Blonde is an ugly movie that aims for art as it debases Marilyn Monroe and strips her of dignity and her voice. — Dear Male Directors, Female trauma is not art. Rape. Abortion. Miscarriage. Pregnancy. Menstruation. Domestic Violence. Non-consensual Sex. Child Abuse. Incest. These are not metaphors or allegories. Or beautifully rendered hallucinations or fantasies. Violence against women and hatred of their bodies leave festering wounds that haunt women who are otherwise brilliant…

Like the Zen practitioner, a writer's life is one of practicing, observing, noticing, creating, and serving. — In the summer of 2018, while trying to heal from a debilitating long-term illness, I spent a week at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, studying Narrative Healing. Chronic Lyme disease had disrupted my productive, busy life and sent me reeling into an abyss of despair…

Americans are fed a daily diet of disaster, tragedy, and scandal. As a parent, I simply do not have the stomach for it. — Note: This essay was originally published in The Freedom Chronicles and was written in the months following September 11, 2001, when every parent seemed to be afraid of everything. The news only seemed to be making things much worse. Unfortunately, with the recent mass shootings in Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde…

A poem to unlock the soul. — I see the world for what it is… so magical and majestic, mysterious and miraculous. But sometimes, the world feels so big and cruel, repugnant and maddening. I love the wondrous people who inhabit this world, but sometimes… I hate them too. I hate their pettiness, and their need to…

On Oscar Night, a Verbal Slap Was Met with a Physical Slap, and a Worldwide Debate Ensued — While we're still reeling from the "slap heard around the world" on Oscar night and debating who was in the wrong, I think it's important to talk about the physical slap and the emotional slap separately. …

Preachy, good intentions are no longer enough when you are co-opting stories about marginalized communities and disempowered identities. — Last year, Sia tried to make a delightful fantasy film about an autistic girl who finds her voice in the world of MUSIC. It was supposed to represent people with disabilities with style, glee, and hope. I half expected it to be our generation’s Tommy. Instead, people hated the film…

In movies, the villain is a big, bad meanie with a badass name. In real life, your biggest foe is often a frightened, wounded, inner child who learned to protect herself by any means possible. — “Our brains are wired for connection, but trauma rewires them for protection. That’s why healthy relationships are difficult for wounded people.” (Ryan North, wordables) Whether in my work (teaching screenwriting) or personal life, I find myself talking a lot about trauma and childhood wounds.

We can’t truly appreciate all we have unless we’ve experienced some degree of suffering, loss, or unease. — The reason I SURVIVED a debilitating chronic illness? PERSISTENCE. Giving up during the battle was never an option. The reason I THRIVED despite chronic illness? Ironically, I learned to throw my hands up in SURRENDER. I had to let go of the life I once had so I could grow…

The impact didn’t kill me, it woke me up — Two years ago, I was at the lowest of lows, otherwise known as ‘rock bottom.’ I had fought through six years of debilitating chronic illness only to have my heart ripped open when my long-term marriage suddenly dissolved before my eyes. I found myself single for the first time in…