I like the month of May. A lot.
—
writing
Archived Posts from this Category
May 1, 2012
In the Next Issue: Online, May; Print, June
Posted by mayiwrite under links, miscellany, writing | Tags: excited!, may day, month of may, writing, yay |Leave a Comment
February 27, 2012
So Guess Who’s About to Get Published?
Posted by mayiwrite under miscellany, writing | Tags: awesomeness, school, writing |[5] Comments
I turned in my revision today. And I documented the changes to the paper in a response which I sent along with the revision. And this whole month, I kept their little warning in mind:
The reviewer(s) suggest some minor revisions to your manuscript. Therefore, I invite you to respond to the reviewer(s)’ comments and revise your manuscript. Please note that the revise decision does not guarantee eventual acceptance.
And they got back to me.
Today. Like, just now.
Here’s what they said:
Dear Ms. Anderton:
It is a pleasure to accept your manuscript entitled “Fire and Water: Opposites and Pairings in “A Party Down at the Square”” in its current form for publication in The Explicator.
Attached is a copyright form necessary for publication. [Yada, yada, etc.]…Thank you for your fine essay. On behalf of the editors of The Explicator, we look forward to your continued contributions.
Sincerely,
Admin
Now we’ll just have to wait to see in which issue it appears. And yes, I’ll tell you as soon as I know. Which may not be soon at all.
January 30, 2012
A Little Closer
Posted by mayiwrite under advice, miscellany, my life, writing | Tags: byu, feeling famous, school, waiting some more, writing |[2] Comments
For those who care more about other parts of my life, you’ll have to keep waiting for a little while. I’m taking a short break only because I just received an email I’ve been waiting for for nearly two years.
Thanks for your continued patience.
In May 2010, I submitted a thing to a thing to be considered for publication. It was a final paper I’d written for my American Literature History class.
It is now almost February 2012. My thing has finally been reviewed by a reviewer and an executive editor, and it sounds encouraging:
Reviewer Comments to Author:
Consulting Editor: 1
Comments to the Author
This is a well-written and generally convincing reading. Several emendations might be made.(a) Improve the opening paragraph by eliminating the first-person reference. There is no need for it here.
(b) On page 3, re-consider the first whole paragraph and its argument re: the color green. This paragraph is unconvincing. It makes too much of a single word and thus weakens the overall argument of the paper.
(c) Consider using the term ‘binaries’ alongside ‘pairs’ in order to vary word choice.
Overall this is a good close reading.
Executive Editor Comments:
Consulting Editor: 1
Comments to the Author
Very nice piece on a neglected story. I agree with the preliminary reader that the first person reference is unnecessary if not distracting. I didn’t have the same problem with the paragraph on green, however. While I see the point that too much emphasis is placed on the color, Ellison did put it there and it does connect to the earlier reference. I would recommend the author consider how he might rewrite that paragraph imagining how she might win over a resisting reader. Strengthen the argument for green as a symbol by insisting it’s not there by accident. A strong essay.
Time for a little revision. And a little (or a lot) more waiting. Being published in an academic, peer-reviewed journal would be a nice touch to my last semester.
October 16, 2011
Small Haul
Posted by mayiwrite under advice, friends, links, lists, writing | Tags: awesomeness, books, french, having fun etc., library, reading |[2] Comments
The public library sale was fun. Today, hardbacks were $1.00, and paperbacks were $0.50. Pretty cool, eh?
Here’s what I got:
Charles Baudelaire, Les Fleurs du Mal
- We’ve been reading a lot of Baudelaire in one of my classes, so when I saw this, I got really excited.
Germaine Bree, Great French Short Stories
- These are in English, and they’re most of the famous ones.
Geoffrey Brereton, A Short History of French Literature
- I bought this one for pretense. Of course.
Annie Ernaux, La Place
- This looked interesting. And it’s short, which means it’s more likely that I’ll finish it.
Other Random French Short Stories
- These are in French. I like short stories. I like French. It only makes sense.
***
T.C. Boyle, When the Killing’s Done
- I hear he’s good.
Don DeLillo, Underworld
- This guy is supposed to be great, too.
Joan Didion, Play It as It Lays
- I haven’t read a lot of her fiction; I’m looking forward to this.
Louise Erdrich, Four Souls
- This is supposed to be awesome.
Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine
- I think I have a copy of this in New York City. Oh, well.
Hemingway, Short Stories
- Short stories is pretty much the only way I like Hemingway.
Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner
- I’d read this before.
Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns
- I hope this one is okay, too.
Zora Neale Hurston, Jonah’s Gourd Vine; Mules and Men; Their Eyes Were Watching God
- I remember that a friend was reading Their Eyes her junior year while I was a senior in high school. I’ve been wanting to read Hurston ever since.
Carson McCullers, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
- I read this the summer before my junior year of school for an AP English class. It’s time to read it again.
W.S. Merwin, The Lost Upland
- I like Merwin. I like France. Enough said.
Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
- I put off getting this for a long time.
Chaim Potok, Davita’s Harp
- I love the Chosen, hopefully this one will be great, too.
Annie Proulx, The Shipping News
- Proulx seems pretty important, but I’ve read very little of her.
Thomas Pynchon, V
- Same thing with Pynchon.
Betty Smith, Joy in the Morning
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was pretty amazing. Fingers crossed for this one.
John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
- The Red Pony, The Pearl, Of Mice and Men; it’s time for a big Steinbeck book.
Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn, pocket size
- I think I will always carry this one with me.
Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway
Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
- I’d read excerpts of both of these for a class, and that was enough to decide that I really, really like Virginia Woolf. I hope she likes me, too.
Definitely, I got my $16 worth today. I know I’m good for the year, at least.
If you want to borrow these or any of my books, let me know. If you’ve borrowed books and haven’t returned them, I’m gently reminding you that you still have them.
And that’s okay. Take your time.
October 1, 2011
It’s General Conference Weekend, and This Doesn’t “Feel” Contrary …
Posted by mayiwrite under advice, church, friends, lists, mormonism, my life, observations, relationships, single life, therapy, writing | Tags: byu, class, depression, general conference, school |1 Comment
Life coasts along, life dazzles, life punches squarely in the stomach. What else should we really expect?
I know I keep saying I’ll post actual updates.
A lot is going on,
and I’ve found time to blog about it before, but
Yeah. No legitimate excuse.
—
Classes, really quick:
My religion class and I sometimes butt heads. But it’s been good for me.
History and Criticism of Rhetoric is fun. We’ve talked about Legally Blonde and My Cousin Vinny, and we’ve done homework based on Sunset Blvd and Law & Order. And this weekend we’re analyzing oratory style of any talk at General Conference, according to Saint Augustine.
Introduction to French Literary Analysis is a lot of fun. I may have to dedicate a post just to how much I love French poetry. Because, SERIOUSLY.
Early American Auto/Biography blows me away. I’m reading excellent things by fascinating people, and I wish we could read more women. But if it’s any consolation to myself, reading what I have so far — Benjamin Franklin, PT Barnum, Ralph Waldo Emerson — makes me feel pretty outstanding. I have stories about this class, too.
My poetry writing class. Oh, my heart. I’m cultivating this profound appreciation and there’s only 11 students in the class, and the instructor is adorable and instructive and encouraging. She stood briefly on a soapbox the other day about how a lot of television these days is produced at a 5th-grade level and that Americans don’t know how to think anymore. I felt so much pride then. And, then it’s crazy how we workshop each other’s poems and how I’ve just had to simply get over or ignore being scared of sharing what I know to be mostly subpar poetry with my genius classmates. I wish you could read my classmates’ poems, because WOW.
Aside from classes, there’s church and dating and work. Visiting friends and maintaining friendships because I love my friends so very much.
OH and applying to grad schools and talking to professors about all my options after graduation.
Which will be in April.
Holy crap.
But my original reason for posting right now is that I want to reblog some useful things I came across this past week. Just two things, one each from a Utah couple I’ve been following for the past five years. I’ve mentioned them before. Winter’s on its way. People get sad in conjunction with or separately from the approaching and increasing darkness. Also, although I’m decently insulated in Provo, I try to remain aware of what’s happening around me. Bad things happen all the time, regardless, and we have to deal. While we’ll be receiving counsel and encouragement from Church leaders this weekend, I think a few other resources are okay, especially for those square punches in the stomach. Please reblog if you feel the need.
From Jon Armstrong:
Depression Hotline: 1-630-482-9696
Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-8433
LifeLine: 1-800-273-8255
Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743
Eating Disorders Hotline: 1-847-831-3438
Rape and Sexual Assault: 1-800-656-4673
Grief Support: 1-650-321-5272
Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-5678, 1-800-621-4000
Exhale: After Abortion Hotline/Pro-Voice: 1-866-4394253
And, Heather Armstrong (click the quote for the entire post):
Enjoy Conference, y’all.
September 13, 2011
If You Want to Read This, You Know What to Do.
Posted by mayiwrite under writing | Tags: anxiety, class, headache, morning, poem, scroll over this post |[5] Comments
Discipline
I lie in bed at 3am
trying to write a poem.
My light is on
and I try not to disturb the crickets.
Their hearts have reached a resting state
and they are saving their songs for tomorrow.
They have discipline.
The loudest thing this morning
is my pen
The most impetuous thing this morning
is my mind
conspiring against the pen
haphazard on the page
scrawling into illegibility
which isn’t like me.
September 5, 2011
The Last Post for This Week Is A Poem
Posted by mayiwrite under miscellany, writing | Tags: awesomeness, hope, kay ryan, poem, poetry, wow |[2] Comments
“Swept Up Whole”
You aren’t swept up whole,
however it feels. You’re
atomized. The wind passes.
You recongeal. It’s
a surprise.
And, an excerpt from the linked interview:
What do you think about the state of poetry and the reading of poetry in our country?
I never, ever worry about poetry or its survival because it’s the very nature of a poem to be that language that does survive. Poems are even better than tweets – they don’t require any electronic equipment. They can lodge right in your brain. They are by nature short. You don’t even have to remember all of them — you can remember just a phrase. That can be something you can turn to in any emergency, good or bad. You’ll pluck out a little group of words, just maybe a phrase, and that’s exactly what poetry is for. It’s for the things that really last. Because it lasts.
August 18, 2011
Because the World Never Ceases to Amaze Me. Because You’re In It.
Posted by mayiwrite under advice, friends, government, miscellany, nostalgia, observations, relationships, writing | Tags: chat, friends, marching band, money, sigh, writing |Leave a Comment
And I’m too lazy to write anything. But, I’m feeling sappy and nostalgic, so here’s a chat. Or a few. I’m just grateful some of you out there can take advantage of my waking hours. It’s nice feeling helpful. And in touch with the outside world. Just know that I love talking with you guys.
Also, sorry about all the brackets and vaguenesses.
ONE
Friend: lol
oh, here’s something else to get outraged about
so you’ve heard about the verizon strike
me: ok
Friend: the company makes a profit of 108 billion a year.
they currently have a health plan that gives free care to their retirees, and their current employees get health care but have to pay copays.
they are on strike because the company wants each employee to contribute $20k a year for the health plan.
this will save the company $1 billion. So they can make $109 billion a year instead.
their top 5 executives make something like $525 million.
how freaking ridiculous is that?
me: holy what
okay, i like capitalism for all its good qualities
but this
THIS
THIS
why??!!!??
Friend: i know.
i’m thinking vancouver might be a good place to move to.
i’ve heard it’s pretty.
me: me, too
maybe i’ll see what’s there in terms of grad schools
Friend: you can scope it out for us. cuz this country is too stoopid to survive. i read something today that half the reason the economy sucks so badly is that the majority of people don’t have money to spend, so they don’t. the few who do have money (the top 5%) have too much money to know what to do with.
so no jobs, etc.
fun, right?
well, now that i’ve gotten you all outraged, time for me to run. talk to ya later!
me: jerk
thanks a lot
;)
***
TWO
me: hi
Bro-friend: Heya. You’re up late
me: i am
you’re up as usual
Bro-friend: Indeed.
me: i can’t sleep
but i have to
Bro-friend: Did you drink Mt Dew again?
me: a little
:)
but i’ve had problems before that
Bro-friend: Hmm.
me: it’ll be fine
i’ll get to sleep soon
Bro-friend: I’m going to exploit it first.
Question:
me: yes
Bro-friend: From what you’ve read of the writing project, what do you think the impact would be, either good or bad, of inserting a section [here].
In this hypothetical section, the reader is privy to a long conversation with very little scene-setting [here].
me: do you want that kind of a shift?
Bro-friend: Well, it’s coming one way or the other, question is does it belong there or after.
me: you’re building toward something. will the section continue that build or interrupt it in a way that may or may not work
the description sounds incredibly intriguing
maybe keep [here] continuous
OR break them up
the effects of either would be very interesting
Bro-friend: I think they need to stay continuous but going from [here] has always seemed a bit quit to me.
There’s an implied passage of time but for the reader its immediate.
So advantage to moving up the mom talk is providing a time lapse.
me: right
Bro-friend: Disadvantage is breaking up flow.
me: but if it’s sans setting …
right
Bro-friend: You were pretty exhausted by it though. This would at least provide a section where [something happens].
me: will readers see the conversation as part of the chronology?
or an aside?
Bro-friend: I think it would fit the chronology. [And here's why.]
me: then picks back up with the next chapter?
[this] would definitely add a different perspective
Bro-friend: This section ends with [this].
I guess you’d need to read it to provide a detailed opinion. I’m trying to keep a big picture view of where it belongs.
me: that’s fine
so with the new section we have a better understanding of [this]
i worry slightly about a gentle unrolling into the conclusion
Bro-friend: Makes sense.
me: but, like you say, i’ll have to read it
it’s an interesting take
Bro-friend: Here’s the thing -
me: and i’m curious
ok
Bro-friend: I’ve approached the project overall as two halves. First half is what you’ve read… [this]. Part two is supposed to be [that].
This section [accomplishes this].
In reality this process was not A to B, but a gradual process taking place all through the events described in part one.
me: ok, i understand
i see your intent
it can be very effective
Bro-friend: I think of part one as one long crescendo and you’re right that it would be disruptive to interrupt that.
My idea for starting off part two though feels a little disjointed.
This section is one element. There are [ . . . ] others. [Like these.]
And it all seems like a bit much to just through together.
But I may be overthinking it
me: well, it only makes sense that chaos builds proportionally [here]
it may seem like a lot, but realistically, even in a narrative context, it sort of has to be
imo
Bro-friend: It’s a question of [this]
me: how much magic do you want to do?
Bro-friend: How do you mean?
me: well, i don’t know.
Bro-friend: I want the experience for the reader to be immersive and genuine, while also maintaing reasonable fidelity to actual events. I can fudge some of the chronology or find other ways to work around those problems if it makes the read more smooth for the reader.
I ask a lot from the reader in keeping track of stuff already so it’s not so much a stretch
me: i understand
you pretty much answered your own question about how much magic you’d be willing to do
Bro-friend: Just wanted to see if that’s what you meant. I get where you’re coming from. I’m not resolved on it one way or the other yet, but it’s good to talk it out. Thanks.
me: glad you’re back to thinking about it some more
Bro-friend: It comes and goes.
me: 
***
THREE
me: Friendy, i’m talking about marching band memories with someone
can i recount the time [this happened]?
Friendy: of course!
when did [this happen]?
me: i always think [it] did
10th grade. azalea festival
Friendy: hmm
I don’t remember [it]
I did get mad at Mr. Rood
and it was my 15th birthday
and Myron Hall squashed a toad in his marching shoes
but I don’t remember [that]
me: okay
good thing i didn’t tell it, then
Friendy: that guy who played trombone threw up before we went on the field
me: oh yes, that
you have different memories than i
Friendy: that’s because we were on different sides of the field!
weren’t we?
I was by Mike what’s-his-name
now I have Trooper Salute in my head
me: excellent
what is this? http://www.nationaleventsus.com/Bowl-Games/The-Chick-fil-A-Bowl-Festival/Festival-Winners
Friendy: yeah, that was last year
they were all over the news
the channel 4 news, that is
me: it’s impressive
Friendy: i don’t really think they’re all that good….
me: oh?
Friendy: but hey, they won
they’re okay
me: standards have gone down?
Friendy: oh yeah
me: that’s just too bad
Friendy: well, they’re not terrible
me: so, we were better, then
Friendy: way, way better
they’re adequate
me: SWEET
Friendy: but nothing special
we were pretty special
me: indeed
sigh. the memories
August 5, 2011
Part of the Playlist – “This Woman’s Work”
Posted by mayiwrite under music, nostalgia, relationships, writing | Tags: byu, class, greg laswell, i need a break, music, school, sigh, youtube |[2] Comments
Two songs: the original and a cover. I really need to listen to more Kate Bush.
Both versions move me. It’s just a beautiful song. And it’s wonderful how different the song seems when a man sings it. Especially Greg Laswell.
I’m working on a paper due Monday. Too bad this song stimulates way more creativity than research. There are other things I’d rather be writing than a paper on King Lear. Well, not entirely true. I’d actually enjoy writing a paper on King Lear (because the play is incredible), but not under these particular circumstances. C’est la vie. Que sera sera.
It will get done.
Back to work.
Enjoy.
—-
Pray God you can cope.
I stand outside this woman’s work,
This woman’s world.
Ooh, it’s hard on the man,
Now his part is over.
Now starts the craft of the father.
I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.
I should be crying, but I just can’t let it show.
I should be hoping, but I can’t stop thinking
Of all the things I should’ve said,
That I never said.
All the things we should’ve done,
That we never did.
All the things I should’ve given,
But I didn’t.
Oh, darling, make it go,
Make it go away.
Give me these moments back.
Give them back to me.
Give me that little kiss.
Give me your hand.
(I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.)
I should be crying, but I just can’t let it show.
I should be hoping, but I can’t stop thinking
Of all the things we should’ve said,
That were never said.
All the things we should’ve done,
That we never did.
All the things that you needed from me.
All the things that you wanted for me.
All the things that I should’ve given,
But I didn’t.
Oh, darling, make it go away.
Just make it go away now.
July 11, 2011
More Non-homework Things
Posted by mayiwrite under advice, links, my life, nostalgia, writing | Tags: awesomeness, losing my writing!, remembering, writing |Leave a Comment
So, I was browsing through Bookslut and found this article, which is an interview with the guy who was the instructor of my beginning memoir-writing class at Gotham Writing Workshops. I took the class back in the fall of 2006. He’s the one who gave me this feedback.
Maybe I’m going to try to go back to a little writing again. I’m not sure how to do that.
That is all.
