Off and Away

So, last Thursday I went to the first meeting for the English Association, which is basically in charge of the official UMass undergraduate literary journal "Jabberwocky." Looks like I'm on the staff now! It was a really great meeting, and everyone who was there was just as passionate about poetry and fiction as I am. I'm really looking forward to getting started on the magazine and keeping everyone updated through the blog.

After the meeting, we went to a poetry reading by Dara Wier. Aside from being an incredibly accomplished and acclaimed poet, she is also the director of the MFA program for Poets and Writers here at UMass Amherst.

The reading was overwhelmingly beautiful, and I found myself purchasing her newest book "Selected Poems" from the table in the back afterwards.

Her words were so personal, and so real, it was as if she were reading to every individual in the audience. Take a look at these three poems, and if you find yourself in a bookstore, pick up her latest book of poetry and find the poem "Longing." The solidity and sway of her imagery captures the imagination in a way that is so tangible, and so utterly lovely even when it is harsh, that the words stay with you long after you've finished reading them.

Brainstorming

So, to round out my beat, my professor's asked us to come up with five story ideas relating to what we've chosen to follow.

Number one:

Do a piece on the undergraduate literary journal "Jabberwocky." This journal is a big deal for fiction writers on campus, and a big part of the magazine includes poetry by undergrads like us. I've even submitted to them a few times. Not only will I be able to be behind-the-scenes for this dynamic literary post, hopefully I'll be able to be a part of it all semester and keep everyone updated on "Jabberwocky." Their first meeting of the semester is tomorrow at 6:30, and then afterwards we're all going to go to a reading.

Number two:

October 15th, Amherst Cinema is presenting a "poetry festival" through film. $5 a pop for students, so everyone should check it out. I'll be there, and hopefully some of the authors will as well. If I can score interviews, and even if I can't, it'll be a great story and I'm looking forward to covering it.

Number three:

UMass Amherst's writing program places among the top ten in the United States. There's a reason for this! I want to write a story on grads and undergrads in the writing department that have made a name for themselves with poetry, and I'd like to incorporate some of the reasons why UMass is such a haven for the literary-inclined. That includes interviewing professors of the poetry classes, students, and authors who have graduated or still attend.

Number four:

There is a Visiting Writers Series here at UMass Amherst. Not a lot of people know about it. The only reason I do is because I took a one-credit literary course my freshman year that required us to go to every single reading on and around campus. This semester, for my beat, I'd like to write stories on the individual poets who come to read their work here on campus. Onsite interviews with the author is something no one can really pass up. The first poetry reading is happening Thursday night at 7:00 (the same one the Jabberwocky group is heading to), at Memorial Hall, with Dara Wier.

Number five:

Emily Dickinson. We've all heard of her, the famously tragic poet, and we've all read some of her work. Lucky for me, the Emily Dickinson Museum is located directly in the center of Amherst, and their annual Emily Dickinson read-a-thon is happening Saturday, from from 7:00AM-10:00PM. I'd like to check it out, and write a story on why the poet is so important in this area of the country. I'll get interviews from the museum staff, and hopefully the hardcore fans of Dickinson's work who attend this annual Poetry marathon. Should be interesting, eh?

So there you have it, some rough ideas of what this blog is gonna be all about.

Sooo Ironic.

My professor asked us to write a short piece about a beat blog that we've heard of, been following, or just got into, and keep up with it for the duration of the semester. I chose "Stuff White People Like." I read a hilarious article on this website before they got a book deal, I think it was about a year ago, and I've checked up on the site regularly since. Maybe you've heard of it, maybe you haven't, in any case, here's my take on why this thing is so successful:

The blog “Stuff White People Like” has kind of taken the nation by storm in the past year. It uses backhanded sarcasm and wit so flawlessly executed even the irony-loving middle-class white people who read it might have some trouble interpreting every entry as just “a joke.”

The truth behind the stereotype is what keeps this blog going. They’ve even gotten a book deal! And with over 30 million hits, it’s not hard to see why. We love to read about ourselves. And face it; we love politically-incorrect humor, just so long as it’s implemented in a way that lets the satirically-perceptive…well…perceive the satire.

With numbered entries like “#120: Taking a Year Off,” for the perpetually free-spirited college student, and “#114: America,” after the 2008 Presidential Election, one can’t help but laugh at the ridiculous accuracy with which Christian Lander has pegged the hipster generation in this society.

What some may find offensive, Lander explains on the about section of the blog, is the gut-reaction so many people have to stereotyping, especially when it comes to race. He makes his argument by pointing out that the blog “is not filled with hateful or negative stereotypes and it’s not meant to incite anger or demean white people,” nor is it truly about race. It’s a good-natured, comedic way of revealing the ideals of an entire generation. What this blog is meant to do is help people laugh at themselves, and apparently we needed the lesson, because “Stuff White People Like” is nowhere near its peak.

Re-imagine poetry

Amazingly excited to go to this.

New experiences are always dazzling.

Adventures in verse, to be continued.

Shrink-Wrap

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Unlike newspapers, magazines, and television, online journalism grabs the latest headlines, spreads it over the internet, and is often the first place citizens of every country go to learn about what has happened and is happening, in that very moment. Online journalism is a fast-paced, in-the-moment method of communication which has truly revolutionized the way people gather information. It has shrunk the world into the click of a mouse.