lives in Walnut Creek, CA. Her poems have most recently appeared in Bay Area Seasonal Poet’s Review and in the anthology Fresh Ink VI. She teaches English to second language learners at community and state college level and also loves to paint.

Wednesday Double Feature

"In this poem I revisit a time when going to the movies midweek, during working hours, represented a ritualistic pleasure for me as well as a way to witness the intimate pain and beauty of the characters on a huge screen, and a respite from my own confusion as a young person on my own. It was a way of growing up; I felt a sense of expansion and cleansing after watching films by Bunuel, Malle, Kurusawa, Fellini, Bertolucci, Truffaut, etc.

"I still simultaneously devour films and chocolate, but mostly in the comfort and distractibility of my own living room, where I can rewind, pause, save the ending for another time. If I go out to see a film, the environment is no longer cave-like. It’s a controlled event and people have a hard time letting go of their daily concerns and too often the darkness is disturbed by the light and sound of a mobile device. Just a few decades ago, one had a sense of urgency to circle the date on the calendar, to catch the bus in time, not miss the previews, and pay very close attention."