Writing Philosophy
“The freedom to imagine that as yet unimaginable work in front of others, moving them to still more action you can’t imagine, that is the point of writing, to me. You may think it is humility to imagine your work doesn’t matter. It isn’t. Much the way you don’t know what a writer will go on to write, you don’t know what a reader, having read you, will do.”
Alexander Chee, 2018
This quote resonates with me as I think of my own aspirations for writing.
On one end of the spectrum, are efforts sprinkled in cities and neighborhoods in isolation, attempts to tackle issues of inequality and social justice that have the potential to scale significantly, but not presently getting much attention. I research those, bring them to the forefront and emphasize their transformational potential. On the other end, are new ideologies and frameworks that can facilitate understanding of ongoing societal practices and phenomenon. I hypothesize about them, draw conclusions and share my lessons learned to audiences beyond me.
Some days, I am challenged by the desire to cultivate an empathetic society.
On others, I am drawn to the act of expressing myself through the process of writing, partake in its pure joy or heal from it.
Publications and Readings
Cult-Like, Lit Crawl (Pop-up Literary Event in San Francisco), October 2024
My Transit Dance Rhythms, Panorama, July 2024
This is the Mall, Secret Nook Experiential Reading Series, Oakland, June 2024
Better Buses Needed in Bayview-Hunters Point, Streetsblog SF, March 2023 (co-authored)
A robust transit system in the Bayview-Hunters Point is needed to sustain community self-reliance and agency, San Francisco Transit Riders Blog, March 2023 (co-authored)
Dream States, Lit Crawl (Pop-up Literary Event in San Francisco), October 2022
The Possibility of an Audacious Promise—of Scale and of Racial Equity—in Biden’s Infrastructure Plan, Shelterforce, July 2021 (co-authored)
Bay Area Polling Confirms: Voters Prefer Progressive Funding for Transportation, Next City, June 2020 (co-authored)
How can we fund our transportation investments equitably?, Silicon Valley Community Foundation Blog, December 2019 (co-authored)
Commentary: Super Commuting and the Last-Mile Conundrum, Streetsblog, November 2019
Creative Placemaking in San Francisco and Seattle. Democratic and/or Inclusive?, Progressive City, February 2019
Seattle Takes Ownership of Its Displacement Challenge, Shelterforce, July 2018
And while more people have come, they haven’t displaced the homeless, Institute of Place Management Blog, April 2018