Birthday Lists

Dear Reader,

I apologize for my recent decline in posts. I spent the last weekend here:

Amazing. 

And a perfectly valid excuse, no?

But on to my point...today is my 20th birthday! That's right, I am no longer a teenager! My mother can stop crying herself to sleep every night, for now I am a RESPONSIBLE ADULT!

Haha. Okay. Okay. I know, my humor really has picked up.

But guess who else turned 20 today?!

That's right! Soulja Boy and I both turned 20 today! Same day, same year...it's pretty obvious that we were separated at birth. I'm sure he misses me a bunch, I'll probably give him a call. Maybe he'll loan me those shades, I left mine at the beach.

Okay. Fine. I'll buy my own glasses.

But really, I've decided to commemorate today BY...making a list! YES! Lists are by far one of my most favorite things to make, so I am giving myself a present! (I now ask you, dear reader, to ignore the incredibly high nerd factor of someone who looks for excuses to make lists -- that can be your birthday present to me).

So here it is:
20 Things I, Emma SueAlice Baker, Want To Do Before I Am 25: 
(I have a talent for lists not their titles).

1. Get my Bachelors degree.
2. Go on a service abroad.
3. Buy a car.
4. Start working on a Masters degree.
5. Be a REALLY GOOD English teacher.
6. Write a short story or personal essay or poetry collection.
7. Get said work published in a literary magazine.
8. Be given a dozen roses.
9. Go to New York City.
10. Learn how to waltz with confidence.
11. Make temple covenants.
12. Conquer a fear. 
13. Have my whole family in one place at one time. All fourteen of them.
14. Read 100 books [for fun] in one year.
15. Write a poem in another language.
16. Own a collection. (I don't know of what...)
17. Improve physical health. No more stress-sick-Emma.
18. Eat something I've dreamed about.
19. Take a spontaneous road trip.
20. Figure out how to be an adult.

Hmmm...not bad, huh? Completely do-able, which is good. No unrealistic expectations, just my honest goals. I like how this says a lot about me with very few words. What would yours say?

I really do love lists. The way they summarize everything up into lovely, logical lists is so delicious. I think I am going to make lists a part of this blog -- like one list every week, a regular feature. There is no limit on the topics, so if you have any list ideas, please submit. In fact, if you have any lists of your own then share.

The Book Thief

            I rarely forget any of the books I read. I can recall the main character, plot and resolution to almost every book I've ever read. The characters, from that Loudest Little Lion to TeaCake and even Gilgamesh run around my head in a never ending 400 meter race (of course, if it's never ending then it must be more than 400 meters, but that is well beside the point). Those plots hang in my head on an endless dream catcher that takes up too much space on my cerebral cortex. Other than English test settings,  this talent doesn't serve a purpose other than clutter. And with my habit of forgetting homework assignments and losing dorm keys, I could definitely use less clutter.

Sometimes though, I like it.

After reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, I thanked God for a mental filtering system that chooses books over key locations.

Really, and I mean this with the greatest emphasis -- we're talking bold, italics, and OVERSIZED -- really, this is one of the best books I have read all year, and probably beyond that. 

Why:

     The Book Thief is a Young Adult WWII novel, and proves that there are endless lessons to be learned from the mid twentieth century. The story follows the life of a young German girl who is forced into a foster home after her parents are discovered as communists and taken away by the Nazis. The girl, Liesel, is illiterate when the story begins but discovers endless possibilities once the world of words is opened up to her. This novel covers all bases -- hiding a Jew, being sent off to war, the threat of bombing raids, tender family moments, and even a tiny, tiny bit of romance. Oh, and it is narrated by Death.

You might think Death might not be an ideal narrator, but place your fears of morbidity aside. The Death narration is actually one of the most compelling elements to the novel, and, in an ironic turn, is often the only source of perspective and comic relief in some otherwise horrendous moments. 

         However, I won't sell Zusak short - his novel is not built on a quirky narrator. Death is just another voice among a cast of the most compelling characters I have ever met. An accordion playing Papa and a foul mouthed Mama prove not to be the model of perfect German parenthood, but rather models of real parental love. Max, the Jewish fist fighter, and Rudy, the German Jesse Owens-wannabe, are the best friends imaginable. Each main character, and even the minor ones, prove to be round and come alive as the reader embraces their unique, believable, quirks.

             Beyond The Book Thief's characters, its format is the picture of post modern literature. Death not only narrates the story of Liesel, but includes announcements, definitions, plot spoilers, and even a few pages from his own diary. Other stories, written by the characters, are included in their entirety, with illustrations. Such blending of formats causes the tale to take a dynamic feel with almost every turn of the page. In a book over 500 pages long, Zusak keeps your attention. 

        The writing is as dynamic as the format. His prose, while not wholly poetic, is fascinating by merit of his awesome, amazing, and astounding descriptions. Really, some of the metaphors he wrote created new connections in my mind. I could feel my neural synapses burning.

Here is an excerpt that I really love (and doesn't contain any spoilers, a hard thing to do):

"His soul sat up. It met me. Those kinds of souls always do - the best ones. The ones who rise up and say "I know who you are and I am ready. Not that I want to go, of course, but I will come." Those souls are always light because more of them have been put out. More of them have already found their way to other places."

     The last, and most important, reason why I love this book:

It has been several years since a book made me cry; I cried, hard, for the last twenty-something pages of the book. And it wasn't just a sad ending that pushed my tear ducts to the brink -- it was the lesson I learned about the power of words, death and life.

 Amazing cover. I need this edition.

Okay, okay. I guess it's true. I kind of really liked the book.

Lessons from an Aunt...

My current position: I am typing on the computer while my eight week old nephew, Cash, sits on my lap, clawing my arm with his surprisingly long baby-finger nails. My niece, Cora, has just finished pleading with me to give her ice cream, which she was forbidden after she knocked down a miniature kitchen while in yet another passion about food. My nephew, Bryant, is in the kitchen, repeating some sentence over and over again while my sister, Maurine, tries to coerce her husband, Erick, into loading the dishwasher with some dusty college psychology.

Hold on. The baby is crying.
Okay, all better. Thank you automatic swinging chair and fishy mobile.

After spending the past little while at my sister's house on vacation, I have a few excellent quotes I feel need to be shared with the world.

1. Cora got her front tooth chipped in half after running into a dryer door/Bryant. I went with my sister to the dentist office, the picture of sisterly moral support, and sat in the waiting room with Cora while Maurine went to feed Cash. An older woman enters the waiting room and takes and immediate liking to Cora (who doesn't?!). "Are you going to the dentist?" says the Kindly Old Lady. "Yes." (pronounced Yeeeeeeaaaasssss -- she extends the last word in every sentence). "Oh," KOL continues, "Do you have pretty little teeth?" Cora looks up and smiles, "Not anymore!"

2. Church. I go to primary with Maurine to hold Cash while she teaches sharing time (/avoid awkward Relief Society). The Bishop starts off primary with a stirring talk. Little Bryant, the precocious genius, answers almost every question. The Bishop asks "Bryant, what is Fast Sunday?" Bryant replies, "It's when you drive to church really fast because you missed Sacrament meeting."
I'm sorry Maurine, I'll try to wake up on time next Sunday!

3. Today we stopped at Office Depot for one of Maurine's fantastic coupon buys. Cora insisted on holding my hand the entire time. As she pulled me from one spot to another she started hopping slightly and, strangely enough, panting. Real panting, akin to an over excited dachshund.
"Cora," I said, "why are you panting?" She kept running, "It's because I'm so happy!"
That is the epitome of Cora.

4. Tonight, after a long, eventful day, I sat on the couch watching Cash while Maurine struggled to get Cora to bed (see above ice cream comment). Erick sat on the opposite couch and Bryant attempted to convince Erick to talk to him before he went to bed (A Small Allen Family Tradition: Erick will sometimes talk to Bryant and Cora right before they go to sleep. While this could be seen as an opportunity for patriarchal guidance, it usually ends up in giggles). Erick, tired from a long, 90 degree day, informed Bryant that tonight was not talking night. Bryant changed targets.
Bryant: Emma, will you talk to me?
Me: No.
Bryant: But why?!
Me: Because I talked to you all day.

Okay, so that last one was me. But you get the point.
My family is really great.

Main Characters:

Cora & Bryant

15 important things...

One of my favorite authors of all time (and the time before that) is Sarah Dessen. She is a fantastic young adult author who is at least 30% of why I made it through high school and 60% of my survival after my boyfriend left on his mission last year. Her books are young, romantic, and poignant -- everything I love.

Today I was reading through her blog (45% dorky) when I came across a speech she gave at the NC School of Math and Science. In it, she gives a list of 15 important things to know in life after high school. Here is her list:

1. If you’re in the midst of a breakup and the other person says, “It’s not you, it’s me,” don’t believe them. It’s you.

2. Some things you can skimp on. But if you buy cheap cars, electronics or shoes, you’ll regret it.

3. Don’t pull an all nighter before anything serious, whether it be a job interview or a major exam. It doesn’t matter how smart you are. Everyone is stupid when they are exhausted.

4. Travel. You won’t regret it.

5. Pay more than the minimum payment on your credit card every month. In fact, if you can, pay cash and skip the plastic altogether.

6. Love your family despite your differences, conflicts, and quirks. More often than not, they are the only ones who will always do the same for you.

7. On a related note, spend as much time as you can with your grandparents. Nobody will ever again love you so much and so unconditionally.

8. If you want a tattoo, think about it for at least a year before you get it. And don’t get someone’s name, unless it’s one of your grandparents.

9. Keep your attention on the road when you’re driving. Let your eye be your brake. (That one’s from my dad. Thanks, Dad!)

10. If you’re planning to start a sentence with “I don’t mean to be rude, but…” or some variation of such, just don’t say anything. Really. Just don’t.

11. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. It’s been said before, but bears repeating: kindness begets kindness.

12. If you’re ever tempted to litter, do this: assume that whatever you throw down on the ground, through your entire life, will join you in a small room in the hereafter. Do you want to spend eternity with that styrofoam cup? Didn’t think so.

13. The more you work, the more you work. This one is from my friend John, who is a farmer in Chatham County. He knows about work. But I think his point might be that there’s other things in life, as well. My other favorite of John’s is this: If you want to make a millon dollars farming, start with two million. Don’t know if any of you are planning the agricultural route, but it’s good information, at any rate.

14. Involve yourself in the world around you. Volunteer, run for office, pay attention. The greater your stake, the greater your return. And for that, your children and grandchildren will thank you later.

15. In every ending, there is a beginning. In every mistake, a lesson. And so, in every moment and every one, endless potential. 

I love this list. Not only does it validate my obsession to travel, but it really makes me think about everything I have learned since coming to college. SO...in honor of Sarah Dessen and my own progression, here is my list:

15 Things You Really Should Know After Two Years Of College:

1. If you don't do the dishes, no one will. Unfortunately, there is no magical maternal figure that will show up and do them for you. They really will just pile up. And grow mold. Purple mold.

2. Talk to your professors. Most professors are not demons bent on destroying your future via a GPA killing machine. A lot of them actually want to help you. Oh, and rude e-mails just make TAs want to give you worse grades, not better.

3. Roommates can make or break a year, choose wisely. You might not be best friends anymore after a year of living together. Now that I've said that, just know that you can put up with anything for one year. Believe me, ANYTHING.

4.Do the reading. Or at least do the reading for the first few weeks. After you get a feel for the class you can judge if the reading is actually necessary. This goes for class attendance as well. Always go to class for the first few weeks -- even labs. You can't imagine the regret you'll feel when your classmate informs you that attendance counts in lab and you've skipped the first six weeks (not one of my best moves).

5.Spend wisely. You really don't need that new shirt. However, don't be afraid to have fun. Just use wise monetary judgment; think, cute blouse or weekend road trip...

6. Saying you have sick roommates is the perfect way to get an awkward date to leave. Always. The worse the illness, the faster the exit. Think Mono.

7.Family is still necessary in college. Possibly even more necessary than usual. Keep contact, especially with those near by. They are your perfect escape when the stress gets to be too much. Family and music.

8. Don't take 5 credit classes.

9. God falls under the absolutely necessary category. Really. Sometimes out at school there is nobody but you and God. Thank goodness He's there.

10.Sleep is a necessity, unfortunately. While a few all nighters are fun and usually worth it, consistent late nights are death to your body and grades. Take a couple nights to ignore those late night roommate chats and sleep; you'll like them a lot better when you can keep your eyes open.

11.Don't let fights simmer between roommates. Have it out. Speak your part. Don't be steamrolled. But don't be a jerk. Sometimes, you're wrong. Accept it and move on, there are more important things to worry about.

12. Boys come and go. And so do girls. Find those people who know you, accept you, love you, and help you to have the time of your life. Stick with them through thick and thin. In college things change all the time, all anyone wants is a little consistency; you can be that glue for someone else.

13. Please, go frolick some time. Or go lay down in the grass. Or jump in a pool. Smell some of those perfectly manicured campus flowers. Take the time to appreciate that you're YOUNG! you're FRESH! you have your whole life ahead of you and that ROCKS! In the midst of finals and that boy who will never love you there is a whole lot of really good life going on out there.

14. In combination with that, remember that there is a world outside of college. You are in a bubble. That bubble will not last forever. Be active in the world. Know the news, vote, volunteer, help.

15. As some friends once told me, this is your "me" time. Figure out who you are. Don't get lost in those thousands of people going to school with you every day. You're still you and you need to know what that means. Find values. Real ones. And stick with them. Don't let that first love change your mind, or the second one either. And you don't have to be the same person you were in high school; the fact that people can change is a beautiful thing.

So there is my list. I think I was talking to myself more than an audience. I'm still learning.
Did you like my list? Did I forget any? Feel free to add/make your own!

Example:

Well, the real reason that I posted "Introduction"  was because I wanted to share an image/text combination that saved a paper I wrote last winter. Actually, it's more than about making your papers cooler, visual art and written works are meant to be united, in my mind at least. I think that for many works of writing there is the perfect painting waiting to accompany it or explain it or increase its affect.
Here is my example: Tell me if you think Salvador Dali's "Visage of War" really amplifies the meaning of T.S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men." Both works are from similar time periods and situations, and are possibly sending similar messages, so doesn't the combination of them really increase meaning? Do you agree, disagree? Let me know.

The Hollow Men

Mistah Kurtz—he dead.

      A penny for the Old Guy

      I

We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or rats’ feet over broken glass
In our dry cellar

Shape without form, shade without colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without motion;

Those who have crossed
With direct eyes, to death’s other Kingdom
Remember us—if at all—not as lost
Violent souls, but only
As the hollow men
The stuffed men.

      II

Eyes I dare not meet in dreams
In death’s dream kingdom
These do not appear:
There, the eyes are
Sunlight on a broken column
There, is a tree swinging
And voices are
In the wind’s singing
More distant and more solemn
Than a fading star.

Let me be no nearer
In death’s dream kingdom
Let me also wear
Such deliberate disguises
Rat’s coat, crowskin, crossed staves
In a field
Behaving as the wind behaves
No nearer—

Not that final meeting
In the twilight kingdom

      III

This is the dead land
This is cactus land
Here the stone images
Are raised, here they receive
The supplication of a dead man’s hand
Under the twinkle of a fading star.

Is it like this
In death’s other kingdom
Waking alone
At the hour when we are
Trembling with tenderness
Lips that would kiss
Form prayers to broken stone.

      IV

The eyes are not here
There are no eyes here
In this valley of dying stars
In this hollow valley
This broken jaw of our lost kingdoms

In this last of meeting places
We grope together
And avoid speech
Gathered on this beach of the tumid river

Sightless, unless
The eyes reappear
As the perpetual star
Multifoliate rose
Of death’s twilight kingdom
The hope only
Of empty men.

      V

Here we go round the prickly pear
Prickly pear prickly pear
Here we go round the prickly pear
At five o’clock in the morning.

Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow
                                For Thine is the Kingdom

Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow
                                Life is very long

Between the desire
And the spasm
Between the potency
And the existence
Between the essence
And the descent
Falls the Shadow
                                For Thine is the Kingdom

For Thine is
Life is
For Thine is the

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
 

Introduction:

Today I calculated how many papers I wrote this past school year, and I believe the total comes to 25, ranging from 3 to 15 pages long. My! That is a lot of papers! And if you think about it, that equals well over a hundred papers for each teacher to read for each class - I should know, as a Teaching Assistant I have probably read over 200 papers last year alone. It's a night mare. So sometimes I wonder, in the midst of all of this writing and tree killing, how do I stand out? How can I make my professor remember me above all the others?

Answer: Take risks.

In all of the papers I graded I can only remember one; the author (whose name I've forgotten) made an analogy between China and Rip Van Winkle, that she pushed throughout the entire paper. With that analogy she made me wake up and really pay attention to what she was saying. Sure, it seemed a bit hokey, and I don't recommend doing such things beyond GE classes, but it does demonstrate how risks help papers.

What kind of risks should I take?
Well, I am still exploring that field, but here is one I used a bit in a Brit Lit class that served me well:
Images. That's right, using images is a gold mine of "LOOK AT ME"s in a paper. An image can be tastefully integrated into a paper so that it adds a new perspective on the work and/or theme you're discussing. It gives you, the author, a chance to show that you're horizons expand beyond the English/History field you write in and into a whole new realm.
But there are rules to using images: Don't stick them in the middle of the text, put it as a in-text reference in the back of the paper. And don't talk about an image but then not include it anywhere -- that just confuses the audience.

Okay, so why am I talking about this? Look to the next post for your answer!

fantastic fantasy =

Okay. It's confession time. That's right, be prepared for a mind-blower:

I have never read the Lord of the Rings before.
OH MY GOSH! I know! I am a disgusting, despicable, disturbing human being! While all of you other diligent readers were spending your high school careers reading important books such as the LOTR series, I was busy plucking through the library searching for the book with the pinkest cover and coolest font.

Despicable.

Dramatic?
A bit. But I really wish I had read them before. Now that I am diving in head first to the literary world of Hobbits and Tom Bombadil (who was not even in the movie, RIP OFF), I realize all that I have been missing.

Tolkien? Genius. No doubts about it. In my adolescent literature class last semester we talked about Tolkien's gift/obsession for languages and how the LOTR stemmed from that love. Tolkien believed that language and culture were so intertwined that when he decided to create his own language he wanted to create a culture to support it, and thence produced the Lord of the Rings series. His books in themselves show mastery of the English language, and an almost uncanny ability to create a new reality.

That's what I love most about his books. I have never ever been into fantasy much, but on occasion I come across a book or show that creates a world in which I am completely entrapped. They, as many of my professors put it, "suspend our disbelief." But, it's interesting, not all books or films do this for me. In my opinion specific, concrete details and endearing characters are what a fantasy world needs to trap an audience. Support for this opinion:

1. Harry Potter: That's right, I said it. And maybe I succumbing to some corporate machine, but anyone who can get millions of people to totally suspend their disbelief and think magic is cool again must have chops and be given props (intentional rhyme, thank you). Is the fact that Harry's cupboard under the stairs covered in spiders absolutely necessary to the plot? Or the moving staircases? No. And although everyone knows Harry got a bit angsty in the fifth book, we all still felt horrible for him when Sirius died. And who didn't read Ron and Hermione's first kiss more than once? Details + Characters = World!

More proof?
2.Avatar: The Last Airbender: Yes, some may say that this show is dorky (coughclosefamilymemberscough) but I promise it is amazing and believable. Did you know that penguin seals are awesome to sled on? No? That's why you need to watch the show! Really, this cartoon suspended my disbelief more than any other before. Their unique details, like interesting combo animals (like penguin seals), and a complicated political history that blends East Asian tradition with current problems creates a reality. On top of that, the characters are all round; they progress, the stumble, and they all have a sense of humor. If someone doesn't love Avatar Aang after watching the show just a few times, they lack a heart.

Now if you want an example of bad fantasy, just look at the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. M. Night was almost offensive in his lack of development both in detail and in characters. I almost vomited when Sokka (incorrectly pronounce SOAK-A) had yet another close up on his large, expressionless face when Yue became the moon spirit. Why? I didn't believe it! That actor must have been taken off of the Twilight movies to perform that bad (incidentally, he was). M. Night must have gotten caught up in his high brow martial arts class, because he definitely forgot his audience on this one. The lack of details/characters + poor special effects = BUST, complete disbelief, no new world. The only good part of that movie was Dev Patel, and that's just because he's good looking and I know he can do better.

I have more proof of my theory (I wanted to branch into Eragon and the Hunger Games, and do I dare, Twilight?), but this post is a little long. Just keep this in mind if you ever plan on joining the scores of fantasy writers: Details + Character = WORLD!

I read literature like a professor...

Shock of all shocks, I finished another book! I think it has been a loooong time since I finished two books that I was reading for FUN, in ONE week. I am kind of proud.

And the book I finished?

How To Read Literature Like A Professor by Thomas C. Foster.

Yeah. Doesn't sound like the most exciting read, huh? When I got it, my sister-in-law told me I was a nerd (a well established fact by now) and my friend Stephanie laughed at me.

Ouch.

Yet, I defend my choice! 1. The book was recommended to me by my very reliable co-english major, Nicole and 2. It was actually really entertaining.

It was by no means the fastest read I have ever had, and I did put it down a number of times to pick up other interests, but the great thing is, I didn't feel guilty about it!
While the chapters are entertaining (especially with titles such as "2. Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion" and "3. Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires"), they are broken up enough to allow the reader to take breaks, and maybe go practice some of the skills Foster teaches you. But, Foster is an interesting enough narrator that you actually come back to finish the rest.

The book focuses on symbolic patterns and archetypes throughout literature; it gives you specific symbols (such as rain) and hints at their likely meanings (rebirth). This is way handy when reading the classics, which are sometimes really tough to get.

One of the best parts of the book is the list of suggested reading in the appendix, where Foster tells a list of books that are important/good to read and short commentary on each. He even gives a list of important movies. For someone like me, who often gets lost in the long lists of What Every English Major Should Read, this list was really cool.

Overall rating: 89.9 (I find the specificity of numerals to be more helpful than letter grades)

For another opinion on this book, check out my friend Nicole's post.