AND COULD THEY HEAR ME I WOULD TELL THEM (STEPHANIE GINESE)
Bio: Stephanie Ginese is a writer & wannabe comedian from South Lorain, Ohio. She is the daughter of a Puerto Rican mother & an Italian immigrant father. She currently lives in Cleveland with her two children. Unto Dogs is her debut book of poetry. She can be found at sginese.com.
Book Title: Unto Dogs
Press: Grieveland
1. What is something that surprised you during the writing, editing, or publishing process for Unto Dogs?
I was surprised at how much editing I didn’t want to do in the last round of edits. I felt that if I started to further pick apart lines, I’d end up wanting to rewrite the whole thing. I didn’t want my original intent with the book to be lost due to my overthinking. I wanted it to be ripe with all of the emotion I originally experienced when writing the pieces. Though, when the process started, I thought I’d be making changes until the moment it was sent off to the printer.
2. How might you describe the “experiment” or challenge of this book? What form, procedure, sound, or mystery enlivened your mind while writing?
It really felt like solving a puzzle. There were so many pieces that became connected throughout the process. I have compared it to trying to crack a case where the whole wall is taken up by pictures and post-its and there’s a red string connecting it all together. This book has a lot of layers, so making sure that every line was intentional and helped to strengthen and connect those layers was really important.
The mysteries of Puerto Rican history, religion and my own personal experiences were constantly running through my mind while I was writing, and even when I wasn't, the constant barrage of these themes were at the forefront of my mind during the process. I was very eager in my consumption of media around the topic of reproductive history in Puerto Rico.
3. Can you discuss an edit, idea, response, or interaction with another person that helped this book find its way in the world—aesthetically, materially, visually, structurally, spiritually…?
I was sitting at my friend, Lynette’s, dining room table talking about what I’d been writing. As I was kind of spiraling in my explanation, all these connecting threads started to emerge and she noticed them right away. She got me really excited about the historical and spiritual connections I was making with my writing. I remember leaving her house that night thinking, “Wow, I really have a whole book.”
4. Is there a physical place or space you associate with the poems in Unto Dogs?
My apartment. It’s the first place that’s ever really been my own. So, it’s really special in that way and then being the place where I wrote my first book. Most of the research and writing of Unto Dogs took place there. I spent so many days, especially during the pandemic, in my bed or at my desk buried in books, notes, and empty La Croix cans.
5. What’s something that feels difficult about having a book—or this book, specifically—come into the world??
This book charts and exposes some of my most private and traumatic experiences dealing with reproductive health and violence. I’ve really had to relinquish the idea of shame, which I discuss quite a bit in the book. Knowing that my family and peers are reading about these hidden parts of my life has been overwhelming at times, but also very liberating.
6. What do you appreciate about the press (grieveland) that published this book?
I appreciate how much they supported my voice and trusted my vision. They suggested edits or changes to the order, encouraged experimentation and playfulness. However, they always made sure to communicate that it was all ultimately my decision. Kevin, especially, really championed this book from its infant stages. I’m grateful that Unto Dogs gets to call Grieveland home.
7. Do you recall the most recent small press (micro, indie, DIY, university) publication you’ve recommended? What made you want to tell someone about it?
Vanessa Jimenez Gabb’s Basic Needs, which was published by Rescue Press. I think Rescue Press publishes books that are exciting in their experimentation. I’m also a huge fan of Vanessa’s. Both of her books, Basic Needs and Images for Radical Politics, are so urgent and beautiful.
8. Is there a text, song, piece of art, or made thing that your book talks to, borrows from, fights with, or is in tribute to?
There’s two works that Unto Dogs wouldn’t exist without. First, is the memoir Impossible Motherhood: Testimony of an Abortion Addict by Irene Vilar, who is the Irene mentioned throughout my book. Second, is the 1982 documentary La Operación directed by Ana María García, which explores the US-imposed mass sterilization of Puerto Rican women during the 1950s & 1960s. Both of these works were integral to my research. Unto Dogs is undeniably in tribute to them.
9. What adventures are you looking forward to, thinking about, or practicing now?
Looking forward to taking Unto Dogs on the road. Due to the lack of knowledge most people have about the connection between the history of reproductive medicine and Puerto Rico, I think it’s important for the information being laid out in this book to make its way around. Especially given everything our society is dealing with politically. Past Unto Dogs, I’m thinking about my hometown of South Lorain, Ohio and its history. How my family, along with so many other Puerto Rican families, came to call it home. I’ve written some poems about growing up there that I’m really excited about and I definitely want to see about turning them into a collection. I’m also really excited to be starting at CSU this fall. I’ll be working on my Bachelor’s in Creative Writing with a minor in Spanish, so I’m looking forward to seeing how my writing and practice changes and grows.
10. Who will you gift a copy of Unto Dogs to? Or where will you leave it for someone to find?
I would like to gift a copy of Unto Dogs to the South Lorain branch of the Lorain Public Library.