Final Blog

This summer has definitely been a time of experimenting, expanding, and experiencing new things. Overall I have really enjoyed this class and all that I have learned.
When it comes to experimenting, we did many things that were new ideas for a class room setting. One example, that I don’t think anyone is going to forget, was the 10 minute plays that we picked out and performed. That is one experiment and experience that pushed my limits because I am in no way an actress and I prefer to stay out of the spot light. But looking back it helped me understand the drama/play aspect of literature and that it is much easier to understand a play while watching instead of just reading it. I think overall I was experimenting this summer by taking this class because I do not do well keeping focused on class during school let alone during the summer, but I think this class was good and I was able to learn new things about literature but still have fun in and out of the class. As a class we experimented with writing flash fiction and poems each with their own difficulties. I found that when we were writing flash fiction that I was experimenting with creating a story in 200 or less words. I think, for not being a writer, I did decent on getting the point of my story across. Then when we were writing the poems we experimented with many different types of poems, some of them being difficult (fortune cookie and concrete). But I know that I was able to understand the idea that poetry does not have to be all about rhymes and that you can do almost anything with poetry, given the chance.
I did a lot of expanding this summer also. When it comes to reading I love it but I have a certain set and kind of books that I stick to, I usually read Christian Fiction and a handful of other books, so the literature we read this summer broadened my selection, a lot. I think when we did the mini book clubs that it helped a lot because if we were to have just read the stories I probably would not have learned as much from them. But when we read them and then got into small groups and discussed them it really helped bring the story to life sometimes or bring wiser, more intelligent ideas to the table. I definitely got more out of those stories by discussing them with different people. I was also able to expand my appreciation for poems because before I did not really read poems or read into them. After spending a day writing all different types of poetry and then doing the poetry slam, I learned to watch and learn from others poems and the way they portrayed the feelings that they had written, even if they were silly , made up, or real feelings, telling a short story or teaching a short lesson. I now have a poem that I wrote that I’m proud of, even though it may not be anything huge, but I really like it. Even writing in the blogs every week has expanded my writing abilities. I was so use to writing formally that when I started to write the blogs I was not sure how to start. Eventually I was able to expand my writing technique reading and commenting on others blogs.
Experiencing this class and all that it has to offer has been a lot of fun. Not only have I experienced a different kind of literature but also a different way of learning. When I read the syllabus and it said ‘bring a spirit of adventure’ I thought that meant imagination but we really did have some adventures in this class. We were able to experience acting, given a short play and a short amount of time to prepare it and then present it in front of class. I think we did awesome, considering only a few from the class had ever dealt with drama. As a class we were also given the opportunity to experience the Shakespearean Festival. This experience not only took us out of the class room but also out of, most ours, comfort zones. We had to pay close attention to the play because it was not what we were use to. In the end it was an experience that was well worth it because I think we all learned something from it. I know I learned to not depend on the words being spoken but to also pay attention to other details, such as hand gestures, body language, and tone of voice. We also experienced the imagination and personal adventures of our independent novels.
I think pushing my limits this summer, in experimenting, expanding, and experiencing has helped me grow not only in literature but in life and I’m glad I took this class. Thank You Ms. Stephanie Scott for a great first summer class.

Concert - Matthew West

So I forgot to write about the concert I attended, so now I'm writing about it. I was able to attend the Matthew West concert after a Cheif's game. I went with two of my sisters and some of my co-workers from Hoerr's Berean Bookstore. The concert was amazing, to say the least. When I first heard about the opportunity to attend this concert through my work, I thought 'well I'll go just to spend time and have fun with my friend from work' but I am very glad I went. I did not think I knew many of his songs but I actually do, probably from listening to a Christian radio station at school. One of my favorite songs of his is Motions, which is about actually performing the actions you say instead of just going through the motions. It basically says that he is going to make a change both in is actions and in is thinking. Probably my second favorite song is A Friend in the World, which kind of describes how he met his wife. Saying that at times it feels like no one is there but then you always have friend in the world, weather it is a person or God. Overall it was a very inspirational concert. I really enjoyed worshipping with my friends and watching all these people, that I have never met worshipping. I'm very glad I had the opportunity to attend.

Shakespeare in Love

I found Shakespeare in Love a very interesting tale. It is, of course, based off of the life of Shakespeare focusing on the time when he was writing Romeo and Juliet. The story starts out with a little bit of a background on the theatre of the time and the two theatres striving for the public’s eye. You then meet the characters in their own settings, giving a little about each character. As the story progresses you learn that Will Shakespeare has lost his touch in writing stories. After receiving a gift he comes upon a story that throughout the movie morphs into Romeo and Juliet. It starts out as a comedy to help one of the theatre owners pay off a dept. Will Shakespeare tells the theater owner to start finding actors. While at a party Will meets the lovely Viola De Lesseps, who is the daughter of a wealthy gentleman. Unbeknownst to Will, Viola is the young man who Shakespeare wants to play Romeo in his play. So the story becomes a comedy to the audience as Viola tries to keep up her appearance as a lady and as the young actor. All the while Viola’s father has promised her to Lord Wessex, who is just marrying her for her father’s money. As the love story advances Will and Viola have a Romeo and Juliet romance; falling in love when they know they can never be together. To me, the movie romance story reminded me of the movie The Moulin Rouge, mainly because there are two people in love that cannot be together because of the time and situation. Well without giving away the whole movie, it ends in an expected, yet unexpected way (if that makes any sense at all!!). It is expected in the way a tragic love story would end but unexpected in the Hollywood aspect of a love story ending. Well that is basically the story without too much detail, I hope, and I did enjoy watching it and would probably recommend it to some, depending on their likes.

Midsummer Night's Dream

I thought this was an amazing experience. At first, when we were asked if we wanted to go I thought 'well I'll go so that I get that cultural opportunity done' but in the end I really enjoyed it.
The Manor was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. I mean can you picture that back in a time when it would have sat on 100 acres or so with no electricity. Maybe that is just me and my imagination. But it really added to the experience. I mean if we would have gone to watch a Shakespeare play in an auditorium or something it would not have been as much fun as watching it under the stars and at Ewing Manor.
The play itself was, I thought, pretty good. I'm not much of a Shakespeare person but I do like some of his stuff and this one is in that category. But when I was thinking about it I think I was remembering watching Much Ado About Nothing in high school. Which is another good Shakespeare comedy. Midsummer Night's Dream was an interesting story line, especially since it has magic in it. Although the story line was a bit predictable I never lost interest. I think the spirit guys, were my favorite because they found everything funny, even their mistakes. This comedy of errors kept my attention but not just because I was laughing but also because they put a twist on Shakespeare by setting it in New Orleans with a Cajun accent in the early 1900s. I have to say though that the accents did throw me for awhile, but I was able to follow their movements and tone of voice until I got the hang of the accents. And now that we are watching the movie which is set in Italy, it allows us to compare the different settings and how it affects the characters and their actions. I really enjoyed going and spending time with students out of class. I am hoping to go next year if possible.

Wind Dancer

So I finally finished my duo, Monday Night Jihad and Blown Coverage, which were awesome books. I am now onto my third book titled Wind Dancer by Jamie Carie, it is set in the late 1700’s. The characters are a young spirited girl named Isabelle Renoir and Samuel Holt who is mysterious frontier man. Although I have just started it, the plot takes off in the first few pages. The book contains some historical fiction and historical facts that help intrigue me. The shadow of the Revolution is dark in the mid-western frontier but the pioneers’ try to hold on to hope that they will be added to the growing country, America. I have always enjoyed reading books that include and work around history. History is one of those subjects that in school is not a favorite but when I read about it in a way that adds a fictional life intertwined with factional characters, places, and events; it takes on a different meaning. Fantasizing about history makes me want to experience it, and reading these books allows me a little bit of that. Basically what I have got so far is that Isabelle is very independent and is looking for an adventure. She is given a chance to travel to a British held fort to pick up some material for a friend. Samuel on the hand is a very intelligent man who is probably in a position for a man many years older than him. He handles himself very well in times of stress and in battle; he knows how to use his weapons to the best of their ability, and how to observe his surroundings and use their gifts. I enjoy the story line, so far, and I can’t wait to read and follow these fictional characters through a historical time.

Air Show

So this weekend was the Prairie Air Show. I wanted to go as soon as I heard when and where. There were just a few problems, getting there and when, since I worked all day Friday and Saturday. Thankfully my dad was home on Sunday so we were able to go and we had a blast. Airplanes have always fascinated me and I have always wanted to learn to fly, I have been asking my dad for years now to teach me but it just has never worked out. So going to the Air Show was big for me because there are some many different types of planes and the actual shows are amazing. We toured some of the bigger aircraft. Walking through the KC135 was awesome. There is so much history and stories that can be told. We were able to see were a pilot could control the refueling line to connect to another plane to refuel in the air. It was pretty cool seeing that and knowing that at some point in time someone was actually working the controls. The next aircraft we looked at was a Harrier, which can lift off vertically (like a helicopter), which is pretty sweet for a fighter jet. My dad struck up a conversation with the pilot and it was fun listening to them discuss different topics. The pilot was very eager to talk to us and describe the plane a bit. I found it very intriguing to listen to them discuss and similar occupation but each with their own unique style. My dad, being a commercial Airline pilot, deals with people constantly, has a crew on board and weird schedules. The fighter pilot has the weird schedule also, but he is on military time and flies alone in his cockpit, with only the ground crew to help maintain the aircraft. I can’t remember everything they said but I remember listening and thinking ‘Wow that is a lot of information and technical stuff. It was very fun getting two different perspectives on flying. The next project is to go up to Oshkosh this August to really experience flying and the aircraft.

If Today was Your Last Day

My sister recently bought the new Nickleback CD and I really like one of the songs on it, If Today was Your Last Day. This song is basically saying live each day like it is your last. I found it very interesting because it starts out with the line, ‘my best friend gave me the best advice he said each day’s a gift and not a given right’ and that statement is so true. I believe we need to live each day to its fullest and enjoy life. It then goes on to ask questions like, would you forget old pictures, donate money, could you say goodbye, and others like that. It makes you think, if today was your last what would you do? If it was my last day I’m not sure what I would do, but I think I would try to fix everything that I could and spend lots of time with the people I love. Two really good questions that are mentioned in the song are, would you take the path less traveled and would you forgive your enemies? To me those questions are ones that need to be considered because would you? I know I would like to say yes but I do not know for sure what I’m going to do later in a day. This song gives lots of incentive to think about death and how you would react if you knew your today was your last. Another question that comes up when I think about this kind of stuff is ‘why is it when someone knows when they are going to die they want to live more?’ Why is that? Is the reality that you only have so long to do all the things you have never done or is it something else? So many questions and no one really has an answer because it is different for everybody. I only hope that if I ever know that the day I’m living is my last that I make everything good and enjoy the gift that has been given to me, the gift of life.

Blown Coverage

So I finished my book Monday Night Jihad and have moved on to the sequel Blown Coverage. Since it is a sequel the main characters are the same and the bad guys are a little bit different. I have just started so not much has happened but it did start off with some good action that now has me anticipating the rest of the book. The plot of this story is based on what happened during the last book, so I’ll try not to give away too much, but if a do I’m sorry. Anyway the story basically picks right back where it was left off, which I like because you don’t miss much. Riley Covington and his three teammates; Scott Ross, Khadi Faroughi, and Skeeter Dawkins are on vacation in San Jose, Costa Rica when the story starts. The gang had just finished off a job that they thought was completely done, when actually they only wounded the enemy so now they are back and angry. These books have intrigued me because they incorporate so much from the details of professional football to black ops to religious conflicts to family matters, it mixes everything and still seems like it could be reality. The reality part is actually scary because although I doubt, and hope nothing like what happens in the book happens, nothing is for certain and now days it could happen especially the way it is described in the book. It has really made me think and be extremely grateful for our freedom and the people protecting that freedom. The story line has a lot to with secrets being revealed and discovered while the Counter Terrorist Division, which Riley and his team are a part of, tries to keep up with the terrorist and stopping their evil plans before it is too late. I'm only about 1/3 of the way through but it is a page turner from the start. I cannot wait to finish this book and see how it plays out.

Siren Song

I read the poem Siren Song by Margaret Atwood and I enjoyed it. I think what I liked about this poem is the verbal irony used. The narrator is a Siren, who in Greek Mythology was a woman with an irresistible song that lured sailors to their deaths. Throughout the poem the narrator is suggesting that she will tell the secret of her song but she is actually just luring. She uses a tone that is appealing and she is asking for help, when actually she is just lying to get the mens attention. The verbal irony really shows through in the last line, “Alas it is a boring song but it works every time” which proves that all that was said was the song, a trick, that lures the men overboard. This poem is written in open form, meaning that it has no strict pattern or consistency. This form allows the author to write something profound without the restrictions of poetry and still have it considered poetry, which is a neat concept. I think Siren Song has a blank verse because there really is no rhyming of any kind. Although Siren Song does not have an iambic pentameter I think it best categorized in blank verse. In Siren Song there is some figurative language, a form of a hyperbole is used when the siren is describing what the effect of the song has on people. She says “the song that forces men to leap overboard in squadrons” to me that is a bit over exaggerated because squadrons are usually large groups and the fact that what would actually happen is the men of the ship would work together to run the ship into rocks near the supposed island, following the song of the Siren. This poem has been added to my list of favorites because it has humor and irony and is about Greek Mythology.

Star Wars Response Questions

Star Wars is similar to a western in many ways. One of the scenes that represents this idea is the scene in the space port on Tatooine where Luke and Obi-Won meet up with Han. This scene is like a western scene because the atmosphere is very rough; the pilots are arrogant and don’t care what happens around them as long as it doesn’t concern their own well being. Western saloons were a place for gunslingers and ranchers to take a break or relax after a hard day and most of them did not care about the lives of the other men in the saloon. Another similarity to a western is the fight between Darth Vader and Obi-Won, it’s one of those fights were everybody knows that it between just them in a western it would have been a duel with 2 guns and 20 paces in the middle of the street instead it was 2 light sabers and the middle of the Death Star.
I think Star Wars reached a level of such popularity due to its variety of genre that it includes. Star Wars captivates audiences of all ages because of its humor, romance, and action. Star Wars also, at the time, included some of the newest ideas and technology to create the different creatures and machines seen throughout the film.
A theme that I identified was Luke Skywalker’s need to prove that he is somebody. Throughout the movie Luke is pushing to get out into the world or to prove that he can do the task at hand. In the beginning when Luke is at home all he can think about is how being there and working his holding him back from the academy and the Universe. Then during the battle to defeat the Death Star Luke proves himself a worthy pilot by flying a fighter which he has not been properly trained on and is able to accomplish the task that no one else could.
A traditional symbol that is used throughout the film is Darth Vader. To me Darth Vader represents all evil in the world (Galaxy). As the film progresses you see more and more of his evil and cruel ways and even his outward appearance suggests evil. The all black clothing and mask and the distorted voice all represent darkness.
~ Princess Leigh is a significant character in Star Wars because she is not only an important social figure but also a secret rebel. Leigh is a protagonist or more likely a anti-hero because in most dramas the heroes weren’t girls, especially princesses. Anyway Leigh proves to be able to take care of herself and is a decent warrior. Throughout the film she seems to surprise everyone with her different skills and abilities. An example is when there are trapped in the corridor, of the prison block, she is able to come up with an escape and she can shoot, which impresses both Luke and Han. I think Leigh’s character motivation comes from her childhood and all the things she has been exposed to. Being a princess she has been taught social skills and how to handle difficult situations but as the daughter of a rebel she has learned to hold her own and keep secrets even at high risk.

Scratching the Surface

I was scanning the magazine Sport Diver when I came across the article "Scratching the Surface." This article was written by Ted Alan Stedman who is an avid diver and who is always looking for a new adventure under the surface. This article is based off a trip he took to Palawan in the Philippines. The section of the article that really caught my attention was titled 'Nothing Like a 12-Foot Thresher Shark to Stir Things Up.' This section talks about a specific dive that was made during the trip that introduced him to a new and exciting creature. The thresher shark is known for it's tail, which is said to be able to kill or decapitate a man. The author goes into great detail about the experience and how seeing this creature materialize out of the shadows in the water was exhilarating. The details make you feel like you are right there in the water next to him watching this unfold, the gray shadow, the details of the animal, the closeness, and then the retreat. I can relate to this event because on one of my dives a few years ago we saw a Bull shark. Let me tell you right now that seeing a creature of that size was scary. I remember seeing the shadow swimming towards us and then seeing this 8-foot long shark meandering along the ocean floor near our dive group and then with a flip of his tail it was gone. Back to the article, the author goes on to describe the surroundings before the group returns to the surface. The rest of the article goes into details about the Philippine Islands. One thing that I found interesting is that the Philippines consist of about 7,107 islands which amounts to a coastline of about 22,550 miles. If you ask me, that is awesome, and about 2,500 of those islands are unnamed. Just to think about all the reefs and species that are possibly undiscovered. This article was very fascinating and I loved reading about the diving experience and all the possible adventures that await in the Philippine Islands.

"That's Something to be Proud of"

So I was driving home tonight wondering what I was going to write my out of class blog about when one of my favorite country songs came on the radio. I figured, why not, it is by Montgomery Gentry and it is called "That's Something to be Proud of." I like this song so much because it goes to prove my point to my dad. He seems to think that all country music is bad but I have to disagree. My biggest argument is that country music is better than any rap music but he always throws back that rap is not music therefore it does not count according to him. This argument is all fun and games but I still like to prove my point that even country music has some good songs. Anyway, this song is about how you can be proud of your accomplishments even if they do not give you fame or money. The song starts out telling how the grandfather use to tell stories about his life and how things such as fighting in a war and surviving is something you can be proud of. It also goes on to tell about how finding love and creating a family is something to work for and enjoy. Most songs today are about human desire and self indulgence where as this song is about being happy with who you are, even if it is a small, simple, and humble life. I really like the group Montgomery Gentry, their songs and sound.

Monday Night Jihad

This week I have been reading my independent novel a lot to catch up on the pages that need to be read. Although it sounds like it is work, I actually really enjoy this book and wish I had more time to devote to reading it. Anyway, as I have been reading it has been getting more and more interesting and the plot has started to build towards the climax. Tuesday night I think I must have read at least 50 pages or more because I hit one of those spots where you cannot put the book down, but it was not the climax, yet. Basically up until that point it had been background information and getting to know the characters. I have decided that I really like the main character, Riley Covington, because he is an ex Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) man that is playing Pro football for the Colorado Mustangs. His character is not only military but he is also a Christian, which makes me wish he was real, but that is beside the point. Riley is a man of integrity and leadership, when he was a part of AFSOC he held the rank of Second Lieutenant and led his own special ops team. He not only has the ability to lead but his men respect him and are willing to follow him, both military and football players alike. The text itself is easy reading and understandable but the author uses mystery to set it off a little. For example, some chapters or segments will be narrated by an unknown person and this allows the author to reveal some information that the good guys do not know yet. It is a great technique for suspense writing, in my opinion, because it keeps the reader wondering but also allows them to know more about what it going to happen. It makes me want to shout into the book what was just revealed to me so that nothing bad will happen to the good guys. I really enjoy this book and cannot wait to finish it and continue on to the sequel.

"Everyday Use"

For my mini book club I read and presented the short story "Everyday Use." The first time I read it, I thought 'well this seems semi-normal and uncomplicated' but as I read it again and then discussed it in class, I became aware of some topics and ideas that had not occurred to me. One of the questions that bugged me a lot was 'why did Dee change her name?', I just could not figure it out. Even during some of the discussions I could not come up with anything more than a logical guess. It wasn't until Stephanie joined my group did it make sense; she mentioned that the name probably belonged to a Muslim group or society that believes in finding your true African roots, not those of a slave family heritage. Once that idea was planted in my mind the rest of the story really started to make sense. Then I was able to piece together all my other questions, like why did Dee want the churn top, the dasher, and the quilts. Dee's behavior and idea's were those of this group, she basically wanted to take the stuff to show off to her new society and say "look where I came from." Thinking over the story and then discussing it several times with different people helped broaden and deepen my understanding of the story. One thing that I liked to ask, during the discussions,was "what do you think the theme was?" and honestly I got many different opinions and ideas, from things like 'home will always be there' to 'life doesn't always give you what your want' even though when I first read it I thought that it was like a prodigal child who did not completely learn the lesson. I very much enjoyed the story, before and after the discussions, and my favorite part was the ending. I cold not help but smile when I read the last few paragraphs, the fact that the uneducated mother stood up to her college educated, know it all daughter and told her that she could not have what she wanted and that the quilts belonged to Maggie, her sister, who was not use to getting what she wanted. I am glad I was able to read and discuss such an interesting story.

My thoughts on the movie The Spirit

I rented the movie The Spirit because I have always liked the comic book style movies. In my opinion, the movie was good although there were some things about it that either confused me or I did not like. But first some background on the film, the setting was very interesting to me because it was set in Central City and the time period, in my guess, was around the 1920's or 1930's. There is a big gangster feel to the movie and the way it was created adds a comic book feeling to it. The film makers used a combination of digital and real life filming and a black and white color base to create the comic book look. Although it is classified as an action/adventure, among other things, I thought there was a bit of comedy in it, there are many times throughout the movie that made me laugh, like the Spirit's attention to women. The one thing I really liked about the movie was the old detective style it used; the movie was narrated by the Spirit in the old monologue style, so that he says everything, even what he is thinking. One thing that confused me was the character of Death, she was called Lorelei, and she always seemed to be waiting for the Spirit but he would refuse her or say something like "it is not that time yet." Another thing that confused me was the background story of the Spirit, he seemed to have a long lost love, or rather two, but then his character dies and comes back to life (somehow) but he hides his identity from those he loves. I just did not understand why he would do that. Back to the parts I did like, I enjoyed the mystery of it all and the fact that there was some mystery behind the hero of the story that even he is trying to figure out. Overall I enjoyed watching it but I would probably not put it over 25 on my favorites list.