SpotLight - Keith (Vision_of_insanity)

      Welcome back to SpotLight, I’m Damian DeadLove. Got another great episode tonight, that I hope you’ll enjoy. This interview segment is meant for the DU community, as a way to get to know about the poet/poetess behind the writes.

      Our guest tonight is a poet who calls, New York, home. He’s been a member here since January of 2024. So a year and change, folks.

      He’s a gifted poet and storyteller with some facts sprinkled in for good measure. He also knows what great music is, which gets you high marks in my book.

      You all know him as, Vision_of_insanity, (or Keith). I call him by the latter. Round of applause for, Keith.

      First off, Keith. Thanks for doing the show my friend. Really means a lot to me, you’ve been so supportive of my work, and presence here. And I appreciate you.

       (You're an amazing writer Damian. Clever, informative and philosophical)

      I have a two curse minimum on this show, I only bring that up because putting Keith and I together could make for some cursing. lol. We may break records here, folks.

      (HA! I'll try my friend and keep it at minimum. Maybe I'll act my age...Doubt it)

      I tried to do my homework, but it would appear that you skipped over this section. All I got was, “Who cares. No idea, and figure it out.”

      (We live in a world today where everyone knows everything about someone. Our lives are not as discreet and private as they once were) (I'm not a person to put it all out there for strangers to know about me. They want an idea on who I' am, read my poems/stories and maybe they'll be some clues.) (If people want to talk and get to know me, then they can send an e-mail to me. I'll be more than happy to have a conversation with them)

      Which could be paraphrased to something like this: “Just fucking read the poems, and all will become crystal fucking clear.” lol.

      (Exactly!) (Damian..You dropped two "F" bombs before me! NICE!!) (As I mentioned in your last question, read my stories and if you like em...Great. If you don't great, but Fuck OFF! Don't come around here no more. People here on DUP want recognition of their work. We all believe we have a talent in constructing poetry or stories or spoken word performances etc..We have a message, a passion to express ourselves through words. The last thing someone wants here is for a DUP member to read your poem and not even acknowledge they read it. That pisses me off! In many cases you may have in one day 25-50 views. But your poem only received 5-10 people commenting. That's not cool. Kind of disrespectful. These are probably the same people that don't acknowledge someone reading their poetry and never reply with a "Thank you" or "I appreciate you". That's rude and inconsiderate. If I like the poet, then I will try my hardest to read all of their new poems and comment. Even if I don't care for the topic or if I have no idea what the fuck it's about. I don't care. It's to give them recognition and praise. Not everyone on planet earth can do what were doing. We all come from different backgrounds and we all are inspired by different people. Our work is going to come out different. Unique. Original.)

      I had to set the tone with the “F” bombs. lol. See, you followed suit. Perfect. lol

      Question 1: Who are your influences, and how have they inspired your writing style?

      OH FUCK! I knew this question was going to come about) (Vision_of_Insanity has many many influences. I'm going to break this down in different categories. This isn't everyone listed below)

Writers/Poets-  Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, William S. Burroughs, Edward Gorey, Henry Miller, Rod Serling, Richard Matheson

Lyricists- Mike Patton, Jello Biafra, Tesco Vee, Neil Fallon, Frank Zappa, Jeff Wood, Martin Walkyier, Mark Greenway, Billy Milano, Killjoy, Glen Danzig, GG Allin, Henry Rollins, Eric Burden, Jim Morrison, Syd Barret, Johnny Rotten, Chuck D, Ice-T

Musician's/Bands- Raymond Scott, Carl Stalling, The Standells, The Music Machine, The Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Chocolate Watchband, The Velvet Underground, The 13th Floor Elevators, Vanilla Fudge, Blue Cheer, Iron Butterfly, Dick Dale, The Aardvarks, The Ventures, The Beatles, The Kinks, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Frank Lowe, Herbie Hancock, Passport, Weather Report, Return to Forever, King Crimson, Hawkwind, Eloy, Kraftwerk, Amon Duul, Banco, Le Orme, Atoll, Ange, Genesis (early), Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, The Ramones, Sweet, Ted Nugent, Starz, The Sex Pistols, The Damned, Discharge, Killing Joke, The Cramps, The Misfits, Celtic Frost, The Dead Kennedy's, Black Flag, The Descendants, The Melvins, Helmet, Atheist, Death, The Butthole Surfers, Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, Merzbow, Prurient, Deathpile, Darkthrone, Enslaved, Windir, Amorphis, Impaled Nazarene, Slayer, Napalm Death, Zen Guerrilla, Deicide, John Zorn, Painkiller, Naked City, Cannibal Corpse, Gorefest, Pestilence, Sepultura, Nirvana, GWAR, INXS, Devo, The Human League, Flock of Seagulls, Secret Chiefs 3, New Model Army, RD Burman, Pentagram, Tangerine Dream, The Obsessed, The Mummies, Fu Manchu, Bible Launcher, The Mentors, Zombi, Steve Moore and The Sugarcubes to name a few..

      Cartoons & TV- Betty Boop, Popeye, Tom & Jerry, Droopy, (anything by Tex Avery), Ren & Stimpy, Beavis & Butthead, South Park, The Twilight Zone, I Love Lucy, I Dream of Jeannie, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Thriller, One Step Beyond, Journey Into The Unknown, Circle of Fear, Tales of the Unexplained, All In The Family, Sanford & Son, The Jeffersons, Tales From the Crypt, Workaholics, Tosh.O, Chappelle Show, The Three Stooges, Laurel & Hardy and wrestling from the 1950's into the early 2000's.

Directors- John Cassavetes, Jean Luc Goddard, Jack Smith, Ken Jacobs, George Romero, Stanley Kubrick, Fritz Lang, Hershel Gordon Lewis, Russ Meyer, Ed Wood, Martin Scorsese, Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter, Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, David Cronenberg, Abel Ferrara, Umberto Lenzi, Kenji Misumi, William Lustig, William Friedkin, Tom Browning, Mario Bava, Jorg Buttgereit, Ruggero Deodato, Oliver Stone, Jordan Peel, David Lynch, John Waters, Ken Burns, Alfred Hitchcock, Francis Ford Coppola, John Huston, Joel Coen, Charlie Chaplin, Roman Polanski, Sam Peckinpah, Buster Keaton, and a shit ton more. Check these directors out, you'll love their films)

      My friend, that is a very precise answer. Sounds like something I’d say or write. In fact it may qualify as, “Doing A Damian.” Maybe, Fia, will let us know in the comments. Since she coined the phrase, she’s qualified to make a ruling here.

      (Well if she coined this phrase, I'm going to tell her that it reminds me of a title kids would use to define the latest dance craze. Something you would hear during the 1950's-1960's. Maybe the appropriate term should be "Doing the Damian!!")

      The thing about making a list like you just did is you’re always going to forget somebody. It’s a fucking fact, a function of human nature. I can guarantee it, my friend. We share quite a few in common on that list though.

      I should leave it alone, because it’s like opening “Pandora's Box.” with a list of that magnitude. But there are two things on your list I don’t see. Overkill & Quentin Tarantino? I had too. lol.

      (Any Thrash band like Overkill, Suicidal Tendencies, Exodus, Anthrax, Forbidden, Death Angel, Dark Angel are highly respected by me. As for Quentin Tarantino; you're right. He should be on my list. Who doesn't like Reservoir Dogs or Dusk Till Dawn!)

       Question 2: Every writer has a sweet spot, where they know they can bring it. Where the subject matter just comes natural. Mine is observational writes. I’m terrible at love and erotic ink. Just am, it’s not my comfort zone. My question is what do you consider your sweet spot, and where do you second guess yourself as a writer?

      (Great question Damian. I would say that my strengths lie within anything that deals with human suffering. I enjoy writing observational pieces from a fictional perspective. What I mean is, many of my writes deal with tragedy, or social or economic woes that could be any reality for any of us given the circumstances. The only difference is I'm not usually involved with these stories. I'm out of the equation and I look at it to give the reader a stark, realism that is raw, violent, sexually deviant, with disturbing subject matter. I will push the boundaries as much as I want and will continue to do so. When a few of my fellow writers (friends here on DUP) don't read my writes, I know that there either poorly executed or they were too disturbing. Either way, whatever. At this point, I'm not going to care. Also, many of my stories deal with sarcasm, off the wall topics, irrelevant to most. I'll touch on metaphors, philosophical, tributes, nature, admiration, love, non-fiction and stories about myself. Though rare, I do have a few poems out there about myself. If I have a passion about something I will write a non-fiction piece. I've done a few on i-phones, technology, corporations, the environment, vaccines, pharmaceutical industry, eating & being healthy and my youth. Many of these are a little more involved where I need to make sure my facts are accurate. Don't wanna sound like a jack-ass giving the wrong insight.)

(Poems that I'm terrible at are Shakespearean Poetry. Anything dealing with language we don't use to converse with. Some can create this lovely, delicate piece of art with the use of metaphors that the reader needs to unlock and figure out. No fucking thank you! I don't have the time or knowhow to write one or make sense of it. Some other styles I'm weak at are spiritual poetry, innocent romance, heartfelt, emotional writes that grab the reader and make them cry. I don't find much interest in them to write. Do I enjoy reading them, sure. I'm friendly with many here that are amazing writers. People that can pour their heart out and create beautiful sayings. It's a talent. I don't want to say that I can't do it, I just don't have the want or desire to do it. )
At this point I've tried Rhymed Poems, Free Verse, Narrative, Haiku/Senryu, Paradelle, Sonnet, Ode, Limerick, Lyric, Cinquain and Villanelle. Whether I did them correctly is another story.)

      I always wondered how you felt about the commenting situation. I mean this in a good way, you take chances, you push the envelope. I respect the hell out of that, you say things I wouldn’t dare say sometimes.

      (Thanks my friend.) (I hate censorship! Should 8 year olds read some of my writes or watch gore or porn, absolutely not! Place a warning or make someone aware that this isn't for a minor to read or view. Simple! But this isn't 1985. It's 2025 and every little kid has access to the world. Plus, parents of today are not parents of the past. We allow our kids to have all this freedom on their phones, but we won't allow them to go outside and play with children a few blocks away!! Parents today as well as most of this society are self-centered, paranoid scum. Why do you think kids are diagnosed with stress & anxiety in grade school and on all these anti-depressant meds?. It's the parents, it's the smartphone addiction, it's not getting out there, conversing, being imaginative and not enhancing their motor skills. Most kids are all introverts. I'm not saying it's all kids but it's more then you know. There all hardwired to a fucking smartphone every second of their lives. Truthfully Damian it makes me sick! I can rant about this all day. I said enough.)

      But that’s what makes you who you are, brother. And it also seems you know you could run the risk of turning comments away. There are a couple of times I didn’t leave a comment on something you wrote, however I did leave a like on those. lol.

      (I don't care! I love comments but I love what I create more then the comments. I'm making zero money on this. No reason to sell out. I write from my heart, my dick and sometimes my brain.)

      But here’s some of the reason for that, I didn’t think I was going here tonight. Ok, I’ve lead a crazy life my friend. I used to write a lot darker than I do now. To gain knowledge and wisdom I rebelled against a lot of things, one of them being faith.

      I was the skeptic, and I went down every rabbit hole I could find to prove it was a sham. I was obsessed with figuring out all the answers, or finding some kind of inner peace in the cruel world. What I didn’t know was the big man never gave up on me.

       And I now believe, because he got involved in my life. The reason I bring it up, is it was the reason I didn’t comment a couple of times. I don’t push my faith on people, I believe it works for me. If something else works for you or anyone else, more power to you.

       I left you likes though, because they were well written, and your a passionate writer, regardless if we disagree on a topic. That’s how I balance it, folks. No matter what if it’s a good write you’re getting a like at the very least. That’s how I roll. lol.

      (All good my friend, Thank you) (If faith has helped you with your lifestyle and gain the momentum to bring you to where your at today, then all the best to you. I mean that. I don't look at someone who I like as a friend and ask them, what are your beliefs? Are you gay or straight? What's your political affiliation?  Agree or disagree with Covid19 and vaccines? It may come up as you get to know someone, but it shouldn't hinder or end a friendship because of it.  Sadly, people's egos are just to domineering. Maybe if people were humble and began to understand themselves 1st with kindness and respect then there wouldn't be so much hatred and animosity towards one another.) (I live in a world where faith & religion is nonexistent. I'm an atheist more then anything else. I don't need god, I don't need to read a bible, I don't need to study or say my prayers, I don't visit a church to talk about my sins or confess to a priest on my wrong doings. At an early age I had these beliefs and never looked back. My parents aren't religious, even my grandparents weren't too religious. Sure I celebrate Xmas. I actually enjoy the holiday. Our family looks at it for a time of peace and gathering of families and friends. Who doesn't want peace on earth and good fortunes for men & woman.)

      Well that was easy enough, I knew you’d be cool. This is how adults should converse as opposed to resorting to ignorance. We all have different beliefs, folks. At the end of the day we’re all human. As for Shakespeare, not my game either. lol. We share some of the same weaknesses. Imagine that, it’s a small fucking world. And I still cuss like a sailor, folks.

      (I despise Shakespeare!! Keep on cursing Damian. This is your goddamn show!!)

      Question 3: I’ve quit writing a couple of times in my life. Two years was the longest I was away. Rather it be burn out or getting sober, I took my ball home and disappeared for a while. But I came back, obviously. Have you ever quit writing before? And if so, what always brings you back?

      (Out of all the forms of art, writing is the most inexpensive and easiest way to express yourself. Music, painting, dance, film you need to buy equipment to create. I love all of those forms but writing is where I can really express myself. My 1st love though is music. I'm just lazy to buy equipment and instruments. I've been writing for years. Many posts on DUP are older poems or stories I had from notebooks years back. So I've been writing for a long time. I feel writing is a form of exercise for our brains. They tell you to exercise daily for your physical appearance & strength. I believe that. Mentally though writing or doing complex mathematical equations (No thanks) keeps the brain stimulated. We need that more now than ever before.

      I've had some moments where I don't write or think. That's usually when I'm away on vacation. What brings me back is when I'm on a walk, jog or bike ride. I see something or a word springs into my head. I then go with it in either a rhyme fashion or begin thinking of a story around that word. I don't own a smartphone, so I sometimes carry a small tape recorder with me and speak into it. It's primitive but it works.)

      That is very true, when it comes to money. As someone who dabbled in music, it’s fucking expensive. I bought a Pearl Drum-set, 9 piece kit, including 2 kick drums, a rack, all the hardware, stands, and cymbals.

      It was a pretty penny like most instruments are, and just like automobiles, as soon as walk out of the store, you’re lucky if it’s worth half of what you paid. And depreciating fast. My brother got more use out of it, I never became a drummer. lol.

      (Yes, instruments depreciate fast)

      I don’t have that kit anymore, my brother sold or traded it in for another kit, that was smaller with a double kick pedal, instead of hauling around that monstrosity on the road. When you don’t have roadies, it falls on you, then it’s not about optics anymore. lol.

      (Lugging around a drum kit isn't fun. Much easier if your just a vocalist!)

      I thought so as well. Though I still helped with being a roadie, to fellow bandmates. Just the kinda guy I am.
 
      Great answers, Keith. The readers by now, are realizing they’re in the middle of a fucking novel. This brings new meaning to “In Depth” interview. lol.

      Question 4: Keith, I wanna thank you again for allowing me to interview you here on SpotLight. You’ve been a fabulous guest. It was an honor my friend, and it was fun getting to know you better. I appreciate you, and your continued support. People often talk about legacy, and their body of work. When the show is over and your story complete in this life. What’s the lasting impression you hope that readers will walk away with after reading your work?

      (Powerful, philosophical, gross, pornographic, blasphemous, violent, disturbing, satirical, ridiculous, insane! Some of my writes have deeper meaning. The reader needs to clear their mind of all of the shock, violence & sex around the piece and look for the moral. If they find it..awesome! If not, that's ok too. Everyone has a different perspective or viewpoint when they read something. We all come up with different reasons to our comments we leave for the poet. There's no right or wrong answer to poetry. Ever! )

      (I want to thank you Damian for this opportunity. I apologize if I went on a tangent with some of your questions. You ask and I shall produce. Spotlight is a marvelous idea and I appreciate you. "Into the list this show belongs!!")

      I wouldn’t expect anything less, my friend. I have noticed a lot of deeper meaning in your writes, if you know where to look. lol. I agree about perspective and viewpoint being based on the individual.

      Nonsense good, Sir. This show was built on tangents, look no further than it’s host. Another first, Ladies and Germs. A little punk rock vibe there. lol. Predicting this is in the reading list before it’s even posted. Thanks for sitting down and chatting with me, Keith.

       That’s our show for tonight. Remember one thing my loyal DU audience, you never know who the SpotLight will shine on next. Appreciate you all. Peace, Love, & Lennon. I’m Damian DeadLove.