By Daryl M.
FROM: LAPL Blog

Steven Reigns is a Los Angeles poet and educator and was appointed the first Poet Laureate of West Hollywood. Alongside over a dozen chapbooks, he has published the collections Inheritance, and Your Dead Body is My Welcome Mat.

Reigns holds a BA in Creative Writing from the University of South Florida, a Master of Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, and is a fourteen-time recipient of The Los Angeles County’s Department of Cultural Affairs’ Artist in Residency Grant. He edited My Life is Poetry, showcasing his students’ work from the first-ever autobiographical poetry workshop for LGBT seniors. Reigns has lectured and taught writing workshops around the country to LGBTQIA youth and people living with HIV. His newest collection is A Quilt for David, and he recently talked about it with Daryl Maxwell.

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What was your inspiration for A Quilt for David?

I started my research, questioning what happened in that dental office? In 1991, eight people claimed their HIV infection was due to their dentist. Was he infecting people on accident or on purpose, or were his accusers, one of them an avowed virgin, lying to cover up shameful secrets?

How long did it take you to do the necessary research and then write A Quilt for David?

It took me about ten years to research and write this book. What I noticed initially was how much homophobia permeated the press it received. There also wasn’t the use of buffering language like “claimed” or “alleged.” The information was presented to the public as fact. Family and friends of David chose to be silent, so there were no dissenting voices to combat the narrative spun by the high-powered lawyer representing the victims who wanted millions. Read Rest of Interview Here