Beyond the Book: Full Circle
Just the other week I wrapped up coaching Ultimate Frisbee at a Beaver Country Day School. Coaching there is not only a lot of fun but is also deeply meaningful and plays a significant role in my book.
[ press esc to close ]
posts found in this keyword
📖Author 📣Marketer 👨🏽‍💻Technologist
Beyond The Book: Choosing a Masterwork (Part 3)
In my last post, I talked about selecting a Batman movie, The Dark Knight, as the masterwork for my autobiographical novel, Waking From Innocent Dreams. In this post, I will share a few ways that I incorporated this movie and the character of Batman into my book.
Advice to my teenage self
I was only 16 when I met my birth family and didn’t yet understand the long lasting impact that event would have on my life. So, as I look back at the past 20 years or so, I think about what advise I might give my younger self.
Beyond the Book: Choosing a Masterwork (Part 2)
When my editor first suggested using a Batman film as my masterwork, I was intrigued but unsure how I could incorporate it into my work. After all, what does the caped crusader have in common with a journey about getting to know my biological family?
Chapter 2: Reunion
Become an email subscriber to read this chapter.
Chapter 1: Your Family
Dad appears to be lost in thought as he plans out our first day of spring vacation. He scratches his mostly gray beard while scrutinizing a map of local attractions. My brother Derek and I lean on the stone wall outside of the historic Banyan Guest House, waiting to receive the day’s instructions.
Preface
Utterly drained, frustrated, and still fuming, I dump my sports bag by the door and sit down at the kitchen table. I had just returned from my weekly Sunday pickup game of Ultimate Frisbee, where the yellow team had lost 13 to 15. Despite pouring every last bit of energy I had into the game, I
Beyond The Book: Choosing a Masterwork (Part 1)
In the summer of 2019, when I started working with my editor, Rachelle Ramirez, one of our goals was to find a well-established novel, film, or any other story that I could use as a template to help ground my story.
Beyond The Book: A New Series
Welcome to the first post in a series I’m calling "Beyond the Book," where I will give you a peak behind the curtain and provide you a window into my thought process of writing my autobiographical novel, Waking From Innocent Dreams.
Starting the Search: My Advice to Salvadoran Adoptees
I often get asked for advice on searching for your birth family, so I created this page to share all of the information I have on the subject.
So you've set a New Years' resolution, great, but what is your system?
It’s that time of the year again when we all set New Years Resolutions. I wanted to share a different approach to resolutions that works with your brain and doesn’t make you feel like a failure. I discovered this approach a few months ago and have a lot of success using it in my own life.
You are not a failure
Throughout my life I have failed. I have failed so many times, in so many different ways. Often, it seemed like the things that I struggled with came so easily to others. There can be immense pressure to succeed. To live up to the expectations of others and ourselves. Whenever
The Colorful Misfits
These photos first appeared in print as part of the 2015 issue of The Misfit Anythogly. For the magazine I wrote: My favorite type of pictures are ones that reflect the human spirit. I'm always trying to capture a moment in time that speaks to who we are as people.
Taste, execution, and resilience. The three parts, to making your art.
Studying a wide range of artists and entrepreneurs led me to identify three themes that are essential to making “art.” They are taste, execution, and resilience.
Misfit Con: A Home for Dreams, Doers, and Makers
(This essay first appeared as a medium.com post) Memories of summer campI grew up going to summer camp. I went to Camp Frank A. Day as a camper and staff member for 14 years. The summers spent on the shores of Quacumquasitt were some of the best days of
Why you should support (and share) your friend’s work
I noticed something recently. People, for the most part, don’t share their friends’ “work.” By work I don’t mean 9-to-5 day job type stuff, I mean their passion projects. But why is that?
The Paradox of Not, Not Working
I have been thinking a lot about the way we work and what counts as work. You see I've often felt bad or beat myself up about not working hard enough. Not too long ago I realized that there are plenty of times when I'm not actively working, but I'm
Libertad: A song for my birth mother
A song written by my biological father in memory of his wife, and my mother, who died during El Salvador’s civil war. Spanish LrycisCaminastes junto a mi en busca de un mejor destino para ti y lo que viniera de ti Tu pueblo, tu pueblo no conocio tu entrega
15 Years of Anna’s Taqueria
In 2011, one of my favorite restaurants, Anna's Taqueria, held a contest to celebrate its 15th anniversary. The winner received a party catered by Anna's for 50 people. For the contest, I filmed this video, which included many of my friends who I introduced to the restaurant. I promised that