| SF - Why and Why did you start writing / illustration creatively?
PO - I started to write when I was trying to express myself as a young woman who grew up without her father. I had a lot of negative energy in me, that I wanted to use in a positive way. I found words to be healing and a great way to express myself. I started to write about the age of eighteen and took a few classes at Columbia College where I solidified myself as a poet and songwriter. From there I went to Grambling State University where I received my Bachelor of Arts Degree in English. SF - Where do you get the inspiration for your stories / poems? PO - My stories and poems normally come from interesting things that have happened to people I know, or inspired by things in life, a show I watched, or a conversation I had with a client. Sometimes I like to write stories to challenge my readers or to start a conversation about a certan thing. Sometimes it's my own thing that has been rolling around in my head and just comes out. Sometimes the poems or stories come to me. It just depends. SF - Are there parts of you contained in your works? PO - Of course. Yes, there are parts of me, mostly in my poems because that comes directly from my soul and spirit as a poet. But most of my characters are not close to who I am personally or otherwise. SF - Do you identify with any one particular character? PO - Maia from a short love story I wrote that basically she is a independent woman frustrated with the dating scene. We're both head strong women who have values. SF - What genre(s)are you most comfortable with? PO - I'm comfortable with poetry, because I not only write free verse, but have been taught to write other forms of poetry, from sonnets to pantoums. I teach poetry to youth in Chicago and I spend a considerable amount of time writing, re-writing, editing, and performing spoken word when I'm not teaching, so that is where my strength as a writer lies. I have been writing poetry since 18, performing spoken word since 28 and teaching poetry for the last 4 years in the schools and communities. I have also performed my poetry on the road in Chicago, New York, St. Louis, Texas, the Bahamas, Indiana, Detroit, and other places. I write poetry almost every day and I host my own spoken word show, Mocha's SupaSoul Radio on Live 365.com. SF - Where do you hope to see your creative career go? PO - I would like to release my two novels, When Rainbows Ain't Enough and Cause I Can! ; two youth based novels in the next 2 years, as well as complete an urban driven novel. I would like to solidify my book company, Osbey Books, with a youth poetry component. I would also love to build a career as a voice over artist in the media industry. SF - Have your life experiences influenced your work? If so , how? PO - Yes. They made me think outside the box, challenge myself and be open to the universe; allowing the spirit of expression consume me to the point of me having to recognize the power of words and listen to it's chants. SF - What, if anything, would you like to share about you, the person? PO - Pam Osbey, the person, is a complex, driven woman with multi-interests and talents. I continue to grow as an artist, writer, and collaborator because I continue to challenge myself. I never thought I would be able to do half of the things I do, but because I never put limits on what I can do, I think I continue to amaze myself and my fans. SF - How has your transition to publication gone? PO - The transition has been a roller coaster of life lessons relating to learning the craft of writing, the business of writing, and the creative part of writing. I think it's been mainly good. Though there are road trips that I don't make a huge amount of money, it's about my expression and being able to connect with other writers and fans. I have seen a lot of cities, countries, and hope to continue to connect with my literary family. I'm glad I was smart enough to listen to my writing mentor, Diane Williams, and my fan base through many literary writing groups online. They have helped me to keep myself glued to the books and the work I produce. Mostly the poets who influenced me in the beginning are the ones I have to thank for me actually producing my first chapbook and subsequent publications. SF - What would you like to do differently the next time? PO - Have a real marketing plan and budget, perhaps a real timeline to get things done. Hire a publicist so they can handle my time effectively, a bigger roll out in stores, and a real good author tour scheduled. It's hard when you are doing everything yourself, which is what I am currently doing. Oh, and have a good stock of books, so they wouldn't sell out as quickly. Have a large stock to work with. SF - To whom do you seek advice and/or support from? PO - My advice comes from my writing groups, The Prolific Writers, my fans on the Musings Report, poets from Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, New York and New Jersey. I have a good support system of authors I have met at the Harlem Book Fair, Detroit Writers Guild, Book Expo America, Printers Row Book Fair, Los Angeles Black Book Expo, just to name a few. SF - When can your fans expect to enjoy your work again? PO - They can pick up Black Orchids: A Journey Tto Mocha through Iuniverse. The book is under my pen name of Mocha Sistah. My book Rivers of My Life is available at Lulu.com. I am included in three anthologies: I Woke UP and Put My Crown On (edited by Rochelle D. Hart); My Soul To His Spirit (edited by Melda Beaty) and 100 Words For Wisdom (compiled by Hiyaah Power). My debut novel, Cause I Can will debut in early 2005. SF - How can your fans reach you? PO - They can join my online writing group: The Musings Report (on yahoo), visit my website at www.mochasistahonline.com or listen to my online internet show, Mocha's SupaSoul Radio at www.live365.com/stations/mocha_sistah. SF - Do you have any presently scheduled events for the next few months? PO - I have an radio interview on Chicago's WKKC, 89.3 FM in Chicago on August 27,2005 at 9 am. I will be performing at the 2005 Chicago Poetry Festival (www.chicagopoetry.com) on August 27th at 3:30 pm, Giddings Plaza, which is a free event. September 10,2005 I will be performing at Ear Candy Poets Spoken Word Event at the South Side Community Center. September 16,2005 I will be one of three artists leading poetry workshops at Northerly Island for the Chicago Humanities Festival. You can stay current with all my events by logging on to www.mochasistahonline.com and clicking the "events" page. SF - What books / poetry / artwork have you read / seen lately that you would like to recommend? PO - Poetry recommendations, My Soul To His Spirit by Melda Beaty. It's a great book for praising fathers. It's a beautiful book. Also I would love to recommend, "Hands on Stanzas 2004-2005 Anthology" which is available on www.amazon.com or www.poetrycenter.org. The book is a great book for youth poets or their families to read. Another great book is Thoughts by T Boz of TLC. It's a poetry book that is partly about her as a performer, but also contains thought provoking poetry. Spoken word recommendations are Marc Lacy (www.marclacy.com) and Mr. Talley (www.mrtalley.com) and Tim Dillinger (www.timdillinger.com). Zane's Breaking the Cycle is a great book that explores the different sides of domestic violence and the impact on the black family. SF - What is your idea of fun? PO - My idea of fun is to go to the beach, lay on the hot sand, and breath deeply. I love long walks with my writing journal and a pen! There's nothing better than letting your thoughts run rapid on a page while hearing birds chirp. Fun can also be me hanging with my cousin Amensua and his little brother or playing with my mom's cat, Snowball. SF - What experiences do you hope to one day have? PO - I want to be able to go to Sri Lanka, London or Jamaica and teach poetry! Or perform there. Or do a booksigning there. SF - What places do you still wish to travel to? PO - The islands (Jamaica, Bermuda, Montego Bay, Aruba). SF - Do you have an agent and if not are you looking for one? PO - I need an agent and publicist (writing) and manager and producer (for the spoken word). SF - How many not yet to be released works do you have keeping warm on the back burner? PO - Too many to count. More than 2 probably. SF - Who did your cover for you? PO - Iuniverse has their in-house staff to complete the work for my books. Lulu, has a template, which was okay just because the book was a chapbook and I wanted it to be simple. SF - Off all of your released works which is your favorite? PO - I like Black Orchids because it is raw. Musings of a Mocha Sistah was the beginning of my poetry career and it's my favorite because it took so long to complete with all the mishaps. SF - Which, of your poems, is your favorite and why? PO - My favorite poem is Love in Transition. I wrote that as a personal comment and it ended up being a poem that many have embraced. SF - When and where / what type of environment are you most creative in? PO - I'm most creative at home with my computer on, some candles, and a little jazz. That's it. No other noise. SF - What other talents should everyone know you have? PO - I am a vocalist and can sing a little bit or as I say, "Hum" SF - Where would you like to see your life five years from now? PO - Married with children in a healthy relationship that balances my love of the craft of writing with performing. I would like to be a force to be reckoned with in the area of youth artistic development. SF - Anyone out there you like to acknowledge? PO - Poetry Center of Chicago, Chicago Children's Museum, Youth Service Project, Inc., Chicago Humanities Festival, Felicia Madlock, Diane Williams, Stephanie L. Brown, Renee Daye, Linetia Hudgins, Fo Feet, Mr. Talley, Floyd Boykins, Jr, Dominique Grosevenor, Brown Sugar Lounge, Rock Publications, Chicago Defender, Sisterfriends.com, The Musings Report and Afose Spoken Word Radio. I wish I could acknowledge all...but those who have supported me as a writer, singer, poetess, know I am appreciative so if I didn't list your name or organization this is your thanks! SF - What was your best literary experience and why? PO - Being a panelist aside of author Zane in 2004 was the beginning of a great experience for a poetry who wrote a book (me); and then to have to share space again with her at the 2005 Strebor Literary Writers Cruise to the Bahamas where I got a chance to speak with her one-on-one, perform spoken word, sell books with other authors, was an unforgettable experience. SF - I'd like to thank Pam Osbey for taking the time from her very busy schedule to share a glimpse into the woman behind the creative works found in her books and on stage performances., Musings of a Mocha Sista: A Different Flava of Mocha, her debut published book, Musings of a Mocha Sistah: Volume II, The SoulKiss, her second book of poetry, Love Story and of course her most recent release Black Orchid. have each exposed Pamela as a multi-talented poet, writer and songstress. She is a powerful spoken word artist on a mission to uplift, heal, and inspire women and people of color. Ms. Osbey is a contributing writer for several literary magazines and newspapers. I have had the pleasure of meeting Pam last year at the 2004 Harlem Book Fair - Authors Brunch. I became a fan of her spoken word and quickly discovered that she is a remarkably non-pretentious individual and has a beautiful spirit. I strongly recommend buying her books and they make gifts that keep giving. I look forward to sharing more musings of a wonderful mocha sistah, Ms. Pamela Osbey. |
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Pamela Osbey
aka Mocha Sistah Poet - Author |
| Silver Fox's Den
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