This is an introduction to my next series of blog posts.
In the Spring of 2006 semester at Nassau Community College, I was The Vignette's movie critic. I continued writing reviews when I transferred to Stony Brook University for The Statesman from the Fall of 2006 semester through the Spring of 2008 (including a break while I finished writing my Senior Thesis about remakes).
While attending the University of Miami for graduate school from 2009 to 2011, I didn't write for the school paper because I was too busy writing essays for courses and my Thesis, You Only Live Twice: The Representation of the Afterlife in Film - which was formally published in August 2011 (after an initially failed draft from May that had to be 75% rewritten and 100% restructured - inspired by a book in my closet while packing to return to New York).
From 2012 to 2014, I was writing for my own two separate blogs. One was called You Only Live Twice: Afterlife Cinema as a way to keep building upon my graduate thesis. And the other was on the HubPages.com platform.
Upon taking the paralegal job for the entertainment law firm in Winter of 2015, I took down all of my blog posts to prevent any conflict of interest with the firm's clients. It was heartbreaking but also helped me start this new career chapter with a fresh mindset. And I did not continue writing while working at SAG-AFTRA.
That's 5 1/2 years without writing after having written continuously for 10 years.
When I was let go from my highly-beloved and hard-earned position at SAG-AFTRA on August 5, 2020 because of staff reductions, a bright light in that dark tunnel was realizing I can start writing again! And I did by creating this AJS Entertainment Appreciation Blog in October 2020. It's been even more so personally rewarding this time around.
And now it is August 4, 2021.
I am two days away from my ten year anniversary of publishing my Afterlife thesis (which has been downloaded over 2,600 times!). I am one day away from my one year anniversary of getting that devastating call from HR. And to honor these anniversaries, I will be republishing some of my choice posts from the Afterlife Cinema blog, from the HubPages blog, from my reviews at The Statesman and The Vignette, and for the first time ever to publish not only my undergraduate thesis, Western European Films and Their American Remakes, but also course papers and their grades! Any updates will be noted whether that's related to grammar or opinion.
There is no determined order for republishing posts at this time. But one in particular is set for the morning of August 11th. It will be a paper I wrote for NCC's Film Appreciation Course, taught by Professor Deirdre O'Connor. Because the previous night (Aug. 10th), her first feature film starring the late Danny Aiello will have premiered at the Long Island International Film Expo called, One Moment. Not only did I help judge the festival from 2012 to 2014, but I was the signatory business rep assigned to work with Professor O'Connor through the SAG-AFTRA clearance process. I am incredibly grateful for her class as being one of the main influences of my education and career in entertainment/film criticism. And to be honest, this blog's title of "Appreciation" is part ode to her and that course!
I welcome you to join me along this walk down critical lane!
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