We had the good fortune of connecting with Micaela Merryman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Micaela, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
I believe that if you are passionate about what you’re doing, giving up shouldn’t be an option. As the most basic level, the distinction lies in whether what you’re doing makes you happy or not. If it does, your passion shouldn’t be sacrificed for anything. There is a reason why people feel called to write, paint, or make a living out of their hobbies. If what you’re doing doesn’t fulfill you, I personally don’t consider walking away from it as ‘giving up’. That phrase carries such a negative connotation. I consider it as protecting your energy and not wasting your time. Life is fleeting, and it should be spent pursuing, as cliché as it sounds, what your heart desires.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think, like most people, I had been writing poetry all my life. I just needed the courage to label it as such. Being a bestselling fiction writer had always been my ultimate aspiration since childhood. In a way, I had been writing with tunnel vision for years. The poetry taught in English Literature courses deterred me from further exploring the art form. It carried a formality and technique that I had no interest in imitating. However, when I enrolled in my first required poetry course, those misconceptions about poetry were shattered completely. There was space for my formless, rhythmless, motif-less poetry. And what’s more, people enjoyed it!

At the time, the political climate was as turbulent as I’ve ever experienced as a young adult. I couldn’t fit all of my emotions and experiences as a woman of color into prose. Poetry provided me with a venue to express myself without inhibition, to be angry without feeling ashamed of my anger. It allowed me to offer others a glimpse of the world through my eyes, which is an immensely powerful yet underestimated tool. Poetry helped me connect with my community, who have played an integral role in my professional journey thus far.

I’d like to think my poetry can be described as “revolutionary”, but all I can hope is that my work stands as a protest against hate and disenfranchisement.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Flagstaff has a great culinary scene, which, of course, as a foodie, is the first thing on my mind. I would take my friend to eat at FLG Terroir, Forêt, Proper Meats, and Karma. The Wednesday Community Market and the Sunday Farmers Market during the summer are fantastic to visit! I would also try to catch one of the shows put on by our seriously amazing local punk scene at The Hive or Monte Vista. Buffalo Park offers an easy hike with a little bit of everything Northern Arizona has to offer. Sedona is the most magical place to find a sunny spot by the creek and dip your feet in the water.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
In 2022, as my senior year of college was coming to a close, I was searching for new ways to fill the free time that graduating from university would undoubtedly create. I spent the majority of my time outside of school working part-time at Late for The Train, a beautiful cafe in the heart of historic downtown Flagstaff. Before I was employed there, my friends and I would flock to the cafe’s lush back courtyard to gossip, read, and write short stories for our courses.

Eventually, I mustered up the courage to tell my manager that I thought it would be an incredible location for a monthly poetry reading, and I expressed my desire to host it. Now, over a year later, the Off The Rails poetry series at Late for The Train is still going strong! These readings gave me the opportunity to connect with members of the community in a way I hadn’t had the privilege of before. It was during one of these events that I met members of the Northern Arizona Book Festival, who eventually selected me to be Flagstaff’s first Youth Poet Laureate. To Jason, Dave, Lawrence, Will, and Margarita, without your belief in me, there is no chance I’d be where I am now. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am eternally grateful to all of you!

Instagram: micaelamerryman

Image Credits
Northern Arizona University (for headshots) Northern Arizona Book Festival

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