As much as some critics like to claim poetry as a dead art form, it still resides and thrives in hearts of some Sacramento art-lovers.  While general readership in America might be down, the production of new poetry is at a definite high.

For published poet and Sacramento State student Gary Aleks, poetry is a way to express himself and his ideas in a new and challenging way.

“It’s kind of like a way of cleansing my thoughts,” Aleks said. “I write in a way that my readers can never misunderstand me. It’s not just some journal you’re keeping, or some memories to reflect on. It’s more of how do I want my readers to see me.”

Aleks and his two older siblings emigrated from his home country of Armenia to Los Angeles with his mother when he was two. His father moved the following year after serving in the army.

Aleks, 22, transferred to Sac State this fall semester after receiving his associate of arts degree in philosophy from the College of the Canyons, located just north of Los Angeles. 

“When I was 14, I read a lot of Shakespeare. He was my first big poetry influence,” Aleks said. “And I started writing at 14, but I really didn’t take it seriously until I was 18 or 17.”

It was at that time Aleks began working on his now-published poetry collection, “Poetry In Motion”. Aleks spent a solid year writing poems for his book and then spent the following year editing, designing, and formatting.

The collection was published in November of 2013 and has since received praising reviews.

 “The benefits of poetry is to learn to avoid the cliches of perceptions,” said Sac State English professor Joshua McKinney, who teaches several poetry courses. “It is to pay attention and see the world the way it is: marvelous and strange. Some things that people often forget.”

The topics covered in “Poetry In Motion” range greatly, from political poems to more personal poems. In Aleks’ terms, he writes about life and all the things associated with life.

“One thing I’ve learned to do is to not force anything when you write,” Aleks said. “If you write, and if you write often, then it’ll come to you.”

Aleks admitted that he had times where his productivity fluctuated, but that it all was just part of the process.

“There have been days where I’ve written five poems in one day because I had so much thought. And there’s been two months where I just had nothing to write. I just couldn’t,” Aleks said.

Being known as far sillier than the usual mental-image of a poet, some of Aleks’ friends found his work surprising.

But once the surprise wore off, Aleks said his friends were very supportive of his poetry. He also found similar support through his mother, who he regards as one of his strongest and most influential sources of creativity.

“I guess she would be my consult,” Aleks said. “She definitely had a major influence on my stuff. Me and my mom have seen a lot in life. But, uh, that’s what keeps you close, you know?”

Aleks also cites the works of Lord Byron and Emily Dickinson as favorites and where he found inspiration for his poems’ structure and formats.

“In Aleks’, I have found a young talented poet with superb classical sensibilities: a rare treat indeed,” wrote Scott Edinson, a friend of Aleks, in “Poetry In Motion”’s foreword. “… Aleks offers a veritable pallete of rich and carefully crafted poems, lush in a choice of subjects, all with a timeless quality. It is like great music, wonderful food or fine art.”

Poetry writing has recently found new footing on university campuses and in the academic world, despite general readership being considerably low in America.

“Outside the academy, very few people are able to hold a conversation about poetry,” McKinney said. “This is not the case in some countries – there are places where you can get into a taxi and have a detailed conversation with the driver about poetry. That’s not common in America, for reasons that are complicated and varied.”

However, McKinney maintained that poetry is more prevalent today than it has ever been, in terms of how much is actually being written.

Aleks is in the process of publishing his sophomore poetry collection, titled “The Red Room”. He finds things like deadlines and designing are going smoother the second time around.

He is planning to continue pursuing philosophy at Sac State, and intends to return to Los Angeles after graduating to acquire his master’s and doctorate. 

And while Aleks’ current career goal is to go into higher education teaching, he doesn’t see himself abandoning poetry in the future.

“I don’t think it’s something I’m going to grow out of,” Aleks said. “I’ll stick with it. I’ll still write, no matter how old I am.”

“Poetry In Motion” is available for purchase from Amazon in paperback and digital format, and from Barnes & Noble in paperback, hardcover, and digital.

Aleks’ second book, “The Red Room” is scheduled to be published in 2015. 

Aleks’ parting advice for aspiring poets or authors: “You can do something to make a lot of money or you can do something just because people want you to, but if you don’t really enjoy it- as cliche as this sounds- then one day you’re just going to say forget it, forget this. If you don’t like your work, if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, then it’ll be a challenge.”