Save The Date: Reading This Sunday At Stories

Hello! I will be reading a piece at Stories this Sunday at 7 PM. I hope to see you there. I will be reading from my totally real memoir about being a former child star who escapes a cult.

So, I Invited You To An Event…FAQ:

Daniel, why should I go to this?

I don’t know really. It’s going to be immersive, I will give you that.

Daniel, is there going to be an after party?

I think people are going to El Prado after. I will probably go.

Daniel, will you buy me a $18 glass of natural wine from El Prado?

Yeah, but it will taste like kombucha.

Daniel, natural wine doesn’t taste like kombucha. It’s just sour sometimes, but not always. You should educate yourself in natural wine. Did you read that PDF about natural wine I sent you?

No, I haven’t read that godforsaken PDF about natural wine. I think it tastes like kombucha and that’s my subjective opinion.

Daniel, why don’t you admit when you’re wrong?

I can totally admit that I’m wrong. I actually do it all the time. Right now I just feel a little attacked because you hijacked this FAQ into making it about the nuances of natural wine and it’s frankly obnoxious and annoying. I don’t like natural wine, you should move on and just back off.

Daniel, I didn’t hijack anything! You’re so aggressive and defensive! You’re always so quick to the play the victim. Why is that?

I don’t know. It started off with a dynamic that began as a child when I was told that I needed growth hormone shots every day to reach a certain height and was taken to the guidance counselor who labeled me ‘complex’ and felt overwhelmed by my fixation with 9/11. After hearing a radio ad for a star factory, I developed an obsessive desire to become famous and signed up for acting classes and then landed a role on the Disney Channel but Hollywood wasn’t what it seemed and next thing you know I am the spokesperson for a radical empathy cult exploiting thousands of people and using my star power to fundraise for museums devoted to historical trauma all across the world. Now that I am out of the cult and back to the regular schedule programming of starring in Sundance faves and LGBTQIAA+ inclusive action films, I am still a little empty and so I channel my obsessive energy into righting my wrongs. I’ve started a YouTube series about why I escaped the cult and I am writing a memoir. I was told that Stories, this bookstore in Echo Park, is where literary bohemians hang out and so I must go there and share this draft and I hope that by using my platform to spread the truth I can stop people from making my mistakes and yes, I’m aware that my platform is very important.

Daniel, wow, thanks for sharing! Is there a time and place where I can learn more about your story and journey?

Yeah! This Sunday at 7 PM at Stories. Bring a friend.