An interview series with contemporary poets on craft, inspiration, and the radical imagination.

Series Introduction

“First you have to gain narrative skill! If you got no craft, you got no game…” -  Baba Arthur RickyDoc Flowers.

My name is Shakeema Smalls, and I’m the 2024 Markus D. Manley fellow and Poet-in-Residence at The Poetry Lab. During my residency, I conducted a series of craft interviews with poets whose work makes me curious and inspired as a reader and writer.

When I started this fellowship, I considered subjects that might be beneficial to emerging poets. As a former caregiver, I thought about how even access to workshops was severely limited for me prior to the onset of the pandemic in 2020. At this time, many workshops had to adapt to the virtual environment, which meant that I was able to finally gather with poetry community in a focused and consistent way. This helped enliven my writing and challenged me to think expansively about what is possible with poetry. 

I now think about how I came to learn what I have about poetic craft. I’m familiar with the workshop model as I’ve spent the last few years as a member of the Office Hours workshop, founded by the poet and professor Sarah M. Sala. I think about my own growth, not only in terms of my craft and writing stamina, but also of my development as a part of poetic community. 

I’m a relational thinker. Each writer whose work and life I am introduced to teaches me something different about the human experience. In some ways, I might find myself stunned by a writer’s thoughts on process. In others, by their skill with craft. There are even writers whom I adore for how dedicated they are to being a champion, not only for others, but also of their own work in the age of social media. 

This series of interviews was conceived by a reader and writer, about readers and writers. It all began with my love for the written word. It started from my pride and supplications to the written word as a reader. This series was also conceived as a way to champion other poets, like myself. I hope these interviews will also be accessible and interesting to people who may not be poets, but who are interested in reading and/or writing poetry. 

The five poets that I interviewed this summer were Sarah Kersey, Evelyn Berry, April Gibson, Brittany Rogers, and E. Hughes (forthcoming). I asked questions that I had at a time when I had far less access to writing workshops and residencies, and that other poets like myself might find helpful. I asked questions that I have had as a poet who is working-class, Black, queer, politically anarchist, and woman. I spoke to these poets deeply about their respective narratives, and how their own personal experiences and transformations have influenced their writing style, goals, and processes. 

As my fellowship draws to a close, I want to thank The Poetry Lab for their generous support, patience, guidance, and access to a wealth of resources that have helped me to develop my own craft and progress my ‘manuscript-in-progress’. Please continue to support their amazing craft resources and like, follow, and interact with them on social media (@the_poetry_lab on Twitter and @thepoetrylab on Instagram) for even more resources to support your writing goals for the new year. 

Happy reading—

Shakeema