Meet Elizabeth Michaud | Poet & Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Michaud and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
As a poet and an author, the key to success is the selling of self and product, so I have had to learn to be patient. As I aspire to become a household name one day, I have learned to recognize that success will come with patience and hard work. In the meantime, it is important to enjoy the journey. There will be both highs and lows, but in the end, it is the totality of those experiences that makes this endeavor worthwhile.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a writer and a poet and I currently have two collections of poetry out: Five Dreams and The Bones in the Garden. I have been writing since I was a kid, but I only came into poetry about fifteen or sixteen years ago (where does the time go?) Once upon a time, I had the big dream of becoming a novelist, but because I’m lazy and impatient, I found it frustrating to stick with a story for an extended period of time. In an effort to find a way to facilitate the process, I stumbled upon poetry–what a gift it was! I realized that I could quickly tell a story using the short form of poetry, and when I was done with a topic, I could move on to another one, exploring something new and different. Poetry allowed me to delve into various topics, such as love and romance, black history/experience, and even horror. Once I began to hone my craft for verse, it was all she wrote. The icing on the cake has been that I have since won several awards for each of my titles. Winning has been such an affirmation of the stories I tell and how I choose to tell them, and I am beyond grateful.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Because I’m a reader and an author, I would do a little bookish vacation. Atlanta and its greater environs have a lot of great indie bookstores, so if it were up to me, the first place I’d take them is down to McDonough to visit Story on the Square. It’s located in McDonough Square, and not only do they sell books, they also have craft and specialty beers to boot. You could find a good read, and then get a drink and sample the charcuterie board to boot! The next day, we’d hit Conyers and visit The Book Cellar. It’s located right next to historic downtown Conyers, an extremely picturesque and quaint area that has been a site for movies and film-making! The Book Cellar itself is black-owned and has an expansive collection of children’s books for kids. After that, if there is a big blockbuster coming out in theaters, we’d head on down to Morrow and hit the AMC, but for my friends who are part of the Divine 9, we’d hit Nubian Books first. There, they could stock up on all their Greek paraphernalia as well as pick up an autographed copy of a book or two by an indie author. Nubian graciously hosts indie authors at that store, so what a great opportunity to pick up some books with some local flair and meet the author, too! And finally, we’d hit up a Book Club with Aerial McCall @thecuteconnect–she picks the coolest locations for book girlies to read and socialize about books. When we’re finally ready to put down our books and stretch our legs, we’d hit up one of the Silent Disco Parties, also hosted by Aerial. With one of the best DJs in town, we’ll put on our dancing shoes and dance the night away!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are quite a few people that I would love to thank who have helped me with my writing journey, starting with, first and foremost, my family. My mother and her husband have been tireless in their efforts to sell books and to promote my work! My children have also been invaluable in my endeavors. They provide endless support and ideas that have only enhanced my books or my marketing. Finally, the rest of my friends and family who have purchased, shared, and reviewed my work. They have all given me the lift that has helped me chase my dreams. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Website: https://www.elizabethmichaud.com

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