"'There Is No Wrong Way To Do This': An Interview with Nikia Chaney" by Myriam Pacheco
As someone who tends to enjoy reading a whole lot more than writing, it is always a pleasure to hear how someone who is a writer gets their inspiration, what their process is, and what led them to be in the field of writing. I had the pleasure of interviewing Nikia Chaney, someone who is not only a writer, but also a publisher, and a teacher. Chaney is the author of us mouth (University of Hell Press, 2018) and two chapbooks, Sis Fuss (2012, Orange Monkey Publishing) and ladies, please (2012, Dancing Girl Press). Chaney has served as Inlandia Literary Laureate (2016-2018). She is founding editor of shufpoetry and founding editor of Jamii Publishing. She taught at California State University, San Bernardino, and now teaches at Cabrillo College.
I was wondering if you might be able to tell me what got you into writing? Why poetry?
That’s a good question! I decided to take an African American Literature class, when I was introduced to authors and poets that I had never really paid attention to before. I had a professor tell me I should try poetry. He asked, “have you ever thought of yourself as a poet?” and I told him I had never thought about it before. So when I transferred to Cal State, I took a few poetry classes; and it was a done deal at that point. Once I took a poetry class, I was ready to write.
Aside from those classes, was there a specific moment or influence in your life that cemented your path to becoming a writer?
It was the writers that I was introduced to. It was actually a specific play, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone; there’s this whole scene where it’s just music, it’s a musical interlude, and I remember thinking to myself, “you can do that with writing?” And then I read Sleeping with the Dictionary by Harryette Mullen, and she does all of these wonderful things with language, and the presentation of language, and I remember thinking, “this is allowed?” That was what drew me to writing poetry, the experimentation. Another influence in my life has been Patricia Smith; she’s a performance poet. I always think of her as a storyteller; for her, it’s all in the way she uses the cadences and the rhythms, and that fascinated me. For me, it is all about what’s different, the innovative, the experimental—that’s what I lean towards.
I believe that there’s lots of power in words…I think we’ve seen that a lot these past couple of years. Is there a piece you have read recently that has impacted you? if so, why?
There are two pieces that I always come back to, year after year. There’s a poem by Ross Gay, the “Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude.” This is a long, long poem. Gay tends to write about gratitude, and he has this way of writing that just hits you again and again with this wonderful imagery. The other poem is by Patricia Smith, and it kills me that I can’t remember the name right now, in this poem, she brings to light this incredibly horrible subject that is the abuse of a child. She gives voice and agency and beauty and attention to the child. And it is almost like you can’t look away; and I think that’s something that poetry should do; it should capture us like that.
Given the events of 2020 and 2021, how have you been affected as a writer? Can you describe your experience for me? And, if you’re comfortable sharing, I would also love to know how you have been affected personally.
I did a little bit of marching last year; I attended some protests, although not as many as I wanted to. I also wrote a letter for my department at school; but mostly I just tried to pay attention and be cognizant of what was happening. But it is exhausting and heartbreaking. As a Black woman you are being hit with these things constantly, and sometimes you have to pull back. And I remember that, at one point, I wanted to write about it, but I couldn’t do it; it was too hard. I couldn’t find my way to it. Just recently, in the last month, I was able to tap into that and write a poem. There’s this group of Black poets in Pittsburg called Cave Canem, and they have this concept of the “hard poem,” which is a kind of poem that deals with difficult subjects. I was trying to write this “hard poem,” and I just couldn’t do it. But, last month, it finally came to me. I ended up writing about the protests. I wrote a poem that included the point of view of multiple people including a police officer, the person that was being abused by that officer, and the onlookers’ point of view. It was a really difficult poem to write. I think that the events of last year have created a moment that has made the whole world pause and want to look, and it is so important for those who looked to stay awake—that’s where change comes from, from wanting to look.
What is writing to you? What does it mean to you personally and how do you see it affecting the world?
That’s a good question, too! What is writing to me? Writing is voice, it is how you get your voice out there. And, of course, everyone has a voice, but, oftentimes, we don’t know how to speak. Poetry is just another vehicle to get your voice across, because, at its core, it is about communication and experience. Writing is about sharing how I see the world; it is my voice, that’s it.
What inspires you when you write?
I think there are two ways of writing: you can write about how you feel, what you see, your experiences. You can be inspired in the moment and have the urge to write. Or you can write from a sense of practice—I think Stephen King does this. For me, it is all about keeping my eyes open. I have to keep my eyes open, and when I have the time to write, I write about something that captured me. It can be something small or a big concept like BLM.
You mentioned earlier not having as much time as you would like to write. Is it because, as well as being a writer, you are also a publisher?
Yeah, that’s the business of writing. Writing and the business of writing are two completely different things. There’s a lot to do in the business of writing, from marketing, to advertising, to submitting your work to magazines. I have all the time for inspiration. I’ll get up in the middle of the night and write; that kind of writing feels good to me. But the business of writing is what takes a bit more work.
What makes a successful writer in your eyes? What advice would you give to a writer or poet?
There’s something that I would like to say to all the young writers out there: there is no wrong way to do this. You are going to get a lot of advice, and you should listen to that advice, but you should be cognizant that that advice comes from one person’s practice. As longs as you are writing, as long as you are putting words on paper, as long as you are keeping your eyes open, and you are enjoying it—that’s the key, enjoying it—you are a writer. Have you ever heard of the term ikigai? It’s a Japanese concept about life’s purpose. Your job doesn’t have to give your life purpose, but your life’s purpose is something you do because it brings you joy. You should be writing because it brings you joy. You should keep writing. That’s actually the secret to being published; you absolutely need to stay in the game, don’t give up.
With that in mind, I was wondering if you could tell me, what is the most important lesson you have learned in your career?
That is a great question! I learned that sometimes you just need to do things your own way. I had a friend tell me once, “Nikia, you are so strange! You just do things your own way.” At first I was a bit taken aback, but now I take pride in it. I actually didn’t pay as much attention to the business of writing as other writers do. I just wanted to do what felt right to me, and it was valid to do those things. Sometimes you have to step back and ask yourself what it is that makes you happy. Sometimes what you want isn’t what makes you happy. And if you are doing what makes you happy, you are a success.
As someone who has been a writer for many years, would you say you have reached all your goals as a writer?
No! I don’t think we ever really reach our goals—well, we do, and we don’t. I think I am where I should be, but I do see a path before me still. I think if you are doing something, and you are happy with what you’re doing, and you do it with integrity and joy, you’ll find yourself there. It’s not something that you get if you’re looking for it, it seems to be very elusive. If you stop looking for it, and you keep doing what you love, it just seems to come to you. It has everything to do with who you are as a person. In that sense of the goal, I’m always working toward being a better person. In terms of finding a sense of peace, I’m happy with where I am. If the accolades come, they come, but it doesn’t change the peace that I have.
Myriam Pacheco
Meet Myriam Pacheco, Managing Editor for MORIA’s seventh issue. Myriam is a third-year communications student and an avid fan of all things caffeinated. You can often find Myriam in a coffee shop sampling their espresso and reading novels about true crime and fantasy worlds (when not in the middle of a pandemic, of course!). When she isn’t reading or writing she spends her time researching child development as she wants to go into teaching after finishing her B.A. Fun fact: Her dad paid her to read her first few books, once she realized how fun reading was, she was hooked.