In The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne is technically an innocent man. He did not kill his wife nor her lover who she was cheating with. But as he learns, being technically innocent does not protect you from the indignities, monsters and dumb luck of life – particularly in prison. When Andy first met Red, he […]
Many people think of improvisation as just comedy. That’s understandable based on its popularity and the effect it has on audiences when it’s done well. It looks and feels like a very special kind of magic. But did you know that improvisation has its roots in social work? Viola Spolin applied the form in the […]
You can read the first part of this story here. Frank Darabont opened Darkwoods Productions to have a place to develop his work. He had several projects in consideration at the time, including The Mist. This was just before he discovered the comic book series for The Walking Dead (2005). I began to write to […]
Like many of you, I've been a Stephen King fan and Constant Reader since my first taste. For me it was reading Pet Sematary as a 13-year-old in 1983. While I enjoyed many of the films made from his work, Stand By Me absolutely floored me – and showed the world he was far more than a […]
My dad and I attended what may be our last A’s game at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday, June 9, 2024. It’s not us, it’s them. They’re leaving us at the end of this season because their owner, John Fisher, is an idiot. But that’s not the point – nor is it the whole story. […]
Let’s start here: what if we called Parkinson’s a journey rather than a disease? Defining Parkinson's disease (PD) as a journey immediately gives power and autonomy to the person with PD. It sets one up for an adventure. As opposed to focusing on it as a disease, which can make one feel sick, wounded, infected, less […]
Robert McKee is known as a guru in Hollywood for his ability to break down and rebuild stories. Hollywood bases its entire existence on being able to tell great stories that connect with the audiences. For as much as people complain about the stories that come out of Hollywood being recycled, they seem to miss […]
I’ve spent the last several years listening to stories from the Parkinson’s disease (PD) community. More than just listening, I developed two programs that help people discover, play with and ultimately share their stories. One theme that has been constant is the frustration many people feel when they share they have PD with someone who […]
The following piece was written by BJ “Cecil the Diesel” Bement as part of the Day One: Parkinson’s Prison and the Hero’s Journey to Escape class. How did this happen? How did I get here? David versus Goliath on Court TV? It started with me having to face Senator Grubbman alone. From the outset, it […]
After about 20 years of being out of college, I decided to go back to school to get my master’s in social work. This is so I can do more work helping in the Parkinson’s community. As part of my master’s program, I am currently interning at a low-income senior living facility. We provide social […]
