University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Coming of age through my eyes

(USC Thesis Other)

Coming of age through my eyes

PDF

Download a page range

Download transcript

Copy asset link

Request this asset

Transcript (if available)

Content

COMING OF AGE THROUGH MY EYES

by

Keith Tyler Reed

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ANNENBERG SCHOOL FOR COMMUNICATION AND
JOURNALISM
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTERS OF ARTS
(SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM – THE ARTS)

May 2020

Copyright 2020 Keith Tyler Reed

ii
Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Tim Page, Keith Plocek and Sasha Anawalt for believing in me
when I needed it the most. I would also like to thank my mother and sister for supporting me and
being there for me. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to get in contact with my father’s
side of the family. Special thanks to Martha Reed for allowing me to finally see my father.

iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements ii
Abstract iv
Filling the Gaps Part 1 1
Filling the Gaps Part 2 5
Mid90s and Eighth Grade 8
Moonlight 12
Conclusion 16
References 18

iv

Abstract

It’s been hard to wrap my head around my recent experience. But to say it simply, I feel
whole. I am no longer in pieces, I am one with myself. The reason I went on this journey to find
my father was to finally make a decision that was solely mine. Much of my life has been my
choice but my father’s death happened before I could even form complex thoughts. I was hard-
pressed to find someone who was in a comparable situation. I wondered how other people had
handled that situation. I saw shy and quiet so I couldn’t ask that many people. So, I turned to
movies. They could say what I wanted to say without me even speaking.

The movies that spoke for me were wide-ranging. But the ones that held a high place in
my mind were coming of age films. They showed people who were my age dealing with big
issues that I had yet to go through. I watched and studied so I would be prepared when my time
came around. The hardest part is the fact that none of them truly resembled my life,
until Moonlight. I’ve thought of coming of age movies as being far from reality. They’ve never
truly resonated with me. Finally seeing my father has allowed me the space to reevaluate the way
that I think about myself and films.

The other thing that this experience has changed is the way I contextualize films.
Watching many of the movies that I’ve loved has caused me to think differently about them.
Especially the films of A24. They are an independent entertainment company, and that allows
them the ability to release niche films. Their films document the shift from monumental
moments to focus on smaller vignettes that highlight impactful moments in a young person’s life.

v

A24 is the brainchild of Daniel Katz, David Frenkel and John. Hodges. They were all
studio executives at larger entertainment companies but wanted something more from films.
More truth more grittiness. A24 company was started in 2012. Their company was relatively
small but they distributed very particular films. They’ve developed a style of their own and that’s
why moviegoers latch onto them so strongly. Their business model is quite straight forward,
acquire a completed film and help distribute the film.

A24’s first foray into producing and distributing a film is Oscar-winning Moonlight in
2016. This film went on to break many records and set precedents. It is the first film with an all-
black cast to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. While many people loved the work that
they were doing up until Moonlight, this marked their ability to take risks on more filmmakers.

The reason that A24 films resonate with so many people is their belief in daring
filmmakers. Barry Jenkins, Jonah Hill, Bo Burnham and Greta Gerwig to name a few. In trusting
these filmmakers, A24 has allowed for their films to diversify in the types of stories that they
broadcast. These are the films that resonate most with me. They are telling the coming of age
stories in a unique way. Eighth Grade, for example, is about a girl’s journey through eighth
grade. That is something that I would have never cared about before. They have an uncanny
ability to show vignettes of childhood and elevate them to allow us to find meaning even if our
experiences don’t exactly relate.

This thesis examines A24 new narratives for their particular coming of age films and how
they closely reflect the actual lived experiences of children. I will look at a few films from A24

vi

catalog to show this shift. The films chosen for this thesis are Mid90s, Eighth
Grade and Moonlight.

1
Filling in the Gaps. Part 1

I have heard the horror stories and of the few moments of joy, my mother and father
shared. I have known about this man for 25 years. I am the only person in my family who shares
his last name.

I wondered how my life would be different if he were still alive. My father had colon
cancer and died in 2000. If he had lived, he would’ve been 88. I did not get to spend that much
time with him. The earliest memories that I have are foggy at best.

I do not blame my mother for keeping my brother and me disconnected from my father’s
side of the family. My father was violent and abusive. There have never been pictures of him
around the house; that was normal for me. I rarely ever speak of him because he didn’t play that
big of a role in my life.

Still, at 25, I felt it necessary to fill in the gaps in my family tree. This is my coming of
age story. This is the moment that I take my life into my own hands and decide how to move
forward. Although, he wasn’t there for the moments that I needed most. I shared those moments
that make you feel manly with my mother. Shaving, having “the talk” was filtered through my
mother. This, as you will read, is helping me feel whole.

In 2019, during a conversation with my mother, I asked incessantly about my father. She,
in turn, told my sister, who is still connected with people from the old neighborhood. My sister is

2
15 years older than me. She knew of my father and his other kids. In the next week, she sent
many texts with numbers and information about how I could get in contact with my father’s side
of the family. I was baffled and astounded by the quickness of it all.

The very next day, I called my newfound paternal sister, Martha, who is 68. What ensued
was a conversation full of curiosity and confirmation. She said that she had known about my
brother and me for a while. She said that mail from my brother’s and my name had come to her
mother’s address. It was a child support order. Understandably, she was skeptical of our actual
relation. I assured her that we were related and that I shared the same last name as our father. She
told me that our father was, in fact, a ladies man and how he divorced her mother after five years.
The conversation ended with the promise of a meeting in Chicago.

While I was back in Chicago, I was nervous to initiate this meeting. I would be opening a
big chapter and expanding my already small family. But I knew that if I did not make the call, it
would never happen.

The call went well, and she even said that she would try to bring our brother on my
father’s side. It’s good to know that there are other siblings in the area. She was going to bring
photo albums with pictures of my father and a pair of her shoes that don’t fit her that she would
let me have. This meeting was set for 3 p.m. at a coffee shop. I set a reminder in my calendar and
internally was excited. I did not know what she looked like or what to expect. I prepared for
whatever was to happen.

3
On that day, I brought pictures of myself for her to have and even showed up 20 minutes
early. I ordered a coffee, so I did not seem like I was loitering in their shop. I sat near the
window, watching any and every black woman who entered the coffee shop, hoping that she
might be my sister. I started sweating. I had called her a few times to make sure that she just did
not get the time wrong. At around 50 minutes in, I texted my other sister asking, “How long do I
wait?”

Kiesha said that she would have already left. That flipped a switch in me. I started
sweating more. This was not how it was supposed to go.

I envisioned our meeting as a confirmation of all the things that I have wondered about.
We would sit at a cute little table and comb through the photo albums. I would see a man who
looks exactly like me, the emptiness I felt inside would be instantly gone and all would be well.
This would be the perfect end to my coming of age story. It would be one of the easier journeys
that I’ve embarked on.

But life is not like the movies and happy endings are sometimes meant for Disney.

I threw my coffee and the pictures that I planned to give her in the garbage. When I was
outside the coffee shop, tears filled my eyes and the Chicago wind slapped me in the face. I had
been stood up by my connection to my deceased father, put things into perspective. This hurts
differently. I had told all my friends that I was going to meet her and how excited I was. How
would I explain this to my friends? How will I explain it to myself? I wanted to do something

4
reckless, get something pierced or a meaningless tattoo, but that proved to be too much work. I
went home and ate my feelings.

While I was at home, I outwardly moved on and figured that there must be another way
to find out what my father looked like.

My phone rings and Martha calls. I answer on the first ring. Martha explains to me that
she thought we were planning to meet Tuesday. An honest mistake. I had to open myself up to
the opportunity to let down again. She was visiting our brother Daren, in a city about 200 miles
away from Chicago to see if he would come and meet me as well. I thought this to be extremely
sweet. There are more of us.

The next day, I went to the same coffee shop and came prepared with pictures of myself
for her to have. I wait about 10 minutes and think to myself, not again.

Soon after, she calls.

5
Filling in the Gaps, Part 2

After receiving the call from Martha. She never walked through the door. Martha called
and said she couldn’t find the coffee shop. I threw my coffee away but kept the pictures this
time. I went outside to look for her and paced up and down the street to help direct her. There
were so many cars zooming up and down the street and parking was hideous. I looked at all the
cars going by hoping she was driving one of them. I finally spotted a car slowing down and
parking in a no-parking zone. Under any other circumstances, I would not have done this, but I
got in. I didn’t want to feel the same hurt I felt the day before.

Once in the car, she took her sunglasses off and remarked that we don’t look alike. I
didn’t know how to respond. Martha said that she wasn’t familiar with the area and I wasn’t
either. But I knew we needed to move her car to a spot with free parking. We drove around
looking for somewhere to park or another coffee shop, so we could talk and look at photo
albums.

We landed at a McDonalds. I tried my hardest to keep us away from that chain restaurant.
I thought the two for $5 Big Macs would cheapen the experience, but this is what we ate.

We cozied up in a booth in a far corner. She opened a photo album and it was full of
faces that were not quite familiar. It felt like I was invited to a family reunion and I only knew
the person who brought me there. Then, she pointed out our dad. There he was, Sammie Lee

6
Reed, the man I had heard so much about but never seen. My family was expanding before my
very eyes, but I focused only on seeing my father.

I snapped a few pictures to show my mother and brother. Even though Martha reassured
me we were related, I still didn’t believe it. I wasn’t convinced that the pictures were of my dad.
I needed my mother to make this all make sense in my head. I thought that I would see a
reflection of myself by finally seeing my father. But I didn’t see any similarities between us.

While flipping through the pages, I learned much more about Martha and the rest of my
family than I did about my father. My mom is nowhere to be found in these pictures. These are
the photos of Martha and her families’ life with my father. Martha was an amateur photographer
she shot weddings, company events and her friends outside of a funeral home. My sister even
had pictures from the 1930s of our grandfather. At one point, we stop on a photo of my paternal
grandmother, and I see myself in her. I saw full cheeks similar to mine as she smiled for the
picture.

I always thought I looked more like my mother anyway. She was the only person I
compare my features to growing up. My father and I not having a recognizable resemblance
made it harder for me to feel connected to him. I wished it was a situation of “like father like
son” and I took after him. I was always told that we share the same eyes but it’s hard to discern
from the photos.

7
This chapter of my life has been open for 20 years and now it is finally closed. Knowing
what my father looks like does not matter because I am finally able to fill in the visual gaps from
my memories. As a child, I was always curious about him. I asked my mother and she told me all
the stories she felt comfortable sharing. That was enough for me then and it is enough for me
now. We build these coming of age moments to be so monumental, but reality can never match.
The fantasies are always better.

While I’m happy that I was able to go on this journey, part of me felt like I was betraying
my mother. Every moment that was meaningful to me, she was always there. I respect my
mother, but I’m allowed to want to know more about my father. I am glad to have met Martha.
She helped fill out my family tree and discover my father’s family through the process.

My father has always been this specter looming over me. That section of every form was
always blank. This moment, however uneventful it might be, fulfilled a childhood blind spot of
mine. Everyone I knew has a mother and a father. When asked about my parents, I would always
say “It’s just my mom.” I didn’t feel bad because I only had stories about my father. I would tell
people of his passing and they would at once feel sorry for me. That was the strangest part. I
didn’t truly know this man so how I was supposed to feel something for him. Seeing the pictures
of him smiling makes me feel a sense of confidence. It is no longer a blind spot; I can finally see
the man that has been asking me about.

8
Mid90s and Eighth Grade

Being a preteen is hard. There are no guidebooks and most moments come across as
either life or death. When I was a preteen, school dances and friendship populated every thought
in my mind. I was a lonely child, and movies became my friends. I wanted to see myself and
have my experience confirmed and I didn’t get that until now. The two films that struck me as
important case studies for my experience as a preteen are Mid90s and Eighth Grade.

They both have worked overtime to encapsulate what many of our lives looked like
preteens. Mid90s is a story of a boy looking for friendship in response to his brother’s bullying.
While, Eighth Grade, is the story of anxiety and social acceptance while being an only child. But
the genius of these films shines through the glamorization of these small events that as an adult
seem unworthy of reflection. This makes both films more human and like my lived experience as
a preteen. Decisions are major at that age but in retrospect, they are not a big deal. The most
important thing is the process that we go through. That is what shapes us into the people we are
today.

Mid90s written and directed by Jonah Hill follows Stevie a thirteen-year-old who needs a
community outside of his house. The opening scene shows Stevie slamming into a wall and then
thrown on the ground as his brother mercilessly hits him. Stevie’s home life is difficult, and we
can see that just from the opening scene.

9
While riding his bike, Stevie stops and looks on as two kids spray each other with water
guns. He also notices a group of skaters who have what Stevie doesn’t, the ability to stand up and
question authority. The next day, Stevie humbly enters the skate shop and looks on as the skaters'
commune. This is what he wants. He wants to be more than himself. Soon, Stevie inserts himself
into the group with his intense desire to belong. He now smokes, drinks and curses. That makes
him feel a part of the crew. He now has a purpose; however shallow it may seem.

Through the course of the film, Stevie starts to defy his mother and brother because of his
allegiance to the skate crew. They are his family now; they can protect him. He starts doing
things that are out of his character to impress and gain favor with them. He tries a skate trick
where he would leap across two rooftops, but he fails miserably. His head bleeds and the crew
loves him even more because of this.

The stakes start to get higher as the use of drugs and alcohol start to increase. After a
party, the designated driver, under the influence, gets into a car accident. This is the end of the
film. No one died. The choices that Stevie made led him to that hospital bed. He made major
missteps but through watching the film I do not question any of his decisions.

There was a time where I ended up in a hospital bed that makes this part of the film
resonate with me. My brother and his friends used to ride rear truck bumpers that drove by in our
alley. We would jump off right away. It was my turn to ride the bumper, I didn’t jump off in
time. I ended up rolling in the alley and my forehead started bleeding. My brother and I went
home crying to my mother and we started off to the hospital. There was a small pebble lodged in

10
my forehead. At that moment, I wasn’t thinking of how this experience could have been
different. I was only thinking of how to move forward knowing what I know now.

At that age, our bodies are malleable as are our brains and we must go through these
bumps throughout life to figure out who we are. If anything is learned from this film, it is that to
get a different result you must step out of your comfort zone. Stevie has grown into his voice and
now can speak up for himself. In the same way, Eighth Grade posits another side of the
narrative. A girl of the same age as Stevie growing up as a lonely child. But learning more about
herself through the process.

Eighth Grade written and directed by Bo Burnham opens with Kayla in her final week of
eighth grade. Superlatives are being passed out and she is voted “Most Quiet” by her classmates.
Kayla is thirteen years old and she makes motivational YouTube videos. She doesn’t get very
many views. The first scene opens with Kayla filming a YouTube video. In it, she says, “Topic
of today’s video is being yourself... aren’t I always being myself?” This sets the tone for the rest
of the film. Kayla is not trying to be herself. She’s trying to be what other people want her to be.

During an active shooter drill, Kayla tells a boy she likes that she has nudes on her phone
and gives blowjobs. Both are lies, but Kayla wanted to keep his attention. This is the first
instance of Kayla lying to make a boy interested in her. Then, Kayla shadows a high school
student and this gives her a newfound power. She becomes demanding toward her father. One of
the high school boys tries to make Kayla experienced sexually. She pushes him away because
she had to back up all the things she was saying.

11

The pressure to fit in caused her to push the people who care about her most away.
Toward the end of the film, Kayla tells off the popular girl who didn’t respond to her thank you
note. Kayla took the power away from the popular kids and put it in her own hands. She realized
that growing up fast isn’t quite what it’s cracked up to be. Because honestly, she wasn’t ready
and she wasn’t holding herself accountable to her YouTube persona.

Mid90s and Eighth Grade managed to show viewers a fully formed version of what we
wanted to be as preteens. In a time of uncertainty, these films show us what life would have been
like if we had taken risks. The beauty of these characters is that they are real. I didn’t have the
power that Stevie and Kayla fostered in their respective films. That’s what makes these films so
compelling. The directors of each film spent their time masterfully painting these characters and
making them fully realized preteens. It is easy to have a character that plays on tired tropes, but
this change shows how the new generation of directors, especially those working with A24, see
these narratives as important.

12
Moonlight

In the opening scene of Moonlight, young Chiron is running from a group of boys and
one blurts out, “Get his gay ass.” He runs into an abandoned apartment, locks the door and the
boys outside start throwing things at the windows. They want to attack him because they think
that he’s gay. Everyone knows that you’re gay before you do. This is where the film places
itself. Moonlight works to unpack this experience for Chiron.

This is the first film that caught my attention from A24’s catalog. I could directly see
myself played on screen. This film is talking to me, confirming my experience. I’ve struggled
with my sexuality for many years keeping it a secret and now I don’t have to hide anymore. But
when I was hiding it, I spent many years keeping to myself for fear of saying something that
would make me look/sound gay. Everyone knew I was gay, but the bullies were the only ones to
tell me that.

Moonlight is written and directed by Barry Jenkins and adapted from a play by Tarell
Alvin McCraney. The film, like the original play, has three parts: “Little,” “Chiron” and “Black”.
Each of these parts follows Chiron through moments in his life, from childhood to his adult life.
The film is not necessarily about Chiron being gay, while that does play a factor. It is about
moving through a society that pressures you to be something before you’re ready to reckon with
it.

13
In “Little,” Juan, a drug dealer finds him in that abandoned apartment. Chiron’s mother
leaves him alone often. Juan sees this neglect and steps in seamlessly, letting him stay at his
house from time to time. While working, Juan catches Chiron’s mother smoking crack in a car.
He confronts her and tells her that she should be at home with her son. This leads his mother to
yell at Chiron once she returns home.

The next morning, Chiron walks to Juan’s house. While Chiron is there, he asks “What’s
a faggot?” with his head hanging low. What follows is a series of questions that I know all too
well. “Am I a faggot?” “How do I know?” He is asking the questions that I have been asking
myself for far too many years. Juan tries to explain this as clearly as he can to Chiron. But this is
the first and last time that Chiron brings this conversation up in the film.

In “Chiron,” Juan is markedly missing from Chiron’s life. There is no talk of how or why
he died but we do know he was a drug dealer. Juan was the only person in Chiron’s life that tried
to help him and instill confidence. Now he’s gone and that stability left with him. Chiron’s
mother falls further into her addiction to crack. As in the first part, Chiron doesn’t talk much but
he does exchange words with Kevin, his childhood friend. Kevin works similarly to Juan in
Chiron’s life. He gives advice and talks to Chiron, but there is one difference. They can kiss and
Kevin can masturbate Chiron. This complicates the dynamic of the relationship causing Chiron
to shut down even more.

The next day, one of Chiron’s high school bullies goads Kevin into a game of “Knock
Down, Stay Down.” This game is about hitting a person that the bully points out until they stay

14
down on the ground. The bully picks Chiron. Kevin and Chiron share a glance that’s worth many
words. Kevin’s face says that he doesn’t want to do this. Chiron’s face looks with much disdain,
knowing what’s about to happen next. He doesn’t stay down after he is hit for the second time.
The bully and his friends end up jumping Chiron. This sets off a chain of events that will change
the course of his life.

Chiron walks into class the following day and attacks his bully with a chair. He is
arrested and sent to prison. Chiron no longer has someone consistent in his life. Juan was
involved in his life when he was younger, teaching him the ways to live and confidence. His
passing left a space that Kevin seemed poised to fill. Kevin showed his instability and inability to
stand up for Chiron. The stakes have become higher and this part of the film is left without a
clear direction.

In “Black,” Chiron follows in the steps of the man who helped him when he was younger,
Juan. He now sells drugs. Not much is said about how long he spent in prison. But judging by his
appearance, it may have been a while. He is a much stronger version of himself. While Chiron
was in jail, he understandably didn’t keep up with anyone from high school. His mother is in
rehab for her crack addiction. This is the first time that we see her in a position to be capable of
loving and caring about him.

Chiron is still quiet, as he has been his whole life. His ability to keep quiet makes the
things that he does say more impactful. He yells at his mother and tells her how she has
mistreated him. Growing up, Chiron didn’t say much because he couldn’t say much. But now, as

15
an adult, he has had time to develop his voice and reflect on his past treatment. Unexpectedly,
Kevin calls and invites Chiron to visit him at the diner where he works. The conversation is one-
sided, but Chiron obliges. While at Kevin’s apartment, Chiron breaks his silence and says
something unexpected. Kevin is the only person with whom he has been intimate.

Moonlight doesn’t have a happy conclusion. It doesn’t need one. The power that Chiron
exhibits in the last part of the film is more than enough. He has been holding onto this trauma
that he’s been carrying for much of his life: the neglect that he receives at the hands of his
mother; Kevin siding with the bullies and punching him. Now is his chance to talk and that he
does. Chiron takes back his narrative, thereby becoming whole.

This was one of the first films from A24 that caught my attention. The most dynamic
thing about this film is that Chiron is black and presumed to be gay. This was the first time that
I’d seen a film that spoke directly to me. Being black and gay myself, this film recalled many of
the things I’ve repressed. I was even reminded of a time when my grandmother visited. After she
left, my mom sat me down and asked me, “Are you gay?” This scene played vividly in my mind
while watching the movie. My mother made note of the way that I wore shorts and a shirt that
was a bit too short and tight. My response was no. But the truth later surfaced. I had to learn how
to move in a world that already had me figured out. Like Chiron, much of my childhood was
spent in relative silence.

16
Conclusion

Going through my coming of age experience was the hardest thing that I’ve done. I rarely
even thought of him. Diving in deep into his life and his side of my family was hard for me.
Many people were saying that I was brave for doing this and I didn’t think that. This was my
mission. I had to do this for my sanity. By minimizing this experience, I tried to
compartmentalize my feelings. Before going through this, we spoke barely of him. Now he’s all
that I can think about. If I didn’t decide to go forward with this search, I would be a different
person.

Chiron, Stevie and Kayla have quite different lives. But one thing that they have in
common is their decisions. They were able to make decisions based on what they knew. Granted
for their ages that might not be much but that’s how we learn. Some of their decisions led them
down dark paths but that was their choice to make. Exploring each film has given me more
insight into my life.

Watching much of A24’s catalog, I’ve found that there are more films than I can write
about. This thesis only covers a few films from A24’s catalog that I felt particularly resonated
with my personal experience. Moonlight, Mid90s and Eighth Grade made me think of moments
in the past that I’ve long suppressed. Like Chiron, I spent most of my childhood quiet. I hid my
true self so people wouldn’t think that I was gay. Like Stevie, I just wanted to fit in with the
older boys. I did things that I wasn’t supposed to do so people would like me. Like Kayla, I lied
to my friends so they would think that I’m cool.

17

There will always be films that resonate like this. Each of the films has a talented and
diverse director. The influx of diversity is allowing for various kinds of stories to be told to the
wider audience. A24 is giving new directors the chance to finally be heard. They’re inspiring a
new crop of creatives. A24 validates their experiences and shows them that their stories matter
and that no experience to too small.

18
References
Baron, Zach. “Hollywood, Disrupted: Inside the Scrappy Film Company That Made ‘Moonlight’
and ‘The Witch.’” GQ. GQ, November 15, 2017. https://www.gq.com/story/a24-studio-oral-
history.

Eighth Grade. A24, 2018.

France, Lisa Respers. “Oscar Mistake Overshadows Historic Moment for 'Moonlight'.” CNN. Cable
News Network, February 28, 2017. https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/27/entertainment/moonlight-
oscars-win/index.html.

Katz, Daniel, David Fenkel, and John Hodges. “A24.” A24. Accessed August 22, 2019.
https://a24films.com/.

Mid90s. A24, 2018.

Moonlight. A24, 2016.

Rapkin, Mickey. “A24 Films: The Studio Behind All Your Favorite Movies.” Ceros Originals,
March 4, 2020. https://www.ceros.com/originals/a24-films/.

Abstract (if available)

Linked assets

University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Conceptually similar

PDF

Dancing a legacy: movement in the wake of the Greensboro Massacre

PDF

Misunderstood films from the 90's - 00's

PDF

Artistic seniors: healthy aging through creative programs

PDF

Coming up babies: a critical investigation of Knocked Up, Juno, and Waitress

PDF

Georges Delerue in Hollywood: the film composer's legacy, as seen through his final chapter

PDF

Becoming Dalit cinema

PDF

At home in Los Angeles

PDF

Screenwriting in the digital age: for the first time, new technology and distribution methods give feature film writers power to make a living outside Hollywood studios

PDF

What happened to critical criticism? Art criticism expressing a negative opinion seems to be a dying breed, but this is how we save it from extinction – for we must

PDF

Rediscovering the radical work of Kathleen Collins

PDF

One big damn band: an introduction to the Red Dirt musical scene

PDF

The road to Hopscotch: an exploration of identity with Los Angeles' mobile opera

PDF

Inseparable: a manifesto for the separation of art and artist

PDF

Finding home: the Los Angeles River

PDF

The relevant art museum: views on the role of a 21st century museum

PDF

They wanted their stories told: digging through artist Donell Hill’s attic to unearth the forgotten history of 11 Texans living with HIV/AIDS in 1994

PDF

All the women in the world: an examination of the representation of women onscreen

PDF

The Awareness Podcast: a look into how sports can negatively affect a student-athlete's mental health

PDF

A moment, or a movement? Three women media leaders forecast the future of their industry in the #MeToo era

PDF

Making USC football great again

Asset Metadata

Creator Reed, Keith Tyler (author)

Core Title Coming of age through my eyes

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Specialized Journalism (The Arts)

Publication Date 04/26/2020

Defense Date 04/24/2020

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag A24,coming of age,Eighth Grade,father,film,long lost sister,Mid90s,Moonlight,OAI-PMH Harvest

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Page, Tim (committee chair), Anawalt, Sasha (committee member), Plocek, Keith (committee member)

Creator Email keithree@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-289494

Unique identifier UC11664041

Identifier etd-ReedKeithT-8346.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-289494 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-ReedKeithT-8346.pdf

Dmrecord 289494

Document Type Thesis

Rights Reed, Keith Tyler

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA