walking with Dr. Francis

 The walk with Dr. Francis was really interesting and fun- I asked him where his favorite place he'd ever been was and his answer was "here, right now." Talk about living in the moment. He is a talented banjo player and very entertaining to talk to. 

 UD had some beautiful flowers!  As we were walking, a reporter for the Dayton Daily News stopped and interviewed us- glad we took the "razor wire route" :)

Although the day was a little overcast, it was comfortable weather for a walk. It was nice to meet both Dr. Francis and Furaha; When we arrived at the Sinclair campus, I was able to show off the student gallery in building 13 (which incidentally is one of my favorite places on campus) Unfortunately, I wasn't able to hear his lecture, but given the choice between the two, I'm glad I was able to go on the walk!

Ginsberg and the malicious blather that ensued

Ginsberg's Howl is awe inspiring, raw, and beautiful. James Franco's portrayal of him is nothing less than stellar. I actually pod cast the Allen Ginsberg reading of Howl (and 7 other poems) from iTunes and Franco was spot on; the animations in the film (that were inspired by Ginsberg's actual illustrations, awesome) were vivid and organic and followed the feelings that inundate from the poem. 

I did not agree in the slightest with people in class that stated this poem is only valid due to the context of when it was published- sexual and social oppression is an ongoing monster that should be completely extinct in the year 2014, yet here we are, in a country so afraid of honest sexuality that we bury our heads in the Bible and spout words of religious nonsense. Homosexual couples are no different than heterosexual couples, just as interracial couples are no different than couples of the same race. 

DIFFERENT IS NOT BAD! it's just different! BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY!

a sneak peek of coming essays

In writing the literary essay assigned for Streetcar Named Desire, I spent an obscene amount of time trying to come up with a new perspective of the play, something that both interested me to write and would be interesting to read. I settled (with the help of Professor Cassel) on looking at Blanche's character from a psychoanalytical point of view. With the help of the DSM V, the internet, and a past professor, I feel that Blanche, while in my opinion still not a character I particularly care for, is a sympathetic character. She suffers from horrors in her past unknown to most of the supporting characters in the play, leaving them to take what they see and make judgments against her.

Histrionic Personality Disorder is defined as "constant attention-seeking, emotional overreaction, and suggestibility. This personality's tendency to over-dramatize may impair relationships and lead to depression," and coupled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, alcoholism, and abandonment issues, Blanche is three gallons of crazy in a two gallon bucket. She doesn't have a choice but to be all over the place. Stella has been indulging her whims their entire lives and continues to do so, literally until the end when the doctor and nurse escort her out of the run down two room apartment.

I won't give all away in this post, but the above snippet helped me to have a better acceptance of Blanche as a character.