I just read the memoir Teaching On Borrowed Time by Laurence C. Schwartz, an adjunct at Mercy College in New York City where he teaches speech, and the director of one of my stage plays. It's a journey of a struggling actor who fell into teaching because it was preferable to waiting tables, and chronicles … Continue reading Book Recommendation: Teaching On Borrowed Time
Author: Robert Kirkendall
Writer of fiction and drama, originally from San Jose, California, and currently living in Santa Cruz for the past two plus decades. My style is heightened realism, and my work is focused is on the Bay Area with universal themes. There are many reasons why I write, but the main one is enjoyment. In 2016 I began producing and directing some of my short plays at Community Television of Santa Cruz as live broadcasts. My more recent works are the novel Redwood Summer (a story of 1990 San Jose) and the two act stage play Dermalogic which received a Zoom performance hosted by Theater for the New City's "On the Air" series. Recently I helped to write a screenplay with filmmaker Hilary Davidson called TWENTY for Nineteen85Films, and I've completed a screenplay about a young man's final days in Santa Cruz before he escapes that I've titled Leaving Paradise (it's gained some notice on the Film Freeway). In April 2022 my one act comedy Funhouse was performed live by Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York, and the following September my two act play Electric Serenade was part of Theater for the New City's Dream Up Festival in NYC's Lower East Village.
Click links on menu to peruse my writings.
RIP Al Jaffee
I was a regular consumer of Mad Magazine when I was young and impressionable so when I found out about the passing of legendary Mad illustrator and writer Al Jaffee at the age of 102 I was saddened by his death but also happy that he had such a long and productive life. I loved … Continue reading RIP Al Jaffee
Shakespearean Beer Brands
I get a steady amount of visits on my Shakespearean Porn Titles post, I imagine because it combines two things everybody likes; archaic, stilted language and pornography. Given all this attention I thought I'd carry the Bard theme over to brands of beer. Here's 10 Shakesbeerean brands, feel free to add more in the comments. … Continue reading Shakespearean Beer Brands
TWENTY: Interview With Director Hilary Davidson
The director of the film Twenty, Hilary Davidson, with whom I co-wrote the screenplay, was interviewed last March 13th on KSQD radio. She was on the program Exploring Santa Cruz discussing Twenty with show host Mathilde Rand. Here's link to interview: https://ksqd.org/hilary-davidson-twenty/ For more information on Twenty here's the link: https://nineteen85films.com/twenty/
Fibbing Friday (3/10/23)
(Back to Fibbing Friday prevarication, this one prompted by pensitivity 101. No particular theme, just regular questions and fraudulent answers. Link below.) https://pensitivity101.wordpress.com/2023/03/10/fibbing-friday-10th-march/ What was the first thing you saw when you looked out the window? My evil twin! (Cue scary violin shriek from Psycho) 2. What is your favorite way to prepare hot dogs? … Continue reading Fibbing Friday (3/10/23)
Attempting Iambic Pentameter
I'm writing a new short script for a theater company that's looking for classically written plays. My approach is to rewrite Shakespeare's Twelfth Night into a truncated, eight page (guideline length) play that hits on all the main plot points from the original work in an updated setting but is still written with elevated, classical … Continue reading Attempting Iambic Pentameter
Techwreck
(Short story inspired by a tech rehearsal for my stage play Electric Serenade last September in New York. There were a number of mishaps, and I exaggerated them greatly for artistic and comedic purposes. 1,775 words long.) “So you’re experienced at running tech?” Valerie asked with concern. “Trust me, I’ve been doing this for years,” … Continue reading Techwreck
Twenty: An Update
The independent movie Twenty which I co-wrote with the director Hilary Davidson has filmed some of the scenes last year and is now launching one last fund raising campaign to complete filming later this spring. It's been exciting to watch Twenty grow from a rough draft script into an in production movie project and I'm … Continue reading Twenty: An Update
99 Word Prompt: Optimism
(Had to take part in the Carrot Ranch prompt because optimism is so rife with options on how to tackle the theme. Optimism is a hope bordering on blind faith in the face of the hopeless gloom of reality. Optimism can be a force for uplift but too much can make you not see dangers … Continue reading 99 Word Prompt: Optimism
The Storm Of January ’23
The year 2023 has begun with an atmospheric river slamming the California coast which lead to flooding, mudslides, structural damages, injury, and loss of life. In between these torrents I bicycled around the Santa Cruz area to see the aftermaths. It's like nothing I've ever seen before, and there are more storms on the way … Continue reading The Storm Of January ’23
Robert Kirkendall 