Today we’d like to introduce you to Thea Monyee´.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My writing career started at Da Poetry Lounge in mid-city LA, at the Greenway Court Theater. That is where I was introduced to spoken word, and looking back it was divine timing. Developing as an artist, writer, poet during this time was pure, unfiltered magic. We were able to influence the next generation of young poets, art, and culture through the exposure we gained from the countless local open mic venues, such as Da Poetry Lounge, Green, Do’Boys, World Stage, A Mic & Dim Lights, and many more. By the time we were discovered by larger ventures such as Def Poetry we’d already shaped and curated poetry performances that were captivating smaller audiences throughout the country for whatever was in the collection hat at the end of the night, or a plate of curry chicken. It doesn’t sound like much now, but then, it was everything. Constant engagement and inspiration, the stuff renaissances are made of.
The larger platforms of television, Broadway, and college tours exposed our insular world to the masses, and with the introduction of YouTube and social media, we quickly found our organic art form adapting to the mainstream. There were pros and cons to this, I will focus on the pro I feel is most relevant to my journey. This shift in culture within the spoken word community forced me to reevaluate my original writing intentions. Though spoken word has heavily and beautifully shaped me, it was never my ultimate writing destination.
From childhood I wanted to be an author. I spent countless hours reading and writing and knew I wanted to be for someone what Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou had been for me. I wanted to create my own version of Pecola, maybe with wings! Somewhere along the way I started to doubt my ability to create these stories within the prescribed standards of the publishing industry; and I was correct. I am not meant to write the way I am expected to write, and it was Mama Octavia Butler who reminded me that my main purpose and privilege as a writer is to create that which does not exist. With her permission and Mama Morrison’s audacity, I began to write novels.
Let’s be clear. My success in the spoken word world opened zero doors in the literary world. In fact, as a spoken word poet it can be difficult to be taken seriously by a publishing community that expects all Black Women writers to be a version of Toni Morrison or Maya Angelou. Both of these women are giants in every way imaginable and worked during their careers to expand the literary world to be inclusive of diverse expressions of Black literature. I believe we are their children and have inherited their blessing to restructure, demystify, redefine, and even destroy norms that ultimately bind our creativity. My awareness of this inheritance drives me to create the way that I do, and expands into my work with decolonizing mental health practices. (Yes! I do that too!)
Currently, my journey has led me to the unexpected world of podcasting. I am currently co-host of two amazing pods: Dem Black Mamas & All Heart. Dem Black Mamas explores the diversity of Black motherhood and how to raise free Black children in an unfree world, while All Heart focuses on healing the culture through joy and pleasure. The response to creating pods that center our experiences has been overwhelming and humbling. All Heart will be introducing live events in the fall, and DBM has been chosen to create an art installation in Houston for Project Rowe, focused on Black Maternal Health. I’m grateful to have these two vehicles in my life.
Has it been a smooth road?
At this point, I am actively shifting away from judging my experiences by labeling them challenges or blessings. I have had enough experiences to reflect back and know that blessings overdone become curses, and well-timed curses can be blessings. So if I had to choose a challenge I believe everyone should engage I would say patience. As an artist, I surrender to spirit often to create new work, and as beautiful as this experience is, it doesn’t always secure basic needs. I’ve had to learn to self define what I value and to redefine what my basic needs are so I can live as an artist while maintaining meaningful connections and allowing life to unfold in its divine time. I’ve had to expand my patience, offer myself and others grace, and build trust in the bigger picture so that I don’t interrupt the flow around me with impatience. Maintaining that in this society is quite a challenge.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am my business. I am a writer, artist, and healer, so these are the gifts I offer the world. I am most known for my spoken word and my efforts to decolonize mental health through ancestral practices that center joy and pleasure throughout the healing process. I choose to work with people who are ready and excited to work, and this makes creating collaboratively effortless. There’s no resistance. I’ve tried the “grind” and it’s not my thing. Most folks will come across my work or name through a friend or see an article that I’ve written, something very organic. I suppose this could be something that sets me apart.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
LA is my home. Much of what I know is rooted in my South LA living so I learned how to thrive and survive here. From what I’ve heard from folks who have transplanted to LA to make their dreams crack open, it’s a mixed bag. There’s a lot of opportunity here, but the social connections can be difficult to navigate. For me, social connections are essential, for other work, maybe not as much. Ultimately with the beach, desert, ocean, and mountains within two hours at any turn, I’d like to believe it’s a place people where people can find their path.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theamonyee.com
- Phone: 3109026237
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @theamonyee
- Facebook: @theamonyee
- Twitter: @theamonyee
Image Credit:
Elaine Raif
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