1/25/16 review of the film Mustang, dir. by Deniz Gamze Ergüven

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the film Mustang, directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven.

This thread discusses how some of the themes of the film, which was made in Turkey, reminded me of a lot of news stories in America. It also discusses some aspects of the film that seem distinctively Turkish. And it discusses some of my favorite characters and moments in the film.

Here is the link to Cohen Media Group's web page for Mustang.

1/23/16 review of One Colorado's 2016 legislative kickoff

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of One Colorado's 2016 legislative kickoff.

The thread gives a bit of background on One Colorado, which is Colorado's biggest LGBTQ advocacy organization. It then gave summaries of speeches at the event by One Colorado's then Executive Director, Dave Montez, and Colorado State Senators Lucia Guzman and Pat Steadman. It also discusses my having met State Representatives Susan Lontine and Paul Rosenthal, as well as Chris Hansen, who was then a candidate, but then became a State Representative.

Here is the link to One Colorado's website.

1/23/16 review of group show Monumental at RedLine Denver

(Image source: https://hyperallergic.com/283443/dismantling-the-conventions-of-monuments/)

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the Monumental group show at RedLine Contemporary Art Center in Denver, Colorado.

The thread gives a bit of background and context for the exhibit. It then shows pictues of work by Marisa Lerer, F.E. Toan, Daisy Patton, Sarah Fukami, Libby Barbee, and others.

Here is the link to the website for RedLine.

1/23/16 review of Ambassador Dennis Ross talk at WorldDenver

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of a talk Ambassador Dennis Ross gave at WorldDenver in 2016.

The thread gives some background on WorldDenver. It then gives a summary of Ambassador Ross's talk, which was about the United States' relations with Israel and the Middle East. I then had a few questions that I directed to WorldDenver in their thread, per their request to the lecture audience.

Here is the link to the website for WorldDenver.

1/23/16 review of Arvada Center's 2016 Art of the State show

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities' 2016 Art of the State show.

The thread gives a tiny bit of background on the show. It then gives pictures of work by Carla Kappa, Naomi Scheck, Jody Akers, Libby Barbee, Suchitra Mattai, Katie Caron, and Mark Penner-Howell.

Here is the link to the Arvada Center's web page for the 2016 Art of the State show.

1/18/16 review of the film Lamb, dir. by Ross Partridge

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the film Lamb, directed by Ross Partridge.

The thread gives a summary of the film. It mentions that some of the filming took place in Denver. It gives a summary of the characters and character dynamics of the film. It also discusses some of the controversial themes of the film. And it compares the film to some other films I like.

I saw this film at the Denver Film Society's Sie FilmCenter in Denver, Colorado.

1/17/16 review of VSA Colorado art exhibit The Institute for Non-Bizarre Treatement

(Image source: http://www.denverarts.org/local_exhibits/access_the_institute_for_non-bizarre_treatment)

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the VSA Colorado's exhibit The Institute for Non-Bizarre Treatment.

The thread gives some background on VSA Colorado and Access Gallery. It discusses the work of the show's organizer, Trace Tomko. And it gives pictures of work in the show by F.E. Toan, Katie Taft, Robert Treta, and others.

Here is the link to the website for Access Gallery.

1/17/16 review of Bolshoi in Cinema screening of Jewels

Here is the link to my Twitter thread of the Bolshoi Ballet in Cinema's screening of George Ballanchine's ballet Jewels.

The thread gives a background and summary of Ballanchine's ballet. It then gives a bit of background on the Bolshoi's production of the ballet. It discusses the themes, colors, and physicality of the ballet. It also discusses some of my favorite moments and dancers from the ballet.

Here is the link to the Bolshoi Ballet in Cinema website.

I saw this screening at the Denver Film Society's Sie FilmCenter in Denver, Colorado.

1/17/16 review of anime Anthem of the Heart, dir. by Tatsukuki Nagai

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the anime Anthem of the Heart, directed by Tatsukuki Nagai.

The thread gives a quick summary of the film. It then discusses some of the themes of the film. It gives an in-depth description of the form and style of the film, which excited me quite a bit. It discusses some of the imagery I liked in the film. And it relates some of the film's imagery and moments to some other pop culture imagery.

Here is the link to the website for Anthem of the Heart.

I saw this film at the Denver Film Society's Sie FilmCenter in Denver, Colorado.

1/13/16 preview of reading of Ashraf Fayadh's poetry

(Image source: https://www.globalrights.info/2017/01/75775/)

Here is the link to my Twitter thread preview of a reading of Ashraf Fayadh's poetry.

Ashraf Fayadh is a Palestinian poet who was jailed in Saudi Arabia in 2016. The International Literature Festival Berlin staged readings of Fayadh's poetry around the world in solidarity with Fayadh. I had the honor of staging the Denver, Colorado reading. This thread discusses Fayadh's situation as a preview of that reading.

This reading was staged at RedLine Contemporary Art Center in Denver, Colorado.

1/10/16 review of documentary Codegirl, dir. by Lesley Chilcott

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the documentary Codegirl, directed by Lesley Chilcott.

The thread gives some background on the documentary and its subject, the Technovation challenge. It gives a couple of themes from the film. It also discusses some of my favorite teams and individuals in the Technovation challenge. It also discusses what I wish the documentary would have shown more of.

Here is a link to the website for Codegirl.

I actually saw this film at Denver South High School. The school did the film screening as a community event. I thought that was really cool.

1/5/16 review of book The Habit of Love, by Namita Gokhale

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the book The Habit of Love, by Namita Gokhale.

This thread gives a bit of background on how I came to know Gokhale and how I came to read this book. It gives some background on the book itself. It discusses some elements I like in the book. It discusses some of my favorite stories, characters, and character types in the book.

Here is the link to Penguin India's web page for The Habit of Love.

I bought this book while at the Jaipur Literature Festival in Boulder, Colorado.

1/3/16 review of the film Suffragette, dir. by Sarah Gavron

(Image source: https://people.com/celebrity/suffragette-movie-poster-carey-mulligan-meryl-streep-helena-bonham-carter/)

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the film Suffragette, directed by Sarah Gavron.

The thread gives a few points of the film that I liked. It also discusses some of the performances I liked. It also discusses some questions I think the film asks us to think about today... probably, I'll be honest, more so in 2019 than in 2015 and 2016.

Here is the link to Film4's web page for Suffragette.

I saw this film at the Denver Film Society's Sie FilmCenter in Denver, Colorado.

1/3/16 review of documentary Place de la Republique, dir. by Louis Malle

(Image source: https://www.criterionchannel.com/place-de-la-republique)

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the documentary Place de la République, directed by Louis Malle.

This thread gives a summary of the documentary. It discusses the feel and the style of the work. It gives a lot of space to some of the extremely human elements of the documentary. And it discusses my favorite character in the film, the wig-seller, in a bit of depth.

Here is the link to the Criterion Collection's web page for Place de la République.

I saw this film at the Denver Film Society's Sie FilmCenter in Denver, Colorado.

1/3/16 review of Judith Butler's Notes Toward a Performative Theory of Assembly

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of Judith Butler's Notes Toward a Performative Theory of Assembly.

The thread gives a bit of background into how I learned about Judith Butler and Jean Baudrillard. It gives my opinion of Butler's philosophical style. It compares Butler's gender studies with the studies of public assembly that she illustrates in this book. It then gives a basic summary of the ideas Butler expresses in the book. It then outlines a number of different things I like about the book.

Here is the link to the Harvard University Press's page for Notes Toward a Performative Theory of Assembly.

I bought this book at the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado.

1/1/16 discussion of the work of artist Daisy Patton

Here is the link to my Twitter thread discussion of the work of artist Daisy Patton.

Daisy Patton is one of my favorite artists who has spent time in Colorado. The thread is brief. But it gives a good picture of her work and some key points about why I like her.

Here is the link to Daisy Patton's website. I highly recommend you check out her beautiful work.

1/1/16 review of Green Day documentary Heart Like a Hand Grenade

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the Green Day documentary Heart Like a Hand Grenade, directed by John Roecker.

This thread is brief. But it gives some background on the documentary, as well as a couple quick points on why I liked the film.

Here is the link to the Green Day web page where you can buy the film.

I saw this film at the Landmark Chez Artiste Theatre in Denver, Colorado.

1/1/16 review of documentary Frame by Frame, dir. by Alexandra Bombach and Mo Scarpelli

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the film Frame by Frame, directed by Alexandra Bombach and Mo Scarpelli.

Frame by Frame looks at Afghanistan's reconstruction in 2013, through the eyes of photojournalists in the country. My thread is brief, but it gives a few quick points on why I liked the film.

Here is the link to the website for Frame by Frame.

I saw this film at the Denver Film Society's Sie FilmCenter in Denver, Colorado.

1/1/16 review of the documentary A Ballerina's Tale, directed by Nelson George

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the documentary A Ballerina's Tale, about ballerina Misty Copeland, and directed by Nelson George.

This thread is brief. But it gives a few quick points on what I liked about the documentary.

1/1/16 discussion of my relationship with Rule Gallery

Here is the link to a Twitter thread I wrote on New Year's Day, 2016, about how I had gotten involved with Rule Gallery in Denver, Colorado, over the course of 2015.

Even though I no longer really see the folks over at Rule, I do still feel that they are one of the best art galleries in Colorado. Reading this post definitely makes me nostalgic.

Some quick thoughts/Support me on Ko-fi!

It's been a while since I did a quick thoughts post. But I thought this was an appropriate time.

If you like what I do and you would like to support my work, feel free to check out my Ko-fi page, where you can do one-time donations in increments of $3. I might also set up a monthly support page.

Ko-fi support isn't needed. I think of myself as an amateur. So money isn't what I'm looking for when I do my work. But I do like to have it as an option, in case anybody feels like they've gotten value from my work and would like to support it.

Anyway, I have -- I'm pretty sure -- finally finished posting all of my Twitter threads from October of 2012 (when I first joined Twitter) through December of 2015. That means I am starting in on 2016.

The burst of posts I've done over the past couple weeks covers a really rough, yet interesting time in my life.

From 2012 through 2015 I was involved in working with a pretty cool company. I took on more and more responsibility with them.

That really peaked in June of 2015, when the company got bought out. From June of 2015 through November of 2015, things at the company got worse and worse -- for everybody, but especially for me.

By the end of November of 2015, the new management team that had come into power after the buyout hated my guts and had me fired. I honestly think that a lot of the hatred that team had for me spilled out from my professional life onto my social life, kind of making me a targeted person and an outcast in my own community. But it's not really possible for me to prove that.

Anyway, in April of 2015, I started getting involved with Rule Gallery in Denver, Colorado. I was involved with them pretty heavy through the end of 2016, and then less and less, until May of 2017, when I felt really hurt and betrayed by them and stopped talking with them. I really regret having burned that bridge, because I really love the directors of Rule.

During these same months I also finished writing two of my favorite amateur novels: "... or do I?" and Hallowgiving.

I also moved into a place in April of 2015 that I stayed in until April of 2017. You'll notice how often I go to the Denver Film Society's Sie FilmCenter during this time. Well... that was because it was about five blocks from my house.

So this time period was full of activity, excitement, struggle, finished work of my own, and experiences I tweeted about a lot. Hopefully the experiences I had are interesting to you all, as well.

Please enjoy this blog and my Twitter threads. Feedback appreciated.

12/27/15 review of The Danish Girl, directed by Tom Hooper

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the film The Danish Girl, directed by Tom Hooper.

The thread discusses my opinions about the dramatic focus of the film. It discusses some of Eddie Redmayne's roles and possible character preferences. It discusses some of the fashion of the film. I discussed some of my favorite performances. I discuss the use of the female gaze in the film. I also discuss some of the flaws I felt existed with the character portrayals in the film. I also give some pictures of the illustrations made by the actual Gerde Wegener.

I saw The Danish Girl at the Landmark Chez Artiste Theatre in Denver, Colorado.

12/27/15 review of the film Carol, dir. by Todd Haynes

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the film Carol, directed by Todd Haynes.

The thread discusses elements of the filming I thought were beautiful. It discusses elements I liked from the screenplay, which was written by Phyllis Nagy. It discusses aspects I liked in both Cate Blanchett's, Rooney Mara's, and John Magaro's performances.

I saw this film at the Landmark Mayan Theatre in Denver, Colorado.

12/27/15 review of Laurie Anderson's film Heart of a Dog

(Image source: https://www.nonesuch.com/journal/laurie-anderson-film-heart-dog-opens-additional-us-theaters-2015-11-05)

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the Laurie Anderson film Heart of a Dog.

The thread discusses how I learned about and experienced Anderson's work over the years. It discusses the sources Anderson used for the film. It discusses some other works and artists the film reminded me of. And it discusses some of the stylistic elements of the film that I really loved.

Here is the link to Laurie Anderson's web page for Heart of a Dog.

I saw this film at the Denver Film Society's Sie FilmCenter in Denver, Colorado.

12/27/15 review of documentary Hitchcock/Truffaut

(Image source: http://cohenmedia.net/films/hitchcock-truffaut)

Here is the link to my Twitter thread review of the documentary Hitchcock/Truffaut, directed by Kent Jones.

The thread discusses how the documentary contextualizes Hitchcock's and Truffaut's careers. It discussed how Truffaut prepared for his interview with Hitchcock. It discusses a couple ideas from the film. And it discusses a film I'd learned of from the documentary.

Here is the link to the Cohen Media Group's web page for Hitchcock/Truffaut.

I saw this film at the Denver Film Society's Sie FilmCenter in Denver, Colorado.