Sometimes Fools

During the years I was teaching at Coronado High School in El Paso, Texas, one of the first classes handed to me was creative writing. I had no textbook, but I was younger. I was energetic. I was idealistic. I really thought facial hair made me look older. So I cobbled together a lot of resources and tried to share my enthusiasm for the written word and create some meaningful assignments. I was new to the English department in 1993, and didn’t know at the time that the class was a dumping ground for kids who needed an English credit to graduate. Most of the students were. . .let us say. . .motivated by things that were not being offered in school. No, I take that back. These things were being offered in school. They just weren’t being grown there.

However, there were always a few that did not need the “No, Really, Writing is Cool” song-n-dance to cajol them into jotting down a few lines of poetry and prose. I didn't have to make a case that, really, it's not unreasonable to ask you to write a little in. . .what's the course title. . .oh yes, Creative Writing. These students wanted real critical feedback, and they managed to actually write stories that explored territory other than:

1. pregnant girls who (shocking revelation on last page) have been impregnated by a) their own fathers b) vampires or c) their own fathers who, it turns out, are vampires.
2. young gangsters/government agents committing a series of violent acts to protect their loved ones from a) vampires b) the crime boss who raped his daughter, and who, as it turns out, is the gangster/agent’s girlfriend or c) other gangsters/government agents who’ve secretly infiltrated the crime family/government , and who, as it turns out, are really vampires.

They also managed to avoid:

1. poems about being the first person EVER to have experienced a) love b) a broken heart or c) broken heart because they can’t tell the person they love that they love them because it could unbalance their clique, andthey can’t risk being any less popular than they already are.
2. poems about how NO one understands how hard it is to be adolescent (but themselves of course) especially a) parents b) teachers c) other adolescents.
3. Poems where they wished they could be a) more popular b) vampires c) gangster vampires

One of those marvelous students that managed to avoid the pitfalls of bad writing was Lee Simmons. Lee had a great love for truth, beauty, language, and music. He still loves these things, and has continued grow as a writer and musician. He’s currently living in the Austin, TX area where he’s been self-producing poetry, prose, music, and babies (um, he might have had some help with the baby). However, his most recent album, Sometimes Fools has received a good deal of positive press, and it is currently being considered as part of the “fan your band to fame” contest. Lee writes very accessible and very smart songs. But don’t take my word for it; go listen to some free samples of his music here. Then go vote for him here. You can vote once a day. You can even order the album here (and you can go around humming “This is Only a Test” like I do).

Do these things. Help a young artist, get some good music, and make some good karma. You’ll be saving the world from incestuous vampires who hate freedom.