1 - How did your first book change
your life? How does your most recent work compare to your previous? How does it
feel different?
My first
book kind of made me feel like a real writer. I suffer from sometimes crippling
impostor syndrome. Despite my publication history, the workshops and conferences
I’ve attended or presented at, or other accomplishments, I always felt as if I
was getting lapped in some ways. It’s very much an internal thing, but I think
it is important to acknowledge those feelings. When my manuscript was selected
for publication, I was very excited, but also very overwhelmed and afraid.
While I was happy to have my work out into the world, there was fear that now I
was sharing parts of myself that really never had an audience. And of course,
there was fear no one would read it at all.
However, the biggest change I saw to
my life was learning just how supportive and wide-reaching my network could be.
I was absolutely humbled by my friends and family who not only bought the book,
but threw a book release party and shouted my name and promoted me. It was the
first time I felt like I had a community of people who supported my writing
loudly and proudly in both actions and words. The extension of that is learning
how my voice matters and that through my writing I can move people. I can give
them a voice as well. I always downplayed the importance, or necessity, of what
I had to say and that first book let me know that there are people who care and
need those words.
My forthcoming book, The
Incredible Shrinking Woman, is a bit scarier because it’s an essay
collection. It’s much more of me on the page and in much plainer language. Some
of the essays cover topics I’ve never shared before. I’m writing about
depression, sexual assault, infidelity, and suicide, but there’s also joy and
triumph. The fear is changing the view of the people who know me because of
these revelations. This second book, however, feels more comfortable in some
ways. I’m not really hiding. There is a relief in not having to hold up the
masks I used to write behind.
2 - How did you come to poetry first,
as opposed to, say, fiction or non-fiction?
I kind of
came to poetry second. When I was a child, I wrote quite a bit of what I now
know is fan fiction. I was very interested in building worlds and characters,
but when I started the seventh or eighth grade, I made a switch to poetry.
During one nine-week grading period, I had a student teacher who introduced our
class to poetry. I started writing pieces and getting very encouraging
feedback. It was the first time I felt like my words had power and people could
engage with them. After that grading period, I kind of put my fiction to the
side and started writing poetry exclusively. I wrote poetry between junior high
and graduate school and eventually earned an MFA in Creative Writing.
I came
back to prose by necessity. I was going through a very bad breakup and divorce
and poetry wasn’t giving me the space to say what I needed to get off my chest.
I started writing personal essays as a coping mechanism and just like the
student teacher someone took a chance on publishing a few of them. My creative
focus then changed. I think writing prose has forced me to be more honest in my
work. I’m not sure why, but at times I felt as if my poetry was a performance
and I was writing what was expected of me. With prose, I feel as if I am
engaging in a way that let’s me free myself, but also allows me to connect with
readers with similar experiences.
3 - How long does it take to start
any particular writing project? Does your writing initially come quickly, or is
it a slow process? Do first drafts appear looking close to their final shape,
or does your work come out of copious notes?
My
writing process can greatly vary. I’ve written and submitted an essay in one
shot on a plane and it was published less than three months later. I’ve also
spent over two years working on an essay that has yet to see the light of day.
It really is dependent on how engaged I am with the subject. There are things I
truly want to write and those tend to flow pretty well. Then there are those subjects I feel I should
be writing. Those tend to take the most time because I am not sure of my
footing within them.
As for
drafts, I edit as I write, which can make my writing process a bit slow. I
audio edit quite a bit, meaning I read aloud as I finish lines, paragraphs,
scenes, and whole pieces. I do this to make sure the words I’m choosing flow in
the manner I am trying to craft. It also helps me see if I have proper entry
and exit in a piece as well as see my connecting threads. I rarely use notes to
keep track of my writing. I may have words or phrases that serve as a core of
the work, but I don’t necessarily keep notes or outlines.
4 - Where does a poem or work of
prose usually begin for you? Are you an author of short pieces that end up
combining into a larger project, or are you working on a "book" from
the very beginning?
I’m very
much a writer who concentrates on the smaller pieces before any book concept.
My first book was a combination of pieces from my graduate thesis and
individual works I wrote over the following decade. The same can be said of my
forthcoming book. The essays were individual pieces that fit together after
they were done. I didn’t write anything specifically for the book. It just so
happened that I was telling a story that fit together when the pieces were
combined. My goal is always to have my work stand alone, but I’ve found I
generally leave breadcrumbs in other pieces.
5 - Are public readings part of or
counter to your creative process? Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing
readings?
My
first real exposure to other writers in my adult life was through open mics. I
performed at those events for a few years before I ever started seriously
submitting work for publication. I’ve always found the energy of public
readings to be a rush and I think they are very important in bringing your work
to life for your readers. You can express how the words sound in your head and
that can bring readers to you more closely not only by the actual text, but
also with personal stories and engagement. I get very nervous for readings, but
I do really enjoy them.
6 - Do you have any theoretical
concerns behind your writing? What kinds of questions are you trying to answer
with your work? What do you even think the current questions are?
The
biggest concern in my writing is giving voice to people who may feel invisible
or on the fringes. I don’t necessarily write towards any larger social,
political, or religious topics, however. I think it is my goal as a writer to
connect with others who are building themselves or learning to be open. I’ve
likened myself to background music before, always around but not the focal
point. I write to make sure experiences such as those are given their just due.
However, I am moving towards writing that is about preserving family history,
specifically rural, black, Midwestern life.
7 – What do you see the current role
of the writer being in larger culture? Does s/he even have one? What do you
think the role of the writer should be?
I think
writers have a responsibility to look outside of our creative circles and
communities to engage with readers in ways that are more than surface level. I
think that sometimes we get caught up in the idea of brand and audience and
marketing so much so that we lose the humanness. I think we have a duty of
being in conversation with more than just other artists. The role of a writer,
for me at least, is to find a way to use your voice to connect. It’s also to
preserve stories and cultures for yourself and those who may not have the voice
or means to do so.
8 - Do you find the process of
working with an outside editor difficult or essential (or both)?
I don’t
find it necessarily difficult, but it is not something I do often. Most of my
work has been individual pieces and I rarely pitch. Those times I’ve work with
an editor have been pretty good. They’ve helped me see issues in the work that
need improvement, but they’ve also bolstered my confidence as well. Dependent
on the project, an editor is an essential tool. I wouldn’t hesitate to work
with one again.
9 - What is the best piece of advice
you've heard (not necessarily given to you directly)?
The best
piece of advice I’ve received in the last few years was to make sure I am
inputting as well as outputting. I found myself being burned out and not having
the inspiration or desire to write. A friend told me that as a creative you can’t
create from nothing. There has to be something that replenishes you. Since I’ve
taken that advice, I’ve seen a marked change. I understand that not writing
doesn’t mean I’m not creating. It simply means that it’s changed form. Those
things I’m inputting are stirring something within me and when I do return to
the page, I have sustenance to put into the work.
10 - How easy has it been for you to
move between genres (poetry to essays)? What do you see as the appeal?
The
transition from poetry to essays wasn’t that hard for me. I think that’s
because I started writing them as a coping mechanism and wasn’t writing them
for publication at all. I eventually started to submit them, but at the onset
that was not on my radar. I think because I wasn’t writing for anyone else, I
was able to experiment and get comfortable in ways that would not have been
possible had I approached essays as I did my poetry. Poetry, in a lot of ways,
was a different coping mechanism. A college friend of mine encouraged me to
perform in open mics as a way to get over my fears. So, sharing my poetry
became a performance versus something more internal like my essays.
However, I haven’t really written
poetry in a few years and I feel like it will be difficult for me to transition
back into that genre.
11 - What kind of writing routine do
you tend to keep, or do you even have one? How does a typical day (for you)
begin?
I have a
full-time day job so most mornings I am up by six and at my office by seven.
Because of that, all of my writing happens after work or on the weekends. I try
to write during the day by opening a Word document and e-mailing myself before
I leave the office, but on most days that only yields at best a few paragraphs
and on a good day a page or two.
My writing day really starts in the
afternoon. After I come home, I eat and decompress for a bit. Then I hop on my
laptop and write, edit, or answer e-mails until it is time for bed. I will be honest
and say I do not write daily. Sometimes, I am exhausted from work or there’s
nothing I want or need to write. Those are the days I input instead of output.
Weekends are the times I have my most
rigid schedules. I have interviews set for the podcast, I work on a particular
project, or I have an editorial client. I heavily rely on my project notebook
to keep my various projects in order. Even if I am not actively writing, I make
notes for things I need to write.
12 - When your writing gets stalled,
where do you turn or return for (for lack of a better word) inspiration?
I turn to
music before all else. It’s place of centering and inspiration. When I feel
stuck, it’s natural for me to slip into a playlist to regroup. Sometimes
listing to a playlist I’ve curated or letting my Spotify app find new artists
for me is the spark that can get me going once more.
13 - What fragrance reminds you of
home?
I’ve
never thought about this, but I’d say it’s a mixture of a few things. Maxwell
House Instant Coffee, Lipton tea, and skillet toast. Those were things that
happened daily in my home. My father is a coffee drinker and that brand has
never changed. The same is true for my mom. Those smells make me think of them
coming home from their jobs and decompressing from working in a steel foundry
and a factory. My mom usually had her tea with toast she’d make in a skillet
instead of a toaster. I can smell the butter browning the bread while she made
her tea.
14 - David W. McFadden once said that
books come from books, but are there any other forms that influence your work,
whether nature, music, science or visual art?
My
biggest influence is music. I grew up the daughter of a steelworker who DJ’d as
a side job and hobby. My entire childhood has a soundtrack and music very much
informs how I write today. I curate playlists for individual projects,
characters, moods, or worlds. I almost always listen to a song or two before I
start to write and I use them to both disconnect from the world at large and
tap into what I need to put onto the page. Music is also very much tied to my
writing in that I write and edit aloud. I do this because I need to hear the
way the words fit together. I think I write in a very musical manner. I search
and revise and edit in a way that gives my lines a mouth feel that conveys the
mood I want to set.
15 - What other writers or writings
are important for your work, or simply your life outside of your work?
There is
a handful of current writers who I truly love. Their work inspires me and I use
them as guides and studies. They are crafting prose in ways I strive for. Each
of them is amazingly adept at their crafts. Cija Jefferson, Tyrese Coleman,
Kiese Laymon, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Jesmyn Ward are a few of them. I also love
Zora Neale Hurston. Their Eyes Were Watching God is my favorite book. I
so admire how she was able to remain true to the dialect, customs, and
landscape of her story just as much as she was able to create a character that
was a flawed human navigating life.
16 - What would you like to do that
you haven't yet done?
I really
want to take extended time to travel and write. The accomplishments I’ve had in
my career thus far have been generated in the hours between my day job and when
I sleep. I worked full-time throughout my grad program as well as worked
multiple jobs during my two undergrad degrees. I would love to have dedicated
time to sit with my work and to experience uninterrupted time to hone my craft
and to immerse into those stories I truly want to tell. There are so many
people I’d love to document through my work, starting with my family. I want to
honor them in ways I simply don’t have the time for as it stands.
17 - If you could pick any other
occupation to attempt, what would it be? Or, alternately, what do you think you
would have ended up doing had you not been a writer?
I would
be a museum curator. I find museums and the stories they tell to be
fascinating. The ability to move patrons without words is amazing. There have
been many days I’ve gone to museums across the country to not only take in the
art, but to also people watch. I would find great joy in curating exhibits that
move people, but I would be equally interested in helping develop and maintain
permanent histories of underserved, underrepresented, and misunderstood
communities.
18 - What made you write, as opposed
to doing something else?
Writing,
in so many forms, has been a foundation for me. Even though I maintain a
full-time day job, I identify first as a writer. I’ve tried my hand at other
art forms such as painting, photography, and music, but I always come back to
the page. There is a passion in me for how words fit together. I love to hear
how they bounce against each other and how you can guide and excite readers. I
can’t get enough of finding ways to pull my thoughts from my imagination into
the world in new ways. I am genuinely a fan of writing in all its iterations. I
think writing has given me a voice in ways that were absent in my daily life
and when I began to share my work with the world, it became a source of
confidence, community, and drive. It’s also a means to capture not only my
life, but also to honor those to who I am personally connected and those who
are seeking a kindred spirit.
19 - What was the last great book you
read? What was the last great film?
I’d have
to say How to Sit by Tyrese Coleman. I devoured it in one sitting. I
bought it at a conference, found a corner in the convention hall, and read it
before I did anything else. It’s stuck with me over the last year. It was such
a good balance of heart and technical skill. She has an amazing ability to set
scene, but doesn’t allow readers to get lost. It’s like walking into a place
you know, but still finding new corners and stories.
I don’t watch many movies, so I tend to watch
the same ones over and over again. I recently re-watched my favorite movie,
Lost In Translation, and realized why I kinda fell in love with it. Just like
with How to Sit, the scene setting is stunning. It becomes a character
in itself and it’s beautiful to look at. I also love the ending because depending
on my viewing mood, I can insert a completely different world of possibilities.
20 - What are you currently working
on?
I am
currently working on my third book. I’ve spent the better part of the last two
years using fan fiction as an escape and as a bolster to my “serious” writing.
The project has its foundation in Black Panther (the movie) fan fiction set in
an alternative universe. I enjoyed writing one of the characters so much that I
decided to try my hand at a full-length work of fiction. The novel follows
Julia and Eric, in 1969 Oakland, as they navigate through the ripple effects of
gentrification, political corruption, and a little bit of romance.
