Elle Penaflor
Today, I am happy to present to ILA readers my interview with Lisa L. Penaflor (Elle) from the Philippines. Elle recently was chosen as a best entry in an ILA poetry challenge.
Lisa L. Peňaflor is an English teacher who finished her master’s degree in English Education at Bicol University Graduate School, Philippines. She is also the current adviser of the school publication in her post where she discovers and trains high school students in campus journalism.
Her other works can be found at https://ellepoetry.wordpress.com and in Wattpad. She uses Elle in some social media accounts as an alternative name that represents her first name’s initial.
Hello, Elle and thank you for being here for us. We would love to know more about you and your writing and my questions are:
Carl: Are you a new poet or do you have a publication history?
Elle: I can say that I am not a new poet because my passion for writing started during our creative writing class in college. Since then, I have written poems, short stories and novels as a hobby. I upload some of my works at Wordpress and Wattpad but some of my cherished poems are still unpublished.
Carl: Where do your ideas for a poem or story come from?
Elle: My ideas come from experiences, people, current thoughts or from writing challenges. Writers sometimes just have this spur of the moment ideas and those are rare and beautiful that we would just want to keep them in the form of writing to preserve them. That is when I write poems or short stories.
Carl: As both a teacher and a writer what skills do you teach and incorporate in your own writing?
Elle: I think that would be creativity, critical thinking, and ability to edit one’s own work. Writing and teaching has to be enjoyed making the desired output more engaging.
Carl: Please tell the ILA readers who your favorite poet or writer is and why?
Elle: I have three favorite poets. Two of them are classic poets such as Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allan Poe, and a modern writer from New Zealand, Lang Leav. I admire their unique voices as they speak through the readers. The totality of their work, the use of metaphors and other figures of speech, and rhymes make me want to write poems in that kind of standard. They amaze me in the way they convey their message through their work. In some of their works, they use simple words that one might not need a dictionary just to get the idea or meaning of what they would like to say but the overall effect gives a great impact to the one reading it. The universality of their themes relates with all aspects beginning from oneself towards the society despite varied cultures.
Carl: What are your ultimate goals as a writer?
Elle: My ultimate goal is to grow more as a writer so that I could share them with people who will appreciate my work. I actually dream of compiling my poems in a book.
Carl: Please tell us Elle what you like best about ILA magazine and their webpage/blog?
Elle: ILA magazine is a very helpful place to develop one’s skill and creativity as a writer. The interaction towards its members/followers ensures that every work is given appreciation or recognition. The magazine’s generosity to contribute to the growth of writers deserve commendation. I am very thankful and honored that I found this page and became a member of the group through Carl Scharwath because I found inspiration and motivation to continue writing despite my busy schedule at work. Had I not found this page/group, my poetries and other works would have only been slumbering in the dust. This is a great start for me to believe that my works are worth reading. ILA magazine boosts my morale and confidence as a writer. Thank you very much!
Carl: I want to thank you for your time today, Elle and all of us want you to succeed. The ILA family and I would love to help you get your cherished poems published and are always here to help you.
Carl Scharwath, from the sunshine state of Florida, is the Art Editor of Minute Magazine and a Contributing Editor at ILA Magazine. His work has appeared globally, with 150+ journals, selecting his poetry, short stories, interviews, essays, art/photography, and most recently, plays. He is the author of four books.
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