Justin Meckes is a writer and award-winning filmmaker living in Durham, NC. His writing career began with a journal inspired by Benjamin Franklin's daily record of virtue and self-improvement. His personal reflections quickly progressed into a news article concerning a week-long expedition to the Amazon rainforest and a long-form piece about a cross-country drive.

Justin’s short stories have appeared in online journals and magazines such as The Broadkill Review,Bewildering Stories, Idle Ink, Quail Bell Magazine, and Map Literary. He has also produced several works of fiction and is currently working on projects ranging from a series of middle-grade books to a historical novel.

Regarding his film work, “9 Brief Films from Suburban Zen” was a humorous spoken word piece that appeared in festivals across the country and won Best Overall Spoken Word Production at Longleaf Film Festival in his hometown, Raleigh, NC. Meanwhile, his animated film, “The Hot Air Balloon,” was screened at the 23rd RiverRun International Film Festival, which touts itself as “one of the premier film festivals in the southeastern United States.“ That same animated piece made its international premiere in Melbourne, Australia, in late 2022.

More recently, he has started the Gardener's Notebook on YouTube. The project serves as an umbrella for his children's books about legumes, suburban poetry, North Carolina-based middle-grade and adult books, and even his Zen garden board game. While not a horticultural expert, Justin’s aim is to document the ups and downs of the garden as he explores film, writing, and various other creative pursuits.

You can learn more about his past work on his CV and check out Instagram for updates from the Gardener's Notebook and other projects. Please use the contact form for additional inquiries.

“...[A]fter 45 years of research & study, the best advice I can give people is to be a little kinder to each other.”

— Aldous Huxley