Midterms

Wow. It's been a while since I wrote to you.

A lot has happened in a month. This school has offered me a lot of opportunity, and I'm still in the process of taking advantage. Two weeks into school I was offered a job at the Wellness Center, where I do social media and marketing things. Mostly I do design and research. Recently I found out about two school publications which I am going to do my best to be involved with, Calliope and the Pacifican.

I've also been given the chance to go to London during spring break; we would visit Oxford and Stonehenge and Bath and many other places. It all sounds very exciting. That, and studying abroad next year. I've wanted to leave the US for quite a few years now. Finally I will begin to have the chance. There are so many beautiful things in this world.

My professors here are wonderful and personable. They each have their own senses of humor, and plenty of wisdom to share. The relationship between students and teachers here is different than I have previously experienced. I'm quite enjoying it. Already I have the feeling that I will leave this place with good connections to my mentors, without having to labor for it.

I'm in a good place, learning good things. The good people are in progress. X) Ah.

I will try and write more often, because this is a little ridiculous.

"Στα βάθη του χειμώνα, ανακάλυψα μέσα μου ένα αήττητο καλοκαίρι." Continue reading →

slam poets

I have neglected to update for a while, so I will tell you what I've been doing.

Tonight my brother was talking to me about poetry. He had an assignment to write a short narrative piece and was having a hard time deciding what to do. As a rule, he does not like or understand what he calls 'English major' poetry. Occasionally after one of my literature classes I'll have him read what we've been studying; I think I've subjected him to some T. S. Eliot and Hart Crane. We've argued (or rather, discussed) differing opinions on the worth of work like theirs. Earlier I made him read a few Shakespeare sonnets and a Robert Frost piece called 'Stars' so he could understand something about different forms and et cetera. He ended up writing about a sailor in old spain. After, I youtube'd up some of my favorite slam poets--Taylor Mali, Katie Makkai--to show him that not all poetry lies in that box of stuff he doesn't like. He really liked Mali.

I love it when these poets get fired up and in the moment with their work. They're brilliant. Even the hard-to-get poems come to life in a good slam poet. There is just a vibrance of emotion that comes across, and a meaning communicated that otherwise escapes. 

I am just here to share a little bit of what I love. Enjoy. :)

(Slight language warning)

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fun times

Jeff Netto is officially my favorite professor this semester. Late-40’s-Early-50’s white man that teaches Rhetoric. Let me tell you, he’s a master of it himself. But he often says quotable things, and today, I wrote some down.

“Another reason why death shouldn’t be so cocky. Death lives in a shitty neighborhood.” (Context: “Death, be not proud”)  

“‘Let’s get on with it; let’s get busy!’ That’s the point of a carpe diem poem. Or, well, most of them.” (Context: Shakespeare Sonnet 73)  

“‘John Dun uses several figures of speech to take away our fear of death.’ There’s a rough draft thesis for you. It just lacks the spicy words and the sexy.”  

“Make me like you a little more with your clever use of style, rather than make me resent you for boring the hell out of me.”

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