Caroline Bergvall: An Interview

Largely focused on the critical use of language both archaic and contemporary, poet Caroline Bergvall’s work asks questions about cultural identity and feminism and explores challenging or unknown historical and political events. She works across multiple media practices including audio texts, plurilingual poetry, installation and Performance Writing.

In this dialogue with SAIC Associate Professor of Writing Mark Booth, Bergvall discusses her current practice with a focus on site specificity and particular hours of the day. She also discusses the link between language and identity and how her trilingualism is a response to her own identity as a lesbian. Bergvall examines how being exposed to prejudice can inform one’s understanding of why we treat others the way we do and how we can use this knowledge to create more sympathetic work.