Showing posts with label School and Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label School and Education. Show all posts
Friday, April 15, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Bats and Stuff
"Cowboy? You're no more a cowboy than you are a little leather-winged bat." -- Kaylee Felts from "The Mud Below" by Annie Proulx
I'm getting ready for some pretty heavy revision to my novel. I think the changes I'm going to make will be good ones. I'm also getting a feel for teaching, and I'm planning on graduating in April with my MA. That's my writing report for now. One day I'll have time for a real post. Surely.
R.
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Old Grudge
I try not to be prejudiced against John Dewey, even if separating kids out into groups of the same age and sticking them in an isolated room with an adult teacher was one of the dumbest ideas of all time with repercussions felt by every clique-loving socialite, outcast, and wannabe educator even to this very day. But when a composition scholar throws the name John Dewey out there and says that according to John we learn by action and reflection, it makes one wonder what the hell else is there?
R.
P.S. I've been awake way too long working on papers to restrain myself. I promise that we can still be friends, even if you are a Deweyite.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
"Who is Elijah?"
I know that back in the day a person had to own a set of encyclopedias or go to the library to find information, but we live in the misinformation age. When I'm reading and I come across a word, be it a person, place, or thing, that I don't know, I look the damn thing up. Come on people. Learn to use a search engine.
R.
R.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Woo Ee
By the time I go to bed tonight, I'll have been up for for roughly forty hours. School rules.
R.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Standardized Education, er, Tests, er, Teachers, er, etc.
People always know how to fix the problem with American schools. You can see that in Obama's new standards approach and in this attack on teachers. In the first article, Obama wants to throw some of our grandchildren's money at the problem. By bringing the states together to adopt a universal standard which the federal government would enforce, he will fix our issues. In the second, the weight of academic success for the entire country should be the sole responsibility of the teachers as if they are assembly line workers.
They are both swell articles.
But who is talking about the real problem?
The problem isn't one of money. Money is only as useful as those spending it are creative and wise - a rare combination in my experience.
It isn't teachers. Teachers are people, and like people in any field some are talented, lazy, brilliant, passionate, disinterested, and self-interested. There are those teachers that help us to love learning, and those that cause us to hate it. If someone compares their list of which is which with Joe-down-the-street, they might find that their lists are completely opposite.
The truth is that learning is the responsibility of the learner. Every parent has probably learned (whether they admit it publicly or not) that you cannot force knowledge (education, skill, or values) on someone who is unwilling to do the work to acquire them. The learner must decide that acquiring the knowledge will be worth his or her while in some personal, material, or social fashion, and then keep at it until the knowledge is their own.
So we reach the root of the problem. Acquisition of knowledge is not an American value.
Acquisition of wealth is valued by Americans. Some people try to claim an association between acquisition of knowledge and acquisition of wealth. I won't make such a claim, even if the odds are better for someone with education than for someone lacking.
Acquisition of entertainment is valued by Americans. That's why someone will shell out big bucks (theirs or their parents') for college, then sit in class and text or watch YouTube or play games. That's why the graduating generation is looking for companies that allow employees to use social networks on the job.
As parents, we may or may not make our kids do their homework. We may or may not help them do their homework. We may or may not expect a certain grade performance from them.
But when was the last time our children saw us turn off tube or step away from the game console or computer and learn something, anything at all, that didn't have an entertainment payoff (like the instructions for the Wii) or have dollar signs attached (like a book on how to become a millionaire by reusing your old toilet paper)?
Improving American education, like improving American work ethic, American morals, and American anything else, will depend on our families. No amount of government money or misplaced accountability can help our children to value their education. What we can do is develop and demonstrate our own love of learning and hope that our children can be convinced to emulate us.
R.
They are both swell articles.
But who is talking about the real problem?
The problem isn't one of money. Money is only as useful as those spending it are creative and wise - a rare combination in my experience.
It isn't teachers. Teachers are people, and like people in any field some are talented, lazy, brilliant, passionate, disinterested, and self-interested. There are those teachers that help us to love learning, and those that cause us to hate it. If someone compares their list of which is which with Joe-down-the-street, they might find that their lists are completely opposite.
The truth is that learning is the responsibility of the learner. Every parent has probably learned (whether they admit it publicly or not) that you cannot force knowledge (education, skill, or values) on someone who is unwilling to do the work to acquire them. The learner must decide that acquiring the knowledge will be worth his or her while in some personal, material, or social fashion, and then keep at it until the knowledge is their own.
So we reach the root of the problem. Acquisition of knowledge is not an American value.
Acquisition of wealth is valued by Americans. Some people try to claim an association between acquisition of knowledge and acquisition of wealth. I won't make such a claim, even if the odds are better for someone with education than for someone lacking.
Acquisition of entertainment is valued by Americans. That's why someone will shell out big bucks (theirs or their parents') for college, then sit in class and text or watch YouTube or play games. That's why the graduating generation is looking for companies that allow employees to use social networks on the job.
As parents, we may or may not make our kids do their homework. We may or may not help them do their homework. We may or may not expect a certain grade performance from them.
But when was the last time our children saw us turn off tube or step away from the game console or computer and learn something, anything at all, that didn't have an entertainment payoff (like the instructions for the Wii) or have dollar signs attached (like a book on how to become a millionaire by reusing your old toilet paper)?
Improving American education, like improving American work ethic, American morals, and American anything else, will depend on our families. No amount of government money or misplaced accountability can help our children to value their education. What we can do is develop and demonstrate our own love of learning and hope that our children can be convinced to emulate us.
R.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
What I'm Doing Now
It's tearing you apart, wondering what that is. Well . . . I'm still plugging along on my MA; I've just endured an enlightening read of James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - that didn't thrill me, but I suppose everybody studying literature is forced to read it at some point. I was impressed with the dialogue. That's about all I can say for it. I've had to read some other more satisfying books, but if I post about them I will do it later.
In spite of my failure to report the numbers, I have been writing, beefing up my portfolio to try to get into an MFA of Creative Writing for next fall. I am getting a good chunk of short stories in my new series put together, with a respectable number of segments jotted down in my pocket notebook. I'm pleased with where the characters are going and the potential the series has. I've not been able to come up with a title for the it, which is strange because I often start with a title or know what the title should be once I begin to grasp the story. What do you call a series about a cowboy in the early-to-mid nineties? I hopefully will come up with something bettet than The [Main-Character] Stories soon.
I've come across a fairly fun band called Skillet. They sound like a cross of Hinder, Evanescence, and Plumb. It's always nice to find something hard-rockish that won't leave the kids scarred if they hear it. Here's one of their tunes set to a segment of Bleach (for you Zilla).
Watch Bleach Skillet-Monster in Anime | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Write On.
R.
In spite of my failure to report the numbers, I have been writing, beefing up my portfolio to try to get into an MFA of Creative Writing for next fall. I am getting a good chunk of short stories in my new series put together, with a respectable number of segments jotted down in my pocket notebook. I'm pleased with where the characters are going and the potential the series has. I've not been able to come up with a title for the it, which is strange because I often start with a title or know what the title should be once I begin to grasp the story. What do you call a series about a cowboy in the early-to-mid nineties? I hopefully will come up with something bettet than The [Main-Character] Stories soon.
I've come across a fairly fun band called Skillet. They sound like a cross of Hinder, Evanescence, and Plumb. It's always nice to find something hard-rockish that won't leave the kids scarred if they hear it. Here's one of their tunes set to a segment of Bleach (for you Zilla).
Watch Bleach Skillet-Monster in Anime | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Write On.
R.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Master
I have been unofficially accepted into a Master of Arts in English program. It will have to go through the whole big process before I get my letter, but I am starting classes next month. I am very excited.
R.
R.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Class Divisions
They are very interesting, these non-real life microcosms that are our classrooms. Yesterday I taught Algebra. Or I suppose I should say that I babysat a room full of kids that were supposed to be doing Algebra assignments given by their regular teacher. Throughout the day I noticed that there were students that would get the work done, students that would play around with it like my three-year-old does his dinner, and students that would not even take out their writing utensils. This last group would tell me that they couldn't do the assignment because they didn't know what to do.
Sometimes I would know, sometimes I would not; I am a writer and historian, after all, not a mathematician. It has been over eight years since I squeaked through College Algebra with just high enough marks to have it transfer when I moved and switched schools. Whatever.
For the last class of the day, it was not knowing most often. So when one of the kids who tore through the assignment finished I asked him to help some of the students who were having trouble. This is what he did, no kidding: studiously avoiding those who had not deigned to whip out their pencils, he went to all of the kids that were playing with the assignment and asked if they needed help, then helped or moved on as their response warranted.
I could speculate on and on about how and why this happened, but instead I will merely leave my observation here for your consideration.
R.
Sometimes I would know, sometimes I would not; I am a writer and historian, after all, not a mathematician. It has been over eight years since I squeaked through College Algebra with just high enough marks to have it transfer when I moved and switched schools. Whatever.
For the last class of the day, it was not knowing most often. So when one of the kids who tore through the assignment finished I asked him to help some of the students who were having trouble. This is what he did, no kidding: studiously avoiding those who had not deigned to whip out their pencils, he went to all of the kids that were playing with the assignment and asked if they needed help, then helped or moved on as their response warranted.
I could speculate on and on about how and why this happened, but instead I will merely leave my observation here for your consideration.
R.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Some Work
So it looks like I will be starting next week doing some substitute teaching. I will be making less than I have since high school, but at least some money will be coming in. Hopefully I won't run into too many Gillys.
R.
R.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Almost There
I am on the verge of being back, both to Write On and to the Writer's Union. Thank you all for the support and for not forgetting me.
R.
R.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
One More Thing
Because I know all of my readers need another thing to do. Do any of you submit to Writers of the Future?
For all I know all of you do. If you don't, I think I'd like to throw the idea out there that we do it. It is a contest started by L. Ron Hubbard and carried on by big names like Anne McCaffrey, Orson Scott Card, and Kevin J. Anderson. The pot is huge and the winners and top finalists are published in annual editions of Writers of the Future Volume Whatever.
So here is my reasoning in this:
1) It is quarterly, ongoing, and there are no entry fees. That means that there is a deadline every three months to shoot for.
2) It is judged by successful writers, not given-up writers turned editor.
3) It helps establish a habit of getting your stuff together and shipping it out, and building your Resistance to rejection notices. There is more to our business than just being an artist. For more on that I recommend Holly Lisle's site which is packed with eye-opening info about the business from someone very particular about their status as a "full-time writer."
The longest works that they accept are 17000 word novellas, and I have the impression that most of the word buddies are working on novels. I will share two thoughts and then mind my own business. As much as I am able anyways. First, Ender's Game was originally published as a novella and later expanded into the very successful novel that it is. No, that had nothing at all to do with WoTF, but it goes to show that sometimes it is easier to get a foot in the door with a less risky smaller piece than a novel. Second, hugely successful writer George R.R. Martin says on his website that if he were trying to break into the fantasy author scene that he would start sending short stories to the many short-works fantasy publishers out there, and that after getting a few of those published the big presses would be begging for a novel. I might also point out that Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series was preceded with a novella which introduced readers and publishers to his world.
On the downside, I do get e-mails from them regularly offering me deals-of-a-lifetime on back issues of the books, but they aren't that bad. The other thing is that I bought a few volumes and did some very crude word count calculations and I found that virtually all of their published stories fell between 15 and 17k, and there were none shorter than 12k in the volumes I picked up. So besides the habitual skin-thickening benefits I mentioned earlier, if you actually want to win you have to get your story as close to the 17k limit as possible without going over and without crappy filler.
I obviously am not there yet, but in the most prolific writing period of my life I worked around the quarterly deadlines (March 31, June 31, September 31, and December 31) to keep my momentum. I actually had a four-step submission plan where I sent the new story to WoTF first, then another publisher next, a third, and finally a fourth as it was rejected to keep my name out there and increase my odds at selling some stories. It was just as I really got the system working that I reached critical mass with school and turned all efforts into completing my bachelor's degree. Now I am thinking about getting back into that and would like to invite you all to come along.
R.
For all I know all of you do. If you don't, I think I'd like to throw the idea out there that we do it. It is a contest started by L. Ron Hubbard and carried on by big names like Anne McCaffrey, Orson Scott Card, and Kevin J. Anderson. The pot is huge and the winners and top finalists are published in annual editions of Writers of the Future Volume Whatever.
So here is my reasoning in this:
1) It is quarterly, ongoing, and there are no entry fees. That means that there is a deadline every three months to shoot for.
2) It is judged by successful writers, not given-up writers turned editor.
3) It helps establish a habit of getting your stuff together and shipping it out, and building your Resistance to rejection notices. There is more to our business than just being an artist. For more on that I recommend Holly Lisle's site which is packed with eye-opening info about the business from someone very particular about their status as a "full-time writer."
The longest works that they accept are 17000 word novellas, and I have the impression that most of the word buddies are working on novels. I will share two thoughts and then mind my own business. As much as I am able anyways. First, Ender's Game was originally published as a novella and later expanded into the very successful novel that it is. No, that had nothing at all to do with WoTF, but it goes to show that sometimes it is easier to get a foot in the door with a less risky smaller piece than a novel. Second, hugely successful writer George R.R. Martin says on his website that if he were trying to break into the fantasy author scene that he would start sending short stories to the many short-works fantasy publishers out there, and that after getting a few of those published the big presses would be begging for a novel. I might also point out that Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series was preceded with a novella which introduced readers and publishers to his world.
On the downside, I do get e-mails from them regularly offering me deals-of-a-lifetime on back issues of the books, but they aren't that bad. The other thing is that I bought a few volumes and did some very crude word count calculations and I found that virtually all of their published stories fell between 15 and 17k, and there were none shorter than 12k in the volumes I picked up. So besides the habitual skin-thickening benefits I mentioned earlier, if you actually want to win you have to get your story as close to the 17k limit as possible without going over and without crappy filler.
I obviously am not there yet, but in the most prolific writing period of my life I worked around the quarterly deadlines (March 31, June 31, September 31, and December 31) to keep my momentum. I actually had a four-step submission plan where I sent the new story to WoTF first, then another publisher next, a third, and finally a fourth as it was rejected to keep my name out there and increase my odds at selling some stories. It was just as I really got the system working that I reached critical mass with school and turned all efforts into completing my bachelor's degree. Now I am thinking about getting back into that and would like to invite you all to come along.
R.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
The New Story
Today I started a new story, and surprisingly enough, it didn't start out with a name. Very unusual for me. Anyways, 126 words on it today.
I have a question and I don't know if this crowd has an answer, I obviously don't, or I wouldn't have to ask. I have three stories (including the one I just finished) about the cowboy-turned-dude-wrangler Hobb and his adventures from his teens into his young adult life. One is about the loss of a horse, another about taking a herd of horses where they never should have gone, and the last about drag racing and ditching cops. Any suggestions for where to send them? For all that Hobb is a cowboy they aren't really cowboy stories, but maybe they would be considered to be by the masses. Any tips would be welcome, as I'm ready to start adding to my collection of rejection slips now that I'm out of school. Speaking of rejection letters, did anyone read that essay that I linked in my NULC post? As a receiver of many rejections I found it very helpful. Hope everyone is writing their guts out. As soon as I get my login stuff for the Word Counter's page I will start logging my word counts there. Really. I will.
R.
I have a question and I don't know if this crowd has an answer, I obviously don't, or I wouldn't have to ask. I have three stories (including the one I just finished) about the cowboy-turned-dude-wrangler Hobb and his adventures from his teens into his young adult life. One is about the loss of a horse, another about taking a herd of horses where they never should have gone, and the last about drag racing and ditching cops. Any suggestions for where to send them? For all that Hobb is a cowboy they aren't really cowboy stories, but maybe they would be considered to be by the masses. Any tips would be welcome, as I'm ready to start adding to my collection of rejection slips now that I'm out of school. Speaking of rejection letters, did anyone read that essay that I linked in my NULC post? As a receiver of many rejections I found it very helpful. Hope everyone is writing their guts out. As soon as I get my login stuff for the Word Counter's page I will start logging my word counts there. Really. I will.
R.
Friday, December 21, 2007
The Ender a POV Exercise
Finally I will do the post Daeruin requested so long ago about “Ender’s Game” and “Ender’s Shadow,” both being fine books in their own right but inspiring some definite monologue from me in combination. Let me preface my thoughts with the following truth statements:
“Ender’s Game” is a great book. – True
“Ender’s Shadow” is a great book. – True
“Game” and “Shadow” are the same story told from different points of view. – False
Now I hope that if you are going to get your ire up about it that you will hear me out first. When I read “Shadow,” it had been many years since I last read “Game.” I was impressed by what a great story Card came up with, and how well he retold the “Game” story with Bean. Where my perspective became altered was during my recent days of commuting when I checked out the audio books of “Game” then “Shadow” back to back. Listening to “Game” I was again impressed with Card’s tale and his depiction of all those darling lads and lasses. Conversely, when I listened to “Shadow” I experienced a combination of the sensations of “that is great” and “what the 7734?” that kind of cramped my style.
Here is the thing that bothered me about the books as they are presented – one story, two points of view:
(This may be completely unnoticeable unless the books are read in a short duration and one after the other. Furthermore, it may not be noticeable unless listening to the audio books. I still maintain that it is so and invite you to check it out yourself if you do not immediately agree with my observations.)
In EVERY SINGLE INSTANCE of personal interaction between Ender and Bean, “Shadow” shows Ender to have his head completely where the sun don’t shine. At the same time it tries to maintain, like “Game,” that Ender has some sort of intuitive sense for people and how to read them, use them, and win with them. He is also shown to be wrong about Petra, who in “Game” is one of his most stalwart allies. I know I get hung up on believability – still, how can he be oblivious to the people that he has to most depend on and still have the main difference that Card tries to sell between him and Bean. I think “Shadow” is probably the better book – the writing is stronger, and I liked the complications to the story. I do not think it is the same story as “Game” from a different point of view, but more like an alternate Ender universe where Wolverine only has one hand and Magneto gets Rogue.
In summary, I think that while as a POV exercise (quite a lucrative one for Card, by all accounts) “Shadow” is a failure. There are too many discrepancies for my believability, from the mixed presentation of Ender’s abilities to the complete alteration of the supporting cast. That being said, “Shadow” is still a great book, worth reading, and I intend to read the rest of the Shadow series now that I am done graduated.
On that note, it feels good to be done – I got my grades back and I finished strong with my highest achieving semester of my whole undergrad career. It pulled my GPA up into the potential grad school range so that I won’t have to rely totally on my GRE scores to get me in. Anyways, thank you all for your support and don’t forget to let me know what you think of my “Ender” interpretation.
R.
“Ender’s Game” is a great book. – True
“Ender’s Shadow” is a great book. – True
“Game” and “Shadow” are the same story told from different points of view. – False
Now I hope that if you are going to get your ire up about it that you will hear me out first. When I read “Shadow,” it had been many years since I last read “Game.” I was impressed by what a great story Card came up with, and how well he retold the “Game” story with Bean. Where my perspective became altered was during my recent days of commuting when I checked out the audio books of “Game” then “Shadow” back to back. Listening to “Game” I was again impressed with Card’s tale and his depiction of all those darling lads and lasses. Conversely, when I listened to “Shadow” I experienced a combination of the sensations of “that is great” and “what the 7734?” that kind of cramped my style.
Here is the thing that bothered me about the books as they are presented – one story, two points of view:
(This may be completely unnoticeable unless the books are read in a short duration and one after the other. Furthermore, it may not be noticeable unless listening to the audio books. I still maintain that it is so and invite you to check it out yourself if you do not immediately agree with my observations.)
In EVERY SINGLE INSTANCE of personal interaction between Ender and Bean, “Shadow” shows Ender to have his head completely where the sun don’t shine. At the same time it tries to maintain, like “Game,” that Ender has some sort of intuitive sense for people and how to read them, use them, and win with them. He is also shown to be wrong about Petra, who in “Game” is one of his most stalwart allies. I know I get hung up on believability – still, how can he be oblivious to the people that he has to most depend on and still have the main difference that Card tries to sell between him and Bean. I think “Shadow” is probably the better book – the writing is stronger, and I liked the complications to the story. I do not think it is the same story as “Game” from a different point of view, but more like an alternate Ender universe where Wolverine only has one hand and Magneto gets Rogue.
In summary, I think that while as a POV exercise (quite a lucrative one for Card, by all accounts) “Shadow” is a failure. There are too many discrepancies for my believability, from the mixed presentation of Ender’s abilities to the complete alteration of the supporting cast. That being said, “Shadow” is still a great book, worth reading, and I intend to read the rest of the Shadow series now that I am done graduated.
On that note, it feels good to be done – I got my grades back and I finished strong with my highest achieving semester of my whole undergrad career. It pulled my GPA up into the potential grad school range so that I won’t have to rely totally on my GRE scores to get me in. Anyways, thank you all for your support and don’t forget to let me know what you think of my “Ender” interpretation.
R.
Friday, December 14, 2007
A Wonderful Day
Today I graduated with my double-bachelors in English and History. Afterwards we had a little gathering to celebrate. I just wanted to once again thank them of you as that were there showing your love and support - Zilla and family, Lackhand and family, my assorted folks, friends, and neighbors. I appreciate the things you have done for me.
It is a wonderful thing to be done with this phase of my education. On the agenda is some writing - fiction and book reviews - and a lot of guitar playing. When I'm not spending time with my family, that is. Write on, people, because soon I will be writing too.
R.
It is a wonderful thing to be done with this phase of my education. On the agenda is some writing - fiction and book reviews - and a lot of guitar playing. When I'm not spending time with my family, that is. Write on, people, because soon I will be writing too.
R.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
So Ready to be Movin' On
Below: A Storm Brewin' in Mongolia. Yeah. I was there.
Really. I start in my new position on December 3rd, and I graduate on December 14th. But I am ready now. Now, I say. I don't want to spend all next week driving 2-1/2 hours a day to my dwindling-commissioned current job. I don't want to write about "how well the introduction to the essay drew me in." How is that for a Thanksgiving attitude? A little disappointing, I am sure. I had an exciting story idea the other night and I am anxious to get it written. I made a list of the books I've read or listened to lately that I have stuff to say about here and haven't yet done so. I am having the hardest time getting down to business with this final stretch of school and sales. That is just where I am at right at this exact moment in time.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Through the Hoops
Today I visited my department heads, the social-science college advisor, the cashier's office, and the graduation office one day ahead of deadline. I am now officially cleared (pending passing marks in my current classes) to graduate this December with my double major of History and English. It was a thrilling thing to see all of those approvals go through. All I have to do now is not screw up in my classes.
R.
R.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
A Little Wuthering
As previously mentioned, I am now commuting and listening to audio-books as I go. I just finished Wuthering Heights last Friday and thought I would throw a few thoughts out here.
The book is the story of Kathryn and Heathcliffe, two young friends that fall in love but are constantly apart. Kathryn marries someone else, Heathcliffe runs off and returns eventually with a mysterious fortune, and the two of them set about making everyone around them miserable. I suppose the story is less about them and more about how Heathcliffe, filled with hate, manages to ruin (at least temporarily) the lives of everyone he feels has wronged him and their children, and their property, and their servants. It has a fairly happy ending - I'm not sure if it is worth the countless pages of mean-spirited bickering that fills out the tale, but it is not the complete tragedy I was expecting.
In terms of why Wuthering Heights is considered a 'classic,' I think it must be the time of its creation. At that time, the novel was a fairly new artistic format. Also, many of the novels that we know as full books were released chapter by chapter in periodicals, only to be bound together at a later date. In terms of its description of life in northern England at the turn of the 19th century, I found it both enlightening and in harmony with what I know about the era as a historian. I found the language of the book delightful, and enjoyed some of the more poignant moments of the story. If the story has a redeeming, or classic, quality, it is that young Mrs. Linton (the daughter of the older Kathryn and her husband) refuses to accept unhappiness. Toward the end of the book, Heathcliffe has managed to strip away her family, her husband (who is Heathcliffe's son, and equally despised by him), her property (I shuddered at all of the book burning), and any sense of freedom she once possessed. Though she temporarily adopts the household of Wuthering Height's cruel and hateful temperament, she finds a way to make happiness there where there was none before. Her efforts are aided by the mysterious (but somewhat lame) death of Heathciffe at what amounted to be the most convenient time for her (and the object of her happiness, which you will have to find for yourself if wading through hours of meanness doesn't turn you off to happy endings). So, I am glad that I read (listened to) it. I won't be re-reading it.
My next audio-book is Hornblower goes to the West Indies, a Horacio Hornblower book. Think of the Master and Commander books but probably a lot cheesier. I'll soon know for sure.
I recently had a fan of my Tales from the Laughing Grass stories request new material. It was somewhat disappointing to not have anything to offer up. I just keep telling myself, "Self, seven more months and you'll be a free man." Write on.
R.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
My New Hobby
That's right - commuting. Fifty miles exactly from my driveway to the parking lot of my new workplace. One hour in the morning, and one-and-a-half to three hours on the way home. Happily, my car seems to be getting close or over forty mpg with this type of driving, as long as I don't run the air conditioner. I went to the library to see what audio books they had on CD, and found that they only had about six, at least three of which are intolerably lame. I checked out Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and that should keep my mind off the time I'm spending for a couple of days at least.
In school news, I am working on my senior research project for my History degree. It is as hard as one might expect to be a medievalist and try to find an event with enough primary sources (accessible in the part of the world I live in, at least) to fill a thirty page paper. I have therefore decided to do an historiography on the perception of the Norman Invasion by 20th century historians before and after WWII. I'm sure you'll all find it fascinating when it's done. Anyways, stay cool, and Write on.
R.
Monday, April 30, 2007
A New Novel Idea this Weekend
My ideas tend to fall into narrow categories - 1) Derthal stories long and short 2) Historical fiction stories long and short 3) the occasional current setting short story (like the one that was completely snubbed by Metaphor.
For some reason, this weekend I had an idea for a novel length suspense/mystery novel about a cowboy that, because of changes in the economy, finds himself becoming a dude wrangler running pack trips in the San Juan Mountains. He takes a nice yuppie family up into the high country and gets caught up an a plot of spousal murder. Not the most original plot, to be sure, but setting has got to count for something.
Anyways, I just thought I would let y'all know that now that classes are out I am thinking of new stories.
R.
For some reason, this weekend I had an idea for a novel length suspense/mystery novel about a cowboy that, because of changes in the economy, finds himself becoming a dude wrangler running pack trips in the San Juan Mountains. He takes a nice yuppie family up into the high country and gets caught up an a plot of spousal murder. Not the most original plot, to be sure, but setting has got to count for something.
Anyways, I just thought I would let y'all know that now that classes are out I am thinking of new stories.
R.
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