In a recent interview with Marc Maron, director Barry Jenkins offered a few insights into the collision between fact, fiction, and truth: There was an article that come out about this textbook [which was] telling kids, high school students, that the American slave trade was a system of conscripted labor… And I thought about thatContinue reading “fact, fiction, and truth”
Category Archives: film
perfect isn’t perfect
I’ve been trying to get the blood to flow back into my life lately. The last year has left me feeling a bit numb, due simply to the fact the chances for magic and synchronicity are severely diminished when you can’t leave your apartment. I’ve been trying to open myself to chances for life toContinue reading “perfect isn’t perfect”
a tiny reminder
Despair is easy. Hope is much harder, but also more rewarding. I find the best way to hope is to look down at where I’m standing, then look up at the sky. I try to savor the now of it all, although I’m not always great at this. (I suppose that’s why they call itContinue reading “a tiny reminder”
farmers, pirates, and Anthony Bourdain
I went to see Morgan Neville’s Roadrunner: A Film about Anthony Bourdain this weekend. Twice. Perhaps it’s the season of life in which I find myself, but Bourdain’s story resonated with me on a level that summoned a deep discomfort. The film paints a portrait of Bourdain as a contradictory soul–a man in search ofContinue reading “farmers, pirates, and Anthony Bourdain”
assembling yourself
I’m slowly nibbling my way through Mark Harris’s new book, Mike Nichols: A Life, an account of the late film director’s life and career. There’s a whole slew of things I didn’t know about Nichols, from the circumstances of his childhood as a Jew fleeing Germany in the late 30s to the heights of hisContinue reading “assembling yourself”
every song ever
It occurred to me yesterday how much we’ve lost in regards to the experience of the media we consume. As a teenager, there was something special about sitting in my car and peeling back the plastic on that new CD, leafing through the liner notes, slotting the disc into the player, and hearing the openingContinue reading “every song ever”
gorging on forbidden fruit
In this age of colossal cinematic crossovers (thing such as The Avengers or Godzilla vs. Kong), perhaps the one that beats all the others is Austin Kleon’s appearance on Andy J. Pizza’s Creative Pep Talk. In a conversation that ranges from setting creative rules for yourself to following your disgust, my favorite bit came asContinue reading “gorging on forbidden fruit”
the importance of public space
I recently watch The Last Blockbuster on Netflix, which was both magnificent and a little bit sad. But more than anything, it made me think a lot about Jenny Odell’s reflections on public spaces in her book, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy. Odell writes, “True public spaces, the most obvious examples beingContinue reading “the importance of public space”
“nobody wants authenticity”
When discussing art or music, there’s always a lot of talk about authenticity, a word used to describe something that orbits the truth. The problem is, the word itself has been corrupted. Artists and creative people spend so much time chasing the idea of authenticity, they make the mistake of conflating truth with reality. NoneContinue reading ““nobody wants authenticity””
“introduce a little anarchy”
Leading up to the election last November, I put in the work. I made phone calls, I wrote letters to family and friends whose opinions differed from my own. I even coordinated volunteers for a local city council race. But on election day itself, I handed out salmon hot dogs at the polls. If youContinue reading ““introduce a little anarchy””
