Furious Flower IV: The Worlds of Black Poetry

Deeply, thoughtful conversations between poets!

Patricia Smith has a voice that shows up, not only in her person, but also in her poetry. I first heard and purchased her poetry at the Furious Flower 25th Anniversary Gala reading in DC. Then I had the jaw-dropping privilege to hear her read an untitled poem prolifically sifting and sorting through an unequivocally painful memory as she read at the 50th Anniversary of the Phillis Wheatley festival at Jackson State University. I am and have been floored by the distillery of her work. She has mastered navigating life through poetry and prose. It is refreshing to hear her speak about craft, her work, and her process, about life, the issues that are more often than not ready for poetry to take them on. Listen, and be intrigued and inspired.

I really enjoyed this interview. First, I loved the actual voice of the poet. His honest descriptions of how and what he writes his poems about made sense, and I love how he takes inspiration from those he loves and who were and are influential in his life. The interviewer was integrally engaged with his answers to her specific questions, and artfully related his phrases and concepts to her own life. As someone who grew up intimidated by poetry, this made me feel relaxed and open to hearing his poetry read aloud to me. I highly recommend; give this a listen with a cup of tea or a cold beer!

A nicely-paced and well-produced podcast, the questions are good and the answers are both informative and enjoyable. They provide an insight into the art and craft of a poet/writer.