Michael Torres Poet

Augie: Today I would like to introduce one of Pomona, California’s up and coming new poet, Michael Torres. Michael T as I call him is from the city of Pomona. He is a graduate of Mount San Antonio College and a sophomore at the University of Riverside where there he majors in Creative Writing. 

                                                                       

Welcome, Michael T    

Michael T: Hey, What's good? Thanks for the chance to interview. Appreciate it.

Augie: Michael T and I met in Professor Cynthia Prochaska’s poetry writing class at Mount San Antonio College, he was one of the many bright and creative students I met in this class, including poet Michaelsun and Charlotte San Juan.

I realize that this interview is different from the usual interviews that involved the genre of mystery fiction, but I felt this is a young man that we need to pay attention to. Now is the time to meet him and read some of his work.

Michael T you have a new release book called “The Beautiful Distraction,” why this title for a book of poetry?

Michael T: Hahaha well... The original idea around the title was a woman I was dating at the time when a rush of poetry was coming to me. Then it meant more to me than a woman (maybe because we had stopped dating). The "beautiful distraction" became life. Life was and is so beautiful but it sometimes distracts me from my writing time.

Augie: I can understand that. When I’m in the mode of poetry or mystery writing, or even course writing I sort of forget about everything else. In fact I lose the conscious of time and focus on the piece at hand.

It took a while for my copy of “The Beautiful Distraction,” published by Finishing Line Press to arrive. I thought that it was very brave of you as well as smart to get commitments of purchases, before the release date.

I love the poem, “who am i,” this is the question many of us have asked ourselves, but why the lowercase I? Is this significant?

Michael T: Yes it is significant. Whenever I lower case a letter in a poem it is definitely on purpose. The "i" is a representation of self, self worth even, at the time I was writing that particular piece. The capitol "I" is proud and stands tall, extending arms and legs for the world to see. The lower case on the other hand feels unimportant or confused. The dot is the head hanging low.

Augie: Wow, I never thought of this before. One has always been told that ‘I’ have to be capitalized; but the way you (as a poet) describes the ‘i’ makes sense. Many times we all feel the small ‘I’ yet we are forced to stand out there all alone as though we are strong.    

Who is your mentor, and how has this mentor helped you?

Michael T: Wow. I guess all the poets I'd read when I was a child, from Dickinson to Hughes. I learned through their work. But when I hit college it began with Bruce Williams.

Augie: I loved Bruce, such a brilliant teacher and lover of poetry.

Michael T: He taught me structure. He showed me how to sharpen the skill I didn't know I had, then Mr. John Brantingham, of course.

Augie: John too is an excellent teacher and an advocate of talent.

Michael T: Without him I wouldn't have known how to go about even publishing. Plus I have modeled at least one poem, if not many more, off of his work.

Augie: What an honor. Where can people purchase “The Beautiful Distraction?” Do you have a website?

Michael T: They can purchase it from me or on the publisher’s website: finishinglinepress.com. I believe it will be on Amazon in a month.

Augie: Fantastic. What’s up next for Michael T? I know you do live performances, what venues are in stored for the audience?

Michael T: Right now I'm very focused on school so I usually do open mics at UCR or in Pomona. I'm also almost always rollin with the people from SGVlitfest to all of their functions.

Augie: That’s the San Gabriel Valley Literary Festival, which is spearheaded by John Brantingham, Scott Creeley and Ann Brantingham. I understand there is a future festival coming next February 2013. I suppose I will have to interview John Brantingham soon.

Michael T: So yeah. Oh and I have my book release party, March 24 at the DBA Wine-bar in downtown Pomona. That will be a great night.

Augie: I’m looking forward to that night. Could you please share at least three of your poems with our audience?

Michael T: Sure.

The Bike Ride

It's that kind of day where

the fire hydrants are thirsty,

the shadows are tired and the dogs

don't even want to bark

as you pass them. And the sun

is so blazing hot

that the palm trees are waiting

to fall over. It's so dry

the only thing the sun feeds is

the thought process.

The grass by the freeway

is dead brown and it smells

like piss. It's one of those

six in the afternoon summer days

that have you running into

the 8th grade You after passing a freeway over pass.

You see yourself, laughing there

but still nervous around girls.

You smile at him but

he doesn't see. He is too busy with...

nothing really.

You keep peddling

hoping to see more younger You's. Maybe

you’ll run into the

fresh out of high school, know-it-all,

knucklehead You so you can tell him

something about dating women

from work.

At your driveway

you look for the You

who really thinks he can fly,

to get lost for another moment.

That 7yr old happy, even in this heat You. The one with

no worries about

paying for college or insurance or buying

new clothes or missing out

on love. But

when you get home

he's not there.

It's just you. You peddle up the driveway,

put the bike back

and wonder

if the ride

was a good idea

after all.

·         

Women

I love women who

know how to lie but they say

that they love me too.

·        

You Call Me Michael

like it's a new day that you are

willing to spend a chance on.

And it makes me think

of all the disappointing days I've had,

post-it noted over my mind's bulletin board, categorized by

women I've dated, loved and lost or left behind. I

flip through pages of notes about

anniversaries in San Diego where luggage

flew across hotel rooms

too far away from home to walk from,

birthday parties,

for little brothers that weren't mine gone bad

because of the wrong balloon bought and

six hour break-ups that included

pizza and an attempt to jump out of a moving car.

You call me

Michael

like I don't have to apologize

for being myself anymore,

for the way I stood up dates and laughed, for the way I

treated people because of the way they treated me.

You call me Michael

like I'm a gentleman and

you mean it.

You say it

with such conviction

that, for you,

I believe it.

Augie: Michael Torres thank you for being my guest today and sharing some of your work. Great fortunes and many more poems to share.

Michael T can be seen at the DBA Wine-bar located at 256 S. Main Street, Pomona, Calif. from 9pm-12am, Saturday March 24th

Thank you for stopping by...