Every once in a while, a book comes along that shows the power of both the spoken and written word that comes at a time that some would see as timely, powerful, and prophetic. Give the most recent events this summer, it’s a miracle that this book didn’t come out sooner but as someone once said, “Good things may not come when you want them, but they always come when you need them.” Despite the craziness that this year has brought us, there has been some positives. One of the positives is that there has been an uptick of new books being published this year and by new authors in ways that haven’t been seen since the Roaring Twenties comes a masterpiece from the groundroots. This is what brings us to Written in Blood: Anthology 2011-2018, the debut poetry book by young up and coming poet Robert Stubblefield. Stubblefield, who has performed poetry at a variety of slam poetry functions as well as African royalty such as King Toffa IX of Porto Novo, released Written in Blood earlier this year in February just before Covid-19 hit. When asked about what his book was about, he said “My debut poetry book, Written in Blood: Anthology 2011-2018, is a collection of poems that I have written from the time I was nineteen until I was twenty-six. My book is essentially about dreams, love, heartbreak, and social-political commentary through the lens of a young African-American man growing up in the United States.” This perspective is what makes this book unique because this viewpoint is something that is either not seen, ignored, watered down or censored by those who do not want to read or hear unfiltered and raw truth. When asked what inspired him to write this book, Robert responded “What inspired me to write the book was my observations on the racism I experienced as well as to offer hope in the hour of darkness via love. It’s like my own take on duality in the sense of the good with the bad and the bad with the good.” One of the interesting things is that take in duality, with poems such as “Celestial City(Light and Dark)” is that it really paints a great vision of the yin and yang symbol only using a urban environment to capture it’s essence. But why, in a day in age where people are a little sensitive would he choose to call his book Written in Blood, Robert said “I choose the title Written in Blood because of the history of this country but also because of how blood is a metaphor for the soul and how it is vital for us to live.” Powerful insight indeed. Furthermore he continued “My target audience is anyone who wants to expand their mind and try something new. It is my hope that readers come away with insight not only into the black experience but also to understand and appreciate the art of poetry.” Truer words have never been spoken, especially in a time such as now when people are now looking towards art as a way to deal with mental health during this pandemic.  As to what the future holds for him, Robert replied “My future plans for the book are to do some more virtual readings since due to COVID I can’t do any live performances at the moment as well as to finish up my second poetry volume and work on my first fantasy series.” What does he want people to know about him? Robert’s answer “A fun fact about me is that I can beatbox and I sometimes do it while I’m writing.” With this knowledge in mind why doesn’t he make an album. For any last words, he simply said “I want to say thank you Authors’ Lounge for the opportunity and the time to interview me about my book. Please stay in touch.”

Robert Alex Stubblefield is a poet, author, activist, and organizer currently residing in the DMV. For more information, you can follow him on his:

Twitter: @95star

Instagram: @thatguyrob26

Link to my book: Amazon