Today we’d like to introduce you to John Collins.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am an Army brat originally from Detroit, MI. I started writing when I was in high school, taking the creative writing process more serious through the motivation and encouragement of a great Honors English teacher. I joined the Navy right out of high school. While I was stationed in Chicago, I got involved in the spoken word scene. From there, I got into creating and developing my first manuscript called ‘Virgin to the Life’, my first book which was released in 2013. I started the series with the intent of creating a coming of age love story for the Same Gender Loving (SGL) community. I was always curious if other black gay men had the same questions or went through the same issues I did growing up dealing with church and family, dating, friendships, and navigating the spaces we enter into. I wanted to take a hard look at my world and the world of others and write from the perspective of representation and reality.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say the road has been smooth, but it hasn’t been too bumpy either. I had to take a moment to deal with a lot of my own internal struggles regarding my sexuality and spirituality through counseling. Some of the subject matter in my work reflects healing and cultivating an intimate personal relationship with God to see what type of expression of His image I am in this world. Not only as an artist but as a brother, friend, son, citizen, etcetera. I’ve never been in the closet per se, so I’ve always made it a point to show up authentically as myself wherever I go and let the work I’ve done internally and creatively reflect all that we can be and do as black gay men. I’d like to break into the industry and expand my talent beyond the novels and stage play entitled, ‘The Dingalogues’, I had the privilege of co-producing. So the challenge for me is how do I get into the right circles to work in television and film post-pandemic. Though the majority of my work speaks to the SGL community, I’d like to expand beyond that genre and bring other ideas I have in mind to light. Getting recognized and or making yourself stand out in this crowded space can be frustrating, but the pursuit of it and the passion I have in developing storylines and relatable characters keeps my motivation alive. I have made up my mind that my work will go from the theatrical stage to silver screen.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Well, let’s see, my background is in healthcare. My experience ranges from working in Dental cleaning teeth and taking X-rays to being a part of the VA Mental Health team. However, my passion and what I see myself doing for the rest of my life is writing and producing great stories for my Black folks. I have written five novels. Four of them are a part of a series, to include: ‘Virgin to the Life’, ‘Sounds of Burned Silence’, Poetic Violence’, and ‘Letters’. The series is loosely based off of some of my life experiences and follows the journey of a young man named Jason Williams who joins the military during the infamous Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell era. He unwittingly finds himself caught up in a love triangle that reveals so many layers of himself and the parties involved that all come to an explosive climax the audience never sees coming.
The fifth novel, entitled, ‘God Ain’t Call Me Fag’, is a call back to a journal I started writing at 17. My mom discovered it and the contents written within it did not sit well with her at all. I ended up burning it, but I always wondered what I wrote and where or what those expressed thoughts would develop into. I guess it was my way to let my wounded inner child express everything I couldn’t say outloud back then. It speaks to my struggles with family, friends, my sexual trauma, who and what I am to God, and ultimately a release of the hatred against myself I smuggled into my existence subconsciously.
I am known for my novels and have a small following, and here in Atlanta, I still get approached with questions about the stage play, ‘The Dingalogues’, I co-wrote and co-produced. We did two runs of the show back in 2016 and somehow, its impact still resonates not only with me but people I come in contact with who have seen the play and or are familiar with my work. The question of “What’s next?” always comes up.
Aside from the prose and the play. I used to facilitate a forum I called ‘John Collins Presents’. It was a safe space for SGL men of color to express and discuss various issues and topics that affect our day-to-day lives and how we relate to one another as a community. So far, I think this is one of the things I am most proud of because it helped me to see that I am not alone and that the community I am a part of needs these environments to uplift, network, and gain an understanding and or different perspective of who we are as SGL men. It is something that I am looking to start up again more than likely January. Fingers crossed.
The thing that sets me apart from others would be my desire to push boundaries in the work I produce. To challenge the many opinions that come against the representation we as a people need. To always ask why and seek the answer(s) or resolution to our issues and growth that reflects the spiritual maturity and development I’ve witnessed in my own life. Whatever I learn, I try to place into the work somehow for the benefit of others inside and outside of the community.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was a curious and shy kid. I used to work on cars with my Dad as a hobby and creative writing always held my interest because it was a way for me to address many of the “Why’s” swirling around in my head. Music was a big part of my life as well. Growing up in Detroit, I had many examples of what being a great Black man looked like, and took a major interest in Black culture and who we are as a Black community. So anything that had to do with Black people and our visibility in this world sparked my interest. This is one of the things that attracted me to Atlanta. I love the history, culture, and strides we as a people make daily here in this city.
Pricing:
- Novel price range $10-$20
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @johncollinspresents
Image Credits
Clone9Design Polymed Pictures
