Author Bio:
Karina Guardiola-Lopez, is an American-Honduran, Jewtina from New York City. She is writer, poet, actor and educator. She has been published in various magazines, anthologies and websites including: Great Weather for Media, The Scrib Arts Journal, Poetica Magazine, Indolent Books, Acentos Review, New Voices Anthology, The BX Files, Abuela Stories, Latinoauthor.com, Latinabookclub.com just to name a few. She has also featured at various venues including: The NYC Poetry Festival at Governor’s Island, National Black Theatre Bowery Poetry Club, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Q-Boro Lit Crawl, The Bronx Museum and many other locations.
What inspires you to write?
I write to heal. I used to use my fists to vent but now I use my hands to write and express what I am feeling. I write about God, history, society, love, heartache, family, faith and the human condition. I write from my perspective and from the perspective of others. There is a lot to talk about, so I write it out. I am also deeply moved by water, the sound, the scent, the view. Whether a small waterfall or large ocean, it inspires me to write.
Tell us about your writing process.
I use various tools to write, it all depends where I am at the moment. I can use a napkin, pen and paper, my phone or a computer. The minute I feel inspired I begin to write or type. Sometimes I wake up at 3am with a thought or idea and I jot it down and go back to sleep. If it does not come out, I cannot function. I need to pour it out. Writing has become my therapy, one of my therapies which also includes music and art.
Who are your favorite authors?
I read a lot of works whether short stories or poetry from Nikki Giovanni, Saul Williams, Gabriel Garcia Marquez ,Sonia Sanchez, Joyce Carol Oates, Rita Dove, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin just to name a few. I also listen to a lot of Hip Hop therefore, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill and Rage Against the Machine's lyrics have influenced my writings. I also read of lot of poetry from those my poetry community. There is a lot of talent, too many to name. We all have stories too and the world needs to also read it.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I decided to write my first book in 2009, it was a decade of poems I had collected from high school and college. It is like a time capsule now that I look back at the work, but I needed to release them. Not only have I grown so much but my writing has too. After taking publishing courses at City College, I was inspired to look into self publishing when I learned how hard it was to get published. I do think that getting published by a well known publishing companies is great, but we as writers can not wait for some one to accept our works, for their standards. The amount of rejections I have received are numerous, but I truly believe that our words as writers are important, powerful that heal, educate and they need to be heard.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Poetry has gone digitally for a while and will continue however, you do have does that need books to be tangible.
Poetry is a gift and many of us are privileged enough to write it. Self Publishing has given writers the platform to create and share their stories.
What genres do you write?
Poetry
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print
Website(s)
Karina Guardiola-Lopez Home Page Link
Author’s Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
