Ayokunle Falomo, poet

Today we talk (and laugh a lot) with poet Ayokunle Falomo, known to his Slam poetry friends and fans as Ayo. We chat about the inspiration for his urgent and iconic poem “Blk Boy Joy.” Ayo schools us on the question of how we as writers should appeal to young readers.

*Answer: start by listening to them.

And all your questions about cultural appropriation and shitty poetry will be answered, well, asked.

"“My smile, like my mother’s laughter, is an act of defiance.” -- Ayonkunle Falomo, from his poem Blk Boy Joy

Suggested readings & also mentioneds:

• Ayokunle Falomo’s 2013 TedX talk

• Reading his poem “on power“ on Houston Public Media’s “Houston Matters”

• Performing his poem “And what is a black body”

• The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander & Benjamin Zander

• The Invitation, The Call, & The Dance by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

• Controversy surrounding Anders Carlson-Wee’s “How To” (and The Nation’s editorial apology for publishing it) vs. Ai Ogawa persona poetry

• Donte Collins’ “The Autopsy”

• THIS IS THE THING AYO TELLS US WE NEED: Brave New Voices competition featuring Team Meta-Four and Sacramento #wordsnotwalls

Follow Ayokunle on twitter @AFalomo and Instagram @MrAFalomo

Buy his books Kin.dread and Thread This Wordweaver Must here and here.