Hi everyone! I’m thrilled to announce that I will be working as the Ventura County Poetry Projects intern for the next few months. I’m sure you will be seeing me around as I plan to be very involved during my internship, so I would like to introduce myself to all of you. My name is Gabrielle Costanzo. I’m twenty two years old, a junior at Channel Islands, and an English Major. I have two cats that I am obsessed with and if we ever meet over zoom you will probably spot them jumping on my desk and sitting on my laptop. Ever since I was little I always loved reading. My parents could vouch for that because I remember them getting frustrated with the amount of time I spent with my face shoved in a book and telling me “Stop reading! You’ve been at it for hours. Go out and play or watch some TV”, and if I got in trouble my punishment would be that I got my books taken away.
My love for reading grew as I got older, and it made me curious about writing. I could devour a novel in less than a day, but could I write well? So in high school I tried it, and I was definitely not the best writer, but it was fun so I kept going. Luckily I have improved a lot over the years, and I can confidently say that while I have a long way to go in terms of my writing skills, I’m not awful at it. Just like my love for reading grew, my love for writing grew as well. I think I will enjoy being part of the local literary community because the thought of reading your writing and listening to what you all have to say excites me, and the thought of you all reading my writing also excites me. I look forward to where this internship will take me and I look forward to meeting you all, even if it is just virtually.