Moon Beams #7 - Dr. Taylor Byas

"And So You Want a Poem" by Dr. Taylor Byas hit on many levels for me, from pure invention to structure, to the fact that the piece is a persona poem about a poem being destroyed like a person could be, bringing impressions and intrigue in abundance.

For me, one of the best parts of “Moon Beams” is getting to talk through points of interest with the artists themselves about specific areas, influences, and questions that come up when reading.

And, in a very cool coincidence, “So You Want” is also the opener in Dr. Taylor's new collection Resting Bitch Face by Soft Skull Press due out August 26th.

She said the book contains more persona poems in the voices of some "really feisty and pissed-off speakers addressing artists who are maybe not the greatest people.” 

Naturally, this teed up plenty of topics, including poetic forms, a particular area of interest for Dr. Taylor, in both her poetry and the students she teaches.

”Form gave me a sort of container in which I could figure out what I cared about,” she said, and we discussed how different forms can be vehicles for different terrains and destinations, from getting to the point quickly, to having room to spiral and let loose at length.

Per usual, the poetry section I asked my guest to share was one that will stay with me for a long time, this one from the poem “Ballad of the Groundhog” in Felon by Reginald Dwayne Betts:

"Time is fucking inconsolable, is what I mean, a starved sea, and sometimes there is nothing, just days and their ruthless abundance.”

Among the influences, guides, and friends Dr. Taylor cited, Rosa Castellano, Erica Dawson, Patricia Smith, Audre Lorde, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Lucille Clifton, Terrance Hayes, Wanda Coleman, and Diane Seuss numbered among them, and it's a gift to get to share their names, as well as this lively and insightful conversation with Dr. Taylor, in a space I'm finding as nourishing as it is fun and inspiring to share with others. 

Thanks again to Dr. Taylor for her generosity, time, and leadership in the poetry community, stay curious, explore new forms, and happy trails, everybody.