johnfraim@mac.com
Sunflower / Milt Jackson (Written by Freddie Hubbard)
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“Wee spend our mid-day sweat, or mid-night oyle;
Wee tyre the night in thought; the day in toyle.”
Emblemes, Francis Quarles (1635)
I’m a long time researcher about symbols and symbolism. And this entire site is informed by my experiences and ideas about symbolism. I’ve written many articles as well as a book symbolism. From this perspective Midnight Oil Studios has been creating a type of electronic journal of current symbols occuring in his life. Some simply caputured, others created. Sometimes, we create all of this. Other times, we simply offer readers pieces of the world that come this way.
This philosophy is expressed by me passing on this recent substack article. Why try to outwrite him or create something new unless to satisfy ego somehow.
AI 2027 Scenario: Everyone is Talking About
I started Midnight Oil in 2016 by and has over 700 posts. Look to the top Pages on the Midnight Oil site for various sections of the site: writing, music, photography, dioramas, screenplays.
Growing up in Los Angeles I have a BA from UCLA and a JD from Loyola Law School. I’ve had a career as a marketing executive and entrepreneur and have been involved in a number of business ventures via GreatHouse and Midnight Oil Studios. See my LinkedIn profile for additional info.
I’m a former Board Member and Marketing Director for the Palm Springs Writers Guild and founder of the Desert Screenwriters Group which evolved into the Desert Screenwriters Guild associated with the Palm Springs Film Alliance.
I’ve the author of four books and many published essays, articles and short stories.My book Battle of Symbols was published by Daimon Verlag (Zurich) and my book Spirit Catcher: The Life & Art of John Coltrane, published by my own publising company, GreatHouse. It received the Best Biography Award for the year from the Small Press Association. The book Point Zero Bliss, a true story. My most recent book is Londonderry Farewell co-authored with retired Navy Captain Tom McKeown. Awaiting publication is my Hollywood Safari: A Journey Through Screenwriting Theory (2025).
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As I’ve mentioned, I’ve had a long time interest in symbolism and am considered somewhat of an authority in this obscure area. My major writings on symbolism are published on Symbolism.Org site. I was a consultant on symbolism for the film DaVinci Code and wrote a popular column titled Script Symbology for Script Magazine, the world’s leading screenplay magazine. I was one of the winners of the national 2019 Writers Digest Writing Competition in the Screenplay area for the screenplay Lost Mission. See the screenplay on our Screenplay Page.
In addition, I’ve written much about media and am a board member of New Explorations journal. The journal is a revival of the journal Explorations: Studies in Culture and Communication, created in 1953 by Marshall McLuhan and Ted Carpenter. My views and reviewss have also appeared in ETC, the journal of the Media Ecology Association. I’m a member of The Institute of General Semantics and a former board member of LettuceWork, an organization that provides work for adults with autism. I’m also member of the National Association of Scholars. See a collection of published articles in Academia.
Among other things. John is an avid hiker and bike rider and member of Rails to Trails Conservatory.
Thanks to my wife Stephanie for her support
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