Author: Milena Gomez Alvareza

ISBN Number: 074141404X

 

The following interview was conducted by: E.Dian Moore &  To read more about Dian Moore’s reviews click HERE

To read Dian's review of the book CLICK HERE

Dian: You stated that "My number one rule is to always exclude sex completely out of my poetry because I believe poetry is about me being a creative individual that is true to herself." Please expand on that comment, if you would, on how you remain true to yourself.

Milena: I believe that by concentrating in the emotional person inside me, I can truly write straight from my heart. I love to write about how I feel and what’s happening around me and that’s why I focus on love as the spiritual, humanistic and innocent reunion of two people and also love as a whole, that’s how I see poetry as well. As a poet, I see myself writing about the pureness of love and not the physical. I have figured out that if I’m going to write about “sex” in some of my novels and in all my novellas, then there’s no reason to include it in my poetry. Poetry speaks to me and I speak back by writing about what’s deep inside me.

Dian: You are very young to have already published a book of poetry, been included in another book of poetry and be working on a novella. What are you writing now?

Milena: I would have to say that right now I’m writing many things. I also have many projects that I soon will have published. There are a lot of poetry books that are coming soon and even novellas!

Dian: I noticed on your website, www.milenagomez.com that patriotism is important to you. Tell us why, and how that patriotism is reflected in your works. And why do you love fireworks?

Milena: To me patriotism is very important, but only if you love the country you’re in and if you exercise your right to Vote. Personally, I love where I live now, I’m glad that I became a citizen of the USA and that I was able to vote in last year’s Presidential Election. I think that there’s no better way to express how happy I am, that’s why I included this in my website. I do say that patriotism is not reflected in many of my works but in some.  It’s rarely that I use patriotism as a theme, and because it appears in usually one or two of my poems, I have decided to share a poetry collection with two of my friends. Hopefully this project will be finished within this year. 

And why do I love fireworks? Well, they are pretty nice to look at, but my connection with them is focused on how it feels to be in love rather than the 4^th of July.

Dian: You've received both good and not so good reviews for your first volume of poetry. Some say how can a 20-year old even begin to know about love and all it entails. What would you like to say in response?

Milena: I would like to confirm what Aaliyah once said in one of her songs: “Age ain't nothing but a number.” I know that what’s between the quotation marks is grammatical incorrect, but that statement does get my point across. I think that regardless of what anybody may say; if you limit a talented person to what that person can or cannot do, just because of his/her age, then you will never see the greatness inside that person.

If for once I would have let myself be intimidated by anything like that, I would have never taken the chance to get this book published. So, if my poetry isn’t good enough for some because I’m too young, it’s because they don’t remember what it was like when they were my age. So far the good reviews speak for themselves and through them the reviewers have actually put in correct words of what my book is all about. That’s all I have to say.

Dian: When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

Milena: I first knew that I wanted to be a writer when I started writing in the school bus one of my earliest poems: Emotions. The poem was completed hours; even minutes after I started writing it, so I was shocked that I had finally found my talent in such unexpected way.

I also realized that one great poem was just the beginning of many poems to come and I even thought of making many books after that. And looking back today, I see the power that any writer’s earliest works can have: my first book was named after that special poem and Emotions is in fact the first poem of the book. I must say that writing and I were always meant to be.

Dian: Who influences your writing?

Milena: Everyone that touches my life and my heart at some point influences my writing. There’s just isn’t one special person at all that could take all the credit, in fact the list is really long and it never ends. There’s always someone new and there’s always a new inspiration along the way.

Dian: What inspires you to put pen to paper and write a poem, and when you do, do you revise it, or leave it as it comes from that first inspiration.

Milena: Whatever that is currently happening in my life or even a nice word that I like inspires me to put pen to paper. Real life experiences are the most common source of inspiration for my poetry. And yes, I revise everything afterwards. I concentrate too much on how I feel and being so my priority every time I write, I always try to ensure that afterwards the spelling is good and that it makes sense.

Dian: Thank you, Milena. Good luck in your future writing endeavors.