In 2018, an exciting email landed in my inbox from Shea Serrano, a former colleague and friend. He was working on his new book, Movies (And Other Things), and he wanted me to contribute a short piece. The topic? The movie death that had impacted me the most.
The answer came to me instantly.
Lil Saint in a scene from "You Got Served" movie.
It had to be Lil Saint from You Got Served. For those unfamiliar, You Got Served is more than just a dance movie; it’s a cultural touchstone. And Lil Saint’s fate? Heartbreaking. I quickly wrote the blurb and sent it to Shea, feeling like it was solid, if not my absolute best work. I was genuinely happy to support Shea and thrilled at the prospect of being part of another potential New York Times bestseller, marking my third collaboration with him.
My past contributions included The Rap Year Book (2015):
Cover of Shea Serrano's book "The Rap Year Book".
And Basketball (And Other Things)(2017):
Cover of Shea Serrano's book "Basketball (And Other Things)".
In 2019, Movies (and Other Things) arrived. Pure excitement for Shea filled me, but after a fleeting moment of celebration, my eyes darted to the back – index time! Or so I thought. Except, it wasn’t an index; it was acknowledgements. And my name was nowhere to be found.
Acknowledgements page from Shea Serrano's "Movies (And Other Things)" book.
Confusion turned into a mild panic. Had my Lil Saint tribute, a piece dedicated to such a pivotal cinematic moment, been rejected? Doubt crept in. Was it really that bad?
Image depicting panic and worry.
Instead of immediately confronting Shea, I opted for a six-month “cool down” period. Finally, I reached out to ask the burning question: Why was my Lil Saint piece absent from the book?
His response was blunt: “Hello, Rembert. The reason that I did not use your blurb about Lil’ Saint in the movie book is because it was bad.”
Ouch. I was taken aback. Surely, he was joking? I dug up my original words about Lil Saint to reassess. Could it really be that terrible?
The opening line stared back at me: “As a teenage cinephile,”
I cringed. Oh. Maybe it was bad. Shea’s follow-up email didn’t help, playfully suggesting my writing had declined. But then, the real explanation emerged:
“The actual truth is the reason that I did not use your blurb about Lil’ Saint in the movie book is because of a clerical error. I accidentally placed your blurb in a Google Doc separate of the others and so when I turned them all in that one ended up getting left behind. I am a dolt.”
Relief washed over me. Shea, genuinely one of the kindest and most talented people, had simply made a mistake.
Shea Serrano, author and friend.
But revisiting my Lil Saint essay, I had to admit, Shea’s initial “bad” assessment wasn’t entirely unfounded. The excerpt read:
“But when the doctor tells them that a bullet has ended Lil Saint’s life, causing Rico to punch a wall and then break down in the arms of B2K (Boys of the New Millennium), I clutched a decorative pillow and weeped, as I rocked back and forth.”
Rereading it now, it’s… well, something.
Lil Saint's emotional death scene in "You Got Served".
Perhaps this “clerical error” was a fortunate stroke of luck after all. The whole experience served as a reminder: always bring your best, especially when working with friends. For everything else, adjust as needed. But for your friends? Give them nothing less than your A-game.
