Interview: Welcome to Criticspace Journlas, Joseph Spence. First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the release of your book “Sincerely Speaking Spiritually”. The book is being loved by all; how do you enjoy this success?
Joseph S Spence Sr: Thanks, Criticspace for your assistance. I’m ecstatic the book is loved. It started after my studies at the University of Wisconsin in English literature, creative, writing, African Diaspora, and poetry. Friends requested poems I recited be included, especially: Visualization, Amazing Grace, and Suicide Prevention. Praying success continues.
Interview: Thanks for writing such an amazing book, what inspired you to create this unique idea of infusing prose and poem into this book?
Joseph S Spence Sr: Sometimes, I write short prose first. It fuses the poem with clarity. Also, I write prose with a poem encapsulating the theme at the end; fusing the poem with the modern era with understanding.
Interview: What are your early influences to write poems other than your professional life?
Joseph S Spence Sr: During high school, math, and science were relevant. Not poetry! I almost flunked a poetry class. My mother intervened, the curriculum changed, and I aced the class. She taught me to read, write, and recite poems which became my passion.
Interview: Which books have fortified you better and how you materialize it in your writing?
Joseph S Spence Sr: “Teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.” Claude McKay’s “Liberator,” Church Hymnals and Bibles. Poetic conventions are in them, such as rhymes, emphasis, repetition, imagery, metaphor, analogy, refrain, symbology, etc, I used when writings.
Interview: What is your advice to young poets and writers?
Joseph S Spence Sr: Find a computer. Print the poetry conventions, poetry types, and study them. Write continuously, read poetry books. Find your writing style; participate in recitals. Participation develops skills.
Interview: What are your hobbies other than reading?
Joseph S Spence Sr: Meditation, yoga, and tai chi. I studied various styles; love the silence and breathing, while listening to thematic music.
Interview: Do you indulge in any community services or book club activities? If so, please let us know about the same?
Joseph S Spence Sr: Helping veteran’s groups and poets with writing skills online.
Interview: Which recent book that you read has changed your perspective? Do you prefer to read fiction or non-fiction and why?
Joseph S Spence Sr: I love non-fiction; I read captivating fictitious novels. I love “Mack Boland” adventures. He tackles bad guys. Toni Morrison’s “Beloved,” some themes are relationships, manhood, family, and pain. Chinua Achebe, “Things Fall Apart.” Interesting themes are masculinity, justice, faith, tribal beliefs, and freewill. They enhanced my literary perspective.
Interview: It is good to know more about you through this interview. Please let us know about your professional life and how it helped in shaping your writer’s life?
Joseph S Spence Sr: One of my army commanders was a poet; we shared poems. The soldiers dubbed me “Apollo” the Greek god of poetry. I wrote poems for them, which they mailed to their girlfriends with sprinkled cologne. Maintaining: business, journalistic, creative, and legal writing skills. Upon retiring from the army, I became a journalist; wrote articles for four newspapers. The editors were different. I read manuals to stay current.
Interview: Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers about?
Joseph S Spence Sr: Ladies love my poems and requested a love poetry book. Facebook postings brought exceptional reviews. Now researching different angles. Love interpretation differs. I need great balance. That’s my 2021 project.
Thank you very much Criticspace Literary Journals for this excellent publication of our interview. It’s truly appreciated. Your awe-inspiring assistance has brought much credit and positive reflections from many writers and poets around the world. Please continue to do what you’re doing currently, and intend to perform in the future. Believe me, I can visualize your smiling faces of jubilation. Your think-tank interviewing process is mind refreshing. It allows me to recall some of the critical thinking and work with the manuscript, especially the intricate work completed over the past seven years of writing the book and making it a reality.
I must also thank the Worldwide Poetry Alliance, UK, and Patricia-Ann Farnsworth, my dear poetic sister and original founder, also each member, while I served as a co-founder, and poetry Chaplain for many years. I was studying: English literature, creative writing, the African Diaspora, and poetry, at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (UWM) at the same time.
As you can probably tell, based on the variety of Japanese poems: Haiku, Senryu, Haiga, Tanka, and others in the book, I took a few classes in Japanese linguistics at UWM. The classes allowed me to focus on the historical development of those poetic forms, from the Japanese 7th Century Anthology, “Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves.” Otherwise known as the “Man’yōshū,” Japan’s oldest collection of poems during the “Nara Period.” There are variations from the traditional forms established by the greatest Japanese haiku poets, Masteo Bashō (1644-94), known as the “Master of the Banana Plant Hut,” Yoso Buson who developed Haiga poetry compositions, Kobayashi Issac, an ordained Buddhist priest, and Masoaka Shiki, who started the Haiku Journal (Cuckoo), and also restored the Japanese Meiji period. They were all Zen Meditation practioners.
These were highlighted in my best-selling book, “The Awakened One Poetics,” published by my dear brothers, Dr. Santosh Kumar, and his awesome son, Dr. Karunesh Kumar Agrawal, of Rochak Publishing, Allahabad, India. I have studied over one hundred different poetry forms and styles since high school, and am working on some improvements. One can tell, based on the forms I invented while studying at UWM: Epulaeryu, Linking Pin Sonnet, God’s Dynamic Steps, Seventh Heaven, and others, that I am very innovative, and creative with my thoughts, words, and deeds with a visionary perspective.
Once again thank you very much for your dedicated assistance, have an awesome day, don’t forget to pray, stay encouraged, inspired, ingenious, resilient, mindful, enlightened, and God’s blessings always!
His Excellency, Dr. Amb. Prof. Joseph S. Spence, Sr. USA. (Epulaeryu Master)!
Multi-Genre Award-Winning Poet, Man of God, Global Icon of Humanity and Spiritual Services, Global Chair Advisor for Global Literary Society-India, World Peace Ambassador of Human Rights, Humanity, and Diplomacy, India’s Praṇāma, Eloquent Book Reviewer, Effective Academician, Chief Advisor World Parliament of English Literature-India, Stellar Article Writer, ”Lead The Change” Community Agent and Advocate.
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