It is all about poetry and personal literary endeavours in this conversation between Semilore Kilaso, moderator of PIN Literary Interviews, and Samuel Adeyemi, a young poet and writer.
Samuel A. Adeyemi is a young writer from Nigeria. A Poetry Editor at Afro Literary Magazine, his poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Palette Poetry, Frontier Poetry, 580 Split, The Maine Review, Blue Marble Review, Leavings Lit Mag, Kissing Dynamite, The Shore, Jalada, and elsewhere. When he is not writing, he enjoys watching anime and listening to a variety of music. You may reach him on Twitter and Instagram @samuelpoetry.
1. Hi Samuel, it’s a great pleasure having you on PIN Literary Interviews. Other than what is in your bio, do tell us some things about yourself.
Hello, Semilore. Thank you very much for the honour. I wonder what else to say about myself. There is this stereotype that writers have boring lives. It seems I will have difficulties defending against that. Anyway, I was born on 9/11, my favourite genres of music are rock/metal and hip hop, and I support the recent Champions League Winners.
2. Earlier this year, you changed your author’s name from Samuel Adeyemi to Samuel A. Adeyemi. Tell us about the process and what name as a form of identity means to you.
Correct. It’s just a Google thing, really. I did so to circumvent the issue of search results. There is a pastor with the name Sam Adeyemi. Because of his popularity, how well established he is, search results will display his information whenever you search Samuel Adeyemi. For a young writer, publicity is just as important as growth. Misidentification can be relegating, dangerous sometimes. I was a little hesitant proceeding with the move since I already had a few publications under the old name. But I made up my mind, and I think it is not a bad decision. Think Michael Jordan and Michael B. Jordan. Adding the initial solves the recognition problem, Jordan and Adeyemi-wise.
Incidentally, I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and stumbled on a budding poet by the name Adeyemi Samuel. I thought, “heavens. Here we go again.” Names are weird, really.
3. When did you start writing and what sparked your interest in poetry?
What sparked my interest in the form was probably studying Literature in secondary school. We would read works from poets like Alfred Tennyson, Lenrie Peters, Gabriel Okara, Walter Raleigh, Birago Diop, Kofi Awoonor, William Wordsworth (my favourite then), and good ol’ Shakespeare. I loved that, what could be done with language. I remember our teacher once asked us to write poems as an assignment. That was when I wrote my first poem. It was typically modelled after Lenrie Peters’ “The Panic of Growing Older.” Later, I would write my first intentional poem. Some sixteen-line, four-quatrain atrocity.
4. I know language is important to you as your poems are packed with sublime imageries. How would you describe poetry in relation to your style?
Interesting question. Half of the time, I don’t even know what I’m doing. But I think my philosophy is to be accessible, yet powerful—to find a balance between language and depth. If you don’t understand what the poem is saying entirely, you would, at least, appreciate how simple diction is used to create something artistic. I try to do this, whether it works is left to the audience’s perception and judgement (most times, the reactions are positive). Also, my poetry is obviously very confessional. It makes sense since the reason I stuck to poetry was because I needed an outlet to express myself. I was, and still am, very introverted and not quite the talker. Regarding form and structure, I love to experiment, but it seems I favour writing in couplets a lot.
5. I love the sincerity of your poem AT THE MENTION OF GRIEF published in Indigo Literary Journal, particularly the opening line “You call me poet, I am just nineteen & elevating grief, all my verses, siblings holding themselves. Or is it not the same penury pouring into another page? ” The way you explore grief is different in every poem, has living in Nigeria shaped your approach to thematic and choice of language?
Thank you. The subject of grief is inexhaustible, and being Nigerian is almost a primary contributor to it. There is grief everywhere. It cannot help but be evident in my writing, even though I have grown tired of it. I have also written a lot of protest poems lately, thanks to the government. They never fail to inspire.
6. There is a sense of community and identity amongst African poets, perhaps this is why some say our poetry revolves around the same theme. Do you agree that some themes are sellable while others aren’t? Should African poets whitewash their art in a bid to get recognised and published?
People say African poets write about grief, suffering, loss, and poverty too much. I say writing is a reflection of experience. Are these, unfortunately, not our reality? We write about grief and suffering because we grieve and suffer. We lose and are impoverished. In that same poem you referenced above, I said: “But is it not the misery that precedes the / verse? The cut is antecedent to the bleed. / I will not allow grief to scarlet a page, if / a blade never made a violin of my wrist.” These poems exist only because the hurt exists. It is difficult to write about butterflies and roses when your people are dying in the street.
About the sellability of themes, I must admit that some themes carry more weight than the others. Sorrow is definitely more nuanced than joy. Poems about mental health tend to give more room for depth than poems about plucking apples. This, however, does not trivialise the latter. An apple poem may still be well-crafted than a depression poem. It takes skill to write on subjects that are regarded mundane and write it well. I really admire poets who do this. (Hello, Abdulbaseet).
Regarding whitewashing, we all want to be recognised internationally. In the process, we may pick up styles from international poets and use them in our writing. I do not think it is whitewashing, neither is it as bad as some critics make it seem. It is a very careless statement. I’ve heard people say contemporary African poets are losing their voice in a bid to get into foreign magazines. My question is, which voice? Many of us are young, growing. Instead, the voice is being discovered and shaped in the journey. However, if there are poets who actually do this, the advice is to be true to yourself and keep learning. The recognition comes with persistence, not plagiarising Ocean Vuong.
7. There is a paradigm shift in Nigerian literature. What is contemporary poetry to you?
The shift is inevitable. Time passes, language evolves. Some people want us to write like Shakespeare, forgetting we do not speak like Shakespeare. Heck, forgetting Shakespeare did not write like those before him either. Most contemporary poets in Nigeria are more flexible, accessible, and experimental. Just how I think it should be.
8. You study English and Literary Studies at the University. Does it have a great influence on your writing?
Not really. Whenever I tell people I study English and Literary Studies, the next statement that follows is always, “no wonder you are a poet” or “no wonder you write so well.” I understand the logic. I picked the course because it was a field I felt I was good at and could excel in. But it has little influence on my writing. They do not teach me how to write poems in University. All I have learnt is a product of personal research, reading, and practice. Nevertheless, there may be little influences like in terms of vocabulary, and even that is a passive—almost subconscious—process.
9. Do you ever regret publishing some of your works? If yes why?
Maybe one or two old publications. Mostly because I look at them and think I could have done better; used a more suitable line, substituted a word, removed something. I reckon it’s just growth. Most writers experience this.
10. What Nigerian poet(s) do you continually revisit their works?
They are so many, but I’ll mention just a few. Pamilerin Jacob, JK Anowe, Nome Emeka Patrick, Adedayo Adeyemi Agarau, Ojo Taiye, Precious Arinze, Wale Ayinla, Gbenga Adesina, Romeo Oriogun.
11. What in your opinion is the place of poetry as a genre of literature in Nigeria? What future? What opportunities for Poets?
I believe poetry is getting more attention and embrace. It no longer looks like that art form that scares people away because of its supposed exclusivity. People are falling in love with the beauty of language, thanks to contemporary poets. There are more opportunities for poets as well, with a good number of contests around. Though the government’s apathy hinders more development. Most of these contests and literary events are privately sponsored.
12. What’s your opinion about Poets in Nigeria as a vanguard of poetry renaissance in Nigeria
I think Poets in Nigeria has done so much for the genre. Contests, chapbooks, slam, festivals—you name it. When you think of poetry in the country, PIN should be the first name that comes to mind. That says a lot about relevance and influence. I mean, how many Nigerian poets have not had some sort of affiliation with PIN?
13. Thank you for your time. Please leave us with few lines of your poetry (max 12 lines)
“peace passes through my palm like a moth
piercing starlight. & what are hands if they never
grace the bloom of a dream? Why should I run
through my hair with testaments of lack? I wish
to shatter this fist, to mold it into a vase, let it
strike the bone of a wall. Or to shatter a wall, with
my fist—a vase. I reckon everything is a weapon
if chiselled on the right tooth, & if you carve a poem
well, it may cleave open an ant. But I know too well,
the tenderness of my fury, I rage so much I can only
pour. After I curse my body, a creek will beckon
beneath both eyes.”