Monday, September 14, 2009
A Reason for My Morning Reading
Here we go - I found the article on Slate where Dahlia Lithwick explains her book project and sets her parameters - where she's thinking about engaging chick-lit conventions, where she refuses to go, her acknowledgment of the debate between serious and non-serious literature (something near and dear to my own academic heart and my recreational impulses), and her time limit (she goes back to reporting on the Supreme Court beat October 1, so the book ends then whether it's truly finished or not). You can read her description here.
Morning Reading
Since I'm not yet comfortable enough in my new office to hold private dance parties when I don't feel like working, I tend to take to the Internet. This morning, I was spending my time with Dahlia Lithwick's real-time romance novel, Saving Face, on Slate.com. The novel itself is a good read so far (with only two installments down, it's kind of hard to tell, but I already like the characters I've met so far, so that's a good sign) and it's an interesting Internet experiment. Lithwick is writing in one of Slate's short formats, which tends to work well for commentary in general and she's taking reader advice from Facebook. So, in some senses, it's in real-time and collaborative. What's even more interesting is that she gives readers credit where it's due. Little plus signs give us readers' information and suggestions that Lithwick has used to help shape or improve her story. Also, at the end of every post, Lithwick gives us a general idea of where the next installment is going and solicits reader feedback; so, she's got the plot skeleton, but she knows the experiment will be more efficient and the finished product more interesting if many minds help shape the novel.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to join her Facebook page as soon as I'm done writing. I'd like to get more information about the genesis of the project and Lithwick's general vision for what she sees the project doing (or maybe that's the writing teacher in me coming out). The fact is that this romance novel experiment is a well-written, smart, collaborative piece of writing about the love lives and neuroses of professionals in a college town has me somewhat intrigued. So, obviously, I'll be needing to know more about it.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to join her Facebook page as soon as I'm done writing. I'd like to get more information about the genesis of the project and Lithwick's general vision for what she sees the project doing (or maybe that's the writing teacher in me coming out). The fact is that this romance novel experiment is a well-written, smart, collaborative piece of writing about the love lives and neuroses of professionals in a college town has me somewhat intrigued. So, obviously, I'll be needing to know more about it.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Vampires and Class
In an attempt to heal my brain but provide myself with a good story, I've been reading through the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris. (Full disclosure: I've also been reading them to get hints of what happens on True Blood. Even though I know the show departs from the books, there's still enough in common that I can smugly watch the series and look for all the things that I know are going to happen. That would bother some people, but knowing what's coming makes me enjoy my television all the more.)
Anyway, back to the books. Harris's vampire mysteries are not exactly the most complicated or hard-to-unback books on the market, but they do do something extremely interesting - they engage in a relatively long discussion of social and economic class as they relate to Sookie Stackhouse. While there are plenty of things Sookie overhears about herself in other human (and sometimes shifter) brains that pass judgement on her morals, her friendships with vampires, or her looks, the one thing that really seems to rub Sookie the wrong way is the frequent judgement of others about her occupation - barmaid - and how that must make her both no-count and stupid.
That's fascinating. While Sookie is relatively used to being called "crazy" for her ability to read minds and her relationships with vampires (and her body) make people pass judgements about her sexuality, class judgements and the ways in which people decide who's worthwhile and who's not is one of the most pronounced themes throughout the series. I mean, class is important to Sookie, too - she can't help but let readers know when someone is really trashy or when they're putting on airs - but there's a keen awareness in the books that these judgements are wrong, or at least, rashly made.
This is why I think Sookie likes the vampires so darn much - aside from the whole "she can't hear their thoughts" thing. Vampires think that they're better than most humans, especially those humans who think they're better than Sookie. But in the end, Sookie wins out in this social heirarchy, since the vampires (and all their supernatural friends) think Sookie is probably the only human who matters.
Anyway, back to the books. Harris's vampire mysteries are not exactly the most complicated or hard-to-unback books on the market, but they do do something extremely interesting - they engage in a relatively long discussion of social and economic class as they relate to Sookie Stackhouse. While there are plenty of things Sookie overhears about herself in other human (and sometimes shifter) brains that pass judgement on her morals, her friendships with vampires, or her looks, the one thing that really seems to rub Sookie the wrong way is the frequent judgement of others about her occupation - barmaid - and how that must make her both no-count and stupid.
That's fascinating. While Sookie is relatively used to being called "crazy" for her ability to read minds and her relationships with vampires (and her body) make people pass judgements about her sexuality, class judgements and the ways in which people decide who's worthwhile and who's not is one of the most pronounced themes throughout the series. I mean, class is important to Sookie, too - she can't help but let readers know when someone is really trashy or when they're putting on airs - but there's a keen awareness in the books that these judgements are wrong, or at least, rashly made.
This is why I think Sookie likes the vampires so darn much - aside from the whole "she can't hear their thoughts" thing. Vampires think that they're better than most humans, especially those humans who think they're better than Sookie. But in the end, Sookie wins out in this social heirarchy, since the vampires (and all their supernatural friends) think Sookie is probably the only human who matters.
Friday, August 28, 2009
A Change of Season
After a while, the start of a new school year rolls in with little fanfare...basically, anything that's assigned is manageable and survivable. And while the beginning of the school year means the end of summer (even while summer's still going on), there a few things to look forward to as the fall begins and things start to pick up in their own, though slightly less carefree and tanned, way. While I'm most certainly a summer person (summer being the only season that I'm not cold all the time), I'm looking forward to change. So, here's a brief list of things I'm looking forward to after having survived my first full week of teaching:
1. The new TV season. I've had hints already with the starts of Man Men and Top Chef, but the beginning of school means that soon my TiVo will be clicking on more frequently to add some new episodes of old favorites. Since I got through the week sharing Liz Lemonisms with the other grad students around the Commons Room, you can tell we're all ready for new things.
2. Fall beers. While I'll miss my light summery beers, I'm ready for some darker, warmer October seasonals as I wind down my weeks.
3. Creamy, cheese-based soups. Sometimes, to go with my beer, sometimes to fill bread bowls, sometimes both.
4. Bethlehem, PA's Celtic Classic. Nothing says Fall to me like Highland Games and a parade of bagpipers. Favorite Saturday of the year.
5. Layering
6. Legitimate rain days and afternoon matinees prompted by the rainy days.
7. A more structured framework for my nightly trashy-novel reading.
8. More devotion to my quest for the best buffalo chicken sandwiches and wraps in my area. Actually, more devotion to sandwiches and finding some good ones in general.
That's all for now, though I might include something very loose about looking forward to another Vermont trip, Halloween, and something about brisker air, too, but I'll leave that for another time.
1. The new TV season. I've had hints already with the starts of Man Men and Top Chef, but the beginning of school means that soon my TiVo will be clicking on more frequently to add some new episodes of old favorites. Since I got through the week sharing Liz Lemonisms with the other grad students around the Commons Room, you can tell we're all ready for new things.
2. Fall beers. While I'll miss my light summery beers, I'm ready for some darker, warmer October seasonals as I wind down my weeks.
3. Creamy, cheese-based soups. Sometimes, to go with my beer, sometimes to fill bread bowls, sometimes both.
4. Bethlehem, PA's Celtic Classic. Nothing says Fall to me like Highland Games and a parade of bagpipers. Favorite Saturday of the year.
5. Layering
6. Legitimate rain days and afternoon matinees prompted by the rainy days.
7. A more structured framework for my nightly trashy-novel reading.
8. More devotion to my quest for the best buffalo chicken sandwiches and wraps in my area. Actually, more devotion to sandwiches and finding some good ones in general.
That's all for now, though I might include something very loose about looking forward to another Vermont trip, Halloween, and something about brisker air, too, but I'll leave that for another time.
Friday, August 21, 2009
When You Were Young...
This week I've been sitting through the English department orientation for new Teaching Fellows, thinking and talking about the class of 2013. I have to admit that I'm starting to feel like I've been blessed with a strange double-sightedness. While most people who know me are unsurprised that I'm strangely fond of Miley Cyrus's "Party in the USA" and enjoy Top 40 radio (yes, radio) for the reason that it's just so darn catchy, I'm noticing that there are a bunch of songs that I would also sing along to appearing with an alarming frequency on LiteFM stations everywhere. (Case in point: I spent last night discussing the songs that I tend to belt out at traffic lights when the windows are down. This tends to be embarassing. One of those songs is "How Do You Talk to an Angel?" I not only identifyed this song on a restaurant radio, but traced its origins back to the one (or so) episode run of The Heights, the Melrose Place spinoff that only someone far too young to watch and understand Melrose Place would be interested in remembering.)
I entered college 10 years ago, in 1999, and while I feel connected in some ways to the First-Year students (or Newbies) that I'll be meeting and teaching on Monday, in other ways we couldn't be more removed from each other. As I was watching families lug comforters, plastic stacking units, microwaves, tvs, clothes, and the various contraband items that our new students have stowed with their possessions to their dorm rooms, I could remember a similarly disgustingly hot day in August when I was dropped off in a strange place, to live in a strange room, with a stranger, and told that the other nearby strangers would help shape my adult life. But, unlike the Newbies, I have the advantage of knowing how that all worked out and how right or wrong these statements were. In some cases, they were mostly right, but it's actually pretty complicated to try to fully agree with any of those first week statements after you've lived through the whole fun/messy/odd college experience.
Another thing that startles me at the beginning of every school year is the fact that while I've lived through a good number of technological, social, cultural, and political changes, for my Newbies, things have always been certain ways. Every year Beloit College posts the "Mindset List" for each incoming college class that gives a general summary of what life has "always been like" for the students entering college. And while I can definitely see the damage #20 has done to them (high-stakes educational testing) in the classroom, I really didn't realize what this group looked like culturally until I read the list. A good deal of my shock might come from the fact that I was 10 years old (or 9, if you count in the late birthdays) when this class was born and I was just starting to become aware of the world around me. I remember when Magic Johnson announced he had HIV. I was in a school full of fifth-graders and people told each other Magic Johnson jokes at lunch and thought they were up on current events. I remember the advent of blue Jello, though I still wish they would re-focus all their efforts into only making red Jello. I remember "discovering" salsa and the early days of its presence in my parents' house. And while I was briefly caught up in the early Berry Berry Kix hype, I still think it's too sugary and pretty disgusting. Especially when it's stale. And I would probably bet good money that my brother would still eat it should a box come his way.
So, what's my point? Well, I'm not sure exactly. I don't feel old remembering the world both before and after these changes. But I feel oddly in between my students and something else in the world. We are definitely of different mindsets and awarenesses; like my parents and other people who aquired portable technology later in life I have a stringent set of rules and expectations regarding its use. But in other ways we're very similar. I'm glad I don't have to use a card catalog anymore. But I'm also glad that I had to go on that fieldtrip to learn how.
I entered college 10 years ago, in 1999, and while I feel connected in some ways to the First-Year students (or Newbies) that I'll be meeting and teaching on Monday, in other ways we couldn't be more removed from each other. As I was watching families lug comforters, plastic stacking units, microwaves, tvs, clothes, and the various contraband items that our new students have stowed with their possessions to their dorm rooms, I could remember a similarly disgustingly hot day in August when I was dropped off in a strange place, to live in a strange room, with a stranger, and told that the other nearby strangers would help shape my adult life. But, unlike the Newbies, I have the advantage of knowing how that all worked out and how right or wrong these statements were. In some cases, they were mostly right, but it's actually pretty complicated to try to fully agree with any of those first week statements after you've lived through the whole fun/messy/odd college experience.
Another thing that startles me at the beginning of every school year is the fact that while I've lived through a good number of technological, social, cultural, and political changes, for my Newbies, things have always been certain ways. Every year Beloit College posts the "Mindset List" for each incoming college class that gives a general summary of what life has "always been like" for the students entering college. And while I can definitely see the damage #20 has done to them (high-stakes educational testing) in the classroom, I really didn't realize what this group looked like culturally until I read the list. A good deal of my shock might come from the fact that I was 10 years old (or 9, if you count in the late birthdays) when this class was born and I was just starting to become aware of the world around me. I remember when Magic Johnson announced he had HIV. I was in a school full of fifth-graders and people told each other Magic Johnson jokes at lunch and thought they were up on current events. I remember the advent of blue Jello, though I still wish they would re-focus all their efforts into only making red Jello. I remember "discovering" salsa and the early days of its presence in my parents' house. And while I was briefly caught up in the early Berry Berry Kix hype, I still think it's too sugary and pretty disgusting. Especially when it's stale. And I would probably bet good money that my brother would still eat it should a box come his way.
So, what's my point? Well, I'm not sure exactly. I don't feel old remembering the world both before and after these changes. But I feel oddly in between my students and something else in the world. We are definitely of different mindsets and awarenesses; like my parents and other people who aquired portable technology later in life I have a stringent set of rules and expectations regarding its use. But in other ways we're very similar. I'm glad I don't have to use a card catalog anymore. But I'm also glad that I had to go on that fieldtrip to learn how.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Once Upon a Time...
What do we expect when we're watching period dramas?
Part of me thinks that we're drawn to them because we see glimpses of our modern selves developing through the characters that stick with us most. In Pride and Prejudice (and even Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which I finished this morning), a good number of people want to identify with Elizabeth Bennet. I include myself in this number, and not just because we share a name. In my mind - and I'm sure many others - we share common behavioral traits, worldviews, and the ability to be completely socially awkward. But Elizabeth Bennet gives us hope. She's outspoken, stubborn, independent, and the distant handsome guy in the neighborhood seems to love her (and can't stop loving her) for who she is. Yes, he finds her sort of blah when he first meets her and she's fully aware of his opinion when he expresses it in front of her (and even holds it against him), but rather than go the route of Seventeen magazine, or more locally, her mother, and learn how to change herself so that boys like her, she remains basically who she is and wins Mr. Darcy's heart nonetheless. We ignore the parts about how she'll only love someone superior to herself and those moments when she does rely on male authority and holds Darcy above all others because we want to believe that she is our spunky, modern selves, just written a little before we arrived. And, in some ways, she is. A good number of us are awkward, imperfect, and seem to stumble into someone's affections quite haphazardly. (And while it is easy to look at Bridget Jones and see how one can draw a parallel between the past and the present, I abstain for the moment.)
All this brings me to what we expect from period dramas nearer to our own time. In a Jane Austen novel, we expect our heroine to tame some of her ways - it was olden times, the 19th Century, for goodness sakes! But we want more from our dramas on the cusp of the social movements of the 20th Century. More specifically, I wonder how disappointed people are about the first episode of the third season of Mad Men. I've gone out of town, so I'm two episodes shy of finishing the second season and my season premiere awaits me on my TiVo. While I'm sure I'll have plenty to say soon about the women - because they fascinate me the most - I wonder what viewers think about their choices as we begin the third season. The second season gave us so many glimmers of modernity - Betty asserting herself, Joan's complicated sexual relationship with her fiancé, Peggy being Peggy - that I wonder if modern viewers will be able to accept them if they fail to be as radical as we hope they could be.
The women of Mad Men have moved in the directions the 1960s are pushing each of them and they're striking because those paths are so very dissimilar. But I wonder if we, those of us who love the show and who are beneficiaries of the movements and cultural shifts of previous decades, will have trouble seeing the women we have found so complex and relatable unable to reach what we might think of as their "full potential." They are, after all, bound by their time (and, in other realms, by a faithfulness to the story and the characters as they are drawn) to act in ways that may fall short for those of us who see the other sides of their experiences and who have the luxury of looking back.
Part of me thinks that we're drawn to them because we see glimpses of our modern selves developing through the characters that stick with us most. In Pride and Prejudice (and even Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which I finished this morning), a good number of people want to identify with Elizabeth Bennet. I include myself in this number, and not just because we share a name. In my mind - and I'm sure many others - we share common behavioral traits, worldviews, and the ability to be completely socially awkward. But Elizabeth Bennet gives us hope. She's outspoken, stubborn, independent, and the distant handsome guy in the neighborhood seems to love her (and can't stop loving her) for who she is. Yes, he finds her sort of blah when he first meets her and she's fully aware of his opinion when he expresses it in front of her (and even holds it against him), but rather than go the route of Seventeen magazine, or more locally, her mother, and learn how to change herself so that boys like her, she remains basically who she is and wins Mr. Darcy's heart nonetheless. We ignore the parts about how she'll only love someone superior to herself and those moments when she does rely on male authority and holds Darcy above all others because we want to believe that she is our spunky, modern selves, just written a little before we arrived. And, in some ways, she is. A good number of us are awkward, imperfect, and seem to stumble into someone's affections quite haphazardly. (And while it is easy to look at Bridget Jones and see how one can draw a parallel between the past and the present, I abstain for the moment.)
All this brings me to what we expect from period dramas nearer to our own time. In a Jane Austen novel, we expect our heroine to tame some of her ways - it was olden times, the 19th Century, for goodness sakes! But we want more from our dramas on the cusp of the social movements of the 20th Century. More specifically, I wonder how disappointed people are about the first episode of the third season of Mad Men. I've gone out of town, so I'm two episodes shy of finishing the second season and my season premiere awaits me on my TiVo. While I'm sure I'll have plenty to say soon about the women - because they fascinate me the most - I wonder what viewers think about their choices as we begin the third season. The second season gave us so many glimmers of modernity - Betty asserting herself, Joan's complicated sexual relationship with her fiancé, Peggy being Peggy - that I wonder if modern viewers will be able to accept them if they fail to be as radical as we hope they could be.
The women of Mad Men have moved in the directions the 1960s are pushing each of them and they're striking because those paths are so very dissimilar. But I wonder if we, those of us who love the show and who are beneficiaries of the movements and cultural shifts of previous decades, will have trouble seeing the women we have found so complex and relatable unable to reach what we might think of as their "full potential." They are, after all, bound by their time (and, in other realms, by a faithfulness to the story and the characters as they are drawn) to act in ways that may fall short for those of us who see the other sides of their experiences and who have the luxury of looking back.
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Whosits, Whatsits, and Hows (and Maybe a Why or Two)
So, why did I start a blog? Well, some people might say it's because I live alone, but it's a little more refined than that. I started a blog because I see a lot of things every day that I want to talk (or, more accurately, write) about but can't find the right forum to discuss.
So, who am I? A Ph.D. student in 19th Century American Literature (with a Teaching Field in Victorian Lit). But, like many other Early Americanists and academics in general, popular culture is one of the main things I like to think and theorize about in my spare time. Of which I have plenty. So, to sum up, I am a Ph.D. student who thinks too much about the television she sees, the books she reads, the movies she watches, and the radio she listens to. Basically, I am a sponge. A sponge with an opinion.
What else? Well, I'm trying to convince myself that writing can be fun if I write about the stuff I like in a format that doesn't intimidate or encourage procrastination. So, here we are. Sure, I could write an academic paper about the things that interest me. Maybe I will. And maybe I'll present it at a conference somewhere and a room full of people will find me very insightful. But until then, I have to start somewhere...
So, who am I? A Ph.D. student in 19th Century American Literature (with a Teaching Field in Victorian Lit). But, like many other Early Americanists and academics in general, popular culture is one of the main things I like to think and theorize about in my spare time. Of which I have plenty. So, to sum up, I am a Ph.D. student who thinks too much about the television she sees, the books she reads, the movies she watches, and the radio she listens to. Basically, I am a sponge. A sponge with an opinion.
What else? Well, I'm trying to convince myself that writing can be fun if I write about the stuff I like in a format that doesn't intimidate or encourage procrastination. So, here we are. Sure, I could write an academic paper about the things that interest me. Maybe I will. And maybe I'll present it at a conference somewhere and a room full of people will find me very insightful. But until then, I have to start somewhere...
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