Friday 3.12.10

Today, Sexson asked us to look up the meaning of 'theodicy'. Here's what I found:

Theodicy is an answer to the problem of evil. Specifically, Theodicy is a specific branch of theology and philosophy which attempts to reconcile belief in God with the perceived existence of evil. As such, theodicy can be said to attempt to justify the behaviour of God (at least insofar as God allows evil).

In The Brother K, I believe it was Ivan that said "It's not that I don't accept God, I just don't accept the world he created."

This book has one of the biggest questionings of God in literary history.

Wednesday 3.10.10

In class, we discussed works of literature that have changed the way we think. I thought back at the books I've read over the last couple years and the one that stuck out the most was Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. I'm a very realistic thinker. I stick to what makes me feel safe and I don't often venture out of my comfort zone. This book got me to realize that if you want to live a full life, you have to step out of your comfort zone and explore the world around you, even if it's dangerous.

We also discussed how found poetry can be addictive. Everywhere you look, you'll find it. I'm a graphic design major and find occurrences like this in my major. I often find myself looking at billboards or other advertisements thinking of what they could have changed to make it better. It drives me crazy going down the interstate..I can't concentrate on anything else.

Monday 3.8.10

In class, Sexson brought up that we need to write our sonnets the best we can because they're going to our significant "otter". This an interesting concept, and I know I participate in it on a regular basis: We make/do thing the best when someone we admire is around. Why don't we just do it because we can? Just do it for ourselves? I'm going to keep this idea in the back of my mind from now on..

Friday 3.5.10

I'm writing my sonnet to my boyfriend who lives in Seattle. Hw moved there about a month and 1/2 ago, but we've decided to continue dating long-distance.

Though you've been away for over forty days,

It almost feels like a year or maybe more.

I miss your company in so many ways;

Miss what we had together to the core.

While you are all the way in Seattle,

I'm still here in Bozeman, Montana.

The space between us has been a battle,

Distance doesn't matter, know we can-a.

I really miss waking up next to you,

After dreaming all night of your cute face.

I know you miss that as much as I do.

Know this is hard, but we can win this race.

One day we will be together again,

No matter the amount of time its been.

We were also making found poems with what we found around us. I used a container of fish food, because it was with reaching distance of my bed, where I'm blogging :)

TetraFin Goldfish Flakes.

Diet nutritionally.

Gold water.

Gold health.

Gold fin.

Optimal color health.

Water flakes.

Garantee water flakes.

Gold.

Friday 2.26.10 & Monday 3.1.10

For these two classes we discussed what version of Lady With the Dog We preferred - Either the original by Anton Chekov or the newer version by Joyce Carol Oates. I liked the second one better even though it was a little harder to understand than the original. I liked it because it showed the emotional side of the story, not just what was on the surface. I think women sympathize with the emotional aspect of events rather than the physical.

Wednesday, Feb. 24

In class we were talking about archetypal female character. She's either the platonic ideal or the temptress. Sexson was asking the class (gearing the question to the boys) if anyone has had an infatuation to another person without the other person really knowing that the admirer even exists. I guess I don't understand why its suppose to always be that the boy is infatuated with the girl..I think it definitely goes the other way around...I'm saying this from personal experience.

In seventh grade, I had the biggest crush on a kid in my class..lets call him "Jimmy" because there are people in this class who I went to high school with. So my infatuation with "Jimmy" got a little creepy..like boarder-line stalker...I would even watch "Jimmy" in the reflection of a compact mirror while he played basketball during lunch recess. I think he knew I existed...but I was never actually able to attain the boy...and based on my actions..I think it was better that way.

This has happened to me again in college. There was a boy in one of my major classes that I thought was the cat's pajamas. Well everyday during this class I would imagine what it would be like if me and said boy were a couple. Every time I'd see him, my heart would flutter a little. I doubt this kid knew much more than my first name.

What I'm trying to say is that girls put boys on a pedestal just as much as guys do it to us. I think that guys are just more verbal about it.

Friday, 2.19.10 & Monday, 2.22.10

The test went pretty well for the most part. For next time I think I need to focus on other peoples blogs more and ready every reading assignment completely...perhaps even twice.

On Monday, we discussed what it would be like to explain to a blind person what it's like to see. Sexson compared us to blind people in that we're blind to literature and he's the one who teaches us what its like. I thought that was a great analogy.

There are two kinds of blind - people who are born blind and people who become blind after being able to see part of their life. I was trying to think of what situation would be better and I decided that they both have their pros and cons. If you're born blind, you would have never experienced that sense and not have known what you're missing. But if you become blind, especially later in life, then you would have had a chance to experience sight and some of those images might be able to stay with you.