World Poetry Proudly Presents Kagan Goh, Poet, Filmmaker from Canada!

Ariadne’s notes: The World Poetry Café Radio Show with Host Israel Mota and guest host Wanda Kehewin, welcomed the poet, filmmaker and World Poetry Director Kagan Goh to the radio show on CFRO, 100.5 fm. To listen to this great show: CLICK HERE!

Kagan edit 3 small

Kagan Goh is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, published author, spoken word poet, journalist and mental health activist.  Kagan was diagnosed with manic depression at 23 in 1993 on Valentine’s Day.  He started writing about his experiences about living with a mental illness and became involved in Vancouver’s literary community.  He is an established spoken word poet who has performed at open mics, readings, festivals and radio.  His personal mission is to educate people about mental health issues and fight the stigma against the mentally ill.

Here is  an article that has been published in an e-magazine called the Kerrisdale Playbook: THE MARK OF A MAVERICK: KAGAN GOH’SARTISTIC CONFRONTATION WITH STIGMAS AND STEREOTYPES. He would like to thank Keiko Honda, journalist Haley Cameron, and photographer Noriko Nasu Tidball forthis article. Here is the link: http://www.kccplaybook.org/2014/05/03/the-mark-of-a-maverick-kagan-gohs-artistic-confrontation-of-stigmas-and-stereotypes/

www.stolenmemoriesmovie.comwww.gohkagan.com

WOODBRIDGE HOSPITAL

As a kid in Singapore,
I played games with my childhood friends.
Hide and Seek, Catching, Hopscotch, Hacky Sack.
We’d amused ourselves with insults.
To fat people we sang:
“Hey Fatty Bom Bom, Sweet Sugar Dumpling…”
But the worst was to be called crazy.

If someone behaved strangely, we’d frighten them:
“If you act like a lunatic, we’ll send you in a straitjacket to Woodbridge Hospital.”
It was a harmless joke, sung like a nursery rhyme by taunting children.

But it was also a warning:
“Beware.  Act normal otherwise we’ll send you to the Loony Bin.”
Looking back I find it ironic

I’ve been incarcerated in the psych ward
of Saint Paul’s Hospital more times than I care to remember.
Having been in a mental asylum I no longer find the joke funny
or harmless.

Kagan Goh (C)

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