In this episode of the On Creative Writing podcast, guest Marco Melfi discusses his debut poetry collection, Routine Maintenance, published by Gaspereau Press (2025) with guest host Alice Major. Marco is a graduate of Simon Fraser University’s The Writer’s Studio. His poems have appeared in The Antigonish Review, The New Quarterly, Prairie Fire, The Arc Award of Awesomeness, Funicular, FreeFall and The Prairie Journal. His chapbook, In between trains, was published in 2014. He lives in Edmonton on Treaty 6 Territory, and works as a planner.

Alice is is an award-winning poet and essayist based in Edmonton, Canada. She has published twelve collections of poetry, two novels for young adults, and an award-winning collection of essays about poetry and science. Her most recent collection of poetry is Knife on Snow, (Turnstone Press, 2024). In August, 2026, a new collection of essays and poetry titled Triangularity will be published by the University of Alberta Press.In this episode, Marco and Alice explore the intersections between everyday experience and poetic expression. Marco shares some poems from Routine Maintenance, each delving into themes of daily life, family relationships, and urban landscapes.

Routine Maintenance captures the subtle beauty and quiet moments of ordinary routines. The poems study the rhythms of home and city life, memories of time with loved ones, and the ways in which memory shapes our understanding of the present. His poetry is marked by vivid imagery and a keen attention to the sounds and forms of language, inviting listeners to find meaning in the familiar.

Marco discusses his creative process, revealing how his work as an urban planner informs his writing. He explains how his professional experience offers a unique perspective on the built environment, inspiring poems that engage with the physical landscapes of the city. Marco and Alice talk about the importance of place in poetry, considering how streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces can serve as both setting and subject, grounding abstract emotions in concrete detail.

They touche on the significance of poetic form and sound. Marco describes his approach to crafting poems, emphasizing the role of rhythm, line breaks, and repetition in shaping the reader’s experience. He shares insights into how the musicality of language can elevate everyday moments into something artful and resonant.

Alice and Marco reflect on the transformative power of poetry, exploring how writing can help us see the world anew. They consider how poems can draw attention to overlooked details, celebrate the mundane, and offer solace or insight during challenging times. Marco speaks candidly about the joys and challenges of writing about family, memory, and routine, and how poetry allows him to honour the small but significant moments that make up a life.

Marco’s work demonstrates that inspiration can be found in the most routine aspects of daily existence, from morning commutes to broken furnaces, car maintenance, and evening walks in the neighbourhood. This episode highlights the value of paying attention, of slowing down to notice the textures and patterns that shape our days.

Marco and Alice help us see how writing can help us connect more deeply with the routine, our communities, and the places we call home.

Find Marco Melfi online at Instagram.

Find Alice Major at her website and on Instagram.

Buy Routine Maintenance from Gaspereau Press or your local bookstore.