Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
W.o.W. #47
Kaili Y. Turner
What is the first book that made you cry?
The Autobiography of Assatta Shakur definitely. I had so many different feelings reading that book. She was a woman with a mission to help better her people like so many and was put through so much, even today, She’s a freedom fighter and I look up to her.
What period of your life do you find you write about most often?
I probably write about my upbringing most because its so full of cultures and conflict. As a Black Indian who grew up in Mashpee, Massachusetts, there was Native American tradition everywhere but I was also Black and have that background and upbringing and knowledge of the deep south, Florida, collard greens, etc., from my grandmother on my dad’s side. When I look back, it was a euphoric time riddled with chaos inner and external.
What word do you find yourself using most often in your writing?
I don’t know that I often use a specific word, maybe I should ask that in my Instagram stories. A major theme though that is in my work is it’s edgy, topical, and often a reflection of what is going on in my communities.
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
To always be true to myself, my feelings, and my goals. To take every challenge and success as they come and to celebrate the effort of both. Never be afraid to ruffle a few feathers when your speaking your truth and continue to pay it forward.
Kaili Y. Turner is a Black Indian (Nipmuc) comedian, actress, writer, producer, and puppeteer who received her MFA from the Actors Studio Drama School. Kaili’s pilot “Fk’d Up & Fabulous” is streaming on the Tenoir TV app and her play “Indian Country” was a semifinalist for the Eugene O’Neill playwrights conference. She’s also the creator of Rock the Bells Comedy, a variety show that is a platform for BIPOC comics and musicians. She was a participant of the Walt Disney/ABC Pilot Prep Program for Native Americans and a recipient of the SNL/Second City Scholarship.
Her fiery poem, “Amerikkka the Beautiful,” was included in RENASCENCE, Vol. VI, No. 1. Kaili sat with the guest editor of RENASCENCE, Taína, for a chat before its release and was kind enough to participate in Renascence: A Reading in 2021, now available on the Yellow Arrow YouTube channel.
You can find Kaili on Instagram @mdamstarlight, Facebook @kailiturner, and Twitter @kailiyturner and learn about her current projects at kailiyturner.com.