01. Seán Devlin 叶 世民 on the importance of a comedic pause

Cathartic Laughs

Seán Devlin 叶 世民 talks about his process turning a racist outburst that he witnessed into a joke and the importance of pausing when telling jokes.
Check out Seán’s album Airport, Animals from Arts & Crafts Records, available on bandcamp.

And his website with his upcoming projects can be found here.

In our talk, Seán mentioned the 2006 Iconoclasts episode featuring Dave Chappelle and Maya Angelou where they talk about the bridge between comedy and poetry.

This interview was originally recorded in November 2021.
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Do you have a joke you tell that helps you find your way forward through challenging stuff? Email Em at hello[at]catharticlaughs.com and share it. I might read it out on a future episode.
✏️ Writing prompts and questions to ponder ✏️

✏️ Recall a time when you witnessed a non-traumatic rude, aggressive or racist behaviour. What did you do? What did you wish you did? What did you think or feel? Is there room for a joke in the gap between what you wanted to do and actually did?
(Note. Please think of a scenario that was not traumatic so that you can recall it without causing your system stress. If you notice that your body is tightening up recalling the memory, notice where you feel the tension. You can choose to sit with this feeling and decide if you should move on to another question. Listen to your system.)

✏️In conversation or on stage, how do you use pauses and silence to convey your stories and jokes? Do you rush through silence or see how long you can hold it?
✏️ In conversation or on stage, how do you use swearing to make a point? Not at all? All the time? Strategically for emphasis?

💖 Acknowledgements 💖
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