Nearly one full year since my last post. Did I kick the habit? Have I forgotten sweet sound of the clitter-clatter? Do I no longer know (and chase after) beautiful things? Hell no.
This blog will no longer serve as a dashboard for my Words & Images spatterings. That class (and program, for that matter) blow like an old dusty wind. That's it—they're history.
This blog will now serve in any damn way I choose. Enjoy.
I am a writer. I nearly gave up—abandoned that one thing that keeps me sane, calm, motivated, and hopeful—happy about the future, moving in the present, remembering from the past—simply because of a silly, tiny, minor fear...of the unknown: audience, supporters, publishers, voice, power, talent, possibilities, opportunities.
No giving up. I have an obligation to the world, the unity of life, to release my energy. Even if I don't fully know or understand that world, and/or why that world needs my writing to continue its orbit, I do understand that I'm a part of it.
Some posts may read like ramblings and complaints. I will log my efforts from an obscure, hidden, unknown woman to a noted, revealed, expressive writer (preferrably published). Other posts will read like reviews, criticism, and general commentary as I come across books, articles, thoughts, conversations, and tidbits that spark and relate to my writing. And there will be non-categorizable posts: maybe a piece of writing I'm working, perhaps an interesting sentence or image that comes to mind—anything's possible here as long as my fingers are going.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Revisions - that's about it
It's already Wednesday and my first blog since last week. Don't know about anyone else, but I'm knee-deep (if not deeper) in revisions — not only for this class, but for Typography as well. A frenetic and insightful week.
This semester...no, this class...if nothing else in life, really turned me out, tuned me in, challenged me beyond what I expected, almost to a tragic breaking point. New city, first semester in grad school, working in a new medium, telling new stories, even working in familiar mediums, but in new, imaginative ways: I swear I'm a new woman.
My sister, who has two Master's degree and months away from her Ph.D., who knows my perils so, so well, sent me an article (sort of Grad School Do's and Don'ts or Grad School Fears 101) that helped soothe me a bit.
--
I see you bubbling all over the place -- you're yeasty, and I think it's grand!
This semester...no, this class...if nothing else in life, really turned me out, tuned me in, challenged me beyond what I expected, almost to a tragic breaking point. New city, first semester in grad school, working in a new medium, telling new stories, even working in familiar mediums, but in new, imaginative ways: I swear I'm a new woman.
My sister, who has two Master's degree and months away from her Ph.D., who knows my perils so, so well, sent me an article (sort of Grad School Do's and Don'ts or Grad School Fears 101) that helped soothe me a bit.
--
I see you bubbling all over the place -- you're yeasty, and I think it's grand!
Friday, May 09, 2008
More on storybooks
For years I have been trying to remember a book series that, as a young child, I was in love with. Deeply. I've never been able to recall the series name, but my sister and I would sit around and talk about how we loved those "Mr." and "Litte Miss" characters, crudely drawn and hilariously fun. I always said that I'd buy a huge stock of the books if I could ever get my hands on them. If the memory ever came back to me.
And now here I am, working with Nick in the background, and what pops up? The Mr. Men Show! Ah-ha!
I love the books mostly because of the cute illustrations, but also the stories, at least at that age, seemed well-constructed, highly entertaining, and the characters and their emotions and tribulations felt real. I felt annoyed that my faded memory prevented me from originally presenting this as my Show and Tell, but now I'm all smiles.
--
I see you bubbling all over the place -- you're yeasty, and I think it's grand!
And now here I am, working with Nick in the background, and what pops up? The Mr. Men Show! Ah-ha!
I love the books mostly because of the cute illustrations, but also the stories, at least at that age, seemed well-constructed, highly entertaining, and the characters and their emotions and tribulations felt real. I felt annoyed that my faded memory prevented me from originally presenting this as my Show and Tell, but now I'm all smiles.
--
I see you bubbling all over the place -- you're yeasty, and I think it's grand!
Words I DON'T like
Coming up with a list of words I like? It's like asking a kid to select a favorite candy. It can be done, but so many treats from which to choose!
However - coming up with words I dsilike: piece a cake.
utilize
finalize
fabricate
experiential
differentiate
modernity
feedback
condone
yeah
--
I see you bubbling all over the place -- you're yeasty, and I think it's grand!
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Revised - Phase Three Writing
Rethink Locks: A Homegrown, Organic Movement
Once upon a time, growing locks meant something—it had conceptual significance.
Thick tufts of rolled, matted hair denoted liberation, devotion,
commitment, and a dedication to spirituality. Locks had nothing to do
with hairstyles. Rather, locks declared freedom and symbolized the
breaking of psychological slavery, imperialism, and colonialism.
Since then, locks evolved from personal expression to product, sales,
and trend. You can buy them in a package. The standard locking
procedure for many people nowadays feels canned and comes with a
warning, by me: a five-year, organic-only locking maverick. You go to
the hair shop, order up, and "PING!" What do you have: generic,
mass-production-style locks caked with product, forged together with
heat, and done with impersonal care; 75 dollars on average to start,
and 50 dollars every other week to maintain.
Committing to locks compares to having a child. A lifelong,
time-consuming, and sometimes disappointing and frustrating
commitment, your locks will need attention, care, nutrition, guidance,
discipline, and training. That said: why not rethink before starting
yours? Why not grow your own organic locks?
Typical of mass production, quality gets lost in the fray of cranking
out multiple versions of the same things. Natural hair shops line
urban streets like trees line suburban streets. Locktician is actually
a word and an occupation! The result: people paying top dollar for
natural hair. Don't get caught up. Do them at home. Grow them
naturally; discover homegrown locks.
With a twist.
Contrary to the dread stereotype, there will be no dusty, dirty
hair—just clean, healthy locks, chemical-free and guided by nature.
You'll also save a buck or two and learn to pamper yourself through
hair.
--
I see you bubbling all over the place -- you're yeasty, and I think it's grand!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
The Last "Phase Three"
Like Mark said: Either the movie works or doesn't. You move on. You revise.
Onward, then, means a focus on the end—the last Phase Three Words & Images project I have to think about. Yay. (Not that I didn't love this class—I did and learned a lot. I'm convinced that this class could possibly be the only course of this grad program). am ending the semester on a breezy note: with a simple topic that I can rattle on about for hours.
My topic: how to grow dreads. My title: Rethink Locks: A Homegrown, Organic Movement. I'm posting the introduction to my booklet for your perusal. I have not yet sent this to Stephanie, so comments are welcomed. (Though, to be honest, I'm happy to just throw something on paper to say it's done).
Rethink Locks: A Homegrown, Organic Movement
Once upon a time, a decision to grow locks held weight—it had conceptual significance. Having thick tufts of rolled, matted hair denoted liberation, devotion, commitment, and a dedication to spirituality. Back then, locks were not a hairstyle; rather, locks were an expression of freedom and, often, a symbol for breaking the psychological effects of imperialism, colonialism, and/or slavery.
A choice to lock hair must celebrate, commemorate, honor, and act upon the history, meaning, and intent of such an iconic hairstyle.
Not that locks nowadays don't have meaning, but instead of seeing bursts of individual expression atop dread heads, locks now are mass-produced, "genericized," something to get done, a trend—a meaningless move for no other reason than that locks have mainstream acceptance.
A choice to lock hair must also embrace the 21st century and future generations of people who will create new reasons for donning dreadlocks. Times change; people change; history changes.
This guide will marry the two ideals with a return to homegrown, organically cultivated locks—regardless of concept. Rethink locks. Why? For the sake of preserving tradition? Yes—but also because synthetic locks are an oxymoron.
Like most mass-produced products, quality gets lost in the fray of cranking out multiple versions of the same thing—such rings true for locks. Natural hair shops line urban streets like trees line suburban streets. The word locktician actually has meaning—and those people earn money from that vague title. The result: a phenomenon of people who pay top dollar for a "natural" hairstyle—locks caked with gel and forced together by heat. Does that not defeat the purpose?
While the best-case scenario would bring the dreadlock revolution completely back to its roots, reality says that mainstream locks and the unoriginal concepts behind those locks will prevail. Fine—but at least consider growing locks instead of making locks. You owe the revolution that much.
--
I see you bubbling all over the place -- you're yeasty, and I think it's grand!
Onward, then, means a focus on the end—the last Phase Three Words & Images project I have to think about. Yay. (Not that I didn't love this class—I did and learned a lot. I'm convinced that this class could possibly be the only course of this grad program). am ending the semester on a breezy note: with a simple topic that I can rattle on about for hours.
My topic: how to grow dreads. My title: Rethink Locks: A Homegrown, Organic Movement. I'm posting the introduction to my booklet for your perusal. I have not yet sent this to Stephanie, so comments are welcomed. (Though, to be honest, I'm happy to just throw something on paper to say it's done).
Rethink Locks: A Homegrown, Organic Movement
Once upon a time, a decision to grow locks held weight—it had conceptual significance. Having thick tufts of rolled, matted hair denoted liberation, devotion, commitment, and a dedication to spirituality. Back then, locks were not a hairstyle; rather, locks were an expression of freedom and, often, a symbol for breaking the psychological effects of imperialism, colonialism, and/or slavery.
A choice to lock hair must celebrate, commemorate, honor, and act upon the history, meaning, and intent of such an iconic hairstyle.
Not that locks nowadays don't have meaning, but instead of seeing bursts of individual expression atop dread heads, locks now are mass-produced, "genericized," something to get done, a trend—a meaningless move for no other reason than that locks have mainstream acceptance.
A choice to lock hair must also embrace the 21st century and future generations of people who will create new reasons for donning dreadlocks. Times change; people change; history changes.
This guide will marry the two ideals with a return to homegrown, organically cultivated locks—regardless of concept. Rethink locks. Why? For the sake of preserving tradition? Yes—but also because synthetic locks are an oxymoron.
Like most mass-produced products, quality gets lost in the fray of cranking out multiple versions of the same thing—such rings true for locks. Natural hair shops line urban streets like trees line suburban streets. The word locktician actually has meaning—and those people earn money from that vague title. The result: a phenomenon of people who pay top dollar for a "natural" hairstyle—locks caked with gel and forced together by heat. Does that not defeat the purpose?
While the best-case scenario would bring the dreadlock revolution completely back to its roots, reality says that mainstream locks and the unoriginal concepts behind those locks will prevail. Fine—but at least consider growing locks instead of making locks. You owe the revolution that much.
--
I see you bubbling all over the place -- you're yeasty, and I think it's grand!
A smattering of thoughts about the flash movie
(Better title than "I don't have anything to write about and I'm blogging for time/date stamp sake.")
So, first things first...a part of why I haven't blogged in a few days is that I'm still a little stunned about my movie—disappointed I guess. My film wasn't unsuccessful, but it also got a chillier reception than I had anticipated. Wondering if I bit off more than I could chew.
I wanted to do something different, unique, but also something that speaks to my interests. Typography is my thing. So I figured: I had this great story with which I wanted to do more. I broke it out and did a lot of rework, mostly in that I wrote it as a story to read, not to watch. A point I make in the story (which I cover in the very last five seconds - or less - of the movie) is that text and other generic representations don't do justice in trying to understand the experience of HIV. I thought I'd really illustrate that point with a silent text movie.
But it is a movie?
I still don't know. Stephanie asked me in class why I had to have a text-heavy movie and my answer was "blah, blah, blah." Truthfully, I was a little annoyed to have to explain something to her that I had done previously that week. But truthfully, I don't need a text-heavy movie, but because I feel it supports my idea, it's a concept a hard to relinquish. I'd rather try to make it work than start from scratch. I was glad that, at least, my typography got good reviews from Allison. At least I didn't fail in that area.
I'm hoping the final draft will be more satisfying: in the sense of meeting the assignment and also satisfying an audience.
--
I see you bubbling all over the place -- you're yeasty, and I think it's grand!
So, first things first...a part of why I haven't blogged in a few days is that I'm still a little stunned about my movie—disappointed I guess. My film wasn't unsuccessful, but it also got a chillier reception than I had anticipated. Wondering if I bit off more than I could chew.
I wanted to do something different, unique, but also something that speaks to my interests. Typography is my thing. So I figured: I had this great story with which I wanted to do more. I broke it out and did a lot of rework, mostly in that I wrote it as a story to read, not to watch. A point I make in the story (which I cover in the very last five seconds - or less - of the movie) is that text and other generic representations don't do justice in trying to understand the experience of HIV. I thought I'd really illustrate that point with a silent text movie.
But it is a movie?
I still don't know. Stephanie asked me in class why I had to have a text-heavy movie and my answer was "blah, blah, blah." Truthfully, I was a little annoyed to have to explain something to her that I had done previously that week. But truthfully, I don't need a text-heavy movie, but because I feel it supports my idea, it's a concept a hard to relinquish. I'd rather try to make it work than start from scratch. I was glad that, at least, my typography got good reviews from Allison. At least I didn't fail in that area.
I'm hoping the final draft will be more satisfying: in the sense of meeting the assignment and also satisfying an audience.
--
I see you bubbling all over the place -- you're yeasty, and I think it's grand!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
