Hello Beautiful People,
If you haven’t followed R.M. Drake on instagram, you should start right now. His feed will give you glimpses into his artistic endeavours, beautiful snippets of this unbelievably poetic soul. When Rob agreed to participate in our School Time Author Q&A, I practically fainted from sheer delight.
So, ladies and gents, meet R.M. Drake –
MM: First things first, did you always want to be a writer?
RM: I always wanted to be an artist. Writing is just one of the many mediums I use to express myself. I also love to paint and sculpt. Art is a beautiful thing and I am very fortunate to spread my work to millions of people.
MM: Where do the inspirations for your poems come from?
RM: A lot of my inspiration comes from people I know. Sometimes I take them and what they are going through and I write about it. Sometimes I am trying to create a moment or an idea. My inspiration comes from a lot of things. I cannot pinpoint it to one thing. Everything inspires me, the world is full of inspiration for those who are willing to see.
MM: If you had to name your top three favorite poets, who would they be?
RM: I do not ready poetry. I actually never thought my work to be considered poetry. I am not a poetry but a writer. I write stories. But if I must say my top three “writers” I will say Virginia Woolf, Albert Camus and George Orwell.
MM: Just for fun, if you were stranded on a desert island, what movies would you want to have available for you?
RM: Probably, star wars episode 3.
MM: Just for fun, what books are permanently on your book shelf?
RM: George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm. Virginia Woolf: To the lighthouse. Albert Camus: The Stranger and Kate Chopin: The Awakening.
MM: Do you use a typewriter for your prints?
RM: Yes I do. I use a 1940 Royal and I love it.
MM: What do you hope readers walk away with after reading BEAUTIFUL CHAOS?
RM: I hope they walk away a little better. I hope when they reread it each time they get something new out of it. there is a reason why you can finish the book quickly. So people do not feel like they will spend too much time on it. We live in an age where time is everything and a lot of us do not have the time to sit down and read. I want to make reading fun and easy again the way it should be.
MM: In today’s economy, arts education programs are the first to lose funding. What would you say to a politician or school board in an effort to keep arts programming in schools?
RM: Art is everything. It is the only thing that makes sense to us all. Art is all around us. The house you are living in is art. The car you drive. The way the food you eat is prepared and cooked. It is ALL art. I do not know why art programs are over looked. Thinking within itself is developed by art. Music, paintings etc. art influences our society in so many ways. we are so blind to the fact that art is everything.
MM: What’s next for R.M. Drake?
RM: I have three releases for 2015. Gravity: A novel. Black Butterfly: Volume 4 of the verses I write for social media, and A Brilliant Madness: A collection of short stories. 2015 will be a good year. It will be my year.
MM: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
RM: The teacher that changed my live was Robert Stambaugh over at MDC. He is an English professor. He was a genius and i loved how he would challenge me as a writer. He really knew how to polish someones talents. He believed in me back then and i am sure if he were to read this he would be proud. I will always be forever grateful for all of his insight and like I said the man was a genius. I will always have the highest level of respect for a passionate man like that. His mind is golden.
Thank you, Rob!
Live, Love, Learn,