4. What other poetry books
have you been reading lately?
So many, I live my life like Erasmus, “When I get a little
money, I buy [poetry] books. If any is left, I buy food and clothes.” I am
reading Pink Plastic House personally
annotated by FLA poet Kristin Garth. I feel like as a poet you need to support
your fellow poets who are friends, in and out of social media. Buy their books
and spread the word on their books. Also, when a poet you know admire and
respect recommends a book to you, you better buy it. Tiana Clark recommended Brown by Kevin Young and when she
recommends a poet, I immediately am ordering it online. Hanif Willis Abdurraqib wrote a fantastic
blub, endorsing Olivia Gatwood’s New
American Best Friend. I am also reading Kendra DeColo’s My Dinner with Ron Jeremy and loving
Texan poet’s Analicica Sotelo’s inspiringly revealing collection Virgin.
And as a reward for the publication of my first full-length
collection Flashes
& Verses…Becoming Attractions by Unsolicited Press, I treated myself to Lou Reed’s
posthumous poetry book Do Angels Need
Haircuts? Reed’s book includes a 7inch vinyl of Lou reciting his poems at a
1971 reading in NYC.
I believe it’s always important to treat yourself as a poet.
Writing is a solitary act and what I’ve done, and works for me, for years I’ve
“Pavlov my poetry.” Whenever I finish a draft of a poem, receive notice that a
poem of mine has been published or experience a breakthrough on the page, I
reward myself. And the best reward is poetry books. It’s like fueling your
creative soul with future inspiration. The more you read, the better poet you
will become. It’s so true. I am proof of this.
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