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AngelaMichelle
"...AM is working her
written magic on paper..."
"The
Poetic Essence of AngelaMichelle" has been sitting on my bookshelf as a
proud member of a very small collection of poetry chapbooks.
I mean, it can be a risk purchasing a book of poetry by an author whom
you're completely unfamiliar with - hence my very small collection.
Angela's book spoke out to me though, and still does, as an individual,
and as a soul rich in language, love, and culture.
"The Poetic Essence of AngelaMichelle" has definitely turned me into more
of a risk taker.
MH:
When did you begin writing poetry, and what is your main inspiration?
AM: I began writing poetry when I was eighteen... before then I
really didn't believe I had what it took. My main inspirations at
the time was my first husband and motherhood.
MH: What pushed you towards publication?
AM: In June of 2002 I'd made a list of career goals. One of
them was to become a published author by the time I turned 30. I'd
sat on my hands for so long as far as my writing was concerned, I couldn't
see myself going into "middle age" with out something to show for the gift
I'd been given. Well with my
30th birthday a little over a year away I began to research my options.
With bulk of my writing at that point being poetry and the emergence and
popularity of Spoken Word here in the states I figured a poetry book
was The quickest way to get my name out into the industry. I
put together a "collection" and queried agents only to be rejected due to
the "unmarketability" of the craft. Then I considered the "vanity
publishing" route, but that became to costly. That is when I met Joe
of the LeAdfooT Press.
MH: What would you say has been the best and the worst parts of the
publishing process?
AM: It would definitely have to be knowing that I accomplished a
major, personal goal. I took the first step in making writing a
serious career.
MH: As a published poet, what are the major obstacles you’ve had to
overcome?
AM: Believing that my poetry would mean the same things to other
people that it meant to me. Believing that the picture I was
painting with my words would be seen, the emotions felt. Being
relatively new to the world of poetry I had to learn to accept my pieces
as they were and not compare them to other poets I saw as great. To
let my originality stand on it own and not measure it up to other,
realizing that I am just as good as they are.
MH: When did The Essence Ezine come into the picture, and what is
the driving force behind it?
AM: Well, I am an "un-degreed" writer so when I began my journey to
make this my career I went about scouring the Web for resources.
Much to my disappointment, I found that the industry isn't very easy for
writers like me, who have the talent but not the "papers", to navigate.
I found myself overwhelmed with articles by this author who had a BA in
English, or that author who had a PhD and it discouraged me. I began
to wonder if there was hope that I could make it in this industry without
a degree, and figured
there had to be other writers in the world who felt the same way. It
was then that I decided I would offer a medium for aspiring writers to get
the information they needed that was not as intimidating.
MH: Tell me about your newest book.
AM: Four "Colourful Tales by Angela Michelle" is a small chapbook,
comprises of four "short stories" written at various stages in my career.
Two of them, "Of Love and Sacrifice" and "Vicious Cycle", are
autobiographical with a fictionized flair and show just how closely life
can imitate art sometimes.
"Out of Order" which was written at the very start of my journey, was a
challenge of sorts for me to write about something outside of my personal
experience. "And Now I Know" is a journal like piece that involves
personal reflection on my heritage. It puts into comparison the
reactions of my husband's family to the death of their great-grandmother
with the reactions of my family when we lost our matriarch. The
reason for the book was to offer a companion to my poetry book.
Being that I'd already established
myself as an able and talented poet, I wanted to give readers a taste of
my writing style in the area of prose.
MH: Who would you say are your main readers?
AM: Idealistically I would say anyone who loves the written word
but I know as I grow that will change. If I had to choose a "target
market" who could best relate to my style it would have to be
African-American women between the ages of 18 and 40 who live or have
lived in an urban metropolis. As I grow
as a writer I hope to be able to span all age ranges and ethnicities and
reach adult readers on all levels.
MH: What plans do you have for the future of your writing career?
AM: I have completed my first novel "All Things Done in the Dark"
which is in it's final editing stages so right now I am pretty focused on
getting that into the hands of agents and securing representation. I
have five
other novels in the works as well as the follow up to "All Things Done in
the Dark" with is in its concept stages right now. As far long range
goals, I'm really not looking to be the next Pulitzer recipient or
Times best seller. I just want my words to be read and enjoyed.
To be totally honest, I would love nothing more than to be able to take
The Essence Ezine into the mainstream arena, possibly becoming another
Writer's Digest with more of a focus on aspiring writers.
MH: What would you say to people who believe that you can’t make
money with poetry?
AM: I would say that you can achieve whatever your mind conceives.
If your goal is to make a living as a poet, and you put 110% of your
efforts towards it, you will achieve that goal. The nay-sayers are
always the ones who tried, failed, and were too scared or not determined
enough to try again. In life
there is a market for everything, you just need to know where to go to
find it and stick to it with persistence.
MH: Where can I find your books?
AM: Right now they can only be purchased through Pay Pal via my
Website at
http://www.clik.to/angelamichelle or through contacting me personally
for the mailing address.
www.chaoticdreams.net - a phenomenal literary ezine where
I contribute
pieces.
www.theunps.com - a lovely place for
poetry where I am a guest poet
www.soulspeak.us - the Website of my
performance coach
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