For 6 years, Johnny Frem was the host of “Bolts of Fiction”, a semi-monthly open mike with featured authors at El Cocal Restaurant on Commercial Drive in Vancouver, B.C. He co-founded the Vancouver Story Slam and the House of Fiction novelists’ workshop, both of which are still going strong today. Meanwhile he worked as a roofer for 30 years. Along with the Carnival Band, he produced ten Rooftop Circuses at neighbourhood block parties. He dropped out of college at 17. Upon retiring, he returned to school and at 69, he completed a BFA in Creative Writing at U. Vic, while completing a memoir, Schizophrenia and the Common Cold, about living with schizophrenia for four years as a young man. CLICK HERE to view a sort-of-TEDtalk he gave at an annual mental health event called The Connection Project. His 21-minute talk is from 47:30 to 1:08:30.