Poetry is an artform unmatched in its ability to connect us to truth, meaning and the greater themes of life, especially during our darkest times. One man who understands this better than most is New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) junior Noah Roselli.
Roselli is a double major in Applied Mathematics and Applied Physics with a well-recognized passion for writing. Between Roselli’s heavy course load and involvement in various research projects, ranging in topic from submarine detection to database generation of street shrines in Rome to whirlpool interactions, he writes at any chance he can get. He is an Electronic Creative Writing minor and the Vice President of NJIT’s Writing Club, The Minerva. With whatever spare time he can afford, he also shares his work on his popular Instagram page @nr.poems.
Recently, Roselli released his second poetry book, “A Patchwork of Constellations.” Writing “I hope you find constellations everywhere you go” as a dedication to this collection, Roselli encapsulates his book’s themes of growth, acceptance of change and how both are achieved together. A Patchwork of Constellations is a true masterpiece, and this week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Roselli about his genius.
Below, Roselli discusses “A Patchwork of Constellations,” his publishing process and his hopes for the future, as well as offers advice for writers out there who are scared to share their work with the world.
Her Campus: In May, you released your second poetry book, “A Patchwork of Constellations.” What inspired you to write this book?
Noah Roselli: So, this is my second [book], and my first one (“Firestarters”) was heavily influenced by like fictional characters – just situations that I made up in my head. I feel like I’ve grown a lot in the past couple of years since “Firestarters” came out, and this one was much more of a love letter to myself, a love letter to the people around me, a love letter to my life and the people that are in my life. It was much more personal than the first one.
HC: Did the Covid-19 pandemic and quarantine influence you at all to write this book?
NR: I had the majority of it done before quarantine even began, but quarantine really made me sit down in front of my computer every day and look at the document that was sitting on my desktop. So, it really pushed me to finish it – like corona was really what made me get it copyrighted and things like that. So, it helped me more than it hindered me.
HC: You also decided to release merch related to the poems in your book (which is super cute, by the way). How did you come up with this idea?
NR: I follow a lot of other poets on Instagram, and one of my favorite ones – her name is Brianna Pastor – is from New Jersey. There was a coffee shop I went to once, and I saw someone wearing a shirt with writing on it, and it was beautiful. I asked the man where he got it, and he was like, my friend Brianna actually wrote it and she released her own merch. I thought that was literally so cool. So, she was what really influenced me. I said, “Why not?” It’s cool to see my words on someone’s shirt, or even just on my own shirt.
HC: Together with the book and the merch, how long would you say this project took you?
NR: I probably started writing for it when I was going into my freshman year [of college] – no, not even, during my senior year of high school, – so it’s been probably like two and a half years.
HC: You have a large following on your Instagram (@nr.poems) with 18.2K followers. How did you gain this following?
NR: Well, I am losing that following currently, but what I did to gain that following is really being active and just posting. People’s energies will reciprocate the energy that you put out. So, if you’re excited about what you’re posting and you get people excited to see your posts, then you will get people who are genuinely into what you’re putting out. I think that’s how it got up, but right now, I’m not being active, so I’m losing some of the following.
HC: Do you think your followers had an impact on your decision to write not one, but two poetry books?
NR: Oh, for sure. Every day that I wake up and I don’t write, I think that – not that I am letting down those people, – but it’s in the back of my head that I didn’t post today and they didn’t see [my work]. They inspire me to write every day. So, yeah, they definitely influenced this too.
HC: Do you have a favorite piece from “A Patchwork of Constellations,” or is every piece special to you in its own way?
NR: Every piece definitely is special to me in my own way, but one of the biggest things that happened to me this year was I actually ended up in a relationship. There’s one piece in there that’s called “Falling for You” that was inspired by my relationship, and I think that’s my favorite piece that I’ve ever written. Like it’s super personal, obviously, but it’s also just sweet, and everytime I read it, I think back to the day I wrote it, thinking about this person. So, it’s super nice.
HC: I know it’s soon to say, but do you have plans for another book in the future?
NR: Probably. I mean, I still write a lot, and I’m one that likes to see [all my work]. I’ll open a document on Google Docs or Word, and it’ll just grow. And I love to see that growth and the ability to look back and see my progress. Then it’s just cool to see, and I say to myself, yeah, I’m just going to publish it.
HC: Finally, do you have any recommendations for writers who are out there and scared to share their work with the world?
NR: I think that to anyone who is scared to share their work with the world, there is no pressure to share the work with the entire world. You can start off very small and share it with the people around you that you really trust and hold close to you. And like, I’ve gotten asked this type of question before, where it’s like, “What about people who don’t support my writing or think it’s weird?” I say that, if there’s someone out there who you are nervous to share the writing with because you think that they’ll react badly because of the fact that you write poetry, then they don’t really belong in your life. It’s something that if you’re passionate about it, then it’s something that belongs in your life, and anyone who tells you otherwise doesn’t really belong in your life. So, I’d say start off small, and build up to being able to share it with more people. Posting on Instagram is a good way to do that. You can even post anonymously.
I am super grateful that Noah Roselli took the time out of his busy schedule to discuss his work with me, especially during such tumultuous times. Hopefully, our conversation will inspire you to discover new poetry or write and share work of your own!
Purchase “A Patchwork of Constellations” here:
Blurb: https://www.blurb.com/b/10292095-a-patchwork-of-constellations
Purchase nr.poems merchandise here: