HUGE apologies for not blogging regularly everyone! I made some bad decisions with my time the two weeks before this one, and this week I've been paying for it. And since I haven't been blogging regularly I have TONS to tell everybody. I never think that I'll have much to talk about with books, movies, and writing as my main topics, but I'm an English major! There's always something to say about books, movies, or writing, or at least about my plans in those areas. Fingers crossed that I'll do better at writing regularly in the future!
I've been reading To Draw Closer to God a second time, and since I have my own copy now I've been able to mark it up. Y'all should read it. Fabulous book. I learn something new everything I read through it. My new favorite quote is from that book: "If you wish to get rich, save what you get. A fool can earn money, but it takes a wise man to save and dispose of it to his own advantage. Then go to work, and save everything, and make your own bonnets and clothing." (from Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 11:201) Of course Pres. Eyring says tons of great things of his own, but this quote is the one that speaks to me the most right now. Only problem is I can't make my own clothing...it'd be cool if I could...but for now I guess I'll just reuse and recycle!
So a long time ago I talked with Dr. McCuskey about literary criticism and undergrad publishing opportunities, etc. He told me to talk to my fellow undergrad Trent, which I did on Tuesday. He's done lots of conferencing so I learned a lot about something I've never done. He also suggested the British and Commonwealth Studies minor (BCS), which I have always been interested in but up til now have found reasons why I couldn't do it. So the week I pick to email the people who would have answers to my questions is the week that those professors don't check their email! How frustrating! What's worse is that I think registration for summer classes begins next week and if this minor works for me I would take a summer class. The longer they take to answer me, the less time I have to make up my mind and finangle my finances!
Anyway...pretend that they've answered me, and I'm signed up to take three credits of Directed Study. I have to write a proposal for the topic of my 20 ish page paper that I will produce under the direction of my supervising professor (Dr. McCuskey or...or...just Dr. McCuskey). With this in mind alongside my angst about unanswered emails, I've come up with a few paper ideas.
1. Film Adaptations of Jane Austen's Novels. I would probably investigate how these adaptations change modern perceptions about the era in which she wrote; what thematic and formal changes have been made in the transition from book to movie; how do those changes reflect or affect modern society. I like the idea of the paper, but I feel like I'd have a hard time researching for it.
2. Domestic Angels/Cult of Domesticity/Female Gender Roles in Jane Austen's Novels. This is the topic I am least excited about, mostly because I feel like this is a topic that everyone will have written about. I suppose that's helpful for research, but there's no point to my paper if this something everyone talks about.
3. Dancing and Physical Activity, either in Jane Austen's novels or in Romantic/Victorian literature in general (I'm getting less specific as I go along...). How did dancing function in society? How did it change between the Romantic and Victorian periods? How did it differ between classes? I think this would be a really fun paper to write because it's so random.
4. Love Letters in Victorian Literature. This idea comes from our reading of Middlemarch by George Eliot. And doesn't Darcy write something of a love letter? or Mr. Ferrars? I might even use Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Letters from the Portugeuse" (sp?), I don't even know. I think it would be fun to write though, because love letters in Victorian literature just don't really ever work, so why do they come up?
Anyway, those are my ideas so far. Let me know what you think.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Inkheart
I've been in Kaysville since Friday (I get to spend my Spring Break at my parents' house--exciting) and I discovered on Saturday that the wonderful amazing dollar Kaysville Theatre had some great movies playing this week, including Twilight, Valkyrie, The Tale of Despereaux, Bolt, Marley and Me, and Inkheart. I've already seen Twilight twice, and of the rest I wanted to see Inkheart the most. My little sister Katie came with me and we had a whole row to ourselves.
Now before I talk about the movie, I want to extol the virtues of Kaysville Theatre. Dollar theatres are just fabulous anyway you dice it, even if they can only play 3-6 movies in any given week. The theatre is located along the west side of Main Street attached to all the other old buildings and shops in town and right across from Kaysville Library and the city hall. I absolutely love this theatre. It's a Kaysville institution. I have great memories of seeing movies I've long forgotten with friends, of learning to save my money so I could spend it on something I really enjoyed. The best thing about Kaysville Theatre is the "keep the theatre clean" message they always play before the previews: two guys are watching a movie in a theatre (all you see is their knees down), and one of them is nice and tidy--he puts his drink and candy wrapper inside his empty popcorn bucket, which he sets between his feet--and the other is wholly absorbed in the movie--he drops his drink and popcorn, which spill all over the floor, etc. At the end of the movie, the tidy guy picks up his popcorn bucket of garbage and leaves hassle-free; the not-so-tidy guy stands up with gum stuck under his shoe, and as he pulls his foot up off the floor everybody shouts "EEWWWW!!!!" It's great. If you ever get a chance to go to a dollar theatre in a little town, like Kaysville, you should do it. You get to know a community that way.
On to the movie!
Inkheart, rated PG, is based on a book of the same name by Cornelia Funke, which, sadly, I have not yet read. Because of this movie it is now on my summer reading list. Inkheart stars some big names and good actors, including Brendan Frasier (The Mummy, Journey to the Center of the Earth), Paul Bettany (Da Vinci Code, Firewall), Helen Mirren (National Treasure 2, The Queen), and Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, all three). Basically, Mortimer (Frasier) is a Silvertongue, which means his reading out loud brings stories to life. Once nine years ago he read the book Inkheart and brought some of their villains--and a random fire-juggler--into our world, but by reading them out of their story, he read his wife into it. Now he, his daughter, and the fire-juggler have an opportunity to put characters and people back into their proper places. I love the idea this move poses about the relationship between author, reader, and character. My sister Katie said she's read the book and that it's better. We'll see. I highly recommend this movie, although there are a few scary images for a really young audience. Eight years and older should be able to handle it.
Now before I talk about the movie, I want to extol the virtues of Kaysville Theatre. Dollar theatres are just fabulous anyway you dice it, even if they can only play 3-6 movies in any given week. The theatre is located along the west side of Main Street attached to all the other old buildings and shops in town and right across from Kaysville Library and the city hall. I absolutely love this theatre. It's a Kaysville institution. I have great memories of seeing movies I've long forgotten with friends, of learning to save my money so I could spend it on something I really enjoyed. The best thing about Kaysville Theatre is the "keep the theatre clean" message they always play before the previews: two guys are watching a movie in a theatre (all you see is their knees down), and one of them is nice and tidy--he puts his drink and candy wrapper inside his empty popcorn bucket, which he sets between his feet--and the other is wholly absorbed in the movie--he drops his drink and popcorn, which spill all over the floor, etc. At the end of the movie, the tidy guy picks up his popcorn bucket of garbage and leaves hassle-free; the not-so-tidy guy stands up with gum stuck under his shoe, and as he pulls his foot up off the floor everybody shouts "EEWWWW!!!!" It's great. If you ever get a chance to go to a dollar theatre in a little town, like Kaysville, you should do it. You get to know a community that way.
On to the movie!
Inkheart, rated PG, is based on a book of the same name by Cornelia Funke, which, sadly, I have not yet read. Because of this movie it is now on my summer reading list. Inkheart stars some big names and good actors, including Brendan Frasier (The Mummy, Journey to the Center of the Earth), Paul Bettany (Da Vinci Code, Firewall), Helen Mirren (National Treasure 2, The Queen), and Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, all three). Basically, Mortimer (Frasier) is a Silvertongue, which means his reading out loud brings stories to life. Once nine years ago he read the book Inkheart and brought some of their villains--and a random fire-juggler--into our world, but by reading them out of their story, he read his wife into it. Now he, his daughter, and the fire-juggler have an opportunity to put characters and people back into their proper places. I love the idea this move poses about the relationship between author, reader, and character. My sister Katie said she's read the book and that it's better. We'll see. I highly recommend this movie, although there are a few scary images for a really young audience. Eight years and older should be able to handle it.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
reading, writing and facebook...and Spring Break!
My titles are getting lamer.
Eventually I will post more often. I would have blogged last night: I had a great idea while chatting on facebook with my new friend Abraham and editing my personal information (favorites etc), but when I pulled up the blogger window the great idea vanished. Bummer.
I love Victorian Literature. It's my favorite class. Dr. McCuskey is awesome, the book is hard and I'm behind BUT I love discussing it and learning how to think critically, and I'm just excited to go to class every day. The difficult part is that next week over spring break I have to read two sections in the novel, which is at least 100 pages. Not looking forward to that one.
So I told you that for story #2 I was writing about an existential character and having a hard time of it, remember? I got a whopping 2 1/4 pages written. Well, on Monday my Fiction Writing professor told us if we were having a hard time to just scrap it and write something we really cared about (which is ironic because wouldn't that be creative nonfiction? not fiction?). So I ditched the existential story and decided to write something a little closer to home. She's been telling us to try new things since this is Advanced Fiction Writing, and I've noticed that religion is a theme I keep coming back to in my last two stories, so this one that I'm working on right now for class is an exploration in fiction (obviously) of the impact religion has on dating, and how/in what ways such an experience could change a character. In about three hours of sitting at my computer I've written 5 ish pages!! That doesn't include brainstorming. The Lord has really helped me with this one. As far as the brainstorming goes this could be one of the most complex stories I've written. This story is due the Monday after Spring Break (3/16), so I'm hoping I can get it finished by next Wednesday or Thursday, and then use next weekend in revision and maybe get a friend or two to read it. Wish me luck!
Nothing to write about poetry. I would post one for y'all but we turned in our journals today. No cool Christina poetry for you. :(
Speaking of Spring Break, my bff roomie Ellie is getting her wisdom teeth out! Wish her good luck! We're going to have a Masterpiece Theatre Jane Eyre party. And I'm going dress shopping with my mom for my brother's wedding reception, and I might get my hair cut, and it will just be a great week. I'm also job hunting in Logan so if you know of any good opportunities, let me know.
Happy Spring Break!
Eventually I will post more often. I would have blogged last night: I had a great idea while chatting on facebook with my new friend Abraham and editing my personal information (favorites etc), but when I pulled up the blogger window the great idea vanished. Bummer.
I love Victorian Literature. It's my favorite class. Dr. McCuskey is awesome, the book is hard and I'm behind BUT I love discussing it and learning how to think critically, and I'm just excited to go to class every day. The difficult part is that next week over spring break I have to read two sections in the novel, which is at least 100 pages. Not looking forward to that one.
So I told you that for story #2 I was writing about an existential character and having a hard time of it, remember? I got a whopping 2 1/4 pages written. Well, on Monday my Fiction Writing professor told us if we were having a hard time to just scrap it and write something we really cared about (which is ironic because wouldn't that be creative nonfiction? not fiction?). So I ditched the existential story and decided to write something a little closer to home. She's been telling us to try new things since this is Advanced Fiction Writing, and I've noticed that religion is a theme I keep coming back to in my last two stories, so this one that I'm working on right now for class is an exploration in fiction (obviously) of the impact religion has on dating, and how/in what ways such an experience could change a character. In about three hours of sitting at my computer I've written 5 ish pages!! That doesn't include brainstorming. The Lord has really helped me with this one. As far as the brainstorming goes this could be one of the most complex stories I've written. This story is due the Monday after Spring Break (3/16), so I'm hoping I can get it finished by next Wednesday or Thursday, and then use next weekend in revision and maybe get a friend or two to read it. Wish me luck!
Nothing to write about poetry. I would post one for y'all but we turned in our journals today. No cool Christina poetry for you. :(
Speaking of Spring Break, my bff roomie Ellie is getting her wisdom teeth out! Wish her good luck! We're going to have a Masterpiece Theatre Jane Eyre party. And I'm going dress shopping with my mom for my brother's wedding reception, and I might get my hair cut, and it will just be a great week. I'm also job hunting in Logan so if you know of any good opportunities, let me know.
Happy Spring Break!
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