We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Pollack and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, why did you pursue a creative career?

I genuinely believe it’s because I don’t dream. I’ve had exactly 14 dreams thus far. I know this because I have kept a detailed (but short) dream journal since I dreamt my first dream at age eight. The last dream I can recount was in 2017. As a result of me lacking the innate ability to dream and, therefore, a beautiful bit of the human experience, I find myself trying to make up for it through my writing.

Beyond that, I found that writing stories was the only way I could fill in the gaps of myself that didn’t seem to fit right or feel whole. I’m a typical case of someone who is half-and-half– I’m half-Korean and half-Ashkenazi– which most assuredly has impacted the way I write and how I experience/process films, novels, television, etc.

Although, in wild string of twisted stories, I didn’t know I was half-and-half until I was a senior in high school. For eighteen years, I thought I was a quarter-Korean due to information we were given from the agency my mother was adopted through. Then one day, on a whim, my mother took a DNA test and we learned the adoption agency lied. She isn’t half-Korean and half-white… she’s 100% Korean. The speed at which I rewrote my college essays makes my fingers ache to this day.

There’s more to that tale, but in the end, the touch-and-go nature I developed with my identity due to all the narratives that built it up, tore it down and re-worked it, led me to want to control and create some of those stories myself, I think.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

My professional life hasn’t quite started yet. I just graduated from AFI, so I’m excited to begin my career and become a member of the film community. Walking the picket lines these past months and talking to a wide array of writers in every stage of their career, feeling the sense of comradery and passion and love and spirit– oh, man. It’s emotional! It’s a community I aspire to be a part of and, one day, contribute to.

In terms of my work, the stories I love to write are dramas and dramedies that revolve around women and girls who, like myself, are made up of halves and use their wild imaginations to feel whole.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Oh, boy. If it were entirely up to me, we would hit up the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sunday to get provisions for the week and just chill. I love chilling. It’s my favorite thing to do.

Monday-Friday would be a hodge podge of museums, perhaps a small concert at the Troubadour or the Lodge Room, a movie (or five), or maybe we’d get some nosebleed seats at a comedy show or down at the Ahmanson. We’d also have to visit restaurants I find immense comfort in such as: La Rose Cafe, Marouch, Myung In, The Wellesbourne, Alta, or Woon. If you find yourself at the Wellesbourne– which is a pub with old books lining the dark wood walls and a roaring fireplace– break out a deck of cards or a quick game like Bananagrams to play a few rounds while you drink and munch on fries into the late hours. Of course, on Wednesday, we would go line dancing at a rooftop bar called Desert 5. This is a non-negotiable. It’s a free class! I suggest arriving early to take advantage of happy hour and to get your “yeehaws” in before the crowd cramps your style.

Saturday, we’d hit up the Los Feliz Flea or perhaps a bookstore like Reparations Club or Skylight and chill once more to prepare for some teary-eyed goodbyes.

That would be an ideal week with friends, but, I mean, in the end, it really just depends on where you find free parking.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I really would love to dedicate my shoutout to my family. I can never thank them enough. They are incredibly supportive and I love them dearly.

My dad, who would read me Shakespeare at night instead of Magic Treehouse, said these life-altering words to me when I told him I was dropping pre-med: “Emily, when you were born, I didn’t look at you and think ‘god, I want this kid to suffer.’ I looked at my baby girl and thought ‘I want her to be happy.’” What a mensch. My mother provides me with nutrition for my soul, my stomach, and my scripts. She is the definition of resilience and astounds me constantly. My sister, Courtney, has the moniker “Northern Star” because that’s exactly what she is to me. My brother, David, answers all my wacky questions ranging from love to robots and, on occasion, calls me out for asking him questions instead of experiencing the answer. And, finally, my littlest brother, Rory, who never calls me at all (he is 13 and quite busy at it) but constantly reminds me of who I want to make stories for. He is my ideal audience and not easily won but I tend to think that’s a good thing.    🙂

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinosaur_bee/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-pollack-358089160/

Image Credits
Deaniera Wibisono Noorah Al-Eidi

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