Today we’d like to introduce you to Sergiy Pustogarov.
Hi Sergiy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started writing poetry during highschool as a reaction to what was going on around me in life, and as a manner of escapism and healing. I continued to amass collections of poetry hidden within my bedroom and have continued to write through all of life since that time, with each new collection chronicling a different section of being and humanity. When I left my childhood home and entered adulting, I continued writing. During my freshman year of my undergraduate degree I looked back at my current collection of poetry of greater than 1000 poems and wondered what to do with them. I had no idea how to join professional publishing so I decided to self publish my first collection. This first collection was a major learning curve, including how to formulate the order of a collection, as well as just how to market myself. I continue to learn each and every day. Throughout the next five years I continued to self publish collections though much smaller than the original 500+ poem collection. I have self published the collections “Back through the waters: a journey of discovery”, “The Rising: Finding my Voice”, “broken taillights”, “with love: they/them”, and “love notes to a deadbeat parent”. All of these collections discuss my healing, intricately entwined within the journey of my life. They also uncover my queer identity and coming to terms with this existence. During my time in graduate school I wanted to pursue options to take this art style further. I decide to begin submitting individual poems to journals and such for publication. As common with poetry, this included alot more rejections than acceptances. Though through meticulous and perservative work, I have received many acceptances. Very slowly I have started to make a foothold in this. Earlier this year I landed my first professional publishing contract and My Papers Were Never Here will be coming out with Quillkeepers Press in fall of 2026. As someone with a background of an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and a graduate degree in doctor of medicine, learning to write has been a completely different wheelhouse and learning curve.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
All of my work is deeply rooted within a traumatic and abusive past. I do not write happy poems or works as a general rule. I write poems that deeply call up the issues within families, society, and government. I also had no idea how to pursue this goal at the beginning. My first collection is riddled with typos, it has no page numbers, and many other issues. I think especially without an MFA, it is hard to gain ground in a world run by prestige and connections. But as time goes, I continue to read other poets and have gained amazing mentors who have continued to pour into me and help me perfect my craft. I still have a long way to go but am grateful for the progress I have made.
As a queer person living in South Carolina, it can be difficult finding yourself, your voice, and your belonging. I have been privileged with amazing people around me, both in the arts and outside of them. But it can still be difficult when trying to share works within the public eye. I am grateful that my poetry is one aspect that I can be fully free and expose all through my writing. It is weird at the end of the day sometimes knowing that random strangers can be reading my life expression and all my interpretations of existing, but I also find it immensely freeing and joyful. I hope to provide joy and hope for people looking to queer writers up and coming, just as others have done for me. I take each day as a new adventure to share my work.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize within modern poetry. I am most proud of being able to write about trauma and healing all in one line, pulling connections from others and my own life. I enjoy experimental design within modern poetry, constantly playing with forms to fully enunciate an idea.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Finding time alone with my animals gives me joy, as growing up I had few times of peace and love. So I have made a world in my own home that is full of peace and joy. I enjoy curling up with a book that teaches me, with animals that love me unconditionally. Being able to then write about it helps me learn that this world is not quite as harsh as I once thought it to be. This entire environment helps me feel at home finally and joyful to share my work with the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.watersidepoems.com
- Instagram: waterside poems
- Facebook: Waterside Poems
