Inessa Sumarokova: “My poetry is a form of psychotherapy”

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Inessa, tell us about the origin of your pseudonym. Are you related to the legendary poet A.P. Sumarokov?

Alas, the great playwright was not my relative. I got the pseudonym from the noble family of Sumarokov-Elston. The Count had an extramarital affair with my maternal great-great-grandmother. Perhaps that is why my poetry is not without sin.

Tell me about your childhood. Did anyone in your family have a literary gift?

I grew up in a library, among dusty books. My mother taught Russian language and literature there, and I read everything. It was my mother who instilled in me a love of poetry. I remember how she taught me to recite poetry in the first grade. And grandfather, being a military man, sometimes wrote sparkling poems about politics.

At what age did you start writing poetry? Could you imagine yourself in another profession?

Pen trials began during puberty, when life seemed especially unfair. By the age of 14, all school notebooks were filled with sentimental lyrics. Poetry is not a profession, it is a vocation, the call of the soul. You can’t get away from it… I am a linguist by education, so I can’t imagine myself without a “pen and inkwell”.

Your book “69” was named the “Best Collection of Poetry 2021” by Megapolis Time magazine. During this time, many events have taken place in the world. How did they influence your creativity?

My poetry is outside of time and space, so social phenomena are not reflected in it. I live and create in my own world, where there are only images, sounds and heroes of my stories. I’m not looking for universal recognition. During the pandemic, I learned to express negative emotions in poetry and thus gained an inner foothold.

You are probably writing a new book. What is it about?

The new book is called Through the Looking Glass. I want to explore the human psyche even deeper and expose it to the limit in my poems. Each reader will find a reflection of their emotions and thoughts in this collection. I have a male co-author, but I will keep his name a secret for now.

Why is there so much mystical and gloomy in your videos?

So after all, this is the whole essence of Sumarokovshchina. Mysterious things happen all the time in my life. At night, incredible dreams are dreamed, which often come true. Plus, I’m being haunted by crazy people. It’s like I’m living in a dream, which I then describe in verse. This is exactly what happened with the verse “Full Moon”, based on which a video was recently shot.

When did you first find out about your bipolar disorder? What caused it and how do you deal with it?

It all started in 2014, when I was persecuted, interfered in my life at all levels. Someone was playing a cruel game with me. This man once texted: “Find me, and everything will stop.” I hired private detectives, but they didn’t find anyone. I stopped distinguishing reality from fiction … As a result – bipolar disorder. It is poetry that helps me cope with it. When it hits, I throw out emotions in verses and shoot reels. Basically, my poetry is a form of psychotherapy that releases disturbing thoughts and feelings.

Last year you tried yourself as a TV presenter, do you plan to further develop in this direction?

Recently I was offered to host a TV show about the technologies of the future. But I still haven’t decided if I need it or not. Waiting for clues from the Universe…

Can you call yourself a happy person? What is happiness for you?

Happiness is relative. Life is a cup full of laughter and tears. I drink this cup to the bottom and give thanks for everything it brings me.