Today my new boss asked me why we are made to read the really depressing stories as part of our education--Steinbeck, Orwell, Melville, Hemingway. Last night I was reading Melville for homework--why else would I read him? I had to read Moby Dick for a class and it turned me off Melville. I swear they… Continue reading because they make true observations about human nature
Category: literature
see also: John Locke, “terra nulla”
I am taking a class on Non-Western Literature. One of my texts is the very excellent Postcolonialism: A Very Short Introduction, by Robert J.C. Young. This book is totally rocking my world. Having considered myself a good little liberal for several years now, I thought I was fairly well-versed in the concepts of occupation and… Continue reading see also: John Locke, “terra nulla”
ides of march
I get really excited about the Ides of March because everyone runs around quoting Shakespeare all day (and most of them don't even know it). At any rate. I wrote a story this week. It doesn't quite have an ending yet, but it will. This is particularly significant for me because it marks the first… Continue reading ides of march
reading list
Every year I say I'm going to chart the books I finish reading that year. I never really make it past February. This year I'm totally going to try. Again. A few things I need/want to read this year: Freedom, Jonathan Franzen Nothing Left to Burn, Jay Varner Winter's Bone, Daniel Woodrell Palo Alto, James… Continue reading reading list
open letter to a chain bookstore
Dear Borders, Looks like our love affair is coming to an end. Clearly you just don't know me at all. I mean, really: Dark Day in the Deep Sea? Don't you know I have a primal, deep-seated fear of the ocean? I don't even know what this book is about, but already I'm feeling the… Continue reading open letter to a chain bookstore
book ban update
Since my last blogging, I've exchanged some emails with a few people (including the Media Center Coordinator at RV) about the book ban. Further update coming, but in the meantime, I sent this to the local BOE today: Dear Board Members, I was raised in a traditional home by parents with strong beliefs and a… Continue reading book ban update
friday goodness
Not an official one, but just some good happenings for the day: New poem up in Wicked Alice - "Eve Considers Her Life." It's one of the final poems from Imprimatur to be published; Sotto Voce will have "Via Dolorosa" up sometime this fall/winter, and then I'll be finishing up Imprimatur in time for a… Continue reading friday goodness
why i think AFP is smart
and how that relates to poetry: So last week Amanda Palmer posted this blog, which I linked to in an earlier entry. In it, Amanda defends her right to publicize how much money she makes, information which is only incidental to the absolute rock-solid truth she presents in the same entry: artists have to make… Continue reading why i think AFP is smart
house of leaves (and other creative endeavors)
I started reading House of Leaves this weekend. I have attempted it before - a quick skim here or there, but the text is so intimidating that it always overwhelmed me, and I couldn't get into it. I read through most of Truant's Introduction on Saturday morning, and today decided to check out the Wiki… Continue reading house of leaves (and other creative endeavors)
women in literature
So. I just received (and I mean, literally JUST received) a message on Facebook from the Women Poets Reader Directory. The message was advertising the following new initiative, originated by Cate Marvin and Erin Belieu: A few days ago, Cate Marvin sent out an open letter to a group of women writers detailing her concerns… Continue reading women in literature
