![]() ![]() You have a fantastic animator on board in David Polonsky (lead animator for the award-winning Waltz with Bashir). sexual abuse) along with the more lyrical moments as well. We also thought it would allow for more palatable ways of illustrating some of the more graphic and painful moments in the story (i.e. This seemed like a better idea, rather than having to cast an adult Sugar and then a different actress for the child Sugar etc. When the idea of animation came up we all thought that could be a really interesting approach because it would give us more freedom to move in and out of different time frames, different locations and different stories. And within that story there are often flashbacks from Sugar’s past, and then perhaps an anecdote from Sugar’s present, and then an anecdote that brings the story back around to the questioner’s particular dilemma. Then within that frame there’s a story within a story that Sugar tells to the questioner. First there’s the framing device of the question and answer format. They responded to the material immediately, so once they were on board we all started brainstorming about what form and style would best serve the tone, the honesty, and the poetry of “The Baby Bird.” The thing about all of these columns is that the narrative isn’t simple or linear. I gave the book Tiny Beautiful Things, which is a collection of many of the “Dear Sugar” columns, to the amazingly talented writers (and, I might add, amazingly lovely human beings as well) Mark V. How did the idea for the project evolve into an animated short film instead of live action? In frustration, the questioner asks, “WTF, WTF, WTF”? After a revealing reply that includes a traumatic story from her own past, Sugar ends her retort with the simple and bold statement, The Fuck is your Life. Also, “The Baby Bird” contains what is still one of my favorite responses to a question. But more importantly, after reading all the “Dear Sugar” columns, all of which are powerful and special in their own way, I really felt like “Baby Bird” completely captured the core essence of Sugar’s voice and outlook on life – which to me is that at any given moment life is both beautiful and tragic, but if one wants to live in a fully human way, one has to embrace it all, taking both the positive and negative experiences in one’s life and using them to fuel one’s drive to achieve, to love, and to live life to its fullest potential. “The Baby Bird” is one of the shorter columns so it seemed like a good choice for that reason. Animation is expensive, especially the specific kind of stylized animation I wanted to do. The first consideration was just a practical one. Once I made the decision to turn one into a short film, “ The Baby Bird” column stood out to me as a strong choice for a couple of reasons. Very early on I really felt like any one of the columns would make a great short film because each of them tells a complete and contained story unto itself. Was there one in particular that made you think: “This has to be a short film”? I know you felt connected to Dear Sugar’s direct-but-kindly responses, as so many readers did, before conceiving of this project. I recently spoke with Bellomo about her own Strayed moment as well as her campaign to animate “Dear Sugar.” Bellomo’s taken to Kickstarter this week to help fund the project. Olsen ( Big Love), Will Scheffer ( Big Love), and, as the voice of Dear Sugar, Alex Borstein ( MADtv, Family Guy). Bellomo’s team includes David Polonsky ( Waltz With Bashir), Mark V. Wild will be making its big-screen debut in December with Reese Witherspoon in the lead, and producer Lisa Bellomo ( How to Kill Your Neighbor’s Dog, Love in the Time of Money) has plans to render “Dear Sugar’s” anecdotes and wisdoms, chronicled as well in Strayed’s collection Tiny Beautiful Things, in animated short film. And Strayed’s circle of influence is rapidly widening as a result. It’s a quote I’d passed along to my creative nonfiction students one semester with my demure modification, “write like a mother fudgsicle.” But that’s what poises Strayed’s work for maximum impact. ![]() ![]() Do you think miners stand around all day talking about how hard it is to mine for coal? They do not. “Writing is hard for every last one of us-straight white men included. For me, it would have to be this “Dear Sugar” response: It seems everyone I encounter in literary circles has had a Cheryl Strayed moment, a moment in which something Strayed has written, as the author of Wild or as The Rumpus’ dispenser of hard truths – “Dear Sugar,” has deeply resonated.
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