MAY 1ST, 2014
Felino A. Soriano
interviewed by N!P
"Soriano is seriously concerned, deeply dedicated and devoted, to creating a genuine and authentic poetry, a poetry that expresses an emotional apprehension of reality that is always elusive, and never graspable through a clear, distinct, transparent language."
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-Duane Locke
Nostrovia!: Your influences are varied and consistent. Would you elaborate on how each affect your writing?
Felino Soriano: Simply, my two primary influences (with various secondary influences following) are jazz and philosophy. I study both intently, daily, and use both spectrums of those fields’ languages as guidance to create my own poetic language.
N!: Why Jazz?
FS: Jazz alters my perceptual ability; thus, I listen when writing, as this assists in altering my poetic language. I also enjoy the improvisation etched into jazz, the “on the spot” creations of live shows. I attempt to mimic that aspect in my writing, thus, outside of correcting spelling errors, I don’t edit any of my poems.
N!: Favorite Jazz artists?
FS: This will be a truncated list, as the entire list would be rather large:
- Robert Glasper
- Jason Moran
- Christian Scott
- Kris Bowers
- Thelonious Monk
- Miles Davis
- John Coltrane
- Jamire Williams
- Alice Coltrane
- Charles Mingus
- Vijay Iyer
- Geri Allen
- Fred Hersch
- Charles Lloyd
- Paul Motian
- Matthew Shipp
- Cecil Taylor
N!: Your favorite album(s)?
FA: Again, a truncated list:
- "In My Element" – Robert Glasper Trio
- "Facing Left" – Jason Moran
- "Out to Lunch!" – Eric Dolphy
- "No Beginning No End" – José James
- "Conflict of a Man" – Erimaj
- "Kind of Blue" – Miles Davis
- "A Love Supreme" – John Coltrane
- "Yesterday You Said Tomorrow" – Christian Scott
- "19 (Solo) Compositions" – Anthony Braxton
- "Unit Structures" – Cecil Taylor
- "Mirror" – Charles Lloyd Quartet
- "Cover Art" – NEXT Collective
N!: Your favorite Jazz record?
FA: I’ll list the record I’ve listened to most frequently, which also happens to be a rather recent recording:
- F.T.B. – from Robert Glasper Trio’s album "In My Element"
N!: Why philosophy?
FA: Philosophy broadens understanding of an existential purpose. It provides direction into thought, and causes a desire to enhance the ability to think outside of mainstream formulas.
N!: Among philosophers, who would you say have been kicking into your interest?
FA: The current philosophers I read most often:
Martin Heidegger, Friedrich Nietzsche, Graham Harman, Jacques Derrida
Martin Heidegger, Friedrich Nietzsche, Graham Harman, Jacques Derrida
FA: What does language provide in the context of your poetic endeavors?
N!: With each poem I desire to use an uncommon poetic language, one that is sans cliché yet can discuss and create my interpretation of environment’s varied appositions. I have a strong fascination with language which is paralleled by a conviction that it truly is limitless.
N!: Where do you write?
FA: I have a dedicated writing room/study in my home that I’ve been using for several years. I will sometimes write elsewhere in the house, but the majority of my poems are written in my writing room.
N!: Can you explain your environment when writing?
FA: My room is small, but has wall-long bookshelves aligning one of the walls. This houses my books, stereo, jazz collection, family photos, and other collections. My writing desk contains my computer and typewriter and other necessary tools for writing.
N!: What your most common tools for recording your writing?
FA: I sometimes use a pen and paper, —also my typewriter or cell phone. The majority of poems though, are written using my computer.
N!: You’ve shared several ekphrastic poems. What intrigues you about this form of writing?
FA: Ekphrasis provides opportunity to converse with another’s artistic endeavor. It is my favorite mode to compose a poem, as it’s causal to removing any preconceived ideas about a poem’s construction, and imposes the need to look at or listen to what invites interpretation.
Ekphrasis: "'Description' in Greek. An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning."
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N!: Outside of your writing, what does life include?
FA: My life is quite structured and habitual. This is purposeful, as what I am involved in takes time and devotion and a desire in me to succeed. Outside of writing, studying and listening to jazz music, I have a family, and am a director of supported living and independent living programs that provide supports to adults with developmental disabilities. These qualities make up a large part of my identity and created nisus on a daily basis.
N!: Elaborate on what you hope to complete in 2014.
FA: I am currently working on a collection called Confirmations. Also, I am planning on a collaborative collection with another poet. I have a few collections that I have submitted and am awaiting decision for the publishers, and I have a few other collections forthcoming later this year. Along with Jamez Chang, my literary journal will continue called Counterexample Poetics.
Felino A. Soriano was born in California, 1974. He is the founding editor of Counterexample Poetics, an online journal of experimental artistry, Of/with: journal of immanent renditions, and from 2009 to 2013 ran Differentia Press, an electronic-book press dedicated to publishing experimental poetry. He is also a contributing editor at Sugar Mule. With over 4,800 poems accepted for publication between 580 online / print journals since 2016, including homes like 3:AM Magazine, BlazeVOX, Full of Crow, Clockwise Cat, and Otoliths, Felino is still chugging along, writing, creating, and inspiring.