Check out my most recent review on Jose Olivarez's "Citizen Illegal."
South Side writer weighs in on Citizen Illegal a newly released poetry book by José Olivarez
Monday, September 17, 2018
Sunday, July 29, 2018
My Favorite French Songs/ Mis Favoritas Canciones Francesas
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| When you discover French music/ cuando descubres musica Francesa! Video- Tourner dans la vide- Indila |
Hello! I wrote this blog post with the purpose of sharing my favorite French songs, and also to introduce some French music to those who have never heard it or want to listen to some 50's-60's French tracks and music from the early 2000's and 2010's. Honestly, I'm the only person I know who listens to 50's French music. It has to be my second favorite French thing next to macarons. As you listen, you will find that 50's music, whether it be in English or in Spanish (I'm planning to do a post on Spanish music next!) they all have similar instrumental styles and for some, even lyrics! Always feel free to google translate the lyrics of a French song. Through French music, I am learning the language more, and my listening skills have improved since the last time I was in my French 101 class. When I listen to the 50's-60's songs, I feel as if I was a French cat in my past life. Who knows. I only know that some of these songs bring me nostalgia to a place I've never known. I'll just start by saying that the first song is my favorite French song by the chanteuse, Edith Piaf!
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Hola! Escribo esta entrada con el propósito de compartir mis favoritas canciones de la lengua Frances. Con esta entrada, quiero introducir unas canciones franceses de los años 50/60, y de los tempranos años de los 2000 y 2010. La verdad es que yo soy la unica persona que conozco que escucha música Francés de los 50. La música Francesa es mi segunda cosa favorita, a lado de macarons. Si escuchas, vas a ver que la musica de los 50, de cualquier lenguaje, de Ingles, o Espanol (planeo hacer una entrada sobre mi favorita musica en Espanol!) que todos tienen el instrumento y estilo similar, y para unas, hasta la letra! Esta disponible google para buscar lo que significa las palabras de estas canciones. De parte de la música Francesa, yo aprendo mucho del lenguaje, y mis habilidades de escuchar han mejorado desde la ultima vez que acabe mi clase de Frances 101. Aunque sea chistoso, cuando escucho a estas canciones de los 50-60, siento como si fuera un gato Francés en mi vida pasada. Quien sabe. Yo solo se unas de estas canciones trae nostalgia a lugares que no he conocido. Voy a empezar por diciendo que mi favorita cancion es por la chanteuse, Edith Piaf!Edith Piaf avec Theo Sarapo- A quoi ca sert l'amour? (1962)
My favorite lyrics/ Mi letra favorita:
"Mais toi, t'es le dernier,
Mais toi, t'es le premier!
Avant toi, 'y avait rien,
Avec toi je suis bien!"
Serge Gainsbourg- Le poinconneur des Lilas (1959)
Poinconneur was Gainsbourg's first hit song (and one of my favorites). Lilas is a train station in Paris. I recently heard that they were going to put some kind of honorary to Serge Gainsbourg at this train station. When I go back to Paris I definitely have to visit this train station along with his house. I love the lyrics to this song as he goes from saying "des petits trous" (translation: the little holes) to referring the holes as to those he will make on his head by shooting himself. The meaning of the song is about a man at his job who ends up hating the repetition of what he has to do every day to the point that it turns him insane. If you ask me, I think it is absolutely genius. Another one of my favorite songs from him is La Javanaise (below).
Poinconneur fue la primera canción con éxito (y es una de mi favoritas). Lilas es una estación de tren en Paris. Recientemente, escuchó que iban a poner un honorario en esa estación dedicada a Serge Gainsbourg. Cuando regrese a París (espero un dia pronto), yo voy a hacer un viaje a visitar esta estación y también su casa. Amo las palabras de la cancion cuando va diciendo, "des petits trous," (traducción: los hoyos pequeños) y continúa cantando la canción hasta que el se refiere a esos hoyos pequeños que van a estar en su cabeza, por dispararse él mismo. El significado de la canción es sobre un hombre que trabaja en la estación de tren, Lilas, y cada dia mas odia la repetición de lo que tiene que hacer en el trabajo, hasta que se vuelve el mismo disparatado (ja, juego de palabras). Si me preguntas, yo creo que el de verdad es un genio. Otra de mis canciones favoritas de el es La Javanise (abajo).
Serge Gainsbourg- La Javanaise (1968)
My favorite lyrics:
"Ne vous déplaise
En dansant la Javanaise
Nous nous aimions
Le temps d'une chanson"
France Gall- Laisse tomber les filles (1964)
This song was written by no other than Serge Gainsbourg himself! The fact that he could write songs for teenage girls to sing shows another one of his talents. Here is also a cover of the Weeknd's version with the lyrics of this song in the background. I was impressed listening to this song and that the Weeknd would know of such song (then again he is Canadian so maybe it's not that weird).
Esta canción era escrita por no otro más que Serge Gainsbourg. El hecho que él podía escribir canciones para niños jóvenes enseña que el si esta lleno de talento. También puse aqui un cover de The Weeknd, donde el canta la letra de la canción en el fondo. Estuve bien impresionada que The Weeknd conociera tal canción (bueno, el es Canadiense entonces no es tan raro).
Esta canción era escrita por no otro más que Serge Gainsbourg. El hecho que él podía escribir canciones para niños jóvenes enseña que el si esta lleno de talento. También puse aqui un cover de The Weeknd, donde el canta la letra de la canción en el fondo. Estuve bien impresionada que The Weeknd conociera tal canción (bueno, el es Canadiense entonces no es tan raro).
The Weeknd- Montreal (2011)
Juliette Greco- Coin de Rue (1955)
This song brings me back nostalgia to my days in France, and simply walking in the streets of Paris and Southern France. Of course, the title of the song is "coin de rue" meaning "corner of the street." You don't need to understand the lyrics to understand that the song is about nostalgia and/or youth, and that's exactly what I understood the song to be about. Truly, songs are what one makes of them. This song is a cover of the original song actually, I also love Charles Trenet's version of it.
Esta cancion me trae nostalgia de los días que pasé en Francia, simplemente caminando las calles de París y el sur de Francia. Por supuesto, el título de la canción, "coin de rue" significa "esquina de la calle." No es necesario entender la letra para saber que esta canción se trata de nostalgia y/o de la juventud, y eso lo que yo entendí de la canción. De verdad, las canciones son lo que uno los hace. Esta cancion tambien es un cover de la canción original de Charles Trenet, su versión tambien es linda.
Esta cancion me trae nostalgia de los días que pasé en Francia, simplemente caminando las calles de París y el sur de Francia. Por supuesto, el título de la canción, "coin de rue" significa "esquina de la calle." No es necesario entender la letra para saber que esta canción se trata de nostalgia y/o de la juventud, y eso lo que yo entendí de la canción. De verdad, las canciones son lo que uno los hace. Esta cancion tambien es un cover de la canción original de Charles Trenet, su versión tambien es linda.
Christie Laume- Rouge Rouge (1967)
Christie Laume es la hermana de Theo Sarapo y la cuñada de Edith Piaf. Esta canción es una de los varios ejemplos del ye-ye pop Francés.
Indila- Derniere Danse (2014)
This is the newest song out of all the ones I have talked about on this list. I do love her album, "Mini World" and the other songs in that album like, "Tourner dans la vide," and "S.O.S."
My favorite lyric of the song is "Je suis un enfant du monde." It simply means, "I am a child of the world." It's a brilliant lyric that I can deeply relate to. The song is so beautiful, I even got my mom into this song. I would listen to it on repeat when I was in Mexico and she did not mind at all.
Esta es la cancion mas nueva de todas en esta lista. Yo amo su album, "Mini World," y las otras canciones en su álbum como, "Tourner dans la vide," y "S.O.S." Mi favorita parte de la letra es cuando dice, "Je suis un enfant du monde." Simplemente significa, "Yo soy una hija del mundo." Es una letra brillante y si puedo relacionarme a ella. La canción es tan bonita, que hasta mi mama le gusto. La repetí varias veces en México y no le importo.
This post proves that I absolutely love listening to French music. It has definitely become one of my favorite music genres since 2016. When I listen to these songs, I'm improving my French listening skills and evolving to become a global citizen (what I aspire to be, and I'm happy to be starting this journey with French music).
El propósito de esta publicación es para enseñar que si amo la música Francesa de verdad. Se ha convertido en unos de mis favoritos generos de musica desde el 2016. Cuando escucho a estas canciones, yo mejoro mis habilidades de escuchar Frances, y me siento más como una ciudadana del mundo ( lo que yo quiero ser, y estoy feliz en empezar este capítulo con música Francés.
Friday, July 6, 2018
Summer Poetry Reads 2018- Please Don't Go Before I Get Better:
Please don't go before I get better- Madisen Kuhn
This poetry collection could have been one that I would have enjoyed reading when I was nineteen or maybe even during my high school years ( I said nineteen because the poet refers to that age a lot in her poems). After reading half of the book, I figured that she was an Instagram poet. The poetry read a lot like those posts that I would see friends share on social media. She wasn't as cliche as Lang Leav but I think she has potential to become a better writer.
If anything, this book reminded me of me when I was in college, when I decided to become serious about my writing. I can go back to my poems (though I'd rather not because I will cringe), and find my style to be very similar to Kuhn's. I did think this was a book that people who are non-English majors (unlike me) would enjoy, definitely teens, and maybe even someone who is trying to get over their first love.
She does have some good stuff but I found the poetry to be very amateur. She often writes about being young and living but at the same time, talks about it very vaguely. She makes specific references to things such as 7/11 and other objects that make you think of a fun weekend when you were in your teens/ early twenties. It is also clear that the book was written for the healing of the poet's self and to make herself feel better.
These are some of the verses/prose that I particularly found myself intrigued by, or even felt like I was able to relate in some way.
(i guess in some way we're always romanticizing something.
in my attempt to explain that the romanticizing that happens
in the beginning stages of relationships pales in comparison to
the vulnerability, authenticity, and selflessness of deeper human
connection, i romanticized very normal scenarios and may have
painted them to be more significant than they probably were.)
- beginnings always seem better through rose-tinted sunnies
tonight, i'm thinking about the beauty of embracing life's chaos with
knowing that we can't choose a lot of things, but we can choose to
be good people, we can choose to love without ulterior motives, and
to be stronger than our emotions make us feel, and to always keep
spinning forward. it's all okay, it will always be.
- she would want you to
I do think there are some verses in this book that are gems, they are the ones I have shared above. I do plan to write a short review for "A machine wrote this song," the book pictured next to it. Feel free to let me know your thoughts on this book!
"how lovely it is
to fall asleep
knowing that you lived today." - a soft summer afternoon
This poetry collection could have been one that I would have enjoyed reading when I was nineteen or maybe even during my high school years ( I said nineteen because the poet refers to that age a lot in her poems). After reading half of the book, I figured that she was an Instagram poet. The poetry read a lot like those posts that I would see friends share on social media. She wasn't as cliche as Lang Leav but I think she has potential to become a better writer.
If anything, this book reminded me of me when I was in college, when I decided to become serious about my writing. I can go back to my poems (though I'd rather not because I will cringe), and find my style to be very similar to Kuhn's. I did think this was a book that people who are non-English majors (unlike me) would enjoy, definitely teens, and maybe even someone who is trying to get over their first love.
She does have some good stuff but I found the poetry to be very amateur. She often writes about being young and living but at the same time, talks about it very vaguely. She makes specific references to things such as 7/11 and other objects that make you think of a fun weekend when you were in your teens/ early twenties. It is also clear that the book was written for the healing of the poet's self and to make herself feel better.
These are some of the verses/prose that I particularly found myself intrigued by, or even felt like I was able to relate in some way.
(i guess in some way we're always romanticizing something.
in my attempt to explain that the romanticizing that happens
in the beginning stages of relationships pales in comparison to
the vulnerability, authenticity, and selflessness of deeper human
connection, i romanticized very normal scenarios and may have
painted them to be more significant than they probably were.)
- beginnings always seem better through rose-tinted sunnies
tonight, i'm thinking about the beauty of embracing life's chaos with
knowing that we can't choose a lot of things, but we can choose to
be good people, we can choose to love without ulterior motives, and
to be stronger than our emotions make us feel, and to always keep
spinning forward. it's all okay, it will always be.
- she would want you to
I do think there are some verses in this book that are gems, they are the ones I have shared above. I do plan to write a short review for "A machine wrote this song," the book pictured next to it. Feel free to let me know your thoughts on this book!
Friday, January 19, 2018
The Benefits of Attending Marches / Los Beneficios de Asistiendo a Marchas
Now that the 2018 Women's march is coming, I thought it would be perfect to work on this post (an idea that I've had for a while now). As promised in my blog description, I will talk about Social Justice and this is my first post on that topic. I'll start out by saying that I am a firm believer in Social Justice and Education, and 2017 was the year in which I decided to act according to my beliefs. On November 11, 2016, I knew something in me had to change. I knew I had to become a "woke" and more compassionate person. My first protest was on January 20, 2017, the day of Trump's inauguration. I had a very march-intensified weekend since I was also one of the millions of people in Downtown Chicago at the Women's March that happened the next day. It seems that marching has become a hobby of mine, and for that reason, I want to list some benefits of attending marches/protests. At the end of this post, you will see that I interviewed someone and asked her why she chooses to march.
Ya que la marcha de las mujeres 2018 viene pronto, pense que era buena idea escribir esta entrada (una idea que he tenido desde hace tiempo). Como prometí en la description de mi blog, quiero platicar sobre la Justicia Social. Este sera mi primer entrada sobre ese tema. Quiero empezar con decir que soy una creyente firme en la Justicia Social y la Educación. En 2017, yo decidí que iba a empezar a actuar según mis creencias. En Noviembre 11, 2016, yo sabia que algo tenia que cambiar. Sabía que necesitaba ser una persona mas despierta y sobre todo, más compasiva. Mi primera protesta fue en Enero 20, 2017, el dia de la inauguración de Trump. Tuve un fin de semana intenso, debido que la marcha de las mujeres era el proximo dia. Si, yo fui una de las personas que estuvo presente en el centro de Chicago para la marcha. Marchando ha sido un pasatiempo para mi, pero un pasatiempo necesario. Por esta razón, quiero compartir mi experiencia y platicar de los beneficios de atendiendo marchas/protestas. Al final, entreviste a alguien y ella me dijo porque decide marchar.
1) Freedom of Speech and Exercise/ Libertad de expresión y ejercicio:
Not only are you exercising the freedom of the first amendment, but you are also exercising your body. Yes, we all have lazy days in which we want to stay in and do a Netflix binge, but we should keep track of our physical activity. Don't want to go the gym and spend an hour on a treadmill? Going to a march with friends is not only fun, but you will be walking for hours as well. One of the most memorable marches I went to was on Sunday, September 3, 2017. The group walked from the neighborhood of Pilsen to Downtown Chicago. This march was in support and solidarity with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients. DACA allows people who were brought to the U.S. at a young age to have a college education and a work permit. You can learn more about DACA here (sometimes people prefer Wikipedia for explanations). As you see, you will be exercising for a cause, and if you ask me, that is a double win!
~~~~~~
No solo estas ejercitando las libertades de la primer enmienda, pero también está haciendo ejercicio tu cuerpo. Si, tenemos nuestros dias flojos donde queremos estar echados todo el dia y ver puro Netflix o novelas, pero también necesitamos que incluir actividad física en nuestro dia. No quieres ir al gimnasio y estar en una cinta de correr? Si vas a una marcha con amigos/as, no solo es divertido pero puedes caminar por horas tambien. Unas de las marchas más memorables fue la marcha que fui el Domingo, Septiembre 3, 2017. Caminamos con el grupo desde Pilsen hasta el centro de Chicago. La marcha fue en apoyo y solidaridad con los recipientes de DACA (Acción diferida para los llegados en la Infancia). Este programa deja que jóvenes (que fueron traídos a los Estados Unidos cuando eran niños) tengan una educación universitaria y un permiso de trabajo. Puedes aprender más sobre DACA aqui. Como ves, vas a hacer ejercicio por una causa, y eso es ganar doble.
2) The amazing signs you get to see!/ Los asombrosos letreros que ves!:
By far, I have seen my favorite signs in last year's Women's march. Here are a few examples of the signs I saw:
Hasta ahora, he visto mis favoritos letreros durante la marcha de las mujeres. Aqui estan unos ejemplos:
"Cultivate Diversity!/ Cultiva Diversidad!"
"Mama's raising me to be nasty!/ Mi mama me esta criando a ser una mujer asquerosa! "
"Women United will never be defeated/ Mujeres unidas nunca seran vencidas!"
"Nuestras diferencias son bellas (escrito en Espanol)/ Our differences are beautiful."
"A woman's place is in the resistance (with a picture of Princess Leia on it)/ Las mujeres pertenecen en la resistencia (tenia una foto de la Princesa Leia).
"Their bodies, Their choice (a sign held up by men"/ "Sus cuerpos, sus derechos (hombres tenían este letrero)"
"Keep your tiny hands off my rights"/ No toques mis derechos con tus manos pequeñas."
3) Community/ Comunidad:
All the marches I have attended have been very peaceful. You feel united and you also get to meet awesome people! It's also fun when people who are passing by cheer you on in support. Of course, there are always going to be people who are against your cause but they don't matter. Marching with others is certainly a moment to appreciate. One of the most awesome persons I have met on these marches was the button lady. She is an art teacher that makes these buttons and sells them for $1 each. She then donates all the proceeds to the ACLU. It almost feels honorable, marching beside people as loving as her.
~~~~~~
Todas las marchas que he asistido han sido tranquilas. Te sientes unida con otros y conoces a personas extraordinarias! También es divertido ver gente que pasa y te apoya. También hay gente que está contra tu causa pero ellos no importan. Marchando con otros es un momento que tienes que apreciar. Unas de las personas asombrosas que he conocido ha sido la senora de las insignias. Ella es una maestra de arte y imprime las imágenes de los botones y los vende por un dolar cada uno. Después ella dona todo el dinero al ACLU. Se siente honorable caminar a lado de gente tan amable como ella.
Interview/ Entrevista:
I interviewed a friend of mine on why they choose to protest/march.
Yo entreviste a una amiga de porque ella marcha.
"I enjoy going to protests/marches because being someone that believes in Justice, I believe it’s important to show up for people who are being oppressed, silenced, and pushed to the back in society. Something I learned throughout my life is that being neutral about issues does not help those that need to get out of the darkness they are experiencing and getting the Justice they deserve. Showing up for protests/marches makes a statement: I won’t stay silent. I will fight for my rights. I will fight for other’s rights. Also, it is empowering to see a lot of people convene for a cause you believe in and there is always strength in numbers."
"Yo disfruto ir a protestas/marchas porque siendo alguien que cree en la justicia, yo creo que es importante estar presente departe de los que están oprimidos, silenciados, y empujados hacia atrás en la sociedad. Algo que he aprendido en mi vida es que quedarme neutral cuando ocurren problemas no ayuda a la gente que van a necesitar de salirse de esa oscuridad que están sufriendo, y quiero obtener esa justicia que ellos merecen. Estando presente a protestas/marchas crea una declaracion: No me voy a quedar callada. Voy a luchar por mis derechos. Voy a luchar por los derechos de los demás. También es algo que te da poder cuando ves a otra gente uniéndose para una causa que tu crees, y siempre hay poder cuando hay varias personas."
~~~~~~
If anything, I hope you have learned that your voice should be heard or that you should stand up for those who are vulnerable and afraid to speak for themselves. After all, we are all human.
Sobre todo, espero que han aprendido que su voz necesita ser escuchada y que necesitan que estar presente por la gente que está en peligro. Nosotros somos su voz. Después de todo, todos somos humanos.
~~~~~~~
Ya que la marcha de las mujeres 2018 viene pronto, pense que era buena idea escribir esta entrada (una idea que he tenido desde hace tiempo). Como prometí en la description de mi blog, quiero platicar sobre la Justicia Social. Este sera mi primer entrada sobre ese tema. Quiero empezar con decir que soy una creyente firme en la Justicia Social y la Educación. En 2017, yo decidí que iba a empezar a actuar según mis creencias. En Noviembre 11, 2016, yo sabia que algo tenia que cambiar. Sabía que necesitaba ser una persona mas despierta y sobre todo, más compasiva. Mi primera protesta fue en Enero 20, 2017, el dia de la inauguración de Trump. Tuve un fin de semana intenso, debido que la marcha de las mujeres era el proximo dia. Si, yo fui una de las personas que estuvo presente en el centro de Chicago para la marcha. Marchando ha sido un pasatiempo para mi, pero un pasatiempo necesario. Por esta razón, quiero compartir mi experiencia y platicar de los beneficios de atendiendo marchas/protestas. Al final, entreviste a alguien y ella me dijo porque decide marchar.
 |
| DACA rally/march on September 3, 2017. |
Not only are you exercising the freedom of the first amendment, but you are also exercising your body. Yes, we all have lazy days in which we want to stay in and do a Netflix binge, but we should keep track of our physical activity. Don't want to go the gym and spend an hour on a treadmill? Going to a march with friends is not only fun, but you will be walking for hours as well. One of the most memorable marches I went to was on Sunday, September 3, 2017. The group walked from the neighborhood of Pilsen to Downtown Chicago. This march was in support and solidarity with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients. DACA allows people who were brought to the U.S. at a young age to have a college education and a work permit. You can learn more about DACA here (sometimes people prefer Wikipedia for explanations). As you see, you will be exercising for a cause, and if you ask me, that is a double win!
~~~~~~
No solo estas ejercitando las libertades de la primer enmienda, pero también está haciendo ejercicio tu cuerpo. Si, tenemos nuestros dias flojos donde queremos estar echados todo el dia y ver puro Netflix o novelas, pero también necesitamos que incluir actividad física en nuestro dia. No quieres ir al gimnasio y estar en una cinta de correr? Si vas a una marcha con amigos/as, no solo es divertido pero puedes caminar por horas tambien. Unas de las marchas más memorables fue la marcha que fui el Domingo, Septiembre 3, 2017. Caminamos con el grupo desde Pilsen hasta el centro de Chicago. La marcha fue en apoyo y solidaridad con los recipientes de DACA (Acción diferida para los llegados en la Infancia). Este programa deja que jóvenes (que fueron traídos a los Estados Unidos cuando eran niños) tengan una educación universitaria y un permiso de trabajo. Puedes aprender más sobre DACA aqui. Como ves, vas a hacer ejercicio por una causa, y eso es ganar doble.
By far, I have seen my favorite signs in last year's Women's march. Here are a few examples of the signs I saw:
Hasta ahora, he visto mis favoritos letreros durante la marcha de las mujeres. Aqui estan unos ejemplos:
"Cultivate Diversity!/ Cultiva Diversidad!"
"Mama's raising me to be nasty!/ Mi mama me esta criando a ser una mujer asquerosa! "
"Women United will never be defeated/ Mujeres unidas nunca seran vencidas!"
"Nuestras diferencias son bellas (escrito en Espanol)/ Our differences are beautiful."
"A woman's place is in the resistance (with a picture of Princess Leia on it)/ Las mujeres pertenecen en la resistencia (tenia una foto de la Princesa Leia).
"Their bodies, Their choice (a sign held up by men"/ "Sus cuerpos, sus derechos (hombres tenían este letrero)"
"Keep your tiny hands off my rights"/ No toques mis derechos con tus manos pequeñas."
 |
| Women's March 2017 |
3) Community/ Comunidad:
All the marches I have attended have been very peaceful. You feel united and you also get to meet awesome people! It's also fun when people who are passing by cheer you on in support. Of course, there are always going to be people who are against your cause but they don't matter. Marching with others is certainly a moment to appreciate. One of the most awesome persons I have met on these marches was the button lady. She is an art teacher that makes these buttons and sells them for $1 each. She then donates all the proceeds to the ACLU. It almost feels honorable, marching beside people as loving as her.
~~~~~~
Todas las marchas que he asistido han sido tranquilas. Te sientes unida con otros y conoces a personas extraordinarias! También es divertido ver gente que pasa y te apoya. También hay gente que está contra tu causa pero ellos no importan. Marchando con otros es un momento que tienes que apreciar. Unas de las personas asombrosas que he conocido ha sido la senora de las insignias. Ella es una maestra de arte y imprime las imágenes de los botones y los vende por un dolar cada uno. Después ella dona todo el dinero al ACLU. Se siente honorable caminar a lado de gente tan amable como ella.
Interview/ Entrevista:
I interviewed a friend of mine on why they choose to protest/march.
Yo entreviste a una amiga de porque ella marcha.
"I enjoy going to protests/marches because being someone that believes in Justice, I believe it’s important to show up for people who are being oppressed, silenced, and pushed to the back in society. Something I learned throughout my life is that being neutral about issues does not help those that need to get out of the darkness they are experiencing and getting the Justice they deserve. Showing up for protests/marches makes a statement: I won’t stay silent. I will fight for my rights. I will fight for other’s rights. Also, it is empowering to see a lot of people convene for a cause you believe in and there is always strength in numbers."
"Yo disfruto ir a protestas/marchas porque siendo alguien que cree en la justicia, yo creo que es importante estar presente departe de los que están oprimidos, silenciados, y empujados hacia atrás en la sociedad. Algo que he aprendido en mi vida es que quedarme neutral cuando ocurren problemas no ayuda a la gente que van a necesitar de salirse de esa oscuridad que están sufriendo, y quiero obtener esa justicia que ellos merecen. Estando presente a protestas/marchas crea una declaracion: No me voy a quedar callada. Voy a luchar por mis derechos. Voy a luchar por los derechos de los demás. También es algo que te da poder cuando ves a otra gente uniéndose para una causa que tu crees, y siempre hay poder cuando hay varias personas."
~~~~~~
If anything, I hope you have learned that your voice should be heard or that you should stand up for those who are vulnerable and afraid to speak for themselves. After all, we are all human.
Sobre todo, espero que han aprendido que su voz necesita ser escuchada y que necesitan que estar presente por la gente que está en peligro. Nosotros somos su voz. Después de todo, todos somos humanos.
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Food in Mexico/ Comida de Mexico (English & Spanish)
Besides the art, landscapes, and the Spanish language, gastronomy is a significant part of Mexico's culture. In this blog post, I don't plan to talk about the expensive food that you can find in restaurants that are mainly meant for tourists and not for the people who live there (but that's another topic that I might discuss in another post), but rather the "informal" gastronomy, a.k.a. street food and home-made food! There is always something delicious to eat in the streets or houses—if you have Mexican relatives—in Mexico. Note: I will not write about EVERY single thing I ate because it will take up my whole blog, I will only talk about food that I tasted and remembered to take a picture of. I mean, living in the moment is essential when you're on vacation, forget about taking pictures of everything—although it is hard to resist.
Además del arte, los paisajes, y el Español, la gastronomía es una parte esencial de la cultura de México. En esta entrada de blog, no planeo hablar sobre la comida cara que se venden en los restaurantes de lujo para los turistas y no para los habitantes locales (bueno, eso es otro tema que quiero discutir en otra entrada), pero la comida de la calle (o chatarra— como dice mi madre) y la comida casera. Nota: No voy a platicar de CADA comida que comí en mi viaje, pero sí, de la comida que tuve oportunidad de tomar foto. Digo, cuando estas en vacaciones es mejor vivir en el momento, no? Pero a veces si quieres tomar fotos de todo lo que ves.
1) Acapulco, Guerrero:
Acapulco is famous for their beaches and tourism, but for me, it is famous for its hardworking people and their delicious seafood and drinks. When you arrive at Acapulco, you have the urge to listen to Cumbia or I don't know maybe Thalia's Piel Morena, but you also want to go eat seafood despite the fact that it is 10 p.m. (who cares, you're on vacation, right?). Well, that's actually what my parents and I did! You bet I ordered a shrimp cocktail and a michelada (even though I don't drink beer..), and to make the scene even more perfect, Elvis Crespo's Suavemente was playing in the background. My vacation had officially begun.
Micheladas were basically all I drank when I ate out. My favorite michelada was one that I drank at a Canta-bar. The drink was called the "Go-michelada" which is a michelada mixture of beer and tomato juice with tajin and gummy worms and gummy bears at the top of the drink. There is a picture of the drink above. The truth is that I did not finish drinking it, I only drank half and ate the gummy bears and gummy worms of course.
Acapulco es famoso por sus playas y turismo, pero para mi, es famosa por su gente trabajadora y sus deliciosos mariscos y bebidas/refrescos. Cuando llegas a Acapulco, te da ganas de escuchar Cumbia o a la cancion de Thalia "Piel Morena" y a fuerza quieres ir a comer mariscos a las 10 de la noche (bueno eso es lo que hice, ademas estoy en vacaciones, verdad?). Mi familia y yo fuimos a comer, ordene un coctel de camarones y una michelada (aunque la verdad es que yo no tomo cerveza) y para crear la escena más perfecta, estaban poniendo la canción Suavemente de Elvis Crespo. Si chicos, mis vacaciones empezaron.
Cuando comía en la calle, casi todo lo que tomaba eran micheladas. Mi favorita michelada fue una que tomé en un Canta-Bar. Se llamaba "Go-michelada," que es una mezcla de cerveza y jugo de tomate con tajín y gomitas de gusanos y osos encima. Hay una foto de la bebida arriba. La verdad es que estuvo tan grande que solo me tome la mitad, y claro me comi las gomitas.
Nota: Recomiendo tomar una michelada (o cerveza) si comes en la calle porque el alcohol mata la bacteria que se encuentra en la comida (a veces si hay y aveces no, pero es mejor estar seguro) que te puede hacer mal. En vez de tomar una tableta Pepto, toma una michelada (debería ser un anuncio).
The markets in Acapulco are full of people that sell a variety of fish, fruit, clothes, shoes, etc. (I sound like a tv ad). In the picture above is one of the stands where they sell fruit, it was one of the most aesthetically pleasing stands in the market. My favorite thing to buy at the market besides fruit is natural coconut water. The vendors prepare the coconut water in front of you as they cut open the coconut and pour the water into a bag along with its bits. Later on, you can enjoy those coconut bits with lemon and hot sauce.
Los mercados de Acapulco están llenos de gente que venden mucha variedad de pescado, frutas, ropa, zapatos, etc. (sueno como anuncio de tele). En la foto de arriba, hay unos de los postes más organizados del mercado que he visto, era muy estéticamente agradable. Además de fruta, mi favorita cosa que compre era el agua de coco que preparan enfrente de ti. Los vendedores abren el coco y ponen el agua en una bolsa con los trocitos de coco. Puedes disfrutar después los trocitos de coco que sobran con salsa y limón.
En Jalisco, si no escuchas Mariachis, o alguien cantando en la calle, escuchas a Vicente Fernández o otras canciones rancheras en el radio. En Jalisco, tuve el placer de ver a mi familia y conocer a nuevos amigos de familia. Fui a muchas fiestas, incluyendo dos bodas. En las fiestas, el platillo más popular era la birria con arroz y frijoles. Si es rico comer birria en México pero como yo soy semi-vegetariana, no me gusta comer mucho la carne. Entonces cuando mi tía me dijo que íbamos a hacer enchiladas, me ofrecí a ayudarla y así es como aprendí a hacer tortillas hechas a mano. Aunque al principio, fallaba porque las tortillas se destrozaban fácilmente. Me tomo cinco tortillas hasta que finalmente hice unas bien hechas. Cuando acabamos me dijo mi tía, “Mija, ahora ya te puedes casar con un ranchero.” Ay tía.
When I arrived in Guadalajara, I was very lucky to have the chance to go on one of the Tequila tours. I got to go on the short Tequila tour, which only lasted five hours. This tour was about 300 pesos (15.80 dollars). The longer tour, which lasted eight hours, cost about 500 pesos (26.33 dollars). As you see, the tours are at a good price, and it included a tour of a tequila factory (or three factories for the long tour) and transportation to and from the place. I purchased my tickets with my aunt and mother by the cathedral in the center of Guadalajara. If anyone is interested, you can find any tour-related information right by the cathedral.
Cuando llegué a Guadalajara, tenía mucha suerte porque tuve la oportunidad de ir en unos de los tours a Tequila. Yo fui en el tour de un recorrido corto de cinco horas. El precio de este tour era un estimado de 300 pesos (15.80 dólares). El tour largo duró ocho horas y su precio era 500 pesos (26.33 dólares). Como pueden ver, los tours tienen buen precio, y eso incluye un tour de una fábrica de Tequila (o tres fábricas si tomas el tour largo) y la transportación al lugar y de regreso. Yo compre mis boletos con mi tia y mi mama en frente de la catedral en el centro de Guadalajara. Es en el centro donde dan toda la información de turismo, a lado de la catedral.
Before leaving to Mexico, one of the drinks that my friends recommended me was tejuino. I tried it for the first time in Tlaquepaque. I loved the ice cream but after it melted, the drink was a little too acid to drink. I also tasted the famous “tortas ahogadas.” They are tortas full of meat in which you put in tomato soup, hence the name “ahogadas.” You can fill them with lettuce and tomato or hot sauce. You can easily find these tortas in locals nearby. I tasted the ice cream of “garrafa” in Chapala. The bottom of the cone was full of lemon ice cream and the top part was of strawberry. The ice cream was not too sweet but it certainly was fresh. To be honest, I did like the cone more than the ice cream though.
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One famous snack in Guadalajara is the "Tostilocos" which are bags of Jalapeño flavored Tostitos full of many toppings such as clamato juice, pork-skins, Japanese peanuts, fruit, and hot sauce. You can basically put whatever you want as a topping on those. My bag is the one to the left (it only contained pork-skins and lemon, I was afraid of adding so many things), and my aunt's is the one on the right that has basically everything (fun fact/irony: she's a nutritionist).
Un famoso antojito de Guadalajara son los “Tostilocos,” que son bolsas de Tostitos de sabor Jalapeño que vienen llenos de cueritos, nueces Japoneses, fruta, jugo clamato, y salsa Valentina (bueno, si estas en Jalisco). Tu puedes poner lo que se te antoja. Mi bolsa es la de la izquierda (solo le puse cueritos y limón porque me daba miedo poner muchas cosas), y la bolsa de la derecha que tiene todo es la de mi tia (Dato interesante/irónico: Ella es nutriologa).
I had the opportunity to go to the Basilica of Zapopan. The Basilica is very beautiful, and outside the Basilica are many vendors of candy, corn, jewelry, and various food stands. Before leaving, we stopped by the cafe, “Flor de Cordoba.” My aunt bought me a fruit tart and I drank a Chai frappuccino, which is similar to the Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino. So this is where my (very long) blog post ends and I hope to talk about my experience in Tequila soon.
Tuve la oportunidad de ir a la Basílica de Zapopan. La basílica es muy hermosa, y está llena alrededor de vendedores de dulces, elote, joyería, y varios puestos de comida. Antes de irnos, pasamos a el Cafe, "Flor de Cordoba." Mi tia me compro un "pay de frutas" y tome un un Chai frappuccino, ya que mi favorito de Starbucks es el Green Tea Creme Frappuccino. Y aquí es donde acabó esta larga entrada de blog, espero continuar platicando de Tequila en mi próxima entrada.
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1) Acapulco, Guerrero:
Acapulco is famous for their beaches and tourism, but for me, it is famous for its hardworking people and their delicious seafood and drinks. When you arrive at Acapulco, you have the urge to listen to Cumbia or I don't know maybe Thalia's Piel Morena, but you also want to go eat seafood despite the fact that it is 10 p.m. (who cares, you're on vacation, right?). Well, that's actually what my parents and I did! You bet I ordered a shrimp cocktail and a michelada (even though I don't drink beer..), and to make the scene even more perfect, Elvis Crespo's Suavemente was playing in the background. My vacation had officially begun.
Micheladas were basically all I drank when I ate out. My favorite michelada was one that I drank at a Canta-bar. The drink was called the "Go-michelada" which is a michelada mixture of beer and tomato juice with tajin and gummy worms and gummy bears at the top of the drink. There is a picture of the drink above. The truth is that I did not finish drinking it, I only drank half and ate the gummy bears and gummy worms of course.
Note: I recommend drinking a michelada (or beer) with every food you eat since the alcohol will kill the bacteria of any street food that may make you sick. Save a Pepto tablet and drink a Michelada.
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Cuando comía en la calle, casi todo lo que tomaba eran micheladas. Mi favorita michelada fue una que tomé en un Canta-Bar. Se llamaba "Go-michelada," que es una mezcla de cerveza y jugo de tomate con tajín y gomitas de gusanos y osos encima. Hay una foto de la bebida arriba. La verdad es que estuvo tan grande que solo me tome la mitad, y claro me comi las gomitas.
Nota: Recomiendo tomar una michelada (o cerveza) si comes en la calle porque el alcohol mata la bacteria que se encuentra en la comida (a veces si hay y aveces no, pero es mejor estar seguro) que te puede hacer mal. En vez de tomar una tableta Pepto, toma una michelada (debería ser un anuncio).
I lied! Not only did I drink micheladas, I also love drinking Yoli's! Yoli is a lemon-flavored soda that is only sold in the state of Guerrero. Yoli is my favorite drink from Acapulco (at least, non-alcoholic drink).
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Mentira! No solo tome micheladas, me encantan también las Yoli's! La Yoli es una refresco de sabor limón que venden solo en el estado de Guerrero. Es mi bebida preferida de Acapulco (bueno, bebida sin alcohol).
The markets in Acapulco are full of people that sell a variety of fish, fruit, clothes, shoes, etc. (I sound like a tv ad). In the picture above is one of the stands where they sell fruit, it was one of the most aesthetically pleasing stands in the market. My favorite thing to buy at the market besides fruit is natural coconut water. The vendors prepare the coconut water in front of you as they cut open the coconut and pour the water into a bag along with its bits. Later on, you can enjoy those coconut bits with lemon and hot sauce.
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2) Jalisco (El rancho y Guadalajara):
At Jalisco, if you don’t hear Mariachis or someone singing in the street, you will most likely hear Vicente Fernandez or rancheras on the radio. It is in Jalisco where I had the pleasure of visiting my family and meet family friends. I went to a lot of parties, including two weddings. The most popular dish at parties is birria with rice and beans. It’s delicious to eat birria especially in Mexico, but since I am semi-vegetarian, I don’t enjoy eating meat every single day. When my aunt decided to make enchiladas one day, I offered to help her and that is how I learned how to make hand-made tortillas. The first tortillas I made fell apart easily but when I got to the fifth tortilla, I started to get the hang of making well-done tortillas. When we finished, my aunt told me that I was now ready to marry a ranchero of Jalisco. Oh dear.
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When I arrived in Guadalajara, I was very lucky to have the chance to go on one of the Tequila tours. I got to go on the short Tequila tour, which only lasted five hours. This tour was about 300 pesos (15.80 dollars). The longer tour, which lasted eight hours, cost about 500 pesos (26.33 dollars). As you see, the tours are at a good price, and it included a tour of a tequila factory (or three factories for the long tour) and transportation to and from the place. I purchased my tickets with my aunt and mother by the cathedral in the center of Guadalajara. If anyone is interested, you can find any tour-related information right by the cathedral.
💙💙💙💙💙
Cuando llegué a Guadalajara, tenía mucha suerte porque tuve la oportunidad de ir en unos de los tours a Tequila. Yo fui en el tour de un recorrido corto de cinco horas. El precio de este tour era un estimado de 300 pesos (15.80 dólares). El tour largo duró ocho horas y su precio era 500 pesos (26.33 dólares). Como pueden ver, los tours tienen buen precio, y eso incluye un tour de una fábrica de Tequila (o tres fábricas si tomas el tour largo) y la transportación al lugar y de regreso. Yo compre mis boletos con mi tia y mi mama en frente de la catedral en el centro de Guadalajara. Es en el centro donde dan toda la información de turismo, a lado de la catedral.
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In the Tequila tour, I received a tour of the factory, Las Tres Mujeres. The people on the tour were a total of twelve, including me. I’m not going to get very specific since I would like to dedicate a post on my experience to Tequila later on. I am going to tell you guys that I did drink 4 types of Tequila. We started from the strongest tequilas to the ones that didn't have as much alcohol This was the order: “blanco,” “reposado,” “añejo” and “extra añejo.” I had the opportunity to buy Tequila candy which I finished that same day since I shared it with my family. If you go to Tequila, I recommend you buy Tequila there since it is cheaper in comparison to the Tequila being sold in the U.S. and in other places in Mexico, I imagine After the tour, we went to the actual town of Tequila, where I enjoyed the enchiladas of “mole dulce” with chicken. I’m even starting to crave them as I write this. As you see, I highly recommend the enchiladas of Mexico.
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En el Tequila tour, nos dieron un tour de la fábrica, La tres mujeres. Eran doce de nosotros en el tour. No voy a platicar mucho porque quiero hacer otra entrada más extensiva de mi experiencia en Tequila. Pero si les voy a decir que probe 4 tipos de Tequila. Empezamos probando la Tequila más fuerte. Primero probé el Tequila “blanco,” y después el “reposado” que no estuvo tan fuerte como el “blanco” y después el añejo y extra anejo. Tuve la oportunidad también de comprar dulces de Tequila, que me acabe en un dia porque compartí con mi familia. Y si vas a Tequila, aproveche y compre Tequila allí porque no esta tan cara la tequila en comparación si estas en los Estados Unidos, y creo que tambien en Mexico. Después del tour, fuimos a el pueblo actual de Tequila, y disfrute unas enchiladas de mole dulce con pollo. Hasta se me antojan cuando escribo su nombre. Deberas que si recomiendo las enchiladas de México.
Before leaving to Mexico, one of the drinks that my friends recommended me was tejuino. I tried it for the first time in Tlaquepaque. I loved the ice cream but after it melted, the drink was a little too acid to drink. I also tasted the famous “tortas ahogadas.” They are tortas full of meat in which you put in tomato soup, hence the name “ahogadas.” You can fill them with lettuce and tomato or hot sauce. You can easily find these tortas in locals nearby. I tasted the ice cream of “garrafa” in Chapala. The bottom of the cone was full of lemon ice cream and the top part was of strawberry. The ice cream was not too sweet but it certainly was fresh. To be honest, I did like the cone more than the ice cream though.
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Antes de ir a México, unas de las cosas que me recomendaron de Guadalajara fue el tejuino. Si lo probe cuando fui a Tlaquepaque. Me encanto con la nieve pero después que se derrito, estaba un poco ácido para continuar tomándolo. Tambien probe las tortas ahogadas. Son tortas con carne y las pones en jugo de tomate. Le puedes poner salsa picante o lechuga con tomate. Puedes encontrar las tortas ahogadas en varios locales alrededor de Guadalajara. Probé la nieve de garrafa en Chapala. La que probé era de limón y la parte de arriba era de fresa. No estuvo tan dulce, pero si estuvo fresca. La verdad es que me gusto mas el cono que la nieve.
One famous snack in Guadalajara is the "Tostilocos" which are bags of Jalapeño flavored Tostitos full of many toppings such as clamato juice, pork-skins, Japanese peanuts, fruit, and hot sauce. You can basically put whatever you want as a topping on those. My bag is the one to the left (it only contained pork-skins and lemon, I was afraid of adding so many things), and my aunt's is the one on the right that has basically everything (fun fact/irony: she's a nutritionist).
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Friday, November 3, 2017
Lessons on Expulsion- Erika L. Sanchez-- Mini Review- UPDATED
Lessons on Expulsion by Erika L. SánchezMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Erika L. Sanchez has become one of my new favorite Latina poets. She writes about the experience of being Latina very accurately very relatable (at least for me). She almost brings out a Sylvia Plath vibe in her poems, "Six months after contemplating suicide," and "The Poet at Fifteen." I only mention Sylvia Plath because she is my favorite poet, and if anyone reminds me of her, you best believe I will love their writing. What I loved the most about Sanchez' poetry was that the setting of the poems ranged from Mexico, the U.S., and Spain. It's wonderful to read Latina poets who include multicultural elements in their poems. Some of my favorite poems were also those of social justice, particularly "Forty-three" which I will show a peek of below with other poems that I loved.
Here is a peek of some of my favorite poems from the collection:
I would say that these are my top 3 poems of that collection. I'm still not sure in what order, but for sure her poetry is something worth reading and buying.
Did I mention that I went to her launch party back in July? The Launch part was held at Women & Children First. She signed my book and we spoke for a little bit. It turns out that she used to be an English 101 professor at my Alma Matter and apparently we learned that she tutored me in English when I was a Freshman. I thought all of this was a wonderful coincidence, she is Mexican-American, her parents are immigrants, and she grew up in Illinois. She was also a Fulbright Scholar! (I'm a potential Fulbright scholar- still in the application process). Basically, this encounter gave me so much hope in my career as a writer and it also gave me my new favorite poet.
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Stephen King's "On Writing": Quotes and the Writing Life
King's book gave me so many impressions. It made me want to start reading his novels and those of his wife, Tabitha King. As I read the book, I just kept thinking how Stephen and Tabitha are true #relationship goals. I was in awe of how supportive they are of each other's work. I have only ever heard of married writers with unsuccessful marriages such as that of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. Plath is my favorite writer and her life still haunts me to the point that I try my best to avoid anything that reminds me of her life (love life in particular). Either way, it was a pleasure reading about Stephen's relationship with his wife, but I also enjoyed his advice on writing and I found myself agreeing and reflecting on most of it (which is why it took me almost two months to finish the book and this blog post). So, for this post, I will make commentary on some of the quotes that most intrigued me.On the importance of companionship and his wife:
"And whenever I see a first novel dedicated to a wife (or a husband), I smile and think, There's someone who knows. Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference. They don't have to make speeches. Just believing is usually enough." (74).
After reading this, I thought "Stephen King is a hopeless romantic!" I was surprised to find out that he is a hopeless romantic, especially because that is something you probably wouldn’t think a horror writer would be. But to Stephen King, there is lots of love beyond his horror stories. Truth be told, writers don't ask for much (at least I don't), sometimes it's hard for us to start a piece but once we have the support of someone, once someone believes that we can create something worth reading, that is what keeps us writing. After all, Tabitha was the one who encouraged Stephen to continue working on Carrie, his first novel. Besides being one of his most well-known works, Carrie was turned into a movie starring John Travolta. This book reveals the backstory of how he started to write Carrie and how it changed the life of Stephen and his family.
"My wife is the person in my life who's most likely to say I'm working too hard, it's time to slow down, stay away from that damn PowerBook for a little while, Steve, give it a rest." (267).
He writes about meeting his wife (hint, hint: in a writing class!) As you can probably tell by now, I enjoyed reading anything he had to say about his relationship. Although it’s not necessarily on writing, it’s relevant because writers do need someone, whether it be a muse or a motivator. Behind every successful writer is someone who believes in them. On Writing:
"The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time. The four twentieth-century writers whose work is most responsible for it are probably Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Sherwood Anderson, and the poet Dylan Thomas." (98).
In this section, he talks about the writer and substance abuse. Yes, there are studies that creative people are most likely to suffer from addiction or from a mental illness, but that doesn't mean that because you’re an artist that you have to experience it at some point in your life. This, of course, varies on the person and how easy it is to influence them to a lifestyle of addiction.
"It starts with this: put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down to write, remind yourself why it isn't in the middle of the room. Life isn't a support-system for art. It's the other way around." (101).
This quote really hit me because it is something that I have thought about and something that I have spoken about recently with one of my college English professors. With all honesty, I'm conflicted about receiving my Master's. Not because I don't want one, but because I want two. I want to study Special Education, but I would also like an MFA in Creative Writing. I've been thinking about doing my Special Education degree first so once I get a stable job, I can go back to school and work on my writing. My professor even thought that was a wise idea. I know I do want to obtain a CELTA certification and I want to teach ELS students, especially those who have Spanish as their native language. So if anything, that is my first plan before getting my Master’s. Post-graduation life is full of decisions and financial planning.
"Put your vocabulary on the top shelf of your toolbox, and don't make any conscious effort to improve it. (You'll be doing that as you read, of course. . . but that comes later.) One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you're maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones." (117).
This quote also really hit me because it is something that I keep on wondering about. I always ask myself, “Is my writing good enough? Is my vocabulary advanced enough? I have a degree, shouldn’t I have stronger words for everything I write about?” After reading this, sometimes the words you have are enough. When you can’t find the right word, (which happens a lot) you will go in search of it, whether it’s in a dictionary or in a thesaurus, or in a magazine that happens to be right in front of you. Of course, there is nothing wrong with learning new words, but you don’t have to find a word that you might think is impressive and then forget the meaning of it the next day. Really, your vocabulary changes and expands over time as you write and read (mostly read).
"The object of fiction isn't grammatical correctness but to make the reader welcome and then tell a story. . . to make him/her forget, whenever possible, that he/ she is reading a story at all." (134). Once again, it’s always the grammar that gets me (and I’m an English major). I always need to remember to focus on the story before fixing grammar and editing. I think it’s best to just write and do not care about grammar or spelling (at least for the first draft), write your heart out and once the story seems clear to you, then you can focus on grammar and all writing mechanics.
"The most interesting situations can usually be expressed as a What-if question." (169).
Ah! The origin of most ideas, the "What if" question. I learned about this in my writing classes and it is true. The question that keeps the plot going is "what if." Sometimes our ideas are based on our lives, on the decisions, we decided not to make, but when we ask "what if?" the possibilities are endless. They may inspire us to create a story as we daydream or for a novel, story, poem, etc. “What if” also leads to the exploration of ideas whether they are meant for creative writing or not.
"This first draft- the All-Story draft- should be written with no help (or interference) from anyone else." (209).
I do somewhat agree with this, although for someone who is writing their first novel it may be tempting to ask someone to make sure if they are working on their novel correctly. There is no right way to write a novel. I mean if there was, wouldn’t all novels be the same? What does exist though, are guidelines, methods, and articles for writing a novel. Sure, you can use them to help guide you but your book should mainly be your work of creation.
"With six weeks' worth of recuperation time, you'll also be able to see any glaring holes in the plot or character development." (213).
This may be advice you may or may not want to take, it really is optional. I do think I will use this in the future though, and I noticed that I have been using this method (except lasting over six weeks most of the time) for my poetry. I sometimes go back on some poems that I have written over a year ago and either change them or abandon them (it’s a poet thing). I think you can also use this method when you feel uninspired after writing something, take some time off and then come back to it (whether it’s in a week or in a year, that’s your choice).
"Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well." (269).
I think this is the perfect quote to end the post (and it was to end the book). In the end, if we are writing for the right reasons, it is because we enjoy it and we want to improve. Maybe you could have used writing to get lucky with a person, but if you are serious about writing, you do it despite the rewards that are given. There are some, but they are hard to obtain, and they do require a lot of hard work. This also reminds me that yesterday was National Day on Writing, and this book has been one of the many reminders on #whyiwrite.
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