Pierre Alex Jeanty is an influential voice in the poetry community who has taken the modern poetry movement by storm. He writes primarily to shed light on the lessons he has learned about life, love, and what it means to be a gentleman in the modern age. He has several books of poetry as well as two ebooks on relationships. His poetry collection Her has been greeted with immense praise and can often be found among Amazon’s best-selling poetry collections. Pierre is a prominent figure in the poetry world who is passionate about reaching people through his writing and helping others on the road to publication through his company Jeanius Publishing.
I had the honor of speaking with Pierre about his writing journey as well as some of the things that have influenced him the most along the way. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the life of this incredible poet.
Liz Newman: How long have you been writing poetry, and how has the rise of social media impacted your journey as a writer?
Pierre Jeanty: I’ve been writing since 2013-2014. I’ve written plenty of course, but it wasn’t until then that I started writing long and short pieces creatively for the purpose of others’ reading. Prior to that, I wrote hip hop songs and wanted to be a backpack rapper in college but never truly wrote from this perspective.
LN: How did Jeanius Publishing come to be? How does Jeanius Publishing strive to rethink how people experience poetry in the digital media age?
PJ: A-Jeanius used to be my rap name, and an old assistant of mine wanted to write a book and have me publish it as the person who owned the brand she was publishing it under. It makes sense to start a publishing company and name it something clever.
The focus of Jeanius publishing is to be a voice in modern poetry. I believe [people who are labeled] “insta-poets” who are passionate about reaching people and touching lives with their writing should [be published too]. As someone who understands marketing very well and modern poetry, I had to act on the opportunity. The goal is to put creativity in the forefront as lives are changed.
LN: From your writing, we know that you are a firm believer in love and in reclaiming the values that you feel all men should possess. Tell us a little bit about the mission of “Gentlemenhood” and how it came to be.
PJ: Yes, I am a believer in love. Gentlemenhood is my foundation, it’s what launched me as a writer. It’s the aspect of me that focuses more on teaching about love and relationships. The idea of Gentlemenhood is to share my mistakes and lessons with the hope that other men learn and women find hope as well as some understanding about men.
LN: The Modern Poetry movement is redefining what people think of poetry. What are you hoping defines your body of work? What are the key messages you hope to convey to your readers through your work?
PJ: One thing people associate modern poetry with is “lack of creativity,” and I beg to differ. There are many quotes from modern poets as well as me that “aren’t poetry” but to some, they are. My readers decided that my book was poetry. I didn’t, and as a writer, I want the readers to know touching their lives is first before the critics. Simplicity is a route I will often take to help others, but I respect the art of writing, which means I strive to get more and more creative with my body of work as I grow. Maybe even keep a balance of the two. My newest book Apologies That Never Came is me introducing my audience to a more creative version of me while keeping their healing and confidence in mind.
LN: What would you say have been some of the keys to your success, and what advice would you give to others who are looking to follow their passions?
PJ: I am passionate about this. I grow more passionate monthly. I have learned to put people first—not my success—and to appreciate and respect the art. I write daily simply because of that, and I read messages daily to make sure people know it’s about them, not me. They are a major piece of this puzzle. So, my advice is: be passionate about this, be consistent and do it for the right reasons, rather than rewards.
LN: You have authored so many incredible collections. I especially loved Her. Can you share with us a little more about your journey to publication?
PJ: My journey is simpler than most. Publishing is the one thing I know very well, so don’t think it’s supposed to be this easy and simple. But here you go . . . an idea drops in my head, I take out my phone and start mapping it out. I think of the title, create the sections, and pour my heart on paper the next few days. In one to two weeks, I transfer all those to my computer, bother my editor, ask my assistant or my illustrator to draw up a cover, then revise everything, put it into places it’s supposed to be listed and BOOM! Done.
LN: I really admire that your work focuses so much on love and on what it means to be a gentleman. How have your own life experiences helped define love and manhood? How have these experiences shaped your writing?
PJ: I came from being a boy raised without a father trying to understand girls to hurting them and destroying a few of my relationships. In my early 20s, I started working on my faith, found God, and invested more into growing as a person and growing spiritually. All this led to constant evaluation and constant growth to a better understanding of love. This led me to see what many men aren’t doing right. I reflect a lot and use those experiences to not only create my projects but also to influence others.
Many think I’m a modern writer who writes a lot of “he or she” poetry and speaks for women, but I have three poetry books for women, three books for men, one book on loving my wife, and two e-books on relationships overall, and [Apologies That Never Came] is gender-neutral. The focus is to reflect and help, not just point [fingers].
One of the things I loved most about this interview was getting to see the inner workings of Pierre’s mind and how his passions have motivated him to succeed in both his personal and professional life. He has the gift to motivate readers with his published works and also with his personal story.
