| Muses Review Online Poet Interviews Spring 2006 - Apr May June |
| Poet of the Month: April 2006 Pamela De Leon- Lewis : I Fought the Fight Interview Conducted by Andrew Angus |
| Note: The interview is cut short because the full interview will be published in the print edition of Muses Review. |
| Muses Review Spring 2006 Apr May June Table of Contents Editors Message Editor's Poem Poems Poem Reviews Book Reviews Interviews Book Ads |
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| Pamela De Leon- Lewis Poet from New York |
| Part I. Your Opinion 1. Muses: Tell the readers what your poetrybook, Smiling Thru The Tears, is all about. Pamela: My poetrybook- Smiling Thru the Tears is about faith, hope and determination in the face of adversity. It is about perservering and staying optimistic even on the darkest of days. My poetry book is about creativity, standing up and standing tall against aggressive breast cancer, setting parameters and conquering this disease. Smiling Thru the Tears resonates the importance of stepping out on faith and applying your beliefs when you are faced with the hardships in life. Smiling Thru the Tears evokes many emotions and touches you on several levels of your psyche. Smiling Thru the Tears is about mainting a sense of humor, smiling in the face of Breast Cancer, and overcoming; and as the title of the book suggests you will smile through your tears, and sometimes you'll even laugh loudly. In recounting my story I purposely steered away from an over usage of medical terminology as I want this book to appeal to everyone. Smiling Thru the Tears is what I call a poetic novel. From the first to the last page this autobiographical book explodes with poetic ingenuity. 2. Muses: Who are your target readers in your poetrybook Smiling Thru The Tears? Pamela: Everyone 3. Muses: Why did you compose your heartaches and cancer experiences in the form of poetry, why not in essay prose or biographical prose? Pamela: This is where I wish I had something very profound to say, but the truth is my thoughts just flowed poetically and since I always wanted to write a story in poetry, I call it a poetic novel, I tried to write about my experiences in essay prose but it just didn't work for me. This is a book that has been waiting to be written in this format for many years. I have dreamed of this since childhood. I just never thought it would be about breast cancer. 4. Muses: Why did you choose your cancer experiences as your theme in first poetry book? Why not nature or love or other themes? Pamela: I didn't choose cancer as my theme for this poetrybook; my cancer experiences chose me. Cancer touched a part of me that was as yet untouched. It ventured into virginal territory in my psyche, my very soul and it stirred emotions and passions in me so strong that they developed lives of their own. This poetry book practically wrote itself all I did was record them and got them published. There were times that I was so weak I could barely see or think straight but I had to force myself to get up and record my thought because they wouldn't quit, they wouldn't let me get rest. I was crying from pain and anguish that chemotherapy inflicted upon me, everything hurt unbareably,I would try to ignore the urge to write but it wouldn't quit until I complied. I had to write them down then I could sleep 5. Muses: Do you like to travel? If yes, what countries have you visited so far? Pamela: I traveled so much when I was a child and as a young woman that I no longer care to get on a plane. Grenada, Tobago, Venezuela, ABC Islands, Carriacou, Union Island, Petit Martinique, Martinque, Dominica, Barbados, Antigua, St.Kitts, St.Maarten (French & Dutch sides) Canada, Mexico, Rio deJaniero, Venice, Rome, England, Ireland, Nassau, St. Thomas, Ct. Croix, Bahamas, Cayman I slands, Norway, Luxembourg, Chacachacare, and several other places including Nigeria and France. My dad was an Ambassador and my aunt loved to travel, as did my mom. My dad believed that travel really taught us about the indigenous peoples the way no book could. Experience is the best teacher he and my aunt would always say. 6. Muses: Have you been invited before to judge poetry contests? If yes, is it difficult or a wonderful experience? Pamela: Yes. I have judged several poetry contests and I enjoyed the experience immensely. 7. Muses: Have you read your poems in front of the audience? If yes, when, and how does it feel? Pamela:I have been perfoming in front of audiences since I was a child so it's almost second nature to me. I read in front of an audience all the time. I was on BCAT and Time Warner reading my poetry on March 22nd. I read last night, Saturday, 25 March @ PoeTree Water Kooler Sessions and tonight, Sunday 26, March I'll be at the Sunday Parlor. I was at Barnes and Noble the last Thursday of Feburary @ Brooklyn OutReach. April 6, I'll be reading at the Brooklyn Public Library for National Poetry Month and for the weekend of April. For me every reading it feels great but the standing ovations are the best; they are surreal. 8. Muses: Is poetry the most difficult art or the easiest art? Pamela: To me poetry is the easiest art and it flows more naturally for me 9. Muses: Can you name at least 5 of your favorite poems in your full length poetrybook (Smiling Thru The Tears)? Pamela:Reasons, I Fought the Fight, Conversations, Let Go and Let God, I Remember parts 1-3, The Fight For Life, Rumors are Spreading, How Cancer Affected Me 10. Muses: Did you start publishing your poems as chapbooks (booklets) or as a full-length poetrybook ? Pamela: I started publishing my poems as full length poetry books 11. Muses: What is the latest poetry book (not your book) you have read? Pamela: The Rose that Grew from Concrete 12. Muses: Why should people be encouraged to read your poetrybook? Pamela: My book is uplifting and life affirming, and though it is a story about breast cancer, it is filled with hope, optimism,and humor. It prepares you to deal with the adversities in life and though it is a poetry book, it reads like a novel. It has all the elements of a great suspense novel. Read it in sequence and you will have read an autobiographical poetic novel. 13. Muses: How many years did it take for you to write your first poetry book: Smiling Thru The Tears? Pamela: Approximately one year 14. Muses: Are the male and female characters in your poetrybook Smiling Thru The Tears- fictional or real characters? Pamela: The male and female characters in my book are all very real people, right down to their names in the book. 15. Muses: Who is the young woman in the cover page of your book? Pamela: I have no idea--she is a model I suppose . 16. Muses: What were your jobs before you decided to become a poet? Pamela: I never decided to become a poet. Poetry is like breathing to me. I have always been a poet. I was exposed to poetry since I was born, so to speak, I was writing poetry before I even realize what I was really doing and could put a name to it. My dad was a Poet, Songwriter, and a Musician, I suppose I sort of inherited the talent. I was an Editor-in Chief, A Sr. Editor, Assoc Editor and a Sr. Consultant on Wall Street to pay the bills but I have always been a poet at heart. 17. Muses: Aside from Muses Review, what websites featured your poems? Pamela: Authorsden, Cancere, TerrisHeart, Cancer Hope, Cancer Info, EzineArticles, EuroReview, and a few other sites that elude my memory at this time. 18. Muses: Do you like to buy poetry books? If yes, what is the last poetry book that you bought? Pamela: Yes. The Heart of a Woman, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Still I Rise, Life's Journey 19. Muses: Where (online and physical bookstores) can people buy your poetrybook, Smiling Thru The Tears? Pamela: Amazon , B & N, Borders, Books a Million; Muses Review, on most of the online Bookstores 20. Muses: Are poetry books difficult to sell? If yes, why? Pamela: Poetry Books are difficult to sell. The fact is most folks are fans of the genre. 21. Muses: What are the name of the magazines you have edited? How is life as an editor? Pamela: CalypSoca Beat, Panology. At present I am not doing any editng. I had to refuse some editing jobs because I have been busy with Motivational Speaking engagements, producing and hosting PoeTree Garden Read Aloud programs for children 3rd- 6th grades, launching my own weekly Open Mic, chairing a Teen Forum, and promoting my book-- but not necessarily in that order. 22. Muses: Did you surrender your copyrights to your printing press, Publish America? Pamela: No 23. Muses: How did you react when you learned your poem was nominated "Best Poem of Year 2005" ? Pamela: I sent out a quite a few emails to my friends and to groups. I was very honored and humbled. 24. Muses: Why do you like poetry? Pamela: I like poetry because it appeals to my senses and touches my soul 25. Muses: Have you acted in Shakespeare plays or any theater plays? Pamela: Yes- |
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