About the Poet and the Twilight Zone
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What inspired you to start writing?
When I was young, a youth confined to a youth correctional facility. I did not know I was able to write until some of the black and white kids came over to see what kind of things I was writing to my loved ones at home, especially to my girlfriends. They asked me to write letters for them, to send to their girlfriends, a tradeoff, I would write "love letters" for them, and they would repay in cigarettes. Their approval in feedback from their loved ones sealed my faith. The rest is history.
Can you describe your writing process?
My writing process is like taking difference forms of transportation to get there. When I get the urge to write, it's like vomiting, I just let go and let the words come out as my mind releases them into my immediate environment. I play with them, accept them, or reject them, change the word, change the paragraph or paragraphs, correct the grammar, over and over until I finally give life to a complete draft, a draft which now must get ready to be dressed and redressed until it begins its journey.
Do you have any quirky writing habits?
Before writing, I talk to myself, to my brain, asking my spirit to release the universal power, the gift within me, permission to continue writing, producing words with meaning to me, and hopefully, to the world around me. I would love to be a prophet in my own home.
If you weren’t an author, what career would you have pursued?
I have a strong background in social work, in youth counseling, in community advocacy. I would probably be running a non-profit organization or foundation dedicated to youth services.
What’s your ideal writing environment?
Isolation, alone with my pen, with the paper writing for me to caress her, and yes, the computer can tease me, and call my attention, telling me to use her keyboard as the pen.
What’s a fun fact about you that most readers wouldn’t know?
I pretend to be shy, giving me more time to observe movement without notice or interruptions.
Do you write with a specific audience in mind?
As a Puerto Rican with a strong cultural and political perspective about my homeland and its relationship with the mainland, I write from that perspective, from that political and cultural environment around me. I hope that answers your question.
What’s your favorite writing snack or drink?
A mixture of coffee and wine, and in between, adding the water as not to damage my internal pipeline that carries my words to its destination.
If you could add a new skill to your writing toolbox, what would it be?
New skills are hard to come by, therefore, one has to go out and get it or develop it from reaching out to the universe, manipulate time to extend our presence on the planet to contribute more words. That would be my new skill added to the toolbox, if the universe would allow it.
How do you come up with your book titles?
The title comes to me from the life experience I'm having, it's that simple, no other process in the journey of creating a title. The title is like a bag; the words are what I put in the bag. When I pull out a few words from the bag, the title comes out, smiling at me. It sounds silly, right? But it works for me.