NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — There are certain people who are such gifted storytellers. It's just a joy to sit and listen to them talk. North Nashville has one of those people, and he's getting a whole new level of recognition.
A poet, James C. Floyd Jr. shares memories of the place where he grew up and the people he knew. His storytelling has given him a title.
"The Jefferson Street Poet," James said, speaking inside Kingdom Cafe and Grill. "When I think of Jefferson Street, I think of a part of the psyche of the Black experience."
As a child, he had a paper route through a neighborhood not yet disturbed by the creation of the interstate.
"The Club Baron, you could see James Brown, Jackie Wilson, all for $3 or $4," he remembered.
James grew up accompanied by the greatest Christmas present he ever received: an ink pen.
"To me, writing has always been sacred," James said. "When I was writing and the black ink was going across the page, there was something very special."
His poetry is informed by hard moments in his past. There was his battle with alcoholism and his 1973 arrest for his involvement in a bank robbery.
"At that time, I had no hope whatsoever, and I didn't care," said James. "I just didn't think I was going to get out. I wrote and wrote and wrote. It was definitely my saving grace. When I was writing, I was free. It was like not being in prison. It was almost magic."
James' life has changed so much. He's published books of poetry and taught creative writing at Nashville State Community College.
Perhaps this moment in his life is bringing the greatest honors of all. Photographer Mark McEvoy is creating a documentary on James' life, while Mark and James have collaborated on the book Random Impulses now available to order. Metro Nashville has also given James a proclamation as the Jefferson Street Poet.
"The experiences I've had have shaped and molded me," James said. "The fire has molded me, an ex-convict homeless junkie to a college teacher and author. I don't take anything for granted now. Right now, for me, it seems almost surreal. Things are happening that I wouldn't have had the nerve to pray for."
For more on the book Random Impulses, visit here.
