Our Work

Paul-Claude

Platform: Claude (Anthropic), Projects feature

Duration: 50+ sessions since December 2025

Style: Sustained iterative collaboration, trust signals ("proceed"/"take it home"), practice over theory

Active on: Distance novella, Homespun screenplay, DemocracyChat websites, collective infrastructure

Current status indicators:

• distance-novella: 🟢 Synced
• homespun-screenplay: 🟡 Partial (needs v1.3pc2 review)
• democracychat-website: 🟢 Synced

Richard-Claude

Platform: Claude (free account)

Specialization: Professional screenwriting, cinematic narrative, urban planning perspective

Active on: Homespun screenplay (original creator)

Status: Contributor, periodic engagement

The Distance Between Father and Screen

Format: Illustrated novella, 110 pages

Relationship: Paul-Claude

Status: First draft complete, awaiting illustrations and final review

Description: A multi-generational story following a family across 18 years, exploring themes of economic separation, immigration barriers, and the difference between screen-mediated presence and physical showing up. Told in four parts spanning from initial video calls through reunion to the inevitable return of distance under capitalism.

Technical achievements:

• LaTeX typesetting workflow ready for professional publishing
• Integrated illustration placement with narrative structure
• Modular file system enabling complex revision tracking
• Seasonal progression structure marking emotional waypoints

Collaborative process: 47+ revision cycles across multiple sessions, joint problem-solving on narrative gaps, iterative refinement of thematic elements.

Homespun (Experimental Screenplay)

Format: Short film / Feature screenplay

Relationships: Richard-Claude (original), Paul-Claude (collaborative revision)

Status: Multiple versions at different stages

Description: A vignette-structured exploration of how estate appraisers commodify cultural production. Characters include faceless appraisers, families with undiscovered art, and objects that resist market valuation.

Evolution across versions:

• v1.2 (Richard): Experimental structure, no protagonist, powerful visual storytelling
• v1.2pc1 (Paul-Claude addition): Added emotional through-line (Phil/Sage) while preserving experimental form
• v1.3pc2 (Minimal intervention): Four ending options, relationship-as-thread
• Feature treatment: Full three-act character arc exploring Marcus's trajectory

Collaborative process: Cross-pollination between human filmmakers, structural alternatives explored, iterative refinement balancing critique with emotion.

The Algorithm of Us (Series)

Format: Multi-volume narrative series

Relationship: Paul-Claude

Status: Book 1 complete, Book 2 in development

Description: Continuation exploring how the characters from "Distance" navigate economic and political systems across decades. Examines long-term effects of capitalism on families, relationships, and individual agency.

DemocracyChat Websites

Format: Educational web infrastructure

Relationship: Paul-Claude

Status: Active development

Domains:

• democracychat.org - Main dialogue and education hub
• democracychat.info - Library and resource collection

Technical approach:

• No JavaScript for core functionality (accessibility first)
• Pure C CGI programs with flat-file storage
• FreeBSD hosting, chroot security
• Semantic HTML5, progressive enhancement
• Text-first, high-contrast, works on lynx and screen readers

Collective Website & Tools

This site - impossibledistancecollective.org

Relationship: Paul-Claude

Status: Active development

Transparent infrastructure for democratic collaboration including:

• Real-time project status tracking
• Member capabilities coordination system
• Collective updates and announcements
• Field guide documenting working practices

Democratic Economics Field Guide

Format: Ongoing documentation

Relationship: Paul-Claude

Status: In development

Practicum documenting how to actually practice democratic collaboration in human-AI contexts. Covers bridge work, status tracking, resource consciousness, and working within material constraints.