Results of Ruminations

Today marks the ninth anniversary of the new definition of America. Having grown up as a pre-9/11 American--and now dealing with students who only remember a post-9/11 country--I have a mixture of feelings about what's going on in the nation these days. Obviously, we've got divisiveness. Partisan politics insist on rewriting definitions of what it means to be American, a top-down (corporations and news punditry also count as power-brokers and are party to the "top" label) approach that should nauseate most logic-leaning thinkers. We long have been taught in an overarching black and white binary that insists on absolutes in most everything, a poison we assume to be natural. While absolutes absolutely exist (for categorically denying them is an irresolvable paradox), I fear that what is viewed as 'traditional' or 'natural' is actually a distortion. One thing that I truly dislike is being lied to.* I am aware, for example, of some of the less-savory aspec...

Gayle has a list of things she wants to get done in the few remaining days of summer, things like spend more money, buy things, purchase something, use something up so she can buy another one, and laundry. Actually, her list is very proactive, and has a lot of lofty goals that make me feel a little bit, well, lazy. So I decided to put MY list of summer goals onto the blog to show, um, me and the three other people who look at the blog what I'm trying to get accomplished this summer.  Here's my list of things to write:  (2) Video game theory essays (1) Metal Gear Solid essay (1) Patriotism essay (10) Chapters revised of Words of the Silenced (1) Play for Utah Shakespearean Festival (March 1)--Daisy's Doughnuts (1) Essay for Utah Shakespearean Festival (April 1) (5) Poems of any sort (3) The Poets book chapters a week (?) Things Dinosaurs Eat, a children's book I want to write for Peter and, later, Jeremy The grand total of that list is over twenty four pieces o...

On NPR, I heard about this website called I Write Like that will analyze your writing and tell you what style you most closely resemble. I tried it out and had to laugh aloud. Current Project: I write like James Joyce, horribly ironic since I've never read a word of his before. Words of the Silenced : I write like Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather. Maybe the word 'Pops' really triggered that one? I don't know. My last book: I write like Neil Gaiman I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software . Analyze your writing! Flattering, to say the least. To be compared to one of the most renowned authors? Yeah, that's flattering, even if it is the 21st century's equivalent to the magazine quiz of yesterdecade. For my video game essays, I was compared to David Foster Wallace, an essayist whose books I've seen but never read (the fact that it hit an essayist is impressive, though). For my poetry, I apparently write like James Fenimore Cooper, who wrote...

A friend recently sent an email out asking all in the address field how many books they read in a year and what their level of education is. I responded a tentative 20, though I feel that's a little short. Still, this is a valid question, since, as an English (and history) teacher, I should be reading. Like, a lot. So I decided to keep a running total of books that I've read so far this year. It includes graphic novels (though not comic books, as those are periodicals, much like those relics of yesteryear, magazines, and so I read those on an almost weekly basis--you know, whenever they arrive), novels, YA, SF/F, plays, nonfiction, and theory. Basically anything that I read, cover to cover. Of course, I have a lot of books that have trailed over from last year, as well as some that are massive and have taken multiple months to push through. I will include anything that I finish on this list, and update it periodically.    As of July 14, 2010: Cyrano de Bergerac--Edmond ...

I wrote this poem a while back when I was in a somewhat similar situation as I am in currently: Writer Blocks Waiting to be able to write is worse Than a five year old on Christmas Eve, Worse than nine months' gestation To an elephantine mother. Yes, it feels great when it leaves, Like a virus expelled, or house guests― Like a bladder held too long getting relief. Though it feels great in the releasing, It doesn't feel great in the holding. Inability to write is holding glass in the hand, Painful, bleeding, possibly damaging. Holding anything in isn't recommended (Nine out of ten Surgeons General say so), Like breath or love or a story. So that's what it becomes, then, These mighty weights in the brain: Blocks upon which a tale is written, Cement stories, laid brick by brick, Word by word, letter by letter, Thought by thought. The writer Isn't blocked, but blocks the writing. Except in this case, when he sits And types a free verse poem And wishes he were ...

My general ruminations that I had at the end of last school year were expected by me at the end of this school year. Yet none came. I think, in large part, that is because of the pending surgery of Peter. Gayle's constant updating and analysis are elsewhere in the cloud, so I won't bother repeating them here. Suffice to say: He's recovering well, he's obviously in quite a bit of pain, and we're thrilled that the 5 and a half hours of surgery had such success. We anticipate being in the hospital for the next week to week and a half, though that's always a loose guess in situations such as these. We're grateful for the prayers, thoughts, comments, and well-wishes from friends and family, as well as the support of our parents as we've worked through this complex and difficult time. In other news, I finished my first reread of Words of the Silenced while at the hospital (we've had a lot of downtime in the last couple of days). It's perhaps 3/4 of wh...

Aside from the fact that I so rarely post during the school year, I have been wondering lately why I don't throw some more stuff onto the blog more regularly. I guess part of it is that I don't feel that my life is that fascinating, and without the time and creative desire to put a more thoughtful blog together, I guess I've simply avoided it. I haven't announced that Peter's last (we hope) surgery is coming on June 10. Nor have I announced that I have been given a work contract at Maeser, meaning I get to keep my job for another year. Important announcements, yes. So why did I not put them up earlier? I couldn't say. I suppose part of it is simply knowing that the blog is more for me than for others. Or perhaps it's because I don't like being so public with my private life. On Facebook, I only post a status update every, oh, month or so. Maybe less. So it's just me being my typical, quiet self. Well, whatever. I'm on to a new book (another annou...

He came two days ago, and he's great. I mean, I like him.

I hit a major milestone in Words of the Silenced yesterday: I finished draft #2! Thanks, Stephen. You're too kind. I'm rather excited about the whole thing, especially since I had approximately 12,000 words to push through yesterday...and I did it! Of course, reading 12,000 words and writing 12,000 words is totally different, so while it was a lot of work, it wasn't too horribly horrible or difficult or anything like that. Now that I have it at the printer's shop, I'm going to let it cool off completely until about Spring Break. Then, since we'll have a new baby boy and nothing else to really do, I hope to read the entire thing sans a pencil during the break. I will write some notes to myself after the reading, then read it again at greater leisure with a pen in hand this time. My goal (made up this very instant) is to have the rereading, the next edit, and the next input of the edit into the computer, done by Christmas '010. We'll see what happens. As ...