the Love

An empathic and provocative search for love amidst pain, “The Love” is a podcast created with the intent of humanizing those who experience poverty and homelessness. Joseph Carman, founder of the 555 Collective, interviews guests of Street Reach, a soup kitchen housed in the basement of Downtown Denver’s historic St. Paul’s church.

The Love - Episode 12 05/25/2016

The Love - Episode 12 Joseph interviews the sexton at St. Paul, who goes by "Mo". Born in Yemen, Mo never met his mother, and was eventually discarded by his father. He tells a life story that entails miracle men living in the mountains, working his way out of homelessness, and the Denver Broncos. /episode/index/show/thelove555/id/4394802

The Love - Episode 11 05/13/2016

The Love - Episode 11 He feels he never quite matured, never crossed the threshold into manhood, after his life took a drastic turn in his late teens. He's a loner, but he loves women. He's Bipolar, and alcoholic, and just lives his life day to day on the streets. Despite his past of gang-banging, prison, and wasted talent, he still longs to conquer his pain and "shine". /episode/index/show/thelove555/id/4367912

The Love - Episode 10 04/22/2016

The Love - Episode 10 This interview presents a fascinating opportunity to delve into the past and present of a man who lives one of the hardcore versions of street life one will encounter. He hops into the shower fully clothed because it saves time and resources. He believes in faith and love, feeding the flowers, and senses that, logically speaking, logic will destroy us all. /episode/index/show/thelove555/id/4314791

The Love - Episode 9 04/14/2016

The Love - Episode 9 Born in New Orleans in 1984, he was drinking and smoking marijuana by the age of 12. His grandmother shot and killed his grandfather - his stepdad was insane and abusive, and his biological father loved crack-cocaine. After Katrina brought him to Denver, he relied on income earned through drug commerce, and eventually became homeless after a series of traumas and drug abuse destroyed his life. He concludes the interview with a description of what he believes was the experience of being haunted by a poltergeist. /episode/index/show/thelove555/id/4296147

The Love - Episode 8 04/08/2016

The Love - Episode 8 When you're crafting a shank as a child to protect yourself from a parent, there might be a few bumps in the road as you transition to adulthood. His mother died when he was five, and his father died on his mother's birthday when he was in juvenile detention. "How have you not killed yourself?" is a question he answers by noting life's infinite possibility for improvement. This episode is rife with explicit mention of drugs, violence, and all manner of other trauma, which the interviewee has somehow survived. /episode/index/show/thelove555/id/4282349

William B. Potts Symphony 03/19/2016

William B. Potts Symphony The week after episode 7 was recorded, the interviewee requested another session, during which he elaborated on logic induced by celibacy, the hard work it takes to get drunk, marriage, Judge Judy, and dogs. Joseph composed a soundtrack to accompany the talk, and decided to release the tragic symphony as a stand-alone piece. /episode/index/show/thelove555/id/4232711

The Love - Episode 7 03/19/2016

The Love - Episode 7 His existence "tormented by demons", the interviewee describes his battle with alcoholism and other vices, which led to his ejection from rehab a few days or hours prior to this interview. He discusses his tendency to steal his mother's dogs in order to attract women, as well as a host of other topics that seem to flow through his mind in a stream of unconsciousness. /episode/index/show/thelove555/id/4232697

The Love - Episode 6 03/11/2016

The Love - Episode 6 When foster care is described as heavenly, one can assume any previous life experience was somewhat hellish. So it is with the interviewee in this episode, who reports that bad times and family drama drove him from Alaska to Colorado, and then eventually to homelessness in Denver. Despite sleeping on the streets and in shelters, he strives to leave alcoholism behind, and seeks to carve out a career in the culinary arts. /episode/index/show/thelove555/id/4214046

The Love - Episode 5 03/04/2016

The Love - Episode 5 A young man who identifies himself as a veteran of the Iraq War describes the precursors and aftermath of his time involved with combat. He discusses a history of volatile relationships, the birth and death of his infant son, and his subsequent decision to enter the world of the homeless. Currently residing in a shed in someone's backyard, he focuses on the use of marijuana, while never forgetting the "Pot Fairies". Joseph makes a vague suggestion that a haiku contest might be announced at some point in the near future. This podcast is rather explicit. /episode/index/show/thelove555/id/4196848

The Love - Episode 4 02/25/2016

The Love - Episode 4 "Mama CJ", a transgender Elder of the Gutter Punk Kids, reveals a story of pain and survival on the streets of Denver. Brought to Denver from Chadron, Nebraska with the intention of finding work as a nanny, she was dumped downtown alone to face assault, hunger, and odd fashion trends. She discusses the life philosophy and other sources of strength that have allowed her to survive. Joseph talks about the death of his father, and reads lyrics that constitute his favorite poem. /episode/index/show/thelove555/id/4174955

The Love - Episode 3 02/11/2016

The Love - Episode 3 Joseph interviews the most gentle of men who lost his ID card, possibly in Vegas, possibly several years ago, and currently struggles to obtain a new version. Meanwhile, he dabbles in moderate substance abuse, and reflects on serving time in the brig, the search for a strain of marijuana that does not make panhandling impossible, and the relatively high alcohol content of economy beers. /episode/index/show/thelove555/id/4140473

The Love - Episode 2 02/02/2016

The Love - Episode 2 Warning: This interview is very explicit. Listeners averse to copious use of profanity will be offended. In Episode 2, Joseph interviews a 19-year old female who says she chose to become homeless after a lifetime of foster care, treatment centers, detention, and drug addiction. Now, believing that she made a mistake, she finds herself mired in a cycle that prevents her from realizing her potential. This is a detailed and graphic discussion of one particular pathway that leads youth into homelessness. /episode/index/show/thelove555/id/4121884

The Love - Episode 1 01/29/2016

The Love - Episode 1 In this inaugural episode, Joseph interviews a 53-year old man who sleeps behind a building in the heart of downtown Denver. Hailing from Arkansas, the man reveals a life story of violence and incarceration, describing the physical sensation of knife wounds and gunshots, as well as life on the chain gang. After a failed marriage to the daughter of a preacher, he chose to relocate to Denver, where he soon fell into the abuse of crack-cocaine. He eventually became homeless, and began to experience severe seizures, as well as extensive mental health issues. Now spending his nights behind 18th and Logan, his day to day survival is based on his ability to protect himself from physical and mental harm, while clinging to a path of compassion his mother tried to show him as a child. /episode/index/show/thelove555/id/4110508

the Love

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