Mark Anthony Thomas shares poetry, prose, and music in
Let Mark Anthony Thomas tell it--- he’ll be his generation’s Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, or Nikki Giovanni. Nevertheless, if you read The Poetic Repercussion: A Poetic & Musical Narrative, you might agree. Read on as this twenty-five-year old author discusses the secrets and success of his latest release.
BM: As a young writer, has it been difficult for you to earn credibility as an author among other authors and readers?
MAT: Fortunately, I’ve been recognized for my writing since my teenage years. While in high school, the Atlanta Braves, Georgia Holocaust Commission, and DeKalb County School System, were some of those who honored my ability. In my four years at the University of Georgia and then my professional career, I’ve continued to challenge myself to build on that early foundation. With The Poetic Repercussion, I wanted to create something, that wouldn’t stamp “youthful” on the quality of my work. Readers go into bookstores, and will see my books alongside great poetic icons. I want to create works that offer that same value and entertainment quality. I couldn’t complete this book until I felt, as a cohesive project the quality was exceptional in my own eyes. This year, when I received the nomination for Georgia Author of the Year-Poetry and won the Los Angeles Black Book Expo Awards’ top honor in poetry, I could definitely sense I was heading in the right direction. The book clubs, colleges, and media organizations have also been supportive of my work--- which is a great feeling.
BM: Many of your reviews have compared your work to the poetic icons. How does it make you feel?
MAT: It’s humbling. In the poem “Lover to the Arts,” I proactively touched this by writing about my own renaissance in all forms of the arts. I declare my goal to tap into my inner voice, in the same way the literary icons did. It’s only natural for people to compare younger artists to their icons, but at no point do we perceive ourselves as equivalents or better than those who inspired us.
BM: The Poetic Repercussion takes place in a psychiatrist’s chair, includes works on Kabala, meditation, and the Apocrypha. Does this represent questioning that you had, or are currently going through?
MAT: I’m a Christian and have very supportive followings from the religious community. Yet, there were certain elements of those subjects I thought were important in humanizing the experience of the book. I used 101 scripture references to link the messages of the works, with messages of works written in historic times. In writing this book, one of my personal goals was to strengthen the reasons I believed what I believed, in regards to my faith. My first book took place in a confessional booth. This time around, I wanted something candid and open-ended, and found that with the psychiatrist’s chair. What better form of honesty and openness than to begin there?
BM: Who is the target audience for your works and what do you feel you offer them?
MAT: If you’re interested in reading the mind of a coming-of-age black man in today’s culture, then you’re a part of my audience. Growing up in a generation of Republican- led wars, terrorism, Hip Hop, hidden prejudice, and terminal diseases such as HIV, I definitely had a myriad of subjects to play with. I wanted the non-book reading man to enjoy my work--- so I wrote on athletics, rap music, fatherhood, and gender-specific issues. I spent three years studying piles of books and literary styles from across the globe to learn true ways to capture the historical culture of literature, while fully addressing what’s on our minds today. If you were to study my work, you’d find adventurous and diverse forms, plus allusions and references. Throw in the musical styles, a storyline, plus scriptural references, and you have a lot going on. Yet, on the other hand, you’d still find an easy read that will make you laugh, smile, and nod your head.
BM: What were some of your other goals and expectations of this project?
MAT: I set a personal journey to discover the causes and catalysts for the “Repercussion” my life and society had become. Not that things were in chaos, but in the process of becoming a man, there’s so much consciousness I was gaining. I wanted to capture the positive, negative, and everything in between. On paper it sounds easy, but it’s emotionally taxing to see all of these things in front of you. Before this project, there was never a time that my own words could pull tears from my eyes. Writing pieces like “Product of Divorce,” “Separate Beds,” and “Season Pass,” evoked a new deeper emotional tug. Very rarely do you see a black man share his convolutions, but that’s what I wanted – it was my goal. It’s amazing how painful pulling and writing about these things were, but how at peace I became while finishing the book. One line in “Acoustic Prayer” says, “I sigh in spiritual release, from a strived for melodic peace,” which was a true feeling. God definitely used writing this project as a therapy that I didn’t even realize I needed.
BM: The book narrates through multiple dimensions of love. Our ladies want to know, if you had to pick a few of your pieces regarding love, which ones would they be and why?
MAT: One of my favorites is “Soul Mated.” This spiritually inspired piece highlights how we can be deeply in love with someone, but downplay those feelings so the person wouldn’t feel obligated to love us back. “Ocean Tides” is a somewhat edgy jazz-piece that tackles the connection between mental and physical attractions. “Cyber Hickey” takes a flirtatious approach to a dating trend, in a music form. Love poems are strangely personal, so it’s nearly impossible to separate the heart of the writer from the words you’re reading.
BM: Can you describe your writing process?
MAT: Usually reflective. I have a very active life, with multiple careers going on, so I see and capture a lot. When I’m finally at my computer, in the late-late evening, that’s when all the visuals I’ve seen are translated into words. Music has such a strong influence on this book project and in my life in general. I study song lyrics and how songs are written. What this does, is creates a chorus or a hook in my head for a musical poem. I’ll write that hook first then craft the verses around the choruses. Oftentimes, I get requests to write for an event or program, which forces creativity on a particular topic. With that, I’ll wait until the night before the piece is due, take a deep Adam-like sleep, then awake to let the words flow while I’m listening to an album on that subject. I guess it clears my mind and gets me in “the zone.”
BM: What are ways that you have used your career as an author to benefit causes?
MAT: Being an author thrusts you in the public eye, which provides a great chance to connect with causes you have a passion for. I’ve worked directly with literacy programs, group homes and centers, correctional facilities, plus an array of charity efforts for community causes. Selling books and performing is just one part of being here. Some of the writing requests have been to benefit causes, such as spousal abuse or education. There are things that keep me sharing my work, such as having others share how my words were inspiration to go to school, lifted them from sadness, or comforted them during hard times. I’ve been receiving those compliments since I was fifteen years old, which is more powerful than any award or book review I’ve received. As popular as the spoken word movement has become, there’s nothing more impacting then the power of the written word – which is my passion and connecting device. To know my poetic testimony has impacted other lives is nothing but the glory of God.
PUBLISHED IN BOOKING MATTERS MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2005
Views: 11
About the Author
| webgold |
