Writer Who Knows Depression

3rd January 2018

All righty,

Looking at your craigslist ad I can see you’re looking for a writer who knows depression. I have credits as a writer on IMDB and I have been diagnosed with Persistent Recurrent Depression. I also hold a BA in Psychology so you could say I have a good understanding of the condition.

I am on the old side for your criteria given that I’m in my late 30’s and you want a younger man, but I’m told I look young. I have no connection to Portland as your ad mentions as I live in LA.

I think the big question is, ‘what is this for?’ and that would determine if I should be involved. If you’re looking for someone to be on camera I’m not sure that would be me. I can’t see flying up to Oregon to get my face in something, but if your big goal is to have a clear depiction of depression that I can do.

I know a few production folks here in LA but not a group of people who are looking to work for free.

Best,



Richard Leland Neal

Dirt Shower

1^st April 2012

Dear Cassi,

       

My last letter brought to mind an event from my youth when I stunk. I was at Alan’s house and I didn’t like his shower. It was an old thing with smelly water and even after you got the hot water running when you switched the shower head on you got a blast of cold.

       

Now I was young at the time and never thought to just turn the shower on from outside the tub. Then, I was apprehensive about staying at that cockroach infested hole that the old man called home.

       

I wanted to go home. I wanted to go home and sleep in my bed and shower in my shower. I wanted to look out the window and not see chain link fences or broken concrete. That place in the inner city made me feel sick, and my stepmother’s cooking made me feel worse.

       

It was my last day there when my stepmother grabbed me by the arm and shoved me into one of the washrooms and wouldn’t let me out until I cleaned myself. As I have no recollection of being provided a towel or fresh clothes I imagine the shower freshened me for little more than half an hour. Well, I was home by the end of that day, and that made me happy.

Stay clean, little sister

Richard Leland Neal

Tyson on Baseball