Category: News

As a creative professional, I’m fascinated by how the news and culture can serve as a way to inspire creativity and examine new trends. Here I share some of my thoughts on the news and the zeitgeist.

News

What Kanye West Meant on Ellen about Bullying

I have been down on Kanye West since his narcissistic antics turned him into the mad genius who seemed to put himself on the same platform as God, but after watching Kanye on Ellen, I changed my opinion about him a bit. If you have not seen Kanye on Ellen, then I suggest you watch the 8:00 minutes of entertainment below, but if you don’t have time for that, then let me sum it up for you. Kanye went on a rant, where he started reciting Rakim and talking about everything from fashion to Mark Zuckerberg to ending bullying. Ellen sat there quietly, allowing him to continue to rant, knowing very well that the video was about to be as viral as chicken pox in a third grade classroom. What I found was that what may seem like an absurd mad lib from a man who had lost his mind actually was quite beautiful and profound, and I wanted to try to share my interpretation of something he said about bullying.

Yes, some of the other headline grabbing quotes might catch someone’s attention, but what I found interesting was that Kanye was trying to say that he called the CEO of Payless, a shoe store that is typically known for cheaper shoes. It’s clearly not where “cool” kids shop; in fact, I remember being made fun of for wearing shoes that came from Payless and not the incredibly expensive Reebok “Pumps.”

This seemingly random fact occurred during the rant about how Kanye wanted to change the world, and at first, it seemed really out-of-place. I asked myself: “Why the hell is he talking about Payless right now?” From what I understood, Kanye was trying to draw an analogy between his music and his clothing, specifically his shoes. He was setting up that his music and his shoes come from the same skill set, the same voice, and there is only one art for him that transcends all of his medium. So, the shoes and the clothing he makes should be as artistic as his music.

I don’t know anything about his clothing, and I’m not a fashion blogger, but I know he is successful and that people see Kanye as an influence. The next part is what struck me: He mentioned that he wanted to call Payless and talk to the CEO because he wanted to impart all the wisdom he learned from high fashion and apply it to the cheaper shoe store. He was saying that he wanted to end bullying though it.

Huh?

Well, clearly that seems like it’s from left field, but when you think about it, it’s not actually that bizarre. My interpretation of the Kanye rant, specifically when it comes to bullying, is that by using style and his brand to create an affordable shoe, then he’ll be putting children on an equal playing field. While it could still be lost in translation, Kanye is saying that clothing and brands can be made to equalize and eliminate differences.

So, I think there are a lot of ways to poke holes in his statement. By calling for uniformity in style, then why not just call it a uniform? If you give everyone an affordable shoe, then won’t it lose its mystique and go out of style? If you give a kid an affordable shoe with mass appeal, then won’t the differences in hats and other products still continue to create separation?

There are a lot of holes in what Kanye was saying, but I was taking him so literally. It was almost as if he was trying to figure out a way to break up social structures through style and shoes, which has often been unintentionally and intentionally used as a means of class separation. I didn’t think that he was saying that if we can just change people’s shoes then we can end bullying. But I do think he was simply saying the it’s possible to use influence and fashion in a way to make more people feel included and a part of a community, rather than excluding so many. Well, I hope he puts his money where his mouth is instead of asking Zuckerberg for his.

In the end, Kanye could be oversimplifying bullying, ignoring the psychological condition of the bully and the larger complexities, but I don’t think it’s so crazy to suggest that affordable fashion and style can create more equality in education. So I guess what I’m trying to say is before you judge Kanye’s “rant,” keep in mind that the smartest person in Shakespeare’s plays was often the fool–the clown who seemed to be saying the most off-the-wall comments but who was actually speaking with a great deal of truth.

Book Blogs, News, Writing

Mental Health and Family: New Essay at Narratively

Last week I had my essay, “How to Get Your Paranoid Mother into the Poisonous Ambulance,” published at Narratively — considered a top 50 website by Time Magazine. Besides having the capability to tell my story on such an incredible platform, I was lucky enough to have the piece accompanied by illustrations from Danielle Chenette, an animator, illustrator, and printmaker originally from Millbury, Massachusetts, living and working in Chicago. I love her illustrations, and it really helped capture the theme of Mommy Dearest, which was the editorial focus of Narratively for the week leading up to Mother’s Day.

This publication was special for many reasons, but it ultimately marked a completion of a difficult journey within my writing. If you haven’t read the piece, then let me fill you in a bit. It’s the story of when I hard to return home when my mother was off her medicine and missing in Massachusetts. She has bipolar, and for most of my life, our family has had to handle the ups and downs of the disorder. It was November, 2013, and I flew home to try to convince my mother (with the of my brother) to voluntarily head into a hospital with a higher level of care to help her find equilibrium.

Illustration by Danielle Chenette
Illustration by Danielle Chenette

Well, writing this essay — and even that above paragraph — is truly monumental for me, because it marks a major transition artistically and personally. For most of my life, I’ve kept my mother’s illness a secret, but I have often felt the need to write about it. In fact, it’s almost been a compulsion, and I’ve told versions of this story before, but I’ve never told it in the memoir form and put the stamp of truth upon the pages…until now. The story of dealing with mental illness is so important because most people keep it a secret. But why is it such a secret? Why are we so embarrassed with the imbalance of the mind? How do we tell the stories we so desperately need to tell?

But even a harder question: How do we tell those stories without hurting the people we love? That question has always stopped me from truly writing the way I needed to write. I always felt that I was going to hurt someone when I told these stories, but in the piece, I didn’t hold back. I had a wonderful editor during this process who pushed me to tell the truth in a way that was authentic and real.

In the end, I wasn’t just afraid of what my mother would think about the stories — or other members of my family — and I wasn’t afraid that people would judge my mother and think of her in a negative way. To provide a bit more insight, here is what I wrote on Facebook when I shared the story:

I almost didn’t share my essay that was published on Narratively yesterday to my personal Facebook page, because it’s a personal story and ultimately people will recognize the individuals involved…potentially judging them negatively. So I asked my brother what he thought (since he is in the story), and he pointed out that hopefully more good will come from sharing it than bad. Well, I hope that’s the case. Mental health shouldn’t be something we hide and ignore. I hope it’s something we can embrace while learning to empathize with the individuals who are suffering.

Illustration by Danielle Chenette
Illustration by Danielle Chenette

Only one person (at least that I’m aware of) criticized me for sharing this story, and this person was actual a member of my family. I don’t really talk to her anymore because of her attitude toward mental health, but she wrote on the Facebook post with the intention of shaming me for sharing a story about my family that she deemed personal. But there were so many other people who wrote to me either on the Facebook post or through a private message expressing how much they valued my courage in sharing the story. In fact, someone I greatly respect wrote: “Silence killed my mom. Thanks for sharing, Joseph Lapin.” So I just wanted to say thank you to all the people who read the piece without judgement and with compassion. It means the world.

Why is mental illness still such a stigma? Why are we scared to share that our minds can become just as sick as our lungs or our cells? I’m not entirely sure yet, but I’m suddenly more confident than ever to tell my stories. Hopefully I’ll find a way to answer some of the above questions along the way.

News

The Working Poet Radio Show Returns to Miami

If you’ve been following this blog, then you probably know about The Working Poet Radio Show — a podcast and talk show dedicated to the working lives of creative people. I’ve taken a break from the project for a few months to focus on work and my own creative writing, but I restarted WPRS again thanks to The Center for Writing and Literature at Miami Dade College, and we’re back with our first live show that will take place in my home away from home — Miami, Florida.

About a month ago, I received an email from Marci Cancio-Bello, a program coordinator at The Center, the editor of Print-Orientated Bastards, a poet, and a good friend. She had an idea about bringing WPRS to Miami for National Poetry Month, and she was able to make this a reality.

On Friday, April 17th, WPRS will return for one night to put on a show in Wynwood for National Poetry Month. Our guests, so far, are MacArthur Genius poet Campbell McGrath and Pulitzer Prize winning Miami Herald photojournalist Carl Juste.

Our musical guests will be the fantastic Raffa and Rainer. When I was in Miami as a graduate student, I remember listening to them at events and just being floored with the way they could captivate a room.

WPRS will be produced by Marci Cancio-Bello, and I’m so grateful to have her and The Center as part of the team. If you have any questions about the event — or how you can be involved with WPRS — leave a comment below.

Make sure you check out O, Miami, before WPRS on Friday night. There will be a special release party for Jai-Lai Magazine. I’ll have more information on this event soon, too.

News

Newest Episode of The Working Poet Radio Show with Michael Semanchik

Below you will find a podcast that dives deep into an unsolved murder trial, explores how lawyers are creatives, and riffs on beer and Brian Williams. Let me explain. If you’ve been following this blog, then you’re probably aware that I recently moved to San Diego from Los Angeles. While I was living in Los Angeles, I started a great project called The Working Poet Radio Show, which explores the working lives of creative people. This project has been on hold over the last few months, but we’re having some rumblings about taking the project to Miami for a live show in April, and I’ve decided to revive the podcast…in a smaller capacity.

For this episode of WPRS, I interviewed Michael Semanchik of the California Innocence Project. He wrote a great blog post on Brian Williams, which looked at the complications of memory and how that applies to expert witnesses and his larger work with the Innocence Project, and I wanted to sit down and talk to him more about his work and how is role can be creative. We ended up discussing everything from DNA to a murder case that takes place in the rural parts of San Bernardino. Plus, in the third section of the podcast, we talked about beer and Brian Williams during the “True and False” portion of the show, and we were joined by special guest Robert Lee of Circa Interactive. Take a listen below or on WPRS.

News

Instant Reaction from Patriots Super Bowl Victory

I can not believe what just happened. My heart is racing, and I’m still wearing the same Tom Brady jersey that I’ve been sporting all season. My wife is thrilled that I’ll finally wash the smelly thing. My dad and brother are at the Cask n’ Flagon just outside of Fenway Park, screaming and yelling with thousands of other Massholes. Somewhere Richard Sherman is crying over a bowl of Campbell’s chunky soup that his mom brought to him from a helicopter. My cowboys’ fan friend, Dan Stroud, is taking off his Seahawks jersey and wondering why he is such a fair weather fan and when the Cowboy will make the Super Bowl. (Never again!) Gronkowski is already dancing. Brady and Belichick are probably having a staring contest and then hugging after someone loses. Patriots nation is in utter pandamonium. And I’m just sitting here, completely amazed that an undrafted free agent from the University of West Alabama made the play of his life after he had a vision that he would play a part in one of the biggest moment in SB49. This is a Super Bowl that will go down in history, and because blogs are so much about the moment — almost artifacts of cultural consciousness — I wanted to share some of my rapid reactions.

Pete Carroll’s Goal-line Call

For the rest of Pete Carroll’s career, he will be questioned and lambasted for his decision to pass on 2nd and goal instead of running Beast Mode up the the middle. It’s a silly call, and it probably cost the Seahawks the game, but after hearing what Carroll had to say about the decision puts the strategy in perspective. According to Carroll, the Patriots were in their goal-line defense, and the Seahawks had three wide receives on the field. In that formation, it makes sense to catch the Patriots off guard and pass for what would be an easy touchdown. Unfortunately for Pete and the 12, Malcolm Butler just made the play of his life, and he will always be remembered in Massachusetts and New England as long as American life exists.

Bill Belichick’s No Call

While Pete Carroll will forever be associated with his terrible call in the fourth quarter, I have a feeling that Bill Belichick will not receive the respect he deserves for his no call in that goal-line situation. After Lynch ran for a couple of yards on first down, the clock was ticking down, and I couldn’t believe that the hoodie wasn’t calling a time out to ensure that Brady had enough seconds to score a touchdown or at least set up a field goal. However, he didn’t call a time out. I was screaming at the television for him to call a time out, but he didn’t. He just left his players on the field. I actually think this was a legendary decision. By not calling the time out, which I’m sure the Seahawks were expecting, it caused indecision on the Seahawks sideline. They eventually called the play that would lead to the biggest interception of the game. At the end of the game, the hoodie said the Seahawk’s decision to pass didn’t surprise him. Could he really be that smart in that situation? He does always preach situational football.

Malcolm Butler is a Football Prophet

I’m so thankful that we’re talking about Malcolm Butler’s incredible interception on the one-yard line instead of Jermaine Kearse’s freakish catch. Butler’s interception was about preparation. In the post game, Butler mentioned that he had seen that play in film study before, and he read the play and reacted. That’s one thing about the Patriots that is often overlooked: They study harder than any team in the NFL. Butler said that he had a vision of a similar play, and this just goes to put more value in the idea of visualization in sports. He saw what he needed and followed through. What’s the most unbelievable part of Malcolm Butler’s journey is that he was an undrafted free agent. He turned heads on the practice field in the preseason, and he was recognized by the coach. That’s what I love about the Patriots: It doesn’t matter what your name is, it doesn’t matter where you were drafted, it only matters how you play.

Richard Sherman’s Face

The only reason I hate Richard Sherman is because he’s not on my team. If he was on my side, I would love him. I would love his swagger. I would love his skill. I would love his stupid commercials and his need for attention. But because he’s not on my team, I only have one question for you Richard:  Screenshot 2015-02-01 20.48.38

In the end, this is one of the best games I’ve seen as a football fan. Just take a look at the difference in these two reactions. Congrats Patriots Nation. Now enough about football for a while. Back to writing a novel.