Nadeem Persico-Shammas portfolio and blog
editor, colorist, post-sound mixer
Building/Community is my second series for Yarrow highlighting impact-focused housing and community development efforts in Michigan.
My social media video work for Yarrow is available to watch on their Facebook page.
Skeptics have argued that A.I. can never be truly creative, because it lacks the kind of worldly experiences humans have.
The New York Times’ recent quizlet “Who’s a Better Writer: A.I. or Humans?” claims that many people prefer LLM-generated writing to human-authored work, but critically misunderstands why that may be. Furthermore, I don’t think they understand why someone might prefer the work of the “world’s best human writers.” I took the quiz and, surprise surprise, I preferred the human-authored texts every time. Not because they were clearer or easier to understand, but because the prose sparkled on more than just the surface level. The NYT’s explanation at the quiz’s end reveals their ignorance:
Maybe you also noticed that human writing often includes some clunky phrases, like this passage from Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian,” caused by the author’s aversion to punctuation: “As well ask men what they think of stone.”
A.I. used to make mistakes like these. But today’s systems are much more fluid than their predecessors — so fluid, in fact, that finding grammatical errors or nonstandard syntax is often a hint that you’re looking at a human’s prose, not a machine’s.
Creative choices in prose are not “mistakes”. “Clunky phrases” are a feature, not a bug. Writers play with language to create a characteristic voice that evokes an image or emotion in the mind of the reader; it’s not all about clarity and information. Here’s the full McCarthy quote, followed by the Claude Opus imitation:
Read more →editor, colorist
Until It Feels Like Worship (2025) is a narrative/documentary short film directed by Ifayomi Christine as part of Detroit Narrative Agency’s Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship. From the director:
Until It Feel’s Like Worship is a visual prayer that speaks to the journey one takes through remembrance, connection, culture, and healing when met with the weight of grief. Set against the backdrop of Black Detroit, with echoes of Southern matrilineal memory, it serves as a balm, beckoning the viewer to return to themselves, carrying the things that have nourished them, offering nourishment to others, and allowing themselves to be nourished in return.
The film is currently making the festival rounds; a screener is available upon request.
@ Brooklyn Film Festival ‘26
“Visionary Storytelling Award” @ Detroit Trinity International Film Festival ‘26
