vesper /ˈvɛspər/
–noun
1. the evening star, esp. Venus; Hesper.
2. Also called vesper bell . a bell rung at evening.
3. vespers, ( sometimes initial capital letter ) Ecclesiastical .
a. a religious service in the late afternoon or the evening.
b. the sixth of the seven canonical hours, or the service for it, occurring in the late afternoon or the evening.
c. Roman Catholic Church . a part of the office to be said in the evening by those in major orders, frequently made a public ceremony in the afternoons or evenings of Sundays and holy days.
d. evensong.
4. Archaic . evening.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Published Poems Page
I've just added one of my poems to the Published Poems page, so go check it out! The title of it came from one of my dreams and a it's a complete nonsense poem.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Open Mic Night
Last night I went to my first open mic night. Ever. Strange for a writer, right? It's really hard to believe that I had never been to one of these before last night. But there I was, pressed between sweating bodies under the dim glow of colored lights, listening to young lesbians singing about heartbreak, English majors reading poetry, prospective students giving anecdotes about their experiences.
The crowd was wildly enthusiastic, cheering with abandon before and after every act, encouraging the nervous ones and feeding the total hams' sense of applauded joy. Holding my scalding cup of mango tea, watching each act and the happiness everyone exuded, I was inspired to read something of my own.
But I had none of my work with me.
So I wrote something on the spot. Something I wanted to perform as the last act, as a conclusion to the wonderful night, as my tribute the loss of my Open Mic Night virginity. It wasn't the best thing I'd ever written, but it was heartfelt. So here it is:
Café Hoop
Fluorescent murals dimly lit
by Halloween lights
violet and vermilion
mingling with plush sofas
inflatable turtles
and a pacman machine
still beeping with rusty determination.
The place where rainbows frolic
and no one is afraid to taste them
tangy and sweet on their tongues
like the mango tea
and Swedish Fish
girls eat at lacquered tables,
mugs resting on worn collages
of long-forgotten memories.
On Open Mic Night it fills
like a heart,
pulsing with love,
for the community it holds.
Unfortunately, the multiple acts ran late, and the Open Mic Night had to finish before I had a chance to step up to the mic. Oh, well. I'll just have to wait till the next time I go to an Open Mic Night there. I wouldn't miss another Open Mic for the world.
The crowd was wildly enthusiastic, cheering with abandon before and after every act, encouraging the nervous ones and feeding the total hams' sense of applauded joy. Holding my scalding cup of mango tea, watching each act and the happiness everyone exuded, I was inspired to read something of my own.
But I had none of my work with me.
So I wrote something on the spot. Something I wanted to perform as the last act, as a conclusion to the wonderful night, as my tribute the loss of my Open Mic Night virginity. It wasn't the best thing I'd ever written, but it was heartfelt. So here it is:
Café Hoop
Fluorescent murals dimly lit
by Halloween lights
violet and vermilion
mingling with plush sofas
inflatable turtles
and a pacman machine
still beeping with rusty determination.
The place where rainbows frolic
and no one is afraid to taste them
tangy and sweet on their tongues
like the mango tea
and Swedish Fish
girls eat at lacquered tables,
mugs resting on worn collages
of long-forgotten memories.
On Open Mic Night it fills
like a heart,
pulsing with love,
for the community it holds.
Unfortunately, the multiple acts ran late, and the Open Mic Night had to finish before I had a chance to step up to the mic. Oh, well. I'll just have to wait till the next time I go to an Open Mic Night there. I wouldn't miss another Open Mic for the world.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Rosi and the Ghost Train
I just recently wrote a short play based on a German picture book, and I'm currently in the process of editing it. It's called "Rosi and the Ghost Train". I'll post the final version on the "Short Plays" page.
Be sure to check it out, and if you want to perform it, just let me know. I may be directing a production of it this summer, so I'll keep you updated on its progress.
Be sure to check it out, and if you want to perform it, just let me know. I may be directing a production of it this summer, so I'll keep you updated on its progress.
Denied!
Today I got my poetry submission to Devil Blossoms returned. . .apparently the magazine doesn't exist anymore. Awesome. One magazine down, three to go.
Missing
Today I went looking for two new books to read: Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown and Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue. I read about them on the Lesbrary ( lesbrary.wordpress.com ) and thought they sounded pretty interesting, so I went to my town library to find them. I wasn’t surprised to hear that they didn’t have Kissing the Witch, but when I found out they didn’t have Rubyfruit Jungle, I was astonished. Such a classic work of literature, by such a famous author, should be owned by most libraries, especially one that has four extensive floors of books like the one I visited does.
So I went to the bookstore in my town. Before directly asking for the books, I decided to do some investigating on my own. I found Rita Mae Brown, and guess what? They had almost every book by her EXCEPT Rubyfruit Jungle. I would be lying to say I was surprised. More like angry. Because it made me wonder. . .was this book missing on purpose? Were they censoring its content by choosing not to sell it?
Then I wondered if the library was doing the same thing. Despite its inclusion of several lesbian fiction books, it seemed odd to me that it would have Annie on My Mind and Fingersmith, and not Rubyfruit Jungle, a novel by a much more well-known author. Of course, my library also has no DVD of Titanic, so I don’t feel so offended. Maybe it was stolen, or somebody lost it.
But the bookstore is a different story. It’s not the first bookstore that lacks any lesbian fiction. You really have to make an effort to find any, and if you don’t know the titles in the first place, it’s nearly impossible. I don’t know if this is just because it’s not that popular, or because most people self-consciously order online, or if it’s a form of subtle discrimination that’s still lingering in the minds of even the most literature-oriented. But these are books that should not be missing. Especially not from a library shelf.
So I went to the bookstore in my town. Before directly asking for the books, I decided to do some investigating on my own. I found Rita Mae Brown, and guess what? They had almost every book by her EXCEPT Rubyfruit Jungle. I would be lying to say I was surprised. More like angry. Because it made me wonder. . .was this book missing on purpose? Were they censoring its content by choosing not to sell it?
Then I wondered if the library was doing the same thing. Despite its inclusion of several lesbian fiction books, it seemed odd to me that it would have Annie on My Mind and Fingersmith, and not Rubyfruit Jungle, a novel by a much more well-known author. Of course, my library also has no DVD of Titanic, so I don’t feel so offended. Maybe it was stolen, or somebody lost it.
But the bookstore is a different story. It’s not the first bookstore that lacks any lesbian fiction. You really have to make an effort to find any, and if you don’t know the titles in the first place, it’s nearly impossible. I don’t know if this is just because it’s not that popular, or because most people self-consciously order online, or if it’s a form of subtle discrimination that’s still lingering in the minds of even the most literature-oriented. But these are books that should not be missing. Especially not from a library shelf.
Tales from Dreamland Update
Part I of my first story in the "Tales from Dreamland" series is up. It's called "Scaredy-Cat" and it's based on a dream I had a few years ago. Check it out!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Freak is Chic
The other day I bought a new notebook for all my scribbling, and the cover has a picture of a goldfish wearing a top hat and roller skates and says "God Bless the Freaks". This is something new.
I find it fascinating that being a "freak" is somehow in style now, and people try really hard to be "different", which is why stores like Spencer's and Hot Topic thrive at malls across the country.
Just a few decades ago, during the 1950's, being different was considered as terrible a crime as murder. McCarthyism was as rampant as the fear of communism, and people conformed because they were afraid to be singled out. Conformity became a national value, just like patriotism or freedom, and being different was strongly discouraged.
But ever since the cultural revolution of the 60's, teenagers have been trying to emulate that rebellious spirit. . .and failing. How is being different just like everyone else actually being different? How is dressing like your "different" friends being unique? It's still conformity, just conformity to what is considered outside the norm. A lot of teenagers, at such an insecure period in their lives, want to belong as much as they yearn to be unique. So styles like goth and emo and punk provide them with what they see as the perfect compromise.
Too bad nobody else sees it that way.
Still, it was nice to see that freaks are welcome nowadays, even if only superficially. I must say, that goldfish on roller skates was pretty cute.
I find it fascinating that being a "freak" is somehow in style now, and people try really hard to be "different", which is why stores like Spencer's and Hot Topic thrive at malls across the country.
Just a few decades ago, during the 1950's, being different was considered as terrible a crime as murder. McCarthyism was as rampant as the fear of communism, and people conformed because they were afraid to be singled out. Conformity became a national value, just like patriotism or freedom, and being different was strongly discouraged.
But ever since the cultural revolution of the 60's, teenagers have been trying to emulate that rebellious spirit. . .and failing. How is being different just like everyone else actually being different? How is dressing like your "different" friends being unique? It's still conformity, just conformity to what is considered outside the norm. A lot of teenagers, at such an insecure period in their lives, want to belong as much as they yearn to be unique. So styles like goth and emo and punk provide them with what they see as the perfect compromise.
Too bad nobody else sees it that way.
Still, it was nice to see that freaks are welcome nowadays, even if only superficially. I must say, that goldfish on roller skates was pretty cute.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The Weekly Word
effervescent
[ef-er-ves-uhnt]
–adjective
1.effervescing; bubbling.
2.vivacious; gay; lively; sparkling.
[ef-er-ves-uhnt]
–adjective
1.effervescing; bubbling.
2.vivacious; gay; lively; sparkling.
For Once, Being Gay Isn't the Problem
Most lesbian literature to date, it seems, details the common struggles of coming out and of dealing with the consequences of being a homosexual in a heterosexual world. Not Ash, the new teen novel by former afterellen.com editor Malinda Lo.
A revisionist Cinderella novel complete with pagan holidays and faeries reminiscent of those rampant throughout Irish and British folklore, the novel is indeed a modern fairy tale. Instead of a submissive Cinderella, Ash is a rebellious teenager. Instead of getting wishes from a kind fairy godmother, Ash makes a deal with a dangerous fairy knight. But what at first appears to be the most significant twist, that Cinderella falls in love with a woman, is not. What is truly refreshing about this story is that her falling in love with a woman, not a man, doesn’t bother anybody.
“It was clear to me from the beginning that I didn’t want to have a world where there was homophobia,” said Lo in an interview with afterellen.com’s Heather Aimee O’Neill. “I decided to not make [homosexuality] an unusual thing.”
It’s easy to see, reading her book. Casual references to women loving women are sprinkled here and there throughout the text, and when you read that “a young couple stumbled away from the dance hand in hand, one woman dressed in gold, the other woman in green”, or that one character nonchalantly voices her opinion that Ash, the cinderella character, is one of the “many who would cast themselves as the huntress’s lover”, you begin to understand that in the world of Ash, there is no “gay” or “straight”. There is only love, and the gender of the person you love doesn’t matter.
“She has enough problems,” said Lo, without having to deal with a world discriminatory towards gays. It is the difference in class between Ash and her “true love” that rankles with her society, not the lack of difference in gender. While many factors impede the progress of their relationship, stigma associated with sexual orientation, for once, is not one of them.
Ash really is a fairy tale. A world in which being gay isn’t a problem—doesn’t that sound like happily ever after?
Interview with Malinda Lo, conducted by Afterellen’s Heather Aimee O’Neill on October 15th, 2009: http://www.afterellen.com/people/2009/10/malinda-lo
Lo, Malinda. Ash. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2009. p. 106
Lo, Malinda. Ash. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2009. p. 184
Interview with Malinda Lo, conducted by Afterellen’s Heather Aimee O’Neill on October 15th, 2009: http://www.afterellen.com/people/2009/10/malinda-lo
A revisionist Cinderella novel complete with pagan holidays and faeries reminiscent of those rampant throughout Irish and British folklore, the novel is indeed a modern fairy tale. Instead of a submissive Cinderella, Ash is a rebellious teenager. Instead of getting wishes from a kind fairy godmother, Ash makes a deal with a dangerous fairy knight. But what at first appears to be the most significant twist, that Cinderella falls in love with a woman, is not. What is truly refreshing about this story is that her falling in love with a woman, not a man, doesn’t bother anybody.
“It was clear to me from the beginning that I didn’t want to have a world where there was homophobia,” said Lo in an interview with afterellen.com’s Heather Aimee O’Neill. “I decided to not make [homosexuality] an unusual thing.”
It’s easy to see, reading her book. Casual references to women loving women are sprinkled here and there throughout the text, and when you read that “a young couple stumbled away from the dance hand in hand, one woman dressed in gold, the other woman in green”, or that one character nonchalantly voices her opinion that Ash, the cinderella character, is one of the “many who would cast themselves as the huntress’s lover”, you begin to understand that in the world of Ash, there is no “gay” or “straight”. There is only love, and the gender of the person you love doesn’t matter.
“She has enough problems,” said Lo, without having to deal with a world discriminatory towards gays. It is the difference in class between Ash and her “true love” that rankles with her society, not the lack of difference in gender. While many factors impede the progress of their relationship, stigma associated with sexual orientation, for once, is not one of them.
Ash really is a fairy tale. A world in which being gay isn’t a problem—doesn’t that sound like happily ever after?
Interview with Malinda Lo, conducted by Afterellen’s Heather Aimee O’Neill on October 15th, 2009: http://www.afterellen.com/people/2009/10/malinda-lo
Lo, Malinda. Ash. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2009. p. 106
Lo, Malinda. Ash. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2009. p. 184
Interview with Malinda Lo, conducted by Afterellen’s Heather Aimee O’Neill on October 15th, 2009: http://www.afterellen.com/people/2009/10/malinda-lo
Monday, April 19, 2010
Back on Track
I haven't posted much in a while, and I apologize for neglecting my blog. But I've been busy. . .trying to get published! I've been working on my poetry recently, and I've even written a children's book, sans illustrations.
I've submitted poems to:
Highlights Magazine
Darkling Magazine
Gertrude Press
Devil Blossoms
and chapbooks of poems to some other publishers, as well as my children's book manuscript to:
Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt
I'll keep you posted on my publishing progress. I should hear from some of these places in a few months, but there's more to come I'm sure.
I've submitted poems to:
Highlights Magazine
Darkling Magazine
Gertrude Press
Devil Blossoms
and chapbooks of poems to some other publishers, as well as my children's book manuscript to:
Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt
I'll keep you posted on my publishing progress. I should hear from some of these places in a few months, but there's more to come I'm sure.
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