Poet Spotlight: Dimonique Boyd [she/her]

Artist Biography: “ I wish I could disappear into a fine mist, but if I did, someone would probably choke on me.” The day she uttered this statement in a casual conversation, Dimonique Boyd became fully aware that she…is…a poet. A daughter of the Café Mahogany days, Dimonique experienced a rebirth in poetry when she became a regular at EchoVerse Poetry and Slam Series in 2007. She has had featured performances at both the Detroit and Southfield Public Libraries, The Music Hall Jazz Café, the Charles H. Wright Museum, Cliff Bells, and 1515 Broadway amongst numerous other poetry venues, churches, schools, and private venues. An admitted Confessional Poet, most of her poems are short glimpses into pieces of her life. She sees her poetry as both an outlet and an outreach. She is unafraid to give the most personal parts of herself to her audience because she feels that it’s important to be a voice for those who fear that they’re alone or don’t have the words to express how they feel. No matter the subject of her prose, the focus is always humanity. We love, we hurt, we cry, we lust, we sin, and she pours it all on the page and the stage to achieve oneness with her audience. Dimonique is a regular featured Poet for Ber-Henda Williams’ annual “The Power of Girlhood” event and a Minister of Poetry for “House of Poetry,” a monthly event headed by Jeff Nelson. She has presented poetry workshops for numerous middle and high schools as well as for the Detroit Poetry Society. She has also edited collections and novels as well as done writing, casting, and stage direction for the “Poetically Speaking” series of poetic plays. She was most recently the Poet in Residence at Royal Oak First United Methodist Church. She is a six-time self-published author. Her books, “This is How I Feel: My Life in Verse,” “Queen of Heart,” “Inside.,” “Sleeping in the Ink Spot,” “INDIGO: The Incantations of My Blue Heart,” and “When God is In the Conversation” are available on amazoncom, Kindle, online bookstores everywhere, and from her hot little hand wherever you can catch her in the city.. Instagram: DimoniqueBoyd Facebook: Dimonique Boyd

Spotlight Transcript

Co-Executive Director and Program Facilitator, Dom Witten, interviews today's Poet Spotlight, Dimonique Boyd.

Dom: How would you describe your creative process?

Dimonique: Generally, I use my poetry as a way of journaling, and I just write what I'm feeling in the words that come closest to describing it. If I have a prompt or writing assignment, I try my best to connect with the situation I'm writing about. Some subjects are easier than others, but I like a challenge.

Dom: You have written 6 books of poetry ranging from "When God is in the Conversation" to "Queen of Heart" that use the structure of card deck suites to "Indigo: The Incantations of my Blue Heart" that track grief, politics and of course love. How do you find creative ways to write about similar topics/experiences that also offer new insight into the poem?

Dimonique: I try to be careful about using the same words or phrases across my work, but I really like to have a free hand when I'm writing. I write for myself first, and I'm blessed if other people like it, too.

Dom: How does having a poetry community impact how you write and your experience sharing your work? 

Dimonique: Having a poetry community, especially when it's a REAL community, can make you feel safe and give you the confidence to share your work and to develop an identity and style as an Artist/Performer. It also gives you a place to grow among your peers and mentors. There's a healthy competition that helps you grow as a Writer among Writers. It can be a beautiful thing.

Dom: What are you excited about in your work lately?

Dimonique: I'm excited to have safe spaces to recite poetry that may not go over well in performance-driven and entertainment focused venues. I'm loving reading my work to people who actually listen to and receive my poetry.

Interview Published: 06/24/2024

Follow us at tPoeticsLab on Instagram or The Poetics Lab on Facebook for more information about our Poet Spotlight series.