J. Bradley is the author of Dodging Traffic (Ampersand Books, 2009) and the author of the upcoming flash fiction chapbook The Serial Rapist Sitting Behind You Is A Robot (Safety Third Enterprises, 2010).  He is the Interview Editor of PANK Magazine and lives at iheartfailure.net.

What is your relationship with poetry? How did you meet? Where do you think this affair will lead you?

Poetry has always been faithful to me so I love it, nurture it, and occasionally trick it out when I need money/booze/cuddling. We met because I was into a girl when I was 16 and I started writing poetry because of her. Hopefully, this affair will not leave me poor.

Is there a difference between slam poetry and page poetry?

Page poetry tends to be more subtle and challenging where poetry in slams tend to be direct since there’s only a set time limit. Page poetry sometimes does not work aloud in a performance setting while stage poetry does not work in text. I try to bridge this gap in my work so even the short poems can be read aloud.

What do you think the spoken word can do to help the page poet?

Make them more engaging readers, teach them to read aloud better their work and the works of others, make them more engaging humans.

When loose oxygen becomes a chalkboard, what do you write on it?

My inspiration comes from being an active observer, from conversations I have with friends, from really anything. It would depend on what inspires me in that moment what I write on the chalkboard.

What did your skeleton teach you about love?

You will break, you will heal, you will learn from the fissures how not to love, you will learn from the fissures how to love again.

On your deathbed, what will your last words be?

Do not run from the monsters you create.

What will your next poetic adventure be?

I have a flash fiction chapbook coming out soon called “The Serial Rapist Sitting Behind You Is A Robot”. It will be the first chapbook to come out through Safety Third Enterprises based out of Atlanta. I’m also doing shows on May 30 on Full of Crow Radio, June 19 in Pensacola, and July 17 in Atlanta.