Check Out Adrian Ernesto Cepeda’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrian Ernesto Cepeda

Hi Adrian Ernesto, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a poet who stutters. My parents are Colombian, I was the only one of my brothers born in the United States. I was born in Detroit, Michigan. I have stuttered since I was a child. One of my earliest memories is being in Pre-school and one of the teachers asking my name. I remember not being able to say a single word. Looking back, that’s the birth of my stutter.
You could say I was destined to be a poet starting in Elementary school. My teacher Mr. Babcock would have his students memorize poems and recite them in front of the class. Being. stutterer the idea of reading a poem aloud, yet alone, speaking in front of our class was terrifying to me. Still, I remember enjoying the poetry. This was where I became enamored with the poetry of Robert Frost.
It wasn’t until high school when I started listening to The Doors, this is when I returned back to poetry. You could say that Jim Morrison was my gateway to returning to the verse. This was when I started to write my own poetry.
I wrote and even though I would stutter, I grew as a poet during my undergrad years at the University of Texas in San Antonio.
I remember when I moved to New Orleans, I became more dedicated to my poetry, The city was an inspiration and I even read my poems at an open mic night in the French Quarter. The crowd was boisterous and very tough on most of the poets and although I stuttered through my verses, that night I won over the audience with my erotic love poems. This was the first spark of thought that I was on the right path as a poet.
When I moved to Los Angeles, I lived near Pasadena. Before I was accepted to grad school, at Antioch University Los Angeles MFA program, I found my voice and the remnants of my confidence taking poetry workshop with Dr. Kirsten Ogden while at Pasadena City College. Dr. Ogden taught me to put poetry to the page. Also, despite my stutter, I began to read my poetry aloud again. I soon started attending a weekly open mic in Burbank, California. It was rough at first, during the first few times I read my work, my stutter was at times debilitating, alas, the organizers encouraged me to keep coming back and I did. After a few months, my readings started to improve. I remember one open mic, I had a moment of clarity as I was reading a poem, it was a life changing moment, although I was stuttering through my reading, I became one with my words on that stage. I realized that despite my stutter, I was destined to become a poet.
Years before I lived in Paris for a time. I would visit Jim Morrison’s grave at Père Lachaise cemetery. I was contemplating moving to Europe but while I was at Morrison’s tombstone, I heard him tell me to go back to the States and follow my destiny to become a poet. The next day, I wrote a poem for Jim and left him flowers at his grave before I fly back home to the US.
My destiny led me to the MFA program at Antioch University LA. During my first residency, I attended a seminar on breathing and Creative Writing with Gayle Brandeis. At the time I was nervous because I was going to read aloud at a Brown Bad reading after this seminar and I was nervous. After the seminar, I went up to Gayle and introduced myself. I told her that I was nervous to read my poems at the Brown Bad reading because of my stutter. Them Gayle said the five words that changed my life forever as a poet who stutters, “It’s okay if you stutter.”
Ever since I have been a poet who is also an activist to inspire those who stutter to follow their dreams and inspirations. I want my audience to see that if I can go and read my poems, stuttering in front of a crowd, why can’t you.
I stutter mostly when I speak Spanish. For my fourth poetry book, Speaking con su Sombra published with Alegria Publishing. I discovered my bilingual voice in Poems I wrote honoring mi Mimi after she passed away,
My latest book La Lengua Inside published with Flower Song Press continues my exploration celebrating my bilingual voice as a stuttering poet.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a journey, a difficult one at times doubting myself, having people and audience mock and laugh at my stutter while I am reading my poetry. But I eventually I discovered faith in myself, my gift and confidence in my poetry that I was fulfilling my destiny as a poet.
There was one reading with some well distinguished authors and poets in Eagle Rock, California. I remember while I was reading there were a few poets in the back that were snickering while I read my poems. It hurt and still hurts but as I have grown as a poet, the times I have stuttered the most, is when people have come up to me and shook my hand telling me that they appreciate met work.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a bilingual poet who stutters.
I feel like growing up in a bilingual family whose parents spoke to me in Spanish and I talked to them in English, I bring a unique perspective with reflecting my cultural experience in my poems.
I also stutter and stutter most when I read my bilingual poems, and that’s okay. The more I read my bilingual poems I will connect with a new audience who has lived the same kind of experience I write about in my verses.
Not many people write bilingual poetry like I do. I feel like I capture the essence of being an American/Colombian who is proud of both of my heritages and I write bilingually of living in both of these cultures.
I have been told that people who do not appreciate the art of poetry become enamored with my work. I hope to be the gateway pill of poetry to those wanting to dive further inside the art of the written and spoken bilingual verse.

What matters most to you? Why?
My family, my culture, my cat, social justice, my city, my state, my country(s) and most of all my voice,
I have a unique voice is that is bilingual and I also stutter. I want to be the one that despite my speech impediment I am doing what I love with the art of poetry. I want my audience to see me reading the poems I love and hope it inspires other to follow their dreams

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.AdrianErnestoCepeda.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thepoetnotarockstar/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/poetnotarockstar/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/PoetNotRockStar
• Other: https://www.threads.net/@thepoetnotarockstar