Kay Alexander is originally from Trinidad and Tobago and currently lives in Manitoba. The author has spent most of her life caring for others. As a teenager, she volunteered in orphanages and worked in a Senior citizens’ home. Most of her adult life has been devoted to helping children, including youth in crisis, and counseling abused women.
Cendrine Marrouat: Hello Kay, thank you for stopping by. First of all, tell us a little more about you.
Kay Alexander: I am a mother of two and I have been married for almost 10 years. I have been working in the social services field for over 17 years. My greatest desire is to earn a living doing what I am passionate about and that is helping others.
CM: In your first book, titled "Voices of the Forgotten," you tell the stories of real people who have experienced abuse and violence. Is there a particular event that triggered your desire to focus on such a topic?
KA: There was no event per se. I had just seen, heard and experienced a lot and I always felt that while there were always opinions and judgments given about victims and their circumstances, they never really are given a platform to speak for themselves. They are often pitied, judged and dismissed but never do they really have a voice. I wanted to give them a voice; a means of expressing life from their perspective in the hopes of fostering a better level of understanding.
CM: Why did you choose poetry?
KA: I love poetry as a form of expression. As a medium, it allows the complete freedom to express thoughts and feelings without restraint. I also love the fact that one poem could have several different meanings to different people. Sometimes examining a poem is like peeling back layers and discovering something new under each layer.
CM: How long did it take you to write the book?
KA: It took eight months from beginning to end.
CM: Would you share a short extract?
KA:
Victorious
I will not allow
The painful experiences of this life
To make me ugly
They will not weaken me
Or make me afraid
If they cause me to stumble
I will not fall
But if ever I fall, I will rise again…
CM: How have readers reacted to "Voices of the Forgotten" so far?
KA: The response has been a pleasant surprise. Most people felt like the book had a positive and strong impact on them and some confessed that they saw themselves in the poems. Others have said that there needs to be more open and honest discussion about the topics I have addressed in the book to remove the stigma and shame attached to victims. Overall, the response has been positive and supportive.
CM: What would you like to achieve through your book?
KA: I would like to create awareness of what some people have to endure and to motivate people to start asking questions, especially about the childcare system. I believe we have become complacent and that there is no real accountability. I think we, the public, have to ask questions and demand accountability. Millions are spent but who monitors the results? Too often, I have seen the system fail the very people it is designed to protect. Moreover, at the end of the day, it affects us all.
CM: What are some words/quotes you live by?
KA: I love the quote: “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”
And of course the one at the back of my book by St. Augustine: “Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are and the courage to see that they do not remain the way that they are.”
I live my life with the desire to make a difference whether or not it is convenient to do so.
CM: Where do you see yourself in five years?
KA: Hopefully still writing and standing up for those who cannot fight for themselves.
CM: Where can people find more information about your work?
KA: On my Website.
CM: Any last words?
KA: Yes, let’s start asking questions and remember, nobody wants to be a victim; pity and judgment are simply destructive.
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Cendrine Marrouat is a freelance writer/reviewer, blogger, published author and translator living in Canada. Official Website: http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com
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