• Heartbreak Feels Good in a Place Like This (read here)
”Nicole Kidman utters this iconic line in a now-cult promotional video for the AMC Theatres movie house chain, but it came especially strongly to mind upon my recent forays experiencing live music after two years into an ongoing pandemic.”

• The Griefcase (read here)
”I look so much like him at this angle… I see his round nose and crinkled eyes and even the shape of our teeth that look the same.”

• Stockholm Syndrome (read here)
”Hollywood is the sexiest, most important place to make a living, as it never tires of reminding us. And I am its conflicted hostage.”

• A Tale of Two Tattoos (read here)
”…That’s when I again found myself in a tattoo parlor, this time to commemorate internal change instead of attempt to effect it.”

• Modern Loss: The GOP Won’t Stop Texting My Dead Dad (read here)
”My father died before the pandemic and the campaign’s fever pitch. Now, every political ping reminds me of the first time we were truly divided.”

• From Then to Now (read here)
”Have we grown? Are we getting better? Do we have more accomplishments to celebrate? Or are we simply ten years older, with nothing of substance to show for it?”

• Philip R. Spada, 1942–2019 (read here)
Possibly the most important piece of writing I’ll ever do, memorializing my father in his obituary for the Los Angeles Times.

• Kinetic Energy (read here)
”The desert had never looked so verdant, its green film mocking the drought that had reigned for months before this unprecedented springtime growth. We drove away from the city, seeking a new experience, but finding memories. We were unprepared.”

• Rebuttals (read here)
”Things You Are Supposed To Do…”

• Mother’s Day (read here)
”I definitely thought I’d already have kids by now. I assumed I’d make them with my own body and the body of the person I’d want to spend the rest of my life with. I assumed a lot of things.”

• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and the Resurrection and Redemption of our Fathers (read here)
This essay contains spoilers for the last two episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

• “Reservoir Horses” (read here)
Essay on the 1956 film The Killing for Bright Wall/Dark Room’s Stanley Kubrick week.

• “Don’t Think About It” (read here)
Essay on Drake Doremus’ 2011 film Like Crazy, for the online film magazine Bright Wall/Dark Room.

• “When I Grow Up” (read here)
Essay on Michael Apted’s Up series of documentaries for Bright Wall/Dark Room.

• “What is a Monster?” (read here)
Essay on Tod Browning’s 1932 film Freaks for Bright Wall/Dark Room’s Halloween week.

• “The End of Main Street is Just the Beginning Again” (read here)
Essay on Gary Ross’ 1998 film Pleasantville for Bright Wall/Dark Room’s Time Travel week.

• “How About Thinking People Should Accept Me for Who I Am Without My Having to Change?” (read here)
Essay on the 1997–2002 series Daria for Bright Wall/Dark Room’s TV month.

• “If You Fail Gym, You’ll Never Get Into College” (read here)
Essay on Raja Gosnell’s 1999 film Never Been Kissed for Bright Wall/Dark Room.

• The WIF #VoteForWomen Ballot
What if this were what an awards season ballot looked like? Read about the campaign in The Los Angeles Times, Deadline, and TheWrap (1)(2).

• Dispatches from the 2019 WIFTI Summit (read here)
Delegates from chapters of WIFTI—Women in Film and Television International—gathered for their biennial summit, held in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand alongside The Power of Inclusion: a two-day conference focusing on issues of representation and equality in the global entertainment industry.

• Not Just a Drill (read here)
This week began, as so many have, with the queasy combination of feelings that follow the news of mass casualty events. Fear, grief, and anger. The fury of being heartbroken for the dozens of people whose lives were taken by gunmen motivated by white nationalist violence.

• Tempo Scaduto (read here)
The line-up has been announced for the 76th Venice International Film Festival. The event has historically underrepresented female directors, and of the 21 films in competition this year, only two are helmed by women.

• Tonight’s the Night! (read here)
This is my first year on the WIF team, and I’ve been impressed time and time again by the passion and dedication of our staff and Board, Members, and supporters. At the Gala, I’m looking forward to witnessing a celebration of so many efforts to create a better industry that tells stories enjoyed by people all around the world.

• Reflecting on the 91st Academy Awards (read here)
This past weekend’s Academy Awards made headlines for celebrating the most female nominees in the event’s history, and for recognizing the talent of diverse women in front of and behind the camera.

• The Making of #TEDTalkGorilla (read here)
Zola’s enthusiastic dancing and the attention it garnered was just a warm-up for the trending topic that would blow up just a few days later, with the Los Angeles Zoo’s western lowland gorilla Kelly at the center.

• Developing a New Brew, Gorilla-Style (read here)
Animal Keeper Tania Prebble had laid out a variety of grains, fruits, and vegetables, any of which could be used as an ingredient in a special L.A. Zoo Brew. Soon, Hasani the western lowland gorilla would pick his favorites, which would serve as the basis for the unique beer’s recipe.

• Zoohackathon 2018 (explore)
I was honored to participate in the 3rd annual Zoohackathon to address the wildlife trafficking crisis. My team built Remote Ranger from the ground up. By teaching simple robotics engineering to school children, our project would connect young people in parts of the world not directly affected by wildlife trafficking with the anti-poaching rangers and their communities in situ.

• Laughs for Giraffes (read here)
The 2nd annual Laughs for Giraffes fundraiser took place at Flappers Comedy Club, organized by the Los Angeles chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers. The revelers raised $2,500 for the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

• Explore: Threatened Species (read here)
Your hometown zoo is a conservation leader that commits expertise, technology, and funds to help save species every day—like the ones you’ll see if you follow this pathway through the Zoo.

• New in the Zoo: Binturongs (read here)
You may smell these animals before you see them. Among the binturongs' unique adaptations is the uncanny similarity between the odor emitted by their scent glands and the smell of buttered popcorn!

• Explore: Baja California (read here)
Separated from the mainland of Mexico by the Gulf of California and the Colorado River, the peninsula boasts gorgeous coastline, rugged mountain ranges, and rocky desert. Next time you visit the Zoo, follow this roadmap to spot the diverse community of animals and plants that originate in this unique biome.