Narration by Val Cole

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?

The theme of my poem, "In a Quiet Place" centers around the concept of personal loss and how we, as human beings, have to cope with that loss and move on.

2) What motivated you to write this poem?

I recently loss a cousin, who I had grown up with, to cancer. It was very hard for me to move forward and see a world where she wasn't in it anymore. So I felt that I could express myself and my feelings through poetry and, maybe, connect with others who have experienced the same thing I was going through.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?

I wrote my very first poem when I was in elementary school and I've been writing ever since.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

If I could have dinner with only one person, I think it would be the late Justice Thurgood Marshall. He is a legal icon and he wrote some of the most scholarly opinions in the U.S. Supreme Court history.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?

I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to test out some new material.

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?

Yes, I do write other works, like scripts, short stories, and plays. I have written several screenplays. The most recent screenplay I wrote was Clean Up on Aisle Nine, which won many awards. However, my oldest passion is poetry. I released my first book of poetry, The Awakening of the Dreamer, in 2001. My most recent book, Where Do We Go From Here? in October of 2021.

7) What is your passion in life?

Quite simply, my greatest passion in life is my writing. I've been writing for many years now, and everyday I find something new that inspires me to write. It's not just my craft, but rather, it helps elucidate the shades of thoughts and experiences in our world.