I’ve got a lot to say about my man’s latest win, which was announced at Nokia Theater yesterday, before the world premier of Despicable Me. (And the news made me celebrate like I’d scored the most elusive of American goals.)
Borderline interesting aside: I had a conversation with Mindy Kayling at the after-party. She’s easily the most self-effacing famous person I ever met. I basically badgered her into admitting she’s a celebrity. That was fun.
Lots to say about the Dock doc, but I’m hella busy trying to land work and deal with daddy duties. Maybe tomorrow. Anyway, the short goes to Jerusalem next, I believe. Thanks for your support, friends, fam and fans!
It came about during the winter of 2008, one Friday afternoon in Echo Park.
If any members of our intrepid media were to ever ask, I’d tell them how the unlikely moving-picture phenomenon of Dock Ellis was born in the dive-y bar Little Joy. There’s more to the story, but that day really put things into motion.
This week, a local news reporter spotted one of the big posters of Dock that Neille Ilel put up for the Los Angeles Film Festival and implied we’re milking the story. Now, admittedly I run the subject into the ground here. Here is where the die-hard fans read though; volume of talk is no issue. The truth is that Dock Ellis & the LSD No-No is far bigger in the world than even I let on.
At this point, when festivals from Mexico and Taiwan and beyond call, I pretty much just murmur: Wow, and then move on. And when members of noisily enthusiastic crowds such as the ones that filled Regal Theater deep in the evenings of Tuesday and last Friday tell me they came out just to see Dock and the folks who brought that narrative into existence, I glad-hand and mingle and try to fill the blanks in their understanding of the man and his bold, inventive story. But I’m not really milking it — though the possibility of such behavior down the road isn’t totally improbable.
There’s something deep at work in the phenomenon of Dock that I’ve not yet put my finger on. Of course I am hip that the short film’s animation and storytelling are as smart and irreverent as it gets. (The effective impact, I’m told, is more like DMT than LSD.) It ain’t just about what me and Neille and No Mas put onscreen. It’s about the viewer. (Humanity has a rich drug life, both prescription and illicit.) And it’s about other media. (The No-No intimates that everything you knew about achievement in sport is wrong.)
I’m on to other projects, which is why this blog suffers so. Can’t wait to get ‘em paid for, can’t wait to make ‘em. Still, The No-No remains close to my heart. As I used to tell Neille when she’d bust me listening to the original audio, over and over again: This is the best I can do; I simply don’t have it in me to do better.
Keep goin’ Dock. You might just move more folks from beyond the grave than you did in your ultra-vivid time on Earth.
Below is the follow to last weekend’s post on my resume’s first page. The idea is that sharing it might lead to — gulp — a regular gig, preferably in Los Angeles.
Found, reported and wrote cutting-edge stories on politics and popular culture, with a focus on hip-hop in Southern California. Co-ordinated the newsweekly’s coverage of local O.J. Simpson trial reaction. Edited union newsletter
March 1994 – November 1994
Reporter, SF Bay Guardian: San Francisco
Covered politics and popular culture, simultaneously writing politics and arts columns for alternative newsweekly. Produced cover stories. Edited calendar listings. Proofread galleys
August 1991 - May 1993
Contributing Editor, Chico News & Review: Chico
Reported on City Hall, oversaw coverage of 1992 elections at local, state and national levels. Coordinated intern program. Edited health & fitness and business sections. Proofread galleys
Summers 1987, 1988, and 1989
Metro Reporting Intern, Fresno Bee, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times
Teaching & Lecturing
September 24, 2009
Instructor, Southern California Writers Conference: Irvine
Taught workshops titled, “Write it Real: Fictionalist Tools for Fabulous Nonfiction” and Putting YOU in Your Memoir” at respected conference
July 2006 to August 2006
Creative Writing Instructor, Glendale Community College: Glendale
Shared approaches for developing and completing individual literary projects, edited students’ raw copy and oversaw re-writes; led discussions of literary works
February 2, 2006
Guest Lecturer, Royce Hall, UCLA: Los Angeles
In 90-minute talk, “The Struggle of the Artist in the Newsroom,” discussed practical strategies for balancing creativity with factual reporting, students’ questions
October 7, 2003
Guest Lecturer (with Spike Jonze), 826 Valencia: San Francisco
In one-hour talk discussed approaches used in developing my memoir Ghetto Celebrity
June 2002 to August 2002
Writing Workshop Coordinator, Arrowhead Group Home: Altadena
Helped at-risk teens complete prose and poetry projects, also shared strategies for consuming print and Internet media; led discussions of literary works
January 31, 2005
Panelist, California State University: Los Angeles
“Race, Gender and Diversity” panel, Los Angeles Student Bookstore (with Jervey Tervalon)
May 23, 2003
Featured Artist and Coordinator, Wet Daddy Literary Festival: Altadena
Hosted and performed readings with Touré, Danyel Smith, Neal Pollack and others
April 17, 2002
Featured Artist, Bergamot Station Arts Center: Santa Monica
Literary reading with Neal Pollack, Jerry Stahl, Luis Alfaro, John Doe and others
July 27, 2001
Featured Artist, Philadelphia Public Library: Philadelphia
McSweeney’s Festival of Literature, Theater and Music, with Zadie Smith, Dave Eggers, Sarah Vowell, Matthew Klam and others
April 9, 2001
Featured Artist, Brattle Theater: Cambridge
Literary reading with Dave Eggers
March 14, 2001
Featured Artist, New School University: New York City
Literary reading with John Hodgman, Dave Eggers and others
On Saturday, my friend Kevin Powell will be in Los Angeles for a major fundraiser on behalf of his Congressional campaign. The event features a hot DJ and Kevin’s friends in high places. Support him if you can. Kevin is as as sincere and smart as anyone I know who would run for public office.
Most pols I know are chickenshit and uncreative. This guy is clever and brave. The Real World and his books are cool. But dude really got me by kicking off the rangy Step into A World with my 1997 essay from Might.
In Oakland, just before midnight on Wednesday, I boarded Greyhound. Amtrak would have taken too long and craigslist’s rideshare section was, for once, not the right fit. By 7 a.m. Thursday I was in North Hollywood. At 9 I was in Silver Lake, first prepping for the cat-sitting gig and next winding down for a nap.
Four hours later Forrest graduated from South Pasadena Middle School. That event felt unnecessary, but in a heart-warming way. And, yes, right away, I’d started dealing with MTA.
Thus far into my extended go-round in Los Angeles, there’s only been one negative experience with public transit. At Vermont/Santa Monica station, I decided to save some time by taking the bullet that is buying a day pass with a $20 bill. Bad, jingly look. Silver dollars are great, but 15 are a pain in the butt. And sixty quarters, which the beat-up ticket machine spat at me were flat-out infuriating.
That sucked. But otherwise MTA has been a very pleasant surprise, especially when compared with BART, which is slow and expensive. More importantly, fewer infamous shootings on LA’s transit system. It got me to LA Live midway through the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ Game 7 win.
Total blast. I had no idea that the celebration had become part of a media kerfuffle until a few days ago. From where I stood — for as long as I stood there — real drama eluded the Staples setting. But I didn’t linger, so I don’t know. My creative partner Neille and I went directly from the periphery of Staples to the main LA Live parking garage rooftop, location of the the Los Angeles International Film Festival’s opening night party.
The festival has, since then, overwhelmed my life. Even Father’s Day is postponed. (My children and I will do it mid-week.)
What’s good at LAFF? Well, The Lucky Ones blew me away. Fantastic editing. The Polish project screened as part of the same Friday night shorts program that showcase Dock Ellis & the LSD No-No. I left that event incredibly concerned about the festival’s high quality shorts competition. I like winning at festivals, but this time… I don’t know. There are many, many insanely artistic and self-contained short films, particularly from outside the U.S.
And late last night I saw Everyday Sunshine, which made me sad and made me start spinning my favorite songs from one of my four or five favorite bands. Most moving was the complex and unresolved third-act reunion between founding bassist Norwood Fisher and guitarist Kendall Jones. Kidnapping charges and mental health crises are difficult to reconcile, even when — especially when — you’re members of a pioneering, fearless rock outfit.
Boy, did I love Fishbone back during the Reagan-Bush years. They gave me lots of hope. If during the Q&A I sounded hostile in shouting “Where’s Fish?” , then I regret that.
Did I mention the request for the Dock short to screen at that Taiwan-based film festival? I have a lot of theories on why that short short is traveling so fantastically well. But I should save that for another conversation.
Enjoy what remains of your weekend. I’m trying to pull myself off the couch and head back down to LA Live. But I’m not certain this can happen. I’m physically toast, plus there’s a radio edit due in less than a day.
Below is page one. If you’d like to see more, drop me an email.
I’m obscuring my phone number.
Thanks for indulging me. I’m trying to get the best job around, right now.
BTW, Dock slayed in the LA Film Festival’s opening night of shorts. Tickets remain, I think, for the second and final screening. That’s on Tuesday. Here is my resume’s first page:
Freelancer: Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Chico
Write, edit, produce and comment on sports, politics, pop and urban culture. American Public Media, NPR, Entrepreneur, TheRoot.com, Los Angeles Times, MarijuanaBusinessReporter.com, Marketplace, Washington Post, Men’s Journal, Tu Ciudad, New Angeles, McSweeney’s, Only A Game, San Francisco Chronicle, Penthouse, Salon.com, The Source, MOLI.com, Vibe, Maxim, Blender, Might, among others
Producer: Los Angeles, New York
Features for public radio’s Weekend America and Only A Game; video production for MediaChannel.org; consultant to Weekend America online editor; co-producer of Dock Ellis and the LSD No-No, a 2010 Sundance Film Festival Honorable Mention and two-time Webby nominee
Author: Los Angeles, New York
Co-author of the non-fiction book Rollin’ with Dre One World/Ballantine; author of Ghetto Celebrity (Crown), a memoir named one of 2003’s Best Books by the San Francisco Chronicle. Anthologies: Seeing and Writing (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000, 2003, 2006); Bronx Biannual (Akashic, 2006); The Cocaine Chronicles (Akashic, 2005); Step Into a World (Wiley, 2000); Shiny Adidas Tracksuits and the Death of Camp (Boulevard, 1998)
Editor: Los Angeles, New York, Fresno, Chico
September 2007 – March 2008
Editor, New Angeles
Edited general interest local magazine. Worked closely with art director, copy editor, writing staff and publisher in producing monthly for 80,000 readers
August 2007 – August 2008
Contributing Editor, MOLI.com
Edited and wrote up to10 blogs per week for Palm Beach-based social networking site, with focus on fitness and popular culture. Responsibilities included photo editing and working with writers and editors. Recognition for SEO initiative
March 2000 – November 2000
Senior Editor, MediaChannel.org
Edited contributing reporters’ and columnists’ copy, wrote story blurbs and produced and hosted video segments for George Soros-funded advocacy journalism website. Contributed commentaries and co-produced video features and virtual roundtable discussions
Reporter: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Fresno, Chico
April 2005 – February 2006
Senior Staff Writer, Los Angeles CityBeat
Provided voluminous reportage and criticism for weekly alternative newspaper. Specialties included City Hall, live music, mass transit, gaming and sports. Guided intern reporting projects, edited freelancer copy and fact-checked galleys
February 1998 - March 2000
Staff Writer, ESPN, The Magazine
As a member of publication’s original writing staff, wrote feature stories on a range of professional sports, with emphasis on off-field activities. Contributed a semi-monthly column about the convergence of sports and pop culture called Something Else.
Apparently, yes. Through the month’s first half I posted with poor frequency and you responded by visiting the site less than any month since last August. I respect that. Now though let me go about winning your affections…
A quick word about where this nearly three-year-old blog is coming
from: I rock out of Los Angeles, city of my children. If this mean and gorgeous
town didn't house my three kids, I'd be out this piece. She's a real
mother for ya. I write about everything, any thing on the planet.
Still, I come back to this town. Sports, Music. Politics. Whatever. Los Angeles
events amaze me, but ultimately I'm not down with the bullshit. (Like
Hollywood Blvd. being shut down the whole damn week of the Oscars; If
the movie biz starts splitting the wealth district-wide, then everyone should
support that industry party.) I'm big on L.A. events: Los Angeles
sports, Los Angeles concerts. I'm L.A. people, but I am fixin' to jet in a
minute.
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