Jim Brannon is a Rio Hondo College student leaving behind the title of Playwright winner of River’s Voice 2018.

It took Brannon two bus rides to school for him to conjure up the idea for the story and it took off from there. Through the help from his support system that he developed at Rio Hondo between classmates, mentors, and teachers, Brannon’s piece was acknowledged and awarded.

Brannon’s play “Divine Technological Intervention” depicts a moment between a grandfather and his grandchildren. The grandfather is trying to have an intervention about his grandchildren’s obsession to their smartphones.The grandchildren seem to not show any empathy towards their grandfather’s “irrational” rants and somehow are able to convince him how necessary it is for him to have one, instead of getting rid of their own.

The English major student based the grandfather character from his own grandfather that he greatly admires.

“We talk about this stuff all the time. I try to learn from him and he tries to learn from me so a lot of that came naturally from just our conversations over years.” said Brannon.

What inspires Brannon’s work is himself and his experiences. It comes naturally to him to use what he knows to create stories, scripts, and poems. Through another way, it seems dishonest to him.

Brannon is dedicated to his writing with a head on his shoulder, meaning play writing is not something he wants to pursue as a career. One win to him does not justify a lifetime of unpredictability and unwanted for the writer.

“It’s not so much like ‘oh yeah, now I’m going to become a Hollywood screenwriter’. I’m more interested in this piece being an exploration of me and my relationships with my fellow students”, said Brannon. It is through his friends and support system at Rio Hondo that allowed for his idea to become an unforgettable work.

Brannon is a humble man that maintains his calm through the lessons he has learned over time. By being able to identify the things he can and cannot control, he can focus his energy and passion into places he can make a difference. Rio Hondo taught this graduate, that you are in charge of your own destiny and must take responsibility for things that are indeed your own fault.

As an accepted undergrad student to Cal State Long Beach in the fall, Brannon is moving forward to become an English teacher. As a student who greatly admires educators, Brannon hopes to shine a light to others, to give them support he received.