ABP- Thank you for taking this interview today, Rosalyn. Around this time last year Alien
Buddha Press was had the good fortune of being allowed to publish your chapbook “The Sweet Smell of Hope”, a bright and unwavering 43 page collection. What can you tell us about this book? What was the writing process like?
RB- Thank you for interviewing with me!. I had the idea that I was gonna write a book in my mind for a while, but I didn’t get started until I moved to Atlanta a couple of years ago. My father had been pretty insistent on me publishing a book, and according to him, he wanted to “see his daughter’s name on the shelf. I kept putting it off, figuring I’d get to it sooner or later, but then my father was diagnosed with cancer, and so that’s what really got me into gear with finally getting it done. I wanted to get it out there before he was gone. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but I’m glad I finally did complete it, and I did manage to dedicate it to him as well as my mother. As far as the content of the book, it started off as a collection of short stories and poems, but as the poems I was writing began to carry overarching themes of their own, I just decided to stick with those. I wanted the book to have a sense of progression, with a feeling of hopefulness at the end.
ABP- Can you share one of your poems from “The Sweet Smell of Hope” with us here?
RB- Sure, one of the poems from “The Sweet Smell of Hope” is titled Memory, which goes as follows:
Memory
is the most fragile of currencies.
Built on a foundation of shared
experiences, it empowers even
the smallest of bonds. Traded
between familiar hands, are the
relationships which make us
whole, and the loose change I
once took for granted has
become my most prized
possession. I’ve learned that the
loss of it
is not to be taken lightly.
So when names become as
slippery as wet stone, and
faces are nothing more
than mere shadows that
warn of a looming end, I’ll
look into my own hand and
cherish all the wealth you’ve
given me.
ABP- Where are you at creatively now? Have you been writing? Are you working on another book?
RB- I’ve been writing a lot more lately. I’m into scriptwriting as well, so I have a few TV, film, and theater ideas that I’m also working on, in addition to wanting to write a novel. I’ve been writing more poems, so I’ll likely get to a point where those are ready to put into another book too.
ABP- What are some of your inspirations? Some of your favorite writers and books?
RB- My favorite books and my inspirations always change. There’s just so much to be inspired by. At the moment, I’ve really been enjoying Ocean Vuong and haruki murakami
ABP- Have you been to any open mics/ live readings? What is the art/lit scene like in your area?
RB- Not yet, though I’d love to make this year the one where I start doing that. I have had the opportunity to attend some artist workshops where I’ve met a ton of amazing artists, so I’d love to do more of that.
ABP-Thank you again, Rosalyn. If there is anything else that you would like to announce, promote, share, or anything, please do.
RB- Thank you so much for interviewing me. I did recently make a new Instagram account (@rozzywrites) that I’ve started using for sharing my poetry, so there’s that for now, until I’ve finished up my next book of poetry or novel. I’m also on Medium as a writer, and I have a Substack titled, A Metamorphosis Journal.
Alien Buddha Press 