You're Never to Old to be the Person You Were Meant to Be

What an exciting week! Not only that I get the final proofs, and the cover for my novel , Bad Girl Pie, coming out in July 2025, but two of my students are having amazing successes.?

Mario Garcia and the The Release of The Throwback

Mario Garcia is a former student, and we worked on an old script of his that he’d written years before. Then he went off to raise money to produce it, and the film ?was recently released, and has? received much critical acclaim.?

In an interview ?Mario recounts a wild experience: Thirty years ago, he took a date to the Tampa theater to watch a three-hour foreign film, not the best idea for a first date. During the film, he had a vision of himself watching his own movie premiere in the same theater. Thirty years later, he had the great pleasure of sitting in the same seat, watching his own movie premiere as per his vision of the 30 years before! ?Wow.

The Throwback is the story of an overworked supermom (Justina Machado) who suffers a post-traumatic breakdown. ?She reverts to her wild college days, teaming up with the neighbor’s 19-year-old daughter (Michelle Randolph) for some chaotic fun. Meanwhile, her confused husband (Will Sasso) struggles to keep things together at home.

“The Throwback?is a hilarious yet touching story that reminds us how, even as dreams change and paths diverge, the core of family and the power of love remain constant through the ups and downs of life."

Watch the trailer below and the movie can be viewed on Prime Video, Apple TV. Google Play and Vudo.

And in the same theme, my friend, George Pakenham , who is a great writer and tango dancer, has been creating amazing short films about New York City musicians who play in the subways and in our parks.

?The current episode features the Brass Queens an all female brass band that recently won the coveted Best Subway Buskers Award .?

George is also about to complete a novel that he wrote 49 years ago before life got in the way. Woody Allen is reputed to have said, “Life is what happens when you’re trying to make plans." Both of these men persisted in living their dreams. Take inspiration, and never give up! One of the phrases that I live by is “it’s never too late to be the person you were meant to be.”

Read more about Metropolitan Rhapsody in this guest blog from George:

Metropolitan Rhapsody ?

My name is George Pakenham. I have lived in NYC for 45 years on the upper west side.

Year after year, I noticed street, park or subway artists and performers. I ignored them thinking they we NYC oddities.?Seven years ago, I was awakened to their talent. Their exceptionalism. I could no longer ignore them or dismiss them as freakish. And I admired their bravery and the artistic nakedness of their performances.

Each possessed an attractive brand of courage. And in a sense, I wanted to become their advocate.?As a result, I began a campaign to document their pure energy, resilience and talent. I began using my I-phone video app to capture their performances. The more segments I shot the more emboldened I became - getting closer and closer to my subject matter….and most performers did not seem to mind. I felt I was an interloper being allowed access to their unique artistic niche. I named my capturing of these artists Metropolitan Rhapsody .

?I can’t recall the first subject I filmed years ago, but I’m sure the film work was raw and distant. I was too timid to become in close proximity and I was not certain where this process would eventually take me. A bit of a crap shoot. But the more subjects I captured, the bolder I became.

And in time, prior to the launch of volume 1, I engaged a professional film editor to meld the segments together.?A completed and robust volume #1 was a bit shocking. The opus was indeed a rhapsody of underground NYC artists.

My curiosity demanded I create volume #2 ,then #3 , and #4 (private viewing only.)?

And so, today, I’m excited to launch volume #5 . It took a year to compile and edit. Perhaps #5 is the best yet??Throughout the entire 7- year project, I elected to ignore the current trends to use special effects. I ignore the ultra-quick cuts seen in some Tik Tok clips.

With Metropolitan Rhapsody, each segment runs between 10 and 15 seconds long. There is a continuity and consistency regarding the framing of each segment. All horizontal – never a vertical perspective. Each volume runs between 10 and 12 minutes.

?I give each performer…. not less than a 1 dollar donation to their artistry. They are always grateful it seems. Smiles and nods often bounce back to my camera lens.?Welcome to the world of Metropolitan Rhapsody. If you want to be further entertained visit Pakenham Flix on You tube.

The Next Webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, August 21!

In the second session of the Word-of-the-Day webinar held this past Wednesday, we discussed and acknowledged negative emotions originating from past experiences that affect our creativity and productivity.

In part 3 of the Abundance series, we’ll explore how creative expression and storytelling can help us manage negative emotions. And by using the Word-of-the-Day, we can tap into new insights, form solutions, and ultimately cultivate a happier and more abundant mindset!

Register here!

Guest Blog Opportunity ?

Have you used or are you currently using the Word-of-the-Day practice? I'd love to hear your thoughts on how the Word-of-the-Day practice has impacted your writing journey.

Visit the site here to see some fabulous guest blogs.

Submit your guest blog to me at: [email protected]

Here's to your successful writing,

Professor Marilyn Horowitz?