Meet NOMAD the Poet: A Journey Through Fire and Love
We are thrilled to welcome NOMAD the Poet to the Mama’s Kitchen Press family! NOMAD’s journey has been one of personal rebirth, filled with relocations, self-discovery, and transformation. Through these experiences, NOMAD has found that home isn’t tied to a place but to moments where one feels safe, seen, and loved. This philosophy is reflected in their upcoming book, Forged in Fire | Held in Love…, a powerful exploration of healing, community, and strength forged through both love and struggle.
Whether they’re curled up with their huskies, reconnecting with nature, or reflecting on life’s complexities through words, NOMAD writes from a place of authenticity and depth. Their poetry is more than just words on a page—it’s a call for solidarity and a celebration of personal liberation.
1. What's your name and where is home?
“I go by NOMAD the Poet because I have found through this past year of rebirth, multiple relocations and continuous self evaluation, that my home is anywhere that I feel safe, seen, heard, and a sense of belonging. These days, that seems to be sitting beside my love in the city of Burbank, next month the physical location is subject to change, probably in the city of North Glendale, but still unsure.
Update: My home is now in the center of Glendale, where I'm surrounded by trees, mourning doves, and walkable food locations :)”
2. What are you currently reading?
“I have been reading
The Alchemist (finished, a beautiful reminder to fulfill my personal glory) The Housemaid (Finished, what a ride!) Exit West (Still reading, a beautiful love story found in the middle of war and fleeing war) My Father, the Panda Killer (A beautiful story of generational trauma, healing, and understanding from a father who fled Vietnam during the war and 20 years later when his daughter returns back to his homeland with him), and I am about to start rereading Daring Greatly because it's always a good time to jump back into the arena of life.”
3. When you're not writing, what do you enjoy doing?
“Being in space at peace between the trees, cuddled beside my love and two ever shedding huskies on our bed or on the couch, in my favorite sweater (my grandfather's) and some sweats drinking some Ginger tea in dim lighting. Or more recently, driving home from a long day at work, listening to Fred Again.. feeling empowered and feeling independent.”
4. What is the name of your book and what was the motivation behind it?
“It is titled Forged in Fire | Held in Love; this was because of my personal healing journey through a brain injury, finding liberation, peace, and love after abuse and discovering what my power in my purpose felt like. This title, and the book, speak to the parts of me that life has forged through love and fire. The motivation behind it is healing, solidarity, and uplifting the community.”
5. Who inspires you the most and why?
“My mother, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou and my future child (whenever and however they choose to come into existence).
My mother inspires me because she is the walking definition of through faith with grace. I have had the privilege to witness her overcome so many challenges, losses, and redirections, while also being able to experience her deep love, faith, and encouragement. I truly believe that we choose the parents that we are given somewhere in the ether. And it took me radically choosing to heal and break bonds and patterns to realize, that the reason I am who I am and had the awareness and ability to go against the grain of self, familial, and societal expectations to heal, to write, to become who I am, is because of the mother that raised me. And I am deeply grateful and deeply honored to be on this journey with her. As I heal, she heals, and as she heals, I heal and it is such a fulfilling and difficult and worthy journey.
James Baldwin and Maya Angelou are my prose hero and inspiration because they were my first professors of black history and black prose. Their words held my soul and nurtured my mind. Their existence lit a fire in my stomach and created space for me to be, my words to be, and continue to empower me. They broke down walls so that I could walk through the empty space, to water the seeds of the next generation. Their existence showed me that we as artists are simply put on this earth with the perspective and gifts we have, to reflect what we see to our communities, and to question ideas, create spaces of healing and to change the tide.
My future child (and however and whenever they choose to come into existence) inspires me because they help me stay the course when life feels too much. I can hear their gentle whisper in my heart to love myself harder, softer, kinder, and wiser, than anyone else so that they can see what a deep love feels like. Whoever and however they are, inspire me through reminders of self care, acts of healing, and moments of peace, because as I continue to heal the relationship with my mother, I am constantly reminded that there are generational chains being broken so that the future generations can experience a different kind of love. And I work towards that goal everyday to ensure that whoever, whenever, and however this child comes to be, they will know a freer, healthier, and safe kind of love, which starts with me.”
Coming Soon
In Forged in Fire | Held in Love…, NOMAD the Poet offers readers a deeply moving collection that embraces the duality of life: love and fire, healing and hardship. Their journey is a reminder that growth often comes through challenges, and community is at the heart of that process.
We are honored to share NOMAD’s voice with the world. Stay tuned for updates on the release, and prepare to be inspired by a book that uplifts and empowers. Forged in Fire | Held in Love — a testament to the power of healing and love. 🌟