The Cracked Mirror: Masculinity, Identity & Hidden Truths with Gerome Mauricio

In this thought-provoking and deeply unconventional episode of the JDS Podcast, host Joshua Agbontaen sits down with Gerome Mauricio — poet, brevity artist, and author of A Man If West Destiny.Known by some as “The Highway Cipher,” Gerome creates literary work that feels less like traditional storytelling and more like decoding hidden messages beneath modern life. Through precise 101-word pieces, he explores masculinity, identity, desire, struggle, and the contradictions people often avoid confronting.But behind the writing is a deeply personal story…From struggling with communication as a child and relying on his twin brother to translate his “gibberish,” to facing homelessness, injury, and personal collapse later in life, Gerome turned writing into survival — and eventually into art.In this episode, we explore:* Why brevity can sometimes say more than long explanations* Masculinity and modern identity* Writing as therapy and self-discovery* The hidden meanings behind human behavior* Pain, isolation, and creative expression* And why truth often hides beneath discomfortThis is not a surface-level conversation. It’s reflective, raw, symbolic, and designed to make listeners think differently.🔗 Check out Gerome’s book:https://amzn.to/4buu3eF