An Interview With Former USA National Poetry Series Winner Adrian Matejka [Culturelicious]

Public Enemy was a profound influence on me because they were dropping crazy science. Black power and Afrocentrism are always necessary, but in the 1980s—after Reagan, trickle down economics, government policies that overtly espoused racism and downplayed affirmative action — Chuck D growling “Never badder than bad / ‘cause the brother is madder than mad / at the fact that’s corrupt like a senator” was the truth. We were mad and Public Enemy both harnessed and directed that aggression. I tried to get into that some in my poem Tyndall Armory.

BCP: It’s Black History Month.  As a poet who writes so much about race what does this month mean to you?

AM: I like to call Black History Month “Christmas Money Month” because I get more invitations to read during February than any other month of the year. Everyone in the U.S. needs a black poet in February. In all seriousness, I love Black History Month because it was the way I learned about my culture.

I imagine the same thing applies for many young African Americans. So little of our cultural history is included in social studies books or American history class. In a small way, Black History Month helps fill in the gaps. But really, I look forward to a time where Black History Month serves a recap, rather than an introduction. Even if it means I have less money for Christmas.

BCP: You won one the biggest awards in poetry, The National Poetry Series, in 2008.  As a result you were published by a huge publisher: Penguin.  What does is it feel like to win such a big award?  How was it moving from a small publisher to a big publisher?  Do you feel pressure now that you have such a big award under your belt?

AM: Winning the National Poetry Series was humbling to say the least. I was stunned that Kevin Young picked the book and that Penguin agreed to publish it. When I was scribbling the Mixology poems in my basement office, it was hard to imagine that anyone outside of my poetry team would even want to read them. Something like the National Poetry Series was not part of the conversation, so the award was unexpected and wonderful.

As you can imagine, there is a big difference between a small press and one of the big houses. Alice James Books is a fantastic press and they have been so supportive of my first book, The Devil’s Garden. But because they are exclusively a poetry press, they don’t have the same sized pockets as Penguin. Penguin has all kinds of resources, connections, and outlets. When Mixology first came out, a friend in L.A. called and told me he’d seen the book at a bookstore in the Beverly Center. I attribute that kind of placement to Penguin.

The editorial care and consideration was the same in both places, though. My editor at Alice James Books, April Ossman, and my editor at Penguin, Paul Slovak, were both critical and considerate with the poems. Both of my books are better because of their insightful suggestions.

Honestly, I don’t feel much pressure because awards are out of my control. I do feel pressure to write readable, successful poetry, though. Finding a way to write a poem that is both surprising to me and that might be interesting to someone else is challenging, to say the least. That’s where the real pressure comes from.

BCP: You now teach creative writing.  How has teaching affected your art and craft?  What is the main thing you try to leave with your students?

AM: I love teaching creative writing. What could be better than spending time reading poetry and talking about it? I think teaching has influenced me as a writer because I’m always talking about the basics—line breaks, imagery, concrete language, the need for poetry to swing both on the page and in the air. Because I’m talking about craft in class, I’m thinking about craft outside of class, if that makes sense. So during the semester, I pay closer attention to line breaks, for example, than I might during the summer when I’m just reading and writing.

I always tell my students that poetry is a communicative act. We might write these verses alone with our headphones on, but once the poem leaves our hand or gets emailed or posted on Facebook, it becomes an effort at communicating. So the audience needs to factor into the creative process somewhere, preferably during revision.

BCP: Can you provide a recommended reading list for people?

AM: My reading list changes daily, but right now I’m rereading Terrance Hayes’s Wind in a Box, Gabrielle Calvocoressi’s Apocalyptic Swing, and a new book by Makalani Bandele, Hellfightin’. Then there are some of the classics: Belly Songs and Other Poems by Etheridge Knight, Lucille Clifton’s blessing the boats, and Neon Vernacular by Yusef Komunyakaa.

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