The context to Dune is fairly simple. It’s a sprawling space epic, a science fiction version of Lord of the Rings. But it’s much bigger in scope and scale, and when you give something like this into the capable hands of Denis Villeneuve, a wonderful director, only magic can ensue. Villeneuve proved himself to me […]
WIP’s and Filament Tips
Writing a lot lately, and some different stuff. Different voices, subject matters, etc. Here’s a smattering of things being worked on: Untitled One: dog falls in love with delivery robot Untitled Two: racist teacher hates men in turbans Untitled Three: gay couple adopt in other country Untitled Four: very unexpected quadruplets Untitled Five: the shortest […]
My High School Speech
<<Years later, don’t want to say how many, I was invited to my high school to deliver a talk as part of a panel, on what to do with your life, and how to be. Four people on the panel, including me. I had notes on cue cards, six points that I wanted to get […]
Confessions
Writing is hard. For me, it takes a lot out, because I’m pouring so much energy in. It’s okay to wonder why you’re doing that, when so few people really pay attention. They’re your words, after all. Crafted by you, and yet it seems so irrelevant. I think it’s okay to say that being anonymous […]
Resets
In a language few people speak anymore, there is a word called samsara. Its meaning is uncertain. Some say it is about cycles of repetition. Others associate it with the consequences of actions, leaving an echo through lives that start over and over again, as though there is an etching in the fabric of […]
Em Falls
                      Em falls down all the time. I think of her as clumsy, but I never use that word. She’s on the road, roller blades, and hits a curb. This time, she falls on the grass, and she’s okay, but there are scratches all over her legs and arms from other tumbles. “I […]
Untouchable
This is a serious story. No magic. No unreality. Just human beings in a faraway land, doing the best they can. I remember feeling exhausted when I finished this story. It stays with me. Untouchable
September Story (Pt. II of II)
Strongly recommend reading Pt. I first. This story has a central continuity through both parts.            Ashley has the door locked, the chain on. She sits with the phone in her hand, and thinks about calling 9-1-1, but doesn’t know what she would tell the police. Through the window, she can see the street. […]
September Story (Pt. I of II)
“Who are you?” Ashley asks the computer screen. There is a man in her photo. He’s wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, a white shirt. “I’ve seen you before.” She flips through the photos, to the day after. The man is in another photo, standing in the doorway of a bookshop. He is wearing […]
Obligatory sex scene
The last time I saw Ayeela with a man, he’d had braces and she’d thought you had to grab the boy’s ass when you were kissing. His name had been Riyad, a little Turkish boy who always wore a sweater, and sat on a green couch by the sidewalk. Ayeela and Riyad had […]