I recently had the chance to sit down with NYC Poet Ryan Buynak. As an author, Ryan has been published in a number of literary magazines throughout the country, in addition to being the author of the two influential collections; Enjoy The Regrets (Three Rooms Press, 2008) and Yo Quiero Mas Sangre (Three Rooms Press, 2009).  This young literary genius has also taken Berlin by storm, completely overshadowing David Hassellhoff who was unavailable for comment.  Personally, I akin Ryan Buynak to being pretty much like the John Lennon of the 2000′s.

So, when did you start writing poetry?
Poetry crept up on me like a hurricane sometime in college. I like to think that It chose me.

Most folks think of poetry as being something like roses are red and violets are blue, but your poetry appears to be for people who don’t know shit about poetry. Explain.
My poetry is for every one. Mailmen and murderers. Sluts and Floridians. Let’s put it this way, my poetry is not in your average high school syllabi. This is rock n roll poetry. Kick you in the face poetry. Anti Poetry.

What was your first published poem about?
That first poem is titled “With Thrills Cheap and Love Divine” and it’s about what every poem ever is about: Love, Life, and Death.

In your first collection, Enjoy the Regrets (Three Rooms Press, 2008), you infuse modern concepts with age old wisdom, reflecting back while simultaneously projecting forward, teetering on the brink of madness, daring to shine light on past and current events and their impact on societal constraints.  What the fuck?
I was young and drunk.

You’ve been referred to as the Patriot of Parthenogenesis… is that some kind of biblical reference?
Yes.

In your second anthology, Yo Quiero Mas Sangre (Three Rooms Press, 2009) you traverse the country in search of purpose in an age of modern excess.  Now, I don’t speak Spanish or anything, but wouldn’t email and a SKYPE account have been way more cost effective? I mean did you drive the whole way? Hello, gas?
Me encanta viajar. Y visitar diferentes guetos y supermercados. Y provocar con palabras. La mayor parte de mi viaje ha sido en tren o en zancos.

You also have a blog called Coyote Blood.  How did that all get started?  Are coyotes your favorite animals?
They are like my third favorite. I had to kill a coyote with my bare hands one time. I’m just kidding. Coyote Blood is the umbrella brand, the movement. We have a band and a clothing company and lots of artists and poets. The blog is a mixture of all these things. I started the blog years ago to get the words out there, but I also talk about music and art and other shit. The name is a metaphor. Coyotes are survivors. They are scavenging in Central Park and stealing Jessica Simpson’s puppy. They never give up until they are dead.

Who would you say is your greatest influence, and why?
Charles Bukowski and Frank O’Hara. They taught me, in their own unique ways, that anything is possible and that there are no rules in this river. Also, Breece Pancake is a huge influence. He is the best short story writer no one has ever heard of.

Never heard of them. As a poet, I’m going to assume you dabble in musical prose?  Who is your favorite band or musical artist(s)?
Fuck, this is the toughest question of my generation! Devendra Banhart, Kings of Leon, Pearl Jam, Bob Dylan, Wu-Tang Clan, Operation Ivy, Taylor Swift, The Glorious Veins, to name a few.

They’re OK I guess.  Ok, so I read on your website that you tour the city doing live poetry readings?  If someone lived in New York and wanted to come check you out, where would they go and when?
There is a great grassroots-type poetry movement happening in NYC right now. It is fucking great. You can find poetry readings almost every night of the week here. You can find me some Fridays at a place called Cornelia Street Café and some Sundays at a place called Bar 13. Just keep checking the website and blog for upcoming shows.

Are you currently working on anything else?
Of course. The second installment of the Random Acts Trilogy. I am so pumped about this next book. We are shopping publishers right now. It is called “ The Ghost of The Wooden Squid: Random Acts of Poetry by Ryan Buynak”. It is going to bring poetry back from the dead.

Cool.  Well, thanks for taking the time to talk to me Ryan, do you have any further words of wisdom for the Better Than The Van crowd?
Don’t give up and don’t go to hell.

Awesome. Thanks for taking the time to talk with me Ryan. Good luck to you, and here’s to your continued success.

Ryan Buynak’s most recent collection Yo Quiero Mas Sangre can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Strand NYC.  His blog Coyote Blood can be found at http://coyoteblood.blogspot.com/.