I'm interviewing a guy who has voluntarily lived on the streets for the past four months. Ideas for questions?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

He's been living in a medium-sized city in Southern Ontario.

― jackl, Thursday, 3 May 2007 20:59 (nineteen years ago)

"want some food? TOO BAD"

― max, Thursday, 3 May 2007 21:00 (nineteen years ago)

got any spare change?

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 3 May 2007 21:02 (nineteen years ago)

Actually, yes.

Does he place blame on any agency or person for his situation, and to what degree does he consider it elective?

― remy bean, Thursday, 3 May 2007 21:05 (nineteen years ago)

I'd want to know what his interactions with non-street people are like. Is he lonely? And by "voluntarily," do you mean it's an experiment, or a lifestyle choice?

― Chim Chimery, Thursday, 3 May 2007 21:06 (nineteen years ago)

"what would your mother think?"

― bernard snowy, Thursday, 3 May 2007 21:12 (nineteen years ago)

is he employed?

― gff, Thursday, 3 May 2007 21:14 (nineteen years ago)

ask him whether he's been diagnosed bipolar. no, really. this could be a manic "adventure" taken to extremes.

― elmo argonaut, Thursday, 3 May 2007 21:14 (nineteen years ago)

so why did you decide to live on the streets voluntarily for four months?

― river wolf, Thursday, 3 May 2007 21:15 (nineteen years ago)

"what are you? fucking stupid or something?"

― chicago kevin, Thursday, 3 May 2007 21:16 (nineteen years ago)

"nougat or hummus?"

― brownie, Thursday, 3 May 2007 21:18 (nineteen years ago)

8080

― river wolf, Thursday, 3 May 2007 21:18 (nineteen years ago)

i'd also be interested to hear about his interactions with other street people. are there others who consider it voluntary, and are those who don't resentful toward him? or is it a happy homeless community?

― Maria, Thursday, 3 May 2007 21:19 (nineteen years ago)

If you can find a copy prior, read A Man with No Talents, the memoirs of a Tokyo day laborer who voluntarily quit the salaryman life for a hand-to-mouth existence in a society with little social support for that sort of thing. Or, read it after, as it's great and a fascinating perspective. I'd like to know how this man you are interviewing views his place in society. What are his fears? What are his pleasures? What does he see himself doing in 5 years time? What is his favorite time of day?

― Jaq, Thursday, 3 May 2007 21:19 (nineteen years ago)

wow, and here I thought I was going to get a bunch of pictures of, I don't know, sirens and eagles and dicks and shit. thanks for the really great ideas.

a bit more information: he had been volunteering at a soup kitchen / shelter for a while, and I think he just became really curious about what life on the streets was really like. he's still volunteering at the shelter a few days a week, but otherwise he's not working or anything. during the colder months he was living at an "in from the cold" program at a local church, but now I think he's living in a warehouse with a couple other homeless guys.

― jackl, Friday, 4 May 2007 01:06 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.jmarcoz.com/sirens/eagle_ne.jpg

― félix pié, Friday, 4 May 2007 01:10 (nineteen years ago)

I think possib one of the most interesting things about voluntarily giving up earning power is that it's one of the most compelling hallmarks of masculinity in our society, I think! Basically what beauty (by whatever standard) is for women. And so by a certain, admittedly very short-sighted standard, a man who can't or doesn't earn is not justified as a human being, he's not justifying his existence. What does that mean for him? Because gendered esteem along those lines is something that operates pretty much in the eye of the beholder, is it any less humiliating/disempowering when you know yr situation is voluntary, but the beholder DOESN'T know that? And so on.

― Laurel, Friday, 4 May 2007 01:14 (nineteen years ago)

I saw a documentary about a guy that lived for one year in New York City without going indoors anywhere as an art project. He only vioilated his premise once when some cops took him in for questioning after a verbal flareup with some other guy who wanted him out of where ever he was at the time. Asian guy with long hair, he did it in the 80s or maybe the late 70s. I can't remember his or the filmmaker's name, but the artist is known for this kind of thing (doing or not doing things for fixed periods of time, or something like that).

No help at all to you, but you could ask if this other guy inspired it.

― nickn, Friday, 4 May 2007 01:21 (nineteen years ago)

wow the snarky joke answers on this thread are really fucking annoying

― J0hn D., Friday, 4 May 2007 01:30 (nineteen years ago)

hi r u new here?

― lfam, Friday, 4 May 2007 02:31 (nineteen years ago)

I'm interviewing a guy who has voluntarily posted to ILX for the past four months. Ideas for questions?

― Pleasant Plains, Friday, 4 May 2007 03:35 (nineteen years ago)

"How many points has your IQ dropped?"

― Rock Hardy, Friday, 4 May 2007 03:46 (nineteen years ago)

What does he do during the day when he's not volunteering? What's the scariest thing he's seen on the streets? Does he feel that he's a valuable asset to society? Does he have family, and if so, how does he keep in touch with them? What are his political beliefs? What does he think society would be like if everyone lived his lifestyle? Will he ever leave the streets?

― Tape Store, Friday, 4 May 2007 03:57 (nineteen years ago)

What is his method of transportation? How big of a resource does he find libraries to be for himself & other homeless people? (you could word that better) Are social interactions between men & women different in their community?

― Abbott, Friday, 4 May 2007 04:53 (nineteen years ago)

"How big of a resource does he find libraries to be for himself & other homeless people?"

this question is so otm, although what i find fascinating about libraries is they are in at least one particular experiece at least as much a hobo point of reference, which is actually far more interesting to me

also some of you guys, do you realize what 'voluntarily homeless' means? (it does not mean a)his 'condition' is not elective b)he spends his hours volunteering)

― deeznuts, Friday, 4 May 2007 05:00 (nineteen years ago)

it does not mean a)his 'condition' is not elective b)he spends his hours volunteering

But b is true (not that 'voluntarily homeless' at all implies that, but he had been volunteering at a soup kitchen / shelter for a while, and I think he just became really curious about what life on the streets was really like. he's still volunteering at the shelter a few days a week, but otherwise he's not working or anything. )

― Tape Store, Friday, 4 May 2007 05:16 (nineteen years ago)

ha alright my bad for not reading the whole thread

― deeznuts, Friday, 4 May 2007 05:19 (nineteen years ago)

"So do you want a fucking medal?"

― Hurting 2, Friday, 4 May 2007 05:56 (nineteen years ago)