Film Reviews:
As someone that loves movies, I find it a fun project to notate my thoughts on films. While they are not always the most formal, they are always fun to write. Check out what I write on films of all kinds on my letterboxd account below.
The Marriage Interview:
I was contracted to write a short film script for Dhade & Associates, PC in order to help them promote their immigration services. They provided a story premise and an early draft of a script to get me started. From there, I did research on immigration law and practices in order to try to capture their intended tone. They wanted to show the kinds of terrible situations that can happen if one comes unprepared to their immigration meeting. A real life horror movie of a sort. From all this, I wrote a twelve page script that they were happy with and eventually made.
Click HERE to read the script, or watch final product below.
Father: a collection of poems (Excerpt)
The following poems were written for my capstone course in the writing major at Grand Valley. The aim of the assignment was to take a piece of our writing and to remix it into a new genre. The original piece that I adapted was my short film "Father," a story about a hesitant young man having to take care of his dying uncle, a catholic priest. The aim of the poems was to hit the same emotional beats of the story, while fitting into the conventions of the poetry genre.
Familiarity
The scratching of the trampled carpet against my shoes,
the burnt dust from the radiator,
the echoing of my mother’s voice off the faded door as it closes.
It is still all the
same.
The heavy space behind my eyelids,
the snot-tear drip scratching my throat,
the oak alter preaching before the empty chairs,
It is all the
same.
the snot-tear drip scratching my throat,
the oak alter preaching before the empty chairs,
It is all the
same.
The chandelier with fake candles,
the suit with his very genuine sympathy,
my mother’s labored replies.
It’s all the
same.
the suit with his very genuine sympathy,
my mother’s labored replies.
It’s all the
same.
The salesmanship for silk linings and brass accents,
the promises of forever,
the truisms old.
All the
same.
the promises of forever,
the truisms old.
All the
same.
The signature on the check,
the tear wet handshake,
the winter draft
breaking the silence.
The
same.
the tear wet handshake,
the winter draft
breaking the silence.
The
same.
Anger,
lump in my chest
confusion,
salted cheeks,
same.
lump in my chest
confusion,
salted cheeks,
same.
Only
the
name
is not.
the
name
is not.
Answers
How am I supposed to know where to start reading the Bible from?
It’s all proverbs, and lessons.
What lesson is the right one for the moment?
Where is the legend or key to solve all my problems?
Can I look up hope? Cancer? Death?
Am I supposed to know where to look?
I open to a random page,
find a line about rape and blaming the women
for not breaking the silence conveniently.
Is that supposed to make me feel better?
Is that the lesson I was destined to find?
I open to a random page,
find a line about rape and blaming the women
for not breaking the silence conveniently.
Is that supposed to make me feel better?
Is that the lesson I was destined to find?
I start reading to my Uncle from page one.
That’s where I left off last time
I looked for answers.
I couldn’t find them, there was no key.
Maybe between my Uncle’s labored wheezes
he will impart his priestly wisdom.
Maybe through osmosis.
Maybe he’ll cross his heart,
to the father, the son, and the holy spirit.
That’s where I left off last time
I looked for answers.
I couldn’t find them, there was no key.
Maybe between my Uncle’s labored wheezes
he will impart his priestly wisdom.
Maybe through osmosis.
Maybe he’ll cross his heart,
to the father, the son, and the holy spirit.