I'm pretty happy with having a valid excuse for not writing for weeks, being that I was in DisneyWorld and immediatly moved into my apartment not even two days after being back. And I had started writing a blog on one of those two days but it is now lost to the netherworld of scattered ideas that will never find a home.
I vaguly remember it being about how DisneyWorld revitalized my creativity and inspiration, but it was so well worded that I don't have the heart to try to re-create it. I'm the only one who'll miss its presence, anyway.
Right now I'm trying to learn everything I can about Walt Disney, starting with a biography of him written in the 80s in which he's portrayed as a monster. Its more interesting than everything that portrays him as a saint, but it's pretty annoying when you can tell that things are being purposely twisted. But I guess in our society, the man has been turned into a myth and is now equated with something more like Santa Claus than a human. And when people find out that he wasn't a jolly man who waved his hands and produced magic from thin air, they get confused and indignant.
I would love to become an imagineer, though. Because you can't deny that they bring joy to thousands of people everyday, and that's a completely appealing career to me. Remembering that it's a viable career choice is the challange.
Anyway, I'm just brushing up on my theatre history by re-skimming plays before tomorrow's oral exam that'll determine whether or not I have to take the Theatre History course at Sarah Lawrence. Thank God I just went through college otherwise their list would have made me pass out. I will post it here for my general amusement and procrastination. Paranthesis hold my choice when applicable.
The Orestia
Oedipus Rex
A play by Euripides (The Bacchae)
A play by Aristophanes (The Birds)
Aristotles' Poetics
Shakespeare: 2 tragedies, 2 comedies, 2 histories and a romance (King Lear, Hamlet, Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, Richard II, Richard III and The Tempest)
A play by Cornielle or Racine (Racine, Britanicus)
A play by Moliere (Tartuffe)
A play from the Spanish Golden Age ( I couldn't find one to read, but I researched Lope de Vega, the period's hotshot playwright).
Restoration Comedy (The Country Wife)
A play by Goldsmith or Sheridan (this I didn't do)
Woychek
Two plays by Ibsen (Hedda Gabler and Doll's House)
Two full-lengths by Chekhov (The Cherry Orchard and The Seagull)
Two plays by Strindberg (The Ghost Sonata and Miss. Julie)
A play by George Bernard Shaw (Major Barbara)
A play by Brecht (Mother Courage)
Two plays by Eugene O'Neil (Long Day's Journey and The Iceman Lalala)
Two plays by Tennessee Williams (Streetcard Named Desire and Glass Menagerie)
Two plays by Arthur Miller (Death of a Salesman and All My Sons)
A Raison in the Sun
A classic "book" musical (Carousel)
A play by Ionesco (Rhinocerous)
Two plays by Beckett (Waiting for Godot and Endgame)
That actually helped me realize I know more than I think I do. I'm still nervous for the oral exam, mainly because it's oral and I suck at speaking exams.
There's a picnic at 3 that I'm trying not to wuss out of going to - I just hate standing around awkwardly, especially in an outdoor area. BAH! I'll try to force myself out, maybe just due to pure starvation (we didn't really go grocery shopping yet....).
Meanwhile, I will continue to look over stuff in the hope of not having to take Theatre History!
'Til then.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Isolation
The theme of isolation is one of the biggeset themes my writing seems to deal with. The fascination of the desire for one to be isolated while fighting the basic need of human contact. What is it that makes us feel so safe, cloaked in a world of our own? And why can't we ultimately stay there?
Although I'm "primarily" a playwright (I say primarily because I have a degree saying so, so might as well), I've been trying to write a fantasy novel for about two years (playwriting also gets in the way of writing it, so I suppose I am primarily a playwright).
While I sit at my crappy temp job (can I get a hollar??) I've been writing piece of this novel in an attempt to come closer to a conclusion before grad school rips away what free time (and desire) I have. My protagonist is one who wishes to be alone because of various fantasy-related events that happened in her life. I realized pretty quickly how boring that is by writing other, more vibrant characters to surround her with. I was unable to keep her a solitary character throughout the novel not only because of its inpracticallity, but because I realized she ultimately does not wish to be alone.
But I realized the main conflict also has to do with isolation. And then the sub-conflict also has to do with isolation.
Is this just a theme that defines me and my writing? Or is this the struggle that bleeds through every piece of literature? Is the desire to isolate ourselves and the struggle to do so why the written word was invented? And is that why we read? We wrap ourselves around stories, but in doing so we open doors to enter into populated worlds in which we become part of. Do we become a part of everyone, the very history of humankind, while we read?
It is a struggle to remain isolated. We must work harder to shield ourselves from the world than accept the company of others. At least that's how it seems.
Although I'm "primarily" a playwright (I say primarily because I have a degree saying so, so might as well), I've been trying to write a fantasy novel for about two years (playwriting also gets in the way of writing it, so I suppose I am primarily a playwright).
While I sit at my crappy temp job (can I get a hollar??) I've been writing piece of this novel in an attempt to come closer to a conclusion before grad school rips away what free time (and desire) I have. My protagonist is one who wishes to be alone because of various fantasy-related events that happened in her life. I realized pretty quickly how boring that is by writing other, more vibrant characters to surround her with. I was unable to keep her a solitary character throughout the novel not only because of its inpracticallity, but because I realized she ultimately does not wish to be alone.
But I realized the main conflict also has to do with isolation. And then the sub-conflict also has to do with isolation.
Is this just a theme that defines me and my writing? Or is this the struggle that bleeds through every piece of literature? Is the desire to isolate ourselves and the struggle to do so why the written word was invented? And is that why we read? We wrap ourselves around stories, but in doing so we open doors to enter into populated worlds in which we become part of. Do we become a part of everyone, the very history of humankind, while we read?
It is a struggle to remain isolated. We must work harder to shield ourselves from the world than accept the company of others. At least that's how it seems.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Some People are meant to have blogs...
...and some are meant to fly.
Hello again.
Blogging is as much of a skill as is writing a play or being an accountant; and I have written plays but I suck at numbers.
There's just something about the sitting down to spill your thoughts to the cosmos that helps procrastinate the writing. But the whole point (well partly) of starting this blog was to help me with my procrastination and just attempt to write my thoughts coherently.
FAIL.
But that's all right. One of the traits I most pride myself is my ability to admit defeat. Because only when you make the admittance can you fix what you failed.
It's wise, I know.
So I will start again. Hopefully there will still be some eyes lurking in the dark. But even if there's not, one should only do things for oneself. Because that's ultimately when you can begin to help others.
Smile.
Hello again.
Blogging is as much of a skill as is writing a play or being an accountant; and I have written plays but I suck at numbers.
There's just something about the sitting down to spill your thoughts to the cosmos that helps procrastinate the writing. But the whole point (well partly) of starting this blog was to help me with my procrastination and just attempt to write my thoughts coherently.
FAIL.
But that's all right. One of the traits I most pride myself is my ability to admit defeat. Because only when you make the admittance can you fix what you failed.
It's wise, I know.
So I will start again. Hopefully there will still be some eyes lurking in the dark. But even if there's not, one should only do things for oneself. Because that's ultimately when you can begin to help others.
Smile.
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