Children's Literature Is Not Many Other Things

I went to the informational meeting for an upcoming Simmons radio station today. I arrived sort of late, because I had class, so I slipped in and tried to catch up. It seems that next semester this radio guy who teaches Comm and Journalism at some other school is going to start a radio course at Simmons, and set up a station. It sounded delightful...not that I could/want to take the class, but I would enjoy having a radio show, I think. It always seemed fun when I sat in on Alex's, anyway. Then he asked me what major I was, and I said I was a graduate student in the Children's Lit program, and he got excited and suggested that I should do a children's show.

A Masters in Children's Literature does not mean I know anything about children's music.

Why does everyone think that I must know everything related to children ever? I don't. I don't even know that much about the lit, I'm still learning. I have no interest in a children's music radio show. Unless it involved reading aloud my favorite YA novels in serial form. Which I don't think would be legal.

Are You Lonesome Tonight?

Why is it that I can have a house full of company and still feel kind of lonely? I'm such a crazy. I've got many guests, what more could I ask for?

May All Your Hell Weeks

Happiness held is the seed
Happiness shared is the flower

I Should Be In Bed

I definitely should be in my bed, nursing my brand-new sore throat and cold-to-be, but of course because I've got things to do tomorrow, I can't sleep at all. Insomnia sucks hippodick like whoa.

In other thoughts, I wonder if I'll have more dreams about Buffy tonight? It's always interesting when I do. Clearly pop culture is too much on my mind.

Also, I keep getting distracted from sleep by the idea of Simmons Radio. The school doesn't have a station, but I got an announcement for a planning meeting happening next week to get one started. I'm kind of tempted to do it, if they can get it going, just because it always seems like fun! But now I'm composing playlists in my head and not sleeping at all.

I'm clearly tired, because this post doesn't make a lot of sense. Bah, humbug. I wish someone would feed me soup and tea and tell me to get my ass back in bed before I get sicker. I dislike caring for myself, I'm naturally a lazy lump.

Dear Body,

Please behave and don't get horridly sick. I can't miss any more work this pay period, and I have projects that are coming due and dates to go on and parties to plan. And a tattoo to moisturize and not infect with cold germs. I would really appreciate your cooperation in these matters.

Love and kisses,
Rachel

New Tat!

Super Otaku Arm Warmers, GO!

Happy Valentine's

If you're reading this, then there's a strong chance that I love you lots and that I hope you have a delightful Valentine's Day. Especially if you're going to be spending quality time with yourself. Personally, if there's a snow day, I'm treating myself to my V Day tattoo.

I Thought This Deserved a Moment of Your Time.

Iiiiiink

It's so time for more ink. I've pretty much made up my mind that next weekend (after Valentine's Day) I'm going to go and get more done on my back. Happy Valentine's to me! :D It's been way, way too long. I'm so addicted.

I'll Try It.

Create your own visitor map!

Oh Yeah!

You scored as Charlie. You're Charlie! Sweet, adorable and caring but with a bit of a bad habit. Charlie 88% Jack 75% Michael 75% Hurley 69% Shannon 63% Claire 63% Sawyer 50% Locke 50% Kate 44% Jin 38% Sun 38% Sayid 13% Boone 13% Who is your "Lost" alter ego? created with QuizFarm.com

My Picturebook Wish List

I'm going to make an ongoing list of picturebooks that I would like to someday own, as I find them, just so that I don't forget about them later. Here's the list so far:

Eulalie and the Hopping Head by David Small

Tuesday by David Wiesner

Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles, Think of That! by Leo and Diane Dillon

Yeh-Shen by Ed Young

Goose by Molly Bang

Weslandia by Kevin Hawkes

All Alone by Kevin Henkes

Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott

The Lovely Summer by Marc Simont

The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg

That's it so far...some of these might have separate authors, the names I've listed are the illustrators. That's how I discovered them, so that's how they go down. :) Anyway, if you're in the mood for some inner child time, read some of these.

Huh.

You scored as Mermaid. Mermaid: Mermaids are also known as Sirens. These creatures were beautiful women who tricked sailors into becoming completely entranced by their haunting voices and found death soon after. Not all stories of Mermaids are about gentle loving sea people. They are mystical, magical, and extremely dangerous. They have a way about them that brings anyone they are around to seem enchanted. They are very mysterious creatures and to meet one... Would mean certain Death. Let the song of the Sea fill your soul, for you are a Mermaid. Mermaid 83% Angel 75% Dragon 59% Faerie 50% WereWolf 25% Demon 0% What Mythological Creature are you? (Cool Pics!) created with QuizFarm.com

I Can Fly!

You scored as Peter Pan. Your alter ego is Peter Pan. You are a child at heart. Anything you believe is possible, and you never want to grow up. Peter Pan 94% Sleeping Beauty 81% The Beast 69% Goofy 69% Ariel 63% Donald Duck 50% Cinderella 50% Snow White 44% Cruella De Ville 25% Pinocchio 19% Which Disney Character is your Alter Ego? created with QuizFarm.com

Final Page

Here's the last page of the picturebook, guys!

Pretty Damn Accurate.

You scored as The Vaginal-Reference-Making Dyke. You are the lesbian who can connect your vagina to nearly every object in the entire universe, creative and a little creepy you always astonish your friends. The Vaginal-Reference-Making Dyke 100% The Student Dyke 75% The Bohemian Dyke 65% The Sprightly Elfin Femme 65% The Surprise! Dyke 35% The Granola Dyke 30% The Stud 30% The Pretty-Boi Dyke 25% The Magic Earring Ken Dyke 25% The Quasi-Gothic Femme 25% The Femme Fatale 20% The Little-Boy Dyke 15% The Hipster Dyke 10% What Type of Lesbian Are You? (Inspired by Curve Mag.) created with QuizFarm.com

So Far

Here's what I've got so far of my picturebook for class...the assignment was to create a five-page book plus a cover, using only scissors, glue, and four colors of construction paper (two of which had to be black and white) for the illustrations. Each illustration is supposed to evoke a different emotion/feeling in the reader, using what we've learned so far about picture structure and color and shapes and whatnot. I'm hoping these pictures actually do that, lol.... We had to write our own text, too, but we didn't have to integrate it with the pictures, so I decided to be lazy. I've included the text here for your enjoyment. Only the last page is missing, and I'll stick that on once it's finished. :)

Adeline woke with belly rumbling.
“What will we eat today, Mama?”
“Whatever we can find,” said Mama, and washed the sleep from Adeline's face.
Adeline darted from the den
and over the needles the pines had dropped
and under the old fence
into the barnyard.

There were eggs in the hen house, tucked beneath feathers
and eggs in the goose's nest, gleaming
and while the hens cackled and chortled and clucked
and the goose stepped away for a drink,
Adeline crept on soundless feet
just like Mama had taught her.
But not soundless enough!

Adeline shimmied under the fence
and out of the barnyard
and over the pine needles
to the bank of the creek
where fish darted through the water, scales glinting.
Adeline leaned out, paw darting quick and steady like the fish
just like Mama had taught her.
But not steady enough!

Adeline shook herself
and trudged up the bank
and through the pine needles that stuck to her paws
and paused at the edge of the meadow.
A deer grazed cautiously on tender grass
and a rabbit nibbled clover.
Adeline barked, loud and fierce,
just like Mama had taught her.
Just fierce enough!



(picture that will come later today or tomorrow)



Adeline trotted through the meadow
and over needles the pines had dropped
to show her Mama what she had found.
“We'll have a good dinner tonight,” said Mama
and they did.

I ROCK.

For those of you who haven't heard, my most recent assignment for Picturebook class was to create a scary picture of birds attacking a figure, and then another picture of the same figure comforting a bird or birds, using only four colors of construction paper that were provided to me, and scissors. Here are the results, more or less (the comfort picture was changed a little after I scanned it, I added a horizon line and some more trees in the background to fill it up a bit):

From my prof, in regards to these pictures:

"Your scary picture has enough dynamism and excitement in it to alarm any beholder. Fabulous use of the diagonal with your swarm of birds. That additional orange diagonal on which they pursue their attack adds considerable menace. Compositionally this image is a marvel.

My favorite addition to your comforting picture rests with the blissful young bird, beak forward (read smile/joy as well) as she approaches the 'savior' of birds. From the fallen nest with a bird now in (that works well in helping to 'read' the picture) to the flying bird overlapping the comforter, there is a lovely circle that you create as the birds join their protector. You give it genuine sentiment that does not lapse into sentimentality.

Bravo."

Oh yeah, who da man? Me! I rock! I am SO going to graduate with slightly more pride this time. Not for another year, true, but I'm heading in the right direction.

Yay and Whoa

Guess what I'm going to be doing next semester??

Teaching a karate class at school! Woohoo! I noticed that the gym class program didn't offer any martial arts, so I emailed the woman in charge and was like, hey, I can teach a beginner class, do you want to add one? And she was like, sure, when are you free next semester?

Yay for me!

Now for the Whoa part. I tried to sign on to Blogger, and somehow it thought I wanted to switch over to the new Blogger instead of using the old one, which I didn't want to do, and then it wouldn't let me sign in without switching over. I was irritated. I mean, I guess they're just trying to get everyone to switch whenever they come on, or something, but I don't want Blogger to be attached to my gmail. I never check my gmail. It's frustrating. Anyway. Library time!

Poetry Musings

I wish I knew where to begin again with trying to get poetry published. I have at least a book's worth, a lot of it recent and therefore not entirely shitty, and I wish I understood how to go about sharing it. I mean, other than posting it on the internet somewhere, which isn't quite as thrilling. It was so much work to go through the Poet's Market, make all the copies, all the SASE's.... I wish I knew someone who could tell me what magazines would like my work, so that I wasn't just wasting paper. It's so complicated. Bleah.