Poetry. LGBTQ. Personal Growth.
Date Published: June 24, 2025
Interview with Jasmine Farrell
How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
Publishing my first book, My Quintessence gave me the confidence to take myself seriously as a writer. Before that, writing was this thing I did to release and sometimes share. But putting a book out into the world shifted things for me. I now had to think about audience, about clarity, about how vulnerability can become a bridge. It made me more intentional, but also freed me to experiment more because I knew I had a voice worth sharing. The voice worth sharing part took me awhile to believe but I do now.
What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
It was so simple as I answer this. When I was in the second grade, my teacher, Steve had a student poetry night. We wrote poems, he compiled them and made a book for us and our families to share. I wrote a poem about getting up in the middle of the night to sneak some snacks that I had no business eating in my belly. The giggles and laughter as I read it made me realized the power language had. It can bring us to tears, make us laugh, educate us and woo us into mushy romance. Words, when they’re honest, can move us. They can heal. They can affirm. I didn’t know it back then but that moment lit a fire in me.
What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?
There are still some scraps of fear that I need to scoop out of the metaphorical jar. Fear of not being understood. I will be...I am understood...but the people I am trying to reach! I think shedding that fear...ALL of it, or at least, not letting it steer will opens up some depth in my writing as far as my short stories are concerned.
Tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know?
I’m a sucker for the late 90’s-early 2000’s sitcoms like The Jamie Foxx Show, The Parkers, Will and Grace and The Game. I also like, All About Eve, Carmen Jones, The Glass Menagerie (1950).
If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
I would have shared my work sooner. Still, I believe everything unfolded as it was meant to.
What is the biggest surprise that you experienced after becoming a writer?
How much community comes with it. The connections I’ve made with readers, with other writers, with people who see themselves in my work, have been some of the most beautiful surprises. It reminds me that vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s an invitation.
Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book and why it is a must-read?
Rising From the Roots is one of my most personal and intentional collections yet. It’s a journey through identity, queerness, grief, church trauma, and ultimately, liberation. There are pieces in there that were written during a time when I was deconstructing a lot: spiritually, emotionally, and even creatively. It felt like I was digging into my own roots unearthing pain, yes, but also rediscovering joy, self-love, and inner strength.
What makes this book a must-read, in my eyes, is how raw and honest it is. I didn’t hold back. I let the messiness in: the parts of healing that are nonlinear, the beauty of queer self-discovery that comes later in life and the ache of unspoken grief. If you’ve ever felt unseen, uncertain, or like you were blooming too late, this book is a “must-read”
I wanted to create something that could offer support and strength to folks navigating similar journeys. Especially those in the LGBTQ+ community who have experienced spiritual or familial disconnection. These poems speak to reclaiming yourself, daring to flourish even when the soil you grew from wasn’t nurturing. A few arch readers have told me it feels like reading someone’s diary, like being invited into moments of truth and softness. That means everything to me. I hope these pages feel like a safe space: affirming, vulnerable, and real.
About the Author
Farrell's work resonates with readers seeking authenticity and connection, offering a blend of vulnerability and strength that encourages introspection and healing. Through her writing, she continues to inspire and uplift individuals navigating their own paths toward self-acceptance and understanding.
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