Ennie Skurczak

I believe that the humanities teach creativity, critical thinking skills, raise cultural awareness and, most importantly, build empathy, which is a skill that we all need now more than ever.

Career questions with Ennie

What do you love most about your work, and what inspired you to pursue this career in the first place? 

I love each of my jobs for different reasons. As poetry editor, I love collaborating with other writers and witnessing the process of a poem developing into its final shape. I also really love seeing the variety in the work that gets sent in. Teaching at the college level, my favourite part has been catching the moment when something clicks within the students, and they begin not only understanding literary analysis but becoming excited by it.

As to what made me want to pursue a career in literature, I have been reading and writing furiously since I was in kindergarten, so I don't think I ever considered another option. 

Looking back, what skills have been the biggest gamechangers in your career? 

While my creative writing workshops definitely improved my writing, they also helped me learn both how to give and receive criticism earnestly and gracefully. While, yes, it might be nice to want to only hear nice things about your work, the most valuable comments I received were those in which I was told where I could improve.

Writing is often considered a solitary act, but my time studying creative writing really helped me realize the importance of collaboration. 

How did Concordia prepare you for your career? 

I think there has never been a more important time to study the humanities. Though the humanities can be ridiculed as impractical (I have often been asked why I needed to get two degrees in a language I already knew!), I believe that the humanities teach creativity, critical thinking skills, raise cultural awareness and, most importantly, build empathy, which is a skill that we all need now more than ever.

As we witness the heightening role that artificial intelligence has on society, the humanities remind us of the precise skills that not only differentiate us as humans, but make us human and cannot be replaced. 

What is a standout memory from your time at Concordia? 

Working closely with Dr. Gillian Sze on my master’s thesis, a poetry manuscript, was a phenomenal experience. Gillian was so generous and really helped me transform what was once just an idea into a finished project that I am now sending out to publishers.

With this, my workshops with writers such as Liz Howard, Sina Queyras, John Emil Vincent, and more really helped me realize that poetry was not only something I enjoyed doing in my free time, but a passion that I wanted to pursue. 

If you could give your younger self one powerful piece of advice, what would it be? 

As a child and teenager, I always felt close to my English teachers, particularly those whose passion for stories, poetry and literature overall was so palpable. I think my younger self would be happy to know that I am (hopefully!) this teacher for other students. 

What’s the most exciting shift happening in your industry right now? 

Montreal's anglo literary scene is more alive now than it has been in years. In any given week, there are often multiple literary events, from launches to readings to open mics, and it can be difficult to decide which to attend. There are many different voices in the literary scene right now and incredibly original literary magazines being developed with such distinct voices publishing really exciting work.

Feeling inspired? 

• Publish your work in journals or attend literary and scholarly events.
• Consider writing for Concordia’s student newspapers: The Link and The Concordian.
• Explore and contribute to student-run literary magazines and publications.
• Connect with Career Counselling & Education Transitions to plan your career path.