My name is Aliena Abernathy, I live in St. Louis, and I attend the University of St. Louis as an undergrad. I've had two big passions in my life: writing and movies. Ever since I was a kid, those were the things that I always wanted to spend my time on, and, for the most part, I do! Though my day job is in sales, in my free time I write film reviews and analysis, write short (usually science fiction) stories, and spend time at my university TV station producing segments and hosting a radio show where I showcase film soundtracks and scores before talking about the films themselves.
Previously, I worked at PBS for a year as a video producer, which is where I've gotten most of my experience with film and TV production. I also do occasional work as a PA on film productions which roll through St. Louis (which isn't very often!). I'm currently studying English, and hope to work towards entrance into a critics association, get some short stories published, and make a career out of this hobby of mine so I don't have to spend my life looking at an excel spreadsheet.
This website is an attempt to create a portfolio where I can post my work in a comftorable environment where people can read them if they please, or move on if they don't care. It's always been a struggle to find inspiration without having a place to actually showcase my work, while also managing my anxiety about showcasing my work to anyone who may stumble across it. Creating my own website to host my portfolio seemed like the perfect solution. I get to have an environment where I'm totally comftorable putting the things that I write, and it's a medium that allows anyone to view it. No having to cater to an algorithm, no having to deal with any asshole that you might find on Twitter, just complete creative freedom.
For the most part, right here! This is the main place I post my work. You can send in questions and comments over on the contact page of this website.
If this website is too unusable for you (I don't blame you, I only learned CSS and HTML for this project) you can also find me on Letterboxd, @AlienAliena, and GoodReads, @alienswithalie.