We caught up with the brilliant and insightful R.M. Engelhardt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, R.M. thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

Poets, in America at least, have always been thought of, or characterized as people who wear puffy shirts or turtlenecks or berets. Maybe even seen in these times as out of date or out of time. Maybe old professors in glasses or as just slam poets. But the truth is that there are wide varieties of writers & poets out there from all walks of life, different ethnicities and backgrounds with their own styles and own authentic voices. It’s not all performance based or an entertainment. Poetry is much like a calling to each individual to share their lives, moments and experiences with you. It’s not a contest but more like a faith or a religion to the writer, poet themselves that becomes a part of who they are and their life. So for the last thirty years or so of my life has been shared upon stages, in magazines and in the books which I’ve created.

R.M., before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Simply put, I’m an American poet, writer, and author. My writing and my work mostly explores the themes of love, loss, and social /political commentary as well as pagan & religious territory.. My writing style over the years has changed time & time again and has explored different forms & subjects like lyricism, love and the casual nuances of daily life. I write from the perspective of who I am snd.I started writing as a teenager but didn’t really get into poetry until I was roughly thirty years old and became inspired and influenced by poets who read on a monthly basis at a punk rock here in Albany NY called
the Qe2 and it’s where I stepped on stage and read my work for the very first time. Over the years since the mid 1990s I’ve also been involved in various artistic collaborations and performances, and have read his work at numerous venues and events. I’ve also created a large number of my own poetry events as well such as Poetry Festivals & Poetry Open Mics. I’m the poetry editor for a small independent non profit poetry press called Dead Man’s Press Ink which was created in 1998 and my work has been published by such journals as Retort, Red Fez, Rusty Truck, Sure! The Charles
Bukowski Newsletter, Thunder Sandwich, Fashion For Collapse, 2nd Avenue, The Angry Poet, Black Noise, Winedrunk Sidewalk, Full of Crow, The Outlaw Poetry Network, The Rye Whiskey Review, Fishbowl Poetry Press, The Literary Underground, Trailer Park Quarterly, Spillwords, Dumpster Fire Press, Punk Noir Magazine & in many many others I’ve lost count. I love supporting small press poetry zines as well as important causes that make our world & our lives better. In the end that’s pretty much what matters. Creating things that help us all get us through and let people express themselves.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

To be honest?

Poetry in America is one of the least recognized art forms simply because it’s not something that screams fame or popularity. Sure, there’s been exceptions and fads over the years like the poets who received alot of attention on Instagram and many who have briefly been seen in the spotlight in one way or another nationally and locally. But this is the 21st century. Not the Beat Generation or a time where poetry is appreciated as much as it has been in other eras. In fact, in many other countries poetry is far more important to people and matters much more. But I’m a believer in change. Modern Poets not just getting attention from other poets or clicks, just academics or in writing groups but as a force of it’s own. Poetry deserves more recognition in America and should be seen as something more powerful that moves and inspires others to become more involved in social movements as well as in these times political ones. We need to see poetry as something more meaningful and sacred. The spoken word isn’t just for some but for all. Poetry is for everyone and a force to be reckoned with that changes our lives and even the world. As Charles Bukowski once
said ” You begin saving the world by saving one man at a time; all else is grandiose romanticism or politics.”. So if you can reach one person? Inspire one human being to stand up and do something or even write something, express themselves through their own voice & creativity? Then you’ve made your contribution. One voice can influence or move many. others to action. That’s what poetry is. Inspiration.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I’m a little bit older so I have many years of experience in creating social media events right back from the time in the mid 1990s when the Internet was just beginning to reach people in ways we couldn’t predict. What is now an everyday occurrence was something a bit more effective back then. In 1999 I created one of the first Internet area based poetry collectives in the United States called Albany Poets with the help of another area poet, Thom Francis who was tech savvy. Together, we created a poetry website which featured and promoted all monthly area poetry open mics and events. Then? Suddenly with the reach the new Internet had we found a huge new audience of people interested in reading at open mics
and as it went on became even bigger. Our area literally became over saturated with slams, poetry open mics and other poetry related events. So? After still doing a far more advanced form of social media like Instagram, Facebook and Blue Sky after all the years I’ve learned one very important lesson. Build a better platform based on your content. Poetry, humor, history and art ( not to mention morning coffee memes) are all very important. Show your followers and friends who you are through these daily actions and don’t treat them as expendable numbers but as good friends you’re
conversing with. Appreciate their thoughts and their creativity also. In the end you may not get a huge audience coming out to your events but you’re not playing some form of ridiculous competition game where you believe that the more the hype the more success matters. Afterall. I’d rather have ten people come out to an open mic night event with real interest & fire having a great experience and donating three dollars than fifty paying $20 dollars at the door who just attended because of a big attention getting line up of names or sponsors. Keep it simple. Keep it real. And represent who you are and what you do through the connection of your daily actions. Poetry events aren’t meant to be contests or circuses but laid back, casual and fun. Friends over followers and real people living day to day everyday over blown up over commercial events targeted at crowd growth. Selling tickets. If you want to read poetry then do it for free and a few drinks. And make those who come out appreciated and more interested in the words and not the hype. Real poetry is about community and based on the love of poetry. Not dollar signs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gentlemanoutsider.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deadmanspressink * https://www.instagram.com/thegentlemanoutsider
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/rmengelhardtpoet

Image Credits

All Photos Created By Dead Man’s Press Ink

R.M. Engelhardt Stage Photo Taken By Rachel Martin.