Also available as audio-only on iTunes, Spotify & wherever else you get podcasts.
How do we grow through heartbreak? On the final episode of season 2, Shalane Goss joins the clique as they dive into their feels and wade through the murky waters of accountability in relationships during ‘Threads and Lines.’ An 18 year old Sarah Kay performing on Def Poetry gets the ‘2 Piece combo’ poetry review treatment, and the clique pull unexpected gold during the #poetry Instagram poetry review. Shalane ends the show with love abounding with her ‘Five for Ya Eye’ prompted poem.
[EPISODE INDEX (VIDEO)]
- • 0:38 – “Happiness” -Shalane Goss
- 3:08 – “Threads and Lines”
- 13:56 – 2 Piece Combo | “Hands” -Sarah Kay
- 28:41 – 2 Piece Combo | @ir.rmp
- 35:09 – 5 For Your Eye
The Dope Spot Studios is a studio and living space Pen Clique family and former guest Tyrone Stokes operates in Pomona. Not only being a recording studio, it is a house that provides affordable living to artists and students requiring that they are actively participating in the art taking place around them. That is where I first met Shalane. Being a part of the Dope Spot community already offered a baseline understanding for what she was about, but I would be immediately surprised by how much of that community spirit emanates out of her. Shalane brings a wonderful vibe to wherever she is and offers love to all those sharing space with her.
We would go on to get to work, sharing a similar vision in activism and service. I believe it is every person’s duty to be of service to their community, and the more volunteer work put in, the healthier the community. The personal growth and healing that the volunteer receives is the payoff for the individual. Shalane and I would have long conversations sharing that sentiment; to be of service is personally selfish as it offers us the healing we need to navigate our own growth. She would take on a role in the poetry classes I was holding at a local homeless shelter, and would come through to the open mic we hold for the residents there, performing music that uplifted the shelter as a whole. Continuing to be a reminder to us by her example that we can make our community and ourselves better through giving and love.
Another example of this, and something I want to encourage everyone to go follow and participate in, is “The Skid Row Project” a non profit Shalane operates doing direct outreach in the homeless community. Offering food, services, and that same community and love I mentioned before to the homeless community living on the streets throughout Los Angeles. I have referred countless artists eager to help with the homelessness issue in LA to Shalane and she is always a reliable source to put them to work. Having people who facilitate service for the sake of love are invaluable resources to activists and the community as a whole. I love Shalane because she is genuine with the love she gives but I respect her immensely for creating models for love and service to grow.
Shalane has come through for me as an artist and activist, time and time again. She has brought the beautiful hip hop she makes to the house-band spot on my comedy podcast, Chubby Fat, and has given time to come help with the poetry and art classes we’re holding at the homeless shelter. Always ready to give in whatever way she can Shalane is the type of person I wanted to show the world through Pen Clique, hoping you get hit with all the love vibes that come with her and the art she makes.
Write-up & Audio Podcast by Daniel Hees
Video Podcast & Social by Kuya David
Photos by Aubrey Rowe
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Episode 21 ft. Soul Stuf
Christian “Soul Stuf” Perfas unveils deep love lessons learned through poetry during ‘Threads and Lines’ and leaves the whole clique ready to continue the adoration by giving Mic Ting 3 perfect scores during the ‘2 Piece combo’. They all reluctantly reachinto their cringey poetry past for the #poetry review before Soul Stuf hits the Clique with a perfectly formatted Contrapuntal for the ‘Five for Ya Eye’ Prompted poem.
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Off Page: August 2020
For this month’s showcase, we got THE Alyesha Wise, South Central songbird Samuel Hummingbird, Florida’s finest Blacqwildflowr, rising singer Jess Roman, activist & Pen Clique fam Roz, and the astral music vibes of Zensoul.
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Episode 13 Ft. Meccamorphosis
Baltimore poet Meccamorphosis exposes white-washing & racism within her phone’s autocorrect, with her poem, “Duck You Autocorrect.” The clique pull up Janae Johnson’s piece, “White Girl Roasting” for the first poetry review, and FINALLY find a decent IG poem reeled in from the IG #poetry ether by @tianatakespoetry. Lastly, Mecca shuts it down with all the feels during her “Five For Your Eye” prompted poem.
