Behind Closed Doors with Claudia Acevedo-Quiñones
Claudia Acevedo-Quiñones is a writer based in Brooklyn who will be reading prose and sharing her story in our upcoming Keepsake show, From Story to Song. Tickets are FREE; RSVP now! In this interview, Claudia chats with Jay and Hailey about her upcoming books, writing during the pandemic, and seeing herself in a garden vegetable.
In this semi-weekly blog series, we post in-depth interviews that take you behind closed doors (or #BCD) with independent artists, many of whom have performed or will perform in a Keepsake show.
Jay & Hailey:
How did creative writing "begin" for you?
Claudia:
My uncle is a poet. He’d lend me books on visits, or “edit” little things I wrote mainly to have a reason to hang out with him. I was raised as an only child and spent most of my time with my grandparents, so reading and writing were good companions.
“Whether it’s through fiction, poetry, or memoir, my writing is aimed at looking for home, finding a way to go back to the beginning or root of myself [and the] people I think I belong to.”
Jay & Hailey:
How would you describe your art to somebody in three sentences or less?
Claudia:
Whether it’s through fiction, poetry, or memoir, my writing is aimed at looking for home, finding a way to go back to the beginning or root of myself [and the] people I think I belong to. This is why etymology, myths, the dreamworld, and oral histories are important to the work I do, which often leans towards the hybrid.
Jay & Hailey:
What is the thing you are most known for? What would you like to be most known for?
Claudia:
My most known work is grounded in family. I think I mainly just want to be known; not in the famous way, but in the way that one is known when one is wholly seen.
Jay & Hailey:
You're performing in our upcoming show, From Story to Song, which is a special show for us because of its storytelling and paired artist aspects. What has it been like working with your partnered Songwriter so far and what can you tease about the story you'll be sharing at the show?
Claudia:
My paired Songwriter was really open and warm, and this is probably why I think I shared so much with a complete stranger! At first I felt very vulnerable due to the subject matter of both of the stories I was considering. But just by actively listening, the Songwriter helped me settle into the [story] that ultimately seemed most relevant and compelling, and shared some of her own experiences with family cycles and the generational trauma they perpetuate. In my piece I hide behind metaphor (specifically, fruits and vegetables!) to get into some of the ideas, expectations, [and] prejudices I’ve inherited as someone with a uterus.
Claudia will perform in the upcoming Keepsake House show, From Story to Song, at The Clemente in the Lower East Side on Saturday, October 30. Tickets are FREE; RSVP now!
Jay & Hailey:
You mentioned you felt vulnerable during this process. This show, and art making in general, require a certain amount of vulnerability. In life and/or work, how do you balance being vulnerable and protecting yourself?
Claudia:
I’ve always struggled with showing people too much too soon, and writing helps me slow down, structure the mess, and make it digestible. Part of that structuring for me involves something as simple as omitting or changing names, or reimagining scenarios entirely. In the case of this show, for example, I turn myself into a garden vegetable. And now I’ve given that away.
Jay & Hailey:
How do you approach the craft of storytelling? How did you choose what story to share and how to share it?
Claudia:
This piece is one of my most recent ones. Probably catalyzed by all the time spent alone, thinking more about being with this body that is expected by doctors and random people to give birth and pleasure. I think the former is such a constant in the lives of people with uteruses that turning something like a sonogram rendering “bad news” into a fable, or a retelling that is simple although indirect, imbues it with humor and a sort of sweetness.
Jay & Hailey:
Can you share one important thing you've learned about yourself and/or your creative process through your art?
Claudia:
“I write for the same reason I read and fall in love and make friends. I want to see the world through other people’s eyes. I want other people to notice what I notice and vice versa.”
I write for the same reason I read and fall in love and make friends. I want to see the world through other people’s eyes. I want other people to notice what I notice and vice versa. I want to build connection in this way, whether it’s by shared perspectives and commonalities or by inviting contrasts.
Jay & Hailey:
How did the pandemic affect you and/or your art?
Claudia:
The pandemic affected me psychologically in the way that it affected countless others, but it also solidified my friendships and desire to live less afraid of pursuing joy. My writing (when the pandemic hit I was working on a collection of poems about saints and virgins) was stalled and is slowly becoming a priority again. I’m still trying to figure out what the role of my poetry is in this moment in time.
Jay & Hailey:
Other than the Keepsake show, what projects are you working on right now and do you have anything coming up that you'd like to promote? What are the best ways our audiences can support you and your work?
Claudia:
In November I have a chapbook out with dancing girl press, and in late 2023, Rose Metal Press is publishing my book, The Hurricane Book. You can support me by buying from small presses and telling all your friends about it.
Jay & Hailey:
At Keepsake House, we talk a lot about the magic in live shows and the communities they help create, almost like every live performance is itself a keepsake that you cherish from a whole house of life experiences. Tell us about your most memorable or fulfilling live performance, the one you would grab first in a fire.
Claudia:
I am fairly new to performance. In fact, I only really started doing readings more regularly during the pandemic. The most memorable was for the Write America series, just because somehow I ended up reading the week after or before Natalie Diaz, which was wild to me. We’re all just people trying to write poems during the apocalypse, even if there are artists you also consider superheroes.
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