Today we’d like to introduce you to Albina Pozdnyakova.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born in Lviv, Ukraine. I was writing since childhood: poems, short stories, diaries. I was running several magazines while I was a student, and later I’ve got my little publishing project. But in 2014 we moved to US, which was a terribly hard decision for me. And I’ve lost my ability to write for several years. New language, lack of my people around, and having kids – those were the reason which disconnected me from myself. And it took me several years and few moves to different cities, to find some poems inside of my head again. And to learn from the scratch, how to feel again, how to be someone more than a housewife and a mom and how build my community. First, I was working with moms and kids: teaching Ukrainian and helping people not to lose their culture while they are far away from homes. That’s how I’ve started artarea Ukrainian School. After moving to Austin Area in Texas, I also started another project: we’ve bought a house which I decorated in Ukrainian style and made it a special space for Ukrainian events. It’s a short-term rental with a special embroided pillows, ethnic pattern on carpets and art of Ukrainian authors on the walls. It calls Sunflower Ranch. And there we do little concerts, holiday celebrations, social gatherings, karaoke, and poetry open mics. And my newest project is our literary and art magazine Salt/Sugar – a space to write about Ukrainian culture in USA and Canada, and to build bridges in between the countries, communities and separate artists and writers. I am supe r excited to see how this our little child would grow.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are always struggles around the way. For me it was a fear of not knowing language well enough. So I was trying to improve my English, do more social activities, read more. Reading and book clubs gave me more confidance. Also open mics and writing groups in Austin Area and literary events gave me an opportunity to see what people around me are writing and gave me a change to be seen and heared when I’ve started translating my poems into English.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I write poetry and translate other people’s texts. I used to work with Ukrainian, Polish, Russian, Belorussian, and English.
I am an author of two poetry collections, Gravity (2012) and Treats (2013), and the translator of the novel The Waves by Virginia Woolf into Ukrainian. For over a decade, she authored the Lost in Translation column for SHO magazine. Now I am an editor-in-chief of the magazine Salt/Sugar.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Got an unpublished poem or manuscript or a critique that cuts deep?
Looking to place an ad that celebrates the Ukrainian spirit?
Working in the arts and hungry for a collaboration?
Don’t hold back. Get in touch. Let’s cook something together. Our email is: sil.tsukor@gmail.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/salt_sugar_magazine
FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572147285570
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artarea.page/ – artarea school and publishing project
Ukrainian Rental – https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/942765077604570288 - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunflower_ranch_atx/ – Ukrainian Rental.
https://www.instagram.com/albina_pozdnyakova/ – my private account - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560753744972 – Ukrainian Rental
https://www.facebook.com/tryagaine – my private account
