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Home > writing class radio > Episode 18: Who is Jahn Dope? From H.S. Football Star to Homeless Man to the Great Philip Sylverin
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Episode 18: Who is Jahn Dope? From H.S. Football Star to Homeless Man to the Great Philip Sylverin
Category: Arts
Duration: 01:15:00
Publish Date: 2016-08-02 19:00:00
Description: This episode is about self destruction. Jahn Dope, one of the students in our class, reads his story, Dark Matter. Jahn’s story begins after he overdoses on LSD after a crazy night of drinking and drugs, then backtracks to childhood. After Jahn’s story ends, the class was left with questions. So, producers Diego and Misha met Jahn at work to get the whole story. Listeners will hear why Jahn dropped out of college and what happened next. Jahn tells us how he got deeper and deeper into drugs and eventually ended up homeless. For ten years, Jahn lived on the streets of Miami doing whatever it took to stay alive. When Andrea Askowitz, my co-host and the teacher of our class, met Jahn Dope, he was living at the Miami Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in downtown Miami. Andrea taught writing classes at the mission every Friday for two years. Jahn did not miss a class. A year and a half ago, when we started Writing Class Radio, we welcomed Jahn into our class. This is where Jahn first told this story. Recently, Jahn left the Miami Rescue Mission after working and living there for three years. Because of his affiliation with the Rescue Mission, we allowed him to use a pseudonym. Now, he is proud to use his real name: Philip Sylverin. Jahn told us that writing class was one of the main things that saved his life. In class, when Jahn wrote about the shitty things he’s had to overcome, it seemed like writing them down and sharing them with the class helped him move past Jahn Dope and on to a thriving, healthy, Phil Sylverin. Everyone who comes to class is working through something. Are you working through something in your life? If so, we want you to share your story with us. That’s the prompt for this episode. Write about what you are struggling with right now. Is it motherhood, addiction, your weight, aging? Write for 10 minutes quickly without too much thought and record what you wrote on the voice memo of your phone. Then email it to us at info@writingclassradio.com. We’d love to air your response right here on the podcast. This episode is sponsored by The Explorists, a three day weekend workshop in Napa Valley November 3-6, 2016. Our own Allison Langer will be teaching and sharing her story of going from the impossible to the possible. There will be yoga, dynamic speakers, delicious organic meals, and other healing and motivational wisdom. You can find more info at the bottom of our website or at theexplorists.com This episode is also sponsored by the Sanibel Island Writers Conference where our teacher, Andrea Askowitz is one of the many awesome teachers. Also featured: Richard Blanco, Joyce Maynard, Steve Almond, Darin Strauss, Karen Tolchin, Steven Elliot, and Sue Monk Kidd. This conference also takes place November 3-6, 2016. To register, click on the link at the bottom of our website. This episode is produced by Diego Saldana Rojas, Misha Mehrel, Andrea Askowitz and Allison Langer with editorial help from Sonesh Chainani and Wendi Adelson. Writing Class Radio is sponsored by and recorded at the University of Miami School of Communication. Theme music by Adriel Borshansky. Additional music by Ari Herstand and Monplaisir. Check out all our musicians on our website. Study the stories we study. Listen to our craft-talks. Write using one of our daily prompts. There’s no better way to understand ourselves and each other, than by writing and sharing our stories. Everyone has a story. What’s yours?
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