For some 17 years, through her work as the poetry editor for Essence Magazine, a publication with more than one million subscribers and a worldwide readership of seven million plus, Angela Kinamore has served as one of the anchors of modern literary culture.

During her tenure as the poetry editor for the famed magazine, Kinamore has had the distinct honor of overseeing the publication of work by some of the world’s most venerated living poets. These have included Lucille Clifton, Nikki Giovanni, Ja Jahannes, Yusef Komunyakaa, Haki Mahdubuti, Eugene Redmond, Sonia Sanchez, and numerous others. In addition, she assigned herself the task of keeping alive the treasured legacy of such historical figures as Henry Dumas, James Weldon Johnson, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Langston Hughes. She has also made it a point to shine a light of recognition on many lesser known but accomplished poets like M. Rose Barkley, Monica Blache, Iris Formey Dawson, Robbyne Kaamil, and Lydia Okutoro. Kinamore has also published in the past and accepted for publication in the future several offerings from my own humble pen.  

There’s nothing surprising about the fact that the Bayonne, NJ, native conducts poetry workshops around the country or that she recently participated in the Furious Flower Poetry Conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Nor would it be too astonishing to learn that she produces exceptional spoken word events and is a co-founder of the Harlem Renaissance Writers Group. What many might be surprised to learn is that she recently completed a metaphysical novel, is a passionate singer prone to dreaming music, has serious issues with a certain word beginning with the letter “N”, and doesn’t seem to recognize the concept of boundaries when it comes to pursuing her personal creative, intellectual, and spiritual development.

Aberjhani: How would you define what one might call your “mission statement” as the poetry editor for Essence Magazine?

Angela: The first thing that comes to mind is that there are a lot of talented poets out there who work hard on their craft and have something very important to say. And I feel it is my mission to give those kinds of poets the recognition and exposure they need in order for their voices to be heard, the kind they may not otherwise receive on a national level.

Aberjhani: Do you find sifting through the thousands of submissions that you receive every year overwhelming?

Angela: I love my position as poetry editor at Essence, and I try to find the kind of poetry that is positive and uplifting, poetry that celebrates who we are as a people, poetry that celebrates family, children, relationships, etc.  I try to publish the kind of poetry that average readers would enjoy and can relate to. I look for poetry that can uplift one’s spirit, poetry that gives encouragement.  That’s basically what I try to do.  That would be my mission statement: to make sure that those voices that need to be heard are heard.

Aberjhani: In light of what you just said, who are some of the poets that you have helped obtain, or maintain, national exposure, and whom you enjoyed working with in this capacity? 

Angela: Haki Madhubuti is one of my favorite poets. 

Aberjhani: This would be the same famous poet of the 1960s Black Arts Movement who became the founder of Third World Press?

Angela: Yes, his poetry consistently gives you deeper insight into life itself. It makes you think and see things from different perspectives.  He raises critical issues that need to be on the minds of the masses.  His poetry is very timely as he addresses issues of the day and it’s written in such a beautiful and eloquent way that it touches the heart.  All of his writing for that matter, prose and poetry, makes you think, and you are always learning something from his work.  But his poetry pulls you in, regardless of whether he’s talking about love or addressing issues like becoming better fathers, becoming better husbands and uniting families.

Aberjhani: It’s interesting that you relate to that side of Madhubuti because a lot of people still see him as the fiery radical of his youth. I actually became familiar with what I call the wise-elder quality of his work through those poems of his that you published in Essence. In particular, I remember one called “You Will Recognize Your Brothers” that really struck me with the depth of its dignity and strength.

Angela: His poetry is always revolutionary and positive and you learn from him because he teaches in his work.  And you want to just drink of his wisdom. The same thing can be said of Sonia Sanchez, who is another of my favorite poets and teachers. Nikki Giovanni’s work is also fabulous.  One of my favorite poems by her is taken from her Quilting the Black Eye Pea collection. She has this amazing poem taken from the title and that speaks of travelling to Mars.  It’s a very outstanding poem with a powerful message. Amiri Baraka and Quincy Troupe are also amazing poets who teach and inspire through their work.

Aberjhani: Fortunately, all the poets you just named, to my knowledge, are still with us in 2005 but you’ve also made it a point to champion the work of poets of the past. As the co-author of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance, I have to agree that the work of many poets of the past seems to have been written for the present.   

Angela: There are a lot of talented up and coming poets out there—too many for me to mention here. But I love the work of poets from the Harlem Renaissance. Langston Hughes’ poetry is timeless.  We celebrated his 100^th anniversary in the April 2002 poetry section of Essence.  The great poems that he wrote over 50 years ago are still relevant today.  Poems like “There Is A River,” which is a classic. And other poems that we published in that April issue, such as “Still Here,” “Peace,” and “Final Call,” carry important messages that we need to hear often in our present time. 

Aberjhani: Do you feel that poetry played any kind of significant role in helping Americans and the rest of the world to heal after 9/11?

Angela: I think it did, yes. I’ve read and have heard some beautiful and heart-felt poetry about 9/11, but there really wasn’t that much presented out there in the media, I don’t think.  It came out at different poetry venues where poets definitely addressed the issues. Healing poems are especially needed in such times because those kinds of disasters take people through so much.  When you can find poets who have that gift to speak from the heart and can touch the hearts and spirits of others, and give comfort and help them heal and help them get through whatever it is they’re going through, then that’s important because the world needs the encouragement they bring. 

Aberjhani: I agree that some poets were able to provide levels of encouragement and clarity after 9/11 but you could also hear a lot of pure pain and bewilderment in the voices of poets at that time.

Angela: After 9/11 there were different kinds of poetry that expressed anger, but there were also poems that expressed healing and spoke of peace and people coming together.  I don’t think there was enough of it out there like there should have been, unless you went to live poetry venues.  There wasn’t enough being presented on television or radio.  But poetry definitely is important as far as healing and uplifting people and giving them the courage and strength they need to continue carrying on.

Aberjhani: This issue of the dissemination of information through poetry strikes me as an important one and is something I addressed in an essay called “February 15, 2003: The History That Peace Made,” from by book Strength To Carry On. I don’t think most people consider poetry as a medium for significant information but it has at times functioned in exactly that manner.

Angela: Poets have a way of addressing important issues that many may not talk about but that certainly need to be discussed.  Take for example Amiri Baraka’s powerful poem, “Somebody Blew Up America.”  If you look at the topics that he addresses, they really make you think because he raises important issues that need to be discussed by politicians and journalists.  Poets have a way of bringing those issues to light.  Sonia Sanchez once said in a poetry workshop that poets have their pulse on what’s happening in the world.  And to me, Spirit speaks through you when you’re a true poet.  When they put aside their egos, and decide to act as a channel for spiritual wisdom, poets have a way of bringing profound messages to the world that I don’t think would otherwise be brought to light. 

Aberjhani: So what are some of the major themes in your own poetry?

Angela: I like to write poetry that deals with spirituality and  political and social issues, poetry that deals with what’s happening in the world now.  An example of that is my title poem from Crossroads, a collection that I completed a couple of years ago.

Aberjhani: Yes, that collection contains one of my favourite pieces by you, called “In This Hour,” with a first stanza that goes:

“It is said that the life we live today

Is one we created
for ourselves yesterday

And how we live this moment

In the present time will determine

Our tomorrow

Good or bad

Joyful or sad

Positive or negative

The power lies in our hands.”

––Angela Kinamore

Aberjhani: Those lines to me imply a need for individuals and communities to take greater responsibility for the quality of our life experiences.  I know that one thing you have taken it upon yourself recently to do is express your concern over the increasing use of the word "nigger," these days often referred to as “the n-word,” in various cultural expressions. Why do you feel so strongly about the use of this word?

Angela: When I hear this word, it conjures up for me images of our ancestors who were called this by their slave masters.  Over three hundred years later, it continues to follow us.  It saddens me that as we move forward in this new millennium that many people are psychologically enslaved to this word.  We are a brilliant people.  Can’t we replace this abhorrent word with something that’s more uplifting? 

Aberjhani: Some people defend the use of the word by stating that it can be used in a positive manner. But you clearly feel that the stigma attached to its historical context overrides any possible positive connotation.

Angela: It is my personal belief that words carry vibrations.  We should be careful what we send out to the universe because it comes back to us.  It would be interesting to see what would happen if black folks began to consciously use a more positive word in place of this one.  Can you imagine what could happen if we instilled in our consciousness words like love, peace, harmony, success, health, divine right thinking and so forth?  Like the adage says, “You are what you think.”  There are many people who feel as I do.  There’s even a website that monitors the “n- word” and reaches other concerned people worldwide.  The website address is: BAN THE N-WORD" rabeha.att.net.

Aberjhani: The word is so deeply entrenched in popular cultural expression that it seems very unlikely that it’s going to go away. But In light of your feelings about the use of the "n-word," would it be an accurate guess that poems containing this word are not likely to be published in Essence?

Angela: Believe it or not, there have been a few times when poems containing the word were published.  Speaking as an editor, it depends on how effectively it’s used in context, such as “I am no one’s ‘n’” or “don’t call me a ‘n’ and so forth. I have read some powerful poems where the “n” word is used and it works based on the message that’s being delivered.  But personally, as I stated before, I don’t like it.      

Aberjhani: You are currently making a huge creative leap from the world of poetry to the world of fiction with a novel. What made you tackle a novel as opposed to sticking with poetry?

Angela: Before working at Essence magazine, I worked at Harper & Row Publishers, which is now Harper & Collins.  This is where I first became intrigued with the publishing process and developed the desire to some day write a novel.  Although I enjoy reading and writing poetry, I equally enjoy writing fiction and nonfiction. I am fascinated with the creative process and don’t believe that a writer has to stick with one genre.  Writers should step out of the box and explore other creative styles, especially poets, who often do very well in other genres.

Aberjhani: What would you say is the primary function of poets and poetry in particular in our ultra-modern technological world?

Angela: Today’s poet has many roles: to speak out against injustices; to illuminate issues and concerns of the masses, bringing awareness to current events and what’s going on in the world, telling them like Marvin Gaye sang in his song “What’s Going On.”  For those poets who have a higher state of awareness, it is to connect with and bring messages from the ancestors to our people; to translate complex messages into words and concepts that anyone can relate to and translate into their own experience.

Be sure to read part two of CREATIVE CONVERSATIN’ With Angela Kinamore and Aberjhani in and upcoming edition of Nordette Adams’ NJ Spoken Word and return to this site for a new segment of the series spotlighting the jazz musician and poet Toussaint St. Negritude.

Aberjhani

© 3/6/2005