A Joyous Defiance

The Poetry of Charles McCaskill

by Dakota Parks Photography by Guy Stevens

ost in the clutches of a fantasy novel or scouring the pages of journals and composition notebooks, gifted by his mother, are fond memories of Charles McCaskill Jr.’s childhood. As he grew older, roaming his neighborhood in Warrington, taking in the world around him and being shaped by the women raising him, he first discovered poetry in high school. Soon after, McCaskill would nervously read his first poem at an open mic at End of the Line Café, cementing a new era of his life and the community of writers he found himself within.

Today, many people may know McCaskill from his involvement in the Pensacola Poetry group. When the group of poets expanded from End of the Line Café into the now shutdown Sluggo’s, McCaskill stepped up to find the new venue at Constant Coffee & Tea. Serving as a regular co-host and a staple at the poetry readings, he formed intimate friendships and a support system for his writing. This year, after being selected as a finalist for the Poet Laureate of Northwest Florida, McCaskill released his third book On a Random Bookshelf in My Mind.

“I just wanted to get my words out there,” McCaskill said. “My first book came out when Black Lives Matter was gaining traction again. I was witnessing all of these horrible things happening in the country, and I needed to say something. I couldn’t stick to the old, fluff-filled, love poems I was writing—I had to say something. The title of the book, How to Lose Friends and Alienate White People, comes from a Facebook argument. I wasn’t saying anything controversial. I just was explaining experiences and issues that I witness in my identity as a black person in this country. That’s only divisive, if you want it to be divisive.”

McCaskill’s first book of poetry, released in 2018, is saturated in the American political

THERE IS A DEFIANCE TO JOY WHEN SO MUCH OF THE WORLD IS TRYING TO STIFLE IT OUT OF YOU.

have a poem thumbtacked to the bookcase written

jogging in Georgia, and prays for McCaskill’s safe return home each day. As the book unfolds, it unearths poems focused on black joy, violence, Pensacola history, gentrification, family and honoring lost lives. environment, police brutality and experiences living in the South. His “There is a defiance to joy when so much of the world is trying to stifle second book, Five Love Letters, released in 2019, is a return to his early it out of you. Any marginalized group knows how this feels—people of writing style. It serves as an assemblage of mostly previously writ- color, LGBT+, immigrants and indigenous people,” McCaskill said. “I feel ten poetry to family, friends, past romantic partners, like it’s important to focus on that joy sometimes his wife and himself. While his first two books have when on the outside, there is pain, fear and anger heavily curated themes tying the work together, his trying to stifle it out of you. Going back to my own new book is a literal and metaphysical look inside of childhood experiences, there was so much joy in McCaskill’s mind. playing with my cousins outside or listening to “I was really fascinated by Stephen King’s book Dream- The pain needs to be talked about, of course, but catcher,” McCaskill explained. “All of the characters sometimes I just want to write about seeing black have a memory warehouse, which is a visual represen- kids laughing on their scooters and bicycles—just tation of their memories that they can physically sort being kids. Especially when we’ve seen violence through. One day I was just thinking, ‘What would a and tragedy against children like Trayvon Martin, random bookcase in my mind look like?’ Well, it would Tamir Rice and so many others.” the voices of my mom and aunts making dinner. by my wife, photo albums of friends, eulogies to past These images of joy, as well as grief, can be seen family members and random notes about experiences.” segmenting the collection of poetry in a bold-faced print, like a voice of refrain. The untitled bold-faced The book opens on a prayer written by McCaskill’s wife, poems are moments, images and experiences Marissa. The prayer was written shortly after Ahmaud Arbery’s murder, an unarmed black man shot while McCaskill’s newest collection of poetry, released in Sept. of 2020. that tie the random bookshelf together. As McCaskill explained, they come to him as musings,

Untitled random thoughts and usually Face- driving or working. He often posts rough concepts book posts. There is a poem and ideas on social media to come back to them in Jamil Davis later and flesh them out. Often times, these posts “One of the moments comes from furiously performing in memory create new lives of their own and lead to intense meeting a young woman at a park of the black lives taken from us debates, which add another layer to his poetry. who was really distraught,” McCaskill said. “I was with my wife at the park, in a building in a historically black neighborhood. “My intention is to always speak how I feel. When and this woman asked us if we could just watch over her son while she went behind the vehicle and cried. While a dozen black people listen intently and two dozen white people I read these poems at readings, I can feel the authenticity,” McCaskill said. “It’s amazing to be able to put these words together in a way that not only They are these random, powerful chatter at the bar instead. people can resonate with but also gives me peace. moments that we all encounter in Most of the time, I’m reeling from the anger and life. Those moments are poetry.” There’s a poem about feeling the sorrow and fear along with everyone reclaiming the energy of a space, else. The poems are my way of helping myself. McCaskill ties these musings to- even for a moment. These poems are my voice, and my voice is valid. If gether in his poetry with historical people can find something in my voice to resonate moments and experiences of living Even for just the length with, that’s all I want from my poetry.” in the South. In the poem, “If These of a spoken word piece. Bricks Could Breathe: A Poem Writ- The resonance of McCaskill’s voice can be heard in ten on a Brick from John Sunday’s each line, stanza and book of poetry as he wields House,” McCaskill urges for the pres- his voice like a cathartic weapon in response to ervation of historical landmarks like political unrest and racial injusJohn Sunday’s House in Pensacola, which was demol- tice. In two short years, he has ished in 2016 and replaced with townhomes. Another Untitled weaved and crafted his voice poem, “Est. 1898: A Poem Written on a Broken Time into three books of poetry. Two Machine,” explores the way in which themed bars and Flashback to 2nd grade years ago, McCaskill had his restaurants cater to an alternate history that excludes when I passed a note to a friend debut launch of his first book the trauma and oppression of minorities. that read at Open Books & Prison Book “this is the bomb”. Project. He is returning to Open “There is an energy about a space that I feel is really Books on Nov. 20 at 5 pm. for meaningful,” McCaskill explained. “So much of the South Then I proceeded to have to explain the official book release and sehas been scarred with pain—whether it be in the slave to my teacher and principal lected readings from On a Rantrade, civil war battles or segregation. There’s a lot of pain that I was not in fact dom Bookshelf in My Mind. Copthat has happened in a lot of these spaces. Pain and joy making a bomb threat. ies of McCaskill’s work and the that is erased by gentrification. I have bricks from John work of numerous other local Sunday’s Home sitting in my own home. There is some- That I was just a nerdy kid poets and authors can always thing wrong about profiting off these spaces. If I were given a time machine and asked where to go, I wouldn’t go anywhere. Most of us have more rights today than who was having fun learning about Japan or the defensive benefits be found proudly displayed at Open Books.• we ever have.” of fish hiding in coral reef.

When asked about his writing process, McCaskill explained that words and ideas usually come to him while

There’s a poem in this memory about black joy being misinterpreted as violence.