When he’s not auctioning at Art Con, Gililand speaks his mind on new KERA segment. (from Facebook)
We may not enjoy those lengthy membership drives KERA has like every other week (OK, every other month?), but thankfully Rawlins Gilliland brings a certain Southern panache to the drive. With sassy wit and comic timing, Gilliland also makes them bearable. We caught up with him last October when he and artist Cathey Miller repped the LGBT contingent at the Pecha Kucha event.
Today, he returned to KERA, not for a drive, but for the first of his on-air columns. And for his debut, “A Verbal Mongoose Guide To Bullies And Bores,” he talks about coping with bullying as he grew up.
He posted this Monday on Facebook announcing the new show:
I return to the KERA Commentary airwaves Tuesday Sept. 20th, both on Morning Edition & later on All Things Considered with an oral essay, “A Verbal Mongoose Guide to Bullies & Bores” about my personal journey to self-protection & creative retaliation regarding being pushed to the brink of teenage suicide.
The issue of bullying in general is very prominent today & relative to gay issues, endemic. So my hope is that my seemingly light spin on this critical issue will make people laugh, yes, but think. Think.
Typically these pieces air shortly after 6:30 am & repeat shortly after 8:30 & then air on All Things Considered shortly after 4:30ish all on 90.1 fm KERA. Hope you can hear it on-air but if not the link to listen will be posted on my FB page after it airs.
Love you, Rawlins
You can either listen to it or read the transcript here.
Today’s PS: SO many people who are (heterosexual et al) parents of impressionable age children wrote me or posted that they wanted to share this piece w/their kids. Because I told this series or anecdotes w/a broad brash brush, I was unsure how much the core message would rise to remain on top. Miraculously enough, it seems maybe it has…… Because ‘bullying’ can manifest itself in so many ways throughout our lives. As kids tormented because we are effete, certainly. In the workplace when you are abused by a banal or psychotic boss whose talents exceed his or her talents…someone who politically manipulates things at your expense on their behalf. A drunken party-crasher guest who disrupts the occasion to be center stage, ruining it for the host & guests. And someone who seeks to embarrass you in order to look clever. My point is that we can take what we are forced to deal with growing up & use it to our advantage….no less that someone who can better do heavy lifting because they went to the mental gym every day of their young life. At which point we decide to be nice…. unless someone wants to do us harm. At which point we rise up and make them aware that there comes a time when their choice to abuse us is done at their own peril. HAPPY DON’T ASK/DON’T TELL REPEAL DAY, y’all!