WRITING: Titles

Posted on November 6, 2003 by Susan

Oh man, I just can’t let this one get away either. No story, but a title: “I Was a Shoo-in For Hell ‘Til I Found Jesus!”

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LITERATURE: Eureka!

Posted on November 6, 2003 by Susan

One last remark before I go, because this was really very exciting.

In class today, discussing Watchmen, A. brings up a point of the blood on Rorschach’s shirt reminding him of the lance’s mark on Jesus on the cross. Instantly I remembered my own discarded mental notes of the marks on Veidt’s hands and the bullet that he caught–the graphic image so like the pierced by nails hands of Christ as well. And then Dr. Manhattan walking on the water of the pool where Dan and Laurie lay asleep nearby, and another student’s notice of a figure on a fence that reminded her of the crucifixion.

These little subtleties that lie within a graphic novel, that are so much more difficult to hide within pure text. And yet even they can be so easily overlooked. In going over parts of the book today, something suddenly became so obvious in Chapter 9, from panel 6 on page 3 through panel 2 on page 4 that I almost gasped aloud with surprise to suddenly see it–right there and yet I missed it totally in my prior readings. I didn’t feel quite comfortable bringing it up in class, but lack of face-to-face communication makes it easy; this sequence between Dr. Manhattan and Laurie while on Mars suggests an oral sex act (which according to Bill Clinton isn’t really sex at all anyway). It was a moment of pure joy of sharing of enlightenment in that room today. At least for me.

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EDGAR AND I: Again in Conflict

Posted on November 6, 2003 by Susan

I have to reneg on our agreement to get creative, and Edgar isn’t taking it well at all. I’ve shown him my latest graded paper that reflects, I guess the time I’m spending here. I have reminded him of his own published essays and he couldn’t argue the necessity of time and effort being expended in other areas of one’s life and obligations. So further forays into storywriting as well as Spinning itself will be less prolific until some sense of balance is restored within my space of time.

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WRITING: Moments of Inspiration

Posted on November 6, 2003 by Susan

I’m getting better at this. Only two out of five morning shower thoughts made it to this weblog.

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STORIES: Lack of Activity

Posted on November 6, 2003 by Susan

Edgar is right. In checking my latest entries it’s been quite a while since I posted anything under the STORIES category, which is just my personal fiction stuff. But the Professor is right as well, having a mind of living matter instead of stuffed cotton brains, and in my maturity I shall compromise and combine reality with fantasy again to create what is called a “story” very soon.

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PEOPLE: Short Ones

Posted on November 6, 2003 by Susan

Any of you out there remember the Randy Newman song, Short People? Well, it was back in ’77 so I suppose that eliminates 90% of you. It was a spoof on prejudice geared against short people, for which I immediately qualified. The thought that this brought to mind today is a question for deli designers and owners everywhere: Why must you pile the rolls and pickle jars atop the deli case and make me jump and wave my arm to get noticed and served?

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EDGAR AND I: Static at Best

Posted on November 6, 2003 by Susan

Yes, Edgar and I have not spoken much lately. He’s pushing me to write fiction not just stories of my thoughts. I argue that my English Prof has suggested these are stories just the same, but Edgar wants me to stretch my imagination and not just to repeat and embellish. Since Edgar is only ten inches tall and stuffed and my English Prof is live and thinking, there is conflict. Which, I guess, is what I need to get started…

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BLOGGING: It’s Varied Purposes

Posted on November 6, 2003 by Susan

A post on Jerz’s Literacy Log this morning had made me stop and think about my personal blogging habits as well as those of others. I am starting to get concerned about privacy and piracy factors, and probably should look deeper into the technological aspect of this form of web communication, or better yet, watch closer what I write. Odd that I could shield the darkest thoughts from those who may know me (although a certain silent agreement of non-acknowledgement exists when necessary among those who I see daily) and yet the place–another log–where I deposit those thoughts are open to the world through search engines anyway. Perhaps it may be time to go back to Windows Word when I am lowest, or deepest, or just do not wish to share. This is what I do first anyway, then cut and paste into Spinning. It allows a second thought at least before it’s thrown out to the masses.

I only wish I’d learn to do the same thing with my comments on logs of others. Although as I mentioned in a comment added to the aforementioned entry in Jerz’s Literacy Log, while I agree that just the joy of writing is enough for most, “I feel it is rude to read and not respond upon occasion—the personal touch of conversation is what will ensure the success of this otherwise impersonal form of communication. What also comes to mind is Dr. Frasier Crane’s ‘I’m listening…’ “

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EDUCATION: Graduation

Posted on November 6, 2003 by Susan

Well, the gig is up. I must make an appointment with my advisor and admit I am a Liberal Arts student who has been masquerading as General Studies for the past three years. I have received notice that the college is ready to kick me out with honors come Spring, and I must plead with them to let me stay, and am willing to accept the punishment of three or so more courses which are not exactly to my liking.

My way of dealing all my life had been to save the best for last, but faulty planning and follow-through has left me with a choice of okay to “s…, I don’t wanna take that.” Or I can, as previously posted, take the diploma and take immediate gratification in the fame and fortune (entitlement!) offered to the degreed. But masochism and the need to know that further adventure lies ahead will make me do the right thing, I know.

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PEOPLE: Aging

Posted on November 6, 2003 by Susan

I do wish they would confirm their research quickly on the extension of our lifespan. It would enable me to view this Sunday as a mere and more acceptable “approaching middle age.” There may be due some deeper analysis by experts also into the phenomenon of why the body ages more rapidly than the mind—I’m still mid-thirties there, at least.

Or maybe not. In many ways I don’t think differently at all, and mirrors only serve to shock me until one day I will not even acknowledge the image as my own. In other ways, there is an impact on one’s way of thinking; a calmness, willingness to accept while at the same time knowing better but allowing others’ their own opinion without the urge to jump all over them. I’ve noticed in the elderly (this, at least, is still thirty years away as far as I’m concerned) a sense of comfort with one’s self-identity and a gentle adamancy on issues mainly seen as small and insignificant when faced as youth.

There is but one description reserved for senior citizens that allows perhaps only dancers to have access to as well, and one I’m looking forward to with grace.

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TECHNOLOGY: My Voice!

Posted on November 5, 2003 by Susan

Thanks to Professor Dennis Jerz at Jerz’s Literacy Log I at long last have found a suitable substitute for my missing voice. Check this out: Automatic Attitude

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WRITING: Truth

Posted on November 5, 2003 by Susan

I am elbow-deep into a very interesting exercise for a storyteller; learning to tell lies in another language. Short writing assignments in Spanish have been difficult for me because I don’t yet know the vocabulary well enough to find the words to say what I want. This has slowed me down considerably, especially when one also wants to present creatively. The easiest way out of this predicament I felt, was to write based upon the somewhat limited Spanish I have already learned. This necessitates making up a story to fit the assignment, even if it is supposed to be from a personal viewpoint. All kinds of changes happen within a writer’s head with this scenario because it is hard to enter a character one has not created himself that developed a life of its own, but rather has been forced by royal Spanish command of el professore. Learning much more than Spanish here I think.

But if you see me in the halls, don’t bother asking why I am planning to emigrate to Portugal next spring.

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PEOPLE: Mind Games

Posted on November 5, 2003 by Susan

Just tried to play an interesting experiment in my head (see guys, games don’t couple up just with literature, but with science as well) as I was driving home this morning. I’d say a common noun as quickly as I could, close my eyes (just kidding) and attempt to discover whether the item showed up as a visual image or in text. Tough to do when you are both the tester and the testee, but I was surprised to find myself often coming up with a picture of a word spelled out such as TREE instead of a visual image of a tree. I’m sure this has been done somewhere along the line as an experiment and some day I’ll find the time to check it out. Will it give any indication of individual thought process or tendencies?

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EDUCATION: By Degrees

Posted on November 5, 2003 by Susan

Could two Associate Degrees add up to a Bachelor’s? It just seems to me that I have so much to explore at Tunxis in new media, computer graphics and programming, advanced psychology, sociology–all the courses I didn’t have to take but would like to.

Maybe I was wrong about students creating their own curriculum! Only problem with that is that we’d have to get the business world to go along with it in their hiring practices.

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REALITY?: M & M Thought for the Day

Posted on November 5, 2003 by Susan

According to M & M’s Silly Science Fact, “A giraffe’s tongue is almost two feet long.” I will do my best not to let this invade my thoughts all day.

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