2023 · Growing · 2023
Our screenplay takes its audience on a journey of cyclical uncertainty, regret, and hope, using the Zeitmann lineage as a vehicle to bring the philosophy of agency and morality into question. The screenplay begins with Sebastian, the eldest Zeitmann, setting off a chain of events that transport us into the later events of the tale. Sebastian’s son, Leo, is the second in the lineage, and his life is defined by a mistake his father made when operating on him as a child. This mistake in Sebastian’s brain operation on his son inadvertently gifts and curses Leo with the power to have visions of the future, adding another dimension to our questioning of agency and morality. Read More ›
2023 · Honoring · 2023
I grew up in Sonora, México, a small, but warm town in the middle of the desert. I decided to use the Sonoran Chamaleon as the driver of my comic because it is endemic to the region, an animal that I used to play with growing up. The cemetery is the comic’s setting because of death's beauty in my country’s culture, but also because of the prominence of unjust death in US-Mexican border communities. Murders at the hands of organized crime and femicides are too common, and I wanted my comic to make readers reflect on these injustices while finding comfort in Alicia and Felipe’s friendship in the afterlife, as my culture so beautifully does. Read More ›
2023 · Reconnecting · 2023
The first collage juxtaposes glittering shards of ice pushed into peaks against each other by wind and waves from the frozen surface of Lake Michigan, and the shards of terracotta ceramic vessels in a pile of broken discards saved for mosaic or landfill, highlighting the opposed and shared temporalities between these two materials. The second collage brings together thunderstorm clouds and the reflection of blue sky in a creek, blending two contrasting elements of a summer weather cycle I experienced growing up outside of Chicago to stretch out one breezy afternoon moment. Read More ›
2023 · Persevering · 2023
My poem 'Triolet to Mother [Earth]' explores the nuances of motherhood and maternity, and its relationship with the earth, by delving into the image of and meaning associated with touch in a classical French poetry form. My poem also examines the notion of physical exchange and generational translation through cycles of inherited violence. Read More ›
2023 · Honoring · 2023
My poetry is about life and nature and it might help that I like to people-watch and meditate. These poems are a form of meditation for me, to reflect and stand still as I try to make sense of the things I see in the world around me. “Billy Baila Bonito” was written in the Spanish Poetry Workshop class taught by Professor Cintia Santana. It was inspired by my salsero friend, Billy, who dances so well, beautifully, and rhythmically that I had to write about it. “Oda a la hoja de palma” is another creation that came from my workshop class when we were assigned to write a poem on something other than paper. My last poem, “Piñata Song” was written in high school and was inspired by my family’s journey across the border. The candy is meant to symbolize my cousins and me, who have benefited from the opportunities of having citizenship in this country. I would not be here without it and I am forever grateful. Thank you. Read More ›