I'm on a List!

I've long assumed that the only list I'd ever get to be on is the one the government has created of people who whine on the internet about its hegemonic nonsense. But given that said list includes well over half the country (and most of the rest of the world), it's nice to have recently made it onto a much more exclusive list.

That's right, possibly-fictitious-internet-people, the Austin Film Festival has placed me on its list of 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2017. I met a fair-few of the others on that list at AFF last year, and let me tell you they're a fantastic, super-gifted crowd. Check 'em out at THIS LINK.

Arting

I got a little frustrated with a few of the elements in my book of visual art, so I dug back into it yesterday. Mostly just rewriting the prose (no new  visual art), but it looks and reads better now, and should be back up on Amazon in the next few days. For now, you can pick up a copy directly over on CREATESPACE. And if you do (bonus!!) I get a much larger cut of the profits than if you buy from Amazon. Thanks!

photo friday

The little wooden hummingbird I hung outside my window has been caught by vicious spiders and flies no more. Another pointless tragedy.

Ha, ha. Just kidding.

Everybody acts like hummingbirds are the most wonderful birds in the world, but they're terrifying. Imagine the day when the hummingbirds go berserk and decide they want to take our eyes. Could we stop them? Not a chance. They'd blind the world in a matter of hours.

I'm glad the spiders caught this guy. Makes me feel like we have allies.

you have to be a bit mad

A Continuous Shape from Eyes & Ears on Vimeo.

Turkey: Not just a pock-marked wall on the news...

ANATOLIA EXPRESS — Chronicles of Turkey from Stanislas Giroux on Vimeo.

And the Art Shall Make Thee Well...

THE JOHN SHOW from Julie Sokolow on Vimeo.

This is not a Political Post

This small, multicolored spider has strung its web from my still-up Christmas lights to the ivy growing on the outer wall of my home. Spiders perform a vital service, keeping insect populations down. Even without their humanocentric utilitarian purpose, spiders are beautiful and amazing. I could wax eloquent about spiders all night.

Instead, I will just say that life is precious and you shouldn't just kill it because you're stronger, and can. You should care for life, because it is beautiful and it is all we have. 

Insane Times

The most frustrating thing about living in these insane times is the number of lovely, kind-hearted people I know who don't (won't?) see how absolutely nut-bonkers everything has gotten—the degree to which so many good things in this world are under serious threat.

Threat-level awareness hasn't done me any favors, that's for sure.

The first thing I did after the election was get horribly, uselessly depressed. Then I banged out a feature length script called RETAIL, an off-the-wall bit of catharsis that'll pretty much for sure never get made. I felt better while writing it, but it didn't break me out of the question that's been pounding my brain since November, jamming me up creatively: