James Strazza

James Strazza's ability to act on his talent and drive have been sidelined by Severe ME/CFS. Galen is determined to share her son's story, and his relentless struggle to create, in spite of his prison: the bed, the room, and the darkness he has been trapped in since 2019.

MUSIC

Before James became bed bound with Severe ME/CFS, he was a full-time musician and music producer. He composed songs and arrangements for himself and his customers. See below for samples of his earlier music, plus music he composed while sick, which others performed for him, or check out his music on Spotify.

​

POETRY

When James became severely ill and bed bound, and could no longer hold a guitar, sing, or use his computer, he was overwhelmed by his loss. Who was he now? Was he no longer a musician since he couldn't even listen to music, let alone play or sing? Every day for almost a year, living with no creative outlet - a prisoner trapped in a dark room, any sound an assault on his brain - he faced the painful question, Why was he still alive? Desperate to make his trapped life worth living, he discovered the only expression of creativity that he could muster: poetry. It came naturally after years of writing lyrics. He could compose on his phone using talk-to-text. In July, 2020, he wrote his first poem. And they kept coming. He had found something to live for. By October of that year he had written more than 100 poems and Galen published his first book of poetry: Lyrical, Poems that will blow you a kiss or punch you in the stomach.

ART

When James became strong enough to use his iPad, he began to draw. See his artwork below. At Shell-Point.com you can purchase stretched canvas prints of any of his pieces.