Embark on a journey rooted in the quest for selfhood alongside Victoria-based poet, Tracy Wai de Boer, with the release of their poetry book, Nostos.
As described, the title is taken from the Ancient Greek “nostos,” which translates to homecoming, and is one of the root words of nostalgia; and “algos,” meaning pain, making nostalgia a painful return home.
Using this as a guide and as inspiration, readers are taken through Wai de Boer’s homecoming, detailing the trials and tribulations that come with the formation of the self.
Nostos: The process
In an interview with Victoria Buzz, Wai de Boer shared their creative process in the making of this book, as well as how it reflects their growth as a writer over the years.
“I wrote in bits and pieces from 2019 to 2022, especially after my concussion in 2019 when writing longer work was quite difficult,” she said.
“Poems were shorter, more fluid, and less logical than other types of writing I was doing. I found writing poetry to be more reflective of what the inside of my brain felt like.”
When Nostos was starting to take shape, Wai de Boer was living in Toronto and missed the west coast, as this is where they completed their master’s degree.
Naturally with this yearning, ocean imagery found its way into their writing and dreams, and seemed to be amplified by the concussion.
“My dreams took on this ethereal and powerful quality as my brain didn’t seem to separate dreams and waking life as much as it had before,” she continued.
At the same time, their partner was completing his PhD in Classics, studying Latin and Ancient Greek. The two of them would often spend a lot of time discussing language and would deep dive into etymology.
During one of these talks (while also missing the ocean), the origin of “nostalgia” arose.
“Moreover, “nostos” as a concept refers to the hero’s journey home—like Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey. “Nostos” is not only about the hero’s long and arduous journey, but it’s also about their elevated status and sense of self upon their return,” she said.
“And I suppose that’s the period of my life this book reflects—not just coming home in a literal sense, but a spiritual one too.”
Wai de Boer sees this period of life as quite difficult, as she was grieving the passing of time, figuring out how to live with a partner/lover, while also trying to form their own adult and artistic identity.
These experiences are not only reflected in the content of their writing, but also in their style at the time, which she describes as formative, as now their writing style is more confident and much looser.
“When I look at Nostos, I see the me of several years ago, both in the style of writing as well as the themes I’m concerned with,” she continued.
“From Nostos, the poem, “Foremost You Are A Tongue,” is most reflective of my current poetic voice, which is equal parts sensual, surreal, humorous, and concerned with having a body.”
What’s next
Recently, Wai de Boer was shortlisted for the City of Victoria’s Poet Laureate, which is about both the poet’s work and their role in the community.
And although it was given to Kyren Rheger, Wai de Boer expressed nothing but excitement at this well-deserved honour.
According to Wai de Boer, Rheger has deep roots in the poetry community in Victoria, and is also the creative director of the long-running poetry series, Planet Earth Poetry at Russell Books.
“In line with her characteristic generosity, Kyren has asked me to be a poetry ambassador, alongside Zoe Dickinson and Nina Mosall. Together, we meet and talk about the Poet Laureate’s initiatives, support Kyeren in her work, and will be attending local events in a semi-official capacity.”
Nostos doesn’t have an official Victoria launch date yet, but Wai de Boer will be reading at Planet Earth Poetry’s “Queer Island Festival of the Arts” on Friday, June 6th.
If you find yourself out east, she’ll be featured in Palimpsest Press’s Spring 2025 launch on June 20th at Another Story Bookshop in Toronto.
She has a Nostos book launch at Books and Shenanigans planned this June, and is curating and hosting an immersive literary event for Open Space this summer—exact dates will be announced soon.
The Open Space literary event is titled “Revival: An Immersive Literary Event,” and is a night of poetry, spoken word, and performance.
The evening features Chelsea Rushton with Charlie Gates, Clare Sharpe, Jayne Walling with Lesley Marshall, and Marie Metaphor with The Soft Storm.
In terms of next poetry projects, she has a second book in progress that explores sex, demons, and caves.
Wai de Boer is an award-winning writer, interdisciplinary artist, and PhD candidate. Their chapbook, maybe, basically, was published with Anstruther Press in 2020 and was nominated for the bpNichol Award.
She has co-authored multiple books including Impact: Women Writing After Concussion, which won the Book Publishers of Alberta Best Non-Fiction Award and was named one of CBC’s Best Non-Fiction Books of the Year.
