Ana María Caballero is a Colombian-American poet and artist. Her writing challenges conventions around motherhood and sacrifice, winning prestigious awards such as the Beverly International Prize and Colombia’s José Manuel Arango National Poetry Prize. In 2024, she made history as the first living poet to sell a poem at Sotheby’s, solidifying her legacy as a pioneering figure in contemporary art. She also co-founded theVERSEverse, a literary NFT gallery onboarding writers to web3.

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In today’s episode, we discuss:

Early Writing and Blogging (00:01:29) Ana Maria shares her early experiences with writing, starting in middle school and launching a blog to publish her writing and thoughts.

Education and Professional Experiences (00:04:51) Ana Maria discusses her studies in romance studies at Harvard, her thesis, and her various professional experiences in communications-related jobs.

Transition to Full-time Writing (00:07:06) Ana Maria talks about focusing on writing full-time after the birth of her son and the unexpected success of her book of poems.

Discovery of Blockchain and NFTs (00:12:27) Ana Maria shares her journey of discovering blockchain and NFTs, her motivations for digitizing her poems, and her participation in on-chain poetry collections.

Building an Audience and Community (00:16:44) Ana Maria discusses her strong belief in supporting poets, her dedication to her mission, and the importance of hard work and community building in the digital art space.

Impact of Blockchain and NFTs (00:24:22) Ana Maria reflects on the value of the technology aspect of NFTs and blockchain in providing authentication, recognition, and the need for effort in building an online presence.

The digital poem auction (00:27:26) Ana Maria's experience with the Sotheby's auction of her digital poem, "Cord," and its significance in the contemporary art scene.

The literary potential of blockchain (00:35:40) Ana Maria's discussion of the literary potential of blockchain, including her involvement in Bright Moments Buenos Aires and the creation of "Paperwork," a collection representing the digital and physical materiality of poetry.

Writing discipline and process (00:40:58) Ana Maria's approach to writing, including the discipline, editing, and authoring process, and her experience finding inspiration in daily life.

Collaboration and new collection (00:44:02) Ana Maria's collaboration with artist Melissa Wiederrecht and the upcoming collection "Miss Metaverse," exploring the representation of self in the digital space and the labor involved in creating an online presence.

Mentioned: theVERSEverse, Harvard, Sothebys, Bright Moments, Art Blocks, Melissa Wiederrecht, CORD, Paperwork, Gazell, Art Dubai, Alida Sun, Sarah Ridgley, Jonas Lund, Auriea Harvey, Mieke Marple, Sara Ludy.

Until next time,

- Kaloh

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