Strength To Be Human --Global Arts & Affairs Podcast, Hosted by Mark Antony Rossi

S2 E153: The Performance of Spoken Word

In this episode we briefly examine the good and bad of spoken word poetry. 
Light Side -- test run one's material before an audience
Dark Side -- forget about print and then get forgotten -- yourself
Notes:  post-covid world might have less eating establishments, no movie theatres and folks less willing to be community-oriented, spoken word might need to learn to adapt to a new reality

S2 E152: An Afternoon With Michel Weatherall

In our 2nd conversation I speak with Canada's, Michel Weatherall, novelist, poet and publisher about his projects, his press, his marketing and his interesting take on anthologies and promoting literary projects in the age of Covid.

S2 E151: Identity, Integrity and Creative Cohesion in the Arts

In the final episode for September 2020 we delve into the meat and marrow of what constitutes identity, how it is lost, how it is gained, how it is maintained and how large a role it plays in the creative life of an artist.

S2 E150: Keeping a Journal, Jiving a Memory

STBH brings another facet of creativity by encouraging the practice of journaling. In this episode we cover:
 
1. Informal Journaling (collected note-taking)
2. Formal Journaling (in actual journal with extensive commentary)
3. Notes on Notes

S2 E149: Toying With Tangents -- Fantasy in Writing

The last in the series takes us to Fantasy, in this episode we will talk about some of the greats and classics in fantasy novelization:
 
JRR Tolkien -- The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings
C.S. Lewis -- Chronicles of Narnia
Ursula K. Le Guin --- Tales of Earthsea, The Left Hand of Darkness
 
 

S2 E148: The Dark Side of Guilt, Pride and Perfection in the Art World

By outlining and speaking to some of the major contributing factors to a writer's creative funk we seek to lessen the negative impact and therefore help restore productivity and a sense of belonging once more.
 
Guilt -- parental, martial, sexual, racial
 
Pride -- the insistence of living off resume, geography or culture instead of hard work and good faith. This path often steers towards arrogance.
 
Perfection:  really more of a fantasy that insists on control but actually becomes less secure and more paranoid. 

S2 E147: Navigating World Travel in Literary Writing

How much is too much of a subject matter for writing? Well, you guessed it, traveling and trying to incorporate the experience can be a test of writing skills or of one of patience.  In this show we cover three subtopics:
1. Shading: travel locale sprinkling through writing
2. Detail: Full blown detail oriented writing on a event, locale, geography etc, that merits more substance.
3. Overblown: when we attempt to fill all we write with foreign names, locales, events, cute phrase, unknown sayings and start losing focus on the writing and disconnecting from the reader.

S2 E146: How Evil Words Reduce Civil Behavior

In perhaps one of the most controversial of podcasts on word usage we delve deeply into hateful words that have no place in our writing or lives.
Gender --- B-word
Sexuality -- lesbian --- lesbo, dyke
                   gay --- fairy, queer, faggot, homo, pansy, sissy
                  transgender -- tranny, he/she
Disability --- retard, gimp
Race -- N-Word
            intro -- evil word should not be used by anyone
           n-word rap music, authentic theories, taking back word theories
           mark twain, dick gregory, luke cage, remember the titans, atlanta
 

S2 E145: The Value of Creative Writing Coaches & Courses

Lately this form of creative instruction, due to Covid, has migrated more than ever to online, Skype and even Zoom. Less in class personal instruction is taking place but in this episode I will address both Coaches & Courses.
Pros & Cons (individually & comparison modeling)
seeking references, understanding impact of assignments
creative goals, writing exercises and "homework"
Managing Expectations --
What is self awareness, self definition and self instruction
 

S2 E144: Classic Spotlight Series -- Thoughts on Charles Bukowski

More listeners have requested a show on Bukowski than any other literary figure in history. Even Poe. In this extended episode of plus ninety minutes I will explore in an artistic manner what Bukowski was as a person, a persona, a writer and possibly a philosopher. It should reveal some new facts, new viewpoints and help demystify a seemingly dysfunctional countercultural icon and celebrity.