Just the ‘write’ words, a Q&A with Luivette Resto

By Cheyenne Scharff
Issue date: 5/6/09

Do you remember the first poem you wrote? What was it about?

“Yeah, the first poem I wrote was in the 7th grade. It was called “Push.” It won a little class contest. I remember it being an emotional kind of poem about me being pushed or feeling pushed by people, not on a physical level but on a metaphorical level. I wrote that when I was 12, I think.”

Have the things you write about changed, as you’ve gotten older?

“Absolutely. I read the collection every so often and some of the poems that are in there are seven years old. I’m writing new poems now and I sound different. I see things differently the older I get, so therefore I describe things differently. I compare my voice to what it was earlier on and sometimes I wonder, “How did I even get chosen to go to school?”


Do you resent being a poster girl for feminism, or minority issues?


“I don’t resent it. The problem stems from feeling like the representation of all those things whether it is in a classroom or in a social environment. I feel that way when I’m the only woman in an all-male room. When Hillary Clinton was running for president, someone would ask, “Well, what do you think about that, Luivette?” And I [would wonder], “Why do you think that I have an opinion? Is it because I’m a woman?” A lot of assumptions are made just because you are female, because you’re Puerto Rican, because you speak different languages. I feel the load on my shoulders. You want to be a good representation, but [you] don’t have all the answers. It gets very overwhelming.

Do you consider yourself a feminist or an advocate for minority rights?

“I have been an activist. I was very active in college. I do consider myself a feminist. I tend to become involved or active in not just the minority rights, but also any injustice that is going on. I get involved with my community as much as I can because to me the definition of community is very fluid. To me, my community is the four walls of my home; my community is here [at Citrus College]; my community is L.A.; my community is in my classroom.

What would you consider your greatest muse or inspiration for your writing?

I try to channel my anger or my frustration; instead of lashing out I just take it to the page. Some of the poems came from people that I enjoy, like poets, and getting inspired by them.

How does your family feel about the success of your book?

My family has never read any poems. That’s a side of me that unfortunately they have never seen. I know my mother and grandmother have a copy of the book, [but] my dad is the only person that I’ve talked to about it. He read the book and he called me a couple a months ago from the East Coast. He said, “Are you going to ever ask me about your book?” I said, “No, I don’t want to know what you think.” I don’t want to get into what’s fiction and what’s fact. He said that he never knew that I had such a command of the language. He did admit that some of the poems made him uncomfortable. Some of them made him feel a little bit squeamish because he’s my dad.

What does your poetry do for you?

For me it’s a form of therapy. I need to write. There is a necessity in my life for it. I have a hunger and I have to satiate that hunger. I always write to music. I cannot write with silence. It so bothers me.

My favorite poem is “Faded Lipstick.” Can you tell me what is behind this poem?

That one was considered my abstract poem, [it] stems from my thought process. I have a very odd thought process and my poems are the place for the oddities that I think about. I love that poem too; it became one of my favorites.





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Tags: Luivette Resto, Poet