Long Beach Indie Digital Edutainment Conference 2014 #Fashion Politics

I was a panel speaker for the Long Beach Digital Edutainment conference. The conference simultaneously focuses on social justice, media, technology, and entertainment. It was one of the most engaging events that I've ever participated in and I felt at home with like minded peers.

I was invited to discuss fashion politics based on my screen play "Harajuku Faux Pas," which is about an African American teenager that dresses in Japanese Goth Lolita attire.

I weighed in on topics that deal with fashion/cultural misappropriation, ethical garment production, and the purpose of fashion as a POC. All of the workshop attendees were encouraged to take their thoughts digitally using the hashtag #LBIDEC.

Dr. Chetachi A. Egwu, Gail Taylor, and my serious panel face.

The root of the picture on the right is actually a funny story. My boyfriend had texted me this right after the panel discussion had ended, and it sort of freaked me out because he wasn't even there, but found it through the hashtag.

I was definitely engaged in the conversation and was thrilled with the attendee participation.  My graduate program was not exactly an environment for meaningful conversation regarding people of color,  and the energy made me included in something that mattered.

My favorite discussion was led by founder of The Unslut Project, Emily Linden. She gave a riveting personal talk about her experience with slut shaming as a preteen. It was a story that deeply resonated with me. With the increasing number of young women committing suicide due to sexual bullying, I found her talk to relevant and inspiring.

According to the website "The UnSlut Project promotes gender equality, sex positivity, and comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education for all ages. This is a collaborative space for sharing stories and creating awareness about sexual bullying, slut shaming, and related issues. "If you get a chance you should check out their website and the trailer for their fully funded documentary is on their site. This is a great conference for educated free thinkers to engage in many socio political conversations that are relevant in our digital age.  It was a honor to be chosen! I had a great time connecting with some awesome women.  Below was the full schedule of the topics covered as well as the esteemed panelists. 

Here are also some videos that I recommended to some of the panelists that were relevant to our panel discussions.

Sewanee Writers Conference 2014 Review

The local reservoir.  Awesome swimming experience! 

If you've never been to a writing conference before this post might bore the hell out you. This is mostly for someone who might find this and want to know more about the Sewanee Writers Conference, because there isn't much from the perspective of the playwriting attendees.

I attended was the Sewanee Writers Conference at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.  The conference is supported by the Tennessee Williams estate, and the town and university prides itself in being somewhat of a writer's colony. I was excited to visit the south, since I'd never been. My only reference to the south is only what I've seen in movies. As usual, I was in love with the accents and the southern hospitality. I've never been to any place so green. There were lush trees and plants everywhere. I also was geeked to see my first firefly! They are everywhere along with the sounds of cicadas in the background.

The conference was twelve days long. Yes you heard that correctly 12 days! The University of the South is located in a remote part of Tennessee where there is nothing but a few businesses around. Nashville is about an hour and half away so I was pretty much on campus for the whole twelve days.

Most of the writers and teachers were esteemed poets and published authors, many of which were SWC alumni. The day itself was about eight hours. There are readings, craft talks, editors panels, and more readings through out the day. In the evening time there would be poetry readings at the pub, trivia, and more drinking at a beautifully restored property called the "French House. " They had a great band playing while writers got to drink and mingle.

The accommodations are mixed. I got to stay in the new dorms that's a bit of treck from a lot of the activities. The mattresses were like sleeping on bricks and coffins. The food however, was really amazing. I never felt hungry or even sober for most of the time I was there. There was plenty of free alcohol for the most part and there's nothing that goes hand and hand like drinking and writing!

Although this is my first conference my experience gave me a lot of good information into what to research for future conferences. This is one of the most esteemed literary events to be accepted to, but I felt that their coordination of the playwriting aspect of the conference fell short. Out of the 20 readings that were TWO stageworks. There was ONE craft talk on playwriting and although she was a playwright and a teacher, she talked about her personal experience about writing an adaptive screenplay in hollywood.  As a playwright attendee, I was so disappointed.

My workshop experience ... was just that- an experience. It wasn't amazing. I met a pool of playwrights who were wonderful and amazing. However, it wasn't the right workshop environment for me. I only got to workshop once out of the twelve days and it wasn't fulfilling. I really enjoyed the one hour talk I had with my teacher and advisor. He gave me a wealth of information and encouragement, as well as solid craft feedback. I know now that there are better conferences for playwrights. I will probably pursue those in the future  but it was a honor to be chosen for Sewanee.

The End. Post Graduate Updates.

Undergraduate/Graduate: Still stressed

So the end happened.  About three months I was honored my degree for an MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage.

My man, my family came to support me in the mean streets of Evanston.  Everyone was happy for me, but I was on the brink of meltdown. Stress has a very debilitating effect on me. If you were to look into my brain under stress you would see countless checklists. In my mind I would be focused one checklist and then three little checklists will pop up.

Then I'll get a phone call, an email, a text. The checklists will all disappear. I lose my place. I take of whatever immediate distraction and then start sorting through the lists in my mind all over again.

I almost didn't make it in the ceremony because I filled out the wrong form. Yes, let me repeat that. I almost didn't walk in my own Masters Graduation ceremony, because I filled out the wrong form. I went to go pick up my graduation tickets. The woman politely informed me that I had not even registered for the ceremony. I was about to collapse on the ground and kick my feet in the air. But I couldn't, this was Northwestern University.  I had to put on my WASP gangster face on and not be affected. I negotiated my ass off and I barely got into the ceremony.

Every day leading up to that day was meltdown central, but I finally I walked across the stage, and looked into the crowd. I was amongst the most elite intellectuals in the nation, and I almost fucked up the most important moment of my graduate school career. However,  I was the happiest that I had ever been when I got my Masters hood put on me. I was meant to be there even if I almost sabotaged it.

I look at my two graduation pictures side by side. They look almost identical despite the fact that there is almost a decade between the two. I went to two colleges that had purple school colors! My parents also have a penchant for fuchsia colored leis. I have the same look of uncertainty and fear. Don't be mistaken though- a lot of interesting and character building crap happened in between. The root of my fear is this- graduate school was the end game for my anxiety and fears in my twenties. Now that it's done and I'm in my thirties- what's next?

I have a large career to look forward to and the steps that I took to get to the first end game now have to be applied to this new one. The end has happened and now I have to move on.