South Africans in Jozi and Cape Town got a chance to see Alix Olson at the Out In Africa film festival in 2007, where she talked about the documentary about her, Left Lane on the Road and performed some of her amazing poetry. If you haven't read/heard her words, you really need to. Consider that a direct order. (Over a year later, I interviewed her by email).

Obama – what does his victory mean for you?
Obama's victory initially imbued me with a renewed faith in the American public - that we have recognized how toxic these past eight years have been and how obdurate and hostile Bush's administration has been towards the wishes of the vast majority of U.S citizens. It is clear that, as a country, we have chosen to elect a semi-new pathway domestically and in terms of foreign relations. Unfortunately, my optimism and enthusiasm are dampened by Obama's recent Cabinet selections (many of them still in keeping with a less-progressive mentality than I would personally advocate/embrace) It is imperative that we anti-war, pro-civil rights and democracy passionates keep pushing forward on the path of resistance to Empirialist policy and make sure that Obama upholds his word. He still has a lot to prove.

What does it mean for queers in general?
That has yet to be demonstrated. I do know that Obama's victorious campaign owes quite a bit to queers and he, in turn, owes us a serious advocate at the federal level. It seems to me that queers are always working hard for change and pretty much always get short-changed in the end. In general, we are a passionate and arduous people and deserve so much more attention than we are rewarded.

What’s your opinion of his stance on gay marriage i.e. that he won’t condone intolerance, but as a Christian believes that marriage should equal a man and a woman?
Honestly, I think it's crap that any politician plays it safe in this regard, if in fact that is his tactic. Equal rights are equal rights. I have never been a queer citizen who focuses on gay marriage as my focal point for protest but these days I am so flabbergasted and horribly awed by the sheer madness of anti-gay voters. California (via Prop. 8) voted against gay marriage in this last election and my friends and I around the country have remonstrated significantly. Queer equality seems like the last frontier in many ways, in terms of social inequity. I can only conclude that folks who care so much about protecting their straight marriages are: 1. super insecure about their relationships 2. super gay themselves. My idea is to propose a Constitutional Amendment banning Divorce for Straights. They wanted it, they said "I Do" forever. Great. Work it out. Forever and ever. Amen.

Apart from election celebrations, what have you been up to?
Working to make sure the celebration amounts to something. I edited a book: Word Warriors: 35 Women Leaders in the Spoken Word Revolution (Seal Press, 2007) It is the first anthology of US spoken word women artists and I felt it was time to document our voices. It is currently being used in lots of university courses and I am proud and excited that spoken word poetry is being used in academic fields.

Should celebrities come out, or are they entitled to their privacy?
That's a great, and tough, question, because I adamently support individual privacy, in general. I also recognize that different people have variegated circumstances to deal with, career, family, threats, etc.. so, there is no "policy" about coming out that works for everyone. Also, sexuality/sexual preference/one's romantic life in general plays a unique role for all people in terms of their personal and/or political priority list. On the other hand, anyone with a public platform should recognize their potential to speak out, help others, set an example. I can't tell you how many young gay kids, and adults too- I hear from- from all over the world- thanking me for being out- and that makes me happy every day. I can't imagine being closeted. But, I'm really lucky in that I have a supportive family and community.

Was your 2007 visit to South Africa your first visit to Africa?
Yes, it was. And I am so grateful to the LGBT "Out in Africa" Film Festival (which showed our documentary "Left Lane") for having us come there and for making us feel so welcome.

What impressions did you take home with you?
That I want to come back! That I have so much to learn- way more than I could have possibly learned, embraced, digested in two weeks. I have travelled so much globally and what I have learned the most in that travelling is that you can get to know a few people semi-well, their opinions, and maybe some facts about the culture... but, basically, unless you spend significant time in a place, you can't say you have really been there. Also, as a "guest", people treat you very kindly, very respectfully, very warmly-- and I appreciate that tremendously-- but status as a guest is really not anywhere close to being a part of a community.

What souvenirs and stuff did you take home with you?
Oh, you know.. all of the normal tourist memorabilia, of course - lots of statues, postcards, pictures.

What memories stand out?
Late nights talking with the host womyn at the guest house, great conversations with students at Constitutional Hill, the pointed, tall gates surrounding the wealthy homes near where we stayed versus the small villages, how all matters of class, gender, sexuality surpass national borders and are truly a universal problem.

Have you had more fan mail/groupies from South Africa as a result?
I guess! Some really nice back and forth emails and discussions for sure..

You’re a damn fine poet and performer, with a damn fine ass – I’m assuming you get groupies ... what I’d love to know is, what are they like and do they give you stuff?
Well, given the innate nature of human physiology, I don't get to look at my ass often, but.. thanks! I get lots of feedback, lots of communication, lots of love, sometimes a bit of vitriol.. mostly, I feel really honored to play a part in public feminist dialogue.

Do people send you the poetry they write and if so, doesn't that drive you nuts? Wanna read my poetry? (only kidding)
Yes, I receive lots of poetry and no, it never drives me nuts. I think public figures who complain about receiving attention are nuts. My opinion is: if you don't like to engage with people and aren't prepared for feedback of all sorts (including people sending you their creative thoughts/works/ideas) then you are in the wrong field. That doesn't mean that one always has the time or the means to respond to all of the communication, but I have a low tolerance for complaining about it.

How do you cope with the communication between you and fans on social networks like Myspace and Facebook?
Keep good boundaries. Know which parts of you are public and which parts are private - in terms of what makes you comfortable, accessible, and emotionally healthy.

When you write, do you think, or do the words just happen?
I suppose it's a triad.. sometimes I write off the cuff and I think "wow, that's what was under the surface and it's exactly what I have wanted to say." Other times, I scribble my thoughts for hours and none of it is anything I would want to expose, or - more often - is anything I think is worth wasting peoples' time on.. Sometimes, I have an idea and I do a fair amount of research and write a piece in the same way I would write an expose or a paper (only, hopefully, more artistically!) Many times, I transcribe my journal. It really depends upon where I am in my life, where my brain and gut lead me after they have a conversation without letting me in on it.

Do you edit much afterwards?
That also depends. Sometimes I will write for hours and have only one line that is really the nugget of what I was getting at. I try to be meticulous because I don't like to waste words. But I still have pieces I have written where I look back and feel like "wow, I really could have spent more time narrowing in, honing in..." There is almost always a better way to say something you have said. But, part of being a writer and a performer, I suppose, is knowing when to let something go, when it is ripe enough to allow it to fly on its own and grow and nurture through other peoples' eyes.

If you could read one of your poems to the continent of Africa, which one would it be and why?
Yikes, I have no idea. I'll let you choose that one! Probably that poem has not been written yet.

Were you scared the first time you ever performed a poem?
Scared? I don't think so. Because I was performing in front of, and as part of, a really supportive community-- at the Nuyorican Poets' Cafe in NYC's lower East Side. We were all poets or poetry-philes. So, I knew that, no matter what, the idea was to support anyone who had the nerve to get on stage. That's why I always advise young, emerging, or neo-performers to find a space where they will be embraced for simply having the nerve to get up on stage. However, was I trepidatious? Insecure? Tripping over my feet as I climbed the stairs? Umm. Yup, definitely.

Do you ever get stage fright now?
Every time, albeit to a different degree now after a decade of performing. I kind of feel that when you stop having stage fright, you stop caring about your audience. Not about what they think about you or your work, I guess.. But that they know you are giving it your all, not wasting their precious time. I hope I never get to the point where I don't have some nerves.

(This interview also appeared on Queer Life)