Cannoneers

written by Alex McGuire

I wrote “Cannoneers” because, at the end of the day, I want all large institutions to be placed under the microscope. Whether it’s a subjugating corporate bank, a liberal arts college, or a small family, examining how these institutions directly or indirectly affect us is paramount to understanding our self-image. The bank threatens to take Terry’s house away, making him constantly feel inferior coping with his financial distress; Ezra feels lost within his own generation, trying to disassociate himself from the environment his friend Samar drags him toward. I believe it’s human nature to inherently hate what’s beyond our control, including the circumstances our parents bestow on us that make us feel trapped, disillusioned, and tortured. We can never totally break away from them. But we can try. This is the core of “Cannoneers.”

— Alex McGuire

Alex was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He earned his BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park. After college, he worked as a financial copywriter for four years, learning the insidious ways of the institutionally tethered world in the process. In the fall of 2018, Alex enrolled in LIU Brooklyn’s TV Writers Studio in hopes of applying those skills to the screenwriting craft. His favorite show is The Wire because it carefully examines the institutional dysfunction of the modern American city while also promoting his hometown as a premier tourism hub.