mimi tempestt (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and daughter of California. She has a M.A. in Literature from Mills College, and is currently a doctoral candidate in the Creative/Critical Ph.D. in Literature at UC Santa Cruz. Her first book, the monumental misrememberings, was published with Co-Conspirator Press//The Feminist Center for Creative Work in 2020. In 2021, she was selected for participation in the Lambda Literary Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices & Writers and was a Creative Fellow at The Ruby in San Francisco. Her works can be found in Foglifter, Interim Poetics and at the Studio Museum in Harlem. A native of Los Angeles, she currently resides in Berkeley, CA.
mimi tempestt will be in conversation with Truong Tran in City Lights’s Main Room on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 6:00pm PST to celebrate the release of her new collection, the delicacy of embracing spirals, out now from City Lights Publishers. Register here!
Where are you writing to us from?
Berkeley, CA.
What is bringing you joy right now, personally/artistically/habitually?
i have a text thread with my mom and all three of my sisters. the ongoing conversation with them is wild and hilarious. Leila, my youngest sister, is the funniest out of all of us. my younger brother, Shelton, is too cool to be on the thread, but he’s also another comedian; he has a more wicked and dark sense of humor. he doesn’t like to be bothered by anyone, but he makes sure to bother me all the time. my younger sister, Sheila, is a contrarian and shit starter; a trickster in the purest form. my older sister, Meca, can tell a story like no other. they all have the funny bone, i don’t. i have so much on my plate at the moment, but anyone who can make me laugh has my heart. i need genuine play and laughter the most right now. it reminds me to stay in the present.
my family is my joy.
asking my dad for recipes brings me joy too. he’s a really good cook, and a master baker. he makes these elaborate and fancy cakes. he also makes a mean cocktail. i love when i can sit and drink with him and talk about life.
Which writers, artists, and others influence your work in general, and this book, specifically?
right now i have an obsession with Wanda Coleman. her life’s work is the subjectivity of my dissertation project. she was a huge inspiration for me while i wrote this book. reading and studying Wanda’s poetry gave me the audacity to write about los angeles and how i experienced it in my 20’s. Spirals is a little rated-r because of Wanda. in a grotesque way, i’m using Kearney’s observation here, yet in an essential way. Wanda is the trailblazer in making poetry cool enough to be that. as a native to los angeles, i had to follow suit. at least for this project.
What books are you reading right now and would you recommend any to others?
Open Pit by José Antonio Villaran
Watch Your Language by Terrance Hayes
Losing It! by Leelee Jackson
Comb Your Hair (Or You’ll Look Like A Slave) by Leelee Jackson
Looking and Seeing by Truong Tran & Damon Potter
these are all of my recommendations.
If you opened a bookstore, where would it be located, what would it be called, and what would your bestseller be?
my dream bookstore in san francisco already exists. it’s called Medicina Para Pesadillas located at 3036 24th street in the mission. that bookstore is an enchanted portal for sure and run by two magical human beings.
my other dream spot would be called Mia’s Magical Majestic Imaginarium, and it would be located on sunset blvd in los angeles. somewhere between echo park and silverlake. it’d be the best place to cruise for books after brunch on sundays. you’d be able to hop right off the 2 bus line to get there. it would have hella readings, really great programming and resources for the community, and a huge gallery for all the punks, aspiring talent, and wannabes throughout the city. it would undoubtedly be a safe haven for every Black and Brown creator coming up in Los Angeles. the bestseller would obviously be something i wrote.
