.007 [literary anatomy]

All of our in-class discussions about a novel [is it a novel?] and its form/structure/wording/lettering/etc. made me ask the question: are the adjectives and flowery descriptions really the flesh of the text, or are they really the skeletal structure?

I mean, pure fact with no description does not usually make for an interesting read. So which came first, which is more important, which holds the other up?

Personally, I think that the two go hand in hand, and are really quite inseparable. In a good novel [and by this I mean a novel/book/essay/whatever that the reader ENJOYS or gets something out of] there needs to be the perfect mix of fact and fluff, just to keep the reader interested. The facts of the novel rely on the descriptions to draw the reader in, while adversely, the details rely on the facts for their reliability. One simply cannot exist in harmony without the other.

.006 [what if the game was "Kublai? Khan!"]

Personally, I love love love this book so far. I mean, not only do I like the structure of the book (it reminds me of star girl or this book I'm currently reading about zen), but I also like how it has some really profound statements in it. for example, on page 56 in the italicized portion of the text, Kublai Khan asks Marco Polo if such a place exists that matches his dream. Marco Polo responds,

"Forgive me, my lord, there is no doubt that sooner or later I shall set sail from that dock[...] but I shall not come back to tell you about it. The city exists and it has a simple secret: it knows only departures and not returns."

I automatically connected this with death, making the connection that the "departure" could be a metaphor for leaving this world, and of course "[no] returns" would be the finality of death.

As I read on in this novel, I have to keep stopping myself from reading ahead because once I get in the rhythm of reading Calvino's writing, it is as easy a read as twilight :]

.005 [hi, im a mac]

my mac died in 2d design :[
thus, no video with krista dancing in the background or me waving fanatically or hannah beth being a giraffe.
such a tragic loss.
really.

.004 [life, interrupted]

Yesterday was, quite possibly, the most stressful day that I have endured here on campus...So many papers were due, fifty sketches were to be turned in, and I also had to discuss a novel which I have discussed in great length all throughout high-school; a novel which deals with issues I would much prefer not to discuss. I was also tired [roommate issues] and annoyed at the post office for changing its hours to ones that are impossible for me to fit into my schedule.

One might think that a viewing of one of my favorite films might help to take the edge off, but it did not. Yes, I was able to take notes on the correlations between Girl, Interrupted andThe Yellow Wallpaper, but I was more distracted by my own life, so the whole film was frustrating to sit through. All personal drama aside, I found that Susanna Kayson's character is similar to the narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper in a couple of ways. First, both women are writers. Second, both women are "trapped" in spaces which do not allow them the sort of freedom they need to thrive. This directly revolts against Virginia Woolf's idea that a woman must have a room of her own and money in order to write well; instead, it reinforces the idea of "a room of one's own" as a metaphor for power and freedom. Both Kayson and the narrator were locked in spaces against their wills, and both struggled to maintain a sense of self in each situation. In the case of Susanna Kayson, the writer began to become attached to her illness and her entrapment, causing her to lose some of her zeal for life and passion for writing. The narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper, likewise, begins to lose her firm hold on sanity as she is locked up in a space of her own in order to "cure" her.

As a side note, i thought it was an interesting choice to show the movie Girl, Interrupted in accompaniment with the novel instead of the movie that was created directly from the text. [Girl, Interrupted is actually a memoir written by Susanna Kayson]

This is an important element to me because it relates Charlotte Perkins Gilman's message to another, similar story. Since Susanna Kayson's story is much more modern than Gilman's, it also brings more relevance to the novel, and the reader/viewer is able to further understand how, in many cases, being forced to "rest" in seclusion, often times results in the loss of sanity.

Again, both made me realize that it is not physical space that really matters, but the attitudes about the space and the freedoms allowed there that truly make the space what it is.

.003 [a room of her own]

My thoughts about Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own?

WELL.....

To be perfectly honest, I hated it. This is not because I disagreed with her message, or the wording was too difficult, or even because I had to read it for school. No, I would say that I truly disliked the book because it went on and on and on and on.....

when basically she could have just said, "a good writer would do much better with a room of her own and money, but if she doesn't have either, it is still possible to be a good writer."

Maybe if I were a woman in attendance at one of the lectures A Room of One's Own was based on, I might feel differently. However, reading even the small amount that I did, I was extremely bored, and easily distracted. I even began my drawing homework, just to put off reading.

ANYWAY...

I thought I'd address one of the questions posted on the main blog:

"At the conclusion of Chapter 3, Woolf addresses the college women in her "audience," remarking that they have "got [them]selves to college and enjoy sitting rooms--or is it bed-sitting rooms--of [their] own" (56). As women in college, what are your reactions to Woolf's ideas about the importance of having rooms of your own? What are your own relationships to your dorm rooms, bedrooms, or campus study rooms? What effect do these spaces have on your mind?"

As much as I love the idea of having a room of my own on some days, I actually enjoy living with my roommates [well, one of them at least] and I can honestly say that I would feel a bit isolated if I were to literally have a room all to myself. I like having someone else keeping me company while I do homework, or even when I am just sitting and thinking. That said, I guess I do kind of have my own space. I have my bed lofted, so I am able to sit up high and not worry about anyone bothering me, or sitting on my bed [which is a pet peeve of mine]. As a woman in college, I have found that personal space can mean so much more than just having a 'room of one's own'. I have found that I value respect of a shared space much more than the possession of a personal space. For me, it is the atmosphere in a setting that effects my well-being, and not the actual space.

.002 [four little questions]

1. What are your strengths as a writer?

As a writer, I feel that I have a strong voice; a voice that makes my papers recognizable as "Emma's writing". I am also confident in my peer editing skills, although during a recent conversation I realized that I cannot accept editing as well as I am able to dish it out.

2. What do you need to improve in your writing? (not what do you need to do...what do you need)

To improve my writing, I will need at least three cups of hazelnut coffee a day, multiple pens and highlighters, books galore, my ipod, an hourly limit on facebook/tfln/etsy, and the support of my classmates and teachers.

3. What two or three aspects of your writing would you most like to work on this semester?

ONE: I absolutely hate using capital letters. My class notes, my paper headings, and even my name are all spelled with lowercase letters. Obviously, this is an issue when it comes to writing because capitals are to be used for 'proper nouns'.

TWO: I would also like to work on making connections between everything I learn. For example, say I am watching a movie on IFC and it mentions some "famous" literary work that I have never heard of. I would like to understand these references. I would also like to be able to connect all of the information that I glean from each of my classes. I want to be a well-rounded and thoroughly educated person, so I think that making connections is a very strong element of that goal.

THREE: I am constantly splitting infinitives. That should probably stop.

FOUR: Conclusions. End of story.

4. What is your writing metaphor? In other words, complete this sentence: "For me, writing is like..."

For me, writing is like flying a kite during a hurricane. Sure, the kite will take off in the beginning, but as the storm goes on, the direction of the kite will move whichever way the storm does, and in the end....well, the kite may not even make it through the storm.

My reasoning behind this metaphor (simile?) is this:

Introductions usually come easily, and take off with great speed. The body of my papers tend to lose focus, and sometimes go off on a tangent, drifting far away from my original intent. Finally, the conclusions of my papers are usually hurricanes themselves. I find it very difficult to tie off the loose ends of a paper, and make it complete. Too often, i revert back to my middle school years and begin the end with "In conclusion, [insert boring, too-long-and-detailed-summary here, with the occasional use of "my" or "I feel"]. I usually save the last sentence to insert a sentence that has no real connection with my paper.

I must also admit that I am currently listening to "Hurricane Waters" so that may have inspired some of the imagery.

.001 [just the beginning]

I'm gonna start off this blog with a few name-droppings of my favorite blogs. Perhaps they can act as my inspiration to get this one started. Hopefully, if my peer pressure tactics work well, I can get you all hooked on them too :]

http://www.designformankind.com/

http://www.creaturecomforts.typepad.com/

http://lookbook.nu/