One Clear Mind
'One Clear Mind' is a recording by Mike Seal (Told Americans, A Different Thread, Sean Taylor) and Kostas Bechlos (Told Americans, Dr Schwamp) featuring renowned free jazz sax player Bruce Coates. It is spoken word over improvised music. It is taken from a novel that Mike wrote about his experiences of working with homeless people over 25 years ago - the novel was abandoned, but at the start of each chapter was a rant based on characters Mike had met and worked with - these are these rants, still relevant today - difficult to hear, often misanthropic, narcissistic and challenging, but nevertheless one 'clear mind'.
One Clear Mind Videos
Normality is a Pathology
'Normality is a pathology' is Mike's latest spoke word project. Mike is queer, dyslexic , dyspraxic and has adhd. He has also struggled with substance dependency for most of his life. As such he is far from normal, and does not want to be. This project explores how society contructs normality, arguing that it does so for the economic betterment of the few. It further argues that the state we call normality is both mythical and unhealthy, going so far to say that it is pathological. The phrase is an adaption of a book by Eric Fromm in the fiftes (the pathology of normalcy), which deconstructs mental health, saying that we live in an 'insane society'.