Roger Smith

[1] I had a conversation with my daughter

...about the differences between having cancer and being black in america and she told me that cancer is black, dark, dismal and causes depression, blackness in the brain, in the cells, it metastasizes and the people in their angelic lab coats, that carry the MD behind their name as a knight does his shield, take an oath to help you, plug you up to the matrix and damn near kill you, in every valiant effort they can to accomplish what they said they would— whereas being born black in america, young men are unhooked from any plug to success, the cords leading to tomorrow are severed by the trajectory of metallic fragments spewed from semiautomatic hatred, muzzled fear, sniper rifled rage and causes brain matter to overflow; furthermore the people in the glacier blue uniforms, that possess the title officer hide behind shield, ignore the oath to serve and protect, squeeze abnormal amounts of munitions to achieve their very first kill.

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Roger Smith

[1] I had a conversation with my daughter

...about the differences between having cancer and being black in america and she told me that cancer is black, dark, dismal and causes depression, blackness in the brain, in the cells, it metastasizes and the people in their angelic lab coats, that carry the MD behind their name as a knight does his shield, take an oath to help you, plug you up to the matrix and damn near kill you, in every valiant effort they can to accomplish what they said they would— whereas being born black in america, young men are unhooked from any plug to success, the cords leading to tomorrow are severed by the trajectory of metallic fragments spewed from semiautomatic hatred, muzzled fear, sniper rifled rage and causes brain matter to overflow; furthermore the people in the glacier blue uniforms, that possess the title officer hide behind shield, ignore the oath to serve and protect, squeeze abnormal amounts of munitions to achieve their very first kill.

Roger Smith

What are 2-3 books (regardless of genre) that you’ve read over the last year or less that really blew your hair back?

When they call you a terrorist: a black lives matter memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors & Asha Bandele is the documentation of events which inspired the vision and activism which sprouted the black lives matter movement and how people in our nation which once prided themselves in being a melting pot, now labels groups of empowerment, as terrorists. The read is a culmination of interactions and events which too often describe a disgusting relationship and disconnect between Black America and the rest of the nation. The main voice throughout the read however pushes the unity of community, making the memoir an exposition of love of self, of our people, and it screams to the soul to stand against injustice and acknowledge truths of resistance in America.

Redbone, poems by Mahogany Browne is an immaculate collection of poems that displays rich language and rhetoric, and is full of the love and hurt within relationships of the same community. Redbone, a term meaning a high yellow black woman expresses and deals with the ups and downs and difficulties of lovers and family, and what it means coping with intraracial issues of lust, jealousy, and prowess. Browne’s vernacular is an array of poetic musicality flowing across pages where diction and syntax are happily married to spacial awareness of the page.

Both of these reads have blown me away over the past year as both have been written by black women who struggle with not being accepted in two different realms, one by the nation itself and the other her community. They are both accurate portrayals of problems dealt with within the black community. A world of hatred creates a level of shame and separation is then built between these communities over the different shades of a beautiful blackness. Both reads discuss the war at hand on different scales and that struggle with self love while surrounded by a society of prejudice. They play such an important role in my life specifically, as I’m raising three strong daughters, constantly expressing the importance of pride, culture, heritage, and their melanin.

Who is someone you admire who does work that you feel really benefits your community, and what kind of work is it that they do?

Someone that I truly admire who does great work for my community is a friend and fellow poet and performer Negus Adeyemi. He does outstanding work for the Bajan community. As a second generation artist whose family migrated from Barbados, Negus is constantly putting together poetry showcases, workshops, and has within the past year started his own business Adeyemi Artistry which has sponsored events such as Bajan Broughtupsy which showcases the talents of Barbados, here in New York. An outstanding husband and father, he puts the Bajan community first yet is always pulling others forward and upward.

What do you make of the political climate in the United States, which feels particularly hostile to intellectuals and experts right now?​

In discussing the political climate, I am afraid of what some individuals are now comfortable displaying. It amazes me that knowing there are camera recording us everyday and everywhere the amounts of hatred and disgust, that is consistently spewed and furthermore instigated from D.C. The childish antics, belittling conversation and comments, as well as the disrespect for all human life except Caucasian males that stems from the highest seat in office, is a poor representation of what it means to be American. Like the two reads I mentioned, many black folk who are fighting for equality, asking other cultures to simply understand the plight and take a stand with us because the climate of this nation changes so quickly as of recent, other cultures will be and are targeted with the same racial biases and together, the indentured servants of this nation can attain the justices earned by their ancestors upon this bloody soil.

What's your one biggest pet peeve, and what is one of your one annoying habit?​

One of my pet peeves is having a thought or idea about where I want a certain story to go, or specific topics I choose to tackle in my writing and all of a sudden not only does the piece choose its own path, but after rigorous revising, I don’t get a chance to even discuss a part of what I initially set out to. I’m trying to recognize the major topic I wanted to bring light to and I’m bringing awareness to something very different. I call it a pet peeve but it’s really an amazing part of writing, it is extremely frustrating though. Some stories want to be told even when the writer is not ready to tell them.

An annoying habit of mine that I will mention, and I’m trying to focus on writing, is procrastination. Sometimes with deadlines others just carving out minutes and hours during the week to dedicate to writing, I will realize it’s already Thursday and I haven’t put in the time to continue honing the gift, to getting better, to sticking with that short story I’ve started three months prior. Starting multiple writing projects and putting off continuing them or etching our hours of the day to focus on one at a time, is a bad habit I’m currently working on breaking, however not until later this week.

What job would you have if you weren't working in your current field(s)?​

If I wasn’t currently working in the communications field I would definitely be teaching. It’s something that I believe is still calling me, and as things are wrapping up in MFA life, it maybe a direction I turn towards and shift gears for the next phase of life. I’m in great belief that inner city youth males need more male positive role models around and witnessing someone who looks like them, teaching and caring about words, literature, and education can be immediate, positive feedback. In a day and age when the politics of the world seem so scary, some can lean on the arts for a moment of escape and expression.