To call the police is a really big deal because you don't snitch - that's the culture you grow up in.

I loved to write; in my late teens I had a 'zine. But it wasn't until I went back to school, later on in my 20s, that I actually saw that I had writing talent.

This career essentially chased me down while I was on the spoken-word scene in New York. I kept hearing that my delivery of my poetry - which was very personal and cathartic at the time- was very moving to folks. People thought that I was an actress because of my delivery, when I was just dropping into the work and really pouring out my soul.

Even though the neighborhood I grew up in had some unhealthy elements, there was a caring there where you knew that you didn't want to get caught doing something wrong. There were bright spots in the neighborhood where I felt nurtured on a community level.

In terms of having to uphold something, I don't need any added pressure. I need to be free in the work.

Why don't you just ease up a little bit, just be professional. Maybe you're over-investing - maybe you're caring a little too much.

To call the police is a really big deal because you don't snitch - that's the culture you grow up in.