Poetry and Sneakers
Several years ago, very much in the fever of sneakerdom brought on by a need for escapism during the pandemic, Van G. Garrett and I wrote a collection of microfiction and poems titled Can I Kick It?, the title coming from the classic A Tribe Called Quest song. It was the kind of book that required a special type of audience: people who enjoyed microfiction/poetry and thought of themselves as sneaker aficionados. Van and I fit that bill perfectly, but we were unsure how many other people in the world did, as well.
One of the good things about owning your own publishing company is that you can take these kinds of risks as frequently as you have the stomach to take them. As a microfictionist and prose poet, I have come to understand that books can oftentimes be a slow burn when it comes to awareness and sales, so I’ve never really felt pressed about that. Chris Anderson wrote about the “long tail” and that still feels true to me (although there are some who completely disagree). If something is available to the world, those who desire it will eventually find it.
So why reminisce over a unicorn of a book like Can I Kick It? Because today Van and I released a follow up to that book, titled Sneaker Marauders: Poems.
Sneaker Marauders does not lose a step. The book drops at a time when we are once again starting to see those long lines in front of DTLR and JD Sports, at a time when stores are selling out of Jordan 12 Flu Games and Jordan 9 Cool Greys, a time when those who thought sneaker culture was on it last legs are realizing that a new era is beginning. Our book tries to capture that energy, while being faithful to the culture and those who inspired it. The book is dedicated to the memories of both DJ Clark Kent and Phife Dawg, and as is our custom, the book plays off the album title Midnight Marauders, another ATCQ nod.
We decided to try some different things with this collection, though. Playing into our ATCQ theme, we broke the book in half, with the first half being a micro saga of 25-word poems written by Van titled “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo.” Having worked with Van for years, I find myself constantly amazed at his inventiveness when it comes to poetry. His story of a guy on a quest (pun intended) to find a pair of sneakers and instead finding so much more reminds me of what I love about sneakers and poetry.
The second half of the book is titled “Sneaker Scenarios,” again another ATCQ nod. This portion of the book is a collection of disparate prose poems that run the gamut of sneaker culture. I surprised myself here, thinking I had left it “all on the stage” in our last book. Apparently there were still a few things I had left to write.
I don’t know if Van and I will ever do another sneaker book, but I am so proud of the two that we have created. These books represent a special moment in time, as well as a special connection to the culture of sneakers, which might be a hobby for some or a business for others. Either way, I am grateful that the books are out in the world for that sneakerhead/poetry lover to discover in a manner similar to the way I once discovered my favorite books.
