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Posts Tagged ‘Tzivia Gover’

New flash memoir

Posted in WA Journal, tagged , on December 7, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Just published in the WriteAngles Journal, a new flash memoir by Tzivia Gover.

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Panelist interview: Tzivia Gover

Posted in News of panelists, writers conference, tagged , on September 27, 2019| 1 Comment »

Tzivia Gover will be leading this year’s workshop Dreaming on the Page. She was interviewed by fellow workshop presenter Joan Axelrod-Contrada.

How long have you been writing? When did the writing bug first bite you?

As a little girl of 10 years old I compiled my writing into a red loose-leaf binder. I titled it “Poams” [sic], written in black Magic Marker. So, I’ve been a writer who is seriously challenged by spelling for a very long time!

What got you interested in dreams?

I’ve been waking up talking about my dreams since I was a kid of 4 or 5 years old. But they weren’t all sweet dreams, I had a lot of nightmares, too. Over time I’ve learned that when I turn to face my scary dreams I gain courage and confidence to face the difficult emotional terrain I face awake, too. I’ve always wanted to help other people connect with the healing potential of their dreams, too. I’m so happy that at this point in my life I’m able to share these deeply nourishing gifts with others.

How has tapping into your dreams enhanced your writing and your life?

Dreams have become like a BFF, a guru, and a life coach rolled into one. They’ve given me nutritional advice, have helped me find the perfect place to live — and even true love. And, of course, they provide inspiration for my poetry, prompts for my prose, and guidance and encouragement in my professional life.

As a dreamer and a writer, I am dedicated to process as much as product. I’m deeply interested in and engaged with the work and play of self-growth and deepening consciousness – awake and asleep. I commit to the process, and try to let the products take care of themselves.

You’ll be leading this year’s workshop on Dreaming on the Page. Can you tell us a little about what you’re planning?

I want to help writers – whether they recall their dreams or not – tap into the creative potential of their dreams. We’ll spend our time together writing, first and foremost, using prompts and directions from the subconscious to guide us. I’ll also give some instruction for how to ask our dreaming minds to inspire our writing, and habits for capitalizing on the creative chemistry of the dreaming mind . . . again, whether participants remember their dreams or not.

How can even people who don’t remember their dreams benefit from this workshop?

Everybody dreams, even people who don’t remember them. I’ll offer tips and techniques for accessing the unique neurochemistry of the dreaming mind with or without remembered dreams. Of course, I’ll also offer tips for improved dream recall. It’s a skill just about anyone can develop.

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An Interview with Tzivia Gover

Posted in writers conference, tagged , , , , on November 8, 2013| 2 Comments »

Tz Author Photo-1Tzivia Gover is the author of LEARNING IN MRS. TOWNE’S HOUSE: A TEACHER, HER STUDENTS, AND THE WOMAN WHO INSPIRED THEM, and MINDFUL MOMENTS FOR STRESSFUL DAYS, among others. Her articles and essays have appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times and The Boston Globe, and over a dozen anthologies. Gover received her MFA in creative nonfiction from Columbia University. She teaches poetry to teen mothers in Holyoke. She was recently interviewed by Cheryl Malandrinos.

Why did you become a writer?

Good question! I was writing poems at age 10, and have been journaling since age 12. I don’t ever remember deciding to be a writer, it seems I just was one from the start. I became a professional writer at age 25, because I had a newborn baby to feed and I needed a job. I’d tried other things, such as being a baker and a store manager, but frankly I wasn’t any good at anything else I tried. So, writing it was! I have continued because writing helps me understand the world and my place in it. It’s pretty much how I think constructively and how I investigate my thoughts, feelings, and beliefs … and anything else that catches my curiosity.

What is the most rewarding part of being a writer? The most frustrating?

The most rewarding part is the opportunity to craft a message and have it be received by an audience of one or many. I love trying to create lines of poetry or prose that are as clear, precise, and elegant as I can make them.

The most frustrating part is never feeling like I have enough time write, or to market what I’ve written—to get it out in the world.

Can you tell us about your latest release?

Sure, if you twist my arm.

My most recent book is LEARNING IN MRS. TOWNE’S HOUSE: A TEACHER, HER STUDENTS AND THE WOMAN WHO INSPIRED THEM (Levellers Press, Massachusetts). It is the story of my first year teaching poetry at The Care Center, and the tale I uncovered in our creative, colorful, and slightly chaotic school. You can learn more at http://www.learninginmrstowneshouse.com Towne_cov2

What inspired it?

In the spring of 2000, I decided to leave the world of daily journalism to teach poetry to teen mothers in Holyoke, Mass. White, suburban and Jewish, I couldn’t have felt more different from the urban, Puerto Rican students I met on that first day of class. Nor could I have anticipated the lessons I would learn from and with them.

LEARNING IN MRS. TOWNE’S HOUSE was my way of telling my students’ stories, which are otherwise only known in statistics and sensationalist takes in the media. The book was also my way to integrate all I was learning from my work with them.

You’re sitting on the Revision Panel at this year’s WriteAngles conference. Can you tell us a little bit about what you’re planning?

John Mcphee says you’re not really writing until the fourth draft. I like that. To me writing is re-writing. Revision is what it’s all about. I hear writers complain about revision, but I love the process. I’ll try to inspire others to love it, too!

What are you working on now?

What aren’t I working on? I write a couple of blogs, and I’m working on at least three different books: A collection of personal essays (I’m not sure what the book’s title will be, but the subtitle will be something about “love, sex, and solitude,” which is the theme of the essays). I’m also trying to sell at Young Adult novel about the world’s pickiest eater. I’m also a Certified Dream Therapist, and I’m working on a book to help people understand and work with their dreams.

Where can we find you online?

My web site is: http://www.tziviagover.com/I blog about dreams at: http://allthesnoozethatsfittoprint.wordpress.com/

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Channukah begins on November 28 (on Thanksgiving) and Christmas is close behind. Books by local authors make great gifts! LEARNING IN MRS. TOWNE’S HOUSE http://www.learninginmrstowneshouse.com/makes a great gift for the teacher, poet, or lover of social justice in your life, and it’s available in paperback and Kindle format. Just sayin’. 🙂

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