An Interview with Robert J Nugent, author of Poetic Manifestation

In 1987, a young man was born to a young couple of 24 and 25 years old. As life went on, this young man, Robert J Nugent, defined his life through education and the culinary arts and found himself gaining four associate degrees within a ten-year span at Brookdale Community College. Most importantly, Robert channeled his artistic abilities through the writing of poems! However, it was the inspiration from his mother’s poem Speak, Hear, or See that made him want to write.

In 2009, Robert published his first book, Confession: A Book of Poems at the age of nineteen. Publishing a book was never his dream, but later in life became a passion. Who thought an athlete would become a poet? Growing up, Robert’s childhood dream was to become a baseball player or actor. Later in life, he started to take a different path in the catering industry. He furthermore substituted in his local school district, worked at a fishery restaurant, and spent his summers as the Kitchen assistant supervisor, now working with one of the biggest catering companies in the tri-state area.

When it comes to Robert’s earliest memories between personal life, education, and different work ethics, he believes there are too many to consume! Conversely, his earliest memory of writing came when he read his mother’s poem, which gave him the idea of writing poems at the age of fifteen. The title of his first poem ever written was entitled Love Is Like. As the many years accumulated, Robert went on to write hundreds of poems. These poems consisted of love, hatred, darkness, mysteries, personal foresight, and movie reviews.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

In 2003, Daisy Nugent presented me with her published poem Speak, Hear, or See. This eventually encouraged me to start writing my own poems. She was the main reason why I got into writing poems.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

I can’t say there was one particular reason to what inspired me to write this book! “The reason behind poetry is to give people a new way of understanding someone’s work!” So, I can state that everything and everyone around me inspires all of us to write.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

There isn’t really a story behind the title of my book. I can say that Poetic Manifestation wasn’t the original title of my book. The original title was “Poetry Potpourri.” That title in mind didn’t seem to represent my book overall. So, I thought constantly and came up with Poetic Manifestation, which gave a more in-depth feeling toward my book.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

“Everybody’s Fool” – Evanescence

“Boulevard of Broken Dreams” – Green Day

“Beautiful Day” – U2

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I started my professionalism at the age of fourteen at a summer camp in the kitchen until the age of twenty-eight. Later on in life, after graduating high school, I worked in the catering industry at the age of eighteen where I still resided. Along the way I worked in restaurants, other banquet halls and was also a substitute teacher from ages nineteen to twenty-three.

What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?

I basically read a lot of poetic authors which as Emily Dickerson, Robert Frost, F Scott Fitzgerald and many other famous written poets in American literature.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

It has been said, “The reason behind poetry is to give people a new way of understanding someone’s work!” Thus, helping the reader find the writer’s perception through their words. With such practical tools, it helps alter the minds of the reader to many cultural works of art. That’s why this book offers rich opportunities for discussion on the writings of one young writer that’ll inhabit the minds of future writers! So, it would be an enjoyment through the rhythmic, freestyling, and spiritual writings of poetry. I hope the readers take away from my book is that, “You should always speak your mind and express yourself for others to know who you are as a person”!