Jericho Brown Speaks With Barren Magazine

Charlotte Hamrick spends time with Jericho Brown in the pages of Barren Magazine where the two converse about, among other topics, the poetry and prose Brown reads when feeling a bit blue, how Brown's writing has changed over time, and the effects that social media has had on poetry. Hamrick begins with a little explanation as to how she found out about Jericho Brown's poetry in the first place. "I began reading Jericho Brown’s poetry just last year after 'discovering' him on Twitter," she writes. "(I was living under a rock at the time.) The ease and humor with which he interacted with others made me want to know more about him, so I began looking for his poems online and, subsequently, bought his book The New Testament." Taking it from there: 

 I was blown away and he quickly became one of my favorite poets. His poetry explores trauma, race, class, sexuality, spirituality, and all the beauty and devastation of life on the planet. Although we are very different people, I identify with much of his poetry, as do others, and this is the genius of his writing. There’s no doubt about his love for poetry, and his support for the poetry community as can be witnessed every day on Twitter. We are lucky to have him.

Jericho’s new book, The Tradition, will be released April 2 by Copper Canyon Press.

Do you think writing poetry is a talent or a skill? Can it be learned?

If you have some talent, it helps, but the goal is to learn skill to the point where you can’t tell the difference between what you knew innately and what you got through study and practice. Talent is involved, but being very talented could be a hindrance if it leads to the belief that you don’t have to study and practice.

Recently I’ve seen several headlines that declare we’re in a poetry renaissance. Do you agree? Why or why not?

I don’t know. I think readers feel and fill their needs in different ways given the cultural moment. Readers who had no idea the world had been on fire for some time are finding that they need the utterance of shock and awe that only poetry can supply. Many of these kinds of poems were being written when we had a President that more of us liked. I’m glad people are reading poetry no matter what. But I’m convinced of the poets. We are always in a renaissance.

You’re pretty active on Twitter. I see you interacting with other poets and writers regularly. Do you think SM has changed the poetry scene?

I think social media allows more access to more poems. And I think it allows me the chance to think about the work of poets I love in a more intimate way since I can see them struggling with teaching and writing and raising kids and living in the moments when it happens. Poetry is better when it comes from and happens to real people we can imagine. No oracles!

I also think social media has a lot to do with my possibility. When my first book appeared, people who may not have gone through the trouble or who would not have been empowered to do so otherwise used social media to ask me for poems they’d like to publish and to invite me to give readings. Many folks who would never know I wrote books at all are finding out that The Tradition exists because of connections made through social media. These platforms have had a lot to do with people’s access to books by people of color.

If anyone thinks that’s a bad thing…

Read more at Barren Magazine.