September Issue - On Writing

INK DRIFT MAGAZINE
Oksana Marafioti
An Interview
We have interviewed
one of the most respected
American
writer of Romani-Armenian
descent Ms.
Oksana Marafioti.
Nikita D’Monte: Hi
Oksana, let me begin
by telling you what a
great honor it is for us
to be able to interview you today. So let’s begin
with a short introduction. Please tell our readers
a little about yourself.
Oksana Marafioti: I’m an American writer of
Romani-Armenian descent. I was born in Latvia,
and immigrated to US in the 1980s. I write
and speak extensively on cultural diversity and
the importance of preserving our heritage. My
writings have appeared in Time, Slate, Rumpus,
and other publications, and I’m a recipient of
the BMI-Library of Congress Kluge Center
fellowship award.
Nikita D’Monte: You are a pianist, a cinematographer,
a writer, how do you manage so many
roles altogether?
Oksana Marafioti: Probably because I love everything
I do. It’s not that difficult to stay engaged,
when you pursue your passions. I’m also
a mother, and that particular role has taught
me to multitask better than anything else ever
could. Presently, my primary focus is writing.
However, I still play piano regularly and try to
stay involved in the local film community.
Nikita D’Monte: What caused your shift to
writing?
Oksana Marafioti: Although
I’ve worked in
various industries, writing
has been my passion
since the age of
six. When I moved to
America, I didn’t speak
English, and so I figured
becoming a writer
was out of the question.
But that didn’t stop me
from working on it. I devoured books, and wrote
thousands of pages until things began to improve,
until I grew more comfortable with English. Life
kind of took over, and I found myself focusing on
other careers, but eventually, it became clear that
writing was my one true calling, and so I returned
to it.
Nikita D’Monte: Do you agree that writing is
always necessarily drawing from the personal life
of the author?
Oksana Marafioti: To an extent. It’s natural to
base some of the material on one’s own experiences,
but this is something all of us do even if
we’re not writers, don’t we? We constantly interpret
the world around us through the lens of what
came before in our lives. A writer has an opportunity
to interpret or even rewrite those experiences,
maybe reinventing oneself in the process. But
imagination, of course, is an essential component.
It adds the seasoning necessary to create something
original and fascinating.
Nikita D’Monte: Please tell us about your
first writing venture (“The Perpetual Engine of
Hope”).
www.inkdrift.com
PAGE 14