A Notebook

You think English is easy?

[mugglenet]

15 Harry Potter Book Illustrations You’ve Probably Never Seen

[lohrien]

Harry Potter Illustrations by Kazu Kibuishi

[pokemon-sun-and-moon-giveaways]

*****GIVEAWAY*****

The winner of this giveaway gets to pick any 3 Pokemon from here that he/she wants =) All are Kalos Born (except Terrakion)!

All you have to do is reblog this and you will be entered! 

I will use a random number generator to determine the winner! (If you’re the first reblog then you’re assigned #1, etc)

Good luck!

Winner will be selected Sunday, June 22nd =)

[h-poirot2090]

--"Wait" by Galway Kinnell

I am writing a paper on a different poem by Kinnell, "Shelley," but I found this video of Kinnell and felt that the story and poem in this video are worth remembering. 

[h-poirot2090]

Alice Munro In Conversation with Diana Athill

Alice Munro and Diana Athill at IFOA talk about book, writing and what they've learned so far in life.

[h-poirot2090]

Vladimir Nabokov: Life and Lolita - BBC Documentary

[h-poirot2090]

James Mossman interviewing Vladimir Nabokov 9/8/69

[h-poirot2090]

--"Ecstasy of Gold" by Ennio Morricone

Here is a clip of the scene in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly where this piece is played.  

My brother went on and on about how Morricone is a better composer than John Williams and that this is his favorite Morricone piece.  I can't say who is better, but I did like this.  (I dare anyone to try and hold a note for as long as this woman!)  

[h-poirot2090]

TWO souls diverse out of our human sight Pass, follow’d one with love and each with wonder: The stormy sophist with his mouth of thunder, Cloth’d with loud words and mantled in the might Of darkness and magnificence of night; 5 And one whose eye could smite the night in sunder, Searching if light or no light were thereunder, And found in love of loving-kindness light. Duty divine and Thought with eyes of fire Still following Righteousness with deep desire 10 Shone sole and stern before her and above, Sure stars and sole to steer by; but more sweet Shone lower the loveliest lamp for earthly feet, The light of little children, and their love.

"On the Deaths of Thomas Carlyle and George Eliot" by Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837–1909)

 Algernon Charles Swineburne 

The first novel that I ever read through and through was George Eliot's (Mary Anne Evans) Silas Marner.  I found this poem in the back of a copy of Daniel Deronda (the last novel Eliot wrote).  

  George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)

 Thomas Carlyle

[h-poirot2090]

--Remember by Christina Rossetti

Remember me when I am gone away,  Gone far away into the silent land;  When you can no more hold me by the hand,  Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.  Remember me when no more day by day  You tell me of our future that you plann'd:  Only remember me; you understand  It will be late to counsel then or pray.  Yet if you should forget me for a while  And afterwards remember, do not grieve: For if the darkness and corruption leave  A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,  Better by far you should forget and smile  Than that you should remember and be sad.

This poem also reminds me of the father from The Road.  At the end of the story, McCarthy uses the son's memory of his father to provide some sense of comfort, but if you think about it, there are many memories the son would have of his father that would be connected to painful or frightening thoughts.  

What if the son momentarily forgot about his father?  Would he need to forget at times to move on with his own life?  I think that we all eventually meet people who fill parts of the void that the loss of loved ones creates.  Those holes are not always filled, but sometimes hidden.  It does not do well to grieve forever.  Rossetti does point out, though, that we never completely forget.  

[h-poirot2090]

--"Love's Theme" by Ennio Morricone

The other day, my brother and I were talking about music in movies, and he started to talk about Ennio Morricone.  So being both ignorant and curious about Morricone, I searched for him through the internet and found amazing videos of him conducting music.

   The music in this video is from Cinema Paradiso, and perhaps I am crazy; but when I was listening to this, I thought about McCarthy's The Road.  My mind went to the father and son in the bunker and I could see the father watching his son while this music plays in the background or I see this as the music playing while the father and son walk down the road together; but, I can only picture the father watching his son when this song plays and hoping that the son will live to see a better world.  A world with less fear and more love.  

Isn't that what most of us want.    

[juliabeckman-blog]

Reblog of Fiction like non-fiction

Hey kiddo, I was asked to write a short story for this falls literary review and I for one heard a piece on the nightly news and it took root in this fertile mind and has become the basis for my story. Of course its deper, darker and full of speculation. But a lot of life and the problems we face are like that. I'll check in during the weeks ahead. I didn t have time to wish you good things in all your endeavors soI do that now. I enjoyed class immensely. Julia

[h-poirot2090]

Hey Julia,

I have to say that I also enjoyed the class (even the more intense moments because it generated a good dialogue).  The readings were both interesting and (in the case of The Things They Carried and The Road) sometimes compelling.  I haven’t really stopped reading since class ended.  Lately, I’ve been finding interesting books that I can get for a good price and reading new stories. 

I also wish you luck for your future.  You sound like you’re staying pretty busy.  What kind of short story are you planning?  Is it for a class or for the college or for something else?  I remember reading your Mishnah of The Road so I’m sure you can pull out a good story.  I’d love to read it if you want to share it.  How many more classes do you have before you graduate?  I think I remember you telling me that you were almost finished. 

By the way, I’ve kept my Tumblr account because I learned that 1) it is a good way to stay in touch with people and 2) it is a great storehouse for my thoughts and information that I find that interests me.  I know you and Tumblr didn’t always get along, but you are welcome to continue following me if you keep your account.  I always enjoyed reading your thoughts during our class.  If you don’t keep your account, I understand.  I wanted to keep it because I’ll be moving away soon to go off to the University of West Florida and Tumblr keeps me connected with the people that I’ve met over the past semester.  (I often like to post videos or links to videos of authors that I am learning about.  I’m not really sure why, but it’s a hobby.  Sometimes, I can find an interesting video that gives either a good background of the author or their work or an interview of the author talking about something interesting.)

Anyway, I hope I can hear from you again, but no matter what, I do wish you luck for your future.

Terry.        

[h-poirot2090]

Reading is bread. Reading is bread. That's all there is to it. If you live a life in which you do not read, then you are starving yourself. You are living a life of deprivation. There's just no other way to define what reading is for the reader and for life. Reading is bread.

Cynthia Ozick

[h-poirot2090]

Writers on Writing: Fiction vs Nonfiction

Authors Michael Chabon and Zadie Smith weigh in on whether they prefer writing fiction or non-fiction. Chabon explains why he leans toward fiction, while Smith discusses her preference for sticking to the facts.

I didn't think Ms. Smith had enough time to talk about her opinions so I've included a link to another video of Zadie Smith talking with The New York Public Library.

The only things that bothers me is the question "Is nonfiction becoming more like fiction?".  Do authors write nonfiction books the same way they would write a fiction book, or is there some kind of inherent difference between these two types; and, should there be a difference?  (Food for thought.) 

[h-poirot2090]

To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.

J. K. Rowling

It’s been a tough couple of weeks…Two dear friends of my family (one of them babysat my sister and I when we were young) passed away recently.  Both suffered so much during the last several years, which only proves how paradoxical death can be.  Although it takes loved ones away from us, death can end their pain.  (Forgive me for being spiritual, but I do believe if we could see them now they would be walking on streets of gold, and that is a comfort for me.  God help their families in this time.)

There have also been three other deaths in my hometown recently.  A much older man that I did not know but my parents knew somewhat, a coworker’s brother, and one suicide. 

To be honest, I can’t help but think of this song “Love the One Your With” by Stephen Stills because it says "And if you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one your with."  When you are the one who has lost someone, you should be sad; but, for the onlookers and friends, death should remind us to love the people that are still around us while we can.      

[h-poirot2090]

The things that you do should be things that you love, and the things that you love should be things that you do.

Ray Bradbury 

(The link above shows a wonderful interview of Ray Bradbury and Mr. Bradbury's enthusiasm makes me want to read even more.)

I still think that it is a shame that my high school never introduced me or taught about many of the interesting and influential authors and stories from history that I have learned of since my high school graduation.  Before college, I never heard of many of the people on this list from Pearson Prentice Hall (in high school I had to get on the internet just to learn more about literature), and, now since college, I know so much more about these people and their stories.  

Name an author and I'll tell you that my high school never talked about them (Ray Bradbury, Ernest Hemingway, Harper Lee, Marcel Proust, Joseph Conrad, Maya Angelou...).  That's why I do not agree with the idea that education should be limited to one worldview.  Narrowness stifles learning.      

[h-poirot2090]

Colbert Report: Junot Diaz

Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz talks about Freedom University, a school for undocumented immigrants, and discusses the "Superman Question."