
M U S I C A L S
The Ghost Says "Boo"
(with Yan Li)
On Christmas day in 1929, a poor farmer empties his pockets to buy new toys and clothes for his family of nine, treats them to a bountiful holiday feast, and spends the rest of the day murdering each of them, one by one. The Ghost Says "Boo" unpacks the day's events through the eyes of the farm's animals as they explore the complications of extreme wealth disparity, economic oppression, and the inaccessibility of the American Dream.
Salonika
(with Avi Amon)
Salonika, Greece. 1941. The Axis powers move into the city and its Sephardic Jewish population begins to experience a small taste of the very real horrors to come. A young boy and girl escape the tensions and trials of the world around them by disappearing into an absurd, magical realm of make-believe, a world constructed from light, filled with Ottoman shadow puppets and talking animals. Experimenting with traditional Ladino folklore, the mixing of languages, conventions of Turkish storytelling and shadow play, and musical fusions of middle eastern + electronica sounds, Salonika blurs the line between reality and fiction and sheds light on the multiple - and inevitable - ways in which we are all connected through the power of storytelling.
F I L M
Speak Now, Or
(with Kate Thomas)
A struggling New York artist who suffers from Intermittent Explosive Disorder unravels as she plans a high-profile wedding to the man of her dreams, but as his behavior begins to change, she suspects that she is not the only one losing her mind.
N O V E L S
Man v. Machine
(Young Adult)
A teen writer reconciles her love for her father with his problematic career as a fighter pilot in the US Air Force.
This is the Universal Sign for Choking:
"Spit up," "spew," "cough," "hack," "ralph," "barf," "belch," "blam" : there are plenty of words to describe the onset and action of choking, but only one physical sign to signal it. Emily's dog knows that when her best friend crosses both hands over the base of her neck, she's in trouble, no matter the situation. This coming of age story takes them both through all of the moments that choke us up, from near death experiences, to the formation of deep friendships, utter embarrassment, to total helplessness, falling in love, to heavy grief, and a lifetime battle with debilitating eating disorder. This is the Universal Sign for Choking: forces us to acknowledge the devastating reality of growing up in a society where image reigns supreme.