Ask The Author: Stephen Mills

In the February Issue, there was this great piece, “Sex Education,” from Stephen Mills.

1. Why is it always funny when a guy gets raped in a tv show or a movie?
 
Watch a few episodes of HBO’s Oz and you might feel differently, but I know what you mean. Male rape is often used as a joke or a funny fear that straight men have. The real answer is that those jokes and fears are mostly rooted in homophobia and probably hatred of women. Going back to Oz, there are some very interesting discussions of male rape in that show that highlight many of the complexities of how we view rape differently depending on the victim’s gender. When it comes to humor, I’m all about pushing the boundaries and laughing at things you aren’t supposed to find funny, but you have to be smart about it. 
 
2. How do you sneak in journalism in poetry? Is that your responsibility as a poet?
 
I don’t necessarily like the word “responsibility,” but I’m sure I’ve used it many times to describe what I think poets should be doing. In many ways, I write what I feel is missing in the poetry world or what I want to see more of out there. I like poems that truly engage with real life and real issues, but frame them in a personal way. My book, He Do the Gay Man in Different Voices, relies heavily on various news stories like the treatment of gay men in Iran and the story of Jeffrey Dahmer. We are bombarded every day with “journalism” and it filters into us and through us and into my poetry. As young kids, the media is often the first place we hear about horrible things like rape or murder, which is partly what my poem “Sex Education” is all about. What I like about using news in poetry is that you aren’t held to the same idea of “truth” as some other forms of writing and, in the end, you often get at a bigger more useful “truth.” 
 
3. Do you like what I’m wearing?
 
I have the same underwear, so yes I do. Though, I thought you’d be wearing pants for the interview. I don’t mind. 

 
4. What question should I have asked so far? How would you answer it?
 
Why do so many people hate poetry? That’s always a good question. People hate poetry because they’ve only read poetry that bores them and they think all poetry is the same. Guess what, I hate some poetry, but poetry is not all the same. You can find poems about anything and everything. People are often surprised when they read my work or the work by many contemporary poets, because they’ve never been exposed to it. You actually can write about serial killers and gay porn stars in prison. I do. Poetry is extremely diverse. 
 
5. Which is better: trapped in a bathroom or trapped in a closet?
 
As a gay man, the idea of being trapped in a closet is really not very appealing. I was trapped there long enough, so I’ll say bathroom. In a bathroom you have water, a toilet, towels, soap, and whatever else you personally store in your bathroom. It really wouldn’t be that bad, especially if you have a fancy bathtub. 
 
6. How have your sexual organs turned you into a monster?
 
How haven’t they? My sexual organs are truly the driving force of most decisions I make including answering these questions. The thing to remember is that not all monsters are bad, but they are all demanding. Without my monster, I wouldn’t write a word, which I’m sure would relieve some of you.