I noted to them that I had been seriously writing poetry since high school, where I was published not only in my high school's literary magazine, but in an established Spanish-language literary journal for a poem I wrote in Spanish, called "Oda al Girasol." (My high school Spanish teacher submitted this poem to the journal which, subsequently, published the work.)
When asked if I would read a poem from one of my books, I agreed, but in the end, due to conversation and other activities, I ran out of time. If I'd had the time, I would have read "Mama/Abuela," a favorite poem from my first book Contemplating Eve: The Collected Works.(Click here to read the poem. Scroll down to the third poem in this lengthy blog.)The third question was a loaded one. I mentioned that, while I greatly enjoy being a poet, I have a master's degree in Economics and considerable experience abroad. I have a career to fall back on, which comforts my parents!
I greatly appreciated the final question. The woman who asked about young African American poets noted that she missed the fiery but eloquent social and political commentary of poets like Amiri Baraka and Nikki Giovanni from the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. I highly recommended that she purchase my latest book, A Poet Speaks of Empire, because of its commentary on contemporary Africa. I also noted that Nikky Finney and Kwame Dawes are my favorite poets of African descent but poets like Natasha Trethaway (now the US poet laureate), Cornelius Eddy, Shara McCallum, Major Jackson and January Gill O'Neil (all of whom are of African descent) are also doing some awesome work.
Perhaps the most memorable conversation I had was with the gentleman in this photograph and his wife. He asked me about my experiences in Ghana, while he discussed his experiences growing up in Guyana. I had run out of copies of A Poet Speaks of Empire but, as I indicated to his wife, he might appreciate The Lily & The Aster. In it is a travel essay concerning my trip to Africa and the poetry, being mainly haiku, is something anyone can appreciate because it is simple and straightforward.Perhaps the greatest compliment came at Sunday's party. I was speaking to a couple and introduced two of my most recent works. After perusing The Lily & The Aster, the man said "This is really great! The idea that you're a writer is truly commendable. I have always wanted to be a writer." I think that there are a lot of people out there who want to write. With publishing becoming more accessible, the possibilities are endless. Cheers to all of the aspiring writers out there!
