10 Important Questions:
1. Is it one magazine for one etymology class or do all classes share a magazine?
2. How much of a time commitment is this thing?
3. How are we going to attract people?
4. Will it run like a student newspaper? (i.e. The Spartana)
5. Is this in class or out of class?
6. How will writers be chosen?
7. What content is appropriate?
8. How will the leader be chosen?
9. Do we need administration/teacher approval before posts?
10. What happens next semester?
Things I would read about, even though other people probably wouldn't:
http://www.flavorwire.com/322863/10-contemporary-politicians-favorite-books
http://www.buzzfeed.com/tinyloud/10-penguin-classics-you-wont-see-752e
http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/4933/the-art-of-fiction-no-13-dorothy-parker
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
On the Shelf, On the CD
I didn't/don't really know what to write about for this blog because I don't know if there are any requirements, so I'll just wing it. Sorry if the following doesn't make any sense. Ready... Go!
Right now the current CD in my car is a musical. Shudder if you must, but try to repress it, it's a goody. A rather unknown (in comparison to the big ones like Les Mis), but cool, modern, a completely devastating. It's Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years. It's the story of the meeting, marriage, infidelity, and divorce of a young couple, Jamie and Cathy, a writer and a struggling stage actress.
The construction of the musical is unconventional, to say the least. There are only two cast members (Jamie and Cathy) for starters. Secondly, they're only on stage together for one song. The story goes in reverse chronological order for Cathy and chronologically for Jaime, meeting in the middle for their marriage proposal/wedding. The result is absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking. I'll admit that I've cried a few times listening (pathetic, I know.)
I hate Jamie. I want to punch him in the face and call him various obscenities. I am almost completely unable to rationalize his actions, but how is it that I completely support and can wholeheartedly justify Edna, from The Awakening, "cheating" on her husband?
Isn't cheating, cheating? Why should I view one relationship with contempt, but defend another? Didn't Edna's husband provide her with all she ever needed: love, money, a home, a beautiful family? Cathy did the same, didn't she? She was a faithful, loving wife, trying to balance her dreams and her tempted husband.
Maybe I only side with women. Maybe I'm the crazy one for being able to justify any type of infidelity. Maybe I'm looking too far into situations pertaining to fictional characters.
Probably the last, but that's just me.
Monday, August 27, 2012
On the Shelf
When I first happened upon Dendrophilia and Other Social Taboos (Reader Discretion is Advised, Profanity), I was literally hooked. Dani Burlison is a force, in a good way.
I read four columns and chose the least profane.
It was also the most relatable. Bad Feminist made me proud to be a female. Dani rants and raves about females and their catty tendencies. As they would say in the movie 'Mean Girls', "girl on girl crime." Then Tina Fey would continue to ask if anyone had ever been personally victimized by Regina George...
Burlison defines what being a feminist should be the way I would define a feminist. A feminist is not a woman that's independent, financially and emotionally, securing a high paid position, or listening to more girl bands than your friends, it's being compassionate to your fellow females, instead of constantly trying to one up each other. Celebrating victories together, not judging and being jealous and catty because you wish you did that instead. Not to say that women should, as Burlison puts it, "constantly engage in group hand massages or continuously stroking and braiding fresh-picked wild flowers into each other’s hair in public." Just to have each other's backs and stop "comparing and dismissing."
It's the least we deserve.
I read four columns and chose the least profane.
It was also the most relatable. Bad Feminist made me proud to be a female. Dani rants and raves about females and their catty tendencies. As they would say in the movie 'Mean Girls', "girl on girl crime." Then Tina Fey would continue to ask if anyone had ever been personally victimized by Regina George...
Burlison defines what being a feminist should be the way I would define a feminist. A feminist is not a woman that's independent, financially and emotionally, securing a high paid position, or listening to more girl bands than your friends, it's being compassionate to your fellow females, instead of constantly trying to one up each other. Celebrating victories together, not judging and being jealous and catty because you wish you did that instead. Not to say that women should, as Burlison puts it, "constantly engage in group hand massages or continuously stroking and braiding fresh-picked wild flowers into each other’s hair in public." Just to have each other's backs and stop "comparing and dismissing."
It's the least we deserve.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
On the Shelf
Reading
In the middle of the summer I was a friend's house and I noticed that she had three copies of one book on her shelves. I asked her and she basically forced me to take a copy, and since she is my gateway to all things cultural, I took it. The book was The Awakening by Kate Chopin. It's regarded as a classic by many, a daring, feminist statement for it's time in 1899. An obedient wife gone rogue, I guess you could say.
I started reading during the summer, but life got the best of me and the book was left to dust, like so many books slowly fading away into literary obscurity in my "Unfinished Book Graveyard." This made me a little sad because I really did like the book, I just never got back to it. Etymology was my saving grace.
The Awakening is not a book I would typically pick up on my rounds at Barnes and Noble; I'm not usually one for the chronicle of a turn of the century housewife. I'm glad I have it though. It came into my life at a good time. I'm trying to answer the same questions as the heroine, Edna, only with my future and not my husband like her.
When is settling okay and when is enough, enough? When should I put aside my wants and settle on a good, but lesser option? Settling isn't being defeated or taking the easy way out, it's figuring that some things are more important. Edna didn't see that.
The most interesting thing about this book is the inscription inside. The copy was given to my friend by our mutual ex-vocal coach, a woman who decided not to "settle" with her husband and two children and up and left them after having an affair. The inscription reads:
Thanks for the gift of this book to me. My life experience wants you to remember the following:
Seek slowly the one you wish to love forever... and work hard to make it work. If it doesn't work out, seek slowly again, but work for perfection.
I may not follow her example, but I'll take her advice.
I'm still not done with the book, but the ending has been spoiled for me. I'll finish it to prove a point and make myself happy. Checking two things off my goals list.
Excerpt: "Her husband seemed to her now like a person whom she had married without love as an excuse."
In the middle of the summer I was a friend's house and I noticed that she had three copies of one book on her shelves. I asked her and she basically forced me to take a copy, and since she is my gateway to all things cultural, I took it. The book was The Awakening by Kate Chopin. It's regarded as a classic by many, a daring, feminist statement for it's time in 1899. An obedient wife gone rogue, I guess you could say.
I started reading during the summer, but life got the best of me and the book was left to dust, like so many books slowly fading away into literary obscurity in my "Unfinished Book Graveyard." This made me a little sad because I really did like the book, I just never got back to it. Etymology was my saving grace.
The Awakening is not a book I would typically pick up on my rounds at Barnes and Noble; I'm not usually one for the chronicle of a turn of the century housewife. I'm glad I have it though. It came into my life at a good time. I'm trying to answer the same questions as the heroine, Edna, only with my future and not my husband like her.
When is settling okay and when is enough, enough? When should I put aside my wants and settle on a good, but lesser option? Settling isn't being defeated or taking the easy way out, it's figuring that some things are more important. Edna didn't see that.
The most interesting thing about this book is the inscription inside. The copy was given to my friend by our mutual ex-vocal coach, a woman who decided not to "settle" with her husband and two children and up and left them after having an affair. The inscription reads:
Thanks for the gift of this book to me. My life experience wants you to remember the following:
Seek slowly the one you wish to love forever... and work hard to make it work. If it doesn't work out, seek slowly again, but work for perfection.
I may not follow her example, but I'll take her advice.
I'm still not done with the book, but the ending has been spoiled for me. I'll finish it to prove a point and make myself happy. Checking two things off my goals list.
Excerpt: "Her husband seemed to her now like a person whom she had married without love as an excuse."
Sunday, August 19, 2012
An introduction
As a kid, reading was an uphill battle for me. When my
sister and mom tried to get me to read the Harry
Potter series, I refused and said I would just watch the movie. And as much
as I hate it, I need to credit it for my reading revival; I need to thank the Twilight Saga. The Twilight books got me to read again.
As a reader, I’m energetic; ready to dive into any new book.
This gift is also a curse, leading me to easily stray from books the moment I
get bored and pick up a new one. I need to be constantly intrigued. My pile of unfinished books is growing by the
day. I know it’s sad. And I know what you’re thinking, “Don’t you want to know
what happens, how can you just abandon the story?!” The answer is no. If a book
loses my attention, I don’t care. If I cared about them, they wouldn’t have
lost my attention. It’s a cruel world.
The assignment of setting a “goal” for my reading has always
been unbelievably difficult for me. What does that even mean? When I was
younger, I guess it would’ve been read a book over 300 pages, improve my lexile
score, pretending I like historical non-fiction… something along those lines.
Today, I don’t know what I would make as a goal. I guess to like what I’m
reading, only read what interests me and maybe finish a book, even if it
doesn’t interest me. Push through the boredom and finish a book that has lost
my attention. I suppose that’s my ultimate “goal” for myself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)