Ottis Blades is a Dominican poet and author with a taste for the filthy and unusual. Growing up in New York City and the Jersey Shore, Blades' writes from real life experiences, exploring the complex nature of relationships when they take a sharp turn to the ugly side of love, in a very raw and visceral way with a touch of magical realism for the hopeless romantic in all of us. Socio-political commentary and pop culture references are also to be found in his work. He now resides in Ocean Beach, San Diego. Connect with him on IG: @Bohemian__Blad3s, Facebook: @OttisBlades, and Twitter: @ottisblades. Check out his catalog on Amazon.
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GB: Ottis, big thanks for taking time to chat. Can you share a little bit about yourself? Any background info that's NOT in the bio?
OB: No, thank you for this opportunity, it's really fucking cool to just shoot the shit and take a trip back to memory lane. One thing not in the bio is that I'm a beer connoisseur, and that my dad bought me my first book, "The Little Prince" I wouldn't be here without him.
GB: When and how did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
OB: When I was a kid and introduced to the magic that is Pablo Neruda, I realized that I wanted to express myself the same way, to emulate his style and write the loveliest love notes the girls I liked in school.Later on when I started reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez, that's when I knew I wanted to be a published author. I wanted the world to read me too. His kind of magic was contagious, and I've been sick ever since. One Hundred Years of Solitude change my life forever.
GB: Your style is familiar and completely unique at the same time. How do you embrace this literary tool in your work?
OB: My style is a ridiculous extension of my personality, I write the way I speak, I have a hard time shutting the fuck up when I'm passionate about a certain subject like how much quote writers suck... but that's a topic for another day. I try to channel my energy into the things I love, there are things left unsaid when we walked out the door, words on the cutting room floor that never made it to film but they become prose for stranger's eyes to feast on. And when I'm read that makes me happy. When I embrace who I am I embrace the writing. To make a long story short, we're the same dickhead.
GB: What's your creative process like? Do you have any obstacles you've had to overcome?
OB: If there's an obstacle I had to overcome is truly not giving a fuck about what people think. That's the only way I could embrace my true self and loving my writing. I used to write for others and now I write for me, I don't write for the masses, I speak my truth to power and it's a beautiful feeling. As far as creative process goes, I just let it come, I don't rush it, I don't have a set date in which I intent to write because if I do then nothing comes out... but when I'm not really thinking about it and down a few drinks, that's when the verbal diarrhea comes out.
GB: What keeps you going?
OB: Living and writing, bro. They go hand in hand, long as I'm breathing words and ideas will formulate in my head whether I like it or not. I can't control the writing, the writing control me. I know it sounds cheeses as fuck but you know what it's like, It's like a disease, an itch you have to scratch, a scab you can't help to pick on, poetry is not being able to keep your pinky off your nose, you know what I'm saying? Love for poetry, life, my kids and my girl cooking me a fat steak after a long day keeps me going. And of course, beer.
GB: Who and what is on your MUST-READ list?
OB: I'm gonna shout out some of my favorites on Instagram real quick: Christina Hart, my editor at large, she goes through the pain of reading everything I write before its release. Then there's Thom Young, Scott Laudati, Anthony Desmond, Alicia Cook, Nay Dean, Dan Bailey, anything Christy Aldridge releases is a must read.
GB: What does "success" mean to you?
OB: When I get feedback from readers across the globe, that's success. When my books find their way to Africa, Asia and Australia, if I'm read in every continent including Antarctica, that's the dream right there. You quickly find out your biggest supporters are faces you've never met, lips you've never touched and hearts that know you like they slept with yours. I'm a fucking Godzillionaire.
GB: What's next for Ottis Blades? Got any upcoming projects we can keep an eye out for?
OB: I'm currently working on my next prose/poetry book titled "A Piece Of Me For What's Left Of You" to be released early next year, a sequel to AmeriKKKa the Great once this shit-show of a presidency is finally over with and then Imma start writing my yet-to-be-titled first novel. Hopefully, the one that gets me a movie deal. Imma drive to the Hollywood Hills and throw it through Mark Wahlberg's window. Maybe he'll wanna play me. We'll see. *Crosses Fingers*
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