Books that I've Read (since February 10th)
It's that time of year again where i feel the need to sit back and assess things like what i've been doing with my time since i graduated from Hampshire College. I've been working, and now, a year later than i had hoped, i am finally and sincerely applying to grad school.
That having been said, what else have i done with my time aside from work the obligatory American 40 hours a week (not counting lunch)?
At least i can consider myself somewhat well read.
Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary
Toni Morisson's The Temple of My Familiar
Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle
Tom Robbins' Even Cow Girls Get the Blues
and Still Life with Woodpecker
Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklynn
Terry Pratchett's
The Color of Magic
The Light Fantastic
Monstrous Regiment,
Pyramids,
Wee Free Men,
and A Hat Full of Sky
Gregory Maguire's Wicked
Elizabeth Peter's Crocodile on the Sandbank
Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence (restarted and finished)
I'm still in the middle of Tolsoy's Anna Karena.
Still reading Kenneth Graham's Wind in the Willows aloud to Dan, and thanks to allergies, surgery, and the cold season, i have yet to resume for quite some time.
I've also been reading Bitch Magazine regularly. It's good stuff and fulfills some need to be up on contemporary cultural studies.
currently working on Aurelie Sheehan's The Anxiety of Everyday Objects
Monday, November 22, 2004
Sunday, November 21, 2004
sundaysundaysunday
like all good sagittarians, i need projects. my current project is applying to grad school in whatever step. i've got all the testing out of the way, and now i'm on the final frontier -- applying. this has me freaking out almost as much as the general test back in june. my neck is killing me, and i sent off an email to my professors from hampshire asking them their advice/words of wisdom about the programs at boston college, northeaston, yale, and uconn in terms of american literature and cultural with interdisciplinary approaches. hopefully i hear back from them soon... especially since two of them are on sabbatical.... i suck.
like all good sagittarians, i need projects. my current project is applying to grad school in whatever step. i've got all the testing out of the way, and now i'm on the final frontier -- applying. this has me freaking out almost as much as the general test back in june. my neck is killing me, and i sent off an email to my professors from hampshire asking them their advice/words of wisdom about the programs at boston college, northeaston, yale, and uconn in terms of american literature and cultural with interdisciplinary approaches. hopefully i hear back from them soon... especially since two of them are on sabbatical.... i suck.
Friday, November 19, 2004
Where'd you put the keys, girl?
This is going to be the non-update of all non-updates. Of course, it feels like a lot has happened, but really i'm just stressed with work and have been too tired to do shit when i get home.
Still and all, i went to the French Speakers' Meetup Group on Wednesday night and had a great time. I was hesitant because the last time, though encouraging, didn't exactly present me with a group of people i would normally want to hang out with in normal life, so the conversation had been forced and awkward. This time, however, was a totally different group of people, and we carried on conversations, made fun of each other, argued about liking the hot or cold better (if you don't know which one i prefer, i'm pretty sure i don't actually know you), and had a grand old time. It was fun. There was a dude from Maine, a cute couple (one from Zimbabwe and the other from Finland), a dude from India, and generally a good crowd from around the rest of the country. And they were all friendly and forgiving of my tired tongue. I had a hard time speaking (i forgot the word for FRIEND! That's the practically first word everyone learns!), but my comprehension was GREAT. i felt wonderful about that, and still do. Last night i went grocery shopping! I hadn't done that for a month! Tuesday night I went to see The Incredibles with Dan, Razz, and Lyrica, and that movie fucking ROCKS! I wanted to see it again immediately afterward. It was tremendously cute, and i definitely want to own it.
One of my best friends from college is going to visit this weekend! She'll be at a conference most of the time, so the 5 hours that i have her for, i'm hoarding her. But hey - 5 hours for a whole weekend is still more than i normally get to see her. Otherwise, daN and i hope to get pizza by the slice in the North End tonight. To be accurate, i want to get pizza by the slice, and he's kindly accommodating me. Mmm. Pizza.
This is going to be the non-update of all non-updates. Of course, it feels like a lot has happened, but really i'm just stressed with work and have been too tired to do shit when i get home.
Still and all, i went to the French Speakers' Meetup Group on Wednesday night and had a great time. I was hesitant because the last time, though encouraging, didn't exactly present me with a group of people i would normally want to hang out with in normal life, so the conversation had been forced and awkward. This time, however, was a totally different group of people, and we carried on conversations, made fun of each other, argued about liking the hot or cold better (if you don't know which one i prefer, i'm pretty sure i don't actually know you), and had a grand old time. It was fun. There was a dude from Maine, a cute couple (one from Zimbabwe and the other from Finland), a dude from India, and generally a good crowd from around the rest of the country. And they were all friendly and forgiving of my tired tongue. I had a hard time speaking (i forgot the word for FRIEND! That's the practically first word everyone learns!), but my comprehension was GREAT. i felt wonderful about that, and still do. Last night i went grocery shopping! I hadn't done that for a month! Tuesday night I went to see The Incredibles with Dan, Razz, and Lyrica, and that movie fucking ROCKS! I wanted to see it again immediately afterward. It was tremendously cute, and i definitely want to own it.
One of my best friends from college is going to visit this weekend! She'll be at a conference most of the time, so the 5 hours that i have her for, i'm hoarding her. But hey - 5 hours for a whole weekend is still more than i normally get to see her. Otherwise, daN and i hope to get pizza by the slice in the North End tonight. To be accurate, i want to get pizza by the slice, and he's kindly accommodating me. Mmm. Pizza.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Notes
More on the elections:
"Nation's Poor Win Election for Nation's Rich"
What Do You Think?: The Republican Majority
Liberals Return to Sodomy, Welfare Fraud
Movies that i really want to see (in theatres now or recently -- things i wish i had money to see but don't):
I Heart Huckabees (renter)
The Life Aquatic (unsure)
Team America (waiting for it to get to the Somerville Theatre)
Motorcycle Diaries
Vanity Fair
Sky Captain
...There are probably a whole lot more. But i don't remember previews at all. Everyone (Well, ok, Dan) complains about previews giving the whole movie away and negating the need to see the actual movie. The thing is, i don't remember movies. Or most books, for that matter. When i reread, it's actually a surprise to me what's coming up next. And unless i've seen a movie as many times as i've seen Monty Pythong's Search for the Holy Grail or The Princess Bride, chances are that i'm not going to remember it word for word, or even event for event. THAT's why i was so worried about the GRE English Subject test, incidentally.
My Dad came down to visit this weekend! It was really cool to see him, and to be able to show him around our new neighborhood (see posting from Sunday, November 7). We went to see Gregory MacGuire speak at Porter Square Books on Saturday afternoon, which was really cool! He's a pretty funny guy, and i got to ask my lit-geek questions about the topic of writing and rewriting history that i found thematic in his retelling of the Classic Oz tale Wicked.
That was great fun. I love getting to be a lit-geek in an accepted public forum.
And i got to show off in front of Dan and Dad, too. (Not that it was showing off. Sigh.)
We went out to dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen after spending close to two hours looking online at different restaurants and reviews, just trying to figure out where we'd like to eat. We all pretty much came to the conclusion that there's just way too much to choose from living in a city, and we miss the ease of having a significantly smaller by just as varied list of restaurants in Rockland or Portland, Maine. After dinner, Dan hung out here while Dad and I went to get beer at the Cambridge Brewery. I got my usual Charles River Porter (which is excellent, by the way, if you're a dark beer kind of person.) and we sat at the bar and chatted and chilled. It was very relaxing, which was great of course, since i had had that exam that morning and was quite tired by that point.
In the morning, he actually slept in, and then we went to KRISPY KREME!!! YAY!!! I LOVE KRIPSY KREME! It's my Disneyland. When we got there, the production with the Dr. Seuss donut machine had ceased, so we each got two donuts (i got an original and a chocolate glazed, while Dan and Dad went with two original) and some coffee...and some of those awesome Krispy Kreme mugs... Then we noticed that one of the gainful employees was greasing the cake making donut bowl. Then we noticed that the selfsame employee had plugged in the bowl, and had also plugged in glaze fountain. The suspense was killing me! What mouthwatering deliciousness was the creator going to create? I had to stay until i found out. Furthermore, i wasn't leaving until i bought one. Or three... but i shared. But good GOD. Don't eat three donuts in one sitting. Particularly if two or more of them are cake donuts. They were making the crullers. I thought i was going to die -- in two senses: One, i thought i had died and gone to heaven because it was so rich and yummy. Two, i was so blastedly full i thought i had died and started the "dead and bloat[ing]" process.
Dad left shortly thereafter for Maine, and then Dan and I watched South Park the Musical before heading over to Q's to watch the Pats game and eat their pizza. It was a good time. I feel quite fortunate to have had many friends move down to us rather than having to make too many new friends down here. That's always hard.
More on the elections:
"Nation's Poor Win Election for Nation's Rich"
What Do You Think?: The Republican Majority
Liberals Return to Sodomy, Welfare Fraud
Movies that i really want to see (in theatres now or recently -- things i wish i had money to see but don't):
I Heart Huckabees (renter)
The Life Aquatic (unsure)
Team America (waiting for it to get to the Somerville Theatre)
Motorcycle Diaries
Vanity Fair
Sky Captain
...There are probably a whole lot more. But i don't remember previews at all. Everyone (Well, ok, Dan) complains about previews giving the whole movie away and negating the need to see the actual movie. The thing is, i don't remember movies. Or most books, for that matter. When i reread, it's actually a surprise to me what's coming up next. And unless i've seen a movie as many times as i've seen Monty Pythong's Search for the Holy Grail or The Princess Bride, chances are that i'm not going to remember it word for word, or even event for event. THAT's why i was so worried about the GRE English Subject test, incidentally.
My Dad came down to visit this weekend! It was really cool to see him, and to be able to show him around our new neighborhood (see posting from Sunday, November 7). We went to see Gregory MacGuire speak at Porter Square Books on Saturday afternoon, which was really cool! He's a pretty funny guy, and i got to ask my lit-geek questions about the topic of writing and rewriting history that i found thematic in his retelling of the Classic Oz tale Wicked.
That was great fun. I love getting to be a lit-geek in an accepted public forum.
And i got to show off in front of Dan and Dad, too. (Not that it was showing off. Sigh.)
We went out to dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen after spending close to two hours looking online at different restaurants and reviews, just trying to figure out where we'd like to eat. We all pretty much came to the conclusion that there's just way too much to choose from living in a city, and we miss the ease of having a significantly smaller by just as varied list of restaurants in Rockland or Portland, Maine. After dinner, Dan hung out here while Dad and I went to get beer at the Cambridge Brewery. I got my usual Charles River Porter (which is excellent, by the way, if you're a dark beer kind of person.) and we sat at the bar and chatted and chilled. It was very relaxing, which was great of course, since i had had that exam that morning and was quite tired by that point.
In the morning, he actually slept in, and then we went to KRISPY KREME!!! YAY!!! I LOVE KRIPSY KREME! It's my Disneyland. When we got there, the production with the Dr. Seuss donut machine had ceased, so we each got two donuts (i got an original and a chocolate glazed, while Dan and Dad went with two original) and some coffee...and some of those awesome Krispy Kreme mugs... Then we noticed that one of the gainful employees was greasing the cake making donut bowl. Then we noticed that the selfsame employee had plugged in the bowl, and had also plugged in glaze fountain. The suspense was killing me! What mouthwatering deliciousness was the creator going to create? I had to stay until i found out. Furthermore, i wasn't leaving until i bought one. Or three... but i shared. But good GOD. Don't eat three donuts in one sitting. Particularly if two or more of them are cake donuts. They were making the crullers. I thought i was going to die -- in two senses: One, i thought i had died and gone to heaven because it was so rich and yummy. Two, i was so blastedly full i thought i had died and started the "dead and bloat[ing]" process.
Dad left shortly thereafter for Maine, and then Dan and I watched South Park the Musical before heading over to Q's to watch the Pats game and eat their pizza. It was a good time. I feel quite fortunate to have had many friends move down to us rather than having to make too many new friends down here. That's always hard.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
I'M TELLING IT ON THE MOUNTAIN!!!
Good news! All my hard work studying for the GRE English Subject Test paid off!
Err, well, that's overblowing things a little bit. What i meant to say was that I studied a little bit, and turns out the small amount of preparation that i did (yes i acknowledge that i should have prepared more) actually made something of a difference. There were a couple of questions on something that i think came from The Canterbury Tales, and generally the reading i did of random middle English poets helped me to remember what the language looked like at different periods of time. That actually really helped. And i could think to myself, "Well, i don't think that guy wrote then, and that guy is much later than that, so it has to be between these three other people." And that's how a lot of the test went.
And actually, my heart leapt with glee when the first question on the test was on none other than Toni Morrison whom i have spent a good deal of time studying, and then another question on Jane Austen. It seems as though ETS is making more of an effort to consider having people other than the cannon on the test. Also, there were a lot of Harlem Renaissance author questions on there, and i was generally able to answer all of those without a problem.
AND! (here's the part i'm really excited about) when i saw the passage, "O, reason not the need! Our basest beggars/ Are in the poorest thing superluous,/ Allow not nature more than nature needs,/ Man's life is cheap as beast's." Which is OF COURSE King Lear's reaction to his daughters Regan and Goneril's decision to take his horsesmen away from him (though he starts the play by divesting himself of his rule, dividing his kingdom and power between his three daughters. Regan and Goneril are the mean ones and Cordelia is the one who takes him in the end.) I was all over that question! That's one of my favorite passages!
So all of this sounds like very good news, and it makes it sound like i did very well on the exam. It's still entirely possible that I bombed. I certainly didn't finish the test (i probably answered about 2/3 or 3/4 of the questions), and i had to make educated guesses about most of them. There are only a few on which i was certain, and the rest was a little bit of process of elimination and then guessing from what i had left. All i'm asking for is a 500 or more so i'm not automatically discounted from Brown's program. That's all i'm asking.
We'll find out in six weeks.
Good news! All my hard work studying for the GRE English Subject Test paid off!
Err, well, that's overblowing things a little bit. What i meant to say was that I studied a little bit, and turns out the small amount of preparation that i did (yes i acknowledge that i should have prepared more) actually made something of a difference. There were a couple of questions on something that i think came from The Canterbury Tales, and generally the reading i did of random middle English poets helped me to remember what the language looked like at different periods of time. That actually really helped. And i could think to myself, "Well, i don't think that guy wrote then, and that guy is much later than that, so it has to be between these three other people." And that's how a lot of the test went.
And actually, my heart leapt with glee when the first question on the test was on none other than Toni Morrison whom i have spent a good deal of time studying, and then another question on Jane Austen. It seems as though ETS is making more of an effort to consider having people other than the cannon on the test. Also, there were a lot of Harlem Renaissance author questions on there, and i was generally able to answer all of those without a problem.
AND! (here's the part i'm really excited about) when i saw the passage, "O, reason not the need! Our basest beggars/ Are in the poorest thing superluous,/ Allow not nature more than nature needs,/ Man's life is cheap as beast's." Which is OF COURSE King Lear's reaction to his daughters Regan and Goneril's decision to take his horsesmen away from him (though he starts the play by divesting himself of his rule, dividing his kingdom and power between his three daughters. Regan and Goneril are the mean ones and Cordelia is the one who takes him in the end.) I was all over that question! That's one of my favorite passages!
So all of this sounds like very good news, and it makes it sound like i did very well on the exam. It's still entirely possible that I bombed. I certainly didn't finish the test (i probably answered about 2/3 or 3/4 of the questions), and i had to make educated guesses about most of them. There are only a few on which i was certain, and the rest was a little bit of process of elimination and then guessing from what i had left. All i'm asking for is a 500 or more so i'm not automatically discounted from Brown's program. That's all i'm asking.
We'll find out in six weeks.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Things I'm Thankful For
In the current political climate, and given my current angst about applying to grad schools and taking the freakin' GRE English Subject test this Saturday (i've given up on real studying at this point), it's easy for me to forget about some of the things in life I love the most. I never forget about how much I love Dan. But it's nice to browse through the pictures on my computer and be reminded of the other things I have to be grateful for. Here are a couple of them.
I could have just as easily titled this post, "Things I Like to Do in my Spare Time."
In the current political climate, and given my current angst about applying to grad schools and taking the freakin' GRE English Subject test this Saturday (i've given up on real studying at this point), it's easy for me to forget about some of the things in life I love the most. I never forget about how much I love Dan. But it's nice to browse through the pictures on my computer and be reminded of the other things I have to be grateful for. Here are a couple of them.
I could have just as easily titled this post, "Things I Like to Do in my Spare Time."
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