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Let's start with a hard question: Who IS
KL?
KL is a humble but confident writer trying to create different works of art that can be respected for what they are. I am a teacher, father, husband, and Christian who loves life and tries to do what’s right. I am a very emotional man who has a deep passion for trying to do things well. I am a person with a deep and strong past, some of which I am proud of and some of which I am not. It's from there I pull from to create my poems and stories. I also feel that it is the Lord who guides my hands when I am working on something written, since this wasn’t something I thought I would be doing.
I started with the hardest question because I know that inevitably who you are is illustrated in your new book, A MAN IN TRANSITION. Your opinions and thoughts are reflected in the poems, stories, and writings that you showcase. If you had 50 words in which to state why people should buy and read A MAN IN TRANSITION, what would you write?
This is a poetry book that comes from deep inside a man’s heart that has changed his life. Inside the book, readers will find poems that will touch their soul. In buying this book, you assist an educator in making a real life dream come true for his students.
How
so?
Buying
the book allows me to do more for my students in what I do or places
I go, which in turn allows me to open doors and hold them open for
my past, present, and future students. Where possible, it
allows me to learn or obtain what is needed to assist in making
their dreams come true. For example, I try to get the people I meet
to come to the school to maybe have one of our children discovered,
or if I learn something in my travels or in the selling of my books,
then I have capital to do things for kids where their parents or the
system cannot.
What are various themes that you tackle in the collection?
A Man In Transition is broken into chapters that reflect who I am. The poems and stories and set up this way: Spiritual, Romance, As a Father, As a Teacher, Observation Of The World, Reflections of Self, and the final section is a brief look at the man I was, Poems and Stories of Erotica. There is also a tribute to my lovely wife, featuring a poem she wrote for me. She is truly my heart, and I wanted to make sure the world gets to see.
It’s difficult to write, period, but I would assume it's an extra tedious task when you're compiling various styles of work to go into a collection. Did you have the idea for the collection first and then wrote pieces for it, or did you write the pieces and then realize the opportunity to compile them into a collection?
The Pieces were written before I decided to put the book together and then I decided to set them up based on an idea I had on trying to show my transformation as a man. This became my guide in setting up the chapters.
What brought you to writing?
That is a good question. Actually, it was a way for me to express all these feelings I had going on inside me. I never thought I was any good at it, so I kept much of my work to myself. As I grew older and the internet was a boom, it allowed me to write from the privacy of my home, and that gave me confidence. I am still nervous when it comes to my writing, but if you’re not willing to step out on faith, nothing will be gained.
What's your favorite thing about A MAN IN TRANSITION?
WOW, that is tough. I would say the book itself. Seeing that I completed a book that has my work in it, knowing how I feel about my work is at times overwhelming. So to clearly answer your question honestly, I don’t have a favorite; it’s the whole book I like.
What are three adjectives that best describe A MAN IN TRANSITION?
Reflective, Heartfelt, Moving
What are three adjectives that best describe YOU?
Passionate, Humble, Intellectual
I know that faith and God are paramount in your life and that they are reflected in A MAN IN TRANSITION, too. Do you believe this thread will find itself in future works of yours?
The Lord will always be a part of what I write but not in a way that I would ever preach to someone. However, in the future, non-fictional and fictional titles I want to write, there will be a connection somewhere to the faith. Can’t say it will be the main focus but a role. As in A Man In Transition, there is one section that speaks to the faith directly, but other than that the faith shows up in a few of the poems in the wording but is not the main feature of the poem.
Here's another tough question: what is ONE poem, ONE story, and ONE writing in A MAN IN TRANSITION that you find yourself strongly connected to and why?
That is easy; the one poem is “Perfect Woman” - it’s a tribute to my wife. The one story is the “The Birth” which speaks to being there for the birth of my first son. The one writing would be, “My Queen” which was written as a mother’s day gift to my mother. Watching her face when she read it was classic. She even framed it and keeps it in her room.
What have you done and what are you doing - as author - to promote A MAN IN TRANSITION?
I started with friends and family to let them know I even had a book. My colleagues and students have offered to support me. I have been to Tampa for the Black Writers Conference to try to network so I can learn more ways to promote. Of course I have a website that I use to present the book to the world. I do plenty of internet radio stations where I can read some poems and network with other poets and those that like them. I also plan on going to poetry shows here in NY. I am also going to look into going to colleges to talk to young men and woman about some of the subjects in the book and of course just hitting the streets to talk to people and read to those that will listen.
Who are some of your favorite writers, and how do they inspire you as a writer?
I can’t say I have favorite, but here a few I enjoy, Maya Angelo, The Lost Poets, Malcolm X, Langston Hughes, the writers of Marvel and DC comics, and the bible. I have very strange taste and feelings about things. I am inspired in many ways. Each of the above authors will speak to me in different ways, so it depends on what mood I am in at the time that will decide what I get from it. There so many others I could have listed, but we would be here forever. Smile...
Word Association. What comes to mind when you see the following words:
LIFE: is Precious - must be protected in all forms
FAITH: Is needed to make it through the day to day. Needed to connect you to the maker
WRITING: At times difficult, but rewarding when completed
KL: A man with deep emotion and pride who wants to be a role model to so many. Protector.
A MAN IN TRANSITION: A Book to be shared and read out loud with others around to enjoy.
What projects are you currently working on?
I created my own publishing company, Bravin Publishing to put out my own books, so I will continue to work on that and help it grow. I am also considering which of my next titles to attempt to complete. I have an idea for a non-fictional piece called “From Gigolo to Jesus, My Life as Sexual Predator." I want to expose all the games men play with women by allowing my past life to be put under the microscope. I am also considering a fictional story I started a few years ago called, “An Angel with a Devil’s Soul” a story about an outstanding educator who by day receives joy from teaching and at night likes to run the street with his childhood friends. Eventually, he meets someone he falls for, but there is one problem; she is married and he is warned by his friends to leave her alone because of who her husband is. When the two clash in such a way that his actions cost someone their life, he is placed in a very negative spot, left trying to figure out how to get out from under it all.
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