Issue 8 Writer Spotlight | Divya Benezette

C+B: Tell us about yourself, Divya!

DB: Currently, I am a full-time graduate student at Towson University studying professional writing with a creative writing track. This past May, I completed my Bachelor's degree in English, also at Towson University. In my spare time, unsurprisingly I love to read and write. I read from a plethora of genres but my favorites are memoirs, fantasy, and literary fiction. When it comes to writing I, of course, love poetry but I also find so much joy in literary analysis and creative non-fiction. I also love to spend time outside and am so blessed to live in a wooded area where I see so many deer, foxes, raccoons, bunnies, birds etc. every day. Growing up around wildlife and having cats since I was four has definitely played a part in me becoming a creative, and my love for animals/nature shows in my poetry quite often. I also love fashion and often find that dressing up can be a form of empowerment. When I choose to dress up in hyperfeminine aesthetics and/or my ethnic wear in academic spaces I acknowledge that others might perceive me as lesser, but also that it is none of my business what people think of me. What matters is that I am dressing up in the way I dreamed of when I was a little girl all while accomplishing her dreams of being a writer, and I am doing it with excellence. The little girl in me would also be happy to know I am still a huge swiftie -after all, she is who inspired me to start writing in the first place. In regards to my ethnic wear - in the past year, I've made the decision to stop saving my Indian clothes for church or special occasions and to wear them to class, to go shopping, to see my friends, really anywhere and I am beyond happy that I did. I feel the most beautiful them and they make me feel like myself more than anything, so I have stop worrying about whether or not that makes people around me uncomfortable. It's more than just pretty outfits to me, it's my culture and it took me a long time to be okay with celebrating that even in small ways. Prior to submitting my poem "Fungus Gnats" to Bardics Anonymous, I had changed one line talking about my dream outfit to say "blush lehenga" instead of "blush ballgown" and it means so much to me that I chose my true voice over something palatable, even if it's just one line, in what became my first publication.

C+B: How do you define the word "art?"

DB: To me, art is any form of creative expression. It also must come from a place of passion, love, and good intentions. That's mostly all there is to it, art can be created by anyone of any background the only difference is opportunities and recognition.

C+B: Describe a time when you experienced a creative breakthrough, a change in process, or a realization about your work.

DB: I noticed a huge change in my creative process recently as I have gone back and revised poems I wrote in high school as a graduate student. I write much better than I did when I was younger because I have become much more well-read and improving as an academic has helped me sharpen my creative skills, too. I write like myself now, too, instead of catering to an audience and it has paid off. I find myself writing with a huge sense of joy that I didn't always have when I was younger that has come with immersing myself in my faith, my work, my hobbies, and surrounding myself with better friends. The difference between my original pieces and my revisions is astonishing.

Find and support Divya here:

IG: @whatsdivyareading
Website: chillsubs.com/users/divyabenezette

Divya Benezette

My ideal creative workspace: My mind immediately goes to forests and gardens. One space in particular is the Lalbagh Gardens in Bangalore - my family and I visited on our last, nearly annual trip to India in 2019 and it was one of the most memorable experiences for me in all our years of visiting. I've since learned there's a weekly book club hosted there and it seems like a great space to write in peace for a little while.

If I could have coffee with any creator (past or present) it would be: I would have tea, but I absolutely want to have a little cafe date with Taylor Swift. I have been a huge fan since I was a kid and it would be so fun just to chat over warm drinks and I would love to ask her about her creative process. The few poems she has published are absolutely incredible and, to me, so many of her songs are just poetry put to music.

My creative legacy: I hope my work is remembered for its feminism and roots in nature. I hope that people feel captivated by a catalog of work that is both demanding and gentle, a reminder that the hyperfeminine is a symbol of intelligence and strength rather than naivety. And I hope that my work will have encouraged people to be kind to the earth and its animals.