Meet The Writer

The writer, in repose.

Before I made my way back to work, I took a selfie with the restaurant Le District behind me. Part of me wanted to pull up a chair and sit for the rest of the afternoon watch the people and the boats going by.

Hello, everyone!

I know, its been a long time since I’ve last written for my blog. Honestly, there hasn’t been much reason to do so as all of my focus has been on posting poems for my other social media feeds.

But over the last two weeks, I’ve taken up the author Beth Kempton’s challenge, Meet The Writer.

Fifteen questions were posted to her feed and I did my best to answer all of them. giving a peek behind the curtain of the person that answers to the moniker, OP Writer.

With Beth’s idea in mind after the last question was posted today, I will answer all the questions in this post.

Without further ado, let’s Meet The Writer…

1. Confession

What do I love about writing?

When it comes to writing, I love that it’s a place where I can speak clearly.

As anyone that’s heard the sound of my voice can attest to, I speak in a halting and stammering manner. One of the complications from having cerebral palsy.

It’s why I dreaded taking speech class in senior year of high school and in the spring semester as a college freshman. Preparation of written outlines for the speeches saved me from my voice.

I cringe hearing the sound of my voice in the spoken word videos to this day. I tend to stay quiet most of the time as a result.

Whereas when I write, I try to be as clear as possible. Even if I take the long way around to get to the point that I’m trying to make.

I love placing the reader in my shoes with each post. Through every word, it’s as if you’re along side me reliving the best and worst moments.

I bare pieces of myself in everything that I write. I don’t know any other way to be in the world.

2. Peek

Where do I love to write?

The desk in my room is only one of the spaces where I write, honestly.

As long as I have a prompt or idea in my head, the writing space can go mobile. With either the sticky notes app on a computer or the notes app on my phone or iPod.

I transfer the words from notes onto Canva and give the poem its fitting backdrop.

Then, I sign off on it by placing my logo after one more look.

I could write while I wait for the bus to arrive or when I’m sitting down at the South Street Seaport looking out to Brooklyn, as I’m doing now.

The idea is the main thing, after all.

3. Rhythm

What time of day do I most often write?

I don't have a time of day set aside to write, as I don't want to force the words out of me.

It depends on whether I have something to write about. I try to find space where I can.

Sometimes, it will be waiting for the bus and my notes app is open. It'll be on a break from scanning paperwork and I happen to see a prompt come my way. It could happen during my lunch break, saving a piece for future use.

Or, it could happen either in the early morning hours as I wait to start the work day. Possibly, inspiration could come before I go to bed too.

I have to be wide awake when the muse calls.

4. Season

What do I love about writing in this particular season?

The world comes to life after the hibernation of winter.

With the days getting longer, everything's in bloom. People are outside and the mood seems to be a more uplifting one. The muse seems to come a bit easier when one can sit by the water and watch the boats float by, in Battery Park City, under the Brooklyn Bridge and approaching the Statue of Liberty.

This time of year, the urge is to stay outside as long as possible. Even if I'm sweating.

I take my time on the walk back to work after lunch and on the commute home. Manhattan's skyline shimmers in the late evening light.

I feel the sense of uplift in my words when spring shows up. My personality is uplifted too.

A spring day, last Wednesday afternoon. I walked all the way from the office to the marina outside of Brookfield Place. I love to sit and watch the boats float down the river.

5. Paraphernalia

What do I like to have around when I write?

I need my headphones on when I write. The world is a noisy place.

Once my headphones and the noise cancellation mode is on, I can focus. Sometimes, I’m searching for the right song cue to kickstart my inspiration.

In some cases, the right song can lead to the next piece. Hence why my haikus begin with a song lyric.

I need music when I write. It doesn’t matter if it’s one track, a music video or an entire album.

Part of me wishes I could know how to write songs. Even though I I’m not exactly musically inclined. It would be an interesting path to take the words.

Everything that I write feels staticky. I need more life for my writing to be more profound.

6. Zone

What helps me get in the writing zone?

Give me a subject that I can write about, you’ll get a poem out of me.

Whether it be a prompt, subject matter or a photo. As long as I have something to work with, the runway is cleared for creative take off.

It’s why my travels tend to be used as poetic and prose material so often. Just by looking at my photos does the inspiration flow forth.

Even the world around me is grounds for creativity. If I fixed my gaze on something, I can run with the observations towards a poem.

Having inspiration leads me to being in the writing zone.

7. Themes

What themes do I keep coming back to in my writing?

Let’s see…

My past. Salsa Dancing. Having cerebral palsy. Future tripping. The sea. Worrying about the terrifying state of the modern world. Dreaming of a future partner. All of my travels. Songs. Flowers. Peace. Live music. Dancing the tango. Discovering the self identity that I never had. Longing for friendship. Soccer. So many after poems.

The above list is not an exhaustive one.
Just the themes that come to mind after a scroll of my feed.

All the themes have one thing in common, they via my poems and prose try to help me make sense.

Make sense of all the things that make me the flawed person that I am. And this crazy thing called life.

8. Icon

Of all the questions so far, this is the hardest one to answer.

As I have four other books in mind that could be the answer.

The question:

Of all the books written by other people, which is the one you wish you’d written?

“Under The Tuscan Sun” by @francesemayes.

I first came across the book in college, a day after seeing the Diane Lane led film adaption.

Going through the shelves of Strand Books in Union Square on a break between classes, I came across a copy of the book and bought it. The best $4 I’ve ever spent.

I read the book the first time and was immediately fixated on the story of buying the property in Cortona, Italy called Bramasole.

You’re with her and her husband Ed every step of the way. And the kitchen notes from each season will make you yearn to be in her kitchen.

The sense of being in the same space as the author is something that I try to do with my poems and prose. Especially, when it comes to the destinations I’ve traveled to. It’s a long term goal of mine to be able to write something similar.

It’s not the only book from Frances on my shelf. I have another of her travelogues, “A Year In The World: Journeys of A Passionate Traveler” and her coffee table book in collaboration with @ocohane “Always Italy”.

Flash forward to September 2022.

During the last leg of the Italy trip, our bus was one the way to Sorrento from Rome. Our guide Andrea had announced that we were passing by the town of Cortona.

A smile showed up out of nowhere.

The same sensation that comes every single time that I’ve read the book.

Five of my writing inspirations in one photo. All of these books could’ve been the answer to question number eight. But the one in the middle, “Under The Tuscan Sun” by Frances Mayes resonated with me the most.

9. Mantra

What is my writing mantra?

“Life itself, is a story just waiting to be told.”

The mantra also happens to be the bio for my Facebook profile. It just came to me at random one day.

Yet, it summarizes my approach.

Every poem and piece of writing that I create tries to tell a story. Whether it be recounting a past happening, a dream sequence, the present day or a new destination.

From the start, life is one gigantic narrative. One that’s written with many different chapters.

We know how the story starts, it’s up to us to write the rest of it.

10. Reveal

The most unusual place I've whipped out my notebook to write?

For this question, there's a twist.
The most unusual place I've found inspiration to write. As some of my work is impromptu.

It was the night of September 29th, 2022.

I had just gotten back to the hotel after our "farewell" dinner. We had one more day together but this was our last meal as a group.

It must've been the scenery of Da Paolino with the lemon groves above our heads. The sheer beauty of Sorrento and the emotions knowing that the twelve days in Italy were coming to a close. It didn't hurt that the evening was in a celebratory mood with dinner, Prosecco and toasts to the group being said.

As I sat in my room with the window looking out to the Bay of Sorrento and the group photo pulled up, I wrote a thank you note to the rest of the group.

The roof of the restaurant, Da Paolino in Sorrento, Italy. Lemon groves in and around us as we had our “farewell” dinner together in September 2022.

11. Object

f a single object could represent where I am in my writing life, it would be the mini bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne I bought for New Year's Eve.

In the photo, it's unopened.

A symbol of the idea that I've yet to uncork my true potential with the words I'm writing. And the fact that I struggled to pop the cork is a metaphor that I don't think of myself as a "good" writer and poet.

Sometimes, my words tend to resonate more with people. But most of the time, it's the non-poetry posts that seem to have a stronger audience.

I want to be the Moet, instead of sparkling wine, when it comes to writing and poetry. I want my words to be a place for all the emotions to be felt.

I'm not sure how to be Champagne, though.

As is the tradition since the pandemic began five years ago, I buy myself a bottle of bubby for the midnight toast on New Year’s Eve. Everyone else is asleep at midnight, so I get to pop the cork. And this time, I was able to do it without spilling a drop anywhere.

12. Curiosity

Something that not a lot of people know about me, that’s connected to my writing…

It was never my intention to be a writer. Writing came by accident.

I have no formal training when it comes to writing.

The degree on the living room wall is a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Strangely, it’s never coms up in my writings.

All of the writing experiences have been through English classes.

Even then, it was only due to one teacher at the end of a found poetry exercise in high school noticing that what I’d done was considered poetry. Mrs. Karen Levy some something that I couldn’t.

There was no model to emulate, just writing whenever the opportunity came.

This explains why I don’t have much in the way of expectations for my writing.

I admire all the poets that take the time and effort to take poetry seriously. It shows in the resonant poems that scroll on my feed.

I don’t take writing seriously enough. Let alone, life itself.

13. People

When it comes to support for my writing, I’ve kept myself going. After years of being told by friends and family how good of a writer I am, I’ve run far with the instinct.

Though most of the time, I write on my own. People see my poems at the end stage of their creation.

Yet I’m part of a group, @firstlinepoets. Run by @emmajanepoetry, there’s four different subgroups of writers named for famous writers.

Each month, we’re matched up with different writers and trade first lines to use as inspiration for poems. I’ve been a part of the group for the last 2-3 years. I forgot exactly when I joined up, as one does when the poems are flowing.

Earlier this year, I joined @gatherpoets. The twelve weeks spent writing on Sunday mornings were a challenge. But I needed to step out of the free verse comfort zone that I’ve long been in.

Is there anyone in particular that’s been a source of support? Everyone. Every comment, like, follow and share keeps me going.

But if there’s anyone in particular that person is my friend, @castelluccioe130.

I met her and her husband Fred during an escorted tour of Ireland in October 2017. They took a liking to me and we became friends. More often than not, I’ll see her like on most of the posts that I write. And she’ll will lovingly reel me back in when I tend to wind up in darker places with my words.

14. Path

What is my dream for my writing life?

I’m not sure what it is at this moment. As given the volatile world we’re living in, it’s impossible to think long term. Not more than a day, week or month ahead.

I’m hoping in the next 6-12 months that the paperback version of my second poetry book finally sees daylight after all of the tech issues. With that unresolved, I’ve been hesitant to move ahead with compiling the poems to complete the four Poetic Seasons poetry books.

Maybe, I’ll begin working on a longer piece of writing. Though I don’t have a plan for that. Not even concepts of a plan, at the moment.

If I can keep my writing going, it’s a win in this low expectations world of mine.

15. Trio

Three words that describe the writer I want to be.

Engaging, welcoming and profound.

I want to bring the reader in with each piece that I write. As if you’re walking in my shoes. Especially on the pieces that involve travel or traveling. A sense of place and time.

I want my writing to be welcoming. To be an open ear to all that the world has to offer. As the words can come from anything at any time. Despite my distant persona.

I want to be profound. Or try to.
Though, I’m not sure what being profound would look like. Is it having my words be read by people the world over? Is it being a best selling author? Is it writing something that has an effect on the world at large?

I just want to figure out where I fit in this world and all the words in it.

I hope that there will be more to write about for this blog in the months ahead.

Apropos of nothing, tulips from the Bowling Green farmers market on Tuesday.

I was looking for the Downtown Alliance’s Adopt a Tulip event, but it looked like all of them were given away by the time I made it down there on my lunch break.