Julian Gallo

The Autumn Tree Julian Gallo

Brandon and Olivia, two goth/emo kids alienated from their idyllic Long Island neighborhood, only have one another to depend on. Brandon's parents are careerists, often too busy to pay any attention to him. Olivia is dealing with her abusive mother, who often body shames her and chastises her over her appearance. While Brandon retreats into the world of death metal and Facebook, Olivia resorts to Stephen King novels and cutting. The two have been life long friends yet neither one of them can see the obvious. Brandon pines away for an Azeri girl from school and Olivia is taken by the new kid, a self-described environmentalist who has a checkered past of his own. Meanwhile, Brandon's father Carlton is harboring a dark secret, unknown to his wife and son, which will challenge his morality. Issues of aging and body image abound as the dark side of American life reveals itself in this tragicomic tale of so-called suburban respectability, where the masks we sometimes choose to wear often hide the darkest parts of our nature.