Winter Poem: "Dust and Snow"

"The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued."

-Robert Frost

Planet of the Quotes: Part II

"What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers."-Logan Pearsall Smith.

I find this quote very interesting, and I find myself in relative agreement with it. More important than the text and words and characters of a book is what lies beneath. The themes and lessons portrayed through a story are what the author really wants to tell, rather than the story itself. This is why I feel Smith makes this comment on good authors. A story without anything beneath it is like a human being devoid of any emotion: empty and without a true purpose, it becomes nothing but a robot. In order to give a story life and make it into something greater than just words, an author must imbue it with a greater message.

What is your most memorable short story?

I cannot recall a memorable short story from my youth. While the basic lessons have stuck with me, the stories themselves have evaded my memories. When I first considered this, it saddened me. I felt as though I had lost part of my youth, as though I had left it behind in the past. The mere thought that I may never be able to recall such memories bothers me in the deepest parts of my soul.

On second thought, the fact that the lessons have stuck with me is somewhat redeeming. They are the important part; if all the important details have been left behind, the lessons have still stuck with me and helped define who I am. They are things to be lived by, and I would rather just lose the minor details then losing the memory as a whole.

What are your favorite short stories, and what have you learned from them?

Do you think young people today value their education as much as Sara Smolinsky Does? Why or why not?

I feel that how much young people value their education is dependent on their lot in life. Someone who is born into poverty may see it as a way out; if they stick with it, they can potentially climb up the ladder of society and make a better living for themselves. However, I feel those born into affluence are less likely to feel the same way. They may take it for granted, and focus less on it because they have, at the time, nearly all the necessities of life.

Sara Smolinksy would fit into the first category. Her family is not very wealthy, especially because her father does not work. Therefore, she sees her education as a way to gain respect and independence. She imagines herself as a teacher several times; clearly, she believes education is the way to a better life. Whether or not someone agrees with that is most likely dependent on their current situation, and how strong their desire is to improve it.

A Quote

"There's nothing hard about writing. All you have to do is sit down and open up a vein."

-Walter "Red" Smith

This quote is supposed to mean that writing is difficult. It is supposed to mean that writing is a difficult as opening up a vein on your own. It is supposed to mean that writing is something that takes a lot of work. However, I disagree with the supposed meaning of this quote. What I think it really means is that writing is easy. The statement "all you have to do is sit down and open up a vein" can be seen as a metaphor. All you have to do is sit down and write about what you feel and how you feel it. Opening up a vein is the equivalent of opening up your mind and letting it all pour out. I agree that it may be difficult to sift through all of your thoughts. But it's not so hard to write; all you have to do is be willing to display yourself in words for all to see. If you are capable and willing of getting everything out and in the open, then it's not so hard. The hardest thing is not being afraid of showing who you really are.

Top 10 Things to help me through the day

This is what helps me make it through the day. Enjoy.

1. The Hold Steady

2. Gym Volleyball

3. History Class

4. "I Won't Run Away"-Karma Mechanic, along with the reactions to it

5. Cafeteria Basketball

6. Oasis-especially "Supersonic"

7. The back of math class

8. Blaming things on Nicky

9. Jimmy Eat World

10. Hockey

Bread Givers: Blog 1

First off, I'd like to welcome you to my blog. This is my inauguratory post. Enjoy.

The book Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska contains an extremely interesting take on the lives of a family of Orthodox Jews living in New York during the 1920's. My group is five chapters in, and I've got quite a few opinions to share.

Sara's father is obnoxiously self-centered and ignorant of other people's feelings. He refuses to take the blame for his daughters' failed marriages. Instead, he pins it on them, as though they were the ones who chose their husbands. This is absurd when one considers that they found suitable men on their own, all of whom he turned away. Somebody needs to put him in his place and remind him that people should not and can not get away with things like this.