tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63321708544458880902024-03-13T20:54:25.253-07:00{life & letters}Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-25907406274713137152014-09-25T14:58:00.001-07:002014-09-25T14:58:22.220-07:00I've moved!<a href="http://wordswithem.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">I'll retain this site in case I feel the need for future personal updates, but in the meantime...</a><br />
<a href="http://wordswithem.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://wordswithem.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Follow my work at: http://wordswithem.wordpress.com/</a>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-22644695823771110432014-06-02T18:32:00.000-07:002014-06-02T18:37:33.848-07:00Ave Atque Vale, TMI: City of Heavenly Fire Review<div class="MsoNormal">
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--></style><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8755785-city-of-heavenly-fire" target="_blank"><i>City of Heavenly Fire</i></a>
is the sixth and final installment of YA bestseller Cassandra Clare’s <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/44457-the-mortal-instruments" target="_blank">“The Mortal Instruments”</a> series. While I still wish Clare had ended with the
excellent conclusion of the original trilogy, <i>CoHF </i>is better than the previous two books combined. Much of the
clumsiness and stale fanservice of <i>City
of Fallen Angels </i>and <i>City of Lost
Souls</i> are traded for the deft mix of action and wit-tempered angst that
made the original books so fun, bringing the series to a satisfying close. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As usual, there’s a good balance between the main plot and
the character arcs. There are no huge surprises in store, but Sebastian
Morgenstern is a suitably deranged villain (I can’t help but picture him as a
young, bleached-out <a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/025d77e7f55a6df2afab9fe6cfd90b59/tumblr_mrlob5Tr7q1se9fcoo1_500.gif" target="_blank">Ramsay Snow</a>) and the conflict propels the reader quickly along.
While Clare’s numerous romantic subplots are often in the foreground, she is
surprisingly at her best here when she explores other types of love—familial, and
platonic. For instance, as invested as many readers are in Alec and Magnus (and
yes, this ‘ship remains in focus), the most poignant and best written of Alec’s
scenes instead explore his relationships with Simon, Jace, and his father. The
concept of <i>parabatai </i>remains one of
the most interesting facets of Clare’s ‘verse, and there are ample hints here
that it will play a primary role in her forthcoming series, <a href="http://www.cassandraclare.com/my-writing/novels/the-dark-artifices/" target="_blank">“The Dark Artifices.”</a> (For the record: I’d put my money on a <i>Parabatai</i>-in-Forbidden-Love scenario with new characters Emma and
Julian, but I wish someone would encourage Clare to ease off the romance peddle
and try something else—she would really be great at it!).</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There are some good payoffs to be found here for fans of
Clare’s Victorian Shadowhunter trilogy, “<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/54144-the-infernal-devices" target="_blank">The Infernal Devices.”</a> Particularly
satisfying is a logical and plot-related fix-it for the somewhat ludicrous
“twist” at the conclusion of <i>Clockwork
Princess</i>. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{My actual face upon finishing <i>Clockwork Princess.</i>}</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And for readers who followed Clare’s ascent from the depths
of fandom…well. Let’s just say that there is a sex scene that reads so blatantly,
awkwardly, and wonderfully like the beginning of mediocre fanfiction smut that
said readers are warned not to eat or drink anything they might choke on while
reading this particular scene, because they will definitely be howling with
laughter.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(I say this purely from a theoretical standpoint,
obviously!)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The book’s only real shortcoming is that it’s unnecessarily
long. A number of the action sequences feel superfluous. It isn’t so much the
writing itself, but the issue of the Shadowhunters being so OP. There are
casualties, but very rarely does the reader have a true sense of dread over the
protagonists’ fates. The other issue here is that there’s a significant chunk
of the book devoted to setting up “The Dark Artifices.” A gaggle of new and
mostly interchangeable kid characters are introduced in the beginning and
returned to throughout in what feels like <i>exposition+.</i>
Their interactions with Clary and co. are limited enough that I skimmed the majority
of their segments, as I do not intend to read TDA. Likewise, the battle scenes
are easily skimmed without missing much pertinent information.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Clare has demonstrated a habit of pouring out the angst only
to mop it up in an overly-rosy conclusion, and there’s no difference here. I
imagine that fans will be divided on this point, particularly in regards to the
fate of one of the protagonists. However, I do think there might be something
to be said for happy endings in a YA market saturated by downers. Of the
popular YA lit I’ve encountered in the past couple years, I think the most
upbeat ending could at best be described as “bittersweet.” Ultimately, my
eye-rolling at the ending was paired with an understanding that, in a
classically escapist genre, sometimes young readers could use a break from the
gloom and doom.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I may have purchased <i>City
of Heavenly Fire </i>out of my begrudging loyalty to Cassandra Clare and the fact that I had a six hour flight ahead of me, but I can’t stress
enough how pleasantly this book surprised me. Whether it was my low expectations
after the underwhelming <i>CoFA</i> and <i>CoLS</i>, or the fact that Cassie never
fails to deliver on writing my favorite brand of sassy one-liners, I devoured
this one. A satisfying end to uneven but fun series. <i>Ave atque vale</i>, TMI.</span></span></div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-74861458941340352152014-01-28T02:14:00.000-08:002014-01-28T02:20:51.241-08:00WriteWriteWriteI have a (somewhat-self-imposed) April 1st draft deadline, so I'm currently immersed in a writerly fog. I've just hit that point where I'm starting to feel fully enveloped in my characters and story. It's a wonderful and terrifying moment. On the one hand, I just want to hole up in my writing cave and bang away at the keyboard; but on the other, I'm feeling preemptively guilty about all the people and things I will inevitably blow off over the next couple months in favor of hangin' with my imaginary friends. Flipping this switch on and off is a personal struggle. Once I settle myself into the world of my novel, I hit a remarkably productive writing groove that makes it difficult to pull myself back to the real world. This, I think, is the real reason why I needed this year to focus solely on writing. I need to bring myself to this place in order to create good work, but lord knows I'm not getting anything else done while I'm here!<br />
<br />
I am keeping up with my reading, though any reviews will be indefinitely delayed due to my writing frenzy. Perhaps in April? There are a few half-written reviews in my drafts folder from the tail end of 2013, and I'll have some more to add for the new year. So far, 2014 has included a quick and enthusiastic reading of Hugh Howey's Wool Omnibus, and about a third of Susanna Kearsley's The Winter Sea.<br />
<br />
Speaking of reading...I just sent out my first "teaser" for the novel to be beta read! It's only the first couple pages, and I only sent it to my mom; but this is the first glimpse anyone else will have of what I've been working on, and I'm excited to finally get a little feedback. Writing in a vacuum is incredibly weird and frustrating. However, I've been hesitant to share anything besides a full draft for fear of ruining the magic of reading the complete story, as it's meant to be read. I don't want to spoil any surprises. This particular selection is about as spoiler-free as possible, though, so I'm hoping to make my mom happy and get a little positive feedback to cheer me on.<br />
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As Chuck would say,<br />
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...but also awesome. =)Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-38079986011312628712014-01-06T12:26:00.001-08:002014-01-06T12:26:46.325-08:00New Year, New GoalHappy New Year!<br />
<br />
The past couple months have been a whirlwind of traveling and hosting. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to spend the holidays with so many people I love.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H9yIaHl6DgQ/UssIJilqoMI/AAAAAAAAANE/3_kBu3rbqNg/s1600/IMG_0787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H9yIaHl6DgQ/UssIJilqoMI/AAAAAAAAANE/3_kBu3rbqNg/s1600/IMG_0787.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Yes, even this weirdo.}</td></tr>
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Now that I'm settled back in LA, I am:<br />
<br />
1. having a really difficult time not constantly bragging about how much warmer I am than my poor Northeast-dwelling peeps (sorry, guys! I really am trying!)<br />
2. really, really excited for what 2014 has in store.<br />
<br />
I'm typically awful at making New Year's resolutions, mostly because they're often a setup for disappointment. Nothing rubs the salt into one's wounds of inadequacy like continually failing to do the things you already sucked at doing in the first place, right?<br />
<br />
Last year, though, I decided to brainstorm a few small, positive changes I could make in my life, and then pick one to focus on that would be both manageable and meaningful. I resolved to read one book each month, selected only for my personal enjoyment and relaxation (ie, books read for school/teaching don't count). I not only stuck to this goal--even during those crazy few months back in the Spring when I changed teaching loads and even school buildings like four times--but exceeded it! Reading for pleasure was one of those little things that had gradually slipped away over time (perhaps ironic for a liberal arts major and English teacher?), and reintegrating it in my life proved surprisingly meaningful. It was a welcomed escape from the stresses of my job and hectic life, it introduced me to worlds, words, and writing styles previously unfamiliar, and it helped refocus me on some deeper personal goals that I'd been putting on the back burner for literally years.<br />
<br />
In 2014, I'm aiming for a similar type of resolution: small changes in my daily routine that can lead to simple yet positive boosts in my overall quality of life. After brainstorming a few options, I think I've settled on something surprisingly...well...domestic. This year, I'd like to make more of an effort to maintain my living space; specifically, I'd like to do more cooking and cleaning.<br />
<br />
Shocking, I know!<br />
<br />
Here's the situation, though:<br />
<br />
1. I work from home. I'm in my apartment nearly 24/7. It's suddenly really important to always feel comfortable and clean here, but also surprisingly difficult to switch from the "I'm at work and should be working" mentality to the "Damn, I should probably move from my desk/computer and take stock of the state of the rest of my apartment" mentality.<br />
2. Also living here is my dear, sweet boyfriend: the world's most lovable slob. We've lived together for a couple years, but this is the first time we've both been here more or less every day for an extended period of time (he used to travel during the week as a consultant). "Exponential" is a word that comes to mind when contemplating the increase in messiness.<br />
3. The bf eats at work during the week, so I mostly "cook" meals for one. Often, this ends in me realizing, "Oh shit, it's 7:30? I'm starving!" and making a PB&J. I also despise grocery shopping more than any other chore, which leads to unsurprising stretches of barren refrigerator syndrome.<br />
<br />
So...while I'm definitely not striving to be the next Martha Stewart or anything, I would like to make some sort of regular cleaning schedule I can easily stick to--and maybe even <i>*gasp!* </i>get my boyfriend to help with--and to make an effort to actually prepare a hot meal that doesn't involve microwaving at least a couple times per week. Nothing too crazy. I am supposed to be some sort of "adult" now, after all. ;-)<br />
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(Naturally, this goal is separate from my 2014 writing-related goals. Since this is now my actual JOB, though, I'm treating those less as resolutions and more as necessities--as they should be!)<br />
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<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-80056857328021277572013-11-18T17:04:00.001-08:002013-11-18T17:04:12.447-08:00Book Hangovers and The Secret History
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Help! I’m in the throes of what can only be described as a
“book hangover”—that space between novels where I can’t quite bring myself to
abandon the world of the book I’ve just finished to start reading something
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The book in question is <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29044.The_Secret_History" target="_blank">Donna Tartt’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Secret History</i></a>. Yes, I know that it’s Tartt’s new release, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Goldfinch</i>, that’s garnering so much
buzz recently. I’d heard so many wonderful things about her first novel,
though, that I felt compelled to read it before checking out the new one. As an
added bonus, it also came highly recommended for its strong sense of
atmosphere. This is something I’ve been seeking in my reading lately <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(<a href="http://thelifeandletters.blogspot.com/2013/10/october-reading-roundup.html" target="_blank">see last month’s </a></i><a href="http://thelifeandletters.blogspot.com/2013/10/october-reading-roundup.html" target="_blank">The Night Circus</a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">),</i> so I was eager to give <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Secret History </i>a look.</div>
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My first impression: How did someone not recommend this book
to me sooner?</div>
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<a href="http://media.npr.org/books/threebooks/2008/may/tartt_200-75cfc9baf7da62131e30892e8c9abee477458c43-s6-c30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://media.npr.org/books/threebooks/2008/may/tartt_200-75cfc9baf7da62131e30892e8c9abee477458c43-s6-c30.jpg" width="241" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Secret History </i>is
a thriller on its surface—a sort of murder mystery in reverse, where readers
discover the murder of a young student at the hands of his friends in the
opening pages, and then backtrack to chart the course of events that lead to the
murder and its aftermath. Its real power, though, comes not from the murder
plot, but from the protagonist’s gradual decay as he becomes enveloped in the
turmoil of one of the strangest and most seductive friend groups I’ve seen
portrayed in a novel.
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Narrator Richard Papen is an outsider in every sense of the
word. He’s just as out of place with his unsupportive, working class family in
California as he is in the snooty, upper crust, liberal arts college he attends
in New England. Almost immediately, Richard becomes drawn to eccentric
professor Julian Morrow and his exclusive ancient Greek program. Julian
operates largely outside of college jurisdiction, and demands that his
hand-picked students take classes only with him for their entire tenure.
Despite warnings about the practicality of these studies, Richard becomes
enamored with the cool, untouchable Greek students—scholarly and stoic Henry,
charismatic twins Charles and Camilla, shrewd and flamboyant Francis, and
pompous jokester Bunny—and he soon finds himself joining their ranks. </div>
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Richard’s
a little Gatsby, a little Pip. His clear desire to belong and his
self-acknowledged fascination with aesthetic beauty and artifice create a
believable descent into trust and complicity with the rest of the group, even
as red flags begin to emerge. Tartt excels at presenting characters who
intrigue and even evoke a kind of sympathy from the reader, despite the fact
that these characters are fundamentally rotten individuals. Much like a Walter
White or a Tony Soprano—though younger and often significantly more
angst-ridden—Tartt’s group of young adults will occasionally display the barest
flashes of morality or kindness or helplessness just at the moment when you
begin to genuinely hate them. Choosing Richard, who is not exactly “pure” from
the outset, but who experiences perhaps the most dramatic moral decline, as
well as having the most objective vision of events, is key in achieving much of
this balance. His excitement at being included within this exclusive group, to
finally rewrite his own life story into something more glamorous and
interesting, is predominantly what makes his actions believable and even
relatable (if not wholly sympathetic).</div>
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I mentioned earlier that I came to this book for the
atmosphere; and damned if that isn’t why I stayed! Tartt’s writing is gorgeous,
her prose lush and evocative. Descriptions of the New England landscape abound,
portrayed with the same sense of fierce and somewhat terrifying beauty with
which the Greek students become so obsessed. The students themselves are
wonderfully anachronistic. They dress sharply, their speech is eloquent and
old-fashioned, and they eschew modern pursuits for lawn games, cards, and
discussion of antiquity (apparently any history past Greek and Rome is
unimportant, as one particularly strange and funny moment finds the
unflappable, brain-the-size-of-a-planet Henry totally shocked to discover that
man has walked on the moon). While set in the late 80s, the book has a timeless
feel to it that I absolutely loved. What can I say? I’m a sucker for any novel
that includes bookish students drinking bourbon out of teacups.</div>
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While the third quarter sags a bit with some slow scenes (the
murdered friend’s funeral is dragged out for what feels like a hundred pages),
the final section moves quickly and the entire first half is absolutely
riveting—like, can’t-put-it-down-for-300-pages riveting. Some of the content encroaches
a little on “Lifetime special” territory (I’m talking alcoholism, drugs, abuse,
incest, orgies, you name it), but the writing consistently elevates the
material, especially in conjunction with the novel’s major themes. The result
is a strange hybrid of literary fiction and salacious page-turner that is just
the most delicious sort of combo I could imagine.</div>
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Seriously, this is one of those rare books where I’m torn
between “I wish I’d written this” and “Thank goodness I didn’t, or I’d miss out
on extreme pleasure of reading it.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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Simply awesome.</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-78290472492268861782013-10-31T06:53:00.000-07:002013-10-31T06:53:12.957-07:00October Reading Roundup
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Happy Halloween! My October booklist just happens to be
appropriately uncanny (coincidentally or subliminally?), so I figured I’d do a
quick reading roundup instead of breaking down the reviews separately. Here’s
what I’ve been reading this month!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9361589-the-night-circus" target="_blank">THE NIGHT CIRCUS</a>, by Erin Morgenstern</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-atg1qGaR1i8/UnJc16WjrGI/AAAAAAAAALg/4RVTVrekmOE/s1600/Night-Circus-UK-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-atg1qGaR1i8/UnJc16WjrGI/AAAAAAAAALg/4RVTVrekmOE/s400/Night-Circus-UK-cover.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
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Wow, is this book gorgeous. The premise—two magicians caught
in a lifelong duel to produce increasingly enchanting illusions amidst the
backdrop of a nocturnal circus—has a timeless, fairytale quality to it. The
story itself is simple, narrated with a sort of dreamlike detachment as it
progresses through an engaging if not unpredictable plot. But the writing! I
selected this book specifically looking for examples of well-developed,
atmospheric setting; and this is exactly the arena in which Morgenstern
demonstrates her own magic. The descriptions of the circus itself—mysterious,
hypnotic, and beautiful to its visitors—are stunning, full of evocative detail
and conveyed through highly sensual prose. I could only describe this to my
friend as “wordporn” while reading it.* The language and syntax mirror the
dark, lush dreamscape of the circus; and if it’s perhaps a little over the top
for your typical novel, it works wonders within the context of this one. I’ve
read some complaints about the development of the central love story; but
without giving away too many spoilers, I personally found it to be
perfectly resonant with themes regarding art, illusion, and the way in which
people perceive themselves and others through the conduit of art. Apart from a
small section at the conclusion that felt a little didactically ham-fisted,
this novel had me completely engrossed from beginning to end. I only wish there
were a real night circus!</div>
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<i>*Note: wordporn is not to be confused with erotic fiction;
it applies to the sensuality of the language itself rather than the content of
the text!</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1636228.Wicked_Gentlemen?from_search=true" target="_blank">WICKED GENTLEMEN</a>, by Ginn Hale</span></b></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BL4AQ9YvGKE/UnJc1CA2-fI/AAAAAAAAALk/WDzsIPwrswE/s1600/1636228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BL4AQ9YvGKE/UnJc1CA2-fI/AAAAAAAAALk/WDzsIPwrswE/s400/1636228.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Wicked Gentlemen</i>
was my dark horse selection for the month. I don’t read many books these days
without a friend/family recommendation or some publisher hype, but I stumbled
on this one through a Goodreads search. I’ve been researching examples of
non-hetero, primary protagonists in genre fiction (specifically fantasy and
sci-fi), where the protag’s sexuality is a part of his or her character without
being the character’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">defining</i>
feature or the focus of the novel. This one fit the bill! The novel is a
modern-ish, alternate history fantasy with mystery and crime elements. The
protag is a Prodigal, part of a race of demonic descendants who live among
normal humans but are threatened by a theocratic government. He’s also a
private detective, and his services are quickly tapped by an Inquisitor (a
cop/priest) following a series of brutal murders and the disappearance of the
Inquisitor’s sister. This is a classic case of “love the characters, couldn’t
care less about the plot.” If you can get past some “broken protagonist” angst,
the two main characters are incredibly sympathetic and likable. Their relationship
develops slowly throughout the novel in a way that is natural and fun to read.
My issue was that, while the relationship was clearly not the main focus of the
novel, I found myself far more interested in how the characters were developing
within and between themselves than I was in the actual plot. The mystery starts
out intriguing, but runs out of steam shortly before what should be the final
sprint toward the conclusion. The world-building also falls a bit flat, but has
enough potential that I felt cheated to learn that there are no sequels that
might better develop it—especially since I so enjoyed the premise and the
characters.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97751.The_Uncanny?from_search=true" target="_blank">THE UNCANNY</a>, essays by Sigmund Freud; translated by David
McLintock; Introduction by Hugh Haughton</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vzbmNMTE2h4/UnJc1BLEyaI/AAAAAAAAALc/UuOO5CoTEEk/s1600/PenguinFreud-Uncanny-cover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vzbmNMTE2h4/UnJc1BLEyaI/AAAAAAAAALc/UuOO5CoTEEk/s320/PenguinFreud-Uncanny-cover2.jpg" width="196" /></a>I read a few snippets of this collection in college and have
been </div>
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planning ever since to read the entire volume. It’s obviously not light
reading, but I think it would be fascinating to anyone interested in
psychoanalysis who has never seen Freud apply his theories explicitly to
art/literature/creativity in general (something English majors may have
personally done in critical theory-focused classes, but which I imagine few
others have). His examination of how the uncanny manifests itself not in the
great unknown, but in mysteries far closer to our homes and inner lives, is
stirring and intensely thoughtful. The Penguin Classics edition has an introduction by Hugh Haughton that includes specific portions
prefacing each of Freud’s essays. I found these very helpful. Also helpful was
my pad of sticky notes, which I was glad to be using to mark pages when I
decided that the book cover was too damn creepy to look at anymore. Pro Tip:
Post-Its work great for hiding scary covers!</div>
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<br /></div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-32043823973275822082013-10-08T15:10:00.000-07:002013-10-31T06:53:35.206-07:00Hey, Assbutts! It's Supernatural Tuesday!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.tumblr.com/1cfc89bc978d26834a064dd1515c343d/tumblr_inline_mj7cg5uKAT1qz4rgp.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://media.tumblr.com/1cfc89bc978d26834a064dd1515c343d/tumblr_inline_mj7cg5uKAT1qz4rgp.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Obviously. Also, see #3 on my Wish List.}</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Supernatural</i>’s 9<sup>th</sup>
season premiers tonight! I was seriously late to the game on this show, but now
I can’t get enough of Team Free Will doing what they do best: “Saving people,
hunting things…the family business.” </div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.tumblr.com/73e8dafba002beab58d5a01c614aef6d/z2ra47r/PYVml5t7c/tumblr_static_dean_cas_cute.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://static.tumblr.com/73e8dafba002beab58d5a01c614aef6d/z2ra47r/PYVml5t7c/tumblr_static_dean_cas_cute.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Or, perhaps more accurately: "Manly brooding, eye-fucking each other...the fan-servicing business." Ahem. For reals though, this show is the best.}</td></tr>
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I was sad to hear that the incomparable Ben Edlund, creator
of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Tick</i> and scribe of many of
SPN’s best episodes—for instance, Season 5’s “The End” and Season 6’s “The
French Mistake”—left to write for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Revolution.
</i>Nonetheless, I have faith in Jeremy Carver and the current writing team to
play out the ramifications of Season 8’s strong finale. The promos that the
CW’s been running feature more Abaddon action, the introduction of a new angel
played by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Battlestar Galactica’s </i>Helo,
and the trials and tribulations of the newly-human Castiel. Our favorite
Horseman even makes an appearance! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/34500000/SPN-supernatural-34556272-245-184.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/34500000/SPN-supernatural-34556272-245-184.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{How exactly does one go about conveying one's love for Death? Seriously, I just want to eat fattening, delicious food with this droll motherfucker.}</td></tr>
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Carver reportedly has a story arc planned through the 10<sup>th</sup>
season, but that will not for one second deter me from selfishly coveting some
checkmarks on my own <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Supernatural </i>wish
list!</div>
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From the reasonable to the reasonably ridiculous, here’s
what I’m hoping for in season 9.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Top Five SPN S09 Wishes – (BONUS) Now By Category!</b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">#1) <u>Biggest
Character-Related Wish:</u> Epic Villainy</b></div>
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Remember how delightfully disturbing Ol’ Yellow Eyes was?
Not since Azazel has SPN brought on a truly epic Big Bad. Lilith only really
had the season 3 finale to shine; Lucifer was underutilized (and, c’mon,
honestly kind of likable); Dick and the Leviathan were visually creepy-cool but
otherwise dull; Eve’s potential was quashed before it could play out; and I am
beyond sick of the “Oops—I’m the bad guy!” Cas card. Crowley is a truly fantastic
character and came into his villainous own in season 8; but I don’t really see
him as a Big Bad on the same level as someone like Azazel. He’s too fun and
cuddly to be truly frightening, and now, of course, he’s even more in the gray.
Sidebar: I am immensely looking forward to this development. Let’s hope for
more HBO references. “You know nothing, Moose Winchester!” Aaaanyway, my
fingers are so crossed that Abaddon will turn out to be as epic a villain as
she has the potential to be. SPN needs more well-developed and consistent
female characters. I would love for an epically evil, badass knight of Hell to
be one of them!</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://31.media.tumblr.com/9f7c891ca9dc3977f61cf65209bbb445/tumblr_mmwb9kGHiH1r82muqo1_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://31.media.tumblr.com/9f7c891ca9dc3977f61cf65209bbb445/tumblr_mmwb9kGHiH1r82muqo1_250.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Girlcrush status.}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">#2) <u>Biggest Feels
Wish:</u> The Return of The Samulet</b></div>
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C’mon, I can’t be the only one still incredulous about the
fact that both Sam and Cas just let Dean toss the amulet in the trashcan. It’s
been so many seasons since then, so I know it’s not likely to return. But
seriously, guys…couldn’t Sammy have fished it out and tucked it away somewhere?
Pretty please?</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://dnmmagazinedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://dnmmagazinedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Remember the Christmas special? All the feels!}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">#3) <u>Biggest
Resurrection Wish:</u> Bring Back Gabriel, Already!</b></div>
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Yes, I love Bobby. Yes, I love Team Free Will. Honestly,
though, the writers should take Dean’s advice: sometimes, what’s dead should
stay dead. There are no stakes involved when we anticipate that the brothers
will always be resurrected; and continuing to bring back a character like Bobby
only cheapens the poignancy of wonderful episodes like “Death’s Door” (for this
same reason, I’ll also be bummed if we see Meg again). If they’re going to
resurrect characters, I’d rather see someone like Gabriel come back. Richard
Speight is a fan favorite, and the Trickster episodes were consistently among
the best. Gabriel was arguably the most interesting character on the show with
his hilarious but deadly antics and his complex backstory/development. Maybe
it’s because I just re-watched “Changing Channels,” but I would seriously love
to see this guy back in the fold!</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/2063/2vcfczajpg.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/2063/2vcfczajpg.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{My sentiments exactly.}</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">#4) <u>Biggest MOTW Wish:</u>
No Bland Standalones, Please</b></div>
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I know that there are fans who still favor the Monster of
the Week episodes. I am not one of those fans. There is nothing worse than
having the story arc stall at a critical moment for the brothers to go hunt
some random vampire. Murderous mannequins? The terrible episode with the man-witch
and the familiar? The random mythic gods and goddesses? Please stop. Just stop.
If there must be a MOTW, I would rather it be a funny episode, a la “The French Mistake” or last season's "Hunteri Heroici." I’d also be okay with a truly
creepy episode, something that mostly disappeared after the first season.
“Woman in White,” “Bloody Mary,” “Something Wicked”…as much as the show
improved when the myth arc picked up, I did really enjoy those genuinely spooky
early episodes. Although I know it wasn’t a popular episode, I also didn’t mind
the found-footage werewolf episode, “Bitten,” in season 8. I’d rather see
something intriguing: a unique format, a frightening episode, something meta or
funny (or both)…or not have a MOTW episode at all.</div>
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<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ItSaP06ucfw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">{Still giggling over Castiel's critical analysis of Roadrunner and Coyote.}</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">#5) <u>Biggest Fandom
Wank Wish:</u> Dean Can Dig Elvis</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Human Cas develops an interest in music, and he takes an
especially strong liking to Elvis. He’s riding shotgun in the Impala with Dean.
“Can I put something on?” he asks when Dean’s Metallica cassette finishes. Dean
raises his eyebrows and shrugs, because really, since when does Cas listen to
or even care about music? He’s curious to see where this is going. Cas flicks
through radio stations until he hears the syrupy croons of Elvis. He grins and
settles back into his seat. Dean can’t help but smirk. He’s about to make a
snarky comment about Cas’s choice in music; but his companion is smiling
contentedly, head bobbing gently along to the tune. Dean swallows his sarcasm
and just shakes his head and laughs. So Cas likes Elvis, huh? Okay. Sure. Dean
can dig Elvis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">*Aaaaand fandom explodes.*</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://8tr.s3.amazonaws.com/i/000/574/427/mish-9717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://8tr.s3.amazonaws.com/i/000/574/427/mish-9717.jpg" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Not sure if Misha Troll-ins, or just a coincidence... But no, I would not recommend reading "Twist and Shout" unless you like your fic fundamentally traumatizing. If you don't know what "Twist and Shout" is, please ignore my ramblings and carry on.} </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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In conclusion: Crowley.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbcqvu0Ypn1qe7736o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbcqvu0Ypn1qe7736o1_500.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Really, let's just have every episode be about Mark Sheppard being handsome and sly. Cool?}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Enjoy your pie and purple nurples. Happy viewing!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><u><i>Image/gif sources:</i></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/pig-n-a-poke </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>http://destielpassengers.tumblr.com/page/4</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/supernatural/images/34556272/title/death-photo</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>http://rorycas.tumblr.com/post/50627247342/hellchesters-abaddon-the-queen-of-everything-in</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>http://dnmmagazine.com/2012/06/17/supernatural-the-impact-of-an-amulet/</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>http://www.neowin.net</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>http://8tracks.com/gabrielrising/i-can-dig-elvis</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>http://rebloggy.com/post/supernatural-sam-winchester-jared-padalecki-crowley-mark-sheppard/32858210286</i></span></div>
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</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-46887156732974321012013-10-07T14:26:00.004-07:002013-10-07T14:26:42.911-07:00Review: The Cuckoo's Calling
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’d like to begin my review of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cuckoo’s Calling</i> by giving you a bit of context.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Reasons Why I Read
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cuckoo’s Calling</i></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Its author, rooky novelist Robert Galbraith, was
revealed to be none other than J.K. Rowling—personal hero and queen of my
heart—writing under a pseudonym.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I don’t usually read mysteries or thrillers. I
thought it might be beneficial to my writing to branch out.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>J.K. Rowling wrote it!</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>As much as I adore <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry Potter</i>, I really, really could not get through <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Casual Vacancy.</i> I thought, “Maybe
that was a fluke. Maybe I’m not British enough to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">get it.</i> Maybe this one will be different. I should really give her
one more shot…”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I recently watched BBC’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sherlock</i> and was craving more detective funsies in the absence of a
third season.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Joanne Kathleen bloody Rowling! Seriously, guys!
I love her!!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In other words…yes, my massive fangirl,
bordering-on-worship, nerd crush on J.K. Rowling is pretty much 100% of why I
picked up <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cuckoo’s Calling.</i>
Please do not let that fact deter you from reading it, though, because—in all
honesty—this is just the sort of detective story that you will love curling up
with on a rainy day with some tea and a blanket, dreaming, if you’re anything
like me, of running around the misty streets of London with protagonist
Cormoran Strike.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://static.hypable.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/jk-rowling-the-cuckoos-calling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://static.hypable.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/jk-rowling-the-cuckoos-calling.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Private detective Strike is my favorite protagonist that
I’ve read in a long while. He’s a war vet, burdened by a messy family history,
current relationship issues, and the nuisance of a partially amputated leg. The
way in which Rowling describes him—he’s hulking, hairy, and not much of a
looker; a far cry from, say, Benedict Cumberbatch’s androgynously dreamy
Sherlock—is endearing and somewhat reminiscent of a familiar Rowling character.
I couldn’t help but picture him as a younger, surlier Rubeus Hagrid! For all of
his physical and psychological wounds, though, Strike manages to float above the
typical tropes of misanthropy and emotional wallowing. His skill in reading
people, his awkwardly sweet (platonic!) interactions with temporary secretary
Robin, and his skill in piecing together the crime make him an endearing and
believable hero.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The mystery itself concerns supermodel Lula Landry’s death.
When the gorgeous but troubled Lula takes a swan dive off her apartment
balcony, the police conclude that it’s a suicide. But Lula’s wealthy brother
smells foul play, and hires Strike to investigate. In typical Rowling style, a
colorful cast of characters is introduced as Strike wades through the people
and places connected to Lula during her last days of life. The mystery unravels
slowly but logically. There are no completely ludicrous moments, and the
resolution doesn’t come from left field. There’s no, “Aha! It turns out she was
murdered by the postman who was mentioned in one sentence on page 17!” here. I
was able to predict the ending, but I didn’t feel that it was too obvious or
that the conclusion came too early in the text. Then again, I’m not a mystery
reader and I also wasn’t trying particularly hard to guess where things were
going; so some fans of the genre might have a different experience. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Significant attention is also paid to themes of social
inequality, media obsession, and the “price” of fame—again, familiar territory
for Rowling—but I found that these themes toed the line between being strongly
developed and preachy fairly well. It’s interesting, too, to consider the
difference between Rowling writing about (Harry’s) fame when she was still an
unknown writer, versus her new insights on it as one of the most well known and
sought after writers in the world. At one point, she remarks that “[Strike] had
never been able to understand the assumption of intimacy fans felt with those
they had never met.” I know that if I met JKR, my first instinct would be to
run up to her and hug her silly; and I’m sure many other people feel and have
felt the same. I can only imagine how strange it must be to exist on the
receiving end of that sort of love and respect, coming from people who know you
only through your words.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, many of her insights into the lifestyles of the
rich and famous are also downright hilarious. One of my favorite characters,
fashion designer Guy Somé, has this to say about Lula’s rock star boyfriend:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I’ll tell you,” he
said, without pausing for an answer. “It’s that wounded-poet crap, that
soul-pain shit, that too-much-of-a-tortured-genius-to-wash bollocks. Brush your
teeth, you little bastard. You’re not fucking Byron.”</i></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Air snaps! All the air snaps! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My one complaint is a bit ironic, since it concerns a
characteristic of Rowling’s writing that made the HP books so wonderful.
Rowling takes the time to describe absolutely everything, in painstaking
detail. This is fantastic when she’s world building in a fantasy novel, but it
can really tank the pacing when we’re dealing with modern day London. I’m all
for detail, but I don’t need paragraph-long descriptions of the surroundings or
of random people on the street who will never be discussed again. Some
streamlining could have benefitted the pace and tone of the narrative. On the
other hand, Rowling-writing-for-grownups has the benefit of lots of decidedly
un-HPish descriptions that are relentlessly fun. Take, for instance, this
simile: “…when her mouth puckered into hard little lines around the cigarette,
it looked like a cat’s anus.” You never get to see Harry thinking something
like that!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ultimately, I enjoyed the novel and was left with that same
cozy feeling I always get at the end of a J.K. Rowling story. There’s something
about her writing that makes me want to crawl up inside it and just snuggle in
the words. I still love you, Jo! I’d happily read more Cormoran Strike novels.
Keep ‘em coming!</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-50423469398511520842013-09-23T17:09:00.000-07:002013-09-23T17:09:11.883-07:00Erotic Alien Hairdressing: My Rather Long Review of The Bone Season
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The moment that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Bone-Season-A-Novel/dp/1620401398" target="_blank">Samantha Shannon’s debut novel</a>—the first in a planned series of seven—came onto my radar, I knew I
wanted to read it. The press-hyped <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/21/living/samantha-shannon-bone-season/index.html?sr=sharebar_facebook" target="_blank">comparisons to JK Rowling’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry Potter </i>series</a> caught my eye, but
the description of the book itself reeled me in. It was characterized as a
dystopian, “New Adult” novel, with fantasy and speculative fiction elements,
set in the future (though involving a bit of alternate history) in London and
Oxford. Um, hello. Sign me up! The fact that the book was penned by a recent
Oxford graduate only added to the appeal. I am typically inclined to support
talented young, female writers. Those writing in my preferred genres get bonus
points!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mockingjay.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/The-Bone-Season-Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://mockingjay.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/The-Bone-Season-Book.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Or, as my boyfriend would call it, "The Boner Season."}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>A Few General
Comments:</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I read the book over both legs of
my recent trip to Michigan. My primary reaction? This is a series—and a new
author—with real potential. I was impressed by the quality of the world
building and the overall vibe of the book’s smooth blend of dystopia and
fantasy. Some readers have whined of plot holes and unanswered questions (be
warned that the book does end on a cliffhanger), but I have patience and faith.
The first installment of any series tends to be a starting point from which the
world, the characters, the story, and even the writer’s talent take root and
grow. As a new author, Shannon’s craft will no doubt mature with her series as
it progresses through the remaining six volumes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I’ve also checked out a few
interviews with Shannon, who seems humble, passionate about her writing, and
generally a cool chick. In <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuxtcwKsHKU" target="_blank">this Q&A</a>, she talks about her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">HP</i>-love and anxiety over the press’s
insistence on comparing her to Rowling. Then she highlights the Benedict
Cumberbatch calendar hanging in her room. Samantha, let’s be besties! I will
definitely be awaiting the next installment in this series, and cheering for Shannon’s
continued success.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And now: a few notable strengths
and weaknesses, plus some juicy bits that I want to discuss about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bone Season.</i> Potential light
spoilers, though I've censored anything that might give too much away. Skip the “juicy bits” section at the end if you haven’t
read the book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Strengths</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Beautiful
world building!</b> We get the dystopian Scion London (a little <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1984,</i> a little <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">V for Vendetta</i>); the clairvoyant-run crime Syndicate; the Sheol I
penal colony, based in the abandoned grounds of Oxford; the Rephaim, a powerful
race of humanoid creatures who run Sheol I; the Emim—aka “Buzzers”—a species of
flesh-eating creatures that threaten humans and Rephs alike; and, of course,
the whole gamut of clairvoyance, complete with diverse abilities, practices,
and even a sort of social caste. There’s also a nice bit of alternate history
thrown in to accommodate for the rise of clairvoyance and how this event shaped
the sociopolitical landscape of Shannon’s world. My favorite aspect was the whole
concept of the aether, the sort of mystical spirit-force that voyants tap to
use their powers. Although Shannon does not dwell on religion in the text,
there are some definite spiritual-verging-on-religious connotations to the
relationship between humanity, the Rephs, voyance, and the aether. It will
be interesting to see how this plays into the overall mythology of the series
as it progresses.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The
primary players—both protagonists and antagonists—are interesting and likable.</b>
Paige is suitably feisty as a heroine. I’m occasionally on the fence about the parade
of Katniss Everdeen clones being marched out in the name of feminism or
whatever—yes, we certainly need strong female characters; but the idea that
only ass-kicking, surly, tomboyish, warrior women can be considered “strong” is
ludicrous and demeaning—but Paige also has a softness to her that Shannon
occasionally reveals. I hope that her character will continue to develop
outside of the “courage” and “romance” arenas of her personality. Warden, too,
shows signs of complexity beyond many of his genre counterparts. He exhibits
touches of the ubiquitous Byronic hero, but Shannon tempers these with enough
redeeming qualities to prevent him from being an asshole (for the love of God,
YA writers of all genres, take note of this). The primary antagonist, Nashira
Sargas, is an ice queen; but I’m interested to learn more about her
motivations, her backstory, and particularly the history behind her
relationship with Warden.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This is
not paranormal romance and there are no love triangles.</b> It’s always
refreshing to find a genre novel that devotes time to developing characters’
relationships (romantic or not) without turning into a romance novel with some
plot thrown in haphazardly. A habitual offender, as much as it
pains me to say it <a href="http://thelifeandletters.blogspot.com/2011/08/book-love-fanfic-and-personal-heroes.html" target="_blank">because I still love her to death</a>, is my girl <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cassandra-Clare/e/B001JRXWE4" target="_blank">Cassandra Clare</a>. Both her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mortal Instruments</i> and especially her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Infernal Devices</i> series begin with inventive world building and engaging
premises, which are sabotaged by her inability to resist devolving into increasingly
melodramatic romantic plotlines, usually driven by irritating love triangles.
What results is a work that can be read as a potentially interesting story that
is continually stalled and/or underdeveloped at the expense of long and
repetitive love scenes; or a romance novel that is bogged down by extraneous
plotting. Shannon avoids this by preventing the romantic aspects from
overshadowing the more important plotlines. The only “romance” at play
here is slow moving and plot related; and it is definitely not the primary
focus. There’s no forced love triangle to annoy or divide her readers. For
those who enjoy a little kink, there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are </i>some
transgressive elements to the romance (power differential, interspecies…). Just
don’t expect some <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fifty Shades</i> nonsense! </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">She makes
references to my favorite books, so I will love her even if her future books
are turds.</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frankenstein? </i>Check. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Turn of the Screw? </i>Check. I’m going
to go ahead and assume that a randomly mentioned spirit muse dubbed JD is the
ghost of John Donne. No one try to convince me otherwise! </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02639/PD68204999_Samanth_2639026b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02639/PD68204999_Samanth_2639026b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Seriously, Samantha Shannon, let's chill and geek out about books together sometime!}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Weaknesses</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Some
structural editing would be helpful. </b>Especially in the first quarter of the
book, there is a jarring lack of balance between exposition and action. Two
large information dumps that occur early in the text are helpful in giving
the reader the necessary background information (I know some have complained
about finding these sections confusing or “too much” in terms of new info, but
I didn’t find this to be a particular issue), but stall the plot to a
noticeably irritating degree. There’s also a temporal detachment that makes it
difficult to gauge how much time has passed between certain events. I was
surprised, late in the book, to learn the time span from beginning to end; I
initially assumed that things transpired over a much shorter period of time.
Just a few more quick time references throughout would have better clarified the
speed at which certain characters and events were developing throughout the
story.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Some of
the supporting characters are underdeveloped. </b>On the one hand, we have some
truly fun and vivid secondary players—namely Jaxon Hall, a charismatic crime
boss who reads like the love child of Fagan and Long John Silver, with the
style and panache of Gilderoy Lockhart. I want more of him, please! On the
other hand, we get characters like Sebastian and Liss, friendly but downtrodden
types who are meant to inspire pathos in both the reader and, especially, in
Paige. The trouble is that these characters are not fully drawn enough to
resonate. Seb, who seems intended to inspire a substantial portion of Paige’s
emotions and actions, gets so little development that he seems like an
afterthought. I couldn’t buy her emotional investment in a character with so
little “screen time.” While Paige’s connection to Liss is totally believable,
Liss herself is not particularly interesting at this stage in the text. There
were a slew of other secondary characters who came and went with little lasting
impression, but I was not as bothered by these; both because many these
characters seemed more plot-necessitated, and because I expect that the ones
that matter will be developed in future books.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do we
need to hear things from Paige’s point of view, or would third person narration
be more effective?</b> First person narration is so popular because it
generates a certain ease in both writing and reading. However, it also sets
limitations on the prose. This was my first foray into the “New Adult” genre;
and I was anticipating a coupling of YA’s high-interest narrative and a more
literary, adult style of writing. Be warned: while <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bone Season </i>follows older characters (Paige is in her
twenties), it reads exactly like a YA novel. I think this has less to do with
the caliber of Shannon’s writing than with the decision to have her
protagonist—who is neither particularly bookish nor overly eloquent—narrate the
series. Apart from the world-specific jargon, there isn’t much in the way of
artful diction or syntax. It isn’t as distracting as Katniss’s pervasive
sentence fragments in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hunger Games</i>,
but it was noticeable enough that I repeatedly wished Shannon had made the
short leap over to third person limited. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">As
a SPOILERY side note, highlight to read</b>: <span style="color: white;">Perhaps it also would have
eliminated one of the few minor details that really irked me—when Paige’s first
encounter with Warden leads her to immediately note what a hottie he is. We
could have been alerted to the fact without being ushered into the obvious,
“Welp. I guess no matter what happens from here on out, they’re probs gonna
hook up at some point!” I fervently thought that that one, tiny moment
undermined much of the beauty of how slowly and ambiguously their relationship
progressed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>The Juicy Bits-
Random Other Musings</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
**Highlight to read, but beware! Spoilers abound! Don’t read this section if you haven’t
read the book!**</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Erotic
Alien Hairdressing—or, that moment when the fact that your lover is putting
your hair into an updo is more bizarre than the fact that your lover is a
different species. </b>I’m not going to lie, here. The moment when Warden
started intricately dressing Paige’s hair had me literally laughing out loud. I totally get the intimacy of the moment. I even thought
it was pretty hot. But the image of this giant, sexy, non-human warrior playing
hairdresser with his big ol’ man hands was more than a little funny.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What’s
going on under Warden’s skirt? Can he and Paige actually get it on?</b>
Samantha Shannon indicated on Twitter that yes, Rephs do in fact have the
ability to reproduce with one another. However, we never see any Reph children
described in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bone Season</i>. I
wonder why? The more important question is obviously whether or not Rephs and
humans can do the dirty, as many readers are clearly anticipating some cross-pollination!
I think it’s safe to assume that they are anatomically similar to humans, as I
doubt Bloomsbury would be very happy if Shannon gave them tentacle dicks or
something of the sort. Given the fact that Rephs are repeatedly described as
being exceptionally tall, I’m also going to go ahead and assume that they are pretty
hung. Could this present some anatomical challenges? Also, what does it say
about me that these are the main questions I have lingering after book one?
No—please—don’t respond to that! As long as Shannon doesn’t devolve into <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Breaking Dawn</i> type ridiculousness, I
think all will be good.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I DO have
a theory about who and what the Rephaim are.</b> I previously mentioned my
interest in the aether. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s probably too early in the game to
make solid predictions, but I’m going to guess that the Rephaim will turn out
to be some sort of pre-Adamite form of humans. Perhaps they will be similar to
Nephilim, given their stature and attractiveness, but within the
"theology" of her world, where the aether acts as a sort of
nirvana-as-God force and they're, like, this connected but unique offshoot of
that. Just my two cents, though.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Where are
the damn Buzzers?</b> For such an important threatening force, the Emim sure
don’t seem to make many appearances. I’m really hoping for more Buzzer action
in book two…plus a more detailed description of what they look like and where
they come from. Their initial description reminded me a bit of these creatures
called the Crekka in my own series-in-progress—reptilian humanoids who eat
human flesh and are also named for the sound they make—so I’ve been picturing
them somewhat like that. Or are they more like zombies? Or maybe wendigos? Give
us the deets, Samantha Shannon!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alright. Enough for now. I’d love to hear your thoughts on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bone Season</i>! Feel free to drop a
line if you want to talk books or argue about whether the spirit “JD” was
supposed to be the ghost of John Donne (it totally was—right?).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/uploads/authors/john-donne/448x/john-donne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/uploads/authors/john-donne/448x/john-donne.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Do my insect metaphors arouse you?}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-76683088427516415182013-09-20T11:55:00.001-07:002013-09-20T11:55:35.286-07:00Look, Ma--No Kitchen Fire!
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My culinary domesticity typically begins and ends with the
delightful recipes that I reblog to my Pinterest boards and subsequently never
revisit again. However, this morning had me feeling inspired to cook something
cozy and Fall-appropriate. </div>
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Back home in PA, my mother is presently baking a Jewish
apple cake for a semi-annual Oktoberfest party that I will be super
disappointed to miss tomorrow. Needless to say, I am obscenely jealous. This
fact, coupled with the cooler temperatures and cloudy skies we’re experiencing
in LA this morning, compelled me to make a real, honest-to-goodness hot meal
for breakfast, including salsa-scrambled eggs and apple cinnamon bread. </div>
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(The fact that I’m proud of this accomplishment should tell
you a little more about my cooking skills.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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The bread came from a cute bag and mix kit called <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Original-Cozy-Tote-with-Apple-Cinnamon-Bread-Mix-and-Foil-Baking-Pan/17270359" target="_blank">“CozyTote”</a> that my mom gave me a while back, and it actually turned out pretty
delicious! The only additional ingredients required were eggs, oil, and water.
My kind of recipe, indeed.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ult_IpS-p5I/UjyZTggk5BI/AAAAAAAAAKI/nN6o5fCt7cg/s1600/bread1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ult_IpS-p5I/UjyZTggk5BI/AAAAAAAAAKI/nN6o5fCt7cg/s400/bread1.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{"Look, Ma--no kitchen fire! Woohoo!"}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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It ended up a bit drier than I prefer—I’m also still
figuring out the quirks with my new apartment’s oven, which is a bit wonky—but
still totally edible. Achievement! I added some (plain) cream cheese to it
during my taste test, which turned out to be a solid choice. Then again, I’d
eat cream cheese on just about anything, so take my recommendation with a grain
of salt. ;-)</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_xyBV6C22wM/UjyZVGR9dYI/AAAAAAAAAKU/16tVLKTFDmU/s1600/bread2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_xyBV6C22wM/UjyZVGR9dYI/AAAAAAAAAKU/16tVLKTFDmU/s400/bread2.jpeg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Omnomnomnomnomnom.}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Enjoy your weekend, everyone! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-56806344689487507722013-09-17T13:13:00.000-07:002013-09-17T13:15:36.257-07:00 What An Astonishing Thing A Book Is<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4mv8c7DPP1qav9ywo1_r2_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4mv8c7DPP1qav9ywo1_r2_1280.jpg" width="497" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I studied English (among other things) in college, and then I taught it to students. Books have always occupied a substantial space in my life; but for what feels like a very long time, required reading has displaced personal reading. The books I read because they spoke to me were few and far between. I missed the feeling of immersing myself in a novel, getting lost in its world, because even the books that interested me needed to be read with a deconstructive mind. What points will I highlight in my paper? What passages will I critique or question in class? How can I help my students dismantle the text, and which parts will I have them study before they piece it back together? Where is the intersection between enjoying, engaging, and internalizing?</div>
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<br /></div>
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These were important questions, but they failed to satisfy every corner of my book-loving heart. To remedy this, I made a resolution to read at least one new book--a book I had never read before, not just an old favorite--per month, selected and digested entirely for my own pleasure. I had a shaky start. January was a rough month, during which the only new book I read was the one I taught to my students. My pathetically early failure did inspire me to stop making so many damn excuses, and I began carving out space. Even if I waited until the last weekend of the month to curl up all day on the couch, book in hand, the attitude of viewing my reading-for-self as a requirement rather than as a reward actually helped me to find the time to get it done.</div>
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<br /></div>
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(Incidentally, I've heard this strategy repeated ad nauseum in terms of getting oneself to the gym. I never fared so well with that one, though. Books before biceps, man! Or whatever.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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Nine months down the road, I'm doing great with my resolution! It's much easier to find time to read these days with my shiny new schedule; but I'm still weirdly proud of my ability to find reading time in say, April, when I changed students and syllabi three times and was also re-reading/teaching various novels and plays to those students. Making the time to read was well worth the effort. It reminds me of being kid, coming home from the library with a stack full of books and tearing my way through the pile throughout the next week. It feels like coming home.</div>
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Here are some of the novels I've read so far this year. You'll notice that they span a variety of categories, genres, and lengths, which is exactly the kind of refresher I've needed. My top three picks are starred! Click on the titles to link through to the Amazon pages for more info.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">January: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Drums-Girls-Dangerous-Jordan-Sonnenblick/dp/0439755204" target="_blank">Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie</a></i> - Jordan Sonnenblick</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red;">February: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fault-Our-Stars-John-Green/dp/0525478817/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379447511&sr=1-1&keywords=the+fault+in+our+stars+john+green" target="_blank"><i>The Fault in Our Stars</i></a> - John Green*</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: purple;">March: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Templeton-Lauren-Groff/dp/B0023RSZM8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379447549&sr=1-1&keywords=the+monsters+of+templeton" target="_blank"><i>The Monsters of Templeton</i></a> - Lauren Groff </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange;">April: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/City-Thieves-Novel-David-Benioff/dp/0452295297/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379447579&sr=1-1&keywords=city+of+thieves" target="_blank"><i>City of Thieves</i></a> - David Benioff*</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: magenta;">May: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Red-Garden-Alice-Hoffman/dp/0307405974/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379447608&sr=1-1&keywords=the+red+garden" target="_blank"><i>The Red Garden</i></a> - Alice Hoffman; and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Ruins-Novel-Jess-Walter/dp/0061928178/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379448146&sr=1-1&keywords=beautiful+ruins" target="_blank"><i>Beautiful Ruins</i></a> - Jess Waters*</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">June: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Walked-Marisa-los-Santos/dp/0452287898/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379447634&sr=1-1&keywords=love+walked+in" target="_blank"><i>Love Walked In</i></a> - Marisa de los Santos</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: blue;">July: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clockwork-Princess-Infernal-Devices-Cassandra/dp/141697590X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379447663&sr=1-1&keywords=clockwork+princess" target="_blank"><i>Clockwork Princess</i> (Book 3, "The Infernal Devices")</a> - Cassandra Clare</span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red;">August: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-End-Lane-Novel/dp/0062255657/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379447685&sr=1-1&keywords=ocean+at+the+end+of+the+lane" target="_blank"><i>The Ocean at the End of the Lane</i></a> - Neil Gaiman</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: purple;">September: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Good-Omens-Accurate-Prophecies-Nutter/dp/0060853972/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379447709&sr=1-1&keywords=good+omens" target="_blank"><i>Good Omens</i></a> - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett; and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bone-Season-Novel-Samantha-Shannon/dp/1620401398/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379447741&sr=1-1&keywords=the+bone+season" target="_blank"><i>The Bone Season</i></a> - Samantha Shannon</span> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: red;"> </span> </span> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;">Incidentally, I've also been lurking in the fanfiction world again recently. Typically, I would not add a fanfic to this list; but I have read a couple novel-length standouts in the past few months that might be worth including. One in particular was so affecting that I wrote a proper review of it last week! When I'm done being traumatized by the story, I'll perhaps clean it up and post it on here...because, really, how could I not give a big, fat, fanfic shout-out?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: black;">Happy reading! =) </span></span></span></div>
<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-61021691557715334842013-09-09T15:42:00.000-07:002013-09-09T15:42:32.224-07:00Nerdvana and Other Writerly Bonuses
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Today may be Monday, but I’m feeling pretty excited. This is
unsurprising. I have a number of things to be excited about. This is the first
time in a few weeks that my un-air-conditioned apartment is not punishingly
hot; my favorite coffee mug has come back into rotation after a few weeks of
being mysteriously MIA; and Jeff and I are heading to Michigan this weekend to
watch some of our favorite people get married, with even more of our favorite
people beside us. Also, I’m excited because being a writer kicks infinite
amounts of ass. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are lots of writing-specific things about being a
writer that are obviously pretty great. For instance, I’ve recently hit that
point in the novel-writing process where I’m generating more relevant, usable
material than random crap—the point where characters develop beyond cool
monikers found on baby name websites (WARNING: these are writers’ crack and
should be viewed with a timer limiting how long you spend on them) and the hair
colors and generically quirky personality traits I’ve somewhat arbitrarily
assigned to them. The plot is still a loose outline, but it’s more involved
than “interesting characters face interesting obstacles while attempting to
achieve interesting goals.” Ah, sweet progress!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being a full-time writer also comes with additional perks
and surprises that help the “I woke up in the middle of the night laughing
hysterically about a line of dialogue I thought up in a dream” aspects of the
job far outweigh the “I spend all day holed up in a room with my laptop and
imaginary people” parts. These aren’t specifically linked to the act of writing
itself, but are related to the job and are similarly awesome.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are some tidbits of the writerly life that are
currently leaving me happy.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I sleep for a human number of hours almost every
night. I never knew it was possible to feel so physically rested. This has
little to do with writing, besides the fact that I make my own work hours; but
it tops the list because I could cry sometimes when I realize that the
beautiful, majestic unicorn of the 8-hour sleep is more than just a myth.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Adequate sleep does not displace my
inexhaustible need for caffeine; but the fact that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I can pee whenever I want</i>, and not just twice a day during set
hours, has done away with the requirement to abstain from liquids (caffeinated
or otherwise) during work. This, incidentally, is one of the few parts of
teaching that I do not miss even slightly.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Now that I sleep for long enough to experience
the joys of REM, I am having some pretty incredible dreams! Two nights ago, for
instance, I had a dream involving characters from my novel interacting with
characters from one of my favorite books and one of my favorite TV shows. I’m
going to tentatively dub this phenomenon Nerdvana. I think the only thing that
might surpass this is if someone, someday, starts writing crossover fanfiction
based on my and others’ books.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I have time to read…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">whatever books I want to read!</i> Is this real life???</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Because it is, apparently, an unshakable part of
my identity, I still pull the occasional all-nighter. However, these are
precipitated merely by my desire to continue writing the words I am writing.
They include only the happiest forms of cursing and swearing, and I never
consume 4am Ramen in a fit of need and self-loathing.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In short, my life is sweet.</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-45876210210064012322013-08-27T04:18:00.000-07:002013-08-27T04:18:42.980-07:00Fresh<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QbyMN0mDGnI/UhyInSNpIhI/AAAAAAAAAJo/GBOqdasgr8c/s1600/934605_642928354616_529353776_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QbyMN0mDGnI/UhyInSNpIhI/AAAAAAAAAJo/GBOqdasgr8c/s400/934605_642928354616_529353776_n.jpg" width="386" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{This is where I live now!}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ok, so I'm not technically camped out under a palm tree. I do, however, reside in the city of Los Angeles and so far it's been pretty great. I've been out here just over a month, and am finally starting to feel settled and at home. We had a lot of craziness right out of the gate: a cross-country move, a friend camping out on our couch for a couple weeks, and even a trip to the Dominican Republic. Now that things have reached a level of relative normalcy, I'm logging some seriously productive writing hours and juggling my desire to explore my new locale with my crippling inability to parallel park. Fun times all around (except for, you know, the parking bit). It feels like we're really at the beginning of something, and I'm excited for some fresh adventures.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-18389597409629150902013-06-09T08:00:00.000-07:002013-06-09T08:05:20.875-07:00Changes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnEAC3VzNWM/UbSRXtsfIrI/AAAAAAAAAH8/XEmfkTYMDzs/s1600/summeriscoming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnEAC3VzNWM/UbSRXtsfIrI/AAAAAAAAAH8/XEmfkTYMDzs/s400/summeriscoming.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Seven hells! Has this year flown by so quickly?}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That's right; I'm down to my final 30 research papers of the year, the kids have two more half days left, and I'm running full-tilt toward the end of the year (encumbered only by the aforementioned research papers, four sets of final exam essays, some tallying of component scores for the finals, my final grade uploading/posting, and then the pesky matter of cleaning all of my -- and the teacher's for whom I'm long-term-subbing -- stuff out of the classroom).<br />
<br />
It's so close I can taste it. Or maybe that's just the bitter aftertaste of the gallons of coffee I've been chugging to complete said checklist...?<br />
<br />
Surprisingly enough, the arrival of summer is actually not the most exciting thing on my horizon. In a little under a month, I will be moving across the United States to join my boyfriend/partner/best friend Jeffrey in L.A., where he's been working for the past month at his shiny new job. This was a decision we labored over for a long time. After much soul-searching -- and, honestly, a bit of grief -- we landed in a place where this actually made a lot of sense to us (though my mom would say, "Where? Delusion Town?" Not everyone is as pleased as we are). After we pulled the trigger and I began to adjust to our decision, I've been gradually growing more and more excited for the move. Visiting Jeff out in L.A. a few weeks ago really validated that anticipation and acceptance; and I am so thrilled to be embarking on this new adventure!<br />
<br />
I know this month will be a blur as I try to get everything sorted out. For now, I'm keeping my nose to the grindstone and chugging through my end-of-year workload with as much focus and diligence as I can. Even though my current group of kids is my fourth(!) this year and I've only had them for a few months, I do feel like we were able to connect and make some significant academic strides in that short time period. As much as I want to rush into this new chapter of my life, I believe that it's important to slow down and take my time with wrapping up the end of this current chapter. I've learned a tremendous amount about kids, pedagogy, the education system, classroom management, time management, keeping zen in the face of hormonal rampages (no, really, this is a thing!), and myself as a teacher and learner in this past, crazy year. I'm so fortunate to have had largely positive experiences throughout this time; and even just the fact that, despite not having a full-year contract position, I have not been unemployed for a single day this year is a great blessing in itself! Regardless of where my future path will take me, I'm certain that I will carry these experiences with me in a meaningful way.<br />
<br />
One thing I can't wait to no longer have to carry, though, is the burden of these ungraded research papers! And so, I'm off for now and keeping my fingers crossed that at least a few students picked interesting social issues to write about (so far, my favorites have definitely been "pirates" and "serial killers"). =)<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bylKZBQRIqE/UbSX7qbsdzI/AAAAAAAAAIM/VUUfOhrHSkA/s1600/20120517024319-db6c9083-9262-40e7-b9ab-18cc80ea1384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bylKZBQRIqE/UbSX7qbsdzI/AAAAAAAAAIM/VUUfOhrHSkA/s400/20120517024319-db6c9083-9262-40e7-b9ab-18cc80ea1384.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Will the West Coast prove to be the BEST coast? Incidentally, this poster is from <a href="http://www.bestcoast.us/" target="_blank">this band</a>. I sadly am not familiar, but their poster is a-freakin'-adorable enough that I will probably have to check them out.}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-44409884877627054852013-04-14T08:27:00.001-07:002013-04-14T08:27:39.740-07:00Moments of BeingI confess that Virginia Woolf is a writer whose work I struggle to actually read. She is, however, a writer I respect; and the concept of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moments_of_Being" target="_blank">"moments of being"</a> (highly academic source link!) is something that has resonated with me for several years.<br />
<br />
Lately, I've found it easy to become swept up in all of the business and the tasks that seem to stretch out in front of me like an assembly line cranked up to full speed. I'm making conscious efforts to stop and breathe, to assess where I am in the moment and to take in the little details and moments of happiness that I might easily overlook in my haste to deal with all the tasks and obstacles that need surmounting. Luckily, many of the biggest stressors that have occupied the majority of my time and attention over the past weeks have successfully passed. The musical production I've been assisting with is over, I've sorted out the bulk of the work left by the two teachers -- both of whom left abruptly and with some degree of chaos -- I've been covering at work (and yes, this includes actual work-to-be-graded, but also missing work, "unfairly graded" work, and the work of placating understandably angry and confused parents and students about the sudden lineup changes in the classroom), I've wrapped up one marking period and transitioned into the next, and Jeff has received a definite job offer from the company where he really wants to work. This final note creates, of course, a new source of anxiety; but now that the offer is definitely on the table we have more concrete options to discuss, rather than just "what-if"s. Throughout this time, I'm trying to focus myself on striking a balance between dealing with the work that needs to be done in my professional and personal lives while taking time to be mindful of and to enjoy the fun and peaceful moments that intersperse my hectic schedule. Here are some "moments of being" that have given me happiness and peace in the past week or so.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dfZF5dRZpOs/UWrInZvHerI/AAAAAAAAAHI/BlGP2mtGMxk/s1600/560209_636391050426_1646982049_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dfZF5dRZpOs/UWrInZvHerI/AAAAAAAAAHI/BlGP2mtGMxk/s400/560209_636391050426_1646982049_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{So excited for my first Pit performance in about six years.}</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rQa2a2momzE/UWrJ5bdXHvI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/NQb08-ka5qc/s1600/woody+and+molly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rQa2a2momzE/UWrJ5bdXHvI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/NQb08-ka5qc/s400/woody+and+molly.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{My sweet labby Woody makes friends with Molly the Coton de Tulear puppy.}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H6Ijf6FWAf8/UWrJ9Ght07I/AAAAAAAAAHY/h2_D1xoCjlE/s1600/smoothie+pumpkin+bread.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H6Ijf6FWAf8/UWrJ9Ght07I/AAAAAAAAAHY/h2_D1xoCjlE/s400/smoothie+pumpkin+bread.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Strawberry-mango smoothie and pumpkin bread -- perfect recipe for a happy morning!}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-18404837848636814812013-04-01T07:20:00.000-07:002013-04-01T07:21:05.720-07:00The Vanishing YearA hell of a lot has happened between November 2011 and April 2013. In some ways, life has calmed down. I'm still ridiculously busy, but I get a lot more sleep (usually) and I now get that magical, elusive thing called a paycheck to compensate me for my hard work. I've been employed steadily -- not even a day's worth of gaps in between jobs, which I consider a real achievement and blessing! -- for the entire school year, though my job title has not always been the same (more on this later). I live with my boyfriend of over four years. After three years of almost-constant long distance, and a year of seeing each other for (nice, but exhausted and work-filled) weekends while we both worked crazy hours, we now get to see each other every single day! I have no clue what the future is going to look like for us, thanks to several turns of events that are both exciting and anxiety-inducing. This post is meant to consolidate all of these events -- to fill in the gap from that vanishing year (and then some), and to explain a little about where I am in my journey today.<br />
<br />
I did not post at all in 2012. It wasn't so much that those twelve months weren't worth documenting, but more an issue that those twelve months were some of the busiest of my life. There was little time for self-reflection (well, truthfully -- there was much self-reflection; but lots of it was masters program-mandated and the rest of it was more reflect-and-adjust-on-your-feet than stop-and-write-and-ruminate). The precious time I did have was cradled gently in my hands and devoted to only the most important of endeavors. Also, sleep. Lots and lots and lots of sleep.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Here is a brief recap of the major events of 2012:<br />
<ul>
<li>I swapped my tumultuous but wonderful high school placement for a semester-long middle school placement...an event which I completely dreaded, but which ended up being pretty great.</li>
<li>My boyfriend changed jobs, and went from living in DC to living on the road -- and out of state -- most of the work week.</li>
<li>I graduated from Johns Hopkins with my masters. I was actually kind of surprised at how good this felt! I expected to feel rewarded after such a difficult and intense year, but it was really, really nice. My whole family came!</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yLnCwwa0eAE/UVmVWHw3BqI/AAAAAAAAAGo/MLMYb4l1zdc/s1600/559981_598939817996_1365915546_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yLnCwwa0eAE/UVmVWHw3BqI/AAAAAAAAAGo/MLMYb4l1zdc/s400/559981_598939817996_1365915546_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Sisterly love at my graduation.}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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<ul>
<li>I decided to move home to PA instead of pursuing a career in MD's much more open job market, even despite not having PA certification. This was a move that almost cost me a job, and caused me a lot of anguish (though I thought and still think it was the best decision for me).</li>
<li>My family's home was broken into and robbed -- a low point of the summer.</li>
<li>Through luck and connections, I was able to score a last-minute interview in my preferred school district. I was hired as a long term sub for the first half of the year! A definite high point.</li>
<li>I went abroad to Paris with my family.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cuWKGWELlf8/UVmVsSTyb7I/AAAAAAAAAG8/vHO5WKl8EYc/s1600/559268_605519023216_1288385030_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cuWKGWELlf8/UVmVsSTyb7I/AAAAAAAAAG8/vHO5WKl8EYc/s400/559268_605519023216_1288385030_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Water lilies - Monet's garden at Giverny.}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>My boyfriend and I moved in together in September. It's been pretty great. </li>
<li>I taught two blissful, productive, all-around-awesome quarters of 7th grade English. I couldn't have been happier with my students or my co-workers. Even admin rocked.</li>
<li>I visited Maine for the first time. The trip involved my first solo flight, delicious seafood, an inn by the sea, and a misty-morning kayak trip that was pretty much the best thing ever. I left with reinvigorated interest in my childhood proclamation that I would one day move to Maine (I knew nothing about the state at the time; I think my small child self probably had some sort of premonition of this future weekend in adulthood).</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aFFHIZZJ-O4/UVmVYDJF_HI/AAAAAAAAAG0/p_dndsZc6qE/s1600/47127_611263281676_1449485314_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aFFHIZZJ-O4/UVmVYDJF_HI/AAAAAAAAAG0/p_dndsZc6qE/s400/47127_611263281676_1449485314_n.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Windblown smiles on the beach below the inn.}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>I read the novel <i>The Book Thief,</i> by Markus Zusak, in October. This might be my new favorite stand-alone novel.</li>
<li>My boyfriend got laid off a couple months before the end of my LTS placement. This was very scary. We would both be unemployed very soon, unless one of us could find another job.</li>
<li>In December, I finally got my PA certification...something I had applied for waaaay back in July. I couldn't believe it took so long, but I was so happy to have it! You basically can't get a job without it, even if you've met all of the qualifications -- especially if your teaching degree was completed out-of-state, like mine was. </li>
</ul>
2012 ended on an uneasy note, with a lot of my future uncertain. Fortunately, my school district was kind enough to find ways to keep me around. This has proved challenging and exciting, but has also made the beginning of 2013 a bit of a blur. So far this year, I have been: a 7th grade English teacher, a part-time, 6th-8th grade Title I Reading and Math specialist, a 9th grade English teacher, and a 10th grade English teacher. And it's only April! I've also been rehearsing with the high school musical, as I agreed back in February (when my work schedule was part-time and did not include any outside grading or planning) to play violin with the Pit Orchestra. Wild!<br />
<br />
All the while, my boyfriend is still looking for a new job. He has been on some promising interviews, but the jobs are scattered all over the country. The one he's most interested in -- and the furthest along with in the interview process -- is in Southern California. This brings with it a whole host of other uncertainties, questions, challenges, and conflicts. It can be difficult, especially on more stressful days, to stay focused on the work I'm tackling at the moment rather than trying to reconcile my current actions with planning for a version of the future that may arrive suddenly, and soon -- or may not arrive at all.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K8tKrPWA8VY/UVmUOmn3XZI/AAAAAAAAAGg/7-_HCVAGdas/s1600/benjamin_mckenzie-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K8tKrPWA8VY/UVmUOmn3XZI/AAAAAAAAAGg/7-_HCVAGdas/s400/benjamin_mckenzie-004.jpg" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>{If I do move to SoCal, I fully expect Ryan Atwood to be waiting for me.}</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As a naturally high-anxiety sort of girl, I am doing my best to stay flexible, positive, and calm as I navigate this change and uncertainty. I realize how much I have to be thankful for, especially as a first-year teacher, coming from out of state, during a time when the teaching market in PA is miserable for new and veteran teachers alike. It's impossible to figure out what the future will hold, so I'm eager to prove myself to my administration, co-workers, and students. I'm working hard to show them that I want, value, and deserve a career here; and I'm doing my best to repress the worry that I'm busting my butt so hard to build a career that I might have to completely abandon in a few weeks or months, depending on the outcome of several variables that I am (mostly) powerless to control. The truth is that I <i>do </i>want to prove myself in all of these capacities -- genuinely! -- and that I also am wary of burning bridges. I used to have a sign in one of my classrooms that said, "Attitude is Everything!" Some of my high schoolers thought it was a corny sentiment, but I still like to say it to my students and myself. Regardless of all the worries I confront and, honestly, sometimes succumb to in the privacy of my home, while I'm working I adopt the attitude of: <i>This is my job. This will continue to be my job. I am building a career that could last a lifetime.</i> When you're a teacher, stability and confidence mean a lot not only to yourself, but also to the students you work with each day. Even if I don't have it all figured out, I allow my students to be a motivating factor in adopting a positive attitude and keeping it all together during the hours of 7am-4pm. I am present and focused and dedicated to their learning because they need and deserve that regardless of whatever other crap I have swirling around in my life. Plus, being a teacher is really cool. My current students are pretty awesome. =)<br />
<br />
Somehow, I've also been finding little scraps of time here and there to write again. I abandoned my first novel pretty much five minutes after my grad program began to swing into full gear, and I haven't really had the energy, the drive, or the inspiration to write much since then. Lately, that's beginning to change. I've written here and there especially in the past couple of months, even with how crazy I've been. It's a nice distraction. Plus, my resolution to read at least one book for pleasure each month (I know it sounds like nothing; but when you're constantly busy and you read a lot of required books that you have to teach at school, the reading-for-pleasure time really dwindles) has allowed me to have more creative inspiration than I've had in a while. I'm craving a time when there isn't a pile of work and other distractions to keep me from focusing my energy more directly on my writing goals, but again, I don't know if and when that will come. For now, just a little bit here and there makes me feel pretty darn good.<br />
<br />
So -- I think that about covers it.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-50002439404722845792011-11-18T17:44:00.000-08:002011-11-18T17:44:29.812-08:00Children and AgentsIt's been a busy two months.<br />
<br />
Teaching is painful, joyful, hilarious, draining, exhilarating, and altogether eye-opening in a way I never really expected it to be. The students I work with are such an interesting and varied bunch, ranging from a handful who find it an insurmountable challenge to sit still and focus for more than three seconds at a time to several who are genuinely, startlingly brilliant. (Some of these students are one and the same!)<br />
<br />
I have heard teaching described as a creative process, and my experience thus far has both challenged and affirmed that claim, in turns. While many days have left me feeling somewhat cynical, my students never fail to help reinstate my optimism that choosing teaching was a wise decision. It's difficult to describe to those who have never taught exactly what it feels like to be in the classroom. Often, it's kind of like having 100+ coworkers in your department, three quarters of whom are fighting to undermine your project. But as you slowly coax those renegades back over to your side, it's wonderful. I love these kids, and I will miss them (yes, even the goofballs!) when I switch to middle school in January.<br />
<br />
Also on the creative front...I have an offer from a literary agent to represent my novel! I'm not sure how I'll manage to balance work and school and writing all at once, but I couldn't be more ecstatic at the prospect of taking the first steps toward publication.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-15762520462007160012011-09-19T15:11:00.001-07:002011-09-19T15:15:52.912-07:00Neighbors.<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">The old woman is missing. Or her car is, at least.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I first noticed the car when I moved here back in June. It’s hard to miss. I know next to nothing about cars, so the best description I can give is that it’s a junker. A small, boxy sedan, with the paint peeling so badly from the body that even the color is a sort of question mark, a mottle of grays and blacks. It was always parked in the first spot in the stretch of parking lot lining my building. I had read on an online forum, before moving in, that there were some questionable renters inhabiting the complex. I saw the junker, and thought: steer clear. A rough car like this probably belongs to a rough character. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that I saw the frail, ancient woman climbing into the driver’s seat. It wasn’t until afterwards that I noticed that the objects dangling from the rearview mirror were not fuzzy dice, but shoes. Tiny, pale pink baby shoes, strung over the mirror by the laces.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">She is stooped with age, but you can tell by looking at her that she was once tall—at least as far as women go. Her brown face is craggy and leathered with age, but kind. Her black hair is streaked all over with white. As far as I can tell, she lives alone. I have never seen her with another person. Her car is seldom missing from its place in the first parking space (which I am careful never to occupy), and when I do see her coming or going, it is always by herself. I wonder about her. I wonder about the shoes. Once, I saw her returning from the store with groceries. I almost stopped to offer to help her; but it was only one bag, and I was laden down with all my books and bags and my computer, and so I merely smiled and hurried away up the steps.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Over the weekend, I noticed that her car was missing. It was unusual because it was late at night. There was little chance she could be out buying groceries. Maybe, I thought, she is visiting the person who wore those tiny shoes—a child, or perhaps a grandchild. Maybe she went to visit family for the weekend. Today is Monday, though, and her car was gone this morning when I left for work at 6:30am. It was still gone when I returned home from work at 5pm.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now I find myself beginning to wonder, and to worry. I feel a sharp pang of anxiety when I look at the emptiness of her parking spot, the tangible absence of the old junker. I think about the woman whose name and story I do not know. I picture the slowness of her movements, the stooping of her spine, the tiredness of the drooping eyes, still small in her face despite her enormous spectacles. I feel retrospectively guilty for not asking her if she needed help carrying the groceries. I wonder, irrationally, if I should go to the front office and ask about her. But what would I ask? I didn’t even know her.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It really makes me think about neighbors. The word has connotations of not only closeness, but also of community, of companionship. I live in an apartment complex, surrounded on all sides by hundreds of neighbors; but, for me, these are neighbors only in the most literal sense. They are nearby inhabitants, and little else.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m a student and a teacher. I interact with over a hundred people, individually, on a daily basis while in my high school and at my university. At home, though (during the few waking hours a day when I am actually there), I keep to myself. I don’t really know any of my neighbors by name, and only a few by sight. There’s the middle-aged couple with the fat old Chihuahua and the black and white cat who sit on the porch and watch the neighbors go by. There’s the chain-smoker who lives above me, all fake smiles and fake hair and the clothes that would be scandalous on someone half her age, with the yippy little dog that howled and howled all day and night the week she moved in. There’s the old foreign (Russian, perhaps?) couple who lives across the hall. There’s the medley of kids who splashed and screamed their way through summer in the community pool, and then abruptly vanished when school began again. I don’t know any of their names. I’m a girl, and a byproduct of what one professor of mine called Scary World Syndrome, that constant reminder from internal and external sources alike that we should not trust strangers. I’m not around much, I’ll probably move next June, and most importantly, I don’t know want people to know I live alone. I smile at passersby in the gym and on the stairwell, but do not stop to chat. I shut and lock my door.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I wonder, though, is this a mistake? I wonder if anyone else has noticed the old woman’s car is missing. Maybe she is still visiting family. Maybe she’s getting a new car. Maybe I’ll see her tomorrow as I leave for work. If she is really gone, I regret not meeting her for real. I regret that she may not have known that there was at least one person here, in this building, who would notice her absence, who would miss her. She is a passerby like the rest. But her absence registers like a loss. The parking lot seems empty without them—the old woman, the beat-up car, the baby shoes.</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-35244859390453574872011-09-04T15:28:00.000-07:002011-09-04T15:29:50.898-07:00Strong women.<blockquote>"Strong female characters," in other words, are often just female characters with the gendered behavior taken out. This makes me think that the problem is not that there aren’t enough “strong” female characters in the movies — it’s that there aren’t enough realistically weak ones. You know what’s better than a prostitute with a machine gun for a leg or a propulsion engineer with a sideline in avionics whose maternal instincts and belief in herself allow her to take apart an airborne plane and discover a terrorist plot despite being gaslighted by the flight crew? A girl who reminds you of you. </blockquote><br />
Carina Chocano, of the New York Times, has <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/magazine/a-plague-of-strong-female-characters.html?pagewanted=all">some interesting thoughts</a> on the current trope of the strong female character. I began reading this article already poised to disagree with it, but Chocano's argument ends up being rather insightful. Thinking of the books, movies, and television shows I've been exposed to recently, I can definitely see her point. There needs to be some middle ground between the fashion-and-boys-obsessed, swooning, girly heroine and the combat-boots-wearing, relationship-phobic, man-with-breasts heroine. When I think back over the characters I've identified with and loved throughout the years, so very few of them women. I think writers need to work harder to create women who are complex, compelling, and admirable characters...not because they are <i>female </i>characters who happen to have those qualities, but because they are characters who have those qualities. Pure and simple.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-39670527937015573322011-08-27T12:52:00.000-07:002011-08-27T12:52:54.035-07:00Fashionably Hitchcockian.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yKKNow2JdiU/TllBHLhc2yI/AAAAAAAAADg/6-6T27y8ef0/s1600/GraceKelly_RearWindow_17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yKKNow2JdiU/TllBHLhc2yI/AAAAAAAAADg/6-6T27y8ef0/s400/GraceKelly_RearWindow_17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{"Just wait until you see my PJs!" Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly in <i>Rear Window</i>.}</td></tr>
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Jeff and I watched <i>Rear Window</i> two weekends ago when I was in D.C. He had shockingly never seen it before, and I thought it would be the perfect flick considering that he, like Jimmy Stewart's "Jeff," was also confined to his apartment with a broken leg. I love Jimmy Stewart in basically everything, but this time around it was Grace Kelly who really struck me. Maybe it was because this was my first watching of <i>Rear Window </i>since the wonderful "Literary Gothic" seminar I took last year at Penn State. We watched some Hitchcock as a part of the seminar, and at least a small part of our discussion was focused around the "Hitchcock blondes" and the director's infamous fascination (repulsion? obsession?) with and depiction of the feminine. Almost any critical analysis of Hitchcock is sure to address this facet of his films, so I won't rehash it much here. What I mostly want to draw attention to is the fashion.<br />
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Yes, the fashion.<br />
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The aesthetic of Hitchcock's heroines (and anti-heroines) is often as important or more important than the characters themselves, and he is absolutely masterful about costuming them precisely to fit the mood and mystique of their roles. I had no idea how intimately he was involved in the costuming process. <a href="http://www.hitchcockwiki.com/wiki/Literature_Film_Quarterly_%282000%29_-_Fashion_dreams:_Hitchcock,_women,_and_Lisa_Fremont">This article</a> (especially the second half) takes a look at this particular obsession of his, even noting how final copies of his scripts included detailed descriptions of the women's clothing - down the very fabric choice and color - in each scene. Toward the end, it details the entirety of Lisa Fremont's (Grace Kelly's) wardrobe throughout <i>Rear Window</i> in relation to the rest of the film. Interesting.<br />
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And as creepy and misogynistic as Alfred Hitchcock may have been, I have to say: he had a pretty keen eye for fashion. I still think Kim Novak's wardrobe as Madeleine in <i>Vertigo </i>is one of the most striking and iconic I've personally seen in any film.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zKGFHkaUkGs/TllAcNtMSkI/AAAAAAAAADc/49XTo8dxOP4/s1600/vertigo-kim-novak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zKGFHkaUkGs/TllAcNtMSkI/AAAAAAAAADc/49XTo8dxOP4/s640/vertigo-kim-novak.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{One of the best outfits ever, on one of the best characters ever. If you've never seen <i>Vertigo</i>, shame on you!}</td></tr>
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The black dress, scarf, and gloves with the white coat...the sultry makeup...the cold, platinum hair.... Pure genius. I want this outfit for Fall!<br />
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Below are some of my other favorite Hitchcock fashion moments.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wG0GgFqnmUA/TllFmAuzvtI/AAAAAAAAADk/YynZQzr1tSU/s1600/to-catch-a-thief_grace-kelly-blue-chiffon-dress-mid-front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wG0GgFqnmUA/TllFmAuzvtI/AAAAAAAAADk/YynZQzr1tSU/s400/to-catch-a-thief_grace-kelly-blue-chiffon-dress-mid-front.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Grace Kelly's blue dress in <i>To Catch a Thief</i>}</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6VPlpxSmueo/TllFy4AMqjI/AAAAAAAAADo/RYnoiPbBz6E/s1600/leight-bra45601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6VPlpxSmueo/TllFy4AMqjI/AAAAAAAAADo/RYnoiPbBz6E/s400/leight-bra45601.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{<i>Psycho</i>'s sexy but somehow innocent Janet Leigh.}</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eQjG-5KXNBg/TllIasZ9VoI/AAAAAAAAADw/nsJ6RVPLm4A/s1600/Birds+Attack%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eQjG-5KXNBg/TllIasZ9VoI/AAAAAAAAADw/nsJ6RVPLm4A/s320/Birds+Attack%2521.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Even screaming and with her hair askew, Tippi Hedron still looks impossibly chic in her green suit from <i>The Birds.</i>}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tENP53tjmH0/TllI2oBW-aI/AAAAAAAAAD0/pgloPOsBiwI/s1600/tumblr_leek55oJUY1qabj53o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tENP53tjmH0/TllI2oBW-aI/AAAAAAAAAD0/pgloPOsBiwI/s320/tumblr_leek55oJUY1qabj53o1_500.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Also, check out the fur coat.}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nT98irlDPZw/TllJG33pDwI/AAAAAAAAAD8/mDeb5X5lEYc/s1600/Mrs_Danvers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nT98irlDPZw/TllJG33pDwI/AAAAAAAAAD8/mDeb5X5lEYc/s400/Mrs_Danvers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{<i>Rebecca's</i> Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson) was no Hitchcock blonde, but her dark, severe, and subtly masculine style powerfully enhanced her sinister presence. One of my favorite Hitchcock characters.}</td></tr>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-29209282854036932152011-08-23T15:21:00.000-07:002011-08-23T15:25:41.913-07:00A room of one's own.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6iorwfAsebI/TlQcU7xp5RI/AAAAAAAAADE/HGiAoMFvNcQ/s1600/woolfbig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6iorwfAsebI/TlQcU7xp5RI/AAAAAAAAADE/HGiAoMFvNcQ/s400/woolfbig.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Virginia Woolf's writing room, a little out building in the tangled and lovely gardens of Monk's House. This summer cottage is in Sussex, and is well worth the visit if you ever are in England.}</td></tr>
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As a few of you may know, one of my most ardent (material) desires is for a writing room. Not a desk. Not a home office. A writing room -- a room with space for bookshelves, a big wooden desk, a comfortable chair, art and other pretty things that inspire me, and a window, preferably with a pleasant view, to let in plenty of natural light and air. Maybe some houseplants for oxygen and good measure. And a globe! Definitely a free-standing globe. Mostly, I want a quiet and peaceful room that is designated specifically for writing. No homework, work-work, bill-paying, online shopping, or other administrative tasks allowed! Naturally, when I discovered <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/series/writersrooms">this series on writer's rooms, via <i>The Guardian</i></a>, I was instantly compelled to click through the lot of them.<br />
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Particularly mind-boggling to me is how chaotic many of these rooms are. I know there are some stereotypes floating around about "artsy types," but I can't even imagine working in some of the sloppier rooms featured here. Even some that are clearly organized are still overwhelmingly cluttered. I just picture all that claustrophobic weight squashing any creative energy into bland jelly. Yikes!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jxfxq3jvRlM/TlQmGFXPnXI/AAAAAAAAADY/t7V9qZ6QvDM/s1600/hobsbawm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="351" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jxfxq3jvRlM/TlQmGFXPnXI/AAAAAAAAADY/t7V9qZ6QvDM/s400/hobsbawm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Just looking at Eric Hobsbawm's writing room makes me want to maniacally pitch my computer out the window.} </td></tr>
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Stress and distraction are heavy in my nature. For me, writing requires a certain amount of focus and isolation. I can't just tune out the world and bang away at it. Have you seen Jane Austen's "writing space" before? I have no idea how she ever managed to get anything accomplished. It's amazing. Never. I could never, ever do it. I need to sort of...get in the zone. I need to escape.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j6EIat5j-nA/TlQjGq0G0_I/AAAAAAAAADU/Zpz4_qUnXw4/s1600/austenroom1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j6EIat5j-nA/TlQjGq0G0_I/AAAAAAAAADU/Zpz4_qUnXw4/s400/austenroom1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{This just seems like cruel and unusual punishment.}</td></tr>
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I personally find it very difficult to "escape" from the constant mental-reiteration of all the upcoming tasks I need to complete, and from the low but persistent hum of anxiety that generally plagues me. If I'm feeling anxious about upcoming due dates, I feel too guilty writing when I could be working ahead. If I'm sharing a living space with others (even my parents' house) where I feel I might soon be interrupted to have a conversation or to carry out a chore, I hesitate to even begin to write. The biggest and therefore most logistically frightening project I have undertaken as a writer is <i>S'QUATCH</i>, the novel I wrote this past year as my honors thesis. Honestly? It was a nightmare. Writing that thing involved a lot of intense thinking while doodling in lined notebooks at my parents' house, followed by a lot more intense thinking while mournfully downing gallons of coffee and watching my cursor blink at my apartment in State College. After almost a year of this, I finally banged out most of the 200+ pages of text in a near-psychotic daze of caffeine and sleep deprivation over the course of the final two weeks before the book was due. I have no idea how I managed to submit it in any sort of acceptable form, either than the fact that I spent a lot of time hanging around the least populated and most silent computer labs on campus between the hours of 12am and 6am.<br />
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I have plenty of peace, quiet, and space now. Things are much better on the writing front. Still, it would be nice to write in a space not populated by stacks of education textbooks, bills, binders and fileboxes of handouts, and calendars filled with my schedules for work and school. I'd much rather be writing in a place like this... Hey, a girl can dream.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W3e62p25RRw/TlQifu7cvhI/AAAAAAAAADQ/1c6i5MoJNLc/s1600/Writers-Room-21032009-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="539" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W3e62p25RRw/TlQifu7cvhI/AAAAAAAAADQ/1c6i5MoJNLc/s640/Writers-Room-21032009-004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{I love the light, the high ceiling, and especially the beautiful exposed beams in Kevin Crossley-Holland's writing room.}</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-22351213032049226952011-08-21T18:59:00.000-07:002011-08-21T18:59:23.149-07:00Chopin and She.I spent much of this weekend reading - and even doing a bit of writing! My personal sources of literary inspiration are diverse and fluctuating, but lately I've also been feeling inspired by media outside of the literary realm. Photography and music are currently dredging up a lot of creative impulse and emotion to play with, and I think they are great starting points for writing exercises.<br />
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Photography... Well, you know the old adage about a picture's worth. Enhanced picture quality, artful editing tools, and the popularity of digital photo-streams have created an abundance of visual smorgasbords accessible with just the click of a mouse. I'm a sucker for the whole atmospheric aesthetic, and surfing through these offerings makes me itch to delve for some words to capture the mood a specific photograph elicits. A beautiful image is a reminder of the visceral power of detail, and a call to incorporate the visual - something that too often becomes fuzzy or lost altogether in the jumble of character and plot and convention - more poignantly in my own writing.<br />
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As for music, while I love me some Pink Floyd, Lady Gaga, Guster, Mumford and Sons, etc., it's the violin that best gets me writing. I can't concentrate of writing when there are lyrics to listen to (ok, to sing along to). The violin is such an exquisitely beautiful and expressive instrument, and was also a major part of my daily life for many years. I have no time now for orchestras or private lessons, and apartment life makes it sadly impossible for me to play here - but you can bet that I'm fiddling along vicariously through at least one of my characters! This nocturne by Chopin has been haunting me - and my writing - all day. Played here by the lovely and talented Sarah Chang:<br />
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Of course, the reality is that books still play a hefty role in my daily inspiration. The one that's been on my mind today is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Worlds-Classics-Rider-Haggard/dp/0192835505">H. Rider Haggard's <i>She</i></a>, an extraordinarily strange Victorian adventure story that involves three British explorers seeking out a two-thousand-year-old, white enchantress ruling over a crumbling city deep in the jungles of Africa while she awaits the reincarnation (and, she hopes, the return) of a long-lost-love.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thewrittenwordreviews.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/she2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://thewrittenwordreviews.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/she2.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{I own, and would recommend, this Penguin Classics edition.}</td></tr>
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The titular "She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" (or, to the brave, Ayesha) is simultaneously powerful, childlike, beautiful, frightening, feminist, wise, and naive. One of the most intriguing and complex characters I have come across in my reading. I never heard a thing about this novel before reading it this past spring, a fact that seems almost criminal. It's a remarkable novel, and one that raises all manner of interesting questions. I later discovered that two film versions (1935 and 1965, respectively) have been released. What's available of them on YouTube is pretty appallingly silly. Someone should seriously revamp this! But for now, <i>She </i>is at least on my radar as I write.<br />
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I'll leave you with a fun fact: According to Wikipedia, Ayesha's costume in the 1935 film version seriously influenced the design of <i>Snow White</i>'s wicked queen. Who knew?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d0/She_evil_queen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d0/She_evil_queen.JPG" width="387" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{"How do you like them apples?"}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://originalvintagemovieposters.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/She.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://originalvintagemovieposters.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/She.jpg" width="417" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Like everything else in the sixties, Ursula Andress's "She" was decidedly more sexed-up.}</td></tr>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-18281993602608983752011-08-19T18:01:00.000-07:002011-08-19T18:01:50.579-07:00Good eats.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fsmpn5nbjuo/Tk8BBtPQ3mI/AAAAAAAAACA/r6ToE-WGeOc/s1600/IMG_7061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fsmpn5nbjuo/Tk8BBtPQ3mI/AAAAAAAAACA/r6ToE-WGeOc/s400/IMG_7061.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
It was beautiful out today, so I took advantage of the weather and spent some time wandering around a little local farmer's market. Everyone was so friendly and personable! I guess I'm used to the farmer's market back up at Penn State, which is usually mobbed and leaves little time for vendors to really stop and chat. This new one was small and uncrowded (unsurprising for mid-afternoon on a week day), and literally every vendor I strolled past gave a big smile and a hello plus a little chit-chat. It was an interesting array of people - some bubbly ma-and-pop types, a very intense and formal Asian woman, and a few strapping young vegetable-selling lads who could almost pass for "bros," to name a few. For $13 I got: a big ear of corn, a <i>humungous</i> tomato, a cluster of basil, a basket of white peaches, and some absurdly delicious banana-coconut-pineapple stuff called "aloha bread." Between my good haul at the farmer's market, my light and early lunch, and the fact that I spent the rest of the day vigorously cleaning my apartment (with all the back and forth between here, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and D.C., it was getting more than a bit chaotic around here), by the time I looked at the clock and realized it was 6:45 I was famished. Not to mention craving the basil, which was (and is) making my whole apartment smell divine. The solution: a feast fit to celebrate my last "real" day of vacation! Bon appétit!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rArLAfjigBo/Tk8Cn6uOcbI/AAAAAAAAACc/F14yptJu7Y0/s1600/IMG_7067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rArLAfjigBo/Tk8Cn6uOcbI/AAAAAAAAACc/F14yptJu7Y0/s400/IMG_7067.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Light and pretty. A perfect summer drink.}</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>I wasn't in the mood for wine, and once I decided on Italian I couldn't help dreaming of limoncello! I didn't have vodka, so I improvised for this lemon-inspired cocktail. It's one part Bacardi Limón, two parts diet tonic water, and a little splash of pink lemonade for color and taste.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XPEzVboWu90/Tk8Bc96bT-I/AAAAAAAAACI/8mDM2v7uPeE/s1600/IMG_7069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XPEzVboWu90/Tk8Bc96bT-I/AAAAAAAAACI/8mDM2v7uPeE/s400/IMG_7069.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Heating up some plain tomato sauce before adding the chopped basil.}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2i_25XkMGpo/Tk8BRgqrP8I/AAAAAAAAACE/PpuLGDFIBWY/s400/IMG_7085.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{I like the chopped leaves medium-large. So tasty!}</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Almost finished, with the sauce poured over whole wheat pasta.}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fz-qbV0b7I4/Tk8CQUanCLI/AAAAAAAAACU/RrYpFZfGy38/s1600/IMG_7098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fz-qbV0b7I4/Tk8CQUanCLI/AAAAAAAAACU/RrYpFZfGy38/s400/IMG_7098.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Pasta with tomato sauce and fresh basil, spring mix salad with balsamic, and my lemon concoction. So delicious.}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j51OyNL2NEU/Tk8CXjnX9WI/AAAAAAAAACY/2AGPcteDm1Q/s1600/IMG_7076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j51OyNL2NEU/Tk8CXjnX9WI/AAAAAAAAACY/2AGPcteDm1Q/s400/IMG_7076.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{If only I had room for dessert...}</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>Above is the aloha bread. I chopped the loaf into eight smaller sections and wrapped them - all the better to take to lunch with me next week when I start my student teaching! Not sure if you can see the grated coconut on top in this picture, but trust me...it's there, and it's amazing. I may or may not have sampled some while repackaging it this afternoon.<br />
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As for the rest of my evening? I have a date with George Orwell. <br />
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-14032678908913678942011-08-18T09:38:00.000-07:002011-08-18T12:50:31.435-07:00Book love, fanfic, and personal heroes.My graduate program necessitated a move from my home state of good ol' Pennsylvania to Maryland, where I currently live in an area that's basically a suburb of both Baltimore and D.C. Let me tell you -- I could not be better located. I'm not much of a city girl, but the boyfriend's new job in D.C. has me heading south along the beltway on an ever-more-frequent basis (and, no, not just because his recently-broken ankle has hampered his own ability to travel). D.C. is an amazing city. And while I still haven't quite gotten used to the seemingly random layout of the roads (curse you, diagonals! curse you, GPS that fails to acknowledge one way streets!), the blend of history and the arts that saturates the city promises to keep us busy exploring. Plus, <a href="http://washington.org/visiting/browse-dc/attractions/100-free-things-to-do">free attractions</a>! Everywhere! Free!<br />
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For instance, the <a href="http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/">National Book Festival</a>: an event that brings brilliant and influential <a href="http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/authors/">writers</a> into D.C. in a celebration of literature in America. This year's festival is being held on the Mall on September 24-25 and, as if I weren't already itching to go, will include among its visiting authors none other than miss Cassandra Clare. My excitement level? Through the roof.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pTl1BGhK-3M/Tk1ArYbnVbI/AAAAAAAAABI/WMyu5X-1-bw/s1600/cassandra-clare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pTl1BGhK-3M/Tk1ArYbnVbI/AAAAAAAAABI/WMyu5X-1-bw/s1600/cassandra-clare.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Cassandra Clare: bestselling author, fangirl, and one of my personal heroes.}</td></tr>
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To explain Cassandra Clare's importance in my life, I must first explain a little about my own writing ambitions. While I first took an interest in writing in first grade, that interest didn't develop into a fully fledged ambition until right around the beginning of middle school, the summer that I discovered fan fiction.<br />
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For those not in the know, "fan fiction" is what Lev Grossman describes in <a href="http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2081784,00.html">this</a> wonderful article from Time as, "what literature might look like if it were reinvented from scratch after a nuclear apocalypse by a band of brilliant pop-culture junkies trapped in a sealed bunker." Fans of books (or movies, or television shows, or etc. etc.) write their own new works or extensions of existing plotlines based on and/or including the characters and events in the original work. Fan fiction is often posted online, especially on dedicated websites like <a href="http://www.fanfiction.net/">FanFiction.net</a>, where whole communities are built around writing, reading, and reviewing the fanfics. The Time article chiefly concerns <i>Harry Potter</i>-based fiction. HP fanfics are numerous and, in my opinion, are what really caused the spike in fan fiction's popularity in general. The long and torturous gap between J.K. Rowling's fourth (and at that time, unarguably best) installment, 2000's <i>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</i>, and 2003's <i>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</i> left many fans eager for the continuation of a story that had now become much more mature, complex, and suspenseful. To stave off the long wait, fans - and I'm talking everyone from kids who had never so much as penned a sentence of fiction, to adults who typed away about HP and the gang over coffee on their lunch break - simply decided to continue the story on their own, writing to entertain themselves and others during Rowling's hiatus as they speculated about the future of the Wizarding World and devised creative parodies and alternate reality versions of events to amuse other fans of the series.<br />
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This was the environment I stumbled into the summer before sixth grade, when I rolled off my hammock, totally dazed and dazzled after a solid 24 hours of doing nothing but reading <i>GoF</i> in the July heat, and started searching desperately on the web for something to satiate my absolute need for more HP. I discovered fan sites, then fan fiction, and then, before long, a particular fan fiction called <i>Draco Dormiens</i>, by a fanfic writer called Cassandra Clare. She was young, she loved to write, she loved HP, and she ended up penning over the course of about six and half years a <a href="http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Draco_Trilogy">trilogy</a> that also included <i>Draco Sinister</i> and <i>Draco Veritas. </i>Reading her remarkably well-written and often funny fanfics (she also has another series of hilarious faux diary entries based on <i>The Lord of the Rings </i>called "The Very Secret Diaries," among other projects) inspired me to start writing again. First it was fan fiction, and then, as I became more confident, original works. I decided I wanted to become a writer. I read the last chapter of <i>Draco Veritas</i> the same week I graduated from high school. In many ways, it felt like I (and my writing) grew up sort of alongside Cassandra Clare. I was appreciative for the inspiration she had given me, and excited when I heard she was working on original books as well, in the hopes of being published "for real."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TgfYLOa2xOU/Tk1BMMUEfGI/AAAAAAAAABM/fckJ87Jyux4/s1600/city-of-bones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TgfYLOa2xOU/Tk1BMMUEfGI/AAAAAAAAABM/fckJ87Jyux4/s640/city-of-bones.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Every time I see this in the bookstore, I can't help but get the chills.}</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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Today, Cassandra Clare is the author of the bestselling <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cassandra-Clare/e/B001JRXWE4/ref=sr_tc_ep?qid=1313685268">Mortal Instruments</a> </i>series, a set of dark, funny, modern, urban fantasy novels for young adults that also includes a new spin-off series set in Victorian London. As if that's not legit enough, the first MI book, <i>City of Bones</i>, is set for a movie release starring Lily Collins and the HP movies' Jamie Campbell Bower. Surreal, right? There are even a few scenes in her professional fiction that are lifted clearly from her fanfiction, making it even more jarring and exciting for those who have followed her since the beginning. It's like a reminder that she was and still is "one of us" - someone who genuinely loves to read and to write, a fan who secretly (or not so secretly) hopes that someday, someone will write fanfics about <i>her</i> books! So now this person who was basically a girl writing some Harry Potter fan fiction to while away the wait is a wildly successful bestselling novelist who is being recognized at the National Book Festival while her books are being turned into films. And you can bet that <i>Mortal Instruments </i>fanfics are floating around out there. Sigh.<br />
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In short, I want to be her.<br />
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More importantly, though, I can't wait to meet to her in D.C. next month! I'm going to have to ask my mom to ship down my hardback copy of <i>City of Bones</i> for her to sign.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08540238720726058724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6332170854445888090.post-30536948024046810322011-08-17T11:04:00.000-07:002011-08-17T12:27:17.144-07:00Bittersweet and beautiful.August is such a bittersweet time of year. It’s still hot outside – even bringing some of the stickiest, most sweltering days of the summer – the pools are still open, there are still a few barbecues to be had. There’s just something different in the air, though; and even while my hair clings to the nape of my neck and two fans are blasting in my small bedroom, I can never escape the feeling that autumn is peeking its nose around the corner. The back to school supplies and sales have been slowly mounting around town since mid-July, but the real jolt came when I popped into Michael’s yesterday and was greeted by aisles and aisles of Halloween accoutrements. Halloween!(!!!)<br />
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It’s that feeling of being stuck between waiting for (or, in light of commercialism, being rushed toward) the season ahead while still wanting to cling to those final, achingly nostalgic days of heat and lingering daylight hours. And freedom! Isn’t it funny how even after the quintessential “summer vacation” becomes a thing of the past (I’m still in graduate school, but I worked and took classes full-time throughout the summer), there’s still such a feeling of liberation and joyfulness that comes along with the summer months? The idea of the impending chilliness, the shortening days, the gray skies, and the bare trees that are lurking just ahead makes me want to hold on to these last weeks of summer with all of my might – winter be damned!<br />
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To be honest, though, I’m more than a little excited for the coming season: the changing leaves, the cooler nights that make the coziness of worn jeans and snuggly scarves and cardigans a requirement, more excuses to cuddle up with a book and a huge mug of tea, the chance to explore D.C. and Baltimore without being soaked in sweat and grime, and above all, another very important and exciting change – the beginning of my first full-time, semester-long, Big Girl student teaching experience.<br />
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And so, I’m left reminding myself that what is bittersweet is often also beautiful (a lesson learned, like so many others, from books), and trying to enjoy these changes both in the season and in my life rather than wishing to halt them, or to rush them forward.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qfdutcl-3T8/TkwCG5AzTkI/AAAAAAAAAAs/6_zTAsID0Dc/s1600/IMG_6833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qfdutcl-3T8/TkwCG5AzTkI/AAAAAAAAAAs/6_zTAsID0Dc/s640/IMG_6833.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> {On a bridge in Centennial Park, in Ellicott City. My boyfriend and I visited here earlier in the summer. I can only imagine how beautiful it will be as the leaves begin to change.}</td></tr>
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