Poet and writer
Elizabeth acevedo
2. You’ve recently announced that you will be releasing a young adult fiction novel. What can we expect from this book and will it be similar to your poetry in any way?
I'm so excited about the YA novel! You can expect themes that might feel familiar to some of my other work: centering Afro-dominicans, rebelling against structures that try to determine respectable womanhood, and a search for self-expression.
It should be very similar to some of my poetry...Can I tell you a secret? The book is actually told in verse, through poems, and I pulled some of the poems from my fifteen year-old self's journal. So, I think it will be very familiar to people who have been following my work! But also a departure because it's less about performance and more about following the journey of a character and her loved ones.
3. Both of your parents are Dominican immigrants that have been in this country for a very long time. Do you have any fear or uncertainty about the future concerning the President's plans for immigration?
I am trying not to feel fear about our President. I am trying to feel galvanized, I'm trying to feel powerful, I'm trying to feel outraged. I think fear and uncertainty stop you from doing the work that needs to be done. They can often freeze you up and force you to be still and silent. I know the work I do doesn't change because of the president, it just becomes even more important that I am vigilant and mindful of using my writing and performance to connect people of all walks of life. I think it's important for me to keep in mind that my people have endured worse, and that I fundamentally believe communities will unite and resist unconstitutional and biased mandates that don't serve our entire nation. And it's been important for me to remember that too...this is my nation. This country also belongs to me. And I'm not leaving, and I'm not going anywhere and I will fight for the right for the people around me to feel safe and secure in saying that too.