Skip to main content

Michael Jackson

Conversations with Calliope- Adolescence and Creativity

By Joseph Langen

 

 


(Pushing the Limits)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Any further thoughts on Michael Jackson?
JOE: My newsletter topic this week centers on trying to make sense of his life.
CALLIOPE: How did you do that?
JOE: I didn't exactly. Making sense of something is an intellectual task which his life defied.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: Thoughts of his creativity, childishness, and adolescent mentality swirled in my head and finally came together along with a couple quotes from his songs.
CALLIOPE: Such as?
JOE: "We are the world, we are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day." from his song, We're the Children.
CALLIOPE: It sounds like you see a parallel between creativity and adolescence.
JOE: I do. Adolescence and creativity are both experiences in testing and expanding limits, ignoring boundaries and rules and venturing into new domains.
CALLIOPE: Interesting parallel. What about the rest of his life?
JOE: Creativity inclines its owner toward experimenting with personal life sometimes with0uut considering consequences.
CALLIOPE: Not entirely a rational pursuit.
JOE: That's the nature of creativity. Talk with you tomorrow.

 

 

Conversations with Calliope- This Is It

By Joseph Langen

 
(Triboro Bridge)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good m0rning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. I was contemplating Saturday's experience.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: Carol invited me to see "This Is It", the Michael Jackson movie.
CALLIOPE: Please share the results of your contemplation.
JOE: I had a vague interest in the movie while Carol was quite anxious to see it.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: We were equally enthralled.
CALLIOPE: What captivated you?
JOE: The degree of his creative energy, much beyond what I had imagined.
CALLIOPE: Compared with whose?
JOE: Anyone else on the popular music or entertaining circuit.
CALLIOPE: What stood out the most?
JOE: Watching him craft and fine tune each detail and seeing them performed.
CALLIOPE: Sounds a bit mystical.
JOE: It was. I was trying to see how his mind worked, but it remained a mystery. Talk with you tomorrow.

 

Conversations with Calliope- Michael's Music

By Joseph Langen

 

 

(Path in the Woods)

JOE: Good Morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Where where you yesterday?
JOE: Now, now.
CALLIOPE: Well?
JOE: If you must know, I was involved in corporal works of mercy.
CALLIOPE: Such as?
JOE: Taking my son to the hospital for cataract surgery.
CALLIOPE: I guess that explains it. Did everything go okay?
JOE: It seemed to. Only time will tell, but the doctor was satisfied with how it went.
CALLIOPE: Good. My regards to your son. Did you get to do anything else yesterday?
JOE: I had planned to work on my writing but got caught up in Michael Jackson's memorial service.
CALLIOPE: I didn't know you were interested in him.
JOE: Frankly I had trouble getting past his weird lifestyle and self mutilation.
CALLIOPE: And did you finally?
JOE: I did and discovered that I like his music once I can put aside my judgment of his way of life. Talk with you tomorrow.

 

 

Authentically Local