CAVA

CAVALCADE: A Journal of Writing, Criticism and Art (Nigeria)

James Cherry, a poet, writer and educator from West Tennessee, U.S.A talks to Unoma Azuah.

1) Can you tell us about yourself?

I'm American born, Southern bred. The youngest of seven, I have a degree in Communications
. My writing has appeared in journals both nationally and around the world in places like Canada, France, China, and of course Nigeria..  I have also served as Artist in Residence at various schools and universities and continue to conduct poetry workshops throughout the year. Bending the Blues, my first poetry chapbook was published in 2003 by H&H Press. My novel, Shadow of Light, was published by Serpent's Tail Press of London in 2007 and released in the U.S. in 2008. Honoring the Ancestors, my collection of poetry, was published in 2008 as well by Third World Press and was nominated in 2009 for a NAACP Image Award.  In the spring of 2011, my collection of short fiction, Still A Man and Other Stories, will be published by Aquarius Press/Willow Books.  I reside in Jackson, Tennessee with my wife, Tammy.

(2) To your works: How did you arrive at the title "Honoring the Ancestors" for your recent collection of poetry that was nominated for the NAACP image award?

Honoring the Ancestors is my way of paying tribute to a few people, places, situations that have come to influence both my artistic and human sensibilities. Actually, the title poem was inspired from the election process and my trip to the polling station. I don’t have to tell you that the right to vote is part of the American Constitution, but it hadn’t always been that way for Black folks. There was a point in American history where Black folks had to endure, persevere and overcome police dogs, water hoses and in some instances death to exercise a right that should have been theirs all along. So, in 2004, these were some of the things on my mind when I stepped into the voting booth. As I mention in the poem, voting is more than choosing a candidate. For me it’s akin to a sacred ritual.

(3) Is your novel, "Shadow of Light" a true reflection of your concern about race relations in the United States?

But of course. As a Black man, race and race relation have been, are and will always be an integral part of my existence, whether I want it to be or not, whether there is a Black President of the United States or not. Therefore, being in the literary tradition of Richard Wright, Chester Himes and John A. Williams, I have an obligation to speak truth and represent cultural aesthetics the best I know how. That being said, race is not the only subject matter that I address in my work and I refuse to be categorized as strictly a "race writer." My creativity encompasses the spectrum of human emotions and I write poems and stories about nature, love, death, family as a result of it.

(4) Which genre are you more comfortable with and what is the reason?
I'm equally comfortable with both prose and poetry. Actually, I don’t see how the two can be separated because they compliment each other so well. Some of the greatest literary works ever produced were poems disguised as novels. And to be able to tell a story in a limited space with a handful of similes and metaphors can make a poem unforgettable. I love language and the way words smell, taste, feel and look on the page. It’s hard to imagine a world without literature.

(5) Which African writers appeal to you?

Whenever I'm asked a question of this nature, I usually say the last one I read. Which is true. Of course there's Achebe. But I also admire the work of Ayi Kwei Armah of Ghana, Camara Laye of Guinea, South African Peter Abrahams, Sembene Ousmane from Senegal, and Zimbabwian Tsitsi Dangarembga's "Nervous Conditions" is a fine book. "The Palm Wine Drinkard" by Amos Tutola is one of my favorites and I found Ben Okri's "The Famished Road" simply brilliant. Cheikh Anta Diop's "The Origins of Civilization" was invaluable insofar as re-discovering my cultural and racial identity. That’s a list but it is by no means exhaustive.

(6) What has been your experience with publishers?

Overall, not bad. The editors at both publishing houses were very helpful with comments and suggestions that I feel made both the novel and collection of poems that much better, never making demands that I delete this or insert that. I'm blessed both Third World Press and Serpent's Tail Press, now a subsidiary of Profile Books, have excellent reputations in literary circles.

(7) What is your current project?

Well, as I said earlier, my collection of short stories will drop in the Spring of 2011.  But you know as well as I that there are always poems, more stories and novels to write. There’s simply not enough time to do all we want to do.  But thats no excuse for not getting the work done.  I am already outlining another volume of poetry as well as another novel; so I have enough to keep me busy.  I guess as long as I'm writing something, I'm moving in the right direction..

(8) How do you prepare for reading tours?

I love travel and it only makes it better when literature is involved. Generally, I like to read published as well as unpublished work when at book fairs and conferences. I just hope that someone, who has taken the time and effort to come and hear me, will walk away a better person than when they came.

(9) Are you obsessed about craft?

Obsessed? No. Concerned? Yes. To be obsessed with craft can leave the writing sterile and didactic. And consequently, to be obsessed with content can come across as preachy or maudlin. So, a balance needs to be found between the two. We must study craft because as poets and writers, we must know the tools of our trade. But equally important are the worlds we build with the tools at hand.
(10) Have you ever tried your hand at drama?

I want to try my hand at a little of it all. Plays, screenplays and there are a couple of non-fiction projects that I am planning as well.

11) What words would you have for your prospective fans here in Nigeria?

Well, first of all thank you Unoma and Cavalcade for this opportunity. And I hope those prospective fans simply become fans. I'm ashamed to say that I have never set foot on the continent of Africa, but when I do, Nigerian soil will be one of my first stops and I look forward to meeting as many people, including those of the artistic community. Until then, visit and drop me a line at: http://jamesEcherry.com.  http://jamesEcherry.cohttp://jamesecherry.com/Take care, sister and best of luck with your own literary endeavors.

Unoma Azuah is a professor of Creative Writing at Lane College in Jackson Tennessee.  She is the author of the novel Sky High Flames and a collection of poetry, Night Songs.