Saturday, March 14, 2009

Today's Thoughts

In line with my last post, I'm simply going to jot down some of the day's thoughts. At the moment, this is all I can do, what with finishing up last minute projects for school that were due yesterday and sending things out to publishers.
But first, on a side note, I ordered Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" today, and it should be here around Friday. I'm absolutely thrilled at the prospect of reading it, as it will be a challenge, since it is over one million words in length. For those of you who aren't writers and don't think in terms of how many words, let me put that in perspective for you. "In Search of Lost Time" is over 4,000 pages.
I've heard, on several occasions, this book called the most beautiful work on human consciousness and one of the greatest books ever written. Every writer I've talked to that has read this book, has been greatly changed (and for the better) by it. So, once I begin reading it, I'm going to be posting probably solely on what I read, so that I can process it all. If anyone has any objection to learning what happens in this book (although I have heard there is very little plot, and so very little to spoil), I would suggest not reading my blog for the next few months, and I just thought I would warn you beforehand.
Needless to say, I am very anxious to begin, and I look forward to seeing how my ways of thinking and analyzing and my writing ability develops.
But, on that note:

1. I think I have a job. I'm not entirely sure, as the situation is somewhat unusual. But I received a W-4 and an I9, which, generally, are reserved for after the hiring, and I was told "Welcome to the team." So, I think that means I'm hired, which means school will be significantly easier to pay for.
2. I could never be a teacher in the public school system. I have so many frustrations with the current standards and procedures that I'm sure I would be fired immediately.
3. It can be easily said that social change has always walked hand-in-hand with the arts. Examples: the Renaissance, Classicism, the Romantic movement, Realism, or the Civil Rights and Women's Rights movements. Due to this observation, I find it absolutely tragic and infuriating that the very first thing to be cut in schools is the arts. Until people recognize that we need art to grow culturally, we are going to go nowhere.
4. I am fairly certain I would be willing to break the nose of anyone who says that art isn't important. I think I get really passionate about it, because it's such a huge part of my life that I honestly can't even imagine living without it. It's just like when I mentioned that every culture has some form of music. There has to be a reason for that. Is there even anyone who honestly doesn't enjoy music?
5. My writing teacher told us that music and math also go hand-in-hand. I was unhappy with this theory at first, and was right on the same page with one of the girls in my class who said, "Then I must be in the wrong math class, because math and I do not get along." But then my teacher replied, "It's just a different language." So now, if you ask me, I'll tell you that math and music are two different expressions of the same thing.
6. I am intrigued by the effect of drugs on creativity, and will do my thesis on it if I ever get a doctorate. While I'm not going to go light up after writing this post, I'm beginning to notice a direct correlation between people who do drugs and brilliant writing/music/art. For this reason alone, I'm looking forward to getting my wisdom teeth out. I will be on who knows what, and I'm going to see how it affects my writing ability.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

This Week's Observations.

Whether they are due to my somewhat hectic writing schedule, or the excitement of spring break, or the absurdness of my life at the moment, or a combination of all, my thoughts have become slightly fragmented lately. In order to clear my head, I am going to list the present ideas, thoughts, and observations that are plaguing my mind at the moment, in no particular order.



1. I detest not having socks on. I think this might have begun last summer, when my sister stepped on a hobo spider with bare feet.
2. Revising my short story was not as painful as I had anticipated, and I feel that the story is much stronger for it. I sent it out today to Glimmer Train Press, who is based in Portland and actively seeking new writers. I'll be sending out a poetry packet on Monday.
3. It is entertaining to read the comments on Amazon.com about a book like Twilight, compared to Proust's "In Search of Lost Time," which has become my latest obsession.
4. I am falling more in love with writing each and every day, and am apparently incapable of shutting off the narrator in my head.
5. The movie "Watchmen" made me uncomfortable. It was more glowing blue naked man parts, sex, and graphic violence than I ever needed to see. I was horrified when my sister told me that my mom read the review on Plugged In Online. The plot itself was good, though.
6. Evan asked me the other day why my heart beat was sporadically speeding up and then going back to its regular pace. The times when it sped up were the times when I was thinking about my next short story for my advanced fiction class next term. Apparently, writing incites a physical reaction from me.
7. I love the way my hair feels after it's just been washed and dried.
8. I've been getting an average of three hours of sleep per night over the past week or so, and I feel fantastic.
9. There is more truth in literary fiction than in research essays.
10. There is not a single human culture on record that does not have some form of music. That is astounding and beautiful in its implications.
11. Hitler was a vegetarian and loved animals. That fact makes me uncomfortable, because it makes him human.
12. I have fallen in love with Post Secret, not because I simply enjoy knowing people's secrets, but because I think it shows a cultural shift toward community.
13. The gorgeous weather today made me giddy.
14. I am going to the beach tomorrow, and I honestly cannot describe how excited I am. The ocean stirs feelings in me that no other place I have been to has done. The pure, raw power of the ocean is an awe-inspiring and renewing sight.
15. This term has been the greatest school term in the entirety of my school career, and I am sad to see it come to an end. Being constantly surrounded by other writers, and being challenged by and challenging them has been incredible and amazingly beneficial to my own writing and way of thinking.