Whew, that was a hell of a month or so. My procrastination based lifestyle has a tendency to come back to haunt me around finals time every year and, big surprise, it happened again. For the second semester in a row I ended up churning out well over 4o pages of fiction/essay/response/other academic bull crap in the final three or so weeks of school. But as of about 8:30 last night I am officially done. I submitted my final essay, a beast of an essay on Emily Dickinson's "A Light Exists in Spring," threw together a couple last minute online forum postings, and kicked back to enjoy my final couple days on campus. I picked up some extra hours at the library, and I have a few tasks to take care of for my Writing Center job on campus before I can take off. Not to mention all that packing and moving I have to do, what with going abroad in a little over a month.
I finally have a solid idea for my independent study while I'm in Asia (although I still haven't had a chance to meet with any professors to get it approved). The (tentative) plan is to write a poem a day on a postcard and mail them (a week or so at a time to save on postage) to my good pal Dexter back here in Iowa. He did this same program a couple years ago, and has been a big component of my writing over the last couple years. Also, he's responsible enough to hold onto them. Who knows, someday maybe he'll make a boat ton of money off of those things.
Since last we spoke I've come to the conclusion that I don't actually want to become a high school English teacher (a career I had chosen many years ago). I was sitting in a high school classroom, working with many students on an essay they were writing, when I realized that I don't want to teach people how to write, I want to help them with their writing. The strict functions, the proper grammatical structures of composition aren't what interest me. The liveliness, the breath of writing is what gets me going. I want to help people allow their writing to breathe. As such, I am beginning the grad school search, looking for a good creative writing program in hopes of eventually becoming a creative writing professor. St. Louis seems to have some good ones, but I'm still on the look.
Speaking of St. Louis, there's a lady there. She's wicked cool.
11.24.2008
11.12.2008
Life's Not a Bitch, She's Just Sick of Being Personified
My current favorite rap name: Edgar Allen Floe.
Lengthy update in the works.
Lengthy update in the works.
10.29.2008
10.20.2008
If I Told You Your Child Was Love, Would You Listen?
I have homework to do. Lots of it actually. As such I'm here.
This is funny shit:
As of lately (and by that I mean over the last month or two) I have been hopelessly addicted to party hip hop. 50 Cent, Chris Brown, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Mike Mictlan, it doesn't matter. If it has a beat that makes me want to move, I seem to be moving to it. Maybe it's the upbeat nature, I'm not sure. But it's enjoyable.
I'm craving a sense of stability. The college life doesn't exactly provide that comfort, with its constantly revolving schedule and demanding requests. I suppose this is a fruitless craving, especially with my departure for Asia next semester. I'm hoping that the time away from here will renew my passion for education (though I've been told it does quite the opposite). I just need new, different, better.
Sometimes I rediscover my poetic tendencies. Those are the times I smile.
This is funny shit:
As of lately (and by that I mean over the last month or two) I have been hopelessly addicted to party hip hop. 50 Cent, Chris Brown, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Mike Mictlan, it doesn't matter. If it has a beat that makes me want to move, I seem to be moving to it. Maybe it's the upbeat nature, I'm not sure. But it's enjoyable.
I'm craving a sense of stability. The college life doesn't exactly provide that comfort, with its constantly revolving schedule and demanding requests. I suppose this is a fruitless craving, especially with my departure for Asia next semester. I'm hoping that the time away from here will renew my passion for education (though I've been told it does quite the opposite). I just need new, different, better.
Sometimes I rediscover my poetic tendencies. Those are the times I smile.
10.18.2008
10.17.2008
There Is an Ocean In My Soul
I'm sipping a 24 oz. energy drink. That's how things are going.
Ever had one of those weeks where everything hits at once? Certain things you've seen coming for awhile, others swoop in from your blind spots and all of a sudden you're left sore and tired. That's been these last few days.
Avid readers may have noticed the disappearance of the mention of dating someone in the last post. Things didn't work out and, at first it ended amicably. Things have since changed and I've had a hard time pretending that I respect the person anymore. Hopefully things will work out in the end and the friendship can be restored in some form, but it's going to take work.
My initial proposal and my secondary proposal for independent study projects in Asia have both been declined. Over the last few days I've been trading increasingly frustrating emails with the chair of the Teacher Education department at my college. The department isn't willing to allow me to take care of one of my requirements in Asia because none of their professors are accompanying us on the trip. It's aggravating, as most independent studies that happen abroad happen without professors following. I'm feeling utterly disrespected by the department, one that has screwed over all four of us in my grade level attempting to obtain our secondary license in language arts. I'm still going to Asia, it's just going to make graduating and my entire senior year far more difficult.
I had initially planned on going home this weekend. I would have been able to see all three of my brothers and spend some real time with my mother again. That was before I realized how many commitments I have this weekend. As such I'm staying here. It's disappointing, especially considering how much a relaxing weekend could have helped all of this.
I only caught part of the final debates, but I did manage to hear McCain's Troops for Teachers program. It's frustrating how ridiculous some of his plans are and seeing how many people still support him. My friend over at Cranberry Justice (The Blog) had written at one point about how he'd almost like to see McCain win just so in Obama's concession he could tell us how badly we had all just fucked up.
This made me laugh. It came under the title "Embrace the Absurdity" over at Eyeteeth:
Not bad advice, embracing the absurdity.
Ever had one of those weeks where everything hits at once? Certain things you've seen coming for awhile, others swoop in from your blind spots and all of a sudden you're left sore and tired. That's been these last few days.
Avid readers may have noticed the disappearance of the mention of dating someone in the last post. Things didn't work out and, at first it ended amicably. Things have since changed and I've had a hard time pretending that I respect the person anymore. Hopefully things will work out in the end and the friendship can be restored in some form, but it's going to take work.
My initial proposal and my secondary proposal for independent study projects in Asia have both been declined. Over the last few days I've been trading increasingly frustrating emails with the chair of the Teacher Education department at my college. The department isn't willing to allow me to take care of one of my requirements in Asia because none of their professors are accompanying us on the trip. It's aggravating, as most independent studies that happen abroad happen without professors following. I'm feeling utterly disrespected by the department, one that has screwed over all four of us in my grade level attempting to obtain our secondary license in language arts. I'm still going to Asia, it's just going to make graduating and my entire senior year far more difficult.
I had initially planned on going home this weekend. I would have been able to see all three of my brothers and spend some real time with my mother again. That was before I realized how many commitments I have this weekend. As such I'm staying here. It's disappointing, especially considering how much a relaxing weekend could have helped all of this.
I only caught part of the final debates, but I did manage to hear McCain's Troops for Teachers program. It's frustrating how ridiculous some of his plans are and seeing how many people still support him. My friend over at Cranberry Justice (The Blog) had written at one point about how he'd almost like to see McCain win just so in Obama's concession he could tell us how badly we had all just fucked up.
This made me laugh. It came under the title "Embrace the Absurdity" over at Eyeteeth:
Not bad advice, embracing the absurdity.
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