This is my interview with author Erica S. Smith. Last month, Erica released the second edition of her collection Dear Beautiful Woman and recently sat down with me (virtually) to discuss the process and passion behind her writing. Comprised of letters, poetry and prose, the second edition of Dear Beautiful Woman contains additional poems in tribute to her mother and the Black Lives Matter movement. Erica draws on her experiences to construct poems about intimacy, freedom and loss that are both deeply personal and relatable to a broader audience. I hope you enjoy, and if you’d like to get a copy of your own, you can find more information here!
What inspired you to write and publish Dear Beautiful Woman?
“I always wanted to publish a book and I initially started writing this book in 2012. Of course, it went through a lot of revisions but I was afraid to publish my poetry. But, once I gained the courage, Dear Beautiful Woman was formed.”
What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
“I love Zora Neal Hurston and Nella Larsen. I also love Gwendolyn Brooks. Anything that these authors have written, I’ve probably read. I would say that Zora Neal Hurston is my favorite writer. I wish I could write as effortless and beautiful as her. I want to become a strong storyteller like her.”
The juxtaposition between the poems and letters created an incredibly powerful reading experience. Can you tell us a little bit about your process when organizing the collection?
“Organizing the collection was the most difficult part. At first, the poems were scattered and not in any particular order. But I wanted this book to tell a story so I organized them in a way in which each section speaks to a particular aspect of my life (i.e love, trauma, religion). The letters help put the reader in a particular moment or time period and are meant to sound fragmented. It’s almost like I am having a conversation with the persons the letters are addressed. Each letter is an actual letter that I have written over the past years.”
Do you have a favorite poem in the collection?
“My favorite poem is ‘My Sweet Sista.'”
On one hand, the collection is intimate, grappling with experiences of freedom, abuse, vulnerability, self-love and survival. On the other, the poems are layered with nuanced references to both historical and contemporary Black voices, creating a reading experience that is simultaneously personal and interpersonal. What do you hope readers take away from Dear Beautiful Woman?
“I hope that readers get a sense of double consciousness. As a Black woman living in America, many of my traumas and experiences are derived from my ancestors. The way I have been treated by some Black men (read “To A Certain Black Man” for reference) is learned social actions unconsciously taught through our society. I want the reader to experience where certain ideas come from (historical) & how those ideas or social actions/interactions have affected me.”
What are you reading right now?
“I’m currently re-reading Ishmael Reed’s Mumbo Jumbo.”
What are you working on these days?
“I’m working on 2 new business ventures that will be released this December. My second book will also be released this December and I am going to get my second master’s degree in Higher Education.”
STATS
Title: Dear Beautiful Woman
Author: Erica S. Smith
Publication Year: 2020
Pages: 105