barrington99@gmail.com EPISODE 05: “How to Write Your Own Biography”When her best friend is diagnosed with cancer an empty-nester takes a road trip, leaving her husband at home. This past Thursday, I came home to the treat of this copy of Chariton Review in my mailbox. (Lest you be misled by the 2018 date on the cover, … Read more
This past weekend a couple of things happened. The first is that The New York Times published an article based on a new book called The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation. The second is that, in a too-rare attempt to clean documents from my computer’s desktop, I came across a post that I began about a … Read more
A couple years back, I conceived of a series which involved a fair amount of research about clones. I still perk up my ears when I see articles about clone advancements. People have been cloning their pet dogs for several years, but now the the first cat has been cloned. Of particular interest: For their … Read more
It’s a tough time of year. The weather is hot, both in the way that August is always hot and the way that portends the ever-nearing climate apocalypse. The autumn is nigh. In the way that August always precedes the too-fast downhill slope into the holidays and the end of the year. We’re housesitting for … Read more
Beth Ann (not her real name, for privacy) is the homeless lady who lives in our neighborhood. She used to perch on a brick planter near the entrance to the parking lot until the CVS asked her not to sit there as customers didn’t like. Then she moved across the street. And then, when the … Read more
EPISODE 4: “My Panda” Feeling stifled by her household and her giant panda, a woman contemplates escape. I brought this story into a writing workshop early in my MFA experience, and the professor hated it. However, other people encouraged me, and “I” liked it, so I polished and submitted it anyway, and it found a home at … Read more
EPISODE 3: “Monster Leaves Dog”(After the Storms, Part 3) As a long-married couple prepares to part ways, the husband tries to convince his wife to change her mind. This story is the third of three interrelated stories called After the Storms.As with “Room” this story originated with a prompt: Two characters part ways forever. We were … Read more
EPISODE 02: “Tribe” (After the Storms, Part 2) SUMMARY: In a dystopian future, a woman juggles memories of her former life with her growing feelings for someone new as she and her nomadic tribe face a dwindling water supply in the desert. NOTES:This story was first published in an anthology, *Turning Points: Stories About Choice … Read more
The other day, I was asked to give notes on a short script that had an interesting premise and main character and cool settings, but felt lacking in dramatic dramatic tension. In my notes I talked about obstacles and stakes, which are elements that come up commonly enough with clients or students, that I thought … Read more
I made a very short film — under three minutes. THE CHASE stars my niece and nephew, who have both grown much bigger now than when this was shot. I wanted to learn a particular editing program, but my computer wasn’t robust enough for the task, and then other work moved to the front burner, … Read more