6-6:10pm: How are you…? What have you been writing for yourself?
6:10-6:20pm: Narrative final drafts? How do you feel? How do you want the reader to feel?
6:20-6:45: ALL IRBY… What did you think? What about her writing and ideas do you most value as a reader?
6:45-7pm: Your notes on Irby…. What did you find yourself noting most?
7-7:07pm: BREAK
7:07-7:20pm: Journal entries, OPEN MIC
7:20-7:40pm: I have an idea, as to how to end this semester…. It will be a “take-home”, even though we’re all locked in our bloody homes so that’s a moot qualifier….. I’m asking for logical responses and ideas here… what do you want to write about for your final?
7:40-7:50pm: What have you learned about yourself while being “sheltered”-in-place?
7:50-8pm: Closing… thoughts… tonight’s page.
HW: Final reaction to Irby, TYPED… That is, your final assessment of her work. If you want, add onto what you’ve already typed..
Final Prompts will be emailed to you before next class, and you will have three days to complete.
#professormikey 
I love her! Not only is she relatable but she’s also effortlessly hilarious with every sentence that she writes and I love how she writes! It doesn’t have an abundance of advanced and technological words that makes me feel as though I need a dictionary to look up every other word, It’s simple yet human. I value her ability to write about relatable topics and could easily relate to nearly every single story that she told. Probably the only thing that I couldn’t relate to so far was her negative relationship with cats because I on the other hand LOVE cats. But nonetheless this was by far the best chapter and the one that made me laugh the hardest. The way in which she described newborn kittens and her relationship with this “prince of darkness” was simply hilarious.
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SAME. I really love cats and didn’t like the way she talked about her cat
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She’s someone you just want to have coffee with, talk about life, learn…
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For Irby: it was really hard for me to get into her novel. The beginning sort of threw me off but after I kept reading a bit its easier to get into. I realy liked the chapter about her childhood
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Essay collection, not a novel. 🙂
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Irby is definitely a writer for the HUMAN reader. Much more Human than academic, which is why I chose her manuscript for the semester.. thoughts?
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yes, THANK YOU for this book. Actually, thank you for all of these books, they are some of the best and books I never would have chosen on my own.
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Glad you enjoyed. Cheers.
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She is so relatable which I think is what makes her “less academic”
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Yes! the relatability
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Definitely more human than academic, she is just so authentic and writes about things most people go through, with her own personal stories attached!!
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Absolutely more human
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I loved every book this year! and I didn’t think authors like this existed till you showed me and im very grateful because its helped me be more comfortable with my own way of writing and I don’t always feel like everything I write is crap anymore so im very thankful for your teaching and the selection of books this year
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Thank you. Not worthy of compliment, but I appreciate you and your colleagues for being receptive to what I selected. Cheers..
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Skyler same… I used to think everything I wrote was trash until this semester. I know exactly how you feel
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That judgement of your work is told to you… your work is YOURS. And if you don’t like it, do something to MAKE you LOVE it.
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These are some of my favorites now. Normally picking up a book and reading for a long period of time is difficult for me but these books give a different perspective on life that I needed and are definitely more interesting to read.
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I found myself noting things that she said about herself and other peoples comments about her weight
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Such as….?
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Just hte way she responded to peoples comments, and if / how it affected her.
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The awkward sexual encounters had me on the verge of tears! I cannot believe this woman is able to turn something like that into a hilarious story. Honestly, I would have died of embarrassment. I love the essays about how much she hates her cat… I can relate to that on an astronomical level. Self-deprecating humor is exactly what I need to keep me alive right now.
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Yes the cat was one of my favorite parts!!
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I’ve had some awkward sexual encounters, but she takes the cake. lol
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She makes essays into something else, something more… more than just an essay. Redefining the mode of expression entirely. And like other authors this semester, getting us to see that our life and our experiences have immeasurable page value.
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It doesn’t feel like I am reading a traditional essay
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her style is truly unmatched. she is one of a kind!
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I agree, and every essay is about a new thing in her life but it all still flows so well and is strung together by her comedy and way of telling her stories!
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Doesn’t even feel like an essay collection, but well-placed snapshots of life and reflection and appreciation.
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I kinda wrote my narrative with some inspiration from her
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Awesome!
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Agreed. It feels way more like she just wrote to write. It goes along with her “I don’t give a crap what people think” tone.
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Writing your story should always antagonize and invoke humor.
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Life is pretty damn funny.
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Yes it is. And when you can laugh at yourself, it’s wildly funny.
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When reading Irby’s writing I found that I couldn’t stop focusing on the differences between some interviews I read with her and her actual writing. I felt like she interviewed so much more humbly than she wrote. I think she does both really well. It actually makes her pretty human. It is so much easier to put things in writing versus saying it out loud.
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Me as well.
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It was interesting because when I read about her and she said she was a feminist, i was turned off. But then reading about her, i love it and she was relatable in so many ways
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I noted how chill she is when telling stories that can be crazy. She was very nonchalant when talking about her strap-on stories and when talking about her dating stories. I noted mostly how fucking funny she is. She is able to make the most normal and everyday stories seem like they are the most interesting stories filled with humor. She is able to find humor in life. I think her ability to create humor is valuable and makes it easier for the reader to read and relate to.
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I just have a couple of pages of notes because I get lost a lot in her writing I even re-read her chapters that I find hilarious just to laugh again, but mainly my notes are just on how human she is like lawson in a way but more so, lawson felt like a comforting hug and a long lost friend catching each other up on each other lives but with Irby for me it is more like Ive seen myself doing all these ridiculous things with her or in my own life its weird I talked about in my reaction all the authors from Lawson, Sedaris and IRby all talk like in thier own voices and you can tell but its amazing to see how different each one is in their own unique way but it makes since because everyone is unique and everyone has a different way they think and away they view the world and that’s something Ive been taking notes on as well. Its just amazing they all speak very human and that the main thing I take notes on is the humanness in her writing and yeah that ain’t a word but im gonna use it anyways well it might be but it doesn’t sound right thats for sure.
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Getting lost can be a boon..
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I find myself noting not just her humor, but what moments she gives a certain intensity of humor.
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mike! you are so right now that’s gonna itch my head and now I’m pulling out my kindle and reading while we have this class now because I need to look for those moments and look deeper into that, but good thing im great at multitasking
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Enjoy!!
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I noted a lot of the stuff that I could relate to, and we had a lot in common! We both love food but have terrible eating habits, we love watching tv and shopping and trying to exercise once in a while before we inevitably go back to not working out at all! We also both think we’re going to die every so often due to panic attacks.I also noted some of the parts that I thought were the funniest, like her shitting on the side of traffic, and her trying out all of these exercise classes, and so many others! I loved this book so much, it was definitely my favorite from this class. This book was an easy read for me. What I mean by that is I was never bored or confused or struggling to stay motivated to read it. I really like the essay format for Irby’s book because she has so many fun stories. She jumps around instead of writing all of it chronologically, and it makes me feel like I’m inside her mind as she’s thinking about events in her life.
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I didn’t mean book! Essay collection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Most all of my notes on Irby where just of whenever she’d say something in all caps, which I believe occurred close to nearly every page. There was no specific or constant theme on why she was emphasizing certain things. Sometimes it would be relevant to the chapter, other times it would just be the arbitrary, “I HATE MYSELF TOO”. I liked her unpredictability, and refusal to capitalize information based on any set set structure or of anything relevant to what was happening. She really did just say what she felt like screaming, so that’s respectable.
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This is a good realization! I will pay more attention her all caps statements from now on
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my page won’t refresh, just testing my comments
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we see you Harmony… you are live!!
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🙂
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I loved the yoga essay and how she had to stop going because the ladys would eventually notice that she isn’t pregnant.
I love that she does things I would be too shy or afraid to do.
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STRENGTH.
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I noted honesty. Most of the books that we have read this semester is about the author’s story of their life, whether it is fiction or non fiction. But she tells the truth and nothing but the honest truth. And after reading her book, I think that the most effective way to get readers interested is to do what she did, and to lay it all on the table and then add humor.
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Yes Ryan I totally agree she is so honest with us as readers… Something that takes a lot of courage
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Courage, and an eagerness to share, to help others.
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Yes I also noted her honesty. Like you said her ability to lay it all out on the table and simply add humor makes her essays some of the best work I’ve ever read.
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so did I! she is so admirable in that way!
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My notes on Irby: I found myself noting how unpredictable her style was. I also noted how despite that, she is constantly moving and her work seems fluid constantly!
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I think in writing realistically and meaningfully, there has a to be a good mix of raw, real, personal stories that are bittersweet and emotional, alongside the funny, lighthearted parts that help you get through life. A meaningful life and a meaningful story based from it, realistically has its serious and difficult moments along with its easygoing or awkward, but funny and lighthearted moments. Irby does this really well. She makes it clear that she has struggles accepting parts of life and getting through them, like the adversities of mental health issues and societal issues, while also making it clear that her life is filled with funny, ridiculous, noteworthy moments that affect her life in important ways as well.
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One closing thought on Irby, I see her style as the most worthy of study. Thoughts???
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yes it is so unique and she is so open about her life.
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Open, and inviting!!
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Ya. Her writing style is unique, so definitely something to study and pull inspiration from?
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I agree Samone!
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I absolutely agree! She does it all, she makes us laugh, feel sad for her and also those who are so arrogant in the world, and she invites us to embrace it all!
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Her writing is so different from the other writers. Its definitely worthy of study because her writing is so free, honest, and different.
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We should study how she uses her very own and very personal expression of her personality and ego to connect with the reader, no matter how different their life and personality may be.
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Yes! The difference is where the beauty is.
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The way Irby writes is more human than academic, and has a completely different sort of meaningfulness based in this. Her words are applicable to life in this special way, how life goes on in each moment. By definition, academic means unpractical to life, but since Irby’s writing is far from theoretical, it can be used in ways that are very meaningful, because it includes the raw parts of life and everyday experiences and hardship, as well as embarrassing and funny moments. Humor is also a good way to express herself in a way that academic writing cannot achieve.
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WHERE Y’ALL AT?????????????????????
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Here! I just refilled my wine. My bad
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Fuck, now I want wine.
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Well I drink white and you talked shit about white. So i won’t share.
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You’re mean.
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I know. LOL
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Same! Currently on my second glass lol
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Hunter S. Thompson…
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Wine sounds good. I had to pause and make dinner! Hubby on call so I am doing double duty tonight.
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RESPECT.
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This this could be a question on the final…. Defining Irby’s style..
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Take a break!!! Get some zen, stretch, think about what you want to read for open mic…
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is it ok if we share a couple of pieces not just one?
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Of course, brother!! We’d be honored!! ❤
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Please share!!!!
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My Journal Entry This Morning: (I am sharing because I had a total bitch sesh with myself)
Wipin’ Asses and Washin’ glasses…. My house has never been so clean and my kids are loving life.. me? I am just going to bitch today. I have been peppy and positive this whole time.. right now I just want to complain about things that are going to make me sound so incredibly prissy. I want a freaking mojito and some calamari that is served to me in a restaurant with an ocean view. Avila beach to be exact. I would love to be walking the beach and feeling the cold water and sand. I want to spend quality date time with my husband without my kids and not in my home. Honestly, a hotel bed has never sounded so nice. This whole thing is just so unbelievable. Yeah Yeah.. if I posted this online a billion people would preach to me about all the things my grandparents have been through, and that I am a privledged little house wife. Fuck it. I don’t even care. I buck up, remained positive and do what’s best for everyone I love 99% of the time.. If bitching and whining in my journal today is what I need to keep going then that’s what I want to do. I am tired of nap times, sight words, dishes, laundry, MY HOUSE. I am ready for this to be OVER! FUCK!
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Also ready for this to be over, and I know what you mean. My friends mom posted a photo of her daughter hugging her aunt on her birthday and all the Facebook moms shamed her and hated on her until she took the photo down because it wasn’t social distancing… like c’mon…
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Judgey bastards.. I hate internet quarterbacks.
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Yeah…. let people be themselves.
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Yeah…
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This is healthy. And, well-written. Love the family emphasis, and the visuals… well done. Colleagues?
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Hahah thats so awesome! Honest and carefree writing.. some of the best!
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Agreed.
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The greatest thing about our own writings is that they are OURS. Like Irby. Fuck what others think. Here we are mama. I miss date night out too. Where i can eat and not have to clean up. I miss the beach. My “cleansing” place ❤
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journal entry from last night..
Today felt simple. I liked the rain. I’m growing more impatient with stay home orders but I am also learning to love being at home. I tried whipped coffee today. It was bad. Not sure it was worth my time. Actually I think it was. Nothing is a waste of time when my whole day is a blank canvas. Anyway, I enjoyed the day. Can’t wait for tomorrow.
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been keeping it short and sweet recently haha
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Whipped coffee?
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its the latest trend! I recommend trying it, it is sooo good!!!
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It’s a thing thats been going around on tiktok where you whip instant coffee and then add it to milk. It tasted super burnt in my opinion, a little weird
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Sounds weird. I’m good. But RESPECT for trying.
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Really Mikey? Have you even been paying attention in 2020?? C’mon!!!
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Sorry. And you’re mean.
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Thank you?
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It does not look good. Lol. Thanks for the confirmation.
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This is a part of a letter I wrote as a letter of motivation:
Right now it may seem as if everything is going wrong. We are isolated in our homes, separated from our peers, unable to live our regular lives, and denied human connections. Many may feel that life as we know it has changed, and it has. Mourning this loss in our lives is important; it is okay to feel sad, it is okay to be mad, and it is okay to feel any other emotion that you may be feeling. Just know that you are not alone and things will get better — it is simply going to take some time before we can return to our typical lifestyles.
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How quick it is makes it all the more potent.
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( A poem I wrote because its always good to have a place you can go to in your mind to help relax you and this is the place I imagine)
My Forest
A mossy rock,
a lush warm forest,
on a vibrant sunny morning,
the sun shining through the trees.
Warming the mossy stone
In the crisp cool hours early hours of the morning.
The birds can be heard throughout the trees,
giving off a melody that would soothe any troubled soul.
Little rustles through the bushes
here and there.
Little critters scampering across the forest floor,
Everything in a calm harmony
with each other.
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All of this just sounds so amazing. It makes me want to go for a hike.
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like how ‘here and there’ is its own line…
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This is so peaceful
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love this! now I want to go outside
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Me as well… I want to go for a run in a forest.
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I’m a sucker for poetry! Love this!!! ❤
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A little bit from my journal yesterday:
I never thought I would say this (or write this), but today I gave a pregnant gecko a bath!
My boyfriend is a gecko breeder, and it’s breeding season! He is about to hatch 30 little baby geckos, so we spend a lot of time with the geckos right now. One of the female geckos is not laying her egg, which could cause her problems, so we filled a box with warm water up to her knees and let her chill for 30 minutes, and hopefully that will help her out! I also helped him clean out the rack where the geckos live, which meant wiping up a lot of poop! I did not expect it to be fun, but it was! We named his new gecko COVID, and I can’t wait to name all the hatchlings that will arrive soon! Who knew I would end up loving these little geckos so much…
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Woah! This is a cool thing to do. I didn’t ever consider gecko breeding a thing. very cool
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I didn’t know it was a thing either! There are surprisingly a lot of people in the business and they are all super like tight knit at connected! My boyfriend (age 16) is really close with a 20 year old gecko breeder in Spain!! I think it’s so cool!
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Wow! That is amazing!
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And hilarious..
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I gave a pregnant gecko a bath… I’m writing that down. Love this piece!!!
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Haha thank you!!
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I went to my favorite secret little spot at Lake Sonoma last weekend and wrote this little piece:
The energized water surrounds my exhausted skin. Misplaced and misunderstood; but not there. There: Mrs Peace and Mrs perfect. Thank you Universe, Thank you God, Buddha, whoever. Thank you for this place. Death to death, but life for me.
I walk back to the car across dead grass, and wonder: will these pretty days will ever pass?
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Avery this is beautiful. I can picture you there and writing this. As a reader this makes me sigh because it is beautifully written and also makes me wonder too.
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Very meditative and melodic ..
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I never really know what to write for open mics… but I’m still here!
Random, but I’ve been doing a lot of unnecessary online shopping, someone help me.
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girlllllllllll me too. I bought 3 books, a phone case, two shirts and I am always browsing Urban Outfitters….I have an addiction and it is not good…
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My addiction is to food. LOL! I’ve been trying all these restaurants i didn’t know existed!!!
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Hahahahahaha….
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Write about that shit.
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My boyfriend doesn’t know but I’ve bought so much random shit online! He would kill me if he found out especially since I bought two new pairs of Disney ears and that would be a “waste of money” in his eyes. My response would be, “But they were on sale!!”
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( this is a piece I wrote about the earth and I personified it)
Mother’s Love
I go by many names Mother Earth, Creatress of all life,
but most commonly Mother Nature.
I am the one who gave life to every living thing on this planet,
from the atmosphere, to the ocean, to the trees,
even the little critters that inhabit me.
Yet your kind is like a parasite,
you consume everything in your path without remorse.
You are killing me and yourselves, yet your kind continues.
You kill things off that I have worked so hard to create.
Yet I can’t bring myself to hate your kind.
I can’t bring myself to hate your kind since I myself created you,
even when you cut down all my hairs that clean your air,
Or even when you forcefully rip out my insides.
I will still love you since it is a mother’s job to love
all her creations no matter what.
So no I will never regret making your kind,
even with my dying breath, I will still love all of you,
for I never knew anything about hate.
Only love.
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I don’t know how to explain this right but this piece is so wonderful
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Like an ambient track… yes, it’s awesome.
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Lots of music and feeling in this piece…
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the fluidity of all of this has such a rhythm! WOW
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A journal entry from 2 days ago:
I can’t fucking remember what life used to be like. Wake up, go to school, dance, work, etc. But I can’t grasp the person I was when I did all of those things. I just keep thinking that I am utterly incapable of that sort of productivity now HAH! Imagine waking up, only to go sit in algebra 2 for an hour, then chem, then dance, then work. My god I will not be okay going back to this routine. Blah blah blah, I’m tired of writing about and complaining about the same things everyday. I just want this to all be over so I have something new to write about.
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A mood girl, I cant wait to have everything back to normal so i can start getting more inspiration and ideas from the world around me but it seems to be at a standstill but that’s why i personally have taken to nature because the people side of the world may have stalled but nature sure hasn’t, for instance, this creek by my house hasn’t had tadpoles for years but ever since this they came back in the hundreds and its so amazing to see and I just love to sit on the edge of the bridge observing nature taking over again.
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Journal entry from over the weekend:
This coronavirus is getting real old. I understand their intentions to stop the virus but they’re stopping so much more than just that. They are preventing my boyfriend from remaining in the states… he’s originally from Mexico and traveled here when he was only a baby. His work permit expires next month and there’s nothing he can do about it. The organization is closed due to this pandemic and when he calls for advice on his situation there’s no answers for him. I feel helpless, defeated and most of all scared. I don’t know what our future holds, let alone what the next month has in store for us.
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i hope that everything ends up working out! I am sorry that you guys are dealing with that!
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Agreed.
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( also im gonna post two more pieces and they together I wrote a dream journal of a dream that I can remember perfectly even up till today but after writing the journal I made a dream pontoon poem which is a type of poem with a specific type of way of writing it like a haiku that i would like to share)here is the dream journal first:
It was pitch black as we strolled upon this house the windows shining bright gold as for it was the only light source, there were five of us creeping up the hill toward this black looming house in this abandoned foggy neighborhood. I had the lockpick to open the door little did I know all the horrors that were about to go wrong, even though I thought I was in control. I let the people I was with go through as I stayed outside going to the window to peek through. Then I saw a couple and a baby I quickly ducked but it was too late I spooked the baby and it started crying I lay on the cold leafy ground trying to hide as close to the house hiding in the shadows but the man peeked out and yelled I scrambled down the hill to the road and booked it over over fences scrapping my face and knees as I thrashed about for my life before coming to a bridge and then Two of the five people I was with came up to me (daniel and Tiari for some weird reason) the drop was only a few feet and looked like a straightaway for a minute before leading underneath more bridges but daniel told me nah as he scrambled over another fence then I looked to my other friend as I started to turn and run I see him question himself before getting mauled by some sort of creature too grotesque to describe but it tore him inside out in seconds so I ran and ran not thinking hearing creatures roar and groan behind me the heavy footstep of the creature chasing me. I keep running in this weird concrete canal running underneath multiple bridges before making a sharp left turn and slide down into a lower canal of bridges that lead into some underground area which I was guessing underneath this neighborhood or city now everything was moving so quickly and I grab the air pulling myself forward to propel myself faster to try to lose whatever was chasing me. In this weird underground labryinth i run around each corner changing my probility as i mover forward creating ways that dont exist to try to lose this creature knowing i had many tricks up my sleeve but as i kept moving faster it kepts up so i srtarterted to get confused and then there were stairs i thought yes im saved as i ran up this dark staircase at the top a warm red glow came from the entry way i was so happy but then as i bursted through the doorway, there was only one way to go a bend and up to another stiarcase but two giant haunting scarecrows were blocking the way they looked into my eyes with malicious intent and in each of thier wooden hands they each held picks that didn’t look sharp per se but that wasnt gonna stop them I stopped and sighed as they swang in unison into my body feeling every blow tear through my flesh and bones cutting me open even when I was down I had to watch my body get struck over and over again the burning sensation even though I was dead and not in my own body anymore, then they looked over at me my soul at this point and started towards me I was confused at this point id wake up but no I was stuck then they threw me a red glittery brick and all I remember was looking at it and getting a sense of calm then it popped into my head it was a trap and the last word I could muster was “fuck…” as this red beutiful glittry brick just like the dorthy’s shoes from the wizard of oz , but it exploded encompoassing myentire body turning me inside out making me feel every bone break but at the same time it felt warm and welcoming at the same time before I actually wake back up in my room panting heavily reaching over and chug my ice water before passing back out to start the next fun adventure
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You remind me of Jack Kerouac. You’re a strong musician in your sentences.
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I would love to give him a read! any book in particular of his you liked?
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an excerpt from my story:
Eating glitter makes you a fairy.
Somehow I got the idea that eating glitter would make me a fairy. Maybe it was because one of my many fairy books told me that glitter was fairy dust. This is probably not the best thing to put in a children’s book. Two of my friends at the time, Betsy and Emma, who also loved fairies. So of course I let them in on the secret that glitter was actually fairy dust. And from that we all came up with the idea that if we ate glitter it would turn us into fairies or some bullshit like that. So on a playdate we all snuck down to my room and each ate a sprinkle of fairy dust. And much to my surprise, NOTHING HAPPENED. So of course my smart brain goes ‘I didn’t eat enough fairy dust for it to work. If I eat more I will get fairy powers’. So I went on the hunt for a big container of glitter and asked my mom to open it. When she came downstairs and found me eating the glitter she was not happy. To this day I have not developed any fairy powers, but I lost touch with Besty and Emma so I can’t guarantee that they have no fairy powers. Because it’s entirely possible that they may have developed some kind of powers over time.
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So believable and self-personifying.. Great work.
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( here is the poem)
The Chase
It was the pitch black of night,
the windows shining bright gold.
Five of us creeping up the hill,
oblivious to all the horrors that were in store.
The windows shining bright gold,
peaking through the window I spooked the baby.
Oblivious to all the horror that were in store.
I lay on the cold leafy ground.
Peaking through the window I spooked the baby,
I hide in the shadows.
I lay on the cold leafy ground,
scraping my knees and face.
I hide in the shadows,
as the putrid smell of death fills the air.
scraping my knees and face,
I scramble down the street.
As the putrid smell of death fills the air,
my friends are turned inside out.
I scramble down the street,
running down different concrete canals.
My friends are turned inside out.
The creatures roar and groan behind me.
Running down different concrete canals,
The loud rumbling of footsteps were right behind me.
The creatures roar and groan behind me,
as I bolt through this distorted maze.
The loud rumbling of footsteps were right behind me,
around each corner changing my probability.
As I bolt through this distorted maze,
I came up to this dark staircase.
Around each corner changing my probability.
At the top a warm red glow.
I came up to this dark staircase,
hope-filled my chest.
At the top a warm red glow,
bursting through the doorway my heart sank.
Hope-filled my chest.
Two haunting scarecrows blocking the way,
bursting through the doorway my heart sank.
They swung their picks in unison.
Two haunting scarecrows blocking the way,
looking into my eyes with malicious intent.
They swung their picks in unison,
Feeling every blow tear through my flesh and bones.
Looking into my eyes with malicious intent,
it was the pitch black of night,
feeling every blow tear through my flesh and bones.
Oblivious to all the horrors that were in store.
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Open mic, I just typed this out right now because I had originally written it in my notebook
I walked into work today and noticed a sign on my desk that said, “I love pickles”. (I hate pickles) I started laughing and I knew immediately who had been messing with my desk. A week ago, one of my co workers got mad at me because I didn’t bring him back a souvenir from my trip to Cancun. He told me he was hurt, and I told him to stop being so dramatic. We both have a back and forth thing going on where we do small pranks on each other. He usually takes my desk chair but this time I brought it home. So, he decided to put images of pickles on my desk. I retaliated by putting pictures of White Claws on his desk because he always rants about how men shouldn’t be drinking White Claws. I’m sure our work wouldn’t approve of us using our printer for this but then again our printing has been down since Covid so we have some ink to spare.
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sounds flirty!!!!!
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omg! this sounds exactly like stuff me and my co workers will do to each other it really does make working somewhere so much better if you and the people you work with can just have fun and do work at the same time, really loved this!
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Animated and very telling.. like this piece. Colleagues?
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This reminds me of some of my good memories I have working at target, I would put random ass stuff on my boyfriends desk to surprise him and make his day just a little less miserable. Thanks for sharing!
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sorry yall for the long pieces but these are some things I really enjoyed writing this year and thought you all would enjoy them ^-^
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Thank you for sharing!!
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Reading this made me miss working at my old office. I would prank my coworker by moving his chair or moving his spiderman action figures into inappropriate positions because its little things like that, that keep you sane while working at an office.
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Journal entry:
All I can think about is the future. Sometimes I just want to live in the moment more. I definitely do at times but I want to more. My mind seems to never be relaxed, I’m constantly thinking about track, college, and just the future in general. I want to be great and accomplish my goals. Some days I just can’t find any motivation but eventually I think about what I want to be and what I want to accomplish. So, I put the food down, get off the couch and get it done during one of these hours from the day
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So much of this semester has been about putting pen to paper and just writing. I think a really great end would be choosing some things we have in our in class journal “professor Mikey quotes” and applying them to some writing of our own. I know we have done a lot of book reactions, so I am expecting this. It’d be nice to be able to apply the things we have learned about making our writing a part of our everyday life and apply them to the finish of this class.
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I thought the same!!!! Mikey-isms!
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I really like this idea!!
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Maybe we can even consider the writing styles of the authors we have read and combine this as well. Like a big wrap up to see how far we have come from the people we have learned from.
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Nice!
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I feel so much better now that it is raining. I love running in the rain. Not knowing if sweat or rain is dripping down my face. I wish it could just rain for two days. Let it rain like I’ve disappointed Jesus and he’s crying at all of the things I’ve fucked up on. Let me curl up with some coffee and horror movies. I love to go to the beach when it rains. I take extra cloth and just take off my shoes and sit on this rock that gives me the perfect view of all the waves crashing again the shore. There’s this calmingness amongst everything. Im sure anyone who passes must think ” this b**** is crazy” Yup I am. So what. Then I wonder why I get sick all the time. You’d think my body would get use to it.
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This actually sounds so nice lol!
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Part of my narrative
I’ve spent the last 10 years trying to get better; more than that, feel better. The last 5 years is where I have actively worked on myself. I spent time loving and forgiving myself. Funny, right? Kids don’t ask to be born, however they spend countless years fixing the damage that life has done to you. I took a self-help class that said, and I am paraphrasing, “everyone has moments where they were victimized, don’t let your story be told through a victim-eyes.” Or some shit, cause that was a few years ago now. I can’t remember verbatim. But you get the picture right? Life is made up of these little moments that impact us in lots of ways; good and bad. It’s our own interpretation and how we respond to our situations that pull us through the dark days, back in to the light.
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well said…I love reading what you write
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I really really enjoy the way you put your story into words. It’s fluid and I feel like I can hear you in it so clearly!
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Here’s something. My family usually spends the majority of our summer weekends in Clear Lake, we have a little lake trailer on a deck, and we go boating, tubing, etc. They are opening the lake back up, which means we can camp! We usually go for Memorial Day weekend, my sisters birthday is the 28th. Anyways, I have missed going. The lake has been a big part of my childhood. We have so many memories there, it’s almost a second home.
Boating is one of my favorite things to do there. To sit in the front of the boat, as the wind hits your face, you hear the water splashing against the boat, you look down at the water and put your hand through the thick layer of water that comes from the side of the boat.
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I love clear lake!!!
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I can picture it! ❤
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Oh wow can I relate to this!!! My birthday is May 27th and also falls close to memorial day weekend which means our usual boating trip out to the lake begins that weekend and if I’m lucky some years we plan a camping trip! This is a huge part of my childhood and is the reason why I bought my own vintage trailer because camping is in my blood.
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It’s beautiful there!
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I want to go to Clear Lake so bad! I miss going on medium length roadtrips. I’m. glad you are planning to have a good time and get to do fun activities like boating and spending time outdoors.
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Writing for our final…hmm..that is hard, I have never been asked that.
-If you had the ability to read other people’s minds (a.k.a. telepathy), would you use this ability or not? Why?
-If you were given the ability to change one moment in your life, would you do so? Why or why not? If so, what moment would you change and why?
– What do you consider to be the most important political or social movement of the 20th century? Why?
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Something to consider.. thanks!
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Care – You realize what you care about and what your true energies are and where they’re placed in being stuck in your own house. Like a cell, with kids, and their shit everwhere. What I care about, is my family being, you know, safe and all that shit, but then I care about what I can do, what I can change, what vocals and innerclimates I can shift while here. Now, at a desk.. looking out at the street, rain, no kids, no neighbors and their lawnmowers and weedwackers or however you spell that. I care about quiet.. I care about sanity… I care about not caring so much, just moving and living.
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So the final… what do you want to do?
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I want to write more creatively. I appreciate the assignments about our authors, but maybe an open mic? About passions? What do we want to be when we grow up?
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Thanks… but I mean prompts on the authors…. Like, “How did HST start the mood and mode for the semester?” That kind of shit…
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Well that is shit. . .
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C’mon, Samaone.. I’m being serious. Let’s hone on the authors, and write some final opinions and ideas.
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I have more votes for creative writing!! LMAO!
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I’m the wrong professor with whom to select a skirmish.
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totally agree. creative writing!!!
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Yes Samone I agree! I love the open mic idea.
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I think it’d be interesting to apply some of the recurring themes from the author’s we’ve discussed. Something like humanness or invitation. Maybe we could describe the characters of our lives that actively display these qualities.
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Write a prompts for us, Harmony!!!
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“How does humanness occur on a regular basis? Who shows it and how does it change your relationship with that person?”
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I’ll catch up on past posts, later. Promise…
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Writing for our final:
COVID-19 conspiracies like the craziest ones and the ones that might actually seem plausible
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love conspiracies!!!!
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I would love to read peoples conspiracies theories
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No.
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also mike for the take-home essay thing I would love to write about whatever because even if you choose a specific thing to write about I feel like I would be able to write something passionate or beautiful about it and would love something to test our skills from the semester maybe I don’t know, im ok with whatever we go with! I can always figure out something out of nothing and that’s the amazing part about writing being able to create things out of thin air its like magic but with a pen and paper or a computer if you wanna be more with the times
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Open mic:
Sometimes it good to not think about myself to much. Last night I decided to think about some more interesting topics frankly, to avoid overthinking and worrying about myself to much. So here goes: Ancient Egypt. Probably the best ancient civilization ever. Period.
The pyramid? Immaculate.
The sphinx? Epic.
Mummies? Creepy and cool.
Lasting technological, academic, lingual, artistic, theological, and cultural influence? Beautiful.
Ancient Greece is cool I guess. Nice statues I guess. Ancient Rome? That’s nice. Ancient Mesopotamia is pretty cool. Whatever. The Mayans and Aztecs and Olmecs are pretty cool.
But Ancient Egypt is where it’s at.
Sorry if that was a little weird, but I really needed to get that out.
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I love Ancient Egypt. I did a whole project on it last semester!!! not weird at all
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Seriously though! Egyptian History is so cool.
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