The Wonder in Ordinary Things: A Conversation with Maia von Maltzahn

In her poetry, Maia von Maltzahn lingers over the quiet details of daily life. Her work embraces tenderness, paradox, and curiosity, finding meaning in moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed. In this conversation, Maia reflects on poetic influence, creative process, the sensory landscapes that shape her writing, and the ways art teaches us to pay closer attention to ourselves and the world around us.

Q: How would you describe your poetic voice right now, and what experiences have shaped it most recently?

A: I’ve enjoyed exploring different forms and structures in poetry in recent months. I find this has helped me enter spaces I might not have previously imagined exploring. I am routinely drawn to observations of daily moments or small rituals. I often find myself writing about motherhood or nature, but it’s been a fun surprise to find myself writing some poems with more romantic themes. Those poems usually reflect moments of tenderness that, before I became more intentional about my writing, would have passed unobserved.

Q: What draws you to a particular moment or idea and makes you feel that it needs to become a poem?

A: I think the feeling of wonder is a common thread in the moments when I think, this needs to become a poem. Sometimes, the wonder is sparked by a comment one of my daughters makes. Children can be so poetic in their observations about the world. Other times, it’s an ordinary moment that leaves me with a sense of awe. For example, there were seven robins in my backyard all at once a few months ago after a fresh snowstorm, and as I watched this quiet moment unfolding in the yard, I knew I wanted to write about it. I’ve also found this can happen when I am sitting with a more difficult feeling, and became curious about the feeling—where and how it is being experienced in my body—and then writing about that can be very cathartic.

Q: Can you walk us through your writing process from the first spark of inspiration to a finished piece?

A: I keep a lot of notes on my phone. If I hear a phrase that has a special resonance, or observe something that generates a creative spark, I try to make a quick note and then return to it when I sit down to write, which is typically in the evening. Sometimes, if the poem doesn’t work out right away, I notice that I will mull over it for days or weeks, until the pieces fit together. It’s always exciting if a poem comes together in a single sitting, but that doesn’t always happen, so revisiting the idea and the details associated with it is often a helpful process.

Q: Are there particular themes or questions that you find yourself returning to, even unintentionally?

A: I return to writing about motherhood often. It has been a transformative experience. When my second daughter was born, I committed to reading while I was nursing her, rather than spending time on my phone. It felt like reconnecting with an old part of myself that I’d neglected when I began reading regularly again. Similarly, when I write about themes related to motherhood, I find that I revisit, or sometimes even discover, parts of myself that I want to nurture more: playfulness, appreciation for the “little things,” wonder, and awe.

Q: How does place—whether physical, cultural, or emotional—shape the way you write and the stories you tell?

A: I grew up on the East Coast of Canada. I have spent time living on the Canadian prairies and in Toronto as well, but returning to the Atlantic coast felt like a homecoming when I moved back. Being near the ocean has always felt like a way to emotionally recalibrate; it is also a very rich sensory experience. I think this has helped me attune my senses, which is helpful when writing.

Q: What role do other writers, texts, or artistic influences play in shaping your poetry?

A: The poems of Elizabeth Bishop and Mary Oliver were important influences when I first started writing poems. Recently, I’ve also been reading Marie Howe, and I think about her poem What the Living Do on a regular basis. I think the common thread among these poets is their ability to skillfully observe daily moments and connect readers with the universal emotions we experience in the ordinary facets of life. Their writing is beautiful but never saccharine. There is also space for death and loss in their poems, but again, the writing is never maudlin. As a result, I think they all capture emotional paradoxes so masterfully. I find myself drawn to paradox in my own writing as well. It’s tricky to capture, but I think that’s what makes writing both challenging and rewarding at the same time.

Q: How do you think about the audience when you’re writing? Are you writing toward someone, or discovering meaning for yourself first?

A: When I am writing, it typically begins as a discovery of meaning for myself. I start writing with an internal invitation to explore a feeling or experience first and foremost. That said, one of my writing mentors coached me to seek out specifics when writing, and I think this is a helpful strategy to create a connection that becomes more universally recognizable. I also read my poems aloud when I am revising, and the auditory experience of the poem is part of how I craft it, though I don’t have a specific listening audience in mind.  

Q: Why are art and its history important?

A: The details in art have always held relevance for me. Spending time with art is a way to hone our skills of observation, which are so important to cultivate. It nurtures awareness of ourselves, of others, of our environment, and of our histories. I think our current experiences are often in conversation with our past, both individually and collectively, and art is a vehicle through which that conversation is enriched.

Through reflections on motherhood, memory, place, and emotional discovery, Maia von Maltzahn’s work reminds us that poetry often begins with attention. Her writing invites readers to slow down, observe more carefully, and remain open to wonder—even within the ordinary.

How to keep up with Maia: 

Instagram: @maiaelizabethwrites

BIO: Maia von Maltzahn (she/her) is a physician and writer based in Nova Scotia, Canada. Her writing is informed by daily observation, which is integral to both her creative and professional life. Her work has been featured or is forthcoming in the International Journal of Whole Person Care, read on the One Poem Only podcast, in FLARE magazine, Orangepeel Literary Magazine, and in upcoming anthologies "An Apple a Day," and “The Museum of Human Hearts.” She is happiest ankle-deep in the North Atlantic, ideally with her two wildlings and Labrador retriever at her side.