Street: What inspired you to start writing poetry? Lauren Yates: I honestly can’t remember. At this point it feels like something I’ve always done. When I was a kid, I thought everybody wrote poems. I didn’t even realize there was anything special about writing poetry until my eighth grade English teacher gave me a “Future Writer” award. That moment was a definite turning point for me.
Street: When did you start? LY: I wrote my first poem when I was seven. I took a creative writing class as a part of a summer program at a local community college. I was the youngest kid in the class. Then my mom bought me this computer program called “The Amazing Writing Machine” (by the same company that did “The Logical Journey of the Zoombinis.” So much doper than Oregon Trail — no dysentery involved), and I’d type up little stories and poems. I didn’t revisit it until seventh grade. We had to write poems as class assignments and I always put a lot into them. I was very angsty.
Street: Do you have any role models or favorite poets? LY: I’m in awe of the poetry scene in the St. Paul–Minneapolis area (Sierra DeMulder, Sam Cook, Kait Rokowski, Dylan Garity, Michael Lee, etc.) Their poems are very literary, but also well–performed and accessible. I, of course, look up to the Excelano old–heads. It’s great to know so many of them are still performing, and that it’s not just some hobby they quit doing after graduation. Other inspirations are Anis Mojgani, Derrick Brown, Buddy Wakefield (all published with Write Bloody). But more than anything, I want to be Rachel McKibbens when I grow up. That woman is a beast in the best way.
Street: How long does it usually take you to finish a poem? LY: I can usually finish short page poems in 10–20 minutes. Performance pieces usually take me a couple of hours. I’m not huge on editing because it tends to make me dilute my emotions, so almost all of the poems I perform are first drafts.
Street: What are your poems about? LY: I’d definitely consider myself a confessional poet. I usually write about childhood, God, depression and unrequited love. Warren Longmire, one of the founders of Excelano, says my writing has an “aww shucks” quality with a tinge of sadness in the background. It’s really easy for me to shrug off ways that I’ve been hurt, so I try to write heavier stuff every so often. My last show poem “Thanatos” was a meditation on death. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever written before, but it’s probably the most honest thing I’ve written. Everything I talk about in my poems is 100% real, but it was definitely a push for me to be so honest about things I don’t normally like talking about.
Street: Do you use graphics, music or other media to supplement a poem? LY: No, I tend to let my words speak for themselves. But I do think media can be very effective when used properly, and it’s something I’d consider in the future.
Street: What drew you to the Excelano Project? What do you enjoy most about it? LY: I first saw Joshua Bennett perform at the NSO Speakeasy at the Kelly Writers House my freshman year and I was hooked. I went to both Excelano shows my freshman year, but didn’t work up the courage to audition until my sophomore year. What really drew me in was this idea of instant feedback. Published poetry is great, but a published poet doesn’t often get to see the reader’s reaction to his or her poetry. Performance poetry is much more vocal, and you can know right away if the audience feels what you’re saying. It means so much to me to hear people laughing and snapping during my poems.
Street: Disclaimer… LY: Even though I transform into a performer when I’m on the stage, I’m actually really shy and introverted. After three years in the group, I still get caught off–guard when people come up to me. I usually have some sort of interior monologue going on in my head, and get really disoriented when I get pulled out of it. So if I seem really egotistical, antisocial and/or scattered, that’s why.
