Life & Work with Kisha Nicole Foster of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kisha Nicole Foster.

Hi Kisha Nicole, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began my journey as a poet in 1999. I’ve always read books and was good in English, yet poetry was never my goal. My first time on stage was at this spot in Cleveland that was called The Humidor. I won a poetry slam for $200 there. After that night, opportunities started coming to me. I was on the 2003 National Slam Team as an alternate. I was in various individual slams when PSI was out. That was twenty seven years ago. Since then I’ve gotten my BA in English – Creative Writing from Cleveland State University and my MFA in Poetry from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. I am the 2019 recipient of the Cleveland Arts Prize-Emerging Literature and the author of two books of poetry. I also am a teaching artist and an independent contractor, where I teach workshops, residencies as well as get commissioned to craft poems.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road is never smooth being a poet. It is a commitment to the word and the truth. A lot of times, I feel, to be poet, one must endure. When I first started, I had to pick up other jobs because poets don’t make a lot of money. There are highs and lows, like anything. I feel the biggest struggle or obstacle is always with self. It has to be a constant self awareness and self discovery that repeats at every stage. The ego has to be controlled and the love of the art has to supersede the want to be famous. I am most concerned with the truth and being honest even and when it hurts. The struggle is the gain. That is the beautiful part. With struggle and obstacles and pain comes wisdom. More truth and more words to describe and share.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in people poems. I’ve learned, dare I say mastered, how to speak to the collective. How to put real life situations in perspective using techniques and what I’ve learned into stanzas and form that retain plain speech for the average ear with language and lexicon that is witty and sturdy and relatable. I am most proud of being an award winning poet. Also, having poems as public art here in Cleveland, Ohio. What sets me apart is that I chose this fine art as a career at a young age and stayed with it: good, bad, ugly, and indifferent. Yes, I’ve wanted to give up, let it go…yet it’s my soul, my heart that keeps me writing and reading. I am a nerd who adores words and letters. I know that it shows in my poetry.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am a culinary artist. I attended culinary school in New Brunswick, NJ in 2012 and excelled. A car accident brought me back to poetry. I can say, that was the ONLY time I was going to walk away from being a poet. Yet The Most High had other plans! I cook for my daughter and people. I love cooking shows! I also love plants! I have some that are growing pretty well this season. Oh, and I watch a LOT of documentaries! I love love love documentaries!

Pricing:

• $1000 * starting price of a commissioned poem

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kishanicolefosterpoet
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DDodvqLGf/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kisha-nicole-foster-46a62489
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kishasyoutube
• Other: https://linktr.ee/KishaNicoleFoster_Poet