Author Note: Ugonna-Ora Owoh
Ugonna-Ora Owoh’s poem “things I’m made of” appeared in our Spring 2019 issue. As part of our Author’s Note series, he answers some questions about the composition and influences of his poem.
Town Crier: Does your poem have an interesting origin story or compositional history?
Ugonna-Ora Owoh: My poem “things I’m made of” indeed has an origin story. Before I wrote the first draft, I wanted to write something hurting but beautiful. So I thought, even though my mood wasn’t letting out something, I still felt like something was coming and I needed to write out the thing hurting inside of me. I wrote a first draft about how annoying mosquitoes are, and talking about the malaria parasite, though I didn’t want to include anything close to disease. I wrote the second draft and it wasn’t hurting, it was beautiful, it was about butterflies and cocoons and larva, and it was okay, but I wasn’t satisfied. My third draft I wrote things about home, nostalgia, distance, memories, and I was like “Now I’ve written something that will interest me, and something that might interest other people.” It was fine but not satisfying. In my fourth draft, I linked everything and though it was fine, the language, diction the style wasn’t mine, so I wrote a fifth, sixth, and a seventh draft and made sure the poem was brief and held something gorgeous.
TC: What was it influenced by?
UOO: I can’t really say what influenced “things I’m made of” but I wanted a voice close to mine, a sweet African solo voice that will make sense. I chose Warsan Shire, Safia Elhilo, Ladan Osman, Koleka Putuma; these brave and glorious female poets inspired me and “things I’m made of.”
TC: Who are you reading lately and what are the works or writers that makes you jealous?
UOO: Oh my gosh, but this is the best question to ask. Recently I’m falling in love, and not just ordinary love, I mean a very big love. I’m reading Morgan Parker’s new collection, Magical Negro and Koleka Putuma’s collection that just won an African prize. I finished the poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo and On the come up by Angie Thomas. Also in my book cart is On earth, we are briefly gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, I can’t wait to have him fully in my hands. This year, I’m jealous I can’t write like Lesley Nneka Arimah; she is my love, everything. I read her Caine Prize Shortlisted story “Skinned” from McSweeney’s and I grew jealous of the style, the language, everything. Still also jealous of Akwaeke Emezi, Danez Smith, and so many writers that has inspired me. I hope to be like them.
Ugonna-Ora Owoh lives in Nigeria as a poet and model. His poems have been published or are forthcoming in British Confingo Magazine, Matador Review, The Malahat Review, The Stockholm Review of Literature, Vassar Review, and elsewhere. He is a 2019 Stephen A. DiBiase Poetry Prize international award winner and a 2019 Blue Nib Chapbook Commended. In 2018, he was a finalist for the Young Romantics Prize (Keats-Shelley Prize). He was recently featured in Pride Magazine and Puerto del Sol's Black Voices Series.
