Francesco Zorzi

Nov 18, 2024 | montecristomagazine.com | Sam Wiebe |Francesco Zorzi

Call it research. I went down to the riot because I wanted to know what tear gas smelled like. A writer should know such things, I thought. Be familiar with humanity in extremes. They say write what you know, but who knows anything, really? In 2011, I was still at community college, part of a cohort of wannabe writers. I was failing screenwriting, despite the many Richard Price scripts I read and plagiarized.

Apr 22, 2024 | montecristomagazine.com | Sheri Radford |Francesco Zorzi

TJ Chen pours yogurt from a bulk bag into small to-go cups, carefully checking that each contains the same amount. Behind him, a trio of flat-screen TVs mounted high above the work area silently air different sports, while pop music plays quietly in the background. At the far end of the long counter, another employee takes orders for coffee and snacks. When a customer asks Chen where the nearest washroom is, he looks to his manager for help. She steps in and answers.