When I first moved to Syracuse from New York City I was amazed by how small downtown Syracuse was compared to Manhattan. I'm used to it now and have grown to like it more than NYC. When I am visiting NYC, I find it stressful and congested and I look forward to returning.

I always like to submit my work to different contests, because I figure, what do I have to lose? As a member of the Zen Center, I submitted haiku to their yearly publication. When I received the invitation from the Poster Project, I already understood the haiku structure. I sat down and thought about Clinton Square, and my haiku materialized.

I remember reading the annual call for haiku, which said—I forget the exact words—something like, “feel free to write about the dark side.” So that kind of inspired me, together with my experience at the Landmark Theater. I do ushering there, and I'm familiar with the history of the ghost. I've never actually experienced the ghost, but I do love the theater. I've never seen as beautiful a theater, to be honest, in New York City, as that one.

Also, when I thought about the combination—the Landmark and its ghost—I think it was around Halloween, with a beautiful harvest moon. My horoscope sign is Cancer, which is ruled by the moon. The moon is beautiful. I've always liked it.