An Interview with Ian Macks

Ian Macks is a poet and writer based in Troy, NY by way of NYC, and he’s been up to a lot recently, including releasing a new book called Identity Crisis and spending time as the visiting writer at Rough Draft Bar & Books. You can read his work and follow him on Instragram @ianmacks22. We highly encourage you to seek out his work and support him and other local working writers any way you can!

Hobo Camp Review: 1. You were recently a visiting writer with the Rough Draft bookstore’s writer retreat program in Kingston, NY. Can you tell us a little about the experience, what inspired you to apply for the program, what you worked on while you were there?

Ian Macks: I'd say the best way to describe it was an opportunity to step outside of what my head usually has swirling with the challenges of life. The opportunity to get a bit of fresh air from the grind in the Capital Region, get some solitude and really go over the writing that I had and what I wanted to do with it. I started putting together Identity Crisis during the retreat, got to reconnect with my old bandmate Jake Rafferty from Oh Bother! who's working down there, and really start to ask myself what I wanted from life moving forward without outside influences being back home.

HCR: 2. What inspired your latest collection, Identity Crisis, and what can readers expect to find when they get their hands on a copy?

IM: I hope readers of the chapbook see a progression from me not only as a poet, but as a human, with a collection of work that I feel is personal but can be relate to many universal themes that plague my generation now. My parents, girlfriend, and best friend Evan had a huge influence on me throughout the process, hence why acknowledge them at the end. I hope it inspires readers to keep believing in themselves and their heart/gut despite the adversity of expectations, class and pride. The lack of empathy I've witnessed but also received during this COVID-19 pandemic shows we have a long way to go in terms of how we view and treat one another, even within our own families and homes. My parents desire for me to have a lucrative career has torn our relationship apart, and I don't want to see that happen to other people.

HCR: 3. How can HCR readers help you and other workers who lost their jobs and became economic victims of COVID-19? Could you share some information about where we can buy your books and send donations? One place is https://www.tipyourbartender.online/, correct? 

IM: Tip Your Bartender is definitely the most accessible resource I've seen, but there are other ways to help as well that are not as overwhelming. Unfortunately, my first chapbook went off print with Bottlecap Press in 2018, so right now I'm sending poetry to those that have sent donations to me or shown interest in my work during this crisis. To receive love, you have to give love, and I hope that resonates throughout this crisis, because I'm not the only one in need of help that was affected by this pandemic. Hopefully, a publisher will hop on my newer writing soon or all have the means to properly self-publish, but even PDFs can go a long way  

HCR: 4. How has the pandemic affected your writing? Are you working on anything new that you’d like to tell us about?

IM: COVID-19 was the main reason that I finished up Identity Crisis, along with my fourth graduate school rejection in four straight attempts, which caused my parents to view me as lost and tell my girlfriend to leave me for someone with an actual career. I'm truly facing an identity crisis at the moment, and I view this chapbook as taking a stand for myself and others who are going through similar adversities in their lives.

HCR: 5. What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2020? Looking forward to anything coming out soon?

IM: The Wasteland by T.S Eliot. I'm also currently reading Happiness by Aminatta Forna, which I'm finding to be a soothing read as well. I picked up both books at Rough Draft during my retreat, and it's definitely giving me ideas to build off of for my future poetry and writing.

HCR: 6. Okay, my last question I give everyone: You’re on the road with three other artists, of any era and medium, of any level of fame, success, or anonymity. Who do you choose to travel with, and why?

IM: I would tour with Langston Hughes, Jacob Lawrence, and The Dangerous Summer. I choose these three artists for the impact they have had on me as a poet, writer and human. All three artists were/are able to turn emotion into a vision that brings people together and opens up their eyes to the truth of life, and this is something that will always drive me in life with whatever I set out to accomplish.