PLU Open Mic Interviews: Isaac B. Netters
Isaac B. Netters performed at our weekly Open Mic on 11 May 2023
Who are you and who do you write for?
My name is Isaac B. Netters a poet from New Orleans, LA. I like to believe that I write for the real people that are trying to make a real change in the world.
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
I knew I had a knack for writing around the age of 7 or 8. I won a short story contest at school. College was the real eye-opener, I started slamming and competing nationally. I became a grant writer and that’s when it really clicked that I could actually support myself from what I wrote.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
I have traveled all of the U.S. and Europe the past year and a half and the coolest thing besides sharing poetry is meeting new poets. I tell everyone the same thing: write from the heart and just keep writing.
How do you react to criticism of your work?
I’m open to all of the criticism, critique, praise. It just means I did my job, there is an emotion at the root of those actions, I’m thankful that people feel that they can share them with me.
How has your work developed over the last 12 months?
The Black Women That Raised Me was written in the last 6 months and is a true example of my growth as a poet. I wrote First Light in the pandemic and it feels a little constrained/constricted to me. This past year and a half has been totally educational and I think it reflects in the poems.
What does the future look like to you?
I am optimistic about the future. The kids I meet in the poetry community are definitely aware of their generations particular challenges and I think they are way smarter than me. I trust in what they will do to ensure that the computers don’t eat us.
What do you miss most about the pre-pandemic world?
Actual menus at restaurants and other everyday analog parts of life.
What importance has other people’s art had for you and your creative process?
Art creates art, that’s the way it works. I have a BA in Creative Writing so I have studied the greats and not so great. I appreciate poetry in particular in a way few people do. It’s the most free/freeing form of expression I believe we have developed and recognized so far. I write with jazz or classical music on in the background. I hope this answers the question.
Have you looked at different ways of expressing yourself or taken on a new medium?
I write and produce music. I’m a working DJ and produce DJ mixes.
Tell us about someone’s work you admire.
Charles Chestnut and Donald Goines are two of my favorite. They wrote real stories about real people dealing with real problems.
Where can we find more of your work?