Two Prose Pieces by Alex Andy Phuong

Cinematic Cinema

People love going to the movies for various reasons. Some like to be entertained while
escaping from the real world for a few hours. Others might enjoy the aesthetics of filmmaking,
and are passionate about the artistic merit put into major motion pictures. Films that usually
achieve timelessness oftentimes have a unique sense of style to them, such as screenplays that
are full of complex explorations of what life really means. Making motion pictures can be
challenging at times because art is very subjective. Everyone also has his or her own opinion
about what makes a great film. In the end, beauty really is within the eye of the beholder
because movies can be good or bad depending on how people choose to view them.

Making a Statement with Statement Magazine

Ever since I was a teenager, I developed love affairs with literature that continue to today
in 2019. Ironically, I did not read that much when I was a child, but became a literary man after
reading Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl. Anne Frank specifically wanted to “live on
after her death,” and that is why her legacy continues to endure through the publication of her
diary. I took English Honors and Advanced Placement English classes all four years of high
school, and I also had to deal with some very tough English teachers. Nevertheless, I offer my
educators my sincerest gratitude because I would not be the writer that I am today if they had not taught me about the beauty of the written world. I was fortunate enough to be a part of Inscape Magazine (and also edit that magazine) when the 2013 edition appeared in print. 2013 was a very special year for me because that was when I had earned my Associate of Arts in English from Pasadena City College, transferred to California State University—Los Angeles, and belted out “Let It Go” thanks to the hugely popular Disney classic Frozen. I was nervous about the
quarter system when I transferred to CSULA, but I somehow earned excellent grades during all
of my college years (and not one “C” at all)!

During my time at CSULA, I was lucky enough to have my final paper from an
American literature course featured in the graduate level publication entitled Significations, but I
could not have any of my creative writing featured in Statement Magazine, which is the literary
magazine that celebrates the artistic merit of the CSULA community. I had actually tried to have
my writing published in Statement Magazine ever since 2013, but at least I am very tenacious
when it comes to submitting original and compelling creative writing. I also learned about
Submittable from other staff members from Statement Magazine, and I am truly thankful for
knowing that submission manager because I AM a writer now because of my publication experiences through volunteer-based reading and editing during my undergraduate career before earning my Bachelor of Arts in English in 2015.

I am now using my writing talents to make the world a better place!