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Covering My Head: On Grief
2020 was very challenging for me for reasons unrelated to the pandemic. As I reflect, it was difficult not only because of the tragedies themselves but also because of their proximity to one another. I remember when I got jumped on as a teen by a group of girls in Chicago. Another quickly followed each… Continue reading
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Poetry Myth: “I Have to Perform My Poems to be Relevant.”
One of the MAJOR misconceptions about the poetry industry is that you have to do spoken word to become a prominent figure. Performance poetry might be the most popular, but there are other ways to be profitable. Artists like Rudy Francisco, Jasmine Mans, Prentice Powell (who was recently nominated for a Grammy), Obbie West, and… Continue reading
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We Get Better at Writing by Writing
When I was a child, I always carried a diary, journal, or notebook, and I would write about what was happening in my life each day, with dates and everything. When my cousin got jumped so badly that one side of his face was swollen, I wrote about how terrifying it was to see him… Continue reading
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The Amazon Bestseller Approach: A Warning
In the words of James Baldwin, “If I love you, I have to make you conscious of what you don’t see.” Here’s the Game: Once upon a time, when print-on-demand publishing became more popular thanks to companies like Amazon and Lulu, self-published authors discovered a powerful manipulation tactic: they could reach a higher ranking by… Continue reading
