Bringing About A World That Ought To Be | Willie Perdomo ’85

What is a key lesson from Friends that you’ve taken into adulthood?

My relationship to silence as a necessary practice.

Which one of Quaker testimonies resonates most with you?

Simplicity.

What have you been up to since graduating from Friends?

That’s a book waiting to be written, Michael. I have written four books of poetry, two children’s books, and I just placed an essay on heartbreak in Poetry magazine. I currently teach English at Phillips Exeter Academy, and I was appointed New York State Poet (2021 - 2023). I’ve been married for 25 years and have three children.

Can you describe the feelings you experienced coming back to Friends as this year's Peace Week Keynote as well as for Reunion last May?

I think of it as a cassette that was in rewind mode. I’m still trying to parse the reflection points, but there was a sense that Friends was vital to my formation and self-definition. It’s a powerful moment when a 15-year-old declares himself a poet.

Is there a particular teacher or teacher or faculty member who inspired your career path?

Ed Randolph, John Bryne (faculty), David Perez, and Ann Sullivan.

Do you recall the moment you felt in your heart that you were a poet?

April 1996. I saw my first book, Where a Nickel Costs a Dime, in the poetry section of Barnes & Noble lined up with Fernando Pessoa, Sylvia Plath, Ezra Pound, and a few other poets whose surname begins with the letter “P.”

What is one poem or book that holds a special significance to you?

Down These Means Streets by Piri Thomas and Cane by Jean Toomer will always be my touchstones.

How do you define success for yourself?

There are varying levels of success. If I rise at 5:30am, drink my lemon and turmeric concoction, do my 50-minute workout, hot shower/cold rinse, make my smoothie, and then have my cup of Bustelo while I write for 30 minutes, then I feel wildly successful by 8am and treat myself to a leisurely walk to work to prepare for my first class at 9am. Or if I hear that my book was the most stolen title from a NYPL branch, I feel like a major success. 

How do you understand the work you do now as bringing about a world that ought to be?

That’s too much pressure on the work, I think. But there’s nothing like hearing a student say, “Mr. Perdomo, I found my voice in your class. Thank you.”

Are there any upcoming projects or life events you’d like to share with us?

Not while I’m working on them. But I just wrote an essay about Thanksgiving that was accepted for publication in an anthology about food.