The sporadic ramblings of Emily C. A. Snyder - devoted to God, theatre, writing, and much randominity.

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Location: New York, New York, United States

Host: "Hamlet to Hamilton: Exploring Verse Drama" | Founder: TURN TO FLESH PRODUCTIONS | Author: "Cupid and Psyche" "Nachtsturm Castle" & Others | Caitlin O'Sullivan in "The Ghost Ship" (Boston Metaphysical Society)

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Wiktorie!

The Dust Bunnies from a Previous Dimension (aka last summer) have been excavated a la four boxes of...books...and papers...and more books.

Tomorrow: attack on the Dust Bunnies.

BWA-hahahahhahahah! *insert maniacal rubbing of hands here as well as dances of glee with synchronized sharks with friggin' laser beams on their heads*

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand - a bow.

ACTING, thank you.

Mood: Valiant!
Music: Once More With Feeling Buffy: The Musical
Thought: Now, the question is how to rid myself of all the accumulated stuff....

Achievements de moi

  • Pilates workout! Complete with Julie and much groaning at the chipper instructor! See the sedentary Emily display her competitive streak as she does all but one of the exercizes! Mwahahhahahah!

  • Watching Dancing with the Stars - go John, go! (Beautiful, elegant foxtrot - truly a pleasure to watch. Sigh for ballroom dancing.)

  • Begun massive book-putting-away room cleanage. Hrumph. Must actually return to that in a second.

  • Successfully kidnapped Julie for the afternoon, which consisted of Applebees and buying stationary - two activities that normally go together!

  • Found the Metallica Mix Jeff P. made for me! Hoopla! (The joys of cleaning.) However, in so doing - I keep finding stacks of CD's. This is fine - they're CD's I like - but I've already filled up the new cabinet for CD/DVD's, my other old huge shelf is full up, as are the two mini-shelf thingies and.... Argh.

  • Still on the lookout for furniture. Howsomever, I think I have found a means whereby I can shift all my books and A/V stuff down towards the garage and put my beareau, etc. up near me, with the piano and the computer desk staying where they are.

  • How is it that one of my relatives on the upstairs speakerphone is still LOUD enough that I can hear her a level down and on the other side of the house!??!?!?

  • And I made this - just because it came up on the screensaver rotation, I passed by, and said, "By golly! I know what they're really talking about! Oh, my Photoshop of lo-ove!"

    Right - and now back to boxing books and attacking at least one corner. Iron Director, Morimoto! Hi-YA!

    Mood: Upndown
    Music: Aunt Sue loud on the telephone
    Thought: Who's seen "Blecko" one too many times this weekend? Although all kudos to Jules for editing together "The Revenge of Mimi."

  • Tuesday, June 28, 2005

    Seven pages last night

    And one this morning of Nutcracker. Bah bah bah. And my bottle of White Zinfadel, congratulatory for King of Fools and only now opened (I'm such a lush! ;), tastes funny and may need to be wholly dumped. Bah bah. And I'm thinking I need to give myself a fifteen minute challenge to tidy up as much as poss. rather than playing Freecell while waiting for inspiration, or listening incessantly to the Hamlet soundtrack mentally blocking out bits. Bah. And meh.

    Mood: Nasty
    Music: Fingernails skittering over keyboards
    Thought: I know I wrote a half-decent Fritz/Clara scene in one of my journals - where did I put it, Precious?

    Sunday, June 26, 2005

    Chicken Leg Ballet

    OK - so can we just say that I so am going to do an opera/ballet of Swan Lake at some point? Just came from watching the Kennedy Center's latest offering of Swan Lake - which was essentially two hours of what Kate might call set-costumes-and-dance-porn - which was well done but left me with a few thoughts:

  • In dance, we're really just waiting for the Next Cool Move, or surprise or "stupid circus trick" - whatever you want to call it. Give us lots of leaps, lots of jumps, lots of kicks and interesting moves to make the audience say, "Wooooow."

  • However, the caveat of the above is that each trick ought to be different from the one before. Aka - do not repeat any grand gestures!

  • The only exception to this is for storytelling purposes - establish certain grand gestures as specific to a certain storyline or motif - essentially use grand gestures like leitmotifs. Hence, if the Prince and Odette need to show they're in love have them do a specific move which is then repeated by the Prince and Odile, and then perhaps almost repeated in Act IV between the Prince and Odette once more. Because....

  • Variation still remains the spice of life. When doing any movement - grand, small - the most a trick should be repeated in a row ought to be NO MORE than TWO. If a third time for x-action occurs, it should be with a differentiation - just like any joke: set up, confirm, blast away.

    On story in ballets:

  • Where is it? I have decided I hate divertisements (sp?). Bah bah bah. One might be able to get away with one per act - y'know, just a breather from plot to enjoy sheer movement - but every other dance ought to be obviously imbued with plot. Peter suggested about musicals that "so long as one sings, no time or plot passes," and then after tonight suggested that with ballets "so long as one dances, all plot occurs off-stage."

  • Which is why an opera/ballet might be a more ideal form of theatre than, say, just ballet. That latter form cannot tell story sufficiently well to the theatre-goer who has just happened in - who hasn't elitely studied the obscure (off-stage!!!) plot previous to viewing the show. Plot should be clear - plot may be simple or complicated, but it should be clear. And to clarify, words are simply necessary.

  • However, I know that for say, Bearskin it was a little difficult for some people to follow as to re: the Soul and the Body of the two characters. However, this might be rectified with a rewrite using words rather than just motion to clarify?

    Thoughts on the point of theatre in general:

  • Theatre ought to be like Mozart's music: accessible yet subtle; simple to listen to but complex in essence - it ought to be catholic (in both senses!). It ought to entertain as well as enlighten - it should be numinous.

  • There should be more of it. FINIS.

    Mood: Pas mal - mais maintenant, il semble que je n'ai pas le travail que sufficit. C'est une mal idee, je sais - mais, voila.
    Music: Amelie - oh, play that musette!
    Thought: Sleep or Nutcracker?

  • I need a new duck

    Or at least a new couch! So some randominity:

  • Furniture is required. And a whole rearrangement of the area down here. Hear the sound of knuckles cracking! Hah!

  • Central air is from God.

  • CORI forms are not. Bah.

  • Season Six of Buffy Wasn't Very Good on many many levels (that's just wrong on SO many levels!). However, the last episode had me weeping at the end - mostly because it finally returned to the Crux of the matter as Evil Willow was trying to destroy the world in order to stop everyone's pain, and Xander saves her by standing in the way as she's throwing all her magic at him trying to kill him first - and he's saying "I love you...I love you" over and over. Regard how the Bride kills the Beloved out of her own pain and how he saves her by simply staying there and taking it. I'm not putting it as eloquently as Christ - or heck, even as Buffy (even if that was almost from mistake - or grace!) - but it's a gorgeous image and certainly being put into the end of Virgin Come Late to the Wedding.

  • Signs still point to "yes." Ought to talk to Sr. Kathleen, it looks. What is my problem trusting Him? Grrr, me.

    Anywho - life is good, God is good, and faux Bollywood music is good!

    Mood: Bof.
    Music: Bride & Prejudice
    Thought: I'm a sucker for a good beat.

  • Friday, June 24, 2005

    And waltzes fill my mind

    That is, when bouncy versions of Aladdin with me laughing hysterically in time to it, don't. What happens when the wild Emily is let loose with an electronic keyboard? Well, all I can say is that "Little Fall of Rain" to a latino polka is an interesting thing indeed!

    Eyes have the cry-rimmedness. Pourquoi, je ne sais pas de tout, mais - voila! Mes yeux! (And why, one wonders, do folks suppose I'm swearing if it's just in another language? Geesh.)

    Saw Pressure tonight and am therefore very eager for Nutcracker. That an it was good to see a show - to see live theatre - the "I've Got a Barn!" type of theatre. It makes me wonder: why don't more people just say, "Hey! Let's just do it! What's keeping us back?" So much is just a matter of doing rather than waiting for someone else to do for you.

    And now I find that, along with Nutcracker I have to whip up five skits on St. Jean Vianney and St. Catherine Laboure for IC's VBS. All good stuff - I'm strangely looking forward to it, as small a thing as it is.

    Anywho...Buffy and household sister chat calls!

    Mood: Good. Thanks for asking.
    Music: "Glass, Concrete, & Stone" from the Hamlet CD (it's the bit for Claudius and Gertrude - you know, ageing yuppies)
    Determination: I am so going to kick Ballanchine's ballet butt! BWAhahahhahahha!
    Lyrics: As they stand now, for Christian's bit. I'm thinking of having Clara do a jazzy bit.

    It was snowing the day that my father said,
    "Son, it's time that you became a man"
    And he opened a door to a glittering world
    And I never looked back again
    For the things I had searched for -
    The shifting Northern Lights -
    Honor, wealth, reknown, glory and fame
    Lay brightly before me like frost at first light....
    And frail as frost in the first summer rain.

    It was snowing the day my childhood died
    And I stepped in the steps he had trod
    And he called out my name
    As we raised the champagne
    And he spoke of country and God
    And he named me a man
    Put a sword in my hand
    And bravely I answered his call
    But it's strange that such love
    Should be bound up in blood
    And to rise when other men fall.

    So you ask if I miss the peace of this room
    Or if the knowledge was worth the cost?
    But honor and fame can be pawned and regained
    But innocence sold is innocence lost.
    Finis pour le moment

    Thursday, June 23, 2005

    But by God it's beautiful

    When the boy smiles
    ~ Anna Nalick, "Just Breathe (2 AM)

    The Hamlet CD - even incomplete as it stands - is awesome.

    And friendships are good. Even 5 AM ones.

    As are gorgeous afternoons spent walking and then sitting outside and arguing over whether the maple leaves were upsidedown or not.

    As is Clueless to make up for having foolishly seen All that Jazz (blaugh - ptooey!) - even if it did give me some amazing pair dancing that I'll definitely be stealing for Nutcracker. (The Fosse movie, not the 90's Emma spoof.)

    Viruses on the computer are not so nice. But virus killers are good.

    And best of all...I figured out how to work the various beat accompaniaments on the keyboard just now - and so I was playing with King of Fools to a paso doble and a rhumba and a tango - and There Is No Beauty to an incongruous hip-hop and house combo - and then I stumbled on this one setting called "Serenade" which apparently only works when the accompaniament button is on - which is all to the good because....

    I HAS WRITTEN ANOTHER SONG! (Jills, if you're reading this, it's the tune for the Christian/Clara song about what they each want/miss!) AND IT'S A WALTZ!!! I swear - 3/4 time will set me into a swoon. Stick it in waltz time and the wild Emily will even forego chocolate to moonstruckedly follow the music. (Hrm. Probably best not to publish my Achilles' heel. %P)

    Now all I need are lyrics. I played the thing with a variety of instruments and then just had the base line going and hummed over it, then played it and tried out various lyrics as I went on. I can see the scene now! YES! Opera/ballets forever! (Or whatever this thing will eventually turn out to be.)

    Actually, I plan to watch "Aranjuez" from Bearskin to see how I choreographed that for ideas for Nutcracker. Yes - I'm into obsessively watching dance to prepare for this pseudo-ballet. Oh, joy! Rapture! And canons shooting out from the middle of the stage! (I have no idea how to do that...hrm.)

    And praise God for undeserved peace. That peace that surpasses all understanding. That surpasses any petty homely disorder - physical (i.e., living area) or spiritual (i.e., me). Lord, thank You. And now, Lord - give me the peace to get over those petty obstacles - those utterly vain obstacles - that lie in me that bar me from Your will! For the sake of the Kingdom, for the salvation of souls - my own, too! - what You may be asking is a mere trifle to sacrifice. But, oh Lord - it seems so large - particularly since.... But I want Your will. The spirit is willing, eh?

    Anywho - off to counterbalance everything with the latest batch of laundry to be sorted. Since I've already scrubbed the heck out of the pots and pans. Ora et labora! Ha!

    Mood: I trust I make myself obscure
    Music: "Lightning Crashes" by Live off the Hamlet CD
    Too Funny: The previous three songs on the playlist: "Breathe" "War" and "Iris" were all in 3/4. La la la!

    Wednesday, June 22, 2005

    Amazing how rose-scented shower gel

    And indulgent time can conspire to make one feel human again. Went to high tea with Jules and Kate today, and Bertucci's with Jills last night - muchly fun all. And am now scrubbeded. (Are you hurt-ed, Wendy?) Also - have written near 1K more words in Liadan! Hoopla! As well as beginning to compile a Hamlet soundtrack and getting a jolt-start on Nutcracker. La la la! Praise God! Now, Lord, help keep me faithful to you! AMEN!

    And now onto musings for myself if for no one else (or for the sake of poor Kate who has been very kind whenever the subject of theatre pops up - which is rarely...um...for me...not being in tech week...yeah...Go Kate!).

    The musing is this: character vs. leading actors. I myself am a character actress - I can't do the ingenue to save my life. But give me lots to sink my teeth into and I'm good to go. But, therefore, being a character actress, I've developed what I suppose is a curious dichotomy in my views on lead actors. To whit: I consider those roles "too easy to play" and yet "beyond my star." AKA: I belittle it because I can't achieve it.

    But in directing and casting, I've realized that the lead of the actor isn't easier or better but simply different. Some people are character actors and some leads - that's all there is to it. The thing is that most character actors tend to embrace their parts (no matter how much they long for leads) and so get lots of jobs (and usually better reviews) while leads actors appear to be a dime a dozen - but they aren't either.

    To be a lead, one needs to be not only easy on the eyes (after all, the audience has to stare at the actor for the better part of 2-3 hours) but also charismatic (since said lead needs to carry the show as well). But where both caracter actors (through jealousy) and stupid producers/casting directors/directors fall is that they presume Pretty=Talent=Charisma. Not so. It's rather like singing soprano. Just because one can reach those notes, doesn't mean one reaches them well. So leads are just as rare as character actors.

    But another thought to give hope to my fellow character actors: lead actors need to be able to hold a part and a show together through sheer force of will - even if the script is bad. And frankly, if any character's going to be gypped in the script, it's going to be the lead. Character actors always get juicy roles. Lead actors don't necessarily. And those lead roles which are juicily written are therefore fair game for both lead and character actors - and at that point it simply depends on how the whole ensemble works best together.

    Casting isn't math - it's chemistry! Or biology. And genes. QED.

    Mood: Pas mal, merci. Scrubbeded.
    Music: Currently "All Over You" by Live from my rapidly growing Hamlet playlist.
    Tonight: SCHVANN LAK! Hoopla! Yay Public Television!
    Also also wik: Much nail polish. Getting human again. Oh! Luxury!
    And on that note: Americans really do get enthusiastic about everything. Huh.

    Tuesday, June 21, 2005

    I swears it, precious

    I did not skew this!

    ~*~




    A Pirate
    You scored 4 Honor, 6 Justice, 3 Adventure, and 10 Individuality!
    Arr matey. You may belive in honor, and justice, and you certainly have a sense of adventure. But mostly, you play by your own rules. Your code is your own and you are flexible in most situations.

    Dress flamboyant and look into a parrot. I think you'll do fine.













    My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:




    free online datingfree online dating
    You scored higher than 4% on Ninjinuity




    free online datingfree online dating
    You scored higher than 76% on Knightlyness




    free online datingfree online dating
    You scored higher than 2% on Cowboiosity




    free online datingfree online dating
    You scored higher than 94% on Piratical Bent
    Link: The Cowboy-Ninja-Pirate-Knight Test written by fluffy71 on Ok Cupid

    ~*~

    In other news, went to Portsmouth today - much fun. Dorchester tomorrow - oddly sort of looking forward to it, even if it is (or because it is?) workish. Rockport poss. Wed. - hoopla! Watched Hugh Jackman/Trevor Nunn's Oklahoma! - sooooooooooo good. Missing theatre something terrible. No, let me reiterate that: missing theatre something TERRIBLE. Aaaaaaaaaaaargh. Regard me, I expire.

    Mood: Pas mal, merci
    Music: "Let Me Rest in Peace," Buffy: The Musical - sing to me, Spike!
    Thought: Blocked out "The Moustrap" to "The Dangling Conversation" today in my brain, so, despite my inability to crack Nutcracker (even if I did jot down a poss. opening on the beach - gah), I have been creatively productive today. Gooooood blocking. Totally gonna work. Bwahahahhahahhaha. Oooh, and I'm thinking Verve's whatchamaschmermit Symphony for the final Laertes/Hamlet fight? Bittersweet Symphony - that's it. And Blur's Song 2, is it?, for Guildenstern & Rosencrantz? Anywho.... Off to look at Archdiocesean stuff for tomorrow....

    Sunday, June 19, 2005

    Continuing the grand tradition

    Of frequent randominity.

  • Have discovered that in one reimagining of Nutcracker, the Sugar Plum Fairy seduces the Nutcracker away from Clara. Am considering adding this to my Nutcracker which, despite having taken a shower and gone to Borders (not in that order) - two normally Muse-conducive acts - is still only a dozen lines long.

  • Herbal Essence has been much missed. YES I SMELL OF TROPICAL FRUIT! (Not quite as shoutable as ROSES but there one is.)

  • Batman Begins is *amazing*. Definitely twice seen worthy.

  • Going to Portsmouth tomorrow. To the beach. Here's to hoping the gulls don't attack me. As for me, I believe I shall attack the rocks while my sister and Kate pretend that they're not cold in 50 degree water. Ha.

  • Gaelic Storm is coming to Lowell! At the end of August!!! Narf narf!!!!!

  • Hoffman and Tchaikovsky you fools, you fools! Why are you plotless?

  • Returning, briefly, to Batman Begins - it seems that art is finally beginning to reflect the urgent need for true fathers, for stable "traditional" families, for strong male role-models. Yay! (And duh.) Which leads one to ponder if the true act of becoming a man is to become a father...?

  • I have yet to see the new Horatio Hornblowers. I must. Men in uniform cannot go unwatched!

  • It's a wonder my computer screen has withstood my constant head-beatings against it. Work! Work! You girl of very little brain!

    And so good night unto you all....

    Mood: Nnnnnnnnnngh...gonnawriteit...gonnawriteit....
    Music: Nutcracker 'til I'm blue
    Thought: Would it simply be easier to give up and just do a ballet? Drat. See mood above. Apparently somewhat of an obsessive personality is required to bloody-mindedly push through in the arts. Pig-headedness as a desireable personality trait. Oy.

  • Yet another random post to say

    That, ironically, it's while having Swan Lake on that I find I can write Nutcracker. (Although bits labelled "Pas de action" bother me to no end.)

    Mood: Still a little teary-eyed from confession, but otherwise quite well due to happy hangage with Kate from Canada, Jules' comic book, chat, and a total of 15 lines written. A start.
    Music: Honestly, don't you folk read?
    Thought: I still should like to know what sort of hat a Muse wears....

    Saturday, June 18, 2005

    There's nothing to compare

    With a really good confession.

    Mood: Much more peaceful
    Music: The Chieftans, Water from the Well
    Now how do I: Make order of the chaos that is my living area?
    Goodness is: Getting back into writing

    Saturday, June 11, 2005

    So...you want

    ...the revised revision of the revised revision
    revised?

    ~ Courtesy of a poster on Dr. Sunyoger's office door at FUS

    If anyone wants to know the secret to writing novels, novellas and plays it lies in these things:

    1) Caffine
    2) Deadlines
    3) Free Cell

    I'm up to 12 consecutive wins! Still not as bad as the 23 consecutive wins I had while writing my thesis all those years ago....

    My lair is in a dismal state thanks to two chairs (*sniff sniff*) being removed to their rightful owner's (aka, my brother finally collected his stuff). Am this close to finishing the final (?) revision for Charming the Moon...so naturally I watched the last two Horatio Hornblowers with Mom and Jules who have turned into bona fide fans this weekend. (Who says Jules' need for entertainment due to being wisdom toothless is all bad?) Which is to say: I'm thinking a couch-purchase is in order and that I'd better get my brain back to that final itty-bitty section that needs revamping.

    Because tomorrow is nuthin' but grades.

    Bless the family.

    Mood: Hugh Jackman singing in Oklahoma! always cheers me up
    Music: Helloooo? McFly?!?!
    Thought: I really dislike split up days. Blaugh.

    Wednesday, June 08, 2005

    My fingernails are blue

    Babba-dee babba-doo

    I seriously need to be with people. For an extended period of time. Fulfilled promise to self to go out with Jules and much Chinese was had. Took a nap and then graded papers to disc 5 & 6 of Buffy season 5 (good season - must write an evil guy who redeems himself at some point - must find a story that works in - thought: can it be that guy from Reyjor who comes through the Gates to the Twelve Kingdoms? But I never pictured him as bad - Commadant/Spike bad.... Huh...worth looking into) and am now finishing up making CD's for folk. (And the Queen of the totally dysfunctional sentence returns! Jules - put down that crown - I can see you sneaking up on me! ;)

    Last day with students tomorrow. Odd. Turns out I must totally clean out my room for retrenchment to the school proper. Odder. Am creature of habit - odd, but in a habitual way. Ice Cream Truck barrelled by our house earlier this evening, just as I was longing for ice cream - Dad said it usually returns so I sat outside in my slippers - but it only rained - but it was nice to be rained on a little (I was shielded by the maple). Am apparently in charge of the teaching section for IC's VBS - not odd at all; result of volunteering in front of Fr. Jonathan!

    Sunday night, as was indicated, we watched the Tonys. And it was...shall I say odd? Perhaps. It was frustrating because it's so stinking lavender and self-proclaimed "artsy" (aka anti-popularist - huh! That'd make a good political faction in the Arianja world! Cha!) - and looking at what was winning awards made me feel two things: 1) they are in serious need of good plays/musicals and 2) I can't go there. Right. So...what? What's to be done?

    I'm definitely being nudged. We're creeping towards the end of St. B's stint in the way things are going. But let go and let God, as MJ reminded me. Anywho....

    In amazing news, I got the .jpg of the cover for Charming the Moon today. Looks faboo! Going to do the story a once-over tomorrow and then send it back and go from there. Currently the image is up as my wallpaper - v. inspiring to get working on the next Tale. Tangibility is not proof of existance - but it sure helps.

    And a retreat is in order. Good Heavens, child! Look at this zumvelatian entries! You need to get yourself grounded in Him again - you need to get away with Him and be fearless in His love.

    When I am down you lift me up
    When I am weak you fill my cup
    You are my all in all.

    Holding me like a precious jewel
    Lord, to give up, I'd be a fool
    You are my all in all.


    Mood: Can we extricate this from our vocabulary?
    Music: Kingdom of Heaven - glorious
    One more day: All on my own? No! HA! I vanquish isolation with a sword!

    I feel like George Baily

    Or possibly Mr. Roberts. With the cactus.

    Or perhaps just me and a linoleum floor and 425 students and a finale. Ha ha ha.

    I need to be my own producer - I need the Academy.

    And so I'm singing Fanny Brice songs, and Dar Williams' songs, and Frou-Frou and they all seem....well....

    So let go, let go
    And jump in
    What are you waiting for?
    It's all right
    'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown.

    So let go, so let go
    And jump in
    Oh it's so amazing here!
    It's all right
    'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown.


    Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh! All I can say is that my feet need kissing. But instead I'm going to drag poor Julie, the wisdom-toothless out for a non-crunchy meal and some general grousing and bringing round to "I've got my happy face on, Les!"-ness.

    *sigh*

    One more war
    Another dawn, another destiny
    Another Jedi to be trained by me
    Why can't this dumb Skywalker line
    Get training at the proper time?
    One more war....


    Mood: Headless chicken much?
    Music: The impromptu soundtrack, lovingly ripped from the feckless non-DVD .avi's of King of Fools - and that's some dem foiyne music, lass!
    Thought: Right, right - remember to offer up each nearly-being-run-over-by-SUV's and tripping over shoes and chairs and desks and fender-bending and whatnotting to God. I claims it, God! Hrumph!!!

    Sunday, June 05, 2005

    I met a lemming crossing the road

    I asked, "Where are you going to?"
    He said, "My friend, come and carry the load--
    I don't know where I'm going...
    But you can come, too!"


    So, in the spirit of complete lemminghood, the first four of the five questions re: books that have been going around.

  • 1) Total number of books I own:

    Oh, somewhere in the vicinity of 1,000, I imagine. Probably more but I haven't counted in forever. Actually, I need to weed out some of them.

  • 2) The last book I bought:

    Yesterday, actually - oh, shoot, what did I get? Oh, that's right:

    Patricia McKillip's Od's Wizard
    Two collections of short stories by Lord Dunsany
    Jo Walton's Tooth and Claw

    (When I'll actually get around to reading them is a different matter.)

  • 3) The last book I read was:

    Hwell, I'm in the middle of slogging through the latest Artemis Fowl which is a series that started with potential and then went nowhere. I'm only reading this one (although, granted, I've started skimming) because it was lent me. No more buying Eoin Colfer for me!

    The last book I completed with Joseph Pearce's C. S. Lewis biography which was amazing. I've started reading his Oscar Wilde biography but the passion that Pearce had for Lewis he does not seem to have for Wilde and the biography lacks because of it. Apparently, Pearce is working on one about Shakespeare, for which I am very excited.

  • 4) Five books that mean a lot to me:

    This is a tough one. Mean what? Only five? OK, at the risk of feeling redundant, I'll go with the ones that have profoundly affected me in some way. In no particular order:

  • Les Miserables by Victor Hugo - this book, as I often say, changed my life. It gave me a love for the grand scope of the ordinary, it gave me a love for the hugeness and smallness of the world, for the Divine Plan, for the quality of mercy, for grand themes, for minute details, for self-sacrifice and redemption, for "beauty in the breakdown." And it is long overdue for a reread! Also, by its very size - and my own age when I read it (12? 13? Over 8th grade year) - it stands as sort of my "I can read this; I can do anything" approach to challenges. "Say not that you are too young." Naturally, the book and the musical are very much entwined in my head, since it was a promotion for the latter that lead me to read the former - but to go into love for opera, for the theatre, etc. is another subject for another day! (Or the remainder of this blog.)

  • Illusion by Paula Volsky - I learned that Les Miserables can be done in my favorite of all mediums: fantasy. And her sublime language! And her worldbuilding! Exquisite! Dref! Dref!

  • This is probably cheating, but I'm going to lump together Grimms & Anderson's fairy tales - I checked them out of the library nearly every week each summer until my grandma gave me $100 to go to one of the first Barnes & Noble's superstores where I immediately purchased complete copies of both. I don't know that I really need to explain why their fairy tales are so important to me - but for those who've missed out, can we just say: Bearskin, King of Fools, Niamh and the Hermit and several more coming up? Cha. But for a better context: it's just the pureness of the medium that I love. Utter complexity within utter simplicity. Utter mystery and loveliness.

  • I'm going to cheat and lump together as well The French Revolution by Nesta Webster, next to second semester Junior year's Great Books Program, which included Locke, Hobbs & Rousseau, as well as The Battle of the Books by Jonathan Swift - you want to know what the truth is? Why we think the way we think? Where we diverged from classical thought? Why were so screwed up? How the culture of death came to be? The lies perpetuated by the victors of the Endarkenment - read these. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

  • Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton, and more or less all of his works. The saint of common sense comes through and debunks all the books of the previous bullet! Yee-haw Orthodoxy!

    The last tag was a tag on other bloggers to do this meme, but I happen to hate anything approaching mail chains, so either do or not do as you desire.

    Mood: TRES heureux!
    Music: Hugh Jackman's glorious voice in Oklahoma! (In preparation for the Tonys, mais naturallement!)
    God is so Good files: So, Jules and I went to the 5 p.m. mass today and - the Nicholson brothers did the music and it was so peaceful and prayerful and praiseful and Steubenville and oh, praise God! And please God! Keep this up! Amen!

  • Saturday, June 04, 2005

    The streets look so familiar

    Have they changed?
    Since last I wasn't here.

    ~ Daddy Snyder in a poem/letter written to me just before I up and went to Europe in '97. He's so talented.

    Sooooooooooooo...hahahahahha...the electroids mock me once again and all this happy data, waiting for a simple export...won't. So, I am going to write instead. Patricia McKillip came out with another amazing new book - I can at least begin Raith. And I need a break from KOF. I need a break from zumvelatianin'. Would dearly love for Sable Valentine or Poityr/Elspeth to be done so I could read it - I'm spoiling for a Fantasy of Manners - but there one is.

    Oh, and can I mention how much I hate sin? Hate it and yet never hate it enough before I commit it. Grrrr. Going to the 5 tomorrow night - good to have a simple mass, sometimes. Half a day left and exams. Hardly seems possible. An actual summer....

    Mood: Meandering
    Music: Celtic Mistique - to be myself in a Twelve Kingdoms-y mood
    Thought: Peter is a Godsend.

    Thursday, June 02, 2005

    Oatmeal on my shoulders

    Makes me happy,
    Oatmeal on my windshield
    Makes me cry...
    Oatmeal almost always makes me high.

    ~ The sound of John Denver turning over in his grave

    So, before I forget, ideas for music to use for the MTV Hamlet:

  • "Dangling Conversation" Simon & Garfunkle for the Mousetrap scene
  • "Don't Speak" No Doubt for the "Get thee to a nunnery" scene
  • "Going Under" Evanescence for Gertrude's account of Ophelia's death
  • Some John Denver song for Pelonius - or possibly "Where Have all the Flowers Gone" by Peter, Paul & Mary
  • "Foolish Games" Jewel for when Laertes & Pelonius warn Ophelia not to have anything to do with Hamlet
  • Hamlet will sing the last verse of "Mrs. Robinson" to his mom in the closet scene - just before old Hamlet shows up
  • "Cat's in the Cradle" (Cat Stevens? I forget) for Hamlet's meeting with Old Hamlet
  • "The Angel Opens Her Eyes" Live (Lightning Crashes) for Ophelia's death
  • "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Nirvana for Guildenstern & Rosencrantz's entrance
  • "O Fortuna" Opera Babes for Horatia's opening speech
  • That war song thingy from "Ten Things I Hate About You" for Ophelia's mad scene

    I'm sure there'll be more but this is a good opening. I'm thrilled and really looking forward to Hamlet! Hoopla! In other potentially good news (*looks surrepticiously from left to right lest the electronics overhear me and decide to be obstinant*) I think I've found a way to output (export) the edited video straight to VHS! Oh, please God! It worked once and then didn't work and so I'm going to try it again now. Jules took me out of myself after my nap this afternoon (sooooooooo tired - stupid Emily) and we went for a drive and DQ - so good. So needed. I've been all broody. Silly Emily.

    Back to actual work at hand. Must pull my act together better for next year. Feeling oddish not having a structured play to wrap my world around right now. It doesn't feel like the end of the year. Yet only tomorrow and then a half day - hardly seems conceivable! It'll be post-play empty-hands again. Ah ca. Must learn to be in civvies.

    Mood: Pensive, but far happier for my sister
    Music: Live
    Prayer: Lord, bless and keep and make miracles and give guidance to those for whom I am praying! Amen!
    Tomorrow's Feast: SACRED HEART!!!