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[This article was written prior to two-time American Book Award winner Troupe's appearance with Patricia Spears Jones, New York poet and playwright, at Woodland Pattern, October 2006.] Poet Quincy Troupe at Woodland Pattern by Mary Vuk  In a recent telephone interview, Troupe talked about his poetry. He said that poetry, comes from "a real place, some lived place, some felt place, some place deep down, where we all share. We are all human beings" and despite our differences, "we are more alike than we are different. Although in this world that we live in, most people play up the differences and then they say 'see, see, see, he doesn't believe in that so therefore you shouldn't deal with him.' But you want to say, 'listen, but we are more similar.'" Troupe enjoys his individuality and resists being classified as belonging to a particular school or movement. "I believe in myself," he said. "I believe in others being themselves. I really believe in expressing oneself. I believe that's what art is." Troupe, the first Poet Laureate of the State of California, is the author of eight books of poetry, two children's books about Stevie Wonder and Magic Johnson, and two books on musician Miles Davis. He has sold the screenplay rights for a Hollywood movie on Davis, which is expected to be produced in 2007. Troupe retired recently from a 34-year teaching career during which he taught at The College of Staten Island (CUNY), Ohio University and most recently, the University of California-San Diego, among others. In 2003, Troupe retired to New York City with his wife Margaret. Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1939, Troupe began writing in France in the early 60's while he was in the U.S. Army. While playing on the All Army Basketball Team, he sustained a knee injury that landed him in the hospital for a while. During his hospitalization, Troupe wrote a novel. "This really bad novel," he said. His French girlfriend recommended that he meet an old family friend regarding his literary ambitions. The family friend turned out to be none other than French philosopher, Jean Paul Sartre. At the time, young Troupe did not know who Sartre was. During their visit, Sartre had little interest in talking about Troupe's novel but seemed more interested in talking with Troupe about being an African-American in the United States. They enjoyed a good chat. As Troupe was leaving, Sartre asked Troupe what was wrong with his novel. Troupe told him that he "couldn't control the sprawl of it." Though Sartre expressed a disdain for poetry in general (a disdain probably shared by many philosophers), he suggested that Troupe write poetry because in poetry he would learn how to distill and shape language and also suggested that Troupe carry a small notebook around with him to take notes on his experiences in France. Sartre also recommended that he read other poets. Sartre's suggestions propelled Troupe into a lifelong love affair with poetry. "I love the process [of writing a poem]," Troupe said. Troupe enjoys the fusion of imagery and rhythm and sound that poetry offers. "Poetry gives me an opportunity to be both a painter and musician." Troupe has worked in classic poetic forms, such as sonnets, villanelles and sestinas, but also has written poems which have been influenced by music rather than poetic syllabics, for example, poems that are patterned after a jazz solo by John Coltrane or Miles Davis. Troupe's favorite poet is Pablo Neruda, but during his early years he also remembers enjoying T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, Dylan Thomas, W.B. Yeats, Leroi Jones and Gwendolyn Brooks. Troupe particularly enjoyed his recent visit to Columbia, South America, where he joined 60 other poets from many nations for the International Festival of Poetry of Medillin. The festival was attended by more than 250,000 Columbians, and Troupe was moved by their enthusiasm. "A lot of people loved listening to these poems and they came up to me on the street and they bought my books. These were Columbians and they were coming up—black Columbians, blonde Columbians, you know, mulatto Columbians, men and women. In this place, they love poetry." Troupe recounts an experience he had with an Iraqi poet at the festival, who he initially met while riding in an elevator. When he saw that Troupe was from the United States, the Iraqi poet said "you're my enemy, you're my enemy. I said, 'I'm not you're enemy. George Bush is your enemy. I don't even know you. I don't dislike Iraqis, I said, but if you want to take it further than that, it was the Arabs who sold black people into slavery, so you're my enemy too.' [The Iraqi poet] looked astonished, but we got to be good friends." Troupe attributes part of that happy outcome to the power of poetry to connect people on the basis of their similarities. Troupe is working on a novel, called The Legacy of Charlie Footman, a sprawling 600-page book he has been at work on for 20 years. He is also writing an automemoir called The Accordion Years. He likened the accordion metaphor to the process of living. "It's like the movement of the accordion. It goes in and out. It's one of those instruments you pull out and you push it in, and that's the way our lives go: the years come in, compress and they go out too. It's up and down, but it's also moving that way too." His latest book of poetry, The Architecture of Language, was just published by Coffeehouse Books this month. |