Why ‘alltheginkgoleaves’?

‘Every morning the maple leaves’ is the opening line of Richard Siken’s ‘Litany in Which Certain Things Are Crossed Out’, a poem that has inspired me so much and for so long. Now, forget about that. When I was born, my mom’s aunt planted a ginkgo tree. My tree. Since I’ve moved to the UK, she sends me a yearly postcard for my birthday which always includes a ginkgo leaf. Sometimes I send one back, from one of the ginkgo trees a couple roads away from my house. Before I started this website, I wrote a poem. ‘i am the ginkgo / all the ginkgos leaves / have a piece of me, i love you, how have you been. / this is me reaching out / until my branches tangle in yours / tell me, what have i missed?’

Is Bird Singer-Sargent a pen name?

Yes. My birth name is quite hard to pronounce for English speakers and I’ve been going by Bird for the last four years. Figured I should have a name that reflects me more. This pen name is inspired by two characters, Bird Singer from Nicole Krauss’ The History of Love and Blue Sargent from Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle. The combination also salutes American painter John Singer-Sargent, whose life work has always influenced me.

Where are you from?

I was born in France, where I lived for eighteen years until moving to the UK for higher education. My mom is from the North and my dad from the South, but I consider myself Northern. I have found a new home in Cornwall in the last five years and I’m proud to advertise myself as a Cornwall-based writer.

Where can we find you online?

I have a professional Twitter account, @theginkgoleaves and I’m also present on Instagram and Tumblr, though, in a more personal way. All of those are linked in the website header at the top right, as well as my ko-fi where you can support me, if you like my work! I also have a professional email: elisepeyratpro@gmail.com

How did you get so wise and smart and interesting?

By being a weird kid, then a strange teen, then an eccentric adult — and also developing my brain in the esteemed halls of Falmouth University. Many thanks to all my professors during my BA and MA, and all the similar oddballs I’ve met there. You are all giants to me.