Darklings! (Shut up, David.)
We’re back with another installment of one of my favorite parts of our newsletter, our video interview series, Further Ado, where I sit down with a fascinating guest to talk about things that aim to inspire us. Today’s guest is the comedian, poet, and indie publishing powerhouse, Derrick C. Brown, who I have known for over two decades and toured with on multiple national poetry tours—some of which were via motorcycle, like the one we did last spring.
Derrick is a singular voice in the world of literature, and that’s because his craft doesn’t reside solely in the world of literature itself. Derrick is a beloved poet, yes, but he’s also a beloved comedian, blending his unique style of heart-wrenching, inspiring poetry with his dark-humored, razor-sharp wit in the most effective and seamless way. Beyond Derrick’s writing and skill as a performer, he’s also the founder of one of the most successful independent poetry publishing houses in the country, Write Bloody Publishing.
Founded in 2004, Write Bloody has published some of today’s top living poets including the current Poet Laureates of Colorado and Oregon (Andrea Gibson and Anis Mojgani, respectively); National Endowment of the Arts Fellow and Sarah Lawrence professor, Jeffrey McDaniel; New York Times bestselling author and finalist for an NAACP Image Award, Clint Smith; and Emerging Voices Fellow at PEN America, Kimberly Nguyen.
Derrick has a wealth of knowledge about what it takes to be an artist—and succeed in doing so. He’s built his own career from the ground up, touring and opening all over the world for famous comedians (my husband, David Cross, included), and rock bands alike, hustling his books and merchandise along the way, all in the name of making a real name for himself in the world of comedy and writing. And that, he has done in spades. Last year, Derrick released his first comedy-poetry hybrid album, A Close Shave With Heaven, on Pretty Good Friends Records (distributed by famed Seattle indie label, Sub Pop). Paste gave the album high marks, calling it a debut that “leaves the listener with a newfound sense of exuberance for the world around them.”
In this interview, we dive into how, exactly, one can become a writer that actually gets to tour and make a living off their own work, as well as how to get your creative energy flowing (he’s got a big workshop happening in April)! and so much more.
I hope you love this fun, inspiring, fantastic talk with one of my favorite human beings and artists, Derrick C. Brown.
Love,
Amber
More from today’s conversation:
Eugene Mirman
LITD interview with Jeffrey McDaniel
"Caracas" by Jeffrey McDaniel (poem that Derrick quotes)
Thin Ice Olympics by Jeffrey McDaniel
Born in the Year of the Butterfly Knife by Derrick C. Brown
Buddy Wakefield
The Last American Valentine edited by Derrick C. Brown
Jack Hirschman
Dr. Mindy Nettifee
Manic D Press
L.A. Times Festival of Books
Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP)
Portland Book Festival (formerly Wordstock)
Brooklyn Book Festival
Tatiana Simonian
Cold War Kids
Coffee House Press
Graywolf Press
The Waypost
SWV
En Vogue
Amber Flame
Beau Sia
Lightbulb Mouth Radio Hour
Kurt Braunohler
"A Finger, Two Dots Then Me" by Derrick C. Brown
"All Distortion, All the Time" by Derrick C. Brown
Dark Sparkler by Amber Tamblyn
"Never Let You Go" by Third Eye Blind
"Motorcycle Drive By" by Third Eye Blind
Coming up!
Good Riddance: Join us in the Chat for a weekly space to let go of something that’s been bugging you. Every Saturday, I’ll share something I’m letting go of and invite you to do the same. It can be big or small, serious or silly—an interaction that left you feeling not so great, a piece of clothing you’ve been hanging on to for too long, or your anger over a tragically canceled TV show that ended on a cliffhanger. For All Subscribers.
Further Ado: 2024 guests for our video interview series include Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Suleika Jaouad, Eliza Clark, and many more to be announced. For Paid Subscribers.
Readings + Prompts: A couple times a month, I'll share a new video made just for you reading something I've written over the years—a poem, an essay, an unpublished work (GULP)—as well as a unique prompt based on that work. Come get entertained and creatively energized. For Paid Subscribers.
Here, Take This, I Love You: Every month we will give away memorabilia and artifacts from the vaults of my office. A signed Joan of Arcadia script! Limited edition broadsides of poetry! Some gum Alexis Bledel once chewed! (I would never.) For Paid Subscribers.
