Centre Poet Makes Headlines: An Exclusive Interview With Alumna Shana Roark

by Adam West and Jenna Nicodemus

As a small liberal arts college, it can be rare to see Centre College representation out and about in the world. Just what are alums up to these days? Well, one talented alumna is making headlines.

Shana Roark is an inspirational Centre alum who became a poet on the streets of New York City, and she’s “making bank.”

Customers come up to her on the NYC streets, give her a prompt of any kind, and she writes them a poem then and there. She also does events such as weddings and company meetings. The New York Post published an article about this incredible poet, stating that “on a good day, she writes 30 poems and pockets $1,650.”

Here at The Cento, we wanted to take the wonderful opportunity to connect with one of Centre’s very own. This is an exclusive interview The Cento conducted with Shana on how she became a bard on the streets of the city that never sleeps:

How did you originally become interested in poetry? 

S.R.: I honestly got into it because I was lonely. It’s kind of funny, when I was a kid, growing up in Kentucky, I didn’t have a lot of friends. So, I turned to poetry to express my sadness. To express myself in general. Then, when I moved to New York by myself, I experienced that same sort of isolation. So I thought, what is a way I can have meaningful conversations with people while ALSO bridging that gap between art and entrepreneurship (making money from what I love doing). So, I came up with the idea to have a poetry stand: People would give me a topic, and I’d give them a poem, written on the spot. It turned into more than I could imagine. And people did open up to me, and I to them, in ways I didn’t expect, but ways which, as I predicted, were deeply meaningful. They tell me about their life, their darkness, their fears, their hopes, their secrets. It’s really beautiful. I kind of look at it like, I give them a piece of my soul, the poem, in exchange for a piece of their story (There are also lighthearted poems, too! lol Don’t get me wrong. Butterflies, pizza, etc.).

What does it mean to you to be a poet? 

S.R.: To me, it means being able to express something as cleverly, and as succinctly as possible.

It’s so cool that you use a typewriter and aged parchment paper to write your poems. How and why did you choose to use those and how does it influence your style? 

S.R.: I used a typewriter because I love how aesthetic and eye-catching it is. Everything is digital these days, so I thought, “What would be a cool way to make this analog? To make it so that they are literally walking away with something. Paper and pen was one option. The typewriter was another.” I also knew I had to have paper that matched that old-school aesthetic, and that fit with my brand once this turned into a FULL-FLEDGED BUSINESS! So, I started making my own paper.

How do you use your art to create community? 

S.R.: Creating community is a BIG part of why I do what I do. As I mentioned, the loneliness epidemic is one really close to my heart. I’ve experienced it, I know friends who have experienced it and, not to get too dark, but I do feel like it is deadly. So many people feel alone, or are isolated, because they’re poor, they’re a person of color, they’re socially awkward, they’re mentally ill. Whatever it is! So, I wanted to bring people together who feel like they don’t have a place to be seen. I want to be an artist who doesn’t give a fuck, who writes poems on streets, who proves to people that, you don’t have to care what others think. Do what you want. Do it alone. And I want to say to artists, in particular, I want to say to that community that you don’t have to come from money to be an artist. You just need to hustle. I literally started out with a $20 Amazon table and some paper from the grocery store, and now, I make my full-time living being a poet in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

As a fellow Colonel – how was your experience at Centre College back in 2013? 

S.R.: I didn’t know how to talk to people until a few years after I graduated. I was super socially awkward and working multiple jobs to take care of bills. So, my experience at Centre was a blur. It was work, class, work, class. A few things stick out, like my experience at The Cento, being in Dr. Hamilton’s amazing classes, etc. Those are the things I remember and love. 

How is NYC different from Kentucky? 

S.R.: NYC is totally different from Kentucky. It’s loud, funky, in-your-face, competitive. I really like the ambitious culture there. Everyone is there to prove something, whether they’re born there and trying to make it, or they moved here. There is a quote by E. B. White that says it: “There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size and its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter — the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness; natives give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion.” 

Is there any advice you would give to future poets at Centre? 

S.R.: I would say, share your work on social media. It’s daunting, but it’s what changed my life. Once I started live streaming and posting videos, I went from 2,000 followers to over 70,000. I got millions of views on videos. And that translated into sales, getting booked for events. If you are serious about your art, post it online.

(End Interview)

It is so encouraging to see the success of a Centre alumna out in the world. It simply goes to show that you can really do anything after graduating provided you have the passion and maybe a little bit of creativity.

We thank Shana Roark for taking the time to interview with The Cento.

You can find Shana and her extraordinary work online on her website https://shanaroark.com or on Instagram and Twitter as @supergirlreject!

Photo credit: https://shanaroark.com/about

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