‘Poems About This Roller-Coaster Ride Called Life’: an interview with poet Kaira Espinoza
Written by by Minister of Information JR
Wednesday, 02 February 2011 22:14
Kaira Espinoza
Kaira Espinoza is a poet from the Mission district of San Francisco who recently completed her
debut book of poetry called “Poems About This Roller-Coaster Ride Called Life.” I’ve known
Kaira for most of my adult life, and she has always been a passionate poet and community
organizer. I’m glad to see her accomplish one of her dreams in life, which was to become a
published poet. I think it is important for us to push local artists and media-makers in our
community, especially the ones with a conscious message. Check out this Q&A that I did with
Kaira …
M.O.I. JR: How long have you been a poet and how did you get into it?
Kaira: I wrote my first poem in the eighth grade. I was just trying to express some of the
emotions I felt about the drama I was dealing with at the time, drama that is typical of most
adolescents in the middle school years.
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‘Poems About This Roller-Coaster Ride Called Life’: an interview with poet Kaira Espinoza
Written by by Minister of Information JR
Wednesday, 02 February 2011 22:14
M.O.I. JR: When did you get serious about it? What made you get serious about it?
Kaira: I guess you could say I got serious about it in my early 20s, which is when I began
performing my poetry at community events. Then people started inviting me to read at other
community events, protests, fundraisers etc., so that motivated me to get serious about it.
M.O.I. JR: Tell us about your new book of poetry. How did you decide which poems to put into
it?
Kaira: This first book of poetry is broken up into five chapters: 1) Exposing the war in the air; 2)
Fires of sexuality; 3) Resisting the seeds of oppression; 4) Waves of immigration; 5) The sacred
circle of life. The poems I chose to go into each chapter are the ones I felt were the strongest
and most relevant to each particular chapter topic.
M.O.I. JR: Why did you decide to self-publish your own poetry book?
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‘Poems About This Roller-Coaster Ride Called Life’: an interview with poet Kaira Espinoza
Written by by Minister of Information JR
Wednesday, 02 February 2011 22:14
“Poems
About
This
Roller-Coaster
Ride
Called
Life”
by
Kaira
Espinoza
Kaira:
number
are
provide
publish
ahaven’t
traditional
Well,
your
the
and
art
it’s
is
book.
mostly
department
not
style
But
really
publishing
available
it’s
self-published.
not
that
like
designs
online.
house,
your
book
meaning
your
PublishAmerica.com
automatically
cover,
they
an
don’t
editor
goes
ask
to
is
you
proofread
up
the
on
to
publishing
shelves.
pay
your
for
anything.
book,
house
It
gets
and
and
an
They
ISBN
they
they
M.O.I.
JR:
What
has
the
response
like?
just
book
my
been
groove
life
was
hustling
Friends
and
again,
released
losing
been
the
I’m
and
promoting
book
ready
my
have
family
25-year-old
as
to
been
who
Iget
start
had
itthe
rough
have
taking
envisioned.
cousin
I been
should
read
for
promotion
me
after
itmore
have
love
personally,
But
his
it!
now
been.
of
courageous
But
that
sales
These
book
just
I’m
dealing
aren’t
to
getting
last
battle
the
couple
as
next
with
with
my
big
life
level.
ait?
cancer
of
as
lot
years
back
of
like
transitions
…
into
since
so
because
a
I good
haven’t
the
into
Ia
Who
are
some
of
poets
that
you
look
up
to?
Kaira:
Cherrie
be
appreciated.
tied
Some
down
Moraga
by
of
poets
And
and
any
Nikki
specific
that
inspired
the
Giovanni.
structure
top
of
me
my
Those
to
like
head
be
creative
ladies
that
traditional
opened
put
and
poetry
just
my
forms
flow
down
eyes
of
with
to
in
poetry.
what
afree
style
verse,
poetry
II’d
never
not
could
knew
having
be
could
are
M.O.I.
JR:
published?
advice
do
you
have
for
young
women
poets
who
seek
to
get
their
work
to
because
fair
publishing
your
cut
Be
of
type
you
the
ready
houses
of
want
money
poetry
to
like
to
hustle
that
make
and
to
see
your
your
then
sure
that
book
book!
make
you
you
makes.
get
Think
sure
already
to
to
keep
about
Start
outreach.
have
your
submitting
the
adon’t
demographic
rights
local
Make
base.
to
to
sure
your
local
that
that
work
magazines
you
might
read
that
be
because
the
most
you
fine
will
receptive
print
get
What
is
the
difference
between
writing
poetry
and
performing
Kaira:
but
speaking
To
me,
those
there’s
words
aoff
huge
into
difference.
existence
is
Getting
more
words
of
athe
rush!
down
on
paper
is
one
type
of
release,
M.O.I.
JR:
How
do
people
your
new
book?
carry
roller-coaster:
1-60836-039-3.
it.POCC
Just
make
“Poems
sure
About
you
is
type
This
probably
the
Roller-Coaster
title
the
correctly
easiest
Ride
–associate
way,
Called
although
forget
Life”
to
any
place
by
Kaira
online
aand
hyphen
Espinoza,
bookstore
in
ISBN
should
No.
can
people
keep
up
with
you
online?
Kaira:
ear
out
IPublishamerica.com
for
don’t
Kaira
really
Espinoza!
have
an
online
page
or
anything,
but
just
get
the
book
and
keep
an
eye
Minister
of
Information
JR,
Bay
View
editor,
at
@gmail.com
mailto:blockreportradio
and
visitand
tp://www.blockreportradio.com/
ht
.Email
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