Writing ‘Wayward Nomad’ with Brianna Beck
Hey hey hey, it’s Bri! The title of this blog may have given it away . . . usually I would be the one interviewing women and writing about them, but this blog is dedicated to highlighting my personal work, Wayward Nomad, a collection of poetry, affirmations, reminders and more that I have officially self-published!
I decided to write this blog in first person and now, you can meet the crazy woman behind the blog! Publishing a personal collection of poetry has been my goal since I was 18 years old. I joined my high school slam poetry team my senior year and have been enveloped with a passion for poetry ever since. I spent most of my childhood playing sports and it wasn’t until I moved from Cleveland, OH to Baton Rouge, LA my junior year of high school that I spent a significant amount of time discovering my love for the arts.
Elizabeth Hackenberg, my best friend who also performed slam poetry with me in high school, created the cover art for Wayward Nomad.
Moving from the North to the South in the middle of high school forced me to start over and, in the process, poetry became a safe space for me. Interacting with new people, cultures and places (like Mrs. Knowles art room) helped me discover new parts of myself and poetry was one of the catalysts for reimagination. It is my constant home where I find peace and clarity when I need it most. I hope that my readers can experience at least a portion of this when they read Wayward Nomad.
I genuinely feel like a “wayward nomad” in many aspects of life and poetry gives me the space to rest and stop wandering, even if just for a moment. In a sense, we are all “wayward nomads,” so I think there is something for everyone in this book.
My goal was to publish my poetry as a gift to myself for my 21st birthday. I missed it by a few months (my poetry book will be released August 28th of this year), but it is currently available for pre-order! I did complete the first proof in March, so I still count it!
The four sections of the poetry book are Lost, Liminal, Light and Love.
This collection explores the main themes of lost, liminal, light and love. The “liminal” section is inspired by a conversation I had with Raina and Sherin, the co-founders of Power Pump Girls, Inc. and Nura Co. They described the word liminal to me when my book was still in its beginning stages, and I immediately became obsessed with the meaning and knew it would be a part of my book. Fun Fact: the song “Lost” by Frank Ocean inspired the “Lost” section title. Wayward Nomad is a product of everything and everyone that was a part of my life to date, whether it was positive or negative, it all contributes to who I am and my writing.
Can you find Wayward Nomad? My roommates and I have the book in different places all over the house.
There were definitely moments, as in any noble pursuit, when I felt like giving up and letting go of this dream. Drowning in words and emotions throughout the entire process of creation, it was intimidating to know my heart would soon become black ink on paper and placed in the hands of strangers.
After finishing this project, I can confidently say it was all worth it and still is, even as I begin to navigate the unknowns of book publishing. I am looking forward to continually sharing my work with the world and watching how it is received. I self-published this collection of work, so it will mainly be my family + friends that help me promote the book (shoutout to them! join us).
Watching how close family & friends have reacted to the book has encouraged me in more ways than I can explain. I can’t wait for the world outside of my close circle to be able to meet me in a new way August 28th!
Pre-order your copy now and let's connect! Support a young, local PPG hustler and let’s show the world what a little bit of #girlpower can do!
Let’s Connect:
Personal IG: @_briannabeck
Poetry IG: @_seethebeautypoetry
Read Wayward Nomad:
xoxo,
Bri
