Name: Kelly Jones
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Current Cities: Raleigh, NC, and New Orleans, LA
Occupation: Bartender/Editor/Educator/Event Organizer/Writer
Age: 30
What does poetry mean to you?
Poetry, at its best, is the thing that everyone’s wanted to say but couldn’t figure out how to. Its calculated expression and unbridled thought; poems question the world and attack it from another angle. They make us think and feel and wonder and dream and hope and cry and smile and remember. Sometimes it means rhyme, meter, form, structure, etc., but I prefer to appreciate poems more for their content than their presentation. As someone who writes poems, poetry also means creation, frustration, and revision. It means treasuring a thing that, when you boil it down, is just words and white space.
Favorite Poet/Poem:
I don’t have a favorite poet, but I’ve got a three way tie going for favorite poem. Please, read them. I promise that you might like them.
“Dream Song 4″ by John Berryman
“For Saundra” by Nikki Giovanni
“Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note” by Amiri Baraka
Why do you like these poems?
“Dream Song 4” draws me in because of Mr. Bones and Henry’s conversation. The way they speak with each other and describe their world is captivating. And the way Berryman turns a phrase is so lovely and memorable.
“For Saundra” is hard and honest and questioning the world. It shows a smart woman who is tough and ready for revolution. When I first read that poem in middle or high school that was an unfamiliar character that I was excited to finally see.
“Preface…” is heart wrenching and I love it for that. It also does a damn good job of using an isolated line to make an impact.
