Ever since she was eight years old, Alexandra Mattraw (English teacher) has been writing poems. Her work will soon reach a major milestone, as Achiote Press is in the process of publishing her chapbook, entitled “Projection.” Mattraw explained that “in the poetry world, a chapbook is a chapter within a larger book of poetry.” The chapbook allows Mattraw to get her foot in the door as a published poet. However, her goals are much larger, hoping to have a full 60-page book of poems published “within a year.”

Poetry is such a strong passion for Mattraw that she is “constantly thinking about imagery, language, and ideas.” She carries “little notebooks around that are full of random lines, images, and phrases” to keep track of all of her poetic thoughts. In addition to scheduling time in her busy schedule to focus on writing, day to day scenes “trigger images” that she includes in her poetry.

Mattraw’s work is unlike anything one would see in mainstream books, as her structure and themes are unique. Mattraw explains the poetry in her chapbook as an exploration of how people view reality: “Essentially, I am thinking about the way in which individuals tend to create their own realities based off the biases and experiences that they’ve had in their lives.” Furthermore, she uses language to “shock [her] readers” into thinking differently by “jumbling up” words or using shocking diction. Iceland plays a role in her poetry as she is fascinated by its properties and how they can act as a metaphor for the human condition. “[The poetry] is definitely weird and not straightforward,” Mattraw acknowledges. Her unique exploration of human perception alongside a complex poetic form has found a niche, as her poetry will soon be available to buy online and in some small bookstores.

With her chapbook due for publication soon and the full book awaiting a publisher, Mattraw is hoping to build a promising writing career. Referring to her chapbook’s publication, Mattraw notes, “This is a step. This is exciting. It’s nice to be able to hold my own work and say ‘It’s all together.’”

To read a sample of her poetry from her chapbook “Projection”:

http://versemag.blogspot.com/2009/10/new-poem-by-alexandra-mattraw.html

To read an example of her newest work (this one retains the prose poem style of the Projection series)

http://wordforwordpreview.blogspot.com/2009/11/inside-construction-by-alexandra.html