Adam Daniel Martinez (M.A./MFA ’14)
is not your average wordsmith. He’s used his creative writing dual-graduate degree to create a niche career for himself in music and education, where he is able to use his writing skills combined with his “command of the English language.” During his graduate career at Chapman, Adam wasn’t only churning out compelling written pieces—he was also building his musician identity and rapping career as Faimkills, his alter ego of sorts. While Adam spends his days managing Pour Vida, a literary zine he co-founded with a fellow Chapman graduate, Faimkills writes, records and performs his music, recently releasing an EP. Read on to learn about the fascinating ways Adam uses his creative writing degree.

 

adammartinezchapmanu14


Chapman University graduation

Chapman University
: Tell me about your career. What do you do on a day-to-day basis?

Adam Martinez
: I am a writer and musician working part-time as a youth leader in an after school program. I’m writing new music, submitting poetry or other creative writing pieces to literary journals, managing
Pour Vida
(a literary zine that I founded with my Chapman colleague,
Danny De Maio ’14
), recording, writing treatments, planning shows, managing social media content, rehearsing and lesson-planning on a daily basis.

CU
: How did your music career come about and what’s some of your latest Faimkills news?

AM
: Faimkills is identity I assume when I perform hip-hop music. I’ve been rapping since I was 11 years old, and I began to pursue songwriting and performing at the end of my undergraduate studies in 2008. I was working on building my brand as Faimkills even during my three years in graduate school at Chapman. During that time, I wrote three projects and went on a California-based tour.

Most recently, I’ve moved back to the Inland Empire from Los Angeles to be closer to the collective I’ve been building since music became more than a hobby. I just released an EP called
Manic Pixie Dreams
, and it’s greatly inspired by the film trope, “Manic Pixie Dream Girl.” The EP plays with the notions of gender relations and assumed gender roles, while investigating stereotypes often placed on hip-hop and rappers. It also has a lot to do with how pop culture and media influence the way we date, look for companionship and court one another in our 20s in a digital era.

CU
: What insights do you have to offer current students and alumni who are searching for employment?

AM
: It’s a tough time for employment and it’s been that way for quite some time. I graduated from Chapman with a dual M.A./MFA in English and creative writing, and it’s an ongoing joke to poke fun at English majors, but I beg to differ. Though it can be hard to find work, it takes a lot of trial-and-error to find out where you need to be. Maybe the degree you’re pursuing or have completed isn’t where you were meant to be, and that’s okay. A degree in and of itself is quite an accomplishment and something to be proud of. Hunger is the key. Focus on what you want to try as a career, do research and put yourself in a position to succeed. That means going above and beyond a degree. This world is competitive.

CU
: What advice do you have for current students who want to make the most out of their time at Chapman?

AM
: Networking is crucial. Make new friends, be open to new experiences on campus, go to your professors’ office hours, and really find someone who can act as a mentor for you and guide you where you will need or want to be come graduation day. Not only is this simply beneficial to your future, it also makes you a well-rounded and congenial person. It helps you with confidence, keeps your ego in check, lets you learn to take constructive criticism and be adaptable. These are keywords that employers look for in a potential candidate.

CU
: Which Chapman faculty member(s) made the greatest impact on you and why?

AM
: I had a wonderful experience in the English department at Chapman. I took so much and learned so much from so many professors, but I have to give my gratitude to Dr. Anna Leahy, who served as my thesis advisor and was so gracious and helpful all the way through. Tom Zoellner, also a member of my thesis committee, really turned me on to creative non-fiction, which is really my choice genre when I’m not writing songs or poems. Mark Axelrod was an inspiration. I want to be as cool and knowledgeable as he is down the road. As the director of the John Fowles Center for Creative Writing, he’s hosted so many incredible writers and poets from all around the globe to read and answers questions right on our campus. Lastly, Dr. Jan Osborn and Dr. Brian Glaser were very supportive during my time at Chapman. They both took a chance on me to serve on their respective staff as a creative writing instructor for the Orange High School Young Writers’ Collaborative, and as a writing tutor at Chapman’s Writing Center within the Tutoring, Learning and Testing Center (TLT). Both of these experiences proved invaluable and prepared me for teaching experience in the present, and will be useful in the future.

CU
: How has your Chapman degree helped you in your professional and personal life?

AM
: My degree from Chapman has afforded me opportunities to work in the entertainment industry, where I utilize my writing skills and my command of the English language, and has also allowed me to be a part of the education industry. It has provided me with confidence to pursue endeavors both personal and professional.

CU
: How were you involved on campus during your time as a Chapman student?

AM
: As a graduate student at Chapman University, I was much more open and receptive to new experiences than I was as an undergraduate. I attended many English-related events, such as mixers at the start of fall semester, readings at the Leatherby Libraries, and I always looked forward to the tree-lighting during winter. I was a part of Dr. Jan Osborn’s Young Writer’s Workshop, which was a collaboration between the Fowles Center and students from Orange High School.

CU
: What is your favorite Chapman memory?

AM
: This is a difficult question to answer. I would have to say the thing I miss the most is spending hours studying in Leatherby Libraries. Even if it could be stressful at times, I found peace and felt so productive in that element.

CU
: What was your favorite spot on campus as a student?

AM
: The second floor of the Leatherby and the Halfacre Fountain. I used to love eating my lunch by the fountain even when I didn’t have class.

CU
: Have you been involved with Chapman since graduating?

AM
: I have gone back to visit a handful of times, and still keep in contact with several professors and colleagues that I’d met during my time at Chapman.

CU
: What else would you like to share with the Chapman Family?

AM
: I’m grateful to be a Panther and will always take pride whenever I see or hear about a fellow Chapman graduate doing great things. If there are any writers, poets, illustrators or photographers reading this, please submit your work to a Chapman-founded literary zine called
Pour Vida.
We have a
Facebook page
,
Twitter
,
Instagram
,
Tumblr
and
issuu
. You can submit your work to
pourvidazine@gmail.com

Explore and Connect Further:

You can connect with Adam via email and social media: