In this episode, Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling Fellow Alyea Pierce joins Kimberly to talk about her journey and experience as a writer, poet, and storyteller.

Alyea uses poetry, spoken word performance, audio, and photography to examine oral storytelling & folklore traditions across the African diaspora. She has recently contributed to National Geographic’s “Into The Depths” podcast and The Soul of Music—Overheard’s four-part series focusing on music, exploration, and Black history. Currently, she works at the English department at Rutgers University as a creative writing instructor.

Alyea brings us along her journey of pivoting into a career as a poet who brings untold marginalized stories and Caribbean histories. Tune in to draw inspiration from Alyea’s personal experiences and learn helpful tips and practical advice on how to bring your stories to life!

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KEY POINTS:

• Alyea’s journey from college to working with National Geographic

• Defying rejection with timing, clarity, and effort

• Allowing more vulnerability in your work and real life 

• How Alyea’s ambivert side helps her thrive at work

• The shedding of your old self to adapt to new cultures & environments 

• Dealing with abrupt changes and adapting to COVID

• Alyea’s Afro-Caribbean poetry project; her favorite writer and her favorite poem

• Alyea’s biggest advice to those in pursuit of their career path 

QUOTABLES:

• “It’s easy to be vulnerable through poetry. To be vulnerable in real life – that’s terrifying to me because that means that that is my full self in poetry. My poetry inspires my real life.” – Alyea Pierce 

• “As a black woman, you can find yourself adapting to whatever the majority is to be accepted, to not create dissonance, and not be seen as being too strong too power – just too-any adjective.” – Kimberly Brown