Meet Jamell Crouthers, Poet and Writer

Jamell Crouthers is a poet and writer who creates thought-provoking content about different aspects of life. His goal is to write poetry books on societal issues that we all face in today's age. Through writing poetry, he says, "it is an easy read for others, and it's a gateway to getting inside of my mind and how I write."

You can learn more about Jamell and read samples of his work by visiting his Amazon author page, as well as his author profile on Bublish. He is also on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and he maintains a personal website at http://www.aquarianmind.info/.

1. How did you first get started with writing poetry, and who are some poets whose work inspires you?

I got started with poetry when I was 13 years old. I wrote about life and thoughts that I had going on in my mind. As I got older, I wrote about my life experiences, love, and family. It wasn't until my 30s where I started writing about societal issues and more serious things regarding life.

A lot of the poets I follow on Instagram inspire me to write. Their poems relate to some life experiences I've been through. They give me a lot of ideas to write different things, too. I don't want to say names or anything, but I appreciate their work and self-expression through poetry. It takes a lot to share your thoughts and be vulnerable these days.

2. Why do you see poetry as the way to communicate your stories and ideas, rather than prose?

I see poetry as a way of self-expression. It's a lot of formulated thoughts all put onto a piece of paper. I find writing poetry and reading it as an experience that the reader will feel.

3. What's your process like for determining what goes into the manuscript of a book that you intend to publish?

I spend a lot of time brainstorming. I write everything down. I have a blue book with pens with me at all times. It's writing out chapters, developing the character I'm going to write about and thinking of a storyline for each character. I observe the world. I have a quiet personality at times, and that's where I'm thinking. I also talk to people and listen to their experiences. Listening to music gives me ideas too.

4. In sharing your work both in book form and through social media, do you get a lot of responses from readers?

With the readers that have read my books, I get a lot of wow responses and a lot of emotional responses from readers. It's an emotional rollercoaster for readers who read my books, and that's my goal. I like to create imagery and make people emote. I've had a reader tell me that she cried reading my book: that's when I knew I had them drawn in.

5. What else would you like readers to know about you and your writing?

I would definitely like to let readers know that my books are different. They deal with a lot of societal issues head on, and there is a lot of emotion that comes from the characters I've created. While it is fictional, these are characters that will relate to you in some way or they will relate to someone you may know. It's definitely not the traditional read. It's different but it's a good different and worth the read.

Thanks, Jamell!