1. You are known to write poetic prose that cuts deep to the heart. If you could go back in time and speak to your younger self (outside of the poetic prose), what would you say and why? I would tell myself that sex doesn't equate love. I had very low self-esteem as a teen and young adult and used warm bodies to fill the lack of self-love I had for myself. It would've saved me a lot of heartaches. You can't look for love in loveless things. That's what I would tell my younger self.

2. Do you have a favorite genre to write about outside of poetry? If so, why? I love writing essays. I had a blog for several years on WordPress about relationships, mental illness, and trying to find my way in this world. Writing essays is as cathartic as poetry. The only difference is that I'm not paying attention to being poetic. It forces me to dig deeper and peel different layers. It's a stream of consciousness, and by the end, I learn something about myself that I didn't know before.

3. Do you have a favorite piece or work that you've written so far? Can you share?
One of my favorite poems would be "dear daddy" from my first collection The Chaos of Longing. For years I couldn’t write about my late father without breaking down. He was an immigrant from Jamaica and never got to live the American dream. He realized that the dream didn't include everyone. I see him defeated by racism, xenophobia, and poverty day in and day out. He turned to alcohol and gambling. I try to imagine his passing as a release. He is no longer suffering. He's at peace, and that's all I ever wanted for him.

dear daddy

i hope you've found a piece of paradise that you couldn't find standing still or chasing pavements here on earth.

i hope you took the biggest bite and didn't share with anyone else.

i hope you've laid down your machete and wiped the sweat from your forehead. you don't have to fight anymore.

i hope the congested traffic has left your eyes and you're able to see the shades of blue caressing the sky and feel the warmth of the sun.

4.    What do you do when faced with writer's block? I usually take a break and read something that inspires me. Music also helps. I learned a long time ago not to push it. The words will come. I have to trust the process.
5.    At what age did you know that it was a writer that you wanted to be? Could you explain? I started writing love letters to myself from an imaginary boyfriend in elementary. I don't know why I made him up. Maybe I wanted to feel loved by someone. I started to fall in love with poetry after reading Maya Angelou's work. I realized I could explore more in my writing.
6.    When you set out to write, do you create a type of schedule to help you and keep you on track? Care to share? I don't have a set schedule to write unless I have a deadline, which can be very stressful. My process is all over the place. One day I could have all the words in the world and write for hours. I sometimes go months without writing. I'm more led by inspiration than routine.
7.    What has kept you inspired to continue writing? One of the reasons I began writing is because I felt so alone. I didn't know that there were other soft people out there like me. As a black woman, everyone expects us to be stoic and carry the world on our backs. So, the need to express vulnerability in my writing keeps me going.
8.    Do you believe that in order for a writer to become a successful writer that it is worthwhile to write every day or that it is okay to set their own standards in this day and age? No, I don't think a successful writer needs to write every day. I've achieved some success, so I'm proof of that. Set your own standards. Be the best writer you can be. If you're not taking out time to hone your craft too, writing every day isn't enough. You always can learn more, even myself. I read different genres of poetry even if I don’t understand it. I've been struggling with different forms because I'm so used to writing free verse poetry, but I won't stop trying.
9.    Within the next 5 years, where do you see yourself within your writing journey? I would like to publish essay collections, learn more about the mechanics of poetry, conduct workshops—once I get over my anxiety—and eventually work in publishing behind the scenes.
10.    Do you have an inspirational author? Why are they your inspiration? It would have to be Maya Angelou. Reading her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, opened up a new world for me. I was in awe of the imagery and vulnerability. I saw so much of myself in Maya. I suffered trauma as a child and navigated the world in a black female body and what it entailed.  I may sound like a broken record, but her book made the caged bird in me feel less alone. It gave me wings.
11.    Would you like to share something about yourself that no other reader knows about? When I was a child, I used to ingest rubber bands with milk. I have pica, a disorder of craving or eating things that aren't food and have no nutritional value. I still crave weird things, but I don't "indulge" in them anymore.

You can find more of K.Y. Robinson’s work here: Twitter - Instagram as well as her books, The Chaos of Longing and Submerge as well as her anthologized work, [Dis]Connected: Poems & Stories of Connection and Otherwise Vol. 2 available for purchase now.