Nashville


After a solid two days at the Nashville Public Library, I needed a drink. The Booth drew in close to 400 videos over the course of two days, and most of them came from the community of homeless that lived in the public park across the street, and used the library as a source of internet, restroom, and reprieve. I know how it sounds, but after hearing some of the truths and post-truth booth comments, I wanted to escape with a cold one.

Many participants revealed to us what they said inside the booth. Some were conspiracy theories, some were truths about how they became homeless, and some were about the existence of god. I felt very conflicted ushering in this community to the booth, as I knew I could not help them physically. Maybe they didn’t even want help, maybe they only needed someone to listen and treat them no different. Who the hell knows. I wasn’t doing anything but standing in front of an art installation and representing this project. I was just doing everything in my power to not make them feel any different from me.

The heaviness of their truths resounded the heaviness in baltimore. But this time, after being on the road for a month, I felt closely similar to the community. Not having anywhere of my own (I gave up my apartment) or a position that gives me security (I left a good paying job with a title for this experience to tour with this project) I felt strangely homeless, unkempt, uncivilized. The truth is we weren’t so different after all.

I washed down this truth with a shot of absinthe. Maybe I’ll see La Fee Vert and she’ll show me what direction to take my life. Or maybe it’s all made up and romanticized.

Ciertamente con amor y paz,

Sami