Uncover the Magic of Poetry & Plants with Melania Luisa Marte

Q&A with Melania Luisa Marte

• I’m slowly getting into poetry more and I’ve always wondered with poetry, it has such a concise use and selection of words and language. What’s your process for writing a poem? Do you go through many drafts, do you just spin it all out at once, mostly? 
• Yeah, so my process for writing… It’s multiple things and depends on the poem I’m writing. For example, in part two of the collection, a lot of the poems required me to do research because I wanted to understand a little bit more about the history on the island of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. But it all depends on, you know, where I want to go with the story. So, for example, if I’m writing a poem that’s sort of my own story and that is a particular, deep sort of wound or something that I want to discuss, I try to really jot down what comes first to mind and why I want to write the poem. And then I, from there, sort of build the world around the poem. And I suggest every writer find what works for them. For example, some writers like to do a lot of research before they write. Some writers like to read other people’s work to get inspired before they write. Some writers like to listen to music. You know, I think doing a little bit of everything works for me. But I do know writers who have to get inspired, right? They have to go into nature or they have to do some research or they have to do, you know, everyone has their different form and their different sort of discipline of writing. And I encourage you to try everything, try anything that sparks inspiration and creativity. Try that first and then look at what the other writers are doing for inspiration, but really go with what inspires you, what inspires you to write.
• Poetry is hard to make a living out of. How do you face these challenges?
• Yes, it is very difficult to make a living out of. So one of the first things I recommend is that you, if you are in academia, obviously, there are a lot of grants out there for writers that are really helpful. A lot of my friends have been able to sustain themselves with getting grants while they’re writing their collections and writing novels and things like that. Another thing I recommend is that you always have a side hustle until you make it as a full time writer. Don’t ever just rest on your laurels and think that the money’s just going to come to you because it’s not. I mean, we know now more than ever, because of all of the DEI and bans on books, that things are becoming really dire for writers. But the economy is also something that we’re all battling. And so this is a really difficult time to be an artist. But one of the things that I recommend is for you to be clear on where you want to go with your writing. Do you want to do commercial work? Right, do you want to write for commercials? Do you want to be a ghostwriter until you get your, you know, your foot in the door and then you write your own stories? Like, what kind of writer do you want to be? What kind of poet do you want to be? Do you want to be a poet who teaches? Do you want to be a poet who tours and does colleges and universities? I happen to do a little bit of everything. I’ve done commercial work, I obviously have my collection of poems. I’m working on a novel. I’ve also worked with different brands and organizations and social media companies, and then I’ve also done touring and colleges and universities. And so a little bit of everything has worked for me. But like I said, it’s like, what do you, you know, where do you want to put your energy? Because there are many different ways, you know, selling merch, selling your books, getting a publisher, Big Five publisher, that’s an option. So it’s all about figuring out what works for you. 
• How did you deal with rejections from submissions growing up and motivation to pitch again?
• The best way to deal with rejection is to just deal with it. You’re going to get your feelings hurt in any industry, especially in something that requires your creativity, you’re going to get your feelings hurt. But it’s important to not, you know, think that that makes up who you are. Your art isn’t meant to be for everyone. Not everyone is going to agree or enjoy it. My biggest advice for just putting your work out there and submitting your work and pursuing your art is to be unashamed and to just be very secure in what you want to write, why you want to write and what you want to write. And then you’ll find your way there. But you have to be secure in what you want to write and you have to be secure in why you want to write it. Like, what drives you to write and what is it that you want to do with your writing? Because you can’t really base it off of other people. You have to figure out what works for you.
• Are there any programs or resources you would recommend for those of us just starting out in poetry?
• If you’re starting out in poetry, I think you’re already doing a great job because you’re connected to Girls Write Now. So I think that’s a great start for you to sort of figure out where you want to go with that. I also recommend that you find, you know, folks in your community who are doing poetry, like local poetry organizations, local writing organizations, because you do want to have friends in the community because that’ll inspire you to keep writing. And then I also recommend finding events happening, for example, Poetry Foundation or, you know, different poetry magazines that you love, right? Figuring out what kind of poetry you enjoy, what kind of stories you want to tell and going from there. But I think it’s super important when you’re starting out as a poet to first submit yourself within your community and get to know the poets in your local community and find a mentor, find mentorship, that’s really important.
• You mentioned generational trauma. And earlier you had shared the story of, you know, finding the letter and your mom’s response of like, oh, my goodness, why? Why is a little girl writing about this? And I was just wondering, I think with any sort of nonfiction work or art that is inspired by lived experiences, there can be that tension with the people that are a part of your lived experiences. And so I wondered just about the specific challenges that come with being a person of color in generational trauma and telling your story through your poetry, like have you felt any pressures representing certain people in your life in a certain way. Anything related to that?
• Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s a super vulnerable thing when you’re telling stories, especially for telling stories of family members. You’re talking about different experiences and there is definitely that conversation you have to have with family members, especially if they’re going to run into reading your work. You want to make sure that you know it doesn’t damage your relationships, obviously, but also understanding that your truth is your truth. And if it’s something that you’re being called to, to express, then you shouldn’t be afraid of it. Right. Because your truth is your truth. But yeah, you have to tread lightly, you have to be very empathetic. And as I always say, it’s so important to humanize our family and humanize our loved ones and to understand that they are imperfect and human just like us. And I try not to, maybe I have before, but I try not to pedestal anyone and also try not to demean anyone. And I try to see them as full human beings who make mistakes and, you know, should be held accountable, but are human and deserve and are worthy of empathy just like everyone else.
• To me, so much of the collection is so unapologetically Dominican… as someone raised in the States and being Dominican-American, how do you manage to find the courage to let yourself be unapologetically Dominican? Specifically also because I think if we talk about Latino representation of Dominicans, it’s funny because there’s a lot of us in the States, but I feel like there isn’t as much representation for Dominicans specifically in stories and media. How do you find that courage and the confidence to do that?
• Yeah, no, I get asked this question a lot, and honestly, sometimes I don’t know what to say because I think it’s just something that drives you. It can be that you are just sick of there not being enough representation. I feel like, for me, it’s like all of the above. I feel like I was sick of not seeing enough representation, I was sick of my stories not being told in the ways that my community deserved for them to be told. This is with respect and authenticity, whole dimensionality. But I have always loved my people and I’ve always loved my community and I’ve always wanted to give them grace. Right? And I’ve always wanted to see more of our stories. And so you have to get that up. You have to be like, if not me, then who? And if not now, then when you know, and you have to push yourself to say, our stories are enough. Our stories are enough to be told and our stories are deserving to be told, and we have to be the ones to tell them. And it’s sort of, you kind of feel sort of crazy, and you sort of feel like there’s so much to do and there’s so much more to— more stories and more characters and and more of us that need to be in the rooms and have seats at the table. But if you don’t push yourself to put your work out there, it’s not going to happen. Right? And so I just have to be really brave and very secure and just stay inspired and stay within my community and keep telling our stories. And that’s what I, I can tell you, is that we are worthy of our stories being told. And your stories are just as important as mine. There is no wrong way to enter this industry. It’s really just you saying, I want my stories told and I’m going to work really hard to make them happen and I’m going to polish my work and make it as polishable as possible, right. Without diluting its essence. Right. So that the reader can still see bits of our communities in ways in which they haven’t before.