Ever since the movie Sixth Sense came out, I make it a point to watch every film directed by M. Night Shyamalan. When Signs came out, it was confirmed that M. Night was my new favorite director. But then came Unbreakable, The Village, and Lady in the Water, all of which were disappointing. He triedContinue reading “The Visit”
Category Archives: Art
The Arrival (Of Spring)
I will start this post by saying that I am not an abstract man. When I see a Jackson Pollack painting I think, “Now that is a waste of paint.” When I start a book that jumps between characters and times and uses abnormal punctuation and non-linear story development, I typically quit reading. When IContinue reading “The Arrival (Of Spring)”
Labyrinth
The world of teaching is a labyrinth without any apparent escape… Oh wait, May 18th is the last day of the school year and I am marking the days off the calendar in an obsessive way of escaping this dismal reality. Every day I am here, I praise my fellow teachers who have been hereContinue reading “Labyrinth”
Her: A (Modern) Spike Jonze Love Story
I avoided Her for a number of years for a number of reasons. The first being that I didn’t want to stare at close-up shots of Joaquin Phoenix for two hours, the second being that I don’t really love robot love-stories, the third being that the combination of both of those things made me thinkContinue reading “Her: A (Modern) Spike Jonze Love Story”
Film as Literature
I have done many jobs in my life. From a newspaper delivery boy on rollerblades to licking envelopes for a monthly newsletter; from bussing tables at a busy restaurant to washing dishes; from kicking down doors as an infantryman in Iraq to writing articles as a journalist; from making and selling peanut butter in GuatemalaContinue reading “Film as Literature”
Step Brothers, To Love or To Hate
Step BrothersDirected by: Adam McKay2008 Step Brothers is a movie that people either love or hate. Some may view it as raunchy, loud, crass, and unbelievable. With characters so foolish, disgusting, lazy, and unlovable that we truly hate them. The sets are bland, costumes dull, and props objectionable. There is not much for the eyeContinue reading “Step Brothers, To Love or To Hate”
New Site, New Shop
Dearest Friends and Family, We have stepped outside of our comfort zones and entered the world of Online Stores. We, Secret Garden Alaska, have officially become an online marketplace. We have been brainstorming for the past year where to sell our beaded jewelry, books, handicrafts, dried foodstuffs, and fresh produce and eggs and all roadsContinue reading “New Site, New Shop”
Mama’s Earrings
Our trip to Mexico in January was much needed on so many levels. We soaked in the ocean, baked in the sun, and ate tacos and street-food like Gods and Goddesses. We deepened our friendship with Primrose’s Nana and Bampa, fell deeper in love, and made time to relax and be together. Of course, weContinue reading “Mama’s Earrings”
Time to Pre-Order Warflower
The time has come to pre-order Warflower through either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. (Links provided below) It will be released on June 1st, and I really hope that I don’t die from anxiety in the meantime. I once played guitar and sang songs live on our local radio station, KBBI, and I was prettyContinue reading “Time to Pre-Order Warflower”
Warflower is Done
Fifteen years ago I scribbled the first draft of Warflower from a cabin in the Costa Rican jungle, and I have been slowly tinkering away on it ever since. It was initially written as a way to save my life, to keep me from destroying myself after I was discharged from the Army with aContinue reading “Warflower is Done”