JANUARY
I started the year in Miami Beach with Yilong. I was here doing research for Louis Armstrong and a reading/pre-production for CONFESSIONS OF A COCAINE COWBOY. Yilong was stressed out because of rewrites for JUNE IS THE FIRST FALL and had a skin outbreak. I was rewriting CCC and prepping an outline for the Armstrong musical. Rehearsals for FIRE SEASON were also starting in Seattle. It was a very massive kick-off to the year.
We spent one afternoon walking around on the beach. Otherwise, we wrote by the hotel pool or in the room.
CCC was already going through a rough patch. Well, the rough patch started artistic differences on the creative team.
I’m back in the room on THE GOOD FIGHT as a co-producer. Upon returning to Brooklyn, I go to the Mothership Meditation session organized by David. I bring Yilong with me, who isn’t really feeling it. But I run into Akin Salawu for the first time...in person. He talks about how THE DIAMOND CUTTER helped him. I’m glad I could recommend it.
By the end of the month I was in pre-production meetings for my episode of THE GOOD FIGHT. Brooke Kennedy was directing it. Little did I know that it would be listed by EW as one of the top episodes of the season for all of TV!
I saw NASSIM again because colleague and friend Jonathan Tollins was in it this time.
The writers group started off again. The amount of people showing up is starting to overwhelm the Signature Theatre lobby. We need to change so I start looking around for other places.
FEBRUARY
Geshe Michael Roach came to NYC and brought with him new teachings on Master Kamalashila commentary on THE DIAMOND CUTTER. Truly inspiring and brilliant. I also saw THE SKITTLES PLAY on Broadway. Funniest thing ever. Will Eno is a genius.
I traveled to Seattle to see the world premiere of FIRE SEASON. It rained that weekend...surprise surprise. And Yilong was sick...surprise surprise. But the premiere went really well. Standing ovation. I wish more people could see the show. But it got a fitting introduction to the world thanks to the Emerald Prize and SPT investing in a new play.
MARCH
World premiere of CONFESSIONS OF A COCAINE COWBOY. It was an arduous, torturous journey. It felt like I burned off some heavy black seeds during the process that often saw me in between collaborators who hated each other. The play was a success, but we were mostly miserable. It was one of the most joyless creation processes I've been through in my life...but I was happy about the work we put out there.
After COCAINE COWBOYS got up on its feet, I was focused on the Armstrong musical. Tentatively and terribly titled LOUIS AND THE LADIES, I spent my free time writing out pages of outlines and plot points at the Gaythering and having meetings with Andrew and Christopher.
I met up with Arthur Spector again and he pitched an idea based on a former inmate who becomes a Yale lawyer and has to fight to get his bar license. I’m intrigued. I’m also waiting on a long-time lingering development deal from MRC.
On the same day of meeting Arthur, I was traveling to Medgar Evars College to be on a panel at the National Black Writers’ Conference. Amina Henry and Keith Josef Adkins were also on the panel for a very lively and entertaining hour of conversation.
I also start to look for an apartment. Yilong and I are going to take a leap of faith. This is my first time living with someone.
On the dharma front, I arranged a LHI talk at The Juilliard School. It goes okay, but it feels like something is off. Not as thrilling or compelling as I hoped it would be. But that comes from my own seeds.
APRIL
Wrap party for season 3 of THE GOOD FIGHT. At the same time, Yilong has his play JUNE IS THE FIRST FALL opening in between our birthdays. I met up with Armstrong colalboratos Michael O. Mitchell when Christopher is in town. We both go see him at The Apollo Amateur night, where a soulful violinist wins the evening and the prize.
In mid April, the WGA orders its members to fire their agent. We comply. It’s a mad world, but I’m assured that I’ll be back on THE GOOD FIGHT. And then I’m asked if I want to be on a new show that’s in the pilot pipeline: EVIL. I say ‘yes’ and wait to see if something is going to happen.
By the end of the month, we have secured a Williamsburg apartment through some finagling.
The un-official writers' group moves into the Dramatists Guild, thanks to Tina Fallon.
MAY
EVIL is going to happen. I sign on to be a producer and CBS offers a new type of 12-month deal so that I can work on THE GOOD FIGHT and EVIL. I’ll be paid a minimum. At the same time, the MRC deal falls apart. I’m out $100,000. Not happy. I’m not going to lie, I was very upset with Paradigm and Zack...but time passes. Very upset that the one development deal is something that I set up and that they can’t even close on it. What’s the point of having an agent? Well, oops, we don’t anymore. I fired mine along with 6,000 other writers. And maybe the CBS deal weighs out against this failing.
I go to South Carolina to begin research on a Gullah/Geechie play. I meet the people behind Lean Ensemble, and spend a week on Hilton Head Island. I’m starting to get a sense of the voices and how this play can be done. I don’t want to let down the ancestors and the white board members of Lean. On the last day, we take a boat to the Dafuskie Islands. The history and the place are so rich. I wish I could have spent an entire day of Dafukskie. I take some of the voodoo books from the gift shop near the dock.
I fly back to NYC, change my suitcase and then fly out to LA for a week. It’s more a courtesy visit for me now that I’m locked into a CBS deal, but I do want to see a lot of old friends and colleagues.
I start doing research for a Harry Belafonte musical. I interviewed him twice, read his book, watch his doc. And I’m pitching on a movie for Maven Pics. When I’m in LA I meet with the married director/producer team. We hit it off. They like my pitch. I pitch this again in NYC and then they want to know...can it be a tv show? I told them I can’t do tv, but they said they would keep me in mind.
JUNE
We start EVIL. This is a new situation. A bit unsettling and a bit surprising. There is a brief workshop of the Armstrong musical, A WONDERFUL WORLD. I see BAD FAITH, a new Mike Daisey play and it’s riveting. Yilong has a play in the NQT reading/workshop series...JOKER. I support him. I have another workshop coming up and things are going to be hectic.
JULY
The long workshop for A WONDERFUL WORLD begins. At the same time I’ve agreed to a museum project research on domestic violence for a piece in San Francisco. And I have a reading of my WILLIAM DALE play at Theatreworks in Hartford, CT. Leif comes in while Yilong is in China. He stays with me for that week working on the Armstrong play, going with me to CT, and also helping out with the museum project.
A lot of things are happening this month. It’s overwhelming I never want to be this busy. It’s not enjoyable but exhausting. Every day is filled with something. It’s a struggle to keep my head above the surfeit of commitments.
AUGUST
The musical workshop ends at the start of August with a public reading. The actors are amazing. The crowd loves them and the story. Success and now time to rewrite.
I participate in the Harlem 48 Hr Festival and get to write RAINBOW for 3 funny black actresses. I finish my first episode of EVIL by the end of the month.
SEPTEMBER
Start of THE GOOD FIGHT and I’ll still be on EVIL until the end of the season while popping in upstairs to TGF. The first episode of EVIL comes out on TV. Trump impeachment inquiry is announced and approved. I decided to try the ridiculously expensive ASKA restaurant in Brooklyn.
OCTOBER
EVIL and TGF writers go apple picking upstate. Yilong is away during this time. It feels weird sleeping without him in the bed, even though we’ve only been living together for a few months. I get a second episode of EVIL. SCORE!! I’m excited about getting this done before the Thanksgiving break. I turn in a draft by the end of the month. This is the the start of the two-shows at the same time period.
EVIL gets picked up for a second season but also our first season is shortened to 13 episodes...two less than planned. I think the Kings wanted it so they could avoid losing their mind with YOUR HONOR being filmed and THE GOOD FIGHT consuming so much time.
I turn in the first act of the Belafonte musical amidst all this and a new outline for the South Carolina project.
NOVEMBER
I’m in preproduction for my second episode of EVIL and our room ends early. We were ahead of schedule the entire season and finished a month ahead of the calendar. That means I’m able to switch over to THE GOOD FIGHT quicker. But I’m still on EVIL for some stuff and on-set for another episode. It’s a bit exhilarating to go back and forth between two highly intelligent shows and great writers’ rooms.
DECEMBER
We do another polish on A WONDERFUL WORLD, secure an amazing team of designers and choreographer. At the same time I’m writing outline material for OJ play at Miami New Drama and start writing Gullah Geechie play.
The Dramatists Guild Writers is now at over 100 members, and about 20-30 ppl attending each meeting. We gave over $1000 in donations to other orgs this year. We are moving forward.
I started the year in Miami Beach with Yilong. I was here doing research for Louis Armstrong and a reading/pre-production for CONFESSIONS OF A COCAINE COWBOY. Yilong was stressed out because of rewrites for JUNE IS THE FIRST FALL and had a skin outbreak. I was rewriting CCC and prepping an outline for the Armstrong musical. Rehearsals for FIRE SEASON were also starting in Seattle. It was a very massive kick-off to the year.
We spent one afternoon walking around on the beach. Otherwise, we wrote by the hotel pool or in the room.
CCC was already going through a rough patch. Well, the rough patch started artistic differences on the creative team.
I’m back in the room on THE GOOD FIGHT as a co-producer. Upon returning to Brooklyn, I go to the Mothership Meditation session organized by David. I bring Yilong with me, who isn’t really feeling it. But I run into Akin Salawu for the first time...in person. He talks about how THE DIAMOND CUTTER helped him. I’m glad I could recommend it.
By the end of the month I was in pre-production meetings for my episode of THE GOOD FIGHT. Brooke Kennedy was directing it. Little did I know that it would be listed by EW as one of the top episodes of the season for all of TV!
I saw NASSIM again because colleague and friend Jonathan Tollins was in it this time.
The writers group started off again. The amount of people showing up is starting to overwhelm the Signature Theatre lobby. We need to change so I start looking around for other places.
FEBRUARY
Geshe Michael Roach came to NYC and brought with him new teachings on Master Kamalashila commentary on THE DIAMOND CUTTER. Truly inspiring and brilliant. I also saw THE SKITTLES PLAY on Broadway. Funniest thing ever. Will Eno is a genius.
I traveled to Seattle to see the world premiere of FIRE SEASON. It rained that weekend...surprise surprise. And Yilong was sick...surprise surprise. But the premiere went really well. Standing ovation. I wish more people could see the show. But it got a fitting introduction to the world thanks to the Emerald Prize and SPT investing in a new play.
MARCH
World premiere of CONFESSIONS OF A COCAINE COWBOY. It was an arduous, torturous journey. It felt like I burned off some heavy black seeds during the process that often saw me in between collaborators who hated each other. The play was a success, but we were mostly miserable. It was one of the most joyless creation processes I've been through in my life...but I was happy about the work we put out there.
After COCAINE COWBOYS got up on its feet, I was focused on the Armstrong musical. Tentatively and terribly titled LOUIS AND THE LADIES, I spent my free time writing out pages of outlines and plot points at the Gaythering and having meetings with Andrew and Christopher.
I met up with Arthur Spector again and he pitched an idea based on a former inmate who becomes a Yale lawyer and has to fight to get his bar license. I’m intrigued. I’m also waiting on a long-time lingering development deal from MRC.
On the same day of meeting Arthur, I was traveling to Medgar Evars College to be on a panel at the National Black Writers’ Conference. Amina Henry and Keith Josef Adkins were also on the panel for a very lively and entertaining hour of conversation.
I also start to look for an apartment. Yilong and I are going to take a leap of faith. This is my first time living with someone.
On the dharma front, I arranged a LHI talk at The Juilliard School. It goes okay, but it feels like something is off. Not as thrilling or compelling as I hoped it would be. But that comes from my own seeds.
APRIL
Wrap party for season 3 of THE GOOD FIGHT. At the same time, Yilong has his play JUNE IS THE FIRST FALL opening in between our birthdays. I met up with Armstrong colalboratos Michael O. Mitchell when Christopher is in town. We both go see him at The Apollo Amateur night, where a soulful violinist wins the evening and the prize.
In mid April, the WGA orders its members to fire their agent. We comply. It’s a mad world, but I’m assured that I’ll be back on THE GOOD FIGHT. And then I’m asked if I want to be on a new show that’s in the pilot pipeline: EVIL. I say ‘yes’ and wait to see if something is going to happen.
By the end of the month, we have secured a Williamsburg apartment through some finagling.
The un-official writers' group moves into the Dramatists Guild, thanks to Tina Fallon.
MAY
EVIL is going to happen. I sign on to be a producer and CBS offers a new type of 12-month deal so that I can work on THE GOOD FIGHT and EVIL. I’ll be paid a minimum. At the same time, the MRC deal falls apart. I’m out $100,000. Not happy. I’m not going to lie, I was very upset with Paradigm and Zack...but time passes. Very upset that the one development deal is something that I set up and that they can’t even close on it. What’s the point of having an agent? Well, oops, we don’t anymore. I fired mine along with 6,000 other writers. And maybe the CBS deal weighs out against this failing.
I go to South Carolina to begin research on a Gullah/Geechie play. I meet the people behind Lean Ensemble, and spend a week on Hilton Head Island. I’m starting to get a sense of the voices and how this play can be done. I don’t want to let down the ancestors and the white board members of Lean. On the last day, we take a boat to the Dafuskie Islands. The history and the place are so rich. I wish I could have spent an entire day of Dafukskie. I take some of the voodoo books from the gift shop near the dock.
I fly back to NYC, change my suitcase and then fly out to LA for a week. It’s more a courtesy visit for me now that I’m locked into a CBS deal, but I do want to see a lot of old friends and colleagues.
I start doing research for a Harry Belafonte musical. I interviewed him twice, read his book, watch his doc. And I’m pitching on a movie for Maven Pics. When I’m in LA I meet with the married director/producer team. We hit it off. They like my pitch. I pitch this again in NYC and then they want to know...can it be a tv show? I told them I can’t do tv, but they said they would keep me in mind.
JUNE
We start EVIL. This is a new situation. A bit unsettling and a bit surprising. There is a brief workshop of the Armstrong musical, A WONDERFUL WORLD. I see BAD FAITH, a new Mike Daisey play and it’s riveting. Yilong has a play in the NQT reading/workshop series...JOKER. I support him. I have another workshop coming up and things are going to be hectic.
JULY
The long workshop for A WONDERFUL WORLD begins. At the same time I’ve agreed to a museum project research on domestic violence for a piece in San Francisco. And I have a reading of my WILLIAM DALE play at Theatreworks in Hartford, CT. Leif comes in while Yilong is in China. He stays with me for that week working on the Armstrong play, going with me to CT, and also helping out with the museum project.
A lot of things are happening this month. It’s overwhelming I never want to be this busy. It’s not enjoyable but exhausting. Every day is filled with something. It’s a struggle to keep my head above the surfeit of commitments.
AUGUST
The musical workshop ends at the start of August with a public reading. The actors are amazing. The crowd loves them and the story. Success and now time to rewrite.
I participate in the Harlem 48 Hr Festival and get to write RAINBOW for 3 funny black actresses. I finish my first episode of EVIL by the end of the month.
SEPTEMBER
Start of THE GOOD FIGHT and I’ll still be on EVIL until the end of the season while popping in upstairs to TGF. The first episode of EVIL comes out on TV. Trump impeachment inquiry is announced and approved. I decided to try the ridiculously expensive ASKA restaurant in Brooklyn.
OCTOBER
EVIL and TGF writers go apple picking upstate. Yilong is away during this time. It feels weird sleeping without him in the bed, even though we’ve only been living together for a few months. I get a second episode of EVIL. SCORE!! I’m excited about getting this done before the Thanksgiving break. I turn in a draft by the end of the month. This is the the start of the two-shows at the same time period.
EVIL gets picked up for a second season but also our first season is shortened to 13 episodes...two less than planned. I think the Kings wanted it so they could avoid losing their mind with YOUR HONOR being filmed and THE GOOD FIGHT consuming so much time.
I turn in the first act of the Belafonte musical amidst all this and a new outline for the South Carolina project.
NOVEMBER
I’m in preproduction for my second episode of EVIL and our room ends early. We were ahead of schedule the entire season and finished a month ahead of the calendar. That means I’m able to switch over to THE GOOD FIGHT quicker. But I’m still on EVIL for some stuff and on-set for another episode. It’s a bit exhilarating to go back and forth between two highly intelligent shows and great writers’ rooms.
DECEMBER
We do another polish on A WONDERFUL WORLD, secure an amazing team of designers and choreographer. At the same time I’m writing outline material for OJ play at Miami New Drama and start writing Gullah Geechie play.
The Dramatists Guild Writers is now at over 100 members, and about 20-30 ppl attending each meeting. We gave over $1000 in donations to other orgs this year. We are moving forward.
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