Author and poet Scott Laudati joins me to discuss his latest poetry collection, Rainbow Road. The book offers a raw, observant, and humorous look at the chaotic realities of touring the independent poetry circuit across the United States. Scott shared some of the wild experiences that inspired the work, from having a gun pulled on him by a fellow writer in Little Rock to sleeping on a sidewalk in Sioux Falls. Ultimately, the collection captures a sharp shift from the romanticized ideals of the Beat generation to a more grounded perspective on the toll of a transient, artistic lifestyle.

The conversation also tracked Scott's unconventional path, which began with high school road tours as a merchandise manager during the early 2000s pop-punk boom. After studying journalism, he dedicated himself to independent literature, developing a disciplined late-night writing process that relies on a sharp ear for authentic dialogue and meticulous editing. He also noted a unique aesthetic choice in Rainbow Road: the complete omission of page numbers to keep readers entirely focused on the text. Scott is currently preparing for a series of independent readings across the Midwest this summer. Rainbow Road is available on Amazon, and readers can connect with him on social media at @ScottLaudati.

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