The Person Behind the Project
About the Author
Nonprofit director. Educator. Storyteller. The person spending 24 chapters proving that every Disney movie started somewhere else.
Who’s Writing This
About the Author
By day, I run programs for a nonprofit that works with youth, and I teach classes built around getting kids excited about reading, thinking, and telling their own stories. By night — and most weekends — I’m building something else entirely: a reselling business on Whatnot and Facebook Live, and a handful of YouTube channels that let me talk about the things I actually love, from Disney history to baseball to the thrill of a great thrift find.
Once Upon a Source sits right at the intersection of all of it. It’s a book for the classroom and a book for the fan. It’s built by someone who spends his days trying to get middle schoolers to care about literature, and his evenings researching Brothers Grimm manuscripts for fun.
My love of Disney didn’t start with a screen — it started with my grandfather, who was at Disneyland on opening day in 1955. I grew up in Southern California hearing those stories, and somewhere along the way, the movies became a doorway into something bigger: the books, myths, and legends that came long before Walt ever got involved.
“For my mom, who gave me her love of reading, writing, and Disney.”
Where It Started
About the Book
Once Upon a Source started with a question I couldn’t shake: what happens if you put a Disney movie next to the story that actually inspired it? Not a trivia fact. Not a footnote. The whole original story, side by side with the film, chapter by chapter.
The answer, it turned out, was a book. Twenty-four chapters, one for every Disney animated film covered, each one pairing the movie with its source material — a fairy tale, a myth, a poem, a novel — and walking through exactly what changed on the way to the screen, and why.
It took years of research, a stack of very old books, and a genuine willingness to be surprised by stories I thought I already knew. It’s the book I wanted to read and couldn’t find, so I wrote it.
The Full Scope
About the Project
Once Upon a Source is bigger than one book. It’s a growing ecosystem for readers, families, and classrooms.
24
Chapters
One Disney film and its source story, per chapter.
6
Curriculum Volumes
A full 24-week course for grades 6–8.
95
Passport Locations
Real-world places tied to the source stories.
∞
Fan Voices
A growing community sharing what these stories mean to them.
Watch Along
YouTube Channels
A few different corners of the internet, all run by the same person who wrote this book.
Disney Channel
Deep dives, park updates, and the source stories behind your favorite films.
Baseball Channel
A love letter to the game — highlights, history, and hometown moments.
Youth Development Channel
Lessons, activities, and ideas from a career spent working with young people.
Thrifting & Reselling Channel
Thrift store finds, sourcing tips, and behind-the-scenes of running a resale business.
Live Selling Channel
Whatnot and Facebook Live sessions — auctions, drops, and live shopping.
Channel links coming soon — swap in your actual YouTube URLs here.
For Journalists & Podcasters
Press & Media
Available for interviews, podcast appearances, school visits, and educator conferences. Reach out with your event or story idea and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can.
Book an Appearance
Speaking & Appearances
Available for school visits, Disney fan events, educator conferences, and community organizations. Tell me a bit about your event and I’ll follow up with details.