In this week’s episode, I’m joined by poet Maria Giesbrecht to talk about her debut collection, A Little Feral. The collection was written after leaving a conservative Mennonite upbringing, and her poems explore themes of faith, family, and personal resurrection.

Maria and I started the conversation with her background in corporate accounting and the catalysts to her being a full time poet, piecemealing her way into a freelance writing career with the support of her life partner. A Little Feral’s emotional arc captures the process of purging parts of her past, accepting that she might never feel whole, and that that is enough. This leads us into a discussion about the righteous anger of women during our current times, using that feral part of ourselves to move the needle for women’s rights.

We talk about Maria’s wr ...