthology, shortlisted in the contest of the same name.

CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Jennifer Paquette’s poem “shelter” is about a childhood lived and played in a setting not unknown to many in southwestern Ontario: the lake.

“Cottage culture – while not uniquely Canadian – is a cornerstone of our identity,” Paquette said. “For many, and certainly for me, going to ‘the lake’ is the quintessential Canadian summer experience ... Inspired by the Canada Is Our Poem initiative, I decided to revisit a non-fiction piece I wrote a few years ago about my family’s row of cottages on a parcel of land in the Kawarthas. Shifting from prose to poetry helped capture those childhood memories in a new way. ‘shelter’ is a tribute to the cousins I grew up with, and the sanctuary that didn’t just shape our lives, but, in many ways, saved them.”

As Paquette said, "shelter" was written for local poet Heidi Sander’s Canada Is Our Poem contest, which asked Canadians across the nation to write about what their country means to them. It will be included in an upcoming anthology of the same name.

Paquette, a retired business owner and theatre educator, has been directing and producing voice-over work recently, as well as serving as creative director for Provocation Ideas Festival’s True Tapestries initiative, a city-wide callout for Stratford stories to be performed and included in an anthology. As she said, her connection with the arts and writing has been lifelong.

“As a child, I fell in love with stories and discovered my love for telling them after joining a children’s theatre troupe,” Paquette said. “After decades of directing and designing for theatre, my creative focus has recently shifted to writing. I have adapted literary works for the stage, and (have) been a submissions reader for writing contests. My work has appeared in magazines and on teaching platforms. I have published two children’s books – one with local artist Shane Norrie. Poetry is relatively new to me. In January, my poem, ‘Nesting Dolls’ was published in the Gold Poetry Project’s Time, Memory and Legacy anthology. As I grow older, I’ve come to enjoy the meditative solitude that writing affords.”

As a published author with experience in both prose and poetry, Paquette said the distinction isn’t a hard line.

“I think I unintentionally blend the two,” Paquette said. “I value efficiency in all forms of literary expression but poetry offers more choice in structure and rhythm. To establish the momentum of childhood and create a driving energy in ‘shelter', I employed parallelism by beginning every stanza with a verb.”

Paquette is currently working on her first play, based on her relationship with her mother who recently died by MAiD at the age of 92. To see that work published, she said, would be deeply rewarding.

And for any aspiring poets or writers, Paquette had three words of advice:

“Read, read, read!” Paquette said. “And try to write daily – even if it’s just a few words. Writing is a muscle that needs to be worked. Also, don’t imitate or compare. Allow your own voice to surface and trust that it knows best.”

Stratford Poet Profiles is an ongoing series by the Stratford Times, casting a spotlight on some of the Stratford poets who submitted to Heidi Sander’s Canada Is Our Poem contest. An upcoming anthology with selected works from the contest will be out in spring.