Raymond K. Wong

A Sense of Direction, by William Ball:

"The most important characteristic of a work of art is unity. The one thing that every work of art has at its center is unity. If it lacks unity, it does not qualify as a work of art. Unity means harmony among the component parts; and the greater the harmony among the component parts, the greater the unity and the greater the art. What we seek are techniques that will increase the harmony among the component parts.

The second characteristic of a work of art is that it reveals Universe. Show business does not have to reveal Universe. It is not required and not expected.... Theater or drama is expected to reveal Universe.

A third thing that art does is awaken the Spirit. Commerce is not expected to awaken Spirit and neither is show business. By awakening the Spirit, we mean that somewhere during the [work] the spectator experiences "The Great Aha!"

There is something else that the work of art ... is expected to have that ... business ... are not necessarily expected to have. That has to do with the revelation of the beauty of humankind... the revelation takes many forms, but one may witness and share the author's vision -- their admiration, awe, and wonder at that beauty -- through a work of art."

Just finished a track of "Something Good" - new Jazz arrangement!! Give it a listen and let me know what you think. Like, forward, share the love!

Thank you much!

Something Good New Jazz arrangement of Something Good (from the musical Sound of Music). Song and Lyrics by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein. New arrangement by Kian Ash. Vocal by Kian Ash.

Both Donna Kaz and Marlee Matlin spoke the truth (very publicly, too) about the abuse (for which Hurt had acknowledged and apologized), healing, moving on. Both are classy enough to not take away his achievements and talent as an actor (they were both obviously in awe with his brilliance) but also not shy away from talking about the abuse and traumas as victims of domestic violence. These are the kind of candy conversations that needs to happen, now and always. Also, it brings to mind that we can still appreciate and respect someone's life's work without excusing them for their on- and off-screen behaviors.

William Hurt’s Former Partner Donna Kaz on Surviving Abuse and Speaking Her Truth (Guest Column) Donna Kaz is a multi-genre writer and the author of “Un/Masked, Memoirs of a Guerrilla Girl On Tour,” which covers her relationship with the late William Hurt and her path to becoming a…

Guess whose movie got a new Blu-Ray treatment???

Often in life we are so busy trying to figure out what we are good at instead of what we are passionate about. In a world full of expectations and criticism and competition, it’s easy for us to focus mostly on being competent and good at something because that increases our chances of survival. But that’s not always a good way to live - that our self worth is so tightly tied to what we do for a living and how good we are at it. More and more I’m interested in figuring out who I am and what I LOVE - even if I’m not (at the moment) good at it. That child-like sense of wonder, of finding out what makes me happy, excited, and want to get up in the morning and do; and who cares if I’m not good at it — that’s what learning and practices are for. If we could all just stop for a moment and connect with our inner children, and allow ourselves to love and play and be bewildered and to fail while doing something we absolutely love….. the world would be a less miserable place than it is now.

At my age, I’m embarking on a new path of training and learning that is at once nerve-wracking and exciting. I have been “out of school” for a while now, so going back to “school” with a bunch of 20-somethings is an interesting and humbling experience. I don’t feel old at any rate. But I am acutely aware that at my age, I still have a lot to learn, and that I got by with a lot of “winging it” and “fake it until you make it.” But now I realize I do need formal training. And practice. KNOWING something is definitely not enough - doing it often, again and again is the key.

What can we do to help people read more? Or is reading, along with going to the theaters or actually calling someone on the phone, a thing only old folks like me would do out of nostalgia or habit?

If Nomadland (2021 Best Picture) is a dreamy/poetic commentary on America's socioeconomic distress (especially among poor white people), then Parasite (2020 Best Picture) and Squid Games would be South Korea's counterpoint about their own socioeconomic distress and disparities. So...it's interesting to note that outside of North America, audiences may not relate to Nomadland the way poor white folks do, but everyone can relate to Parasite and Squid Games. It seems to me that the disparity and distress illustrated by these are more universal than what is considered the "white America" problems. It's something to think about.

It's award season. Being a movie buff as well as an actor/writer/content creator, of course I have been paying attention.

Lately there have been rumbles about Judi Dench's nomination for Best Supporting Actress (for her performance in BELFAST). Remember she won the Oscar for 10 minutes of screen time in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE. Her nomination this year is more controversial because most believe it pushed Caitriona Balfe off the race. Now, let's set aside the fact that Caitriona should have gotten an nomination (she is amazing), and examine this "how can he/she get an award for 10 minutes of screen time" dilemma.

For me -- speaking as a performer as well as behind-the-scene person -- great performances are not limited to time. There is no rule saying a great performance should be over an hour long. Other than Dench herself in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE or BELFAST, Anthony Hopkins, for example, won his first Best Actor Oscar for probably like 30 minutes of screen time in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) - that is significantly shorter than Jodie Foster, who more or less carried the film throughout. However, no one could argue that Hopkins' performance wasn't great and worthy of the award. To that point, I totally admired Dame Judi's performances in both SIL and BELFAST. She was absolutely masterful in both films and I wouldn't be mad if she wins again.

For me, greatness has nothing to do with the length of time, but in its brilliance. In fact, I would say having 10 minutes of screen time and yet having a presence and gravita to command the screen completely is not an easy task. Any good actor could muster a good performance given enough time to develop and sculpt a character. The same is true for other artistic endeavors including writing. Writing a novel is hard but a writer has 400 pages to make it work and it doesn't have to be consistent. But writing a brilliant short story that is tight and amazing is super difficult. I have a lot of respect for any writers who could captivate me and inspire me to be a better writer with just 1000 words. As an improv actor, I know coming up with something brilliant in a matter of 3 minutes (on the spot) to tell a story with a beginning, middle and end is extremely difficult and rare, but it does happen, and when it does, you're in awe of the brilliance and genius in these performances. I think masters such as Dame Judi and Sir Anthony have shown us just that -- however brief it is, brilliance is brilliance, and in fact, much more rare and precious.

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/02/07/get-free-seeds-to-plant-in-your-garden-and-help-save-monarch-butterflies/

Get free seeds to plant in your garden and help save Monarch butterflies In recent years butterfly populations have seen a decline but you can help save them — for free.

Toxic masculinity is on full display - the movie may have been set in 1925, but this topic is more relevant than ever in 2022

https://decider.com/2021/12/03/power-of-the-dog-meaning-homosexuality-masculinity/

‘The Power of the Dog’ Is A Rare Empathetic Study of Toxic Masculinity No one writes lonely men like Jane Campion.

Oscar noms are out. Will comment later but first, rarely would a film win Best Picture without at least a nomination for Editing (if not a win). That leaves only four movies in the running: Don’t Look Up, Dune, King Richard and the Power of the Dog. And after seeing all of them, and when you consider the lack of acting or directing noms, my prediction points to only one option: The Power of the Dog. I’ve seen all of the nominated movies, and I think it’s a race for tPotD to lose: It’s one movie you will keep thinking and talking about it for a while; and albeit set in 1925, the theme of toxic masculinity is so relevant these days.

Some day mine might be banned, too.

Banned Books Week: We defend 30 challenged books including 'Beloved' and '1984' For Banned Books Week, USA TODAY staffers defend some of the most-challenged books and their rightful place in our world.

"Write the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain,
that is uncomfortable. I dare you" she said. "In a world that
entices us to browse through the lives of others to help us
determine how we feel about ourselves, and to in turn feel the
need to be constantly visible, for visibility these days seems to
somehow equate to success. Do not be afraid to disappear,
from it, from us, for a while and see what comes to you in the
silence..”

Michaela Coel

Sent my latest to agent. Wish me luck.

"‘Publishing is xenophobic,’ my agent later explained. ‘You’ll have to play the game to make it.’ And that was the final word."

My friend Sharon Maas (author of many books including The Faraway Girl) wrote this wonderful article. While it focuses on black artists, it is particularly true for all writers of color.

My first book (The Pacific Between) got published because the lead was half-white, and part of the story was set in Los Angeles. But a historical drama/love story set in Southeast Asia with a Chinese-Malaysian lead? My agent warned me: It is a hard sell because the US market is white-dominated. I didn't want to believe it was true. Rejections after rejections later, even by Asian-American editors, I wish I'd understood this without spending the last few years waiting naively for an acceptance. My agent hasn't dropped me yet, because she is a true believer, but there's certain frustration because "I didn't play the game."

Perhaps things are changing now, but not nearly fast enough. may have moved things along for black authors, but Asian writers are still being marginalized especially for stories that don't fit the mold. I hate to want to see this changed by some tragedy like the Atlanta shooting, but it is what it is.

https://www.writing.ie/resources/black-lives-matter-how-publishing-became-a-little-less-white-by-sharon-maas/?fbclid=IwAR3BEH7vdMizLt2MR53jRAqvRNoxHcRTcPVn-R7kM-4a2Tk6nX8Z1Gv15tg

Black Lives Matter: How Publishing became a Little Less White by Sharon Maas The year was 2000. I’d signed with HarperCollins for a second novel, and I’d started writing with great enthusiasm. After a few weeks I sent the first 30,000 words to my editor. ‘Stop!’ she said. ‘…

And... with the additional chapter completed, the book is ready to go.

Raymond K. Wong updated their business hours.

The last 1% is always the hardest. Don't give up.

What the publishing business has taught me over the years is immense patience. sometimes it pays off. sometimes it doesn’t. but it’s something I’m crazy grateful for.

!!!! RELEASE DAY !!!!

Hi there! It's my birthday and it's also my "birth day" as a songwriter/musician. My first album has been officially released under the artist name K-ASH.

Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0mmsIZLGdjK007In0fHo6c

Please make sure you add the album to your playlist(s) and also follow the artist. This would greatly help their algorithms to notice or pick it up.

Thanks!

New music drop today! Please subscribe

https://youtu.be/_kraY1mctmo

Liftoff (Planet Earth from Space) | Music by KASH (c) 2020 Original music and vocal by KASH Planet Earth from Space - footage courtesy of NASA Electronic / Trance / Dance / Ambience

Another original music video drop today!

Dance to the World: https://youtu.be/F_8wpyYWoA4

Dance to the World - KASH (c) 2020 Original music by KASH; Graphics by Phiam

my faith in this beast has been restored but i realize there’s still work to be done. It’s work I can’t wait to get going!

if there’s a book that defines you (who you are as a person or a writer), what is it?

Major plot bunny. You’re welcome

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/17/ghost-ship-mv-alta-washes-ashore-ireland-year-sea-storm-dennis

Ghost ship washes ashore in Ireland after more than a year at sea Public warned away from MV Alta, which ran aground on Cork coast during Storm Dennis

Good storytelling isn’t just about the plot or fantastical elements or huge set pieces or twists - great storytelling is about characters and relations. Plot is only memorable if we care about the characters. that’s why Fleabag is so good. Why Atlanta is so good. Why the earlier Game of Thrones seasons were so good. Why The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is so good. Good writing and good storytelling don’t need $200 million of special effects and production value as long as the plot is organic and logical and we care about what happens to the characters.