I welcome you into my words. Perhaps you know me personally or have heard of or read my work. Perhaps you have heard me shouting or singing or seen me dancing on the streets. For some reason, we are attracted to each other. I imagine who you are, and you imagine who I am. We have curiosity about a united imagined identity.

I am different, as of course, you are different. But I am different in that I am here exposing both my confidence and stupidity, my shame and my pride, and I plan to do this for as long as I live.

I am a writer.

You may have imagined that I can proclaim a perfection or guide you to some goal (even if it is simply entertainment). I am uncertain whether I can fulfill those expectations, unless, first, you fit into my imagination of who you are.

In order for one to understand and appreciate my stories and musings, one must accept beauty, especially the beauty of tragedy and imperfection. I am an extremely optimistic, positive, and passionate person. As a writer I find beauty in contradiction, beauty even in sin. I am not attempting to elevate crime or ugliness as virtues, but what I write about and what I will continue writing about is the brutal truth embedded inside of us. To tap that source is to stare at the roots of a flower. We never display these roots in a vase. But here I will do just that. Together we will transform our roots into art.

In my writing, I try for the taboo. I attempt to uncover the ugly, heavy stuff. I do not want to typecast it as what it obviously is; I want to assess it honestly and use it as a base for take off. Many gente are consumed by the heavy, so much so that they can no longer see it as anything more than a tremendous weight that pulls them down. Others believe that the hideous should be stereotyped or chained away, as if it is simply a monster.

I battle dragons. And I cannot say I win all the time, and I cannot say that I have repented the beast. But I do believe in a mutual respect, a certain understanding and peace. We all search for these same things. I imagine you a human being with complexity, questioning, and depth. My words pay respect to you because without you, I, these words, we would not exist.

Subscribe to this blog. Take part in this journey, and I will write for me and for us. Together we will dig for beautiful roots.