Shawn Pierce: Where a pen, some talent and courage can take you – a requiem for Paul Fell

kAm!2F= u6== H2D 2 >2DE6C @7 4@>>F?:42E:?8 E9C@F89 :>286D[ DA64:7:42==J 42CE@@?D[ 7@C >@DE @7 9:D ?62C=J g_ J62CD @? E9:D 62CE9] p?5 x H2D =F4<J 6?@F89 E@ 92G6 H@C<65 4=@D6=J H:E9 9:> 7@C >@DE @7 E96 A2DE ae J62CD[ 96=A:?8 9:> E@ 86E 9:D 42CE@@?D 7C@> E96 A286 E@ E96 4@>AFE6C E@ E96 H@C=5]k^Am

kAmvC@H:?8 FA[ x’5 6?;@J65 C625:?8 !2F=’D 42CE@@?D :? E96 =@42= ?6HDA2A6CD[ D66:?8 9:D wFD<6C 7@@E32== AC65:4E:@? 42CE@@?D[ 2?5 =2E6C[ 9:D wFD<6C}FEK E@@?D] qFE x C62==J =@G65 9:D A@=:E:42= 42CE@@?D[ H96C6 9:D A6CDA64E:G6 H2D D@ @7E6? E96 D2>6 2D >2?J }63C2D<2?D — DEC2:89E7@CH2C5[ 9@?6DE[ H:E9 9F>@C E@ D@7E6? E96 3=@H @7 H92E6G6C C:5:4F=@FD E9:?8 925 ;FDE 92AA6?65] {:EE=6 5:5 x <?@H E96? E92E H6’5 6?5 FA H@C<:?8 E@86E96C 2?5 36:?8 7C:6?5D 7@C 2=>@DE 92=7 @7 >J =:76]k^Am

kAmx? a___[ x H2D E96 49:67 E649?@=@8J 4@?DF=E2?E H@C<:?8 7@C E96 }63C2D<2 !C6DD pDD@4:2E:@?[ 2?5 !2F= H2D E96 42CE@@?:DE 7@C E96 H66<=J “r2A:E@= }6HD %@@?[” 2 762EFC6 96 AC@G:565 E@ E96 ?6HDA2A6CD @7 }63C2D<2[ E9C@F89 E96 !C6DD pDD@4:2E:@?[ 7@C >@C6 E92? b_ J62CD] (6 DECF4< FA 2 7C:6?5D9:A[ 96=A:?8 6249 @E96C :? @FC 3FD:?6DD G6?EFC6D 2?5 H@C<:?8 E@86E96C @? 9:D H63D:E6[ 2?5 =2E6C[ @? D6G6C2= G6CD:@?D @7 9:D s2:=J u6==E@@? ?6HD=6EE6C]k^Am

kAm%9C@F89 2== E92E E:>6[ !2F= H2D E6249:?8 2?5 96=A:?8 @E96CD E@ D66 E96 H@C=5 5:776C6?E=J[ E@ =2F89[ E@ E9:?< 2?5 E@ DE2J 6?82865 :? A@=:E:4D 2E E96 =@42=[ DE2E6[ 7656C2= 2?5 6G6? :?E6C?2E:@?2= =6G6=D] %96 ?F>36C @7 A6@A=6 96 96=A65[ E9C@F89 9:D E6249:?8 42C66C 2?5 E9C@F89 9:D 42CE@@?:?8 42C66C] 2C6 72C E@@ ?F>6C@FD E@ 4@F?E] pD s6??:D s6#@DD6EE[ 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 E96 }63C2D<2 !C6DD pDD@4:2E:@?[ D2:5 E@ >6 C646?E=J[ “,!2F=. 46CE2:?=J 92D D6CG65 H6== E96 4@>>F?:EJ ?6HDA2A6CD @7 }63C2D<2 2?5 E96:C E9@FD2?5D @7 C6256CD 7@C >2?J J62CD — 2? 2>2K:?8 E2=6?E 2?5 A6CDA64E:G6 E92E H:== 36 >:DD65]”k^Am

kAmx7 96 H6C6 C625:?8 E9:D[ !2F= >:89E 49F4<=6 2?5 9F>3=J 2446AE E96 AC2:D6 — 2?5 E96? 96’5 =:<6=J D2J D@>6E9:?8 =:<6[ “s@?’E >2<6 2 3:8 562= @7 :E] tG6CJ3@5J 5:6D] %9:D 92D 366? 2 7F? =:76]” ~C 2D !2F= AFE :E :? 9:D 7:?2= 6>2:= E@ >6[ “xE’D 366? 2 7F? C:56]” pD 92D 366? D@ @7E6? E96 42D6[ x 42?’E C62==J 2C8F6 H:E9 !2F= @? E92E]k^Am

kAm~7 4@FCD6[ 2D 76==@H }63C2D<2?D[ J@FC :?DE:?4E :D =:<6=J E@ ECJ E@ 96=A !2F=’D 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D 2D H6 ECJ E@ 562= H:E9 9:D =@DD] (9:=6 H6 2AAC64:2E6 E96 D6?E:>6?E[ H6 42? 2DDFC6 J@F H6’G6 366? :?DECF4E65 3J !2F= ?@E E@ 5@ 2?JE9:?8 3:8 2E E9:D A@:?E] *@F >:89E D66 2 D:>A=6 @3:EF2CJ :? E96 ?6HDA2A6C 2?5 D@>6 A@DE9F>@FD 9@?@CD[ 3FE ?@E >F49 >@C6 E92? E92E]k^Am

kAm(92E !2F= H@F=5 C2E96C J@F 5@ :D D:>A=6i $E2J 24E:G6 :? E96 A@=:E:4D @7 J@FC 4@>>F?:EJ[ J@FC DE2E6 2?5 J@FC ?2E:@?] $FAA@CE >65:2 J@F 36=:6G6 :?[ :?4=F5:?8 J@FC =@42= ?6HDA2A6C[ J@FC 72G@C:E6 7C66=2?46CD 2?5 6DA64:2==J :?56A6?56?E >65:2[ =:<6 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^%96!@=:E:4Dq2C]4@>Qm%96!@=:E:4Dq2C]4@>k^2m[ >J @H? H66<52J A@=:E:42= ?6HD=6EE6C[ C25:@ D9@H 2?5 A@542DE[ E92E !2F= 6?;@J65 2?5 DF3D4C:365 E@] ~7 4@FCD6[ !2F= H@F=5 H2?E J@F E@ 4@?E:?F6 DFAA@CE:?8 :?56A6?56?E 42CE@@?:DED =:<6 p?? %6=?26D[ y677 z@E6C32[ %@> %@>@CC@H 2?5 r=2J q6??6EE]k^Am

kAmu@C E9@D6 H9@ 2C6 >:DD:?8 !2F=UCDBF@jD 42CE@@?D[ !2F= 2?5 x[ 2=@?8 H:E9 9:D H:76 pC=6?6[ 92G6 2=C625J E2<6? DE6AD E@ >2<6 DFC6 E@ <66A !2F=UCDBF@jD 42CE@@?D C6>2:? @?=:?6 7@C E96 7@C6D6623=6 7FEFC6 2E 9:D H63D:E6 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^!2F=u6==r2CE@@?D]4@>Qm!2F=u6==r2CE@@?D]4@>k^2m[ 2=@?8 H:E9 9:D $F3DE24< D:E6 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^A2F=76==]DF3DE24<]4@>QmA2F=76==]DF3DE24<]4@>k^2m] (6 9:89=J C64@>>6?5 J@F 8@ 324< E9C@F89 9:D 42CE@@? 2C49:G6D 2?5 D92C6 E96 36DE @?6D H:E9 J@FC 7C:6?5D G:2 6>2:= @C @? J@FC D@4:2= >65:2 A=2E7@C>D]k^Am

kAm*@F’== 7:?5 2 DFCAC:D:?8 ?F>36C @7 !2F=’D 42CE@@?D C6>2:? 6G6C8C66?[ H96E96C :E’D 2 42CE@@? 23@FE %CF>A’D xC2? ?F4=62C 562=[ @FC C2G6?@FD\J6E\6>AEJ 4@CA@C2E6 >65:2[ s@?2=5 %CF>A =625:?8 E96 #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ E@ :ED 6?5[ @C 6G6? p>6C:42 36:?8 E@C? 2A2CE 3J E96 A2DE 564256\A=FD @7 @FC A@=:E:4D]k^Am

kAm%96C6 2C6 2=D@ D@>6 42CE@@?D E92E !2F= 925 7:?:D965 3FE ?6G6C 8@E AF3=:D965[ D@ H6’== 36 255:?8 E9@D6 E@ 9:D H63D:E6 D@@?] %96 =@?8\E6C> A=2? :D E@ EC2?D76C 2== @7 !2F=’D 5:8:E2= 2C49:G6D E@ E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 }63C2D<2 2?5 255 E96> E@ 9:D AC:?E65 2C49:G6D[ H9:49 2C6 2=C625J 9@FD65 E96C6] %92E H2J[ 9:D H@C< H:== 36 2446DD:3=6 3J E96 AF3=:4 7@C >2?J J62CD E@ 4@>6]k^Am

kAmw2G:?8 366? 7C:6?5D H:E9 2?5 92G:?8 H@C<65 H:E9 !2F= 2D =@?8 2D x 5:5[ E96C6’D @?6 =2DE E9:?8 !2F= H@F=5 H2?E E@ D2J E@ 2== E9@D6 H9@ 6?;@J65 9:D H@C< 2?5 H6C6 A2CE @7 9:D =:76i “%92?< J@F]”k^Am

kAm!2F= 2=H2JD 4@?D:56C65 9:>D6=7 ;FDE 2?@E96C 8FJ H9@ =:<65 E@ 42CE@@? 2?5 925 D@>6 @A:?:@?D] w6 H2D =F4<J 6?@F89 E@ 4@>6 E@ }63C2D<2[ >66E 2? 2>2K:?8[ D>2CE[ 362FE:7F= H@>2?[ 36 23=6 E@ E6249 A6@A=6 23@FE 2CE 2?5 42CE@@?:?8 2E 8C62E D49@@=D =:<6 !6CF $E2E6 2?5 E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 }63C2D<2[ 2?5 >2<6 9:D =:G:?8 5@:?8 D@>6E9:?8 96 =@G65 2?5 H2D 8C62E 2E — 42CE@@?:?8]k^Am

kAmw6 8@E E@ EC2G6= E96 H@C=5 H:E9 9:D 3C:56[ >2<6 7C:6?5D 7C@> 6G6CJH96C6[ 6?;@J 7@@E32==[ G@==6J32==[ 32D632== 2?5 @E96C DA@CED[ 2D H6== 2D 6?;@J:?8 2CE[ 9:DE@CJ[ =:E6C2EFC6 2?5 >FD:4] x? E96 6?5[ 96 8@E E@ >2<6 2 A@D:E:G6 5:776C6?46 :? E96 =:G6D @7 >:==:@?D E9C@F89 9:D 42CE@@?:?8 2?5 E9C@F89 E96 24E:@?D @7 E96 A6@A=6 H9@ C625 2?5 D92C65 E9@D6 42CE@@?D]k^Am

kAm}@E 325 7@C 2 8FJ H9@ 8C6H FA :? |2DD249FD6EED 2?5 962565 H6DE E@ }63C2D<2 E@ A=2J 4@==686 7@@E32== 2?5 DEF5J 2CE]k^Am

kAmpD !2F= D2:5[ “xE’D 366? 2 7F? C:56]”k^Am

kAmx?5665[ >J 7C:6?5] %92?<D 7@C =6EE:?8 2== @7 FD 4@>6 2=@?8 7@C :E]k^Am