this journal blug

Reports from Iraq

Welcome back, Beth! Good to hear yr voice.

fait accompli ponders blogging, narcissism, ambition, and other writerly gimcracks...

Blogging is essentially anti-narcissistic, particularly for writers since it brings the blogger in contact with others, and because it has the potential to cause the writer to feel and be more independent. Narcissism, for writers and artists mostly has to do with a lack of parity between fantasy and reality. All writers suffer from feelings of inadequacy and this is largely a result of several reality issues; for one thing, writers do not receive much money for what they do, and secondly, there are so many competing claims for the quality of writing work that it is extremely difficult for writers to get a grip of the value of their work to others, and sometimes even to themselves. These are essentially actual social
problems, not individual psychological problems, but these intense social problems for writers can easily and do frequently become psychological problems.

check out the whole thought-provoking piece...

Laughing ~ Knees reviews The Last Samurai

I stumbled back to the train station afterwards, roiling with conflicting feelings and with a lot of questions and reactions.

MARGINALIA by E. A. Poe (1844-49)

This making of notes, however, is by no means the making of mere memorandum- a custom which has its disadvantages, beyond doubt 'Ce que je mets sur papier,' says Bernadine de St. Pierre, 'je remets de ma memoire et par consequence je l'oublie;'- and, in fact, if you wish to forget anything upon the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered.

... remember to scribble more in the book as you read it...

suzanne recommends this article on translation... i'll put it here to resist forgetting... thanks, suzanne...

hmmm... i wouldn't have picked eliot for myself... it must've been the cat question... disillusioned? ... enough, yeah, so? ...witty? never been accused of that... dedicated? as the lincoln memorial (on a good day)

Your alter poet is Thomas Stearns Eliot. For you,
life rocks pretty hard!


Who is Your Alter Poet?
brought to you by Quizilla"

a response from Cardinal George to the priest's letter is found in Windy City Times... Cardinal George is said to have written:

"Our language is exact, but it does not help us in welcoming men and women of homosexual orientation. It can seem lacking in respect. This is a pastoral problem and a source of anxiety for me as it is for you. It would be good to discuss together. ... [But if] you cannot resolve that tension between welcoming people as they are and still calling them to leave their sinfulness and become saints, or if you yourself do not accept the Church's moral teaching on the moral use of the gift of sexuality, it would be all the more important for us to talk."

useful and interesting to find

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE HIERARCHY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH REGARDING THE PASTORAL CARE OF GAY AND LESBIAN PERSONS

from 20-some priests of the archdiocese... i'd wondered if anybody who mattered was ever going to respond to the ongoing verbal mugging of gay and lesbian people by our catholic hierarchy... wwjd... indeed...

since we get... and sometimes even read... two major Chicago Newspapers... and what seems to be the primary suburban one, this site looks like a promising resource

Always hated the fake realism of the news features, and the fake certainty of the front page. says jordan davis at equanimity...

yes this is the thing... i've never heard it put so well... the paper tells us about peopleplacesevents that are supposed to be real... and o this IS the way it is... but... at best it's a fair sketch painted on a (spinning) mirror... in the middle (or off to the side) of a wild bigness... or something...

grade stuff... just finished posting grades to the internet... trip on over to edline if yr one of mine...

journal of a writing man on making space:

There's no religious ritual involved, just a desire for cleanliness and breathing space. Our possessions can all too easily take us over.

first day back... my voice... as usual... hurts... i talk too much because on the first day back there's almost nothing to do... other than talktalktalk... trying to jumpstart a new semester... talk mostly about grading exams and papers and counting message board posts and how things willbe a little different this semester...

then in the ap classes... introducing pope's essay on criticism... which seemed to require sidetrips... then in the world lit class reviewing midnight's children, book 1... in prep for the next chunk... attempted a genealogical chart for saleem sinai... had trouble remembering character names...

t j b l u g archive
brtom.org
this journal
finish your phrase
links
contact