>> Announcer: THE UPCOMING PROGRAM WAS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PROGRAM ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF WTJX´S BOARD, STAFF OR UNDERWRITERS.

>>> WELCOME TO "THE BOOKCASE."

I´M YOUR HOST, SOMETIME WRITER AND LONG-TIME READER.

I INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME ON "THE BOOKCASE" AS WE STUDY A LOCAL TALENT.

EVERY WEEK WE WILL INTRODUCE YOU TO A LOCAL AUTHOR AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR WORK.

A STORYTELLER LIVES IN EACH OF US, AND I´M SO EXCITED TO GIVE HOME-GROWN STORYTELLERS A CHANCE TO TELL THEIR STORY.

I´M SO ANXIOUS TO WELCOME BEKO McMILLAN.

BEKO, WELCOME TO "THE BOOKCASE."

PLEASE TELL THE AUDIENCE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.

>> I´M BEKO McMILLAN, BORN AND RAISED HERE ON ST. CROIX.

[ INAUDIBLE ] >> I GRADUATED FROM SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY WITH A BACHELOR´S DEGREE IN BIOLOGY.

[ INAUDIBLE ] >> I WAS IN ART AND DESIGN, COLLECTIVE DATA.

I´VE BEEN IN SCIENCE SO LONG BECAUSE I ATTENDED A PROGRAM SINCE SEVENTH GRADE ALL THE WAY THROUGH MY LAST YEAR OF COLLEGE, AND SO I´VE BEEN IN SCIENCE FOR SO LONG, I HADN´T REALLY TRIED ANYTHING ELSE.

I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN HOME, AND NOW I WORK WITH THE BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH AS A SENIOR POLICY ANALYST.

>> AWESOME.

WELCOME HOME.

>> THANK YOU.

>> YOU SAY YOU WERE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP, AND SINCE I NOW CONSIDER YOU TO BE ONE OF OUR CANAAN OF VIRGIN AUTHORS, WHAT WAS YOUR EXPOSURE, ESPECIALLY TO POETS?

>> MY EXPOSURE WAS NONTRADITIONAL, REALLY.

I FIRST GOT INTO POETRY BECAUSE OF MY BROTHER.

HE USED TO WRITE POETRY SORT OF THERAPEUTICALLY.

HE´S MY OLDER BROTHER, AND HE KNOWS MORE THAN THE YOUNGER ONE DOES.

I STARTED WRITING IT, AND IT WAS NOT REALLY THERAPEUTIC, BUT [ INAUDIBLE ] >> WHAT I SAID TO THEM WAS -- THEY HAVE THIS ONE PARTICULAR SONG ABOUT GROWING UP IN POVERTY AND WHAT THAT EXPERIENCE WAS LIKE AND WHAT SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS ARE.

BUT WHEN YOU LISTEN TO IT WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT, IT´S JUST A RAP SONG.

[ INAUDIBLE ] >> SOME OF WHICH YOU HAD?

>> EXACTLY.

GOING BACK TO THAT LONG FORM POETRY, IT´S REALLY A SPECIFIC KIND OF ART.

[ INAUDIBLE ] >> GENERALLY YOU HAVE THIS TENDENCY TO WRITE POETRY USING AN AA, BB FORM AND IT MAKES IT SINGSONG.

I´VE ALWAYS KIND OF DRIFTED AWAY FROM THAT.

>> WOULD YOU SAY THAT IS BECAUSE OF CULTURE AND DIALECT TO MORE USE THAT PATTERN?

>> WHEN WE SPEAK, YOU CAN HEAR THE SINGSONGING SORT OF PATTERNS THAT COME FROM JUST OUR REGULAR DIALECT AND ACCENT.

BUT I DON´T KNOW WHAT IT WAS -- I THINK IT WAS MY -- >> YOU HAVE A BACHELOR´S DEGREE IN BIOLOGY AND A BACHELOR´S DEGREE IN SCIENCE.

ANY FORMAL STUDIES OR SOMETHING YOU JUST GRAVITATED TO?

>> I JUST GRAVITATED TO IT.

I REMEMBER I WROTE A POEM IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE LANGUAGE ARTS SHOWCASE, AND THEY DIDN´T ALLOW ME TO READ IT.

IT´S ONLY BECAUSE IN THE POEM I WROTE THE WORDS "I HATE ENGLISH" WHICH YOU CAN´T REALLY SAY IN IN THE ARTS SHOWCASE.

>> YES, YOU CAN.

>> WHAT I REMEMBER READING ABOUT IT NOW THAT I´M AN ADULT, EVEN THOUGH I HAD NO FORMAL LITERATURE CLASSES, I STILL TOOK FROM THE "BEOWOLF" AND "MACBETH," I WOULDN´T SAY FORMAL TRAINING BUT JUST A DEDICATION TO STUDY IT.

>> SO WHEN DID YOU FIRST SAY, I, BEKO, AM A WRITER?

>> THIS WAS ACTUALLY IN SEVENTH GRADE -- EIGHTH GRADE.

[ INAUDIBLE ] >> I DID USE THE AA, BB RHYME SCHEME, BUT I THINK AFTER I WROTE IT AND I READ IT AGAIN -- THAT WAS REALLY THE BEGINNING OF WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE MY INCEPTION INTO POETRY.

>> SO YOU STARTED FINDING YOURSELF AS A WRITER IN SEVENTH OR EIGHTH GRADE?

>> YES.

>> THERE ARE SO MANY GENRES.

THERE´S NOVELS, FICTION.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE STRUCTURE?

>> I HAVE ISSUE WITH THE KIND OF LONGEVITY REQUIRED TO WRITE ONE, BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, SCENE SETTING, BUT FOR POETRY -- >> ARE THERE ANY OTHER POETS, YOU MENTIONED THE MASTERS LIKE SHAKESPEARE.

WHEN YOU WERE LOOKING AT OTHER SPOKEN WORD OPPORTUNITIES, WAS THERE ANYONE´S ENERGY THAT SPOKE TO YOU?

>> YEAH.

SO MY TWO FAVORITE -- I GUESS THREE FAVORITE SPOKEN WORD POETS WOULD BE SHIHAN, GEMINI AND JEZEMEN.

THE FIRST TWO WERE POETRY, AND THEY WERE SORT OF OLDER, BRINGING IN SPOKEN WORD TO ITS POPULARITY.

AND JEZEMEN WAS A LITTLE BIT YOUNGER.

SHE SORT OF USES THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE IN A WAY THAT I THINK IS VERY MASTERFUL AND JUST HER PRESENTATION STYLE, IT REALLY -- IT TAUGHT ME, KIND OF, HOW TO FORMULATE MY OWN POETRY.

>> IS TO I´M ALWAYS SO EXCITED TO WELCOME YOUNG MALE CREATORS BECAUSE WE DON´T SEE ENOUGH OF YOU, OR I DON´T THINK YOU HAVE ENOUGH ENCOURAGEMENT TO SAY IT´S OKAY TO EXPRESS YOURSELF CREATIVELY.

I WAS READING A QUOTE THAT SAID YOUR ART CAME FROM PAIN AND SADNESS.

WHERE DOES YOUR ART COME FROM?

>> I GUESS NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, PAIN AND SADNESS.

A LOT OF THE POETRY I WROTE IN THE EARLIER DAYS CAME FROM SORT OF LACK OF EXPERIENCE.

I MEAN, I DO HAVE SOME LOVE POEMS.

ALL POETS HAVE LOVE POEMS BUT THE ONES I REALLY LIKE COME FROM THE BLACK EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I WROTE A LOT WHEN I WAS LIVING IN THE U.S. OR THE MAINLAND.

SOME OF IT COMES FROM LIVING HERE AND SEEING THE PAIN THAT A LOT OF OUR PEOPLE FEEL, BE IT THROUGH POVERTY OR VIOLENCE OR ANY OF THE OTHER SOCIAL ILLS.

BUT THAT ONE WAS MORE OF A SADNESS BECAUSE IT SPEAKS TO THE MOOD I WAS IN WHEN I WROTE VARIOUS POEMS IN THERE.

>> WHEN I SAW THE TITLE "BLUE PERIOD," I WAS IMMEDIATELY REMINDED OF PICASSO AND HIS MOST FAMOUS WORK, ACTUALLY, COMES FROM WHEN HE WAS CREATIVE AND IN A SENSE OF MELANCHOLY.

WHY DID YOU CALL THAT "BLUE PERIOD"?

>> WHEN I WROTE THIS, I HAD JUST GONE TO NEW YORK AND STARTED WORKING THERE.

BUT I THINK I WAS STILL SORT OF FIGHTING WITH THIS DEPRESSION, AND THE NAME OF THE BOOK WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPOSED TO BE "HOME," A DEFINITION THAT I WAS NAMING AFTER ANOTHER POEM.

BUT IT DIDN´T FEEL RIGHT.

A LOT OF OTHER POEMS KIND OF SPEAK TO MY GENERAL FRAME OF MIND AT THE TIME, AND A LOT OF IT EMANATES FROM THAT PROFOUND SADNESS THAT I FELT, AND THAT´S WHY SOME OF THOSE POEMS ARE WRITTEN.

>> WHEN I READ "BLUE PERIOD" AND WHAT I SAW FROM SO MANY OF THE POEMS IN THERE WAS A LOT OF INTROSPECTION, BUT ALSO A LOT OF GROWTH.

>> I HAVE A ROOT GROWTH OF WRITINGS.

I DIDN´T UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF THAT AT THE TIME, BUT WHEN I READ THIS ONE, THIS "BLUE PERIOD," I DO SEE SO MUCH GROWTH THAT STEMS FROM MYSELF THINKING ABOUT WHERE I AM AS A PERSON, THINKING OF WHAT´S GOING ON AROUND ME, AND, YEAH, SO I THINK THIS "BLUE PERIOD" WAS REALLY MORE ABOUT ME, WHERE WRITING WAS MORE ABOUT GETTING IT OUT.

>> HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO WRITE "BLUE PERIOD"?

>> THIS TOOK ME ABOUT A YEAR TO WRITE.

SOME OF THE POEMS I WROTE OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR.

>> WERE THERE ANY PARTICULAR SITUATIONS THAT WHILE BEAUTIFUL, IT WAS HARD TO WRITE?

>> YEAH.

SOME WERE THINGS HAPPENING AROUND ME.

I HAD ONE CALLED "PRINCESS LAUNDROMAT," WATCHING PEOPLE AND MAKING UP STORIES ABOUT THEM.

SOMETIMES I WAS ON THE TRAIN AND I WOULD LOOK AROUND TO SEE WHO WAS AROUND ME, OR I WOULD WRITE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF RIDING THE TRAIN TO MY EMOTIONAL DESTINY.

SO THAT´S WHERE A LOT OF INSPIRATION CAME IN THAT FIRST ONE.

>> I HAVE MY FAVORITES.

I LOVED "HOME: A DEFINITION," AND I THINK THAT ANYONE READING IT WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THE PUSH AND PULL OF HOME, THAT YOU WANT TO BE HERE, OR ANYONE WHO CHOOSES HOME BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO STEP BACK.

WOULD YOU SAY THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS EMBLEMATIC OF YOUR GENERATION?

>> YEAH, I WOULD.

I THINK WITH SOCIAL MEDIA I SPEAK FROM TIME TO TIME, AND WE ALL LOVE WHERE WE COME FROM BUT WE REALIZE THERE ARE PROBLEMS HERE THAT WILL RESTRICT MY GROWTH IN SOME WAYS.

TO ME RETURNING WAS A CONVERSATION OF MY GROWTH, BUT FOR ME IT WAS NOT BEING ABLE TO GROW COMPARED TO WHERE I AM NOW.

THAT´S A BIG THING I SEE WITH PEOPLE MY AGE.

>> SO IN WRITING "BLUE PERIOD," WHAT WAS THE STORY YOU WANTED TO TELL IN THIS COLLECTION?

>> YEAH.

THE STORY WAS -- THAT´S A GOOD QUESTION.

I BROKE THEM UP, RIGHT, IN DIFFERENT SEASONS, AND SO ONE OF THEM WAS -- THE FIRST PART WAS ABOUT SORT OF MY SPOKEN WORD AND THE MORE POLITICAL, THE MORE ACTIVIST PART OF ME, BECAUSE THAT´S ALWAYS BEEN A BIG CONSIDERATION FOR WHO I AM, THE STRUGGLE.

BUT THEN THERE´S ALSO THE STORIES OF LOVE, THE STORIES OF HEARTBREAK AND GOING BACK TO MEMORIES OF MY OWN PARENTS AND HOW THEY SPLIT WHILE VERY YOUNG WHILE ALSO CONTRIBUTING, BUT I THINK ALL OF IT IS DEALING WITH THEIR OWN EMOTIONAL SPACE.

>> WHILE I FELT THESE POEMS WERE ALL ABOUT YOU, I´M OLD ENOUGH TO BE YOUR MOTHER, BUT I DEFINITELY RELATED TO A LOT OF WHAT YOU WROTE.

BUT I WANT TO DIVE INTO YOUR WRITING AND YOUR PROCESS.

ARE YOU -- TELL ME ABOUT YOUR WRITING PROCESS.

ARE YOU THE PEN AND PAPER, OR ARE YOU THE TECHY AND WRITE ON A LAPTOP?

WHAT DO YOU DO?

>> I WAS A PEN AND PAPER WRITER.

THE ENTIRETY OF MY FIRST BOOK, I HAVE THE BOOK THAT I WROTE, BUT THIS ONE, MOST OF THEM I WROTE ON MY COMPUTER.

I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE IT KIND OF REFLECTED MY MOVING AROUND A LOT, AND I DIDN´T ALWAYS HAVE A BOOK OR A PEN ON ME, BUT I WOULD HAVE MY PHONE.

WHEN I WAS WRITING THOSE POEMS AND WHILE I WAS FEELING THEM, I HAVE ISSUES WITH WRITING A POEM AND THEN, LIKE, RETURNING TO IT.

I HAVE ISSUES WITH FEELING THE POEM AND NOT WRITING IT IMMEDIATELY.

SO FOR ME I WOULD ALWAYS BE, HEY, I FEEL THIS POEM, LET ME WRITE IT RIGHT NOW.

THAT´S WHY MOST OF THEM ARE ON MY PHONE.

AND A PART OF THAT ALSO HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT MANY OF MY POEMS, YOU´LL SEE THAT THEY REFLECT QUITE LITERALLY WHERE I PHYSICALLY AM AT THE TIME.

>> TIME AND PLACE, YEAH.

>> SO THAT´S THE INABILITY ALMOST TO WRITE A POEM AFTER I SEE IT.

>> YOU WROTE THIS POEM OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, AND DURING PART OF THAT YOU WERE LIVING IN NEW YORK.

WHAT WAS THE INFLUENCE OF NEW YORK ON YOUR WRITING?

>> THERE ARE THE POEMS THAT ARE VERY UNIQUELY NEW YORK, LIKE THE POEM ABOUT THE B TRAIN.

THAT´S THE TRAIN I TOOK EVERY DAY TO AND FROM WORK.

BUT I THINK IT WAS A LOT MORE ABOUT THE IDEA OF ME BEING SO FAR FROM HOME AND FRIENDS AND FAMILY, BECAUSE MOST OF MY FRIENDS ARE EITHER IN DALLAS OR JUST SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

AND MY FAMILY, MOST OF THEM ARE HERE.

AND SO THAT DISTANCE WAS REALLY A PART OF WHAT I THINK CONTRIBUTED TO SOME OF THE EMOTIONAL STATE THAT I WAS IN, SO IT WASN´T NEW YORK AS A CITY, IT WAS MORE NEW YORK AS A DISTANCE FROM EVERYONE ELSE.

>> OKAY.

SO WHEN I WAS READING "BLUE PERIOD," IT REMINDED ME OF A LINE IN "HAMILTON" WHERE THE LEAD CHARACTER SAYS, I WROTE MY WAY OUT OF HERE.

DOES THAT SPEAK TO YOU?

>> IT DOES.

IT´S FUNNY YOU SAY THAT.

I JUST WATCHED "HAMILTON" FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST WEEK AND I´M WATCHING IT AGAIN.

I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

THERE WAS SO MUCH THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THAT PLAY THAT SPOKE TO ME, ESPECIALLY ABOUT HIM AS A WRITER.

WHEN YOU WRITE LIKE THERE´S NO TOMORROW.

AND THAT REALLY -- I RELATE TO THAT A LOT BECAUSE I SEE WRITING AS A WAY OUT OF A LOT OF THINGS.

I SEE WRITING AS A WAY OUT OF OPPRESSION BECAUSE PART OF THAT ACTIVISM ROLE I COME INTO A LOT MORE NOW THAT I´M BACK HOME.

IT REQUIRES ME TO EXPRESS MYSELF CLEARLY AND IN A WAY THAT EVERYONE KIND OF UNDERSTANDS MY POINT.

>> RIGHT.

>> AND IT ALSO KIND OF -- I HAVE A WAY TO GET THE THOUGHTS OUT RATHER THAN HAVE THEM GOING THROUGH MY BRAIN.

IT´S A WAY OUT OF A LOT OF THINGS.

IT´S A WAY OUT OF THE EMOTIONAL STATE AND IT´S A WAY OUT -- >> I KNOW I HAVE A LIST OF MY FAVORITES: "HOME: A DEFINITION," "BLUE PERIOD," "SHOCK."

FOR THOSE IN OUR AUDIENCE WHO HAVEN´T YET A CHANCE TO PICK UP "BLUE PERIOD," I WOULD LIKE YOU TO INTRODUCE THEM TO YOUR WRITING WITH ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE VERSES.

>> IT´S ALSO ONE OF MY FAVORITES BECAUSE IT RELATES TO ST. CROIX SO MUCH BECAUSE I WROTE THIS RIGHT AFTER A MOTHER LOST TWO OF HER SONS, I THINK, IN THE SAME DAY OR A FEW WEEKS.

I THINK I WAS IN NEW YORK AT THE TIME, BUT I FELT THAT SO MUCH.

SO THIS IS "CHECKLIST."

I´LL TELL YOU THE STORY OF A LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS FORCED TO BE GOOD WITH NUMBERS.

SHE KNOWS THAT WHEN SHE WAS TEN YEARS OLD, HER DADDY GOT TAKEN AWAY FROM HER BY A .45 AT AGE 28, MEANING SHE WAS FIVE WHEN HE DIED.

IT TOOK HIM 20 SECONDS TO DIE AFTER HE HIT THE FLOOR.

FIVE PEOPLE WERE THERE, SO BASICALLY THERE WERE 20 EYES SEEING THINGS.

THE FUNERAL WAS SEVEN DAYS LATER.

IT TOOK SIX PEOPLE TO CARRY HIM AND TWO MINUTES FOR HIS CASKET TO BE LOWERED INTO THE GRAVE.

WE´RE FORCING OUR CHILDREN TO BE GOOD WITH NUMBERS BECAUSE NUMBERS AND DEATH ARE THE ONLY THINGS THEY KNOW THEY CAN COUNT ON.

NOW I´LL TELL YOU A STORY OF A LITTLE BOY WHO WAS FORCED TO BE GOOD WITH WORDS.

AT AGE THREE, HE LEARNED THE WORD CONDOLENCES, AT AGE FOUR HE LEARNED THE WORD EULOGY AND BY AGE NINE HE WAS WRITING THEM.

BY THE TIME HE WAS TWELVE, HE WAS SPELL EUPHIMISM BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS.

AT 16 A STRAY BULLET FLEW THROUGH HIS WINDOW, AND IF HE WERE STILL ALIVE, HE WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

CHILDREN ARE FORCED TO LEARN NUMBERS AND DEATH BECAUSE THAT´S THE ONLY THINGS THEY KNOW.

HAVE WE HELD A PRAYER VIGIL BECAUSE GOD IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAVE US?

CHECK.

WAIT, SHE JUST SAID HER SON WENT HOME TO BE WITH GOD.

DON´T YOU THINK HE ALREADY KNOWS?

HE MUST HAVE BLOCKED THE AREA CODE.

IS HE HOLDING THE SAME -- HE´S WRITTEN IN 20 YEARS?

CHECK.

SO NOW WE WAIT FOR THE NEXT TIME A MOTHER IN ALL HER IRONY HAS TO SEND HER CHILD HOME.

SHE WAS GOOD WITH NUMBERS BECAUSE WHEN SHE WAS TEN YEARS OLD, HER DADDY GOT TAKEN AWAY WITH A .45 AND SHE´S GOOD WITH WORDS, TOO.

WITH HER TWO SONS GONE, BLESS HER SOUL, SHE HAS NO SHORTAGE OF CONTEXT.

THAT´S "CHECKLIST."

>> THAT SPOKE TO ME, AND I DON´T KNOW ANYONE ELSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO DOESN´T GET IT.

ALL THOSE SOMETIME WRITERS AND LONG-TIME READERS, WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS?

I WANT YOU TO SPEAK MOSTLY TO OUR YOUNG MALE WRITERS AND THE STORY THEY HAVE TO TELL.

>> WHEN I TALK TO YOUNG PEOPLE OR PEOPLE WHO ARE MY AGE, I ALWAYS TELL THEM, FIRST OF ALL, TO JUST GET STARTED WRITING.

DON´T WORRY WHAT´S ON THE PAGE, JUST WRITE.

IT SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT RIDICULOUS SOMETIMES, BUT SOMETIMES THEY JUST NEED TO WRITE.

>> THERE IS A LOT OF FREEDOM IN POETRY.

THERE IS STRUCTURE BUT ALSO GREAT FREEDOM.

>> YEAH.

AND I THINK -- ANOTHER THING IS TO JUST REALLY KIND OF LOOK AROUND YOU AND GAIN EXPERIENCE FROM THAT.

I WAS TELLING YOU A LITTLE BIT EARLIER THAT FROM THE FIRST BOOK, MY PROCESS WAS A LITTLE CHAOTIC.

I SAY THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I DID IN THE FIRST BOOK IS I LOOKED AROUND MY GRANDPA´S HOUSE I WAS STAYING IN AT THE TIME AND I WOULD IDENTIFY AN OBJECT AND I WOULD WRITE ABOUT IT.

SO THERE IS A POEM IN THERE CALLED "CHANDELIER" AND THAT´S LITERALLY WHAT IT´S ABOUT.

IT´S SOMETHING DEEPER THERE THAN JUST LOOKING AROUND THE ROOM, IT´S LOOKING AROUND AT YOUR EXPERIENCES, LOOKING AROUND AT WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU AND REMEMBERING THAT WHEN YOU SPEAK, YOU ARE SPEAKING FOR YOURSELF BUT YOU´RE ALSO SPEAKING FOR SO MANY OTHERS WHO CAN´T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

>> SO WHAT´S NEXT?

>> THAT´S A GREAT QUESTION.

I DO WANT TO GET BACK TO POETRY.

I´M ACTUALLY WRITING A BOOK.

IT´S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE BECAUSE I´M NOT IN THE SAME FRAME OF MIND.

I TOLD YOU IT DOESN´T COME AS QUICKLY ANYMORE.

I´M WRITING A BOOK THAT I HAVE DECIDED THAT EVERY TIME I LOSE POWER, I AM GOING TO WRITE A BOOK.

>> OKAY.

>> AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I HAVEN´T DONE IT SO FAR.

I THINK I´M GOING TO WRITE ABOUT THE POWER OF DECOLONIZATION.

I´M SURE SOME GOOD POEMS WILL COME OUT OF THAT, TOO.

>> SO WHERE DO YOU SEE BEING ABLE TO USE YOUR POETRY AS ACTIVISM?

WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY, SO WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THAT SPACE?

>> SO ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT POETRY IS THAT IT´S NOT BORING, WHEREAS AN ESSAY OR SPEECH MIGHT BE.

SO BEING ABLE TO KIND OF GRAB ATTENTION WITH THE SPOKEN WORD POETRY BECAUSE IT IS WRITTEN AS A PERFORMANCE.

I THINK THAT´S GOING TO BE A GREAT WAY.

WE DO HAVE A LOT OF POETS IN BLACK AMERICAN HISTORY THAT USE POETRY AS ACTIVISM.

I´M GOING TO TAKE THAT SPACE AND USE IT TO GET INTO DEEPER CONVERSATIONS.

>> WONDERFUL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING NOT JUST ABOUT THE "BLUE PERIOD" AND WRITING ON ROOFS BUT OTHERS STILL TO COME.

IT´S BEEN A PLEASURE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR LOCAL TALENT BEKO McMILLAN.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON "BLUE PERIOD" OR ANY OTHER PERIODS, VISIT OUR WEBSITE, WWW.THEBOOKCASE.ORG.

WE´LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ANOTHER BOOK ON "THE BOOKCASE."