It was an honor to speak with John Brown (Writer, Poet, and Unpublished novelist) about his thoughts and views on writing, culture, and more.
“I think it’s EXTREMELY important to utilize the different art forms as a way to discover new things.” - John Brown
“I write from a very raw space. My words regularly come out unfiltered and unedited. If profanity is what comes out of my brain, that’s exactly what goes on the page. I don’t edit or rewrite my poetry or essays.” - John Brown
How do you believe contemporary culture influences modern poetry and vice versa?
In our modern society, we are inundated with information due to technology. Everything is readily available at our literal fingertips. People can open their phone and find pictures, music, news, words, or other writing that allows writers to be influenced when they put their words on a page. But it also allows the modern poet to influence modern culture, whether literature, music, or tv.
In what ways can poetry act as a catalyst for social change?
I believe social change is extremely important. We need to be evolving as a collective society while evolving as individuals at the same time. Music is possibly a more common form due to the ability of music to be played on TV, radio, the internet, and live performances. Societal and political change has existed in poems and music since long before I was born. So many writers, philosophers, and musicians have chosen to speak out in the form of the written word. It can reach everyone across cultures, races, genders, religions, everything.
How does your personal cultural background shape your literary voice and themes?
I come from an older family. My brother was 20 years older than me, born in 1948. I’ve moved a lot. These things have exposed me to different medias, cultures, and forms of art. I consider myself blessed in that regard. Staying in one place can close a person off to experience. I think I’ve learned to understand diversity. I often write from a place of personal reflection - my emotions, my thoughts, my experiences. If something external emotionally moves me enough - anger, sadness, joy - I may put that into lyrics or a poem. In my life, I’ve written about abuse, racism, neglect, marriage, divorce, grief, wants and desires, and numerous other topics. I’ve written from a tormented soul many times over.
Can art and literature truly capture the complexities of societal issues, or are they merely reflections of them?
There’s a term I stumbled across in writing that says “Write what you know” ... people write from a place of familiarity. Fantasy, Science fiction, and horror probably are the exceptions, but even at the root of the stories, I’m sure people write characters or themes on what they understand (I could be very mistaken here). I think art and literature can capture the complexities, but at the same time are reflections of what the artist/writer knows. James Baldwin is the most prominent author that comes to mind for me. His writing, both fiction and non-fiction comes from places of familiarity and his experience with racism, homophobia, and the culture clashes during the civil rights era.
What role do you think digital media plays in the evolution of poetry and literature today?
I’m just starting to get into the concept of digital media for poetry. People can put their written works onto a page, but we might lose some of the meaning or interpretation. But if the author brings us the audible version, we get their intonation, their diction, their emphasis, their emotions. Those all add high value to a poem, creating different feel for the consumer (reader/listener). But this has long been a thing that is just now starting to take growth. The first time I experience spoken word poems was when Tupac’s poems were put out on CD as read by celebrities.
How do you approach the challenge of making your work accessible to a diverse audience without compromising its depth or nuance?
I write from my experience expecting it be read by anyone that wants to read and try to understand it - I know that means it could be read by men or women of all roles, all races, people from all walks of life. I look at it as I’m speaking from a place of being human. I don’t reword it to reach a specific group of people.
What is the significance of preserving traditional forms of poetry in a rapidly changing cultural landscape?
Poetry has existed in numerous forms for centuries. Form and function have always been at the writer’s discretion and the reader’s interpretation. The beauty of art is that the past influences the present. I’m just as influenced by Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe as I am the many great poets on a platform like Substack.
How do you balance the aesthetic aspects of your work with the need to convey a meaningful message?
My poems usually go on the page the way my brain shapes them. Sometimes, that might shape the visual form that they come out in - structured a certain way, multiple stanzas, or maybe one large block sonnet style. It really depends on what my brain creates, which I don’t try to adjust. I write them and never edit (unless I make typos!) I have started attaching images for a platform like Substack. In the past, when using social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), I would put my poems on top of one of my photos.
Can you discuss a piece of literature or art that profoundly impacted your perspective on society?
Stride Toward Freedom, The Montgomery Story by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I read this last year during Black History Month. It was my first time getting beyond reading James Baldwin and Richard Wright. I was literally moved to tears, both good and bad, by Dr. King’s words. The story is well known, as is the fight for Civil Rights. But to see it told so eloquently in the beautiful words of Dr. King changed the entire feeling from the man at the forefront of it all. I found myself cheering for King during the movement, while equally horrified by the actions of those on the other side of the fight. Almost 70 years later, his words are more relevant than ever.
How do societal norms and expectations influence the subjects and styles you choose to explore in your work?
I normally write from emotion, and often from my own space of experience. But I occasionally delve into societal topics - politics, race, environmental. I will say that I don’t try to adhere to societal norms. I try to write from my voice, in my style, with the intent of conveying my message.
What do you believe is the most pressing cultural issue that artists and writers should address today?
Prejudice has come screaming to the forefront of society due to the internet and everyone having a camera phone. We are recording the brutality of racism, sexism, and religious hatred multiple times a day. It’s everywhere. And the fact that we see so many people RECORDING INSTEAD OF HELPING makes me question humanity on a daily basis. These behaviors are definitely not new. They’re just more easily accessible. I think what needs to be address is unity and support. I have had friends through my life from all walks of life - races, genders, sexual preferences, religions. I have something in common with all of them, I’m human. It’s finding that beautiful space of coexistence where artists and writers can voice their cries of a need for unity.
In your opinion, how does the intersection of different art forms (e.g., visual art, music, literature) enhance the exploration of cultural themes?
I think it’s EXTREMELY important to utilize the different art forms as a way to discover new things. I hit my formative years in the 1980s during the rise of Hip-Hop culture and Rap. As much as I love the art of people like Rakim, LL Cool J, Run DMC, and others, Public Enemy spoke to me because of their brutal, in-your-face style of political and societal activism. Those things made me curious. It led me to Black Literature and Black Studies courses during my college years in the late 1980s. Without Rap music, I probably don’t take that leap. I then don’t discover Black writers like Richard Wright or James Baldwin. The value of art can lead a person in the beauty of a completely unexplored soul and a culture otherwise unknown.
How do you see the role of the poet evolving in the context of current global events and societal shifts?
A friend of mine, Rod Bluhm, just wrote his first novel. It’s the first in a three-part series. Rod writes a lot of poetry, but he wanted to put that in a different voice. He gave his main character, a young Black girl, the power of words and poetry to stoke the value of philosophical and societal thought. She realizes she has a gift to create change. I think the real poets of the world have the same ability. But it can’t be forced. People have to write for themselves first and foremost but write about those things that are important. That said, the poet has the ability to use the ability of words for powerful change. They always have. They always will - at least in the United States.
What advice would you give to emerging poets and thinkers who want to address cultural and social issues in their work?
Write about the causes that are important to you - That’s where your most powerful words and ideas will come from. Write about your community, write about the environment, write about the animals, write about the oceans, write about politics and the importance of change. There are so many things that are important to so many people. We’re all different, but we all have a gift to share, and that is what sparks change.
SPEAK YOUR TRUTH.
“I'm not saying I'm going to change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world.” - Tupac Shakur
How do you navigate the tension between personal expression and universal themes in your poetry and essays?
I write from a very raw space. My words regularly come out unfiltered and unedited. If profanity is what comes out of my brain, that’s exactly what goes on the page. I don’t edit or rewrite my poetry or essays. What you see is what you get. There can be a natural tension that comes from raw emotion, and I accept that. I’d say that my readers would understand and accept that as well. I think all of us have something in common and the ability to relate to someone else. It’s in those common spaces where art speaks to a person, albeit everyone can find something different in the same piece of writing.
Shareece - thanks so much for asking me to have this conversation! I truly enjoyed delving into your questions. I'm absolutely humbled and thrilled by your support for my writing. And I will do everything in my power to support your work and lift your voice up to others! 🌞🙏🏼🤍
Hey Shareece, this was a great interview! I love how John captured the importance of poetry in the modern form and how technology has allowed us to give our poems audio so the reader can actually feel what we’re saying in our words which can also help understand the meaning. Poetry is my favorite writing genre because it’s my therapy and it allows me way more creative freedom than a nonfiction articles gives me! Plus, it’s a different way to connect with myself and the reader. Thank you so much for sharing this! Keep up the great work! 💪💪💪