[Pause]

In the aftermath of the horrific shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand that have cost the lives of 49 people, I pause today to grieve. My regards to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for being there for her people during this time, and thank you to the New Zealand government for making the quick decision to ban semi-automatic guns – a decision that, for some reason, is up for political debate when it comes to the safety of people here in the U.S.

But of course, that is only a step, for this shooting is evidence of the Islamophobia that is still alive in the world. That in of itself needs to be brought to a definite end, and it starts by being there for our Muslim friends who are hurting right now.

I pause from my weekly blog post today to grieve. My thoughts are with the people of Christchurch.

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Kia kaha Aotearoa. 🇳🇿🖤 Art by @rubyalicerose

A post shared by Lauren Lola (@akolaurenlola) on Mar 15, 2019 at 1:59pm PDT

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Less Talking, More Voting (POLL)

So there’s nothing specific lined up in the ways of topics for this week, which is why I find now to be just as good of a time to bring up this poll again the I originally created back in January.

Thoughts About the Personal Evolving Meaning of a Story

Okay, I know that title sounds like a bit of a mouthful, but let me break it down for you real quick, for I know it is a phenomenon we’ve all experienced.

You know that experience where a story you consume – a book, a song, a movie, etc. – means one thing to you at one point in your life, but later on, you have a new perspective on it? It sounds like one of those things where there’s a word for it outside of the English language. It’s a fascinating phenomenon that is truly universal, and it can come about under a variety of circumstances.

What Did I Miss?: February 2019

Appearances

Lauren Lola | TFCU Spotlight – I am the latest subject for the TFCU Spotlight series, as they give a glimpse at my work and outlook as a writer.

Outlook on the Oscars (From the POV of a Screenwriter)

We are now one day away from the 91st Annual Academy Awards. We’re one day away, and already leading up to it, so much has been going on. It had a host, and then it didn’t have a host (though, in my not so humble opinion, I don’t think it’s a huge loss, for most of the hosts in recent years have been very unfunny). Four of the categories were set to be aired, and then they were only going to be done during the commercial breaks, but there was enough of an uproar to leave it on the air. The Oscars this year are… somewhat less White than previous years, and the woman who created the campaign that I’m referring to, April Reign, will be attending the ceremony for her first time.

Telling My Story for Video: Recommended Viewing

After going back and forth on whether or not this would be too self serving, I ultimately decided to go ahead and make the following video the focus for this month’s Recommended Analyzing piece. For those who don’t know, I am the latest subject for the Spotlight series from TFCU; a branch of The Filipino Channel that focuses its efforts on reaching out to and encouraging Filipino American college students to go after their aspirations and goals in life. In the video, I talk at length about my work as an author, blogger, playwright, and screenwriter.

Looking Back On and Paving Ahead Another Orbit

So this is a first. Sometimes I’ve written right before or after my birthday, but never ON my birthday. Yes, today is my birthday, and much like my blog post from last year, I have thoughts about where I am in life as a writer and as a human.

In Search of an Asian American Outlet (Pt. II)

It has now been about a month since YOMYOMF shut down. While I haven’t devoted a lot of time to looking for a new outlet to contribute to due to other obligations, the little bit of hunting I have done has come up short. There are quite a few Asian American-focused outlets. It’s just that there aren’t a lot of them that offer opportunities for contributors to come and share their thoughts and takes on everything happening within the community.

What Did I Miss?: January 2019

Published Works

Review of Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan – For Goodreads, I give my general impression of this author’s debut novel and how fans of Haruki Murakami’s works will most surely fall into this one.

Review of The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon – For Goodreads, I present my thoughts on this second work by this thoughtful-minded YA author.

Review of Enlightenment by Reno Ursal – For Goodreads, I go over my opinions on this author’s debut novel that mixes Filipino history and folklore with a destiny of epic proportions.

Appearances

To the Cast & Crew of So Weird: Video Celebration – My spoken word piece I wrote and performed for #SoWeird20 is featured in this video compilation. My appearance starts at 7:40.

In the World of Solarpunk: Recommended Reading

With a busy weekend ahead, I figured that now is just as good of a time to bring to you the first Recommended Analyzing piece of the year. While I normally tend to recommend material to check out that came out fairly recently, the article that I will be recommending today was actually published a year ago. It’s just that someone I know brought it to my attention recently, and the content was so captivating, that I knew I had to write something about it.