Laura Hyppolite is a poet and author who lives in New Jersey. She immigrated to the US from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and felt compelled to document her immigrant experience, appreciation for Haitian culture and history, and journey of identity through poetry.
Books:
“Ordinary: A poetic anthology of culture, immigration, & identity”
Where available:
https://www.laurahyppolite.com/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093KKJTP9
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ordinary-22
What sets your book apart from all others?
This book is unique in the sense that although the poems are about me, my culture, and my experiences, it’s really about all of us. If you’ve ever had to leave a place that you knew as home, if you ever struggled with aspects of your identity, or even ever felt like you didn’t belong, these poems are for you too.
Who is your target market, who should be reading your book?
You will enjoy this book if you are interested in conversations about history, literature, immigration, identity, or a lover of poetry.
What authors inspired you most and how so? What do you admire about each one?
Felix Morisseau-Leroy was a Haitian poet and playwright who fought to elevate the voices of the Haitian people. While many of his peers were using French in their writing, he was an advocate for Haitian Creole in poetry. His works have truly informed me as a Haitian writer. Edwidge Danticat is a Haitian author and published her first work as a teenager. Since then, she has moved to write incredibly personal and unique novels that touch on mental health, immigration, and corruption.
What advice do you have to offer in support of other authors?
If you believe you have something to say, silence the little voice in your head telling you can’t, or it won’t matter. Regardless of how personal or niche your story is, someone out there will relate or resonate with your words. Don’t let imposter syndrome be the roadblock that stops you from writing and sharing your works.
Is writing for you synonymous with living and breathing, or just something you do as a hobby, and how so and why?
Writing in any form will always be an integral part of my being. Although I never planned to write a book or be a—full-time— author, I have and will always be inspired to write. Whether that’s a small thought in my journal or venturing out and taking that thought further, writing is my life.
What do you feel we need to hear or read more of that is rare today in a book?
We need more personal stories. I think many authors refrain from writing deeply personal works because they may think many people experienced that same thing, yet I would love to see more of that in writing, whether it’s in poetry or long-form novels.
What changes in the literary world would you most like to see?
I would like to see more BIPOC (Black and Indigenous People of Color) authors and experiences normalized in the mainstream.
What do you hope to accomplish with your literary creation? What change or enlightenment do you want to bring about in your reader if any?
My hope for this book is that readers learn, reflect, and see a little bit of me in themselves. I hope as they are reading, readers understand more about the Haitian culture and the effects of immigration on identity, and most of all, I hope that my poems compel readers to reflect on their own experiences and see how they can improve themselves by learning from the past.
What have you sacrificed, if anything, to be a writer, or to write as you do? What have you gained from writing, how has it rewarded you personally?
Writing is sometimes a draining experience. As an author, you don’t always have the luxury to write when inspiration strikes; it takes a lot of discipline and time management to produce your works. For me, that sometimes means sleepless nights, canceled plans, lots of revision, and abandoning your ideas. Yet, from those sacrifices, you receive the amazing reward of a published work on your hands. I say it’s all worth it.
