You know a series is great when you feel the same or more excitement when watching it a second time around. I had to wait about two years, but Tokens was worth the wait. Winnifred Jong’s Tokens is a masterclass in woke storytelling. As a viewer, Tokens was a fun ride with lots of surprises and instantly lovable characters. Jong’s storytelling is educational without feeling like an afterschool special. As a screenwriter, I was confronted with all the tired tropes that I’d picked up and unintentionally repeating in my work. Rewatching the series was a great study in how to flip the script on race and gender issues without being heavy-handed or preachy. In the eight 5-minute episodes were featured multiple storylines that came together for a fresh and fun viewing experience. I wish there were more Bettys (Shelley Thompson) in the casting world. After watching the series, I daydreamed about how much more exciting the storytelling world would be if there were more diversity in...

I never really won anything cool or was the most popular person. Getting a shot the fourth-grade prize box because I had perfect attendance didn’t count. Any ole Joe can have perfect attendance; you just need parents who ride you and bus drivers who wait when they see you running. One year some colorful plastic strings called Scoubidou appeared on the playground. Rebecca got some while away on vacation and weaved away her recess time. After making the same snide remarks about teenagers playing with string like old women knitting in groups for the thousandth time, Rebecca challenged to stop hating. Making the simple two-strand square was a no-brainer. Same for the two-strand circle. Instead of quipping, the clouds parted in my hater heart and I could feel the glow of this wholesome activity radiating through my body.  My brain screamed: MAKE ALL THE DESIGNS YE WITH GIFTED HANDS! We invested in the string market. Rebecca handled the money bag and individual string sales. I d...

Welcome to 2019. I'm finally getting around to publishing this newsletter on the last day of January; talk about cutting it close. I'm slooowly coming to terms with the idea that 2019 should be about quality, not quantity. In a world where everyone seems to be pumping out content every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, not following suit feel like I'm not a serious artist. The truth is, I don't like noise. I don't like popping up in your inbox just because it's a new month. I don't like having a noisy Twitter crammed with self-promotional tweets. Yes, we need to let the world know that our proverbial tree fell in the woods but it's also cool to be quiet. There's a season for everything and this is my season to work on some larger projects. That said, don't count on having monthly updates this year. Do count on me to support your creative ventures. Holla at me if you want to collaborate. Holla at me if you need a retweet and possibly a donati...

We were originally hyped to see a real Mexican bullfight. I was ready for some Loony Toons level shenanigans. Twenty minutes in, I decided to stop fronting and wear my glasses. My life instantly upgraded to HD vision and I had questions. Who cosigned using the red cloth to hide the stick from the bull? More importantly, who swapped the stick for a big ole sword? Where is PETA? How is everyone so chill watching murder? Roberto, the Liberace-looking bullfighter -- nay, bully -- was out there stabbing Toro whose painful cries we could hear. After watching this senseless torture for over two hours, I was convicted to honor my recently slain friends. I would carry Ferdinand’s spirit with me by eating him.  What? Look, everyone wants their death to have a purpose. If your homeboy was senselessly slain wouldn’t you eat him? No? Well, obviously y'all ain't friends. While I was reverently pourin’ one out for my homie -- by that I mean, drizzling Ferdinand with authentic Mexican s...

This month's newsletter is inspired by my friend and fellow creative living in Chicago, Erisa Apantaku (@erisa_apantaku) . Erisa produces content for some of my fave Chicago media organizations including City Bureau and South Side Weekly. As we break for the holiday season and prepare our resolutions for 2019, I want you to know that I'm alive, making stuff, and ready to collaborate. Holla at me or connect me with anyone interested in producing a play (especially in the Caribbean), publishing short fiction or personal essays, producing video or audio content. Next year, I want to be all about sharing stories. I don't plan on doing as many live storytelling or comedy events, but I'm open to creating stuff for the internet. Know any business owners needing a website upgrade, blog content, newsletters, or press releases? Here's a link to my portfolio and list of services. Well, that's all I gotta say for 2018. See you in the new year and hopefully we...

I have a love-hate relationship with public transportation. As rush hours go, I resigned to being just another sardine the human-sized can. The warning sign reads: don’t lean against the door. The stick figure person's limbs flail precariously. What do you think is worse, falling out while the L is underground and potentially being crushed and zapped or falling from an open, but elevated platform and risking a spinal injury. Freak accidents happen every day; you need to have a plan. My butt was already pressed against the divider near someone’s face when some rando slid their hand in to join the tuna train. Dude, the conductor said there’s another train following immediately. There’s no need to force yourself. (Side eye. Like duh, another one is behind us. That’s how train tracks work, Mrs. Conductor!)  I had to reposition from butt in face to face in a stranger’s neck. What’s worse, trying not to breathe like a creepy stalker into someone’s hair or containing potential fart...

Sooo, I find myself in a bit of a predicament. I want to send 12 newsletters this year but this month I have nothing to say. I thought about doing a year in review or thankful edition but I kinda don't have the energy to put together a 'meaty' letter. So what can I do to keep the train going and provide value? Yuck. 'Provide value'. I could talk about my plans for 2019 but I've found it better and less stressful to share things that have come into fruition vs. prematurely telling you about projects. I thought about dropping links to all the media I consumed this month but meh, I'm tired. So tired I don't even want to proofread this letter. Confession: I haven't washed my hair in over 5 weeks. I'm enjoying one of the best flat irons of my life. Sigh. I haven't been up to much. Just bumming it at home, listening to podcast and audio books, something something. Let's keep this short because that's all I gotta say today. Go...

In case you missed the memo, I am neurotic and obsessive. I keep score of everything. It’s why I remember with such clarity that the Mermaid police snubbed on my birthday way back in kindergarten.  My former roommate, Rebecca’s excessive use of toilet paper pushed me to conduct a series of bathroom experiments. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with that information. Hopefully, finding answers to these personal hygiene questions would help me sleep better at night. There’s something comforting about quantifiable evidence should clapback be needed. Experiment 1: over and under I noticed the toilet paper roll was facing under (behind the roll). Sometimes you’re in a rush and put it the wrong way. I get it. So, I adjusted it for her. They next morning, the roll was back in its original position. Was she intentionally being a bathroom psycho? I check her toothpaste tube. The results were inconclusive. I flipped the roll again just in case I imagined it.  When the TP ret...

Newsletters don't always have to be exclusively about me. October is dedicated to Shouting out friends and their new projects. That's all I gotta say today. Got something I should see or someone I should collaborate with? Email me or shout at me on Twitter . Fangirlin' Just a few of my friends who create dope ish. Spicy Chicken Sandwich - Monthly Comedy Show October 18 (and Every third Thursday) at Under the Gun Theater at 8 PM. Tickets: $5 A very weird, very cool monthly comedy/variety show featuring stand-up, sketches, characters, multimedia presentations, and more! Every show features a new spicy chicken from a local restaurant, for no reason at all. Produced by Robert Flanagan, Chad Weaver, Lucia Whalen , Lily Schulder, and Lyn-Z Harney. Men who break their own hearts (Candice Lola) Excuse me, kind miss, but may I lean on you for the payment of my company on your walk? And because she was taught to be gracious, she allowed it. They walked along the path...

It’s the Sunday night after Thanksgiving. I was in my room sleeping when around 5 am I hear my roommate walk from her bedroom to the bathroom or so I thought. My door was ajar, and I couldn’t fall back asleep until I was sure she was back in her room. I never hear her return to her room. I need to sleep; I can’t stay up monitoring her activity. Suddenly, I hear what can only be described as full-grown grizzly bear mixed with Chubakka snoring. Rebecca, you can't sleep with your door open if you plan to snore like a wildebeest.  A half hour later I hear some stomping. I get that it might be prayer o’clock but it can also be quite an hour?  THUD! Things crash and tumble. That was the last straw; I needed to confront her. But I can’t go out there rolling my neck; she could be hurt. She’s not in the living room. I see a glow coming from the kitchen.  Spotted in the far left corner: Bobby the burglar passed out with the fridge wide open and his belongings sprawled all ...