We've launched an exciting new project of our own! Introducing the Kickstarter app for iPhone!

Funded! This project successfully raised its funding goal on April 6, 2012.

Photo-main

As folks with various disabilities navigate the world, their footprints are often overlooked. Come stroll with one man's journey.

Sample Work, Transcript of Video is below the sample work)

Put them in a basin, just shallow enough so the cripples can’t get out.

My relationship with Uncle Sam is almost incestuous;
How every month, around the 3rd, I sit in his lap, and he enfolds me with his
Big burly arms, hairs pasty white like glue.  Leans me against his chest, whispers $906
In my left ear, lets me lean against poetry, against food stamps, against IHSS hours,
Against the cell phone bill, against subscriptions to porn sites.
Add an Inch of water, every 10 or 15 minutes

How every six months, red tape catches my neck like a noose.  Asks me questions on a piece
of paper, the ink blochy black, so thick my eyes strain to read it, my head aches next to my left
temple.
Asks me: if I still hear voices in my head, if I still get anxious in crowds, if water droplets against
The sinks in public restrooms gives my arms goosebumps, or If my left leg has gotten swollen in the last week,
Or if I’ve had any signs of MRSA in the last three months?  When, if ever, have I had a seizure?
Grease the Side of the  basin with Crisco or even vasoline

I however, am not naïve enough to think that somewhere on Capitol Hill, Republicans in finely
Pressed three piece suits with schedules hand written by secretaries are NOT thinking about me; 
Pouring over my case file, analyzing every pen scratch of a doctor’s note, every medication
Record, I imagine them asking why my six month narrative is typed, and never handwritten.
I imagine their pens breaking one day, their hands folding the case file shut, throwing it in the
Circular file.
Lay two or three of them cripples together; side by side in the basin

One day soon, their voices will begin to rumble like a slow Texas heat:
Cripples don’t belong here, or here, or here, or here,
Or here, or here, or here,
Or here, or here, or here  
And when they are finished with me, I will be the boy in the back room again
My body turned upright, my legs like Jello because I haven’t moved them,
My chair eight feet away from the bed,
My body ripe, and stank, full of stench,
Because as much as my parents love me, Volunteerism doesn’t pay the bills,
And they have gone to look for green.
So after an hour, when the water has risen to their eye balls. `

I imagine the Republicans arguing with Democrats, throwing food at their faces,
On the chamber floor, members of the House of Representatives are attacking each other
With their shoes.  When the Speaker, calls the house to order, he flings the gavel at the armed
Guard.  When the guard falls to the floor, blood trickles from a thin crack at the top of his head.
This is the start of the Mayhem.
They claw each other, as they gasp for air.

Video Transcript:

(Artist Rolls into Frame)

(Nathan Say Logo)

(The Other Side of Rain Album Logo)

Hi, my name is Nathan Say and I'm a spoken word artist based out of San Diego California and recently Las Vegas, Nevada and I'm using the KickStarter Platform to raise funds to press and market my debut spoken word album, "The Other Side of Rain."

(Preview of "God Take Me Willing") There is grit and grime on the sidewalks I roll on.  I recognize it wedged between my fingernails, etched between blocks of graffiti in the Men's room, on the homeless women, who sleeps in an abandoned store front on University.  I see her life in my third eye..."

A good spoken word piece has two distinct qualities that are different than traditional literary poetry.  The first thing a good spoken word piece will do is be performed better live in front of an audience than it will look on a page.  The second thing a good spoken word piece will do is invite its listeners in to have a conversation about the topics the piece evokes.

(Preview of "Dear Mom & Dad") Dear Mom & Dad, I wonder which situation in our lives led me hear, to a stage with a mic, exactly 1,099 miles from your arms, to bare my soul to people I barely know that by the end of the night, will know me better than you do...."

I have three main goals with this project.  The first thing I wanted to do with this project is really look at experiences in my life that had affected me and molded me and say, "I can be more than these experiences."   The second thing I wanted to do with "The Other Side of Rain" is invite listeners in to have an intimate look at the issues of Disability and Sexuality, which are the two main topics that this project creates around.  In the past, people have looked at disability from a very medicalized standpoint, and I feel like this project approaches disability from a very person centered standpoint.  The third thing is that I want people to have a conversation with this project about disability and sexuality and realize that its OK to be disabled, and that disability is something that is dealt with in our every day lives.

(Preview of "The Death of Me" featuring Konstant Be) (Konstant's Voice) Put them in a basin, just shallow enough so the cripples can't get out.  Add an inch of water, every 10 or 15 minutes.  Grease the Side of the basin with crisco or even vasoline.  Lay two or three of them cripples together, side by side in the basin so after an hour, when the water has risen to their eyeballs, they claw each other as they gasp for air.

I'm an independent artist, and as I mentioned earlier, this is my debut album. So the Kickstarter platform is really vital to the success of the project, so again, all the money raised will go to pressing and promoting the album, and we need approximately $1500 to do that.  A preview of my work is below, and I thank you for your time, and thank you in advance for any monetary donations you might be able to give to this project. 

(The Other Side of Rain Album Cover)

(Nathan Say Logo)

(Aaron Evans Logo)

FAQ

Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.

Ask a question
47
Backers
$1,577
pledged of $1,500 goal
0
seconds to go

Funding period
Feb 21, 2012 - Apr 6, 2012 (45 days)

Nathan%20album%20cover%201%20small.medium

See full bio

  • Pledge $5 or more

    1 backer

    Custom Nathan Say Button

    Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
  • Pledge $10 or more

    10 backers

    Autographed CD + Custom Nathan Say Button

    Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
  • Pledge $25 or more

    17 backers

    Autographed CD + Chapbook + Custom Nathan Say Button

    Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
  • Pledge $50 or more

    3 backers

    Autographed CD + T-Shirt + Autographed Chapbook + Custom Nathan Say Button

    Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    3 backers

    Autographed CD + T-Shirt + Chapbook + Custom Nathan Say Button + Personalized Piece of Poetry from me to you!

    Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
  • Pledge $500 or more

    0 backers

    Autographed CD + T-Shirt + Chapbook + Custom Nathan Say Button + Personalized Piece of Poetry from me to you + Intimate Personal Reading via Skype for you and your family and friends as my personal way of saying "Thank you"

    Estimated delivery: Jul 2012