#wnyc

A new documentary from Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson explores the musical origins and lasting cultural impact of Earth, Wind & Fire.

Ace to have Anthropocene aired on WNYC's Newsounds!

Jesse Thorn ...One of the most powerful experiences I ever had on the air was an interview with Michael K. Williams, who played, famously, Omar on The Wire, among other things. He passed away a few years ago. He was at a studio in New York. I was in LA and I played for him this dance record that he had been a dancer in the video for. He was a club kid. This was his big break, this song.

I thought I was going to get, "Isn't it great that when you're on a music video set, somebody puts a bib on you when you eat your French fries?" He was really quiet, and because we weren't in the same room, I couldn't tell what was going on. Then when he started talking, I was like, "Is that a hitch in his voice?"

Michael K. Williams: Man. Excuse me. I saw, man. That was the first time that my dream came true. [sniffles] When Kim asked me to be a dancer, I was homeless. [cries] I remember when I got the call, I was being kicked out, packing up my stuff. Sorry, it's just I haven't heard that song in a while. Just brought back a lot of memories, that's all. Pardon me. That was my first dance job. That's the first time anybody ever hired me to do what I'm doing now, was Kim Simms. That was my first job doing anything in this business, anything. I'm here today off the strength of that one song.

Jesse Thorn: Michael K. Williams was in tears because he realized that life in art was not given to him. He realized that he was a guy that was out dancing at clubs, and this woman that made this dance single gave him the opportunity to be an artist, something that he had not even imagined for himself. What I found was someone who did not know they even had the option of being an artist who was given that opportunity. It was this completely unexpected moment that ended up being something that people talked to me about years later that was mediated by that telephone line.

[emphasis added]

I've thought along these lines before, often in relation to my grandfather: what if we didn't have to "make a living" just to be alive, to do while we are alive? My grandfather (along with many of us, I imagine) might have lived a totally different life.

My grandfather had a lot of hobbies; he did watercolors, took a stab at photography (I still have his tripod more than 60 years after he bought it), made jewelry, and he could craft full-sized replicas of historic firearms from scrap wood (a couple of which I still have; they've been in numerous of my photo illustrations). We both worked on model railroading when I was much younger. He never wanted to "monetize" his hobbies, that wasn't the point. Asked once if he'd do more jewelry, 'cause they sold quickly at a consignment shop, he said "no" and didn't do much more jewelry afterword.

What might he have pursued? He was a veteran of the European Theatre in WWII, drove a taxi in Wichita, was a guard at Los Alamos in the 50s, worked in city planning in Boulder CO--but that was all because he needed to make money, to provide a roof and food for his family (it was the 50s!). What could he have done if--?

What might I do if--? What would you do? How many artists, or writers, or dancers, scientists, or funky inventors, or doctors, or--?--among us and we just don't know?