Reviews by Diana

Why I Write Reviews

I have always loved writing, reading books, and binge-viewing cinema, both movies and television.

Cinema is more visual and visceral while books are more conceptual, internal and cerebral, requiring imagining the characters' appearances and voices. And that is why I love reviewing what is on the screen as much as what is on the page.

I have been intoxicated by family sagas for years. I am spellbound by the magical conversations of friends talking about their families' secrets. These stories percolate for me, and family stories are the foundation of some of our most memorable drama.

Buddhist meditation has also become part of my writing process. Meditation unlocks my writing. What is real in my emotional life--my memories, my images as a Zen practitioner—comes to life on the page. To overthink is to destroy. The writing process itself is a letting go: to give myself the permission to speak my truth.

So here are some of my thoughts on books, cinema, and writing.