Nikki Skies: Let’s see…a little bit about me.  Well, I’m originally from Kansas City, Missouri.  Born and raised. I’m not into telling my age, but I will say I am a child of one of the Black Arts Movement community after school programs. This is definitely where I was able to begin dreaming and creating. My parents were 17 when they had me so I was an only child for a few years and I used to imagine I had a twin sister named CoCo. My mother told me I would change my voice and clothes and then come talk to her and she would have to guess if I was Nikki or CoCo. With that, she put me in theatre! I did my first play when I was five and then I started writing stories, just playing make believe like any other child. And I just continued in the arts exploring the various aspects of it. Writing, directing, performing; plays, TV, films, poetry. I’m a writer and performer. Time would have it right now that I am mostly known as a performance poet. 

SV: What type of topics inspires your writings?  

NS: I’m not sure that it’s topics that necessarily inspire me. Just the other week, I was driving by an abandoned cemetery and became inspired to write. My 3-year old niece learning how to take her shirt off quick enough to prevent panic inspired me to write! (laughing) I suppose it depends on the moonsway of the day and how it allows me to connect with certain situations. That’s how I’m inspired.

SV: Tell us a little bit about your poetry book “Mississippi Window Cracks.” 

NS: Mississippi Window Cracks is a short story book mixed with prose style poetry. A couple of years ago, I went to visit a colleague of mine in Jackson, Mississippi. You know, we’ve all read about Mississippi in the history books, whether it pertained to slavery or the civil rights movements, so I was actually excited to go and see the historic sites. I got more than I asked for! Driving through the delta, seeing Native American mounds, visiting the home of Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer and Margaret Walker, going to a “magic shop,” walking on slave plantations…it was all magical. Everything came to life and I had the outline of the book written before I returned back to Los Angeles! I read as much as I write because I enjoy falling in love in other peoples’ worlds. It just so happened at the time of me writing Mississippi Window Cracks, I was in love with the writings of Henry Dumas. So my book came to life with the reality of my trip and celebrating the style of Dumas by mixing nature with supernatural phenomena. The book encompasses everything from in life and love to death including reincarnation. It speaks to the ongoing investigations from the alarming number of hysterectomies this state performs and the devastation to the gulf coast from the break of the levees. It was published March of 2007… wow it’s been a year already! The book has sold well and received warm reviews from various critics, newspapers and book clubs. I’ve read the book at least twelve times! (laughing) I love it! You got a copy?

SV: Many spoken word artists, or poets, tend to put out more CDs then literary works. I have had many discussions with people who stated that if a poet doesn’t have a poetry book, it’s hard to take them seriously. Do you think that a poet must release a poetry book to be considered “legitimate” in his or her craft? 

NS: There is no poetry handbook. There is no written rule that you have to have a book to be “legitimate”. I will say this though, somebody told us that our communities would only buy poetry on a CD and not read a book. That is quite obvious due to spoken word artists having several CD’s to sell and no books. Me, personally, I believe writers write. Very soon CD’s will be a thing of the past, just as cassettes and albums. Books aren’t going anywhere! I want to be found on somebody’s thrift store bookshelf 30 years from now. And I want people to put their own voice to my words like I do to Sojourner Truth and Gwendolyn Brooks. You don’t allow people to do that with a CD.

SV: I listened to some of your audio recordings and you are truly a talented writer/artist. Tell us about your experience, or process when you recorded your CD “Moody.” Also, what is your favorite piece on this project and why? 

NS: I had been developing a CD project in my head and my journal for about 2 years until I got a call from the President of BGifted Productions to be the spoken word artist on a tribute album to the late hip hop producer J. Dilla. I had two weeks to write a piece in his honor, so I could be a part of this project with artists such as Jazzy Jeff, Musiq, Jill Scott and Mos Def to name a few. So I went out and bought Dilla’s mixed CD’s, listened to other tracks he’d produced for other artists and then my poem, “Another Star Shining” came into fruition. After I finished that track, I realized I enjoyed the process of creating the music and learning how to breathe in between, in and around the rhythms. So I stayed in the lab until I recorded 13 more tracks. I worked with some of LA’s finest independent musicians and singers! My favorite piece on the project? I would say is “Love Tale.”  The track was produced by this African brother named Mumudu, who can play EVERY drum in the world! The music is very spiritual sounding, yet sensual and the poem itself is very vulnerable. Very autobiographic to my personal life at that time. I took my time with this project. From the photos, to the CD artwork, to sitting in during the mixing and mastering phases, I was there. It’s a great CD! You got a copy?