Recently, 2 Pens & Lint's own, Henry Duncan, had a chance to ask Cynthia Green a few questions concerning her literary influences, her city, and what we can expect from her new chapbook, A Little More Personal.

Henry Duncan: How would you describe your writing style?

Cynthia Green: I usually write in free-verse, with the exception of my poem 'Dance City Street Lights' where I wrote in ABC verse. Free-verse has no rhymes and no specific structure. I'm not worried about the rules in writing my poetry. I like to keep it simple and throw in some metaphors in a few of my poems. I would think my writing style has a twist of blues and metaphorical diction; the words flow with a jazzy and smooth swagger.

HD: What drives you to write poetry?

CG: It's a way of communication. It's a way to describe any thought in my mind without feeling as though I need to be aware of what I'm saying. It makes me feel free to give it my all; there are no limits because I choose to not limit myself with writing. I write because without it I would be losing another form of my communication.

HD: Who are your literary influences?

CG: I actually don't read a lot of poetry. I enjoy reading fiction and that's how I can create stories within my poems. My poem "I found Our Yesrerdays" is a poem I wrote about siamese twins getting surgically removed from each other through the perspective of one twin. They go down memory lane together as they lay on the surgery table awaiting for their separation and knowing that one of them isn't going to make it. One of my favorite story tellers is a playwright, Tennessee Williams. I also like reading Ayn Rand and Richard Wright's novels. One poet that I studied in high school was Walt Whitman, and Langston Hughes is a poet I recently began to study.

HD: In your bio you say you are a "dictator of many". Dictators are usually seen as negative figures. Could you elaborate on this statement?

CG: My name means 'bringer of the light' and I see a dictator as a ruler over many; ruling is a way of bringing the light to a group of people. I intend to bring the light through the organizations I am involved in and through my writing. I bring the light to many people already. I created a group called "Sisterhood" for teenage girls who want to be influenced by their older and younger sister figures. These girls depend on this group as an outlet of security and advisement. "World Wide" is another organization I am apart of that works towards developing young artists in either music, poetry, etc. Through these organizations and through my talent I will bring the light.

HD: In your new book, "A Little More Personal" as well as in your bio, you don't speak favorably about the city where you live; New Haven, CT. What are some of the problems that plague New Haven and what can be done to help solve these problems?

CG: Once I left New Haven and saw other countries and states and cities I knew New Haven wasn't one of those cities that someone looks forward to going back to. I've traveled many places and have seen such better attitudes in other communities. The voice of the children and the dreams of everyone has been snatched away in New Haven. There is no hope from the voices of the people here. It's like living in a cave where there is no window from the outside.

HD: What can we expect when we read your book, A Little More Personal?

CG: "A Little More Personal" was written over a period of years. I took my time with each poem and revised it many times before I knew if it was fit for this book. This book exposes my identity and tells stories of many real life situations that I have personally experienced. There are also a few fictional poems that I have seen other people witness or stories that I have been told. I write about Peru a few times in this book as well. It was the first country I visited and it had an extrememly powerful impact on me. This book tells many things about me and what I have seen in my life. You can expect an array of topics and events in this book.

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