Poetry, while its for a niche crowd, can reach out to some people to motivate, and inspire. In this feature, we get a chance to hear from LaQueisha Malone, the author of “A Walk In My Shoes”
LaQueisha won AAMBC Poet of the Year for 2015 from the African Americans on The Move Book Club. In addition to saying congratulations, we also get to hear what inspired her to write this book. Enjoy.
Polite On Society: What inspired you to write “A Walk in My Shoes?
LaQueisha Malone: A Walk In My Shoes is a re-release of my very first book A New Pair of Shoes Step In Mine. I was inspired to put it together for the youth. I wrote the poems in my youth, and I felt that if adults could relate to it then they were relating to the mind of a youth. I want people to know that our youth emotions are real regardless of the situation. Love, relationships, friend turned enemies, whatever the case instead of disregarding their feelings, hopefully, we can see how we can help them cope.
POS: You chose poetry as an outlet to express yourself. Why poetry in particular?
LM: I started out writing fiction stories, but there was an obvious line there between reality and fiction. People were able to know immediately who or what I was referring to. Therefore, I decided to turn to poetry viewing it as a broader way of expressing myself. It was a great coping skill for everyday issues as a teenager.
POS: You recently won 2015 AAMBC Poet of the Year. Tell us about that experience.
LM: Wow! Winning that award was amazing. I went there with the expectations of leaving empty-handed. My publicist entered me, and then once I was nominated we began to campaign. It has truly inspired me to go further in my career of writing and motivating the youth.
POS: Do you have any plans on touring?
Very interesting and informative interview..Congratz LaQuiesha Malone!