Musings

Revise, revise, revise. That's been my primary refrain these days. After putting my thesis aside for several weeks, I have picked up again with a renewed vigor. Part of inspiration came in studying for the creative writing essay. I took the time to reread Eudora Welty, Madison Smart-Bell, and John Gardner. All three have different ways of approaching creative writing, but all three have similar themes.

The area I have found them most helpful in is in setting. Sense of place has always been a weakness of mine. Character is my strong suit--I think it comes from years of analyzing character and creating details and motivation in studying theatre and preparing for roles. Setting, bah, that's the scenic designers job. So I am really working on layering and working with authentic details while still remaining true to the story.

At the moment I am re-crafting several dialogue passages. I generally have a good ear for dialogue (again I think it comes from theatre), but I am terrible at tags. I hate them. He said, she said, he exclaimed...bluh. So I am trying to work on them without making them trite or allowing them to draw attention to themselves.

One thing that I love about writing (and there are many things) is the ability to surprise yourself. Gardner describes it as going into a trance--when you're in the zone and you just write and write without stopping to judge. Then you go back and read it and realize that with some revision, it's not too bad. In fact, it's pretty good. I also love when my characters seem to take on a life of their own and lead me to discover something about the story I hadn't realized. The more I get to know Mordred, the more he gives me these gifts.

Another area I tend to have trouble with is sentence variation. I admit it, I love a good comma with a closing phrase. There is a drama to it. But it is also like me and diet coke--it's great once and a while, but I really need to cut back. One of my advisors suggested the use of more adverbs, but I despise adverbs. If I had one critique of JK Rowling it would be that she is a little too in love with adverbs. I especially hate them in tags, "she said cruelly." There has to be a better way to put that. So instead of sacrificing myself the sickness of adverbs, I have instead been looking at ways to intensify language while varying my sentence structure. I have been looking at Faulkner and McCarthy, the later especially, who has a gift for mixing both simple and complex sentences with great results. The goal is inspiration, not mimicry.

These are just some thoughts. I'm sure there will be more. Back to work.

Hooray!!

I passed! Dr. Hileman just called to tell me that my essays were great and they were all really impressed. I am so relieved.

Liliana has the flu, so I haven't really worked on my thesis, but with the exam out of the way I am feeling more motivated. Thanks for all the prayers!

Well, it's over. I'm thankful for that. The exam was really hard--all sorts of craziness. The good news is I got an email from Dr. Hileman this morning telling me I passed the multiple choice section, missing 2 questions. I'll take that! She is going to call me after the committee meets to review the essays sometime in the next week or two. Bluh. I hate the idea of waiting. The essays were really tough and I do think I may not have done as well as I could have. If that is the case, then I guess I'll just have to retake them in the spring.

Over the weekend, Dr. Hileman and I also discussed my thesis. She told me thus far my first draft has been really good considering. However, we both agree (I had secretly thought this as well) that it's not going to be ready this semester. So I am going to work to get as much done as possible, but probably I will finish in the spring. And I'm okay with that. I want it to be really good and the truth is, I can't focus all my time on it as I have a full time job and a family.

That being said, studying for the MA Exam got me really inspired to make some great improvements based on the comments I received. So this week I am diving back into my writing. Maybe that will help pass the time until I find out the results of the essay section.

Dead Girl Walking

In two days I sit for my exams. I am taking off the next two days to study (some more), although also to relax and not feel rushed when we leave on Friday. At this point I'm just reviewing like crazy. I either know it or I don't. I just hope I made smart studying decisions. I just hope I can be smart. Pray for me to be smart.

Sigh.

Discovery

I got an email yesterday from my advisor telling me that my first three chapters have been reviewed by the committee and are on their way home for revision. She went over the three major trouble areas in her email: some confusion with pronouns in the prologue, need for richer setting, and confusion over the epigraphs.

The first two I totally agree with. And I know how to fix the first issue with little trouble. In fact it will add another layer to the character and make it even richer. The second one I agree with, I just need to really luxuriate in scenic details, something I hadn't really allowed for.

The issue with the epigraphs I don't know that I agree with. I think they make sense in connection with the work. Dr. Hileman suggested that I just explain the connections in my introduction. But then I feel they are not successful because they shouldn't need explaining. Staylee thinks they make sense, but he's not on the committee. Perhaps I will just have to see what they say about them before I decide what to do.

The studying continues. I am so terrified of this exam. I wake up at night in fear, I have nightmares about it...it's almost paralyzing. I am so afraid I won't be prepared enough or I'll just freeze and everything I've tried to digest over the past few weeks will just leak out my ears.

In an effort to spread literature and beauty in the world, I thought I'd post some Emily Dickenson for your reading enjoyment.


SOME keep the Sabbath going to church;

I keep it staying at home,

With a bobolink for a chorister,

And an orchard for a dome.


Some keep the Sabbath in surplice;

I just wear my wings,

And instead of tolling the bell for church,

Our little sexton sings.


God preaches,—a noted clergyman,—

And the sermon is never long;

So instead of getting to heaven at last,

I ’m going all along!

Holding Pattern

I have posted recently because I haven't really done that much with my thesis in a few weeks. My Masters exam is coming up October 20 and so I am studying like crazy for that. The exam is broken down into two parts--part one is several hundred questions on the reading list and part two is three essays on my specific coursework. The reading list covers American and British literature of roughly 155 works and is multiple choice. For the essay section, each instructor I have had provides an essay question from their course. I have to answer one in American Lit, one in British Lit, and one in Research and Composition.

I have been pretty diligent in my studying and am about 3/4 the way through the reading list. American is done and I am through Shakespeare in British. As for the essays, I know what my choices are for each section: Big Bend or Thoreau (American), Arthurian lit or British novel (British), and Creativing Writing or History of the English language (Research).

I made the call to go ahead and select which one I will answer without seeing the questions so I can really study three subjects rather than sort of study six. I am going to write on Thoreau, British novel, and Creative Writing. In truth, I think I could probably do pretty well with either Arthurian lit or British novel, but I have a pretty good idea of what the question will be with British novel so that makes it a good bet. We also did a sample essay test in Thoreau, so I have a feel for what the question might be like (and my sample passed--a good omen). The one I'm really stressed about it Creative writing. I emailed my professor and asked for adivce, to which she counseled that I should study the text books. Awesome.

One thing that I have loved about studying the reading list is getting to expand my literary knowledge. There are several poems and short stories that I had heard of and never read, so I have been enjoying them. Anyone looking for some fun seasonal reading I recommend "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. It's available online for free.

On to Milton.

Getting Into the Groove

I'll be honest: when I finished my British lit class in May I had all the noble intentions in the world of spending the summer hard at work on my thesis. But I was just so worn out by school. So I read some novels for pleasure. By then it was almost time to go to China and I didn't want to get started on anything that I couldn't work on for two weeks.

After I returned from China, well, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released shortly thereafter. And nothing could stand in my way of reading it (in one night, as it turns out). Basically I have hemmed and hawed for the past few weeks until two weeks ago when I finally buckled down and started working.

Yes, I am the queen of procrastination. However, the work I am doing is actually really good. I have done some heavy revising of the original work and I think it just keeps getting better. For the first time, I am actually really proud of my writing.

I don't want to sound conceited, but creative writing has always been pretty easy for me to get by with. That's not to say it is astounding or even good, but passable. I have always had trouble with revising because I hate rereading my work. When I was younger I was so stubborn and full of myself that I figured whatever I wrote was good enough and didn't need revising.

Needless to say, God has humbled me and I am thankful for it everyday. Aside from having the most beautiful baby in the world, I see the flaws in my life, but have grown enough to work on them. My writing is a big area that this blessing as touched. Rather than seeing my revisions as an admission of failure, I see them as a gift of growth.

If anyone has some spare time and wants to help, I love having other people read my work and comment. This is also a new trend--I am receptive to constructive criticism rather than getting defensive. Of course if you're just going to tell me it sucks, well that's not really helpful. Anyways, I am back to work. I may post and excerpt later today. Keep sending creative vibes my way!

Narrative Design

Despite all my good intentions, I haven’t done much writing on my thesis as of late. I have, however, been doing a pasel of reading and pre-writing. Today, for example, I spent part of the day rereading “Double Indemnity” by James M. Cain (most people are more familiar with the movie—Barbara Stanwyck remains one of the great femme fatales of all time) and breaking it down using Madison Smartt Bell’s analysis techniques and the Freitag triangle. One of the member’s of my advisory committee teaches Bell’s Narrative Design in class, so I think it is a good approach to take. After the breakdown is complete, I will write some scenes of Lancelot and Guinevere to mirror the structure. I hope it is effective. My goal is not to copy Cain, but to capture the essence of his design to tell this part of the story in a very specific way.

Boring, you say? Perhaps to some. To me it’s interesting and really challenging. For the first time I feel like I am really stepping outside my comfort zone as a writer and experimenting with things. Now, it could all be a dismal failure that ends in a rewrite, but I’m hoping something wonderful will come from it. In working with Cain’s writing I have already made some changes to my original plan regarding point of view. Initially I planned to only write in the first person as Mordred, but after looking at the narrative design, I have added two more points of view. Now the challenge is to get really specific with each character so that their voices are distinct.

One of my weakest points has always been dialogue. I hate writing it because tags annoy me. With the exception of JK Rowling, I despise tags that just repeat “he said” “she said,” coloring them only with the occasional adverb. So I have really been studying dialogue that appeals to me. Cain does really well as does JD Salinger in his short stories.

I know much of this is meaningless to most people (save perhaps Marty, my aunt Lynn, and my cousin Jim—all three of whom could humble me in my mediocrity), but I really feel that I am going to come out of this thesis much stronger and both a writer and an analyzer. Fingers crossed.

The Game is On

I survived this semester! Sometimes I can’t believe I am done with all my course work. I ended up with an A in my class, which means I will graduate with a 4.0 from Sul Ross since all I have left are credit courses. My prospectus was approved only some minor corrections to my MLA format. So this summer I am writing my thesis then I will defend it in the fall and take my exams in October. And then I am fini!

I have been working a little on the thesis. I was really inspired after reading John Fowles The French Lieutenant’s Woman for class, so I have been playing with a more post-modern structure and meta-physical narrative techniques. I am also getting to know Mordred as a character, really getting a feel for who Mordred is to me as opposed to who he is to other people. I know that is one of the major questions of my thesis—what makes my retelling different? Why rewrite a classic?

I realize as I am typing this that I haven’t really detailed what my thesis is about. Basically, it is a retelling of the Arthurian legend from Mordred’s point of view. Of course, it won’t be an entire novel. Instead I am writing the first half. At the moment, I have outlined eight chapters and a prologue. The prologue and first chapter are in pretty good shape and I am currently working on the third chapter. Generally, I don’t write things in order. I write them as the mood and inspiration strike me. Perhaps this is why the playfulness and games of post-modern structure appeal to me.

I am also enjoying reading on the side for pleasure for the first time in a long time. I just finished Phillipa Gregory’s The Boleyn Inheritance and loved it. I am thinking of getting her Other Boleyn Girl because I hear it is even better. Of course, the world will stop come July 21st as I drink in the wonder of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It’s going to be amazing. I just know it.

Closing the Gap

It has been a terribly long time since I posted, mainly because the semester has hit its crunch and I am overwhelmed by work, school, and mommyhood.

Following my completion of Bleak House and Jane Eyre, I plunged into Jude the Obscure and To the Lighthouse. Jude was bleakly depressing, although Thomas Hardy does make some important strides. To the Lighthouse is a practice in steam-of-consciousness writing and thus a little more challenging to read. This was also layered on writing my midterm (which I thankfully pulled an A+ on) and researching my final project.

I had class this past weekend and although it was tiring, I came away from it sad that my forays into literary discussion are so limited. I also wish some of the people in my class weren’t such morons. Seriously, it’s graduate school people; let’s get a little bit of a clue.

I am currently reading Wide Sargasso Sea and working on my final project about music in Jane Austen’s Emma. It’s more complicated than that, but I will save that for another post. After that it is on to reading The French Lieutenant’s Woman and then I am done! I’ll be glad to be finished, but I will miss class.

I turned in my prospectus the yesterday and am waiting to get notes back on it. The scope of this thesis is much bigger and more detailed than I originally imagined, but I think if I can pull off my intentions, it will be a good work. That is assuming I can defend it. Sigh. Back to reading.

End of the Bleak

Hurrah! I have finished Bleak House! And honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought in the end. Of course, I sort of crammed the last seven pages because Liliana was screaming full throttle while I was trying to read them, but I refused to give up. Constant Diligence!

I spent the better part of today transposing my notes from the novel (including my character list) and referencing page numbers I had jotted down while reading (so I would know in class what about that page caught my attention). The rest was spent polishing my handouts and notes for the novel genre presentation I have to give Saturday morning on the Gothic genre. I think it is descent and hopefully will be informative without sinking into the dreaded dragon of Boredom (that’s a Bleak House reference, for those not in the Dickens know).

I have also been pushing through what seems like an endless stream of Arthurian lit websites and texts piecing together my prospectus bibliography. It’s funny looking at what I’ve got thus far, because the inspiration has come from so many places. There is something incredibly strange about seeing Stephen King listed with T.H. White, but such is my inspiration.

I must sheepishly admit that I have not touched the actual thesis text in about a month. I made it into chapter two and got side tracked with everything else going on. Sigh.

Since I finished everything for this weekend ahead of schedule, perhaps I can delve more into the prospectus and thesis tomorrow. That or catch up on three weeks of untouched Entertainment Weekly that I haven’t had time to read. Hmmm...

PS. I am humbly proud of my calling Alan Arkin’s Oscar win, as well as The Departed. I did watch Babel before the ceremony and still like The Departed much better. And Martin Scorsese rocks—cried at his speech and how truly touched he seemed. YAY!!!!!

Off Topic...but much more fun...

Although I am still not done with Bleak House—two hundred pages left, folks—this Sunday I will be taking a vacation from academia to observe one of my favorite nights of the year.

Sunday night brings us the overblown, oft irrelevant, but totally fascinating (at least for me) Oscar awards. This night is at once everything I love and hate about Hollywood—fashion, actors acting entitled (seriously, it is no one’s God given right to win an award), topical comedy, and arbitrary dance numbers (seriously, did anyone watch last year? They had dancing pimps.).

Once upon a time I saw every best picture and most of the other major category movies, sometimes before the nominations were even made. Now I live in Midland, where they will play Norbit on two screens, but have never even heard of Babel. However, one of my greatest (albeit totally useless) gifts is the ability to talk about movies in depth without having seen them. A few of them I have actually seen, others I have seen large portions of on the internet, and the rest I have read about. I also take into consideration awards show behavior up to the big night. That being said, here are my thoughts on some of the big categories.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls—This girl has won most every major award this season and has a fantastic “I was kicked off of idol” story to boost her. Her performance was vocally fantastic and she managed to snatch the movie from much bigger stars, some with the golden guy sitting at home already. Her big song definitely brings the house down, but I wish she better knew what to do with her body in the number. And she still isn’t Jennifer Holiday, who originated Effie on Broadway. But she’ll be so sweet on the podium.

Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine—Adorable, precocious, and not your typical child actor. Her triumphant scream following the fate changing answering machine message and her final dance number are fantastic and some of the most sincere moments in film this year. However, she is not Anna Paquin in The Piano and would need to be for a child performance to beat Hudson. Let’s hope for big things for her in the future.

Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal—I will start by saying I love Cate in anything, I think she was robbed by Gwenyth. And it is difficult for her to play a sympathetic character when she is essentially playing a pedophile. Kudos, but she won this award two years ago.

Rinko Kikuchi and Adriana Barraza, Babel—I have not seen either of these ladies (although I will on Saturday), but in general movies with two nominations usually cancel each other out. I know Kikuchi plays a deaf teenager and it is impressive to give a strong performance with no words. Barraza, on the other hand, actually put her health in danger for her desert scenes. Now that’s commitment. But I think for both these ladies the nomination is honor enough.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls—Of the four acting categories, this is the one place there might be an upset. Murphy is definitely the frontrunner, having taken home the SAG and Globe awards. Prior to those awards I was pulling for Murphy because his turn as a James Brown-esq singer is really electric. However, during his acceptance speeches, he has an arrogance and act of entitlement that really puts me off. That coming from the man who made Pluto Nash is a little much. He will most likely win and I hope his speech makes me like him better than I do right now.

Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children—Playing another sympathetic pedophile, the former child star is the years big comeback story. And Oscar loves a comeback (Kim Basinger, LA Confidential), but not usually enough for the award (John Travolta, Pulp Fiction). Congrats on your nomination.

Mark Wahlberg, The Departed—As the only acting nomination in a film of fantastic performances, this is a big deal for the former Funky Bunch boy. That being said, his performance, while funny and crackling, is not the film’s best. Plus, all the Oscar love for this movie is going to two words: Martin Scorsese.

Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond—I thought this performance was good, but a little one note. Just not strong enough for me.

Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine—I loved this performance. His drug abusing, stripper choreography generating, foul mouthed grandpa is just fantastic. The scene in the hotel where he tells his self-conscious granddaughter that he loves her not because she’s smart or talented, but because she is so beautiful is just wonderful. His character checks out early, which could count against him. But this could be a James Coburn, Jack Palance win—the award for a lifetime of amazing work. He is the most likely to upset and I hope he does.

BEST ACTOR:

Leonanrdo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond—Good performance in a so-so movie. He should have been nominated for The Departed. His work in that film is devastating and definitely the best of his career. Too bad. His year will come, but not this year.

Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland—He has won every award known to man for his role as the Uganda dictator. Sure, his role is more of a supporting role, but he is going to go the Anthony Hopkins route and win for playing a sociopath monster with limited screen time. He’s sweet in his speeches and humble, so congratulations to him.

Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson—His work as a junky inspirational teacher is good, but it’s just the beginning of his career. There are bigger and better things to come from him.

Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness—The most commercial work of the bunch and Smith’s least muggy performance to date. But it just doesn’t have the depth of Whitaker or the complexity of O’Tool.
Peter O’Tool, Venus—It is astounding to me that this member of the British All-Stars has never won an Oscar, despite seven nominations. His work in Venus is not the best in his career (I vote Lawrence of Arabia for that one), but he could upset Whitaker if the academy is feeling sentimental. Had he not won the honorary award a few years back, I think his chances would be stronger. Too bad—he gave a very charming speech.

BEST ACTRESS:

Kate Winslet, Little Children—Love her, love her work. But like DiCaprio, her year will come, just not this year.

Penelope Cruz, Volver—Didn’t see it, but generally I don’t think she’s that great of an actress. Perhaps she’s better in her own language. Doesn’t matter, it’s not her year.

Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal—Love her, love her work. It’s not her year.

Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada—She was verocious and delicious as Miranda Preistly, but comedies rarely win in this category (Diane Keaton is a rare exception), she has two already, and it’s just not her year.

These assessments may seem short, but there is a reason. Every other person in this category is superfluous. Because it is the year of ...
Helen Mirren, The Queen—There will be no upset, there will be no surprise. Mirren is a goddess and this movie is the best work of her life. She has won everything but the Kentucky Derby for her role as Elizabeth II and she will take home a much deserved Oscar. It is hard to play a real person, it is even harder to play a real person still living. She makes the dowdy Queen appealing, girlish and human and her speeches are charming. (She has actually used the phrase Ass over Tits!) Brava to her: this is her year.

BEST DIRECTOR:
I refuse to even name any of the other nominees because I refuse to accept anyone but the one, the only

MARTIN SCORSESE

The Departed is a fantastic film and he has been a bridesmaid too long. Rock on you NYU alum! Rock on.

BEST PICTURE:

This is actually one race that is up in the air. The Queen’s big win will be Mirren, so that is pretty much out. Letters from Iwo Jima has a few things against it: it’s in Japanese and Clint just won this category. Little Miss Sunshine might upset like it did at the SAG awards, but not likely. So the two big contenders:

BABEL—Won the Globe and a big cast with lots of messages. But some say it is too close to the director’s former work, 21 Grams. I am seeing this Saturday, so I will probably have a better idea then.

THE DEPARTED—Scrosese may get all the love for this picture, but I hope not. Babel would really have to rock me to surpass my feelings for this film. Great directing, amazing performances—this is my pick.

So those are my thoughts. I could be right, I could be very wrong. But one way or another, I’m going to be entertained.

The Bleak Trudge

It’s been a few weeks now and I have blanked out about updating this, mostly because of the work pile that came tumbling down my first weekend in Alpine. Emma and Joseph Andrews were discussed at length. I ended up talking too much because Dr. Hileman would ask questions only to be greeted with dead silence. At one point she had to say, “Will someone who is not Amber answer the question?” So I shut up.

I had my meeting with Dr. H about my prospectus and thesis. We decided on my thesis committee—Dr. Butler and Dr. Nelson in addition to Dr. H. Dr. Butler taught my creative writing class last spring and I have had Dr. Nelson twice before. I think they are both smart, good ladies who won’t totally trash me when it comes time for my defense. I was actually surprised to learn that for my actual thesis I don’t have to write a whole novel, only a portion of it. As for the actual prospectus, it won’t be too tough. About five pages of narrative, an outline, and a five to six page bibliography due by the middle of April. Not so much the butt-kicker as I expected.

For the next weekend, I have already finished Jane Eyre, which I really liked. I have some discussion questions that I am about a third of the way through. I’m also pushing my way through Dickens’ Bleak House. It has some funny sections, but, being Dickens there are about a million characters with interweaving storylines and two separate narrators. I have had to start writing down some of the characters because I just can’t keep track of all the lawyers and scribes and random folks wandering through the novel.

Aside from that I’m patching together a presentation on the Gothic novel. It is so great to be surprised when you study something you smugly thought you knew about. I keep losing my way in theory essays that go much deeper than is necessary. It reminds me how much I love learning and indicates that while it may be a while before I take up the mantle again, this masters won’t be the last stop on my educational journey.

Emma and Joseph

I finished Emma relatively easily. I had skimmed it a few years ago, but never really read it. Of course, I am a member of the generation that will always associate Emma with Clueless. But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. It’s a great example of someone taking the themes and characters of a classic and reinterpreting them in a modern way while still staying true to the heart of the work.

I have to recommend the version I read, Emma (Case Study in Contemporary Criticism) because it had some great critical essays. There is an especially good one on gossip and free indirect style as they come together in the Austen world.

At the moment I am a little over halfway through Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding (most people associate him with Tom Jones). It’s a pretty easy read, funny, but sometimes a bit self-indulgent. But what novel isn’t?

The reading load is going to continue getting heavier as the semester goes along, so Liliana is getting an early exposure to British literature. She will sometimes let me read while she plays, but then she wants interaction. So I read to her from the books using funny voices, which she responds to.

I honestly haven’t touched my thesis. I have done some brainstorming and made some notes on ways to incorporate things from other of my classes. This weekend is my first class weekend, so I should be meeting with Dr. H to start plowing forward. And of course, the threat of my master’s exams is simmering in the back of my mind, but I am trying to ignore it at this point.

What have I done?

Sure, I'll knock out a thesis. No big. I mean, it would be foolish not to, being an English major and all. Right?

Wrong. That's what I'm thinking now that my thesis is no longer a mythical animal of bedtime stories. It is in fact, a full blooded monster looming over me as the semester begins and I register for a class with the foreboding title of 6301: Prospectus.

Crap.

My advisor/head of the department/mentor/also teaching my other class this semester professor, Dr. Hileman, has sent the request that I register for 6301 aka Doomsday to begin submitting aforementioned Prospectus for this semester. Umm...okay. Not exactly sure how one might do that (while also reading eight dense tidbits for Dr. H’s British Novel course—more on that below). Dr. H sent a vague email with mentions of sample chapters and introductions and some threat of a bibliography. Now I am doing, at Dr. H’s suggestion, a creative thesis. Easy, n’est pas? Oh contrar.

Here is how the whole thing went down: Last semester I took Arthurian Literature online from Dr. H. Early in the semester I enquired if I might volley my final project into a thesis. Sure, said the good PhD. That was BL (Before Liliana). Flash forward to the end of the semester: I can’t handle the pressure of writing a research paper that will dictate my entire thesis. All too befuddling was the idea of spending an eventual 200 plus pages meditating on the evolution of Guinevere from the Celtic myths. In depth research on the role of contemporary to the period politics as influences on popular interpretations of the Arthurian myth? Not so much. So at the last minute I bucked the research angle and dove into a two chapter (well one prologue and one chapter) creative writing exercise, crossing my fingers that it would get me out of the course with a 4.0 and I could live the fight the thesis topic another day.

Wouldn’t you know Dr. H loved the creative piece and decided I should really finish it as my thesis? No sweat. Just have to finish the story. Wait...what?

So here I am. On top of that I am taking the British Novel class. Couldn’t be the British Sound Bite? Who knew Bleak House is like 700 pages long? Not me. So for the first weekend in February I am devouring Emma and Joseph Andrews. Say goodbye to Cat in the Hat, Liliana. Jane Austen will be lulling you to sleep, baby doll.

This blog is created as a place for me to chronicle my work and keep my sanity in the coming months without intruding on the other blog and its focus: pictures of Liliana. I hardly think people want to click to see pictures of my little cherub and instead get an earful on the difficulties of structuring a climax in a non-linear, post modern structure. Gah!