#CreativeFiles: Writer Kahlil Haywood
Kahlil Haywood is an extremely talented writer from Brooklyn, NY. He has been featured on sites like Brooklyn Buttha, SingleBlackMale.Org and Madame Noir. As a writer, Kahlil doesn’t shy away from difficult or seemingly “touchy” topics. Check out this #CreativeFiles feature to learn more about the Brooklynite and his “No Hold barred” approach to writing.
Name: Kahlil Haywood
Age: 27
The Cool.: When did you get into writing?
Kahlil: I began to enjoy writing during high school when we were asked to write papers. I always felt that the teachers had to spend time to grade them, I wanted my paper to make it worth their time. I wanted whatever I wrote to stand out. I wanted them to laugh or maybe even provoke a thought.
My passion for writing really began in 2009 during my Junior year of undergrad. It was then that I realized the thing I did that made me feel most alive.
The Cool.: A lot of your writing is about dating and relationships. What motivates you to write about those topics?
Kahlil: My original idea for my first blog was for it to feel like I was conversing with the reader. I wanted it to feel like we were in a dorm room just talking and debating because quite frankly, that’s a form of discussion that’ll never die.
The issue topic of relationships matter to everyone. The topics never get old and there’s always a new circumstance being thrown into the mix. I enjoy writing about the nuances of men and women understanding each other because it has yet to bore me. I still get as excited about it as I did at 19.
The Cool.: Can we please get another “Negro Please” episode?
Kahlil: I loved recording The Negro Please Podcast with my good dude Lejorne. Recording regularly became a challenge along with personal goals and creative differences playing a part in things ending. I say, never say never, I think there’s a way we could do one more one day and have it come out pleasing to the both of us.
The Cool.: What’s your favorite piece you’ve penned thus far?
Kahlil: It seems that lately every new article is my favorite as my inspirations continue to vary. But there’s a few articles that are close to me. I wrote a piece in college entitled Titles vs Relationships. I later put out an edited version on singleblackmale.org called “What Do You Rather, The Title or The Relationship?” It’s my favorite article because in a way it articulated everything I wanted to tell a girl I used to date. I didn’t have the capacity to clearly say those things to her plus by the time I found the words, she had moved on.
It was important to me that the campus read it and to get their ideas on a scenario that’s still prevalent today. It’s one of the more visceral things that I’ve written. It’s one of the articles I’m personally most proud of because until that point I hadn’t gotten that personal as yet. That article was therapy during a tough time, coming to terms with the changes that were happening.
The Cool.: Whats next for Kahlil Haywood?
Kahlil: The goal is to end up working in online media with a focus is highlighting things that matter to us millennial blacks. I just want to be a part of good creation. I’d love to edit and brainstorm ideas and lend advice on writing to anyone that’s willing to listen.
Be sure to keep up with Kahlil on Twitter:@DamnPOPS and on IG:@Damnitpops
