Hello everyone, it's your host, Amanda Eka, and I have some amazing news. Starting this fall, the post Speaks is coming to your TV screens. Yes, that's right. After eight amazing seasons as a podcast, The poet Speaks with Amanda Eka is now a TV show airing are the Archaeology Channel's new streaming service, Heritage. Everyone, get ready for a visual feast, spoken, more performances, and deep dives into the
minds of poets from all over the world. Now something extraordinary is coming and you won't want to miss a single moment. Stay tuned. Hello everyone, and welcome back to the poet Speaks Podcast. Now, our next guest is a queer Afro Dominican poet raised in Harlem and the South Bronx, a twenty twenty two Langston Hughes Fellow at the Palm Beach Poetry Festival and an alum of the Tin House
Winter Workshop. This work has received the Leslie McGrath Poetry Prize in twenty twenty three, the Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize in two. When you want the finalist for the twenty twenty two Mississippi Review Poetry Prize. Everyone, Welcome to the poll Speaks Podcast. Miguel Martin Perez, Miguel, how are you.
I'm good, Thank you for having me absolutely.
How does it feel when you hear all your accomplishments just like out loud like that you blush.
Little, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I have mixed feelings. You know, I'm still fledgling, you know, like I'm still I feel like I'm at the beginning of my career. So it's it's almost surreal to think that I've done some things already, but I don't know, it's I don't know, it's kind of embarrassing almost, like to just hear it all spelled out.
Yeah, yeah, the whole thing. You feel like you're fledgling. Even with your success, you still feel like you're fledgling at the beginning of a career. That's an interesting kind of place to be when you've accomplished a lot, but you still feel like you're fledgling.
Yeah know, for sure. I mean I What's nice is that over the course of like the years that I've been focused on on poetry, I've met a lot of people, like a lot of people like I've met, you know, peers that are like around the same stage that I'm at, and professors who've you know, had four or five, six, seven books under their belt. I've met some legends that are just like you know, the best of the best, and so you know, sometimes you can't help but compare.
But at the same time, it's like, you know, this is the beginning. I reserve the right to be a little bit humble, and you know, hold on to hope that you know, I have potential, I have room to grow. I can accomplish bigger things later.
Absolutely absolutely respect. Respect. Now tell us a little bit about where are you at. Where are you located in the world right now? I think a little bit from your accent, but you tell us where you're in the world right now.
I just moved back from California, like a couple of months ago. I'm back home in the Bronx, you know, staying with family, catching up with friends. Yeah, I'm back in my hometown, my hometown. This is where where I grew up, this is where I was raised. And you know, the MFA pulled me out to California for a couple of years and I stayed three more after that. So I had a nice little stint at West.
Yeah, from West Coast to East coast tell us a bit. Were you born and born and raised bred in the Bronx?
Correct, born in Inwood like I was born at the Allen Pavilion Hospital, like the top of Manhattan until age six. I grew up in Harlem on like one hundred and fortieth in Amsterdam. And then around age six, you know, once my mom was a single mom, we moved out to the South Bronx. So I've lived here since I was six years old in the year two thousand.
Wow. Wow, tell us what was that like growing up? So that would be you grew up in the nineties, would that be correct, somewhere around there early two thousands.
I'm born ninety four exactly.
What was that kind of like growing up in that area in the Bronx, that New York City sense of mind. I think a lot of people that are not born and raised there. We all have our different kind of ideas of what being a kid in New York City is. Like there's a show I used to watch called Hey Arnold. Oh yeah, in my mind, they was the schools would
be like PS. Eighteen. It never says it in the show, but I believe that it grew up around New York City, right tell us what was it like being a kid growing up in a city like that.
Oh, there's so much to say. I you learn a lot of things quickly. You know, once you're in like middle school, you're already expected to take the trains and the buses on your own. Yeah, you know. You you learn how to navigate streets. Do you learn what the da are very early? You know, to stay away from from strangers, you know, you know, you learn to keep your distance, don't make eye contact. That there's a lot that is spoken and unspoken. You learn very quickly to
be to be careful. It's a big place and it's easy to get lost. But you know, at the same time, you know, it's such a it's such a big city that there are so many people. You meet all kinds of people, no matter what school you go to, what like extracurriculars you do. You know, you are exposed to diversity from the jump. So I think that's kind of like the root of this idea that New Yorkers like
have seen it all or like nothing phases them. Like I've seen a lot of clips online of like New Yorkers not reacting or looking at something you know otherwise extraordinary happening on the subway. So yeah, it's it's it's great. It's great. You learn a whole lot, You get exposed to a lot, and over time you get used to a lot, maybe maybe get a little bit jaded, But you know, I don't regret.
It, Yeah, for sure, for sure now, so I do want to get to later this kind of point of that perspective to the West Coast especially. I know you went to UC Riverside, and I'm very well familiar with that school. But we'll get to that a little bit later. When did uh, when did you discover poetry? Was it during your childhood in the city, in the Bronx, like you said that New York, you learn a lot at
such a small young age. Did you discover writing at that point when you were learning so much at such a young age, or did poetry find you later in your career in your life.
I poetry like really got me when I was in high school. You know. The The unfortunate thing about the educational system, you know then when I was coming up through the ranks and still to this day, is that poetry is kind of a mini section. Like that's probably a day or two in a given like English course.
So you know, there were moments and I still remember these moments, you know, maybe like second grade, fifth grade, seventh grade, where there was a poetry section and I was really excited just to like have something creative to do in class, and you know, reading something that was different from all of the short stories, different from the you know, the plays that we read, et cetera. But it wasn't until high school, Like it wasn't until I was a freshman in high school where I started taking
up journaling seriously. And basically what happened is that over time, I was just like journaling every single day, just like writing everything that I did throughout the day, and day after day got more detailed. I started describing that just what I did that day, but I was talking about like the facial expressions in my friend's face when they told me this, and that I started describing what passers by were wearing. Like I was becoming really detailed, like
borderline obsessive with my journal entries. I wanted it to be as descriptive as possible, and then that became a problem because it caused insomnia. Like I was recounting my day into the night and so poetry just kind of happened from there. I found shortcuts, I found ways of describing emotions in detail that didn't need all that detail. I took it upon myself to learn new words so that I didn't have to like use a sentence to
describe something. I could just use that one word. And so you know, my ballooned, and then poetry allowed it to become more condensed, and I just stuck to it from there. I never got bored. I just kept writing poems about whatever I felt like, wow, wow.
You know, in the journey of kind of I one could say, I guess becoming a poet is a lot of you know, you really do describe yourself as a documentor of just life around you. Like you even saying that you were just going into such detail, almost like a summer like neuroticism of just details of people's lives that caused you insomnia. What do you think where did
that come from? What do you think that really kind of was inside of you that just wanted to write a detailed script and narration of everything your eyeballs were seeing, even as a like as.
A kid, if you're good, you're good. I yeah, I it was around that time that I that I realized that I was suffering from depression. I started going to therapy. You know, things were changing around that time, and I became a little bit more quiet, more reserved with people with peers, at school, with family, and I don't know, at least with me. I'm not going to be prescriptive, but like you stopped talking for a good month and you start seeing a lot of things going on, you
start to notice. I became very observant around that time, but I still needed something to say. I didn't trust myself to speak out verbally, but I think there's I think we all have an inherent need to be seen be heard. So while my mouth didn't want to talk, I let my pen do the talking. And you know, it's you're a teenager, You're in high school. There's a lot of changes going on. Things are becoming very very different, and yeah, you know a lot of new things on
the horizon you have to worry about. You know, you're starting to really think about careers in college. Yeah, I wanted to document that. I wanted to catch everything and process it. Poetry allowed me to really take these things in think about my experiences more thoroughly and come to some conclusions about what kind of person am I? Now? What kind of person do I want to be? What is this world that I mean? Why does society work this way? Yeah? I needed it for my well being.
Absolutely absolutely, Tell me and thank you for sharing that. That takes a lot, definitely to share that perspective and that experience, So we really do appreciate you sharing that with us. Tell me a little bit about how kind of moving gears a little bit. How does that area of South Bronx, How as a poet from Harlem, South Bronx, what does that mean to your writing? I know, like, as we talked about before before we start the show, the New York City is like it's unlike I think
any other place in the world. I think the Bronx, right, Harlem, there's such staples, but they're so unique in terms of there it's just fertile ground. For so much has happened, so much history, So many feet have walked there on that ground, so much history, right, so much movement, action, pain, joy, beauty. Right, so much has happened on those in just that area. Right. How do you feel that the area, your environment of Harlem,
South Bronx. Has that really influenced and shaped who you are as a writer or is that kind of just another chapter in the whole you know sphere of who Miguel is just one of the many layers of who you are? Or has that really shaped who you are as a writer?
You know, the city is fused to me, Like you know, you if you're born and raised here, this is basically who you are. It doesn't matter where I've gone, those instincts are always there. But yeah, like you know, thinking about my my neighborhoods, my stomping grounds, you know, historically speaking as you say, like Harlem Renaissance, you know what Langston Hughes crossed the same streets I did? You know, Boogie down Bronx. This is the birthplace of hip hop's
It's it's a story place. It's a very storied place, and you don't really like recognize that until later and you like dive deep into the history of your place. You know, as a kid, I it was just the place. It was just where I am, the only place I know. But yeah, it's it's It's always in my poetry, Like even when I'm gone, I'm writing about New York well, and it's kind of it's inseparable because it's like, you know, a lot of my poems try to process things that
happen when I was young. Place is tied to those memories. I feel like I can't have those memories without New York. You know, I will always place my poems somewhere, those feelings, those like occurrences, that childhood that was in the backdrop of concrete and asphalt and buildings, skyscrapers, cars are zipping by, you know, the horns are blaring, crowds of people. It's inseparable. It's always always there. Even when I'm writing about California, I feel like New York is there.
Wow, wow, wow, No, that's amazing. It's and I think I'm wondering you. I'm not a native New Yorker, but you are. You tell me if I'm Wronger right, that is something just so unique. Well, maybe not unique. I'm sure if we have people from the South, they would say maybe the South I was as a special place in their heart. But yeah, New York is a very very the city, New York City, very very special place. Now.
That's that's amazing that you said you're bonded you're fused to it, and that's absolutely amazing.
For better for worse, you know, like it's it's a famous place, well renowned. People across the world want to come here. But you know, gentrification is always happening. Our mayors are never good. You know, there's a constant fear of you know, violence and you know, a fear of a potential uptick and crime basically all the time, whether it's happening or not. You know, it's for better or for worse for sure, bit or sweet that.
Are sweet for better for worse. Now, that's a good good way to put it. Now, I do want to I want to now kind of go shift as we kind of move forward down what has been your career so far before we get to being a twenty twenty two length and the us Fellow, Coved kunt of Fellow, all these phenomenal works that you've done in accolades, I want to talk about the time you spent at UC Riverside and receiving your MSA and creative writing. I think it's so pertinent and it intrigues me being as someone
that's lived on both West and East Coast. What I mean, what was it like having the experience going to UC Riverside. I went to actually you see Davis myself, I'm very familiar with like the UC system. I'm just wondering, how does how does how does anyone even from South Bronx Harlem? How do you hear about a place like U see Riverside? Right? How do you hear about? You know what made you kind of traverse all the way to the other side of the country to really pursue and continue your education
with writing? And what? What? What is the difference you see West versus East Coast in terms of just the environment as a poet? You know what? Was just somethings you you took note of.
Got my bachelor's degree in psychology, and initially I wanted to be a therapist, like I wanted to specialize in like helping kids and teens overcome like neurodivergence. I wanted to be support for people that dealt with things that
I dealt with when I was younger. But at some point it must have been like early senior year, I realized that this is not necessarily for me, and so I was looking for something to commit to career wise that I would not get bored with that I know that, like my interests will never waiver and the only thing that I could come up with is poetry. So once I graduated, I applied to MFA programs, including uc Riverside, and I was lucky to get a get an admission for UCR and I, you know, I I was excited.
I was always interested in moving west. I was always interested in living outside of the state. And you know, at that point in my life, this is like twenty eighteen, the stress of the city was getting to me. I was starting to get tired of like walking in crowds. I was craving something slower paced, something that would keep my nerves low. So I was like, yeah, let's do it. Let's go to calling so that you know that that's what initially brought me out there, and you know it,
it did give me a sense of calm. It gave me what I needed at the time. You know, nice weather, sun all the time, you get that vitamin D. You know, people are generally chiller, less hustle and bustle, a little slower paced. You know, you got you got the beach near by, like a nice clean beach nearby to go to. You know, the only issue at the time is you grow up in New York. It don't need a license, you don't need to drive. So that became a problem
pretty quickly. I actually just got my license two years ago.
Okay, wow, yeah.
First time. So yeah, it's it's it's nice, it's it's low paced. But you know, I think within three years I realized, Okay, I'm getting a little bored.
Now.
I need more I need more action, I need more activity. There are no delis on the corners. Uh, like, I need somewhere to go to for food at one in the morning, and nothing's open except for McDonald's in California. For some reason, I was missing the activity. So you know that this was a good point in my life to return. And yeah, it's I did. I feel like this is always gonna be the case. I feel like within a few years of being here in New York, I'm gonna be like, oh I missed the slow pace
of Cali, and then maybe I'll go back. And then within three years I'll be like, I'm bored here. I'm going to go back to New York. You know, you miss what you don't have.
Yeah, no, that's that's that's interesting. That is so fascinating. Man, man, you needed a chop cheese at one am. So yeah, I have to go back to the city. Oh my goodness, gracious right now. That that's really something to hear, though, I do. I hear a lot of that, that expression from a lot of people. People they love the slow pace of maybe, let's say, in this case California, especially a place like Riverside. It's so nice there. I mean, it's so relaxed, it's so it's literally the A one
eighty of New York City. I mean, you wouldn't even be able to compare the two even on a similar day. I mean, it's really complete opposites of each other. So it's kind of interesting to hear you say you eventually wanted to go back to the hustle and bustle and rancor that is the city. I'm curious too, then your time there, just even as a writer, how did you see your writing change or did it change when you lived in California? You know, such a different paced, slower
paced environment. Did you see a difference in your poetry? You're thinking the schematic of the design of how you wrote what you wrote about.
For sure, for sure, and you know to the extent that just being there affected my work. You know, like I said before, a place is important to me. I need a backdrop for what I'm writing about.
Yeah.
So I remember walking around the campus of UCR like for the first two three weeks. You should have seen me. I was just like whoa, whoa, because it's just like succulence everywhere, you know, just like introducing yourself, like familiarize yourself with the new trees, the new plants. All of a sudden, instead of you know, the rats and the roaches, it's geckos or some other lizards just like skittering about on your walk. The sunrises and the sunsets were different. Yeah, wow,
like like brighter. They say that it's air pollution, but it's beautiful. So yeah, it just changed. It changed the imagery of my work. There was there was less about crowds of people and like losing yourself amongst them and wanting connection, and it was more like it was almost pastoral or pastoral leaning. That shift from you know, everything around me as a building in a crowd to everything around me are these beautiful plants and the warmth and the quiet.
Yeah.
So yeah, yeah, it's it's really interesting sometimes to like look at two poems of mind where one is like very clearly New York and one is very clearly like deserted California, Southern California. Yes, yeah, dramatic difference, like even in tone.
Yeah wow wow. Now that to even kind of I think, to even notice that change in yourself, I think already is a bit It's completely metaphorical, but also very shows the level of self care that you have for yourself, because most people probably wouldn't be able to address the fact that they were going through that type of change. Like you said, even seeing like the suck of us, I mean just even lizards on the wall. Those those are things people don't even notice when they go to
a different place. You know. The fact that you're able to kind of recognize and do that kind of internal self reflection that even you know, just the way how you were seeing things, you're writing something, even those my new details was really all changing because of your environment. That's really very amazing to hear. So tell me a little bit about your work, Kaved Kandum a fellow, that's some huge, huge, huge You're a huge deal, Miguel, that's a big, big deal. Tell me a little bit about
your time there as a fellow. You know we've here. I hear stories all the time people that I know they've you know, done that fellowship. And you know, obviously you have some very very elite company from a lot of amazing folks that have tooken that that pledge before you. So tell us a little bit about your time as a fellow there.
Yeah, I mean I yeah, I got the news that I got accepted for my first retreat last year.
Wow.
And I I I was actually flabbergasted because I graduated from the MFA in twenty twenty and I had a peer there who was a year ahead of me. Her name is Jasmine Elizabeth Smith, fantastic, brilliant poet.
Yeah, and you.
Know we were the only two black poets there.
Wow.
And you know, before she graduated, she was telling me over and over reply a plata Cave, Please applat to Cove. You have to apply to Cove all the time, but tell me to do so. She graduates, I start my second year of the MFA, and you know, the year becomes twenty twenty and then suddenly it's a pandemic, so
that Cove was canceled. I believe the cove after that was also canceled, and so in twenty twenty two they had to bring bring in the people that were accepted initial for twenty twenty, so they were not accepting applications for that year. So I applied for the twenty twenty three conference, and that was my first time applying, and
I was just astounded that I got in. But I think I was more shocked when I got there, how amazing it was, like genuinely how amazing, Like it filled my heart, like, you know, for for all the good that the MFA did for me, I learned a lot. I met, you know, peers and friends that I'm going to hold on to forever my work grew. I think it's always going to be the case for most people. I don't think I've heard anyone disagree with this idea. The MFA is never what you expected today. You imagine
something a little I don't know, idyllic. You imagine some sort of like artistic heaven the MFA, But it's not exactly that. Speaking for myself, Covid was exactly that, you know, like all of those poets were gifted and kind and sweet, and they hold you tenderly. You know I have social anxiety, and that dissipated in a day. Wow, I was talking to everybody, and everybody was talking to me like I wasn't nervous anymore. I wasn't scared to share my stuff.
I wasn't scared to talk about anything. It was beautiful, beautiful. Last year, it was, you know, one of the greatest weeks of my life. I went again this past summer again one of the greatest weeks of my life.
Wow. Wow, Now those are such heavy but also beautiful words. I feel like in most of those, in situations like that, where you're with like the elite of the elite, the top of your class that you're you know, those are the top people in your in your sport, right in your arena, in your craft, in your art. I think usually people they find themselves with that intense imposter syndrome, you know, where it's like, dang, everyone I thought I
was talented, I get everyone else is talented. People also can walk and shoot them at the same time, you know what I mean. People, You know, people are just as good or even not even better, right, And it's so it must have been such a great feeling, Like you said, it wasn't like it was an environment that was everyone's gifts were just flowing with each other like a circle. Right like you said it was you felt full. I mean that must have been. I mean, yeah, you said,
greatest week of your life. I mean, what do you think it fostered that type of environment at that kave kanem as opposed to you know that intense imposter syndrome people that are so great When people gather together in those types of environments, it tends to be a little off. People do feel that anxiety. What made this so different, you think?
I mean a number of things I can name, and I'm sure it's a lot more that I wouldn't even be able to put my finger on. But I feel like everyone there is just grateful to be there, and you know, like there with a sense of humility, not trying to perform or outperform. We're all there on a mission. We want our work to get better, and we want company. We want people to be able to hear us and accept us. And I think it's just a space where you know a number of the walls are torn down.
Every covey begins with the opening circle, the night that everyone arrives and it's all inspiring and terrifying and sad. Everyone sits in a circle and goes around the room answering the question why are you here? However you interpret that question, and people have stories, people have experiences, people have things that they've dealt with, you know, just a few years, a few months, a few days prior to this moment, and they have stories to tell. They have
things that they've dealt with. They've lost people, they've lost jobs, they've lost time. Yeah, it becomes very honest and very thorough and very beautiful. Just how vulnerable everyone gets from the jump. That's the beginning of the week. Everyone just basically confessing to what they've gone through. And I think I think that tears down the wall sufficiently for you to you know, understand, these are not these are not
complete strangers to you anymore. For the rest of the week, you know what they've been through, or at least a fraction of what they've been through. Uh, And you can hold them and they can hold you having shared your own vulnerability, and that makes sharing the poems easier within your group or at the readings, or you know, just hanging out having lunch together to share a poem that
you wrote, It's It's It's a nice time. The vulnerability allows us to be more open and receptive people and giving people.
Now. I know we had started off this interview we had talked about your I had read all of your amazing accolades, and I remember you had said you're still fledgling with your success. Tell me where you I mean, where are you at in this day like now? I know you use the word fledgling, but where do you
feel like you truly are now? I mean, are you Are you happy with where you are as as you've developed as a poet, as a writer, all these you know, again, distinguished achievements that you've been able to to surmount to get to or do you do you feel like you're at a point now where you feel comfortable, where you feel like, hey, I can, I can. I am a poet and I know it, I know this, I am a writer. Or do you still feel like there's aspects of you where you have not gone to that quote
unquote mountaintop? How much? How much do you feel like you still are climbing on your journey.
I feel like I've done a good amount of work fighting off the impostor syndrome. It's still there, it still comes up from time to time. I think I was lucky enough that I was able to shake off the question of am I really a poet? Back in high school. I know I've known people in their m phase questioning whether they're a poet. One of the major parts of that fight for me personally is, you know, comparing myself to others, this idea that I wanted a book, two
books published before I turned thirty. I'm about to turn thirty in a month, a month from today. No book yet, no manuscript yet. And that required accepting that there's so much time, that there's just so much time. I've been working on these poems NonStop, but the manuscript is not ready. I'm going to give it it's time. I'm going to keep writing these poems until I feel ready to put them in the right order and I am confident and
happy with what that manuscript is. I read an interview with Eduardo corral from a few years back when when when he released Slow Lightning, and I believe it was like like he said that it was eight years post MFA that he worked on that his first collection of poems, and he was asked about that in the interview when that was his rationale, like it needed time and I was willing to give it that time. So you know, I've I've learned to wrangle with my with my impatience.
It's not a race anymore. It's it's not about me, you know, getting a book out at the same age as these other people. It's about me getting my book out on my time when I think it's ready. And in the meantime, like I'm still growing my craft, you know, like I'm still developing this work. It's not like this time is being wasted. I'm committed to only getting better. So, yeah, I patience is key. The book will be ready when it's ready. In the meantime, I'm just gonna keep writing poems.
Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's such a beautiful thing. And I also think that's honestly, I think you may have just unlocked the key because that is so freeing. I feel for you to just say I'm on the time, it's gonna come out when it's ready to come out. I'm not. And like you said, people, I think get into this moment in this sphere of thinking I need to do this, I need to do this before this certain age. I need to hit this mark, I need to do this.
Do that.
And again, as cliche as it is, we look at everyone's highlight real you don't see what people have gone through to maybe where that person did something in a short amount of time, but you didn't see what they had to go through to get they solve window that they had and this is just when they had finally their time to jump on an opportunity. And it is such a freeing thing when you, like you said, wrangling
in patients. Patience really is such a major key of life, because I remember I said this to a friend the other day. You know, we can you know, we can only bend the universe to our will so far. Right at the end of the day, it's a big, old universe with a lot of question marks that we have no control over. You only can really control what's right in front of you and how you're dealing with things in your own life, choosing to stay, walk away from
continue to be in different situations. So I think that must be such a freeing feeling to kind of just say, hey, I'm on my time. This is when my book comes out, my first whatever maybe collection all these things, this is when it's going to come out. How did you kind of reach that center of peace that I think a lot of people don't reach. I think it's very hard to build that mental fortitude of patients, especially in the arts.
Mm hmm. I I think it's once I really started noticing that my work was getting better. I think that was probably one of the biggest I guess drivers towards me being calmer and patient about the speed of my career, knowing that I am honing my craft and the signs are there, you know, like being able to see that this poem from you know, this year, I can I can read that, and I can compare it to the one that I wrote two years ago, and I much prefer this new one.
Mm hmm.
It's proof that you are on a trajectory so long as you commit to bettering yourself, bettering your craft, making your voice stronger, expanding any aspect of the way that you write. If you're committed to that and you see the progress, you see the growth, you know, those bigger accomplishments will come. That book will put itself together at some point, but the time is being spent well. It
also helps having peers. It also helps having friends that are on the same on the same path that you are trying to put that book together, trying to put their second book together, and being able to commiserate, being able to support each other, that sense of community. There were periods of time where I didn't have it, and that lack was very, very painful, and then there were times where I did have it, and I I have a lot of it now. That support system is really really important.
One thousand percent. Yes, community, community means so much. Thank you so much, Miguel for sharing. It's been such a such an amazing conversation thus far. I really appreciate you opening up your words to us, heart, mind, soul, all those good things. Miguel. Miguel, we have one last question for you on the Post Speaks podcast today. Miguel, why do you need to get your words out?
I I feel like this is the the most that I can give. Poetry is the activity that I enjoy the most. I think that it's it's like that art, that that making of a thing, putting those words together, making them right or as close to right as possible. That's my favorite kind of toiling. That's that's my favorite way to spend a few hours, to spend a few days, to spend a few months, and there are stories to
be told. It's not just mine. You know, my story includes my sister's story, my parents' stories, my grandparents' stories. I don't know anybody else in my family that told these stories. I have peers that are telling stories. You know, of different parts of the city, different neighborhoods or something. You know, different states, different countries. I think, I think these stories, the stories of my neighbors, the stories of like the working class people of color in the Bronx,
they need to be told. They need to be told. You know, they can people can try to like obscure certain histories, but like, so long as somebody is telling these stories, those people will never be gone. There is an immortalization. So it is a sense of responsibility. If you're willing to give your words to explain the hardships that people go through for living where you live, for being the color that you are, for being queer, you know, it's all worth it. It's all worth it. It's it's
my biggest drive. I have to I just have to.
Nice, nice, absolutely, Thank you so much, Miguel, Then thank you for sharing all of your amazing words everyone. That's why Miguel needs to use words out all right, and now, Miguel, tell us what is the rest of twenty twenty four looking for you? Right now? Obviously we got we're nswering the last chur of twenty twenty four. So what is the rest of the year looking like for you? Any events? And tell us where can folks check out all of
you are amazing and beautiful work. Any websites, social media leaks, tell the folks out there.
Yeah for sure. So I this Thursday, I'm actually going to be at a reading. It's like the Exquisits series. You can follow them at Exquisits BK on Instagram. Yeah, it's five queer poets twelve minutes each at the Aberdeen Community Garden in Brooklyn. It's also going to be streamed. There's gonna be a zoom so you can follow them
for information there. I'm looking forward to a few poems that are gonna come out of mine in the Colorado Review and three other poems in Narrative that they were named the finalist of or a finalists for their sixteenth Annual Poetry Contest. So I'm excited for those six poems to come out later this year. And I'm just going to keep writing, keep writing, keep it floor in my city. Finding open mics.
Yeah absolutely. Where can we find your stuff? Any links? Website, social media?
Check out I'm mmp poetry on Instagram.
All right, everyone check off. All of Miguel's links will be down below in the detailed box section. No matter what platform, you listen to this amazing podcast on. Again, a big thank you, Thank you so much Miguel for joining us today on the Post Speaks Podcast.
Thank you so much. I appreciate it absolutely.
And again everyone go check off Miguel's amazing works. His links will be down below in the description box by where you listen to this podcast? Everyone, This is the Post Speaks Podcast, Like I said, the number one poetry podcast in the world. Everyone, all right, thank you so much. Talk to you soon, boye bye