On November 1, 2006, my wife was brutally murdered.
On November 8, 2016, nearly 10 years after that day, Donald J. Trump became president.
These two tragic events profoundly changed how I viewed the world and redefined the rest of my life. Writing, blogging, tweeting, filmmaking, and podcasting are a manifestation of this shift.
My wife was Adrienne Shelly, the beautiful and talented actor and director who starred in the first two of Hal Hartley’s indie classics. The absurd truth And the trustin addition to more than twenty other films, which he eventually wrote, directed and starred in the 2007 film Waitress. She was murdered by an undocumented 19-year-old immigrant construction worker who broke into her West Village office to steal her. He made her death a suicide. Our daughter was not 3 years old at the time.
I was the one who found Adrian dead. I insisted that she did not commit suicide. I knew it to my core. I used all the strength and resources I could muster to shout it from the proverbial mountaintops. It took five days and some good old detective work to find and arrest her killer.
Adrian’s horrific death, with Trump’s horrific rise to unchecked power, has set me on a journey as a grieving widower, father, and passionate patriot to fight as much as I can for the truth, against injustice, and to defend and protect our beloved democracy.
Adrian was kind and generous and had a lot to keep giving to this world.
Trump remains a sadistic, self-serving sociopath who threatens our lives and our democracy.
Like every American, I have a voice and a voice. I chose to make my life an open book in the hope that my experience might even help One another person.
When Trump ran for president in 2015, “illegal” immigration was one of his most successful weapons in the culture war. I watched and listened as he constantly denigrates an entire segment of society, warning of the caravans full of “criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc.” They were headed to America (they never came).
I became even more frustrated and angry as he further ignited this gunpowder keg by exploiting “Angel Moms” – the fathers and family members of those killed by illegal immigrants – to help spread his inflammatory rhetoric that their loved ones would survive if only we could get rid of the immigrants. Bad blacks and blacks – as if our prisons aren’t full white killers.
“I’m getting more frustrated and angry [Trump] He lit this powder keg by exploiting “Angel Moms” – the fathers and family members of those killed by illegal immigrants – to help spread his inflammatory rhetoric that loved ones would survive if only we got rid of black and bad black immigrants.“
This injustice prompted me on October 24, 2016, The New York Times editorialMy wife’s killer was not an ‘illegal immigrant’. I wrote:
You have fallen victim to a corrupt killer who happens to be an illegal immigrant. It’s a clear distinction, almost too obvious, but it“It is an important thing to keep in mind as the country is going further than the dangerous path of demonizing those who were not born here.
In 2017, I decided to direct a documentary about Adrienne (AdrianAvailable on HBO Max). The film answers three crucial questions: Who was Adrian Shelley, what really happened on that terrible day, and how does the family navigate the unimaginable? Includes my interview with her killer in prison.
I think that without documentaries, books, blogs, features, podcasts, etc., we would not fully understand the critical moments in history or in the daily lives of ordinary people. But not everyone is a storyteller. Not everyone Wants To tell their story – especially when tragedy strikes. I got it. I understand the need to put these experiences in a private and safe place and continue. But with Adrian’s death I felt that there was a greater purpose to be served.
To that end, my mission since Adrian’s death has been to somehow turn our tragedy into something positive. Something that can inspire and be a source of hope. Create a file Adrian Shelley Foundation Since 2007, it has awarded more than 100 production grants to female filmmakers, including, in 2012, Chloe Chow, who last year won the Academy Award for Best Director for Bedouin.
And now, after many years of writing and blogging and over a decade of truly indignant tweets, I’ve decided to release podcast.
Back room with Andy Ostroy It is an unwritten and humorous style that is not taboo in politics and popular culture. And it’s the next chapter in my quest to speak up, to speak, and perhaps to help my listeners understand this sheer madness in the world.
Like my life, the podcast “Happy/Sad”. We’re dealing with very serious topics but we also have some fun and some laughs. The guest of the first episode was actor Paul Rudd. This week’s episode features California Congressman, 2020 presidential candidate, and Trump impeachment director Eric Swalwell.
America is on the brink. Trump continues to spread his big lie. The Republican Party has lost all its moral compass and has become a dangerous sect detached from reality. America is a deeply divided landscape. The November midterm elections are now the most important election in history. Our future is uncertain. Am I frustrated and angry? You are betting on you butt I. The back room is where I can vent and keep fighting and give a voice to those who need it.
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