Khalil Edwards

"I think in terms of humanity and the universe. I feel like humanity likes to manipulate things and make them smaller- so it mainly deals more culturally-wise. Universally-wise we’re all equal. We all have the same emotions. That’s what resonates with me the most. At the end of the day we’re all the same. You can’t dispute that in my opinion. We’re all the same, and I feel that gets so diluted, and so twisted. Some people may say that that is over there, it’s their problem. What’s that to do with me? Yet in the end we all share and deserve the same day and the same time. There’s a beauty in that and it needs to be recognized more. If we realized that we’re all one person, one people- life would be so much simpler.”

-Khalil Edwards, Junior, Communications Major

I had actually first encountered the subject of this interview on the Friday of IUPatties weekend. He and I were both at the Artists Hand Gallery and Espresso Bar attending the same event. That event being- Lit Night. A segment of time where people with a passion for literature and poetry and writing all gather to share their love for the written word. Not only do you happen to witness people read lyrics, stanzas or words from stories that they admire- but also you’ll also find brave souls willing to share their original work. The subject of this interview was one such person. He astounded me with his ability to command the written word. The words flowing deceptively like a river, but then all of a sudden smashing you with emotion as if it were a tidal wave striking the shores of a beach.

After the event was finished, I managed to catch up with him and ask if I could interview him at a later date. Kindly he agreed. After exchanging names and numbers, we set up a date and time for us to sit down and talk. The following interview is a result of that time when we sat down at the 

Crimson Café on the 27^th of March.

Of course, as I normally do I started off by asking some basic questions.

“What is your name?” I asked him.

“Khailil Edwards,” he told me.

“Kahleel?” I asked, uncertain if I was pronouncing it correctly. “Is that how you pronounce it? I’ve been pronouncing it like that whenever I mention it.”

“Kuh-lil,” he corrected me in a kind tone. When I apologized- a reassuring smile crossed his face as he laughed, “Don’t worry about it though. Honestly, I’ve had my name mispronounced so many times that I forget how to pronounce it.”

I laughed too, as I moved on to my next question. “What is your major?”

“I’m a Comm Media (Communications) major.”

As a Communications major myself, I was ecstatic to find that I was interviewing a fellow major. I managed to keep my excitement down a few notches though as I went on to my next 

question, “What year are you?”

“I’m a junior,” he told me.

“Cool,” I said. “Where are you from?”

“I’m from Philadelphia, PA.”

I drew a mind-blank right around that moment, and couldn’t remember what question I was going to ask him. (We were doing this interview immediately after my Math class, which I won’t deny- not my strong suit. After each class my brain is still muddled from all the operations and calculations. Which in turn kind of inhibits on my ability to communicate. Don’t ask me why, it’s just happens. ) Khalil helped me out though by asking, “Do you want to know what my hobbies and interests are?”

It was the same question I was looking to ask him before my mind blanked. “Yes! Thank you! That’s what I needed!”

Khailil wasted no time in diving into his answer. “I’m very interested in expression. I like videography. That’s partially what I want to do after I graduate. I like a variety of things. It’s funny- I can do a thing like Literature Night- but I can also go out to parties and have a good time. I feel like I’m very diverse in what I like to do. I feel like that’s why I’m kind of a loner. I don’t have one specific group, and I’m a multitude of things.”

I smiled and nodded in understanding. I then went on and asked him, “How you decide to come to I.U.P.?”

“It’s actually a funny story. I was supposed to go to a different school but it didn’t pan out. So I was just at home since I had taken a semester off. I had time to think about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and see how everything goes. I had a friend who went here- his name was Eugene. At the time we weren’t as close- we were friends but we didn’t hang out as much. He told me that I.U.P. was a good school and you should come here. I figured- why not? I didn’t even visit or anything- I just took a leap of faith. Let’ just try something new with my life. It turned out it was one of the smartest things I’ve done in my life. Eugene and I are also now best friends; and I’ve learned so much. Not just about me- but also my friends and people in my life and how the world acts- well- how I think the world acts.”

“So you said that you took a semester off, were you uncertain whether you wanted to go to school or not?” I asked him, my curiosity afire, burning to find out more about this aspect of his story.

“I knew that I wanted to school. I just didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was in a limbo after I graduated from high school. I didn’t want to just jump out and pick something to with the rest of my life and be unhappy. I’d rather be happy with myself and have a nickel, rather than hate myself and have a million dollars. It was a personal choice to me- being happy and trying to find myself.”

"How did you decide on Communications?” I asked him.

“First I was an English major because for me it was about expression. I’m more of a human literature kind of guy and I like the humanities. I just really like the New Age- where everything is digital. I feel that people don’t really read books. Many of them just watch TV or movie or stuff like that. I feel in my past life I could have been a poet or writer. I feel like digital media is the way that this generation chooses to express themselves. In the end that’s the avenue I chose to take.”

“So you said you’re a poet and a writer, is there a particular pattern which you tend to write in?”

“I just write as I feel inspired to. When something comes to mind I just write it. I try and keep an infinity to that. It’s less structured. I’m not very big on structure- that’s just the type of person that I am. I just write whatever is coming out at the time. I write on impulse because I feel that is the realest reaction you can get.”

“Was there an age where you really started to write poems and stories and it was something that you were into?”

He thought for a few moments, his facial features taking on a deep pondering expression- like a miner looking for precious stones. “I don’t think there was an exact time. I just noticed that when it to English and writing and poems that the teachers would normally praise me higher than other kids. They told me I had a way of wording things. I try to emulate great writers like Thomas Jefferson. Great writers have a way of compelling people and I always wanted to emulate that.”

“What do you usually like to write?” I asked him.

“Poems are usually the way I like to go,” he told me. “I do like screenwriting but I’m not too big into it right now because I’ve been so busy. Screenwriting is definitely for me though. That and poems- I’d say that fiction for the most part.”

“Is there a common theme that runs through your works? Is there something that you’re very passionate writing about?”

“I wouldn’t say so, but most of what I write about has a connection to me. There was a screenwriter over in China whom I admire. He brought to light a lot of different situations like how people with AIDS are treated there and also about the poor working conditions. With the kind of environment I’m from- light doesn’t get shed on too awful much on those kinds of issues. Things tend to be overlooked. I often feel compelled to write about him. I tend to write poetry a lot. If the moment strikes me and I’m emotionally compelled to do it- then I will.”

“You mentioned the guy from China who shed some light on some controversial issues. Are there any similar issues here in America you like to shed some light on in your works?”

“I think in terms of humanity and the universe. I feel like humanity likes to manipulate things and make them smaller- so it mainly deals more culturally-wise. Universally-wise we’re all equal. We all have the same emotions. That’s what resonates with me the most. At the end of the day we’re all the same. You can’t dispute that in my opinion. We’re all the same, and I feel that gets so diluted, and so twisted. Some people may say that that is over there, it’s their problem. What’s that to do with me? Yet in the end we all share and deserve the same day and the same time. There’s a beauty in that and it needs to be recognized more. If we realized that we’re all one person, one people- life would be so much simpler.”

“Would you say that instances happening now- such as Ferguson- are instances where we need to come together and discuss?”

“Definitely,” he said in a voice strong in conviction. “I feel that first and foremost people need to learn and understand. I feel that people need to understand where different viewpoints are coming from, as scholars and human beings. We have the right to figure out what is the underlying problem. We need to ask why there’s a problem. We need to ask why a group is upset that this kind of thing is happening. This isn’t just a Black or White issue. This is a worldwide issue that is happening with all sorts of different cultures. Once you ask those questions and try to find the answers- it becomes more tolerable. You actually appreciate what people went and are going through. It’s when people don’t care to try that we get people who don’t know what they’re talking about.”

I then went on and asked him, “There’s a lot of confusion as to what kinds of factors are playing in Ferguson. One of those factors includes what is called white privilege and how to definite it and even if it exists at all. Do you think that white privilege is something that only white people don’t understand or is it something that people from all groups don’t get?”

“Yes. I feel that sometimes even Black people don’t understand what is going at times either. I feel that when it comes to discrimination- it doesn’t matter what your creed, color, race or ethnicity. It has to deal with the understanding of the individual. Some groups will tell you that white privilege isn’t a thing. I believe that it is. Let me tell you this- if I’m walking down the street with a hoodie on and there’s a white guy walking down the street with one on- then there’s a higher chance you’ll actually get to walk across the street. That to me is privilege. It’s based on initial prejudice. Prejudice is something you can’t escape, it’s been drilled into us since we were children subconsciously. You can’t say that you’re not prejudiced- if you do I will call you a liar.”

“What do you think when people say that prejudice and discrimination aren’t their problem and that it has nothing to do with them?”

“I feel that those people are ignorant,” he told me without skipping a beat. “If you say it’s not your problem, then you’re a part of the problem. Let’s just bring up another notion- the notion of global warming. You can say that it’s not your problem. That it doesn’t affect me. It may not now- but two hundred years from now it could. You saying that it’s not your problem is contributing to the issue. It’s like putting off your homework until the last minute. It doesn’t make things better, and definitely doesn’t help the community. As members of the community we have a social responsibility to contribute. So when you say that it’s not your problem, then you’re part of it.”

“Is the fact that we’re all in this together a theme that you hope people take away from your work?” I asked Khalil.

“Well, I don’t think I’m that good of a writer,” he told me. “Honestly I don’t feel that I’m that good where I may compel people to make a change. If somebody does I’ll be really proud. I just do it as a means of expression and take some weight off my chest. But I’d be elated if they did. I don’t know if it has that power though. I’m not that driven to change people though because people need to do that themselves. If it contributes though and plants a seed- that’s more than a job well-done.”

“You said that you share poems. Where do you tend to go?”

“Lit Night at the Artists Hand is where I normally tend to go. Sometimes I get nervous showing my work in different settings because it’s intimate, since it comes from my heart. So I usually like to share my poems with A.J., with my friends, people whom I’m secure with. I’m more pragmatic and I think logically. So when I do stuff like this it’s all emotion.”

(As a side note to the reader. A.J. is actually a reference to one of the English department professors- Professor Schmitz. Funnily enough I now have the same professor for my English class.) 

I was curious how he had first been drawn to the Artists Hand. “How did you first start reading at the Lit Nights?”

“It was all A.J.,” Khalil told me. “He was my professor and he was methodical with it and the way he taught- it definitely opened up my mind. He’s so theatrical. He had it set up where his students who went and read at the Lit Nights would get extra credit. So I originally went for the extra credit more than anything. I felt very comfortable, it was a very changing event.”

“When did you first have him?” I asked.

“I had him in the fall and we’ve been in contact since. We send each other e-mails back and forth still. When we meet up we just have natural conversations. He’s definitely been one of the professors who had the most impact.”

“How did he impact you?”

“When he teaches, you can tell he’s passionate about it. It’s not just about getting paid for him. It’s not just a course he does to just fill out for his doctorate program. He’s doing it out of the sincerity of his messages. He goes deep into it, his lessons aren’t just simple plans. It’s more in-depth, and he definitely tries to reach to the heart. I really appreciate that. Watching him teach is liking watching art in my opinion.”

I decided to move away from one specific class and professor to see if I could see how the university itself impacted him. “How would you say your overall experience at I.U.P. has been?”

“It’s been a very maturing experience. I can still act like a kid at times- but it has definitely helped me become an adult and realize what I want to do with my life. I remember when I was a freshmen this was all new to me. Now looking back on it I see all the new kids coming in as freshmen and I find that to be a very comedic experience.”

“As a junior, what is your advice to freshmen students coming in?” I asked him.

“Just remember why you’re here,” Khailil sincerely said. “Take your time and learn stuff. Do what makes you happy.”

The point he made about doing what makes one happy brought to mind another question. “You said you’re a Comm Media student. What do you plan on doing with your degree once you get it?”

“I’m hoping I can get into videography and do it at the top professional level. After I graduate- I’ll probably take some time off and save some money. I want to move out to L.A. and try to make a future for myself. I’m not too concerned about making it big. I’m more concerned about being happy and making myself proud. I think that’s why indie films are more for me.”

I was curious as to how he as a writer would respond to critics who claimed that cinematography and writing weren’t the same thing. I asked him, “Some people say that writing and telling stories have nothing to do with videography, what you say to that?”

“I think it all depends on content,” he told me as he cleared his throat. “A poem can inspire a video. People like Edgar Allen Poe or Ernest Hemingway can inspire people in media. I’ve had inspiration for videos by reading. A story can translate in multiple ways. It’s about content. I think if you say that you can’t translate a story that you need to focus on content. A video is nothing but a story- it’s showing you audio and visual material. It doesn’t just have to be words on paper.”

“Would you say that the one thing that you want to do in life is storytelling?” I asked him.

“Definitely,” he told me without even a pause. “That’s definitely what it is! Everything has a narrative. My experience in life is different from yours. It’s all about collision. Everything in your life has added up to this moment, and everything in my life has added up to this moment. Now we’re coming together and colliding with our own ideologies and ideals. You have a different narrative than I do, and they have a different narrative than we. That’s what geeks me out the most about life. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.”

I will say that I was disappointed that I had to pull away from the interview- but alas I had another matter to attend to. I thanked Khalil for letting me interview him.

“Not a problem, man,” he told me as we packed up our stuff and we shook hands. “I hope you have some good stuff there.”

“Oh, I do,” I told him with a smile. I then said farewell to him, promising I’d let him know when the story was up.

I just wanted to say that I’m very grateful that Khalil was willing to meet up with me so I had a chance to interview him. When I listened to his work- I was moved by his courage and his willingness to discuss matters that are very close to his heart in not only his poems, but also in our interview. I’ll be honest- I was completely honored that he was willing to sit down with him and talk. I’m actually hoping that he feels that this interview is doing him justice.

Unfortunately I’m going to have to wrap this post up. Before I do, I would like to thank my readers and the time they take to read the posts. I also want to thank all the followers of this blog on Facebook and Instagram. All of your support is much appreciated.

There are still many stories to tell. Be sure to keep checking back for more. If you have any feedback, positive or negative- it’s much appreciated. Don’t be afraid to let me know. Until next time, catch you all later!