i'm back!

I'm still here, or rather, I'm back! I went on a long vacation over the weekend to see some family and some tourist attractions in Virginia (Natural Bridge and Monticello). Today was my first day back at work after nearly a week, and let's just say there was a lot to do. Plus...yesterday I was a little tired from running all over Virginia for a week.

But I'll have pictures this weekend when I get a chance to take them off my camera. Apparently I've been to both Natural Bridge and Monticello, but have almost no recollection of going since I was too young. While at both places, I saw several young kids with their parents, and I joked with my Mom that we should tell them not to waste the effort or the money, and just wait until the kids are older. Otherwise, they'll just have to do what we did and go back years later.

Though, I think my Mom enjoyed going back. Yes, she was in town and that's why we went traipsing across the state. I'll let you know when pictures are up. Hope everyone else is enjoying this gorgeous DC weather! (if you have it, of course. My Dad told me he recently had snow, so it's not quite spring everywhere yet).

john keating: my poetry teacher

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion....But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for."
- John Keating
Dead Poets Society

This was my favorite movie growing up (and not just because of a young Ethan Hawke), but because of the subject matter. I've always been an advocate for thinking for yourself, and I think part of that was shaped from this movie. And then also because the writing was so poetic (example, above).

I know I promised more poems this month, but it's been extremely busy. And what reminded me of it was NPR talking about poetry a little bit ago. And there was just one brief mention of Pablo Neruda. And even though I was only half listening, I thought with a sigh, "Oh...Neruda." I still remember the first Neruda poem I read, even if I don't remember which one it was. Even in the English translation, it was like a whisper. It was love and it was passion and beauty.

In high school when I read my first Verlaine poem in French, I remember thinking how I was going to have learn so many languages to be able to read poetry in the original language. I loved how in the French poems the words used had a specific meaning, but then because of other meanings it just opened the poem up into whole new depths.

Poetry can be beautiful, yes, we all know that. But its intensity and beauty can both be violent, and defiant, such as some Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes.

I need to buy Dead Poets Society on dvd, especially because now I really want to watch it again. Even though it's sad, and I will probably stll sob at the end, it's just...it's such a poweful film. I don't think it'll ever be knocked off my top 10, or even my top 5.

And poetry does that too. It's a glimpse into a particular feeling or a particular time, raw and bare. Even though I look back at my poetry from college and even, oh lord, high school, and want to laugh at it, at the time it was what I felt. It was a moment in my life, a snapshot of a place I'll never be again and a feeling I'll never exactly have.

And now I've realized how this post doesn't quite tie in together. I started thinking of Dead Poets Society thinking about poetry, because of that scene where there's a graph drawn on how to tell whether a poem is great. And Keating essentially says "eh, screw it. You should judge a poem on how it makes you feel." Keating's exact words were: "Excrement! That's what I think of Mr. J. Evans Pritchard! We're not laying pipe! We're talking about poetry. How can you describe poetry like American Bandstand? 'I like Byron, I give him a 42 but I can't dance to it!'"

"...you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, 'Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.'" Don't be resigned to that. Break out!'"
- John Keating
Dead Poets Society

update

I'm finally getting around to redesigning my website. Yes, I've talked about it for awhile now, but I was doing other things (editing and studying Italian). Oh, and of course that whole working thing.

But this morning I woke up early for yoga, though seeing as how I'm not a morning person (and never really have been, though there was a period in college where my flatmate and I went to the gym at 6am), I usually try to think of reasons to stay in bed. And since my computer is right by my bed, I decided to get to work on the site.

This morning I only had time to rework the main page, it's not up yet since I'm going to wait until the entire site is done, but it's the basis on which I'm going to build the entire site. So...the big part of it is done. I'm pretty happy with it. Since it's tied to the novel I'm working on, I used pictures from my trip to Montana (earth and air), California (water), and a candle in my apartment (fire).

I'll let you know when it's done and up!

back to paris

Ok, not that I've been yet, but I'm back to trying to make it happen this year. Initially I'd put it off a year to possibly go with my sister (and it's now a good thing I did since the time I had planned to go was when there was much striking going on). Then I thought maybe I'd put it off until the dollar starts doing better because of the whole $15 hamburger phenomenon...not that I eat hamburgers, but still.

But lately as I've started putting together tentative travel arrangements for the year, I can't get Paris out of my mind. And of course, Paris has never been far from my mind. I had thought to replace Paris with a shorter long weekend in Oaxaca, which would be fun too, but a trip I'm not as excited about. I think I've come to the realization that I need to get to Paris first, and then I can go to Oaxaca and Montreal (another travel possibility this year).

So...now I'm looking at September/October...and of course, I still may end up going over Thanksgiving as was initially planned. And that would of course give me an extra few months of saving for some spending money. Not that I'm going to go on a spree on the Champs-Élysées, except in my dreams of course, but I'm sure I'll definitely find a use for it.

My friend and I are also tentatively talking about visiting Italy next year to practice our Italian (we're about to begin our second class), and as I thought about it...I figured I really should visit my first love first. It's only fair.

So...that's about it. I came to this realization this morning, but it's been tugging at my mind for the past week or so. Now to call my sister and let her know, see if there's a chance she'll still want to go this year after I said I probably wasn't going.

writing soundtracks

I'm trying to think of music that will work best for my screenplay. I think music definitely helps the writing process. Even in school, I was one of those people that could never work in silence. I hated studying at the library because it was too quiet. I found that the slightest thing would distract me. I looked for those distractions. But give me music or a coffee shop and I can work for hours.

When I worked on the Bali story, I listened to a lot of classical music. It was calming and there were no lyrics to distract, which was great since I had to really build up this world and the experiences that I've never had (and hopefully never will). In the early part of the story, I listened to a lot of lounge music since it was a little more...easy going.

Now that I'm working on the YA novel, I find myself listening to the alternative rock music I listened to in high school. Or at least the bands, even if the CDs have come out later than that. I've been listening a lot to Dave Matthews and had the urge the other day to pop in some Coldplay. And of course there's Garbage and the soundtrack to Romeo & Juliet (with Danes and DiCaprio, still one of my favorite soundtracks) and Brokedown Palace (also a favorite).

But I'm not sure yet which CDs will be most conducive to my current work this month. I've listened to Dave Matthews and Joss Stone, just since that's what's currently in my CD player. But this weekend, when I hope to really get ahead, I need something...inspirational to the story. Hmmm...maybe a little Fiona could work in the beginning, or maybe Jem. But...I'm not sure what else. My lounge and trance I definitely don't think will work. Maybe for one or two scenes, but it's not the same mindset.

I'll let you know what I decide. Sometimes I'll just stare at my CDs and something will jump out and it'll be perfect.

In other news, it's April and, aside from Script Frenzy, it's also National Poetry Month! Last year I posted a few of my favorite poems, and will try to do that this year (in between editing and writing and, of course, that whole working thing.

For kicks I'll leave you with one of my favorites: Hell in Texas.

There's not a great, deep meaning here. But it's fun. And true.

Apparently it's a song. I had it in a collection of poems (The Best Loved Poems of the American People). Looking it up online I only found it as a folk/Cowboy song. So...there you go.