Keats and Various Drawing Things

The last two weeks have been really interesting. Classes are going well so far; I am taking my last advanced drawing class, intro to illustration, a BFA exhibition class, and Advanced Creative Writing fiction. I'm really excited for what this semester is going to bring, but the stresses of the incoming BFA show have really started to creep into my system and suddenly everything seems so much more daunting than I thought they would be. 

This uncertainty and (since we're being honest here) absolute terror aside, I've been trying to gather my thoughts for my drawing thesis. One of the inspirations that I will be studying/looking to in my research is John Keats,* one of my favorite poets. Thus, I went looking for a collection of his poetry so I could read a little more not only for my own interests, but also for the research for my thesis and artist statement.

Look at that cover....so gorgeous! I think it's a still from the movie about Fanny Brawne, Bright Star.** 

This is a collection of letters Keats wrote to Fanny Brawne. I might have to wait to read it around Valentine's Day--appropriate, I think. 

There's just something so intricate and beautiful about the way Keats uses words. I can't get over it. But, more another time. Tonight's goal is to get some serious drawing done. 

 

*I'm also really interested in the things W.B. Yeats explores in his poetry. I won't go into too much detail now. I'm still trying to gather my thoughts. Perhaps another time.

**I highly recommend it. It's such a beautiful story, and the movie is wonderful. 

Three Things

Thing 1

I wrote another guest-blog post over at The Hype Weekly site. It was a huge honor to be asked to write again, and as always, a huge thank you to The Hype for letting me rattle on a little bit about the crazy stuff I think about.


Thing 2

When I woke up this morning, I found a bag just outside my bedroom door. My mom had stopped by when I was still asleep to drop off the bag while she was in town running errands, and because both she and my roommates thought I'd already left for work, I didn't get to see her. (I did call her as soon as the other girls told me this to thank her for bringing the bag and chat a little, though the chatting was slightly awkward as I was still trying to wake up and she was grocery shopping.)

Anyway, included in the bag was my copy of John Green's The Fault In Our Stars, which had been sent home after I'd pre-ordered it.

It's so pretty! I like the simplicity of the cover. 

My roommate Alisha received one that included a Hank-lerfish, so I had convinced myself that maybe I'd get one with a Yeti* included with the signature. But no matter. I like the red. And really, the book is the most important thing. 

Thing 3

So this happened on Saturday night. And it was beautiful and hilarious and entertaining and so worth watching every minute that Daniel Radcliffe was on.** The skits were clever, funny, and unexpected in a good way.  It was awesome--I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Here's to hoping they'll invite him back to host again in the future. 

Thanks to DanRadcliffe.com for links to pictures and skits from the episode (the image above was from the same link). 

*You can learn more about the Yeti here. She's discussed here and there, and is quite elusive. 

**Lona Del Ray was the musical performer this episode. She was awful. Seriously, though. She was drone-y and the lyrics made me scratch my head. Like, a lot. 

Daniel Radcliffe on Poetry

Aside from the fact I've had a massive crush on Daniel Radcliffe since I was about 14 years old*, I just really like hearing what he has to say about anything and everything. He's always so insightful and honest in interviews. In part of a recent interview with Parade Magazine,** he touches on a lot of things, including poetry. (He writes poetry.)

Quotage:

I think true poetry is a color—it's as fundamental as that. It can provoke a profound, basic human reaction. Understanding what the poet is saying comes from something fundamental in us that is moved by the musicality of language. (Daniel Radcliffe, from Parade interview)

This seriously blows my mind. "...True poetry is a color..." No words.


*I kid you not. I wrote fan letters to him and everything. Erm... But that's a story for another day.

**Here's another part from the interview. As I don't have a copy of the magazine, I'm not sure what the full interview from the print issue of the magazine includes. Anyway, both links are bits and pieces.

New Perks Promotional Pictures

Emma-Watson.net has posted a couple new promos from "Perks". And I really hope that a trailer is released soon, because the more we see from the movie, the more excited I get.

So a few quick thoughts/gushing about all the details I love in this picture:

• THAT TYPEWRITER. (I can't read what it says on the paper, and it makes me really sad.)
• I love the little robot drawing posted on the wall.
• The cameras on the shelf!! 
• The worn quality of Sam's desk and dresser thing. 
• If the stereo on the shelf above the desk is indeed a cassette player like I think it is, I will faint. Probably. So freakin' cool. 
• Though it's rather hard to see, that picture on the wall looks like it's Sam, Patrick (?), and someone else. 
• I love the stack of books that's been bound together. Also, I can't read the spines...
• All of the pictures, ticket stubs, school supplies, and that floral hat box...everything just seems so perfect, you know? And perfect in the sense that I believe that this is Sam's room (I'm pretty sure it's Sam's room, if my memory isn't too shoddy), and it feels organic and lived in and so much like a place that Sam could live. Does that make sense? 
• This scene.... <3

I'm such a sucker for detail. (How cool would it be to to be a set decorator?!) And, of course, all I want to do now is read the book again. 

Many thanks to Emma-Watson.net!

Resolutions Revisited

So, as soon as I posted my resolutions the other day, I realize that I forgot a couple that I had wanted to add. Anyway, the addendum:

15. I want to cook more, and get more creative with it. Mostly my dinners consist of Kraft dinner or a serving of pasta topped with Alfredo sauce and mozzarella cheese. I need to allow more room for creativity and healthy eating.

16. I have a lot of books on my bookshelf that I haven't yet read. I need to have read--or at least attempt to read--every book I own by the end of the year. I need to allow myself the time to read as well, because I'm really bad about that.

17. Write more ideas down, regardless of whether they're drawing- or writing-related. I used to be really good with this, but somehow my little notebook wasn't always with me last year...and the few ideas that I was really excited about disappeared into the void.

I know I probably have forgotten a couple more. If and when they come back to me, I'll write them down. Anyhoo.

Also, I will post about Mockingjay in the next couple of days. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post it; I needed time for it to sink in before I could really write about it. I'm thinking the thoughtbox will be a little different than the ones I've done before because I just have so many feelings about the book... But it will be up soon. I promise.

For those interested....

... I recently had the very wonderful honor of guest-blogging over at The Hype. Check it out if you have a spare moment or two. And even if you aren't necessarily interested in my post, please check out the site, which will definitely be worth it because The Hype website is off-the-hook amazing and highly entertaining. You won't be disappointed.

Many, many thanks to The Hype for their invitation. It was a blast. :)

"Make Lemonade"

When I was in high school, I made my way through all the YA books both the public library and the school library had. Well, all the ones that sounded good, and I tried to read as many as I could. One of the books I picked up was a book written in poetry form (I think either blank verse or free verse, and because I'm such a terrible English major, I can't remember which is which--my deepest apologies) called True Believer. I remember feeling really affected by it because it was so unique in comparison to the kinds of things I had been reading before.

A year or two after reading it, I was browsing the school library's collection of YA books*, and I found a book called Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff. I found out that ML was the first of a trilogy that included True Believer, the second book in the series.

After I'd finished reading both in the series, I tried looking on the internet to see what the third one was called and instead found out that it had not yet been published. When I had to read True Believer again for my Lit for Adolescents class a few years ago, I looked again, my love for the series renewed**, and found out that the third book had not yet been published. I asked my professor if she knew anything about it, and she knew no more than I did.

After I got back from getting my hair cut earlier today, my roommate Prairie was sitting at the dining room table with my battered but loved used copy of True Believer. She had recently finished Make Lemonade and I suggested reading TB since she loved the first book so much. She commented on how much she loved the book so far.

"There's supposed to be a third one in the series," I said, rinsing off the saucepan I'd been washing and putting it into the dish drainer. "I don't think it's out yet, though."

"Really?" she said, turning the book over in her hands and inspecting the cover.

"I think so. Gimme a sec and I'll see if there's anything about it yet online. I don't even know what it's called..." I dried my hands and got on my laptop and did a google search.

I pulled up Virginia Euwer Wolff's website and clicked on the books link. Among the covers shown, I noticed one that looked pretty recent, a book called This Full House, and clicked on it.

As soon as I saw the name LaVaughn, I flipped out. "I think this is it! It has to be!"

I had to double check, just to be safe.*** It came out in 2009, and I didn't know until two years later. But no matter. Finally, after years and years, the trilogy is complete. I can't wait to read it.


*I think this is where I found it, because I don't recall the public library having it, but it could be the other way around. I can't remember for sure. I just know I read both books and they came from either library.

**Because reading it the second time made me love it even more.

***I'm not a big fan of the cover design. It makes me think of the covers for series like Pretty Little Liars, as seen here. It doesn't seem to fit the nature of the series, but ultimately it doesn't matter, because the story is what counts. You know?

"Shake It Out" by Florence + The Machine

One of my Christmas presents was Florence + The Machine's "Ceremonials," and I think I may be a little obsessed with it. This is definitely one of those songs that is perfect for writing and drawing--and I'm sure that the entire album will end up going on my art playlist. Of the three CDs I got for Christmas, this album is the one that I've kept in my Walkman* the most. Everything about the album is amazing.

I updated my iPod playlist last night to include this album in addition to songs from the respective greatest hits collections of The Cure and Tom Petty. I get ridiculously excited whenever I add/switch around playlists--I wonder if that's any indication to how silly the things that make me happy are, but no matter. Music gets me through my day, and I love switching playlists around. I really wanted an updated playlist for the ride back the Tiny Blue Room later today.

Speaking of which...I've been up for three hours and I really should get stuff pulled together. It's so surreal that the vacation is almost over.

*My friend Jessica had to explain what a Walkman** was to her daughter, who is about 5 or 6 years old. When she told me that I nearly fell over. I feel so old (which makes sense, I suppose, since my birthday is coming up next month).

**In case you don't know what a Walkman is, it is a portable CD player that was really popular through the '90s and into the 2000s, just before iPods and other such mp3 players became popular. I think it also derived from the Walkman cassette player, which preceded the Walkman CD player. Anyway, a Walkman can be seen at about :41 or :42 in this early video from Mandy Moore. And the one she has there is super fancy--mine is a simple silver Sony Walkman.

Resolutions for 2012

When I sit down to write out my resolutions, I tend to look over the previous year's to construct the new list, adding things here and there. Thus.

1. Control the amount of money I spend on music. Last year I resolved to not buy any more music until I had every Beatles album, and I failed miserably. I think it might be a good idea to stick to that same resolution again. No other music until I have completed my Beatles discography. 
2. By the end of 2012, I have to have gone through everything I own--both at home and in the Tiny Blue Room--and gotten rid of all that I don't need any more. Clothes should be taken to Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity, books should be taken to The Dusty Bookshelf, and music and movies should be taken to somewhere that will take them and sell them again. I've been too lax in the control of my hoarding, and I need to buckle down. A massive "spring cleaning" is needed. 
3. Better scheduling and following of deadlines. This is one of the things I have the most trouble with. 
4. Journal/freewrite/write everyday, even if it's only 15 minutes. 
5. Finish writing the novel I started for Nanowrimo 2011. 
6. Complete Nanowrimo 2012 in November.
7. Budget better so that I can start saving a little money. 
8. Try to cut down on the amount of pointless internet surfing that I do. 
9. Get applications for grad school sent out. Take the time to go through picking schools to apply to. 
10. Organize my music, books, and artwork.
11. Make more work, and try to work through any artistic block that may arise. 
12. Try not to get so angry with my roommates...because that was another huge problem for me last year.
13. Professionalize my wardrobe so that I'm ready for the upcoming changes that will accompany my upcoming graduation. 
14. As my sister pointed out to me, I need to allow myself more time to relax and de-stress.