Raych Jackson

Raych Jackson has had a whirlwind of a year. In 2018, she wrote and performed in the play Goddesses of Slam which premiered in Switzerland, she appeared in the anthology Breakbeat Poets Volume II: Black Girl Magic, was published by Poetry Magazine, and curated a room for Refinery 29’s Chicago stop of 29Rooms, among countless other projects. Her LLC name, Awkward Connoisseur LLC, lays it plainly: Raych has countless creative talents and unfathomable energy to drive her forward, while remaining authentically herself. We chatted over email about what she’s been up to in the last year, and how the church became her first performance space.

Q: Hello! How’s freelance life been treating you?

A: Freelance life has been hard! In order to survive, I have my hands in a couple of different places. I just got back from writing a show in Switzerland. I’ve been voice acting! I’ve been editing plays! I’m busy, but definitely happier this way!

Q: It definitely sounds like you’re juggling a lot of fun projects. For folks who aren’t familiar with what you do, can you briefly summarize what all you’ve been working on lately?

A: Yes! I’ve been finishing and finalizing my manuscript. I plan on dropping a book of poems soon. I’m terrified. Letting someone in my life in such a way is new. I’ve also been trying to break more into the voice acting world. I just recently voiced DJ Raych in Mad Verse City, a game through Jackbox games. I’ve also been completing some essays I’ve been sitting on. I’ve honestly been a bit too nervous to release things into the world but lately I feel grounded and ready. My homie Toaster and I also run a monthly poetry event called Big Kid Slam. People 18 and over are able to compete in three rounds for prizes, for free. It happens every last Friday at Young Chicago Authors.

Q: That is a lot! Can you tell us more about the manuscript you’re working on?

A: My manuscript is a lot about my youth and growing up a “church baby”. I focus on lessons in tales like Jonah and Jezebel and constantly compare them to my life. It’s what I was taught to do in Sunday School. I write a lot on conflicting stories and the Christian faith. Including joy poems is the hardest part about this collection. I want to also emphasize the positive moments within the church. I learned how to jump double dutch there. The church was my first stage.

Q: “I Ask What ‘Circumcision’ Means in a Full Sunday School Class” comes to mind as a poem that questions the teachings of your childhood church while making space for joy and humor-- “Everyone here makes me feel like I need fixing, tie knots in my cheeks so my smile stays in place and I’ll raise my hand and latch eyes onto any Sunday School leader that thinks I’m broken, and I’ll ask that blatant sex question in Sunday School. I dare God himself to shatter the fence around my snow.” I love what you said about the church being your first stage, can you say more about that?

A: I was able to perform young in front of hundreds. My childhood church was big on singing, performance, plays etc. In fact my childhood church had “Jr. Church” where the children [ages] four to 12 have their own service in the basement. I was a favorite church baby and I commanded audiences from a single digit. I even was Jesus at Vacation Bible School once. For that aspect of my youth, I am forever grateful. My first auditions and understanding of tech came from the church. I learned how to read an audience when I was a preteen. My father is a noted devotional leader and my mother a choir director. Of course they had a child that loved the spotlight. Unfortunately, the spotlight didn’t always shine on me in my favor. As much as I loved to perform I still had these nagging questions about my parents’ faith. I know my parents are following what they believe and will go to their version of heaven. Those are good people. It would be the other people and the other things in the church I’d see. It would be the Bible stories and the dress codes only for women that had me overflowing with questions and abrasive statements. For that, I was not always liked.

Q: It seems like the church was a really foundational space for you in a lot of ways, and I love that you can trace your tradition of performance that far back. Do you feel a spiritual aspect to the performances you offer today, or do you consider that separate from your spirituality?

A: Oof. What a good question. Honestly my spirituality comes in waves. Because of how I was raised, I question everything remotely spiritual and that’s unfair. My poems are literally me challenging God. I don’t consider my performance separate from my spirituality. Even a line in a poem about something abstract might still be a hint to God.

Q: Can you tell us about one of your favorite poems in the manuscript?

A: My favorite poem changes each day. My poems mean different things for me at different times. Right now, my favorite poem from the manuscript is a sonnet for my father. His faith has always interested me. He can’t exactly hold a note, but isn’t embarrassed to sing loud and big. Most weeks he’d lead devotion and sing right in the mic. No one can tell him shit about the way he praises. He would always say “I don’t go to church for other people.” I admire that dedication a lot.

Q: What’s been your experience going back and forth between working on the poetry manuscript and essay collection? Is that an easy transition for you to make or do you have to separate them in your mind?

A: I separate them in my mind. I think writers all have different processes. For me, right now, I need to only focus on finishing this poetry manuscript. I have loosie essays and ideas floating around in my Google Drive but my collection of poems cohesive (and almost ready yikes).

Q: With the nature of freelance work blurring personal and professional, what are some things that you do that are just for you? How do you check in and hold space with yourself?

A: WOW. Still learning this one. For now, I set a schedule. I wake up around the same time, write around the same time, eat around the same time and sleep around the same time. Freelancing is a job. I have an alarm and a bedtime. I have work to finish. I’m probably the hardest most and critical boss I’ve ever had. I need to make sure I’m still giving myself a chance to decompress. Writing “brain break” on my schedule may sound silly to some, however I need the visual. I hold space with myself by stealing Type A methods (as usual) and writing everything down in my schedule. Then I read or binge watch a TV show.

Q: Big Kid Slam is a really terrific event that you and Toaster Henderson co-host, and you’ve mentioned in other interviews that you were trying to offer an anti-slam of sorts that didn’t take place at a bar, didn’t have a cover, and was in an accessible venue. Assuming all resources/time/energy were available, what other events would you like to see or host for Chicago’s creative scene? Or which existing events would you like to offer more support to?

A: The Chicago creative scene is wildly talented. I deadass get encouraged to work more by looking at my friends. However, the Chicago creative scene isn’t just male rappers. We’re tired of all the posts and write-ups framing it as such. There are poets, singers, visual artists, comedians, designers, gallery owners, etc. that are thriving. People in the Chicago creative scene also don’t all identify as men. There are women and non-binary artists crushing it. Toaster and I host Big Kid Slam every last Friday at the Young Chicago Author’s gallery. We wanted to restructure the slam community in Chicago. I’m not white and I’m not straight. Where is the space for me to slam? It was moving to watch other artists in different mediums in Chicago get fed up and create their own space, own gallery, own blog. For example, Luya Poetry hosts an open mic every second Wednesday at Isa Studios; an event space owned by a woman of color. Oh Word? Open mic happens the last Thursday of the month at the Silver Room, which is black owned. Super shoutout to Christina Aldana and LA Van Gogh! Artists curating their own event is so important. I want to see more creatives curating for themselves and friends. It’s ok to make a new avenue. The events and the space are out there! Creating those spaces and those shows fill the deficit in whatever community we see.

Q: A last and very important question: which Bob’s Burgers character do you most identify with?

A: I identify with all three Belcher Kids! I am Louise’s pessimism as much as I am Gene and Tina’s optimism. I identify with Tina’s insecurities as much as Louise and Gene’s confidence. Although my childhood adventures weren’t as exciting, I got into some shit. I’m also good at popping out a random simile that loosely ties to a topic like Gene. I love the kids’ “all or nothing” attitude. That’s been my focus these past two years. I’m a Gemini so I hope that helps why my answer is more than one person. Ha.

To support Raych Jackson and her creative projects, visit her Patreon. To read more of her work, visit her website. Big Kid Slam takes place at 7pm the last Friday of every month at Young Chicago Authors.

// BY LEVI TODD

// PORTRAITS BY LIZZ ORTIZ