T.S. Eliot love.

And now we shall delve into the world of another literary friend, T.S. Eliot. I seem to be finding that I long to read whatever literature I'm not actually studying at the moment. Last fall I was longing for Dickens, and now I'm ironically taking Victorian Lit.
But anyways T.S. Eliot is one of the insane literary geniuses of the modernist period. No he wasn't literally insane, his writing is just so crazy awesome I like to call him insane. I wish I could be him! No not really, I just really admire his style and genius. He wrote "The Wasteland" among other things, I read Wasteland last Fall. It was so mindblowing that the first time you read it, it hurts your brain and you have no idea what is going on. But then you re-read it, discuss it in class, and it becomes one of the most complicatedly awesome original, intelligent thought-provoking piece of poetry you have ever read.
The other reason I love T.S. Eliot, he makes up his own words. Polyphiloprogenitive. Basically it is composed of latin root words and means extremely prolific.
The word is found in his poem "Mr. Eliot's Sunday Morning Service." The line is: "Polyphiloprogenitive/ The sapient sutlers of the Lord/ Drift across the window-panes."
And if that doesn't give you a pretty good idea of just how epically insane he is, then I don't know what else will, unless you read more of his poems.

The other reason I love T.S. Eliot, he is oft quoted by one of my most favorite heroic male fictional characters: Fish, or Benedict Denniston from The Fairy Tale novel series by Regina Doman. Definitely some of my favorite books ever. I could go on forever about them, but I'll have to save that for another post. Let's just say that Fish is one of the best fictional heroes I have ever read about. He definitely knocks Mr. Darcy out of first place in my book.But Mr. Knightley did that already I guess so Fish takes 3rd or 4th place after Han Solo and Westley. He quotes literature, that's pretty attractive if you ask me.

But I am diverging, basically if you get the chance, read T.S. Eliot. You will not regret the choice to read one of the best literary geniuses of the 20th century. And now I must go back to my homework on Literature from the 18th and 19th centuries.

As American as Apple Pie

It's the fourth of July! The day our country declared that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

So today I am going to list a few things that to me are just American-ness at it's best. Now these are not the stereotypical things people think of when they think of America. There's definitely more to this country than eagles, George Washington and loud tourist clothing.

So what do I deem filled with Americana?

#1. Bruce Springsteen.
Now I know most people think of genuine American music as country, but Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is THE American Band. All of his songs just have an American feel to them and fill you with that fervor that makes you feel glad to live in this country. Even if he does sing about the grittier side of our country, it's still super American. The song that epitomizes this feeling the most, is I would have to say, "Born to Run."

#2. School House Rock
Where else did we learn not only grammar and math, but American history? It's one of the only chances we had as kids to see our cartoon Founding Fathers dancing like chickens and pursuing happiness.

#3 1776-the musical
Here we also get to see dancing and singing Founding Fathers. Not to mention that they weren't all that different from us. They had tempers, emotions and crazy personalities. And that Congress wasted just as much time back then. Plus it made politics look really fun. Not to mention I fell in love with John and Abigail Adams and how sweetly their marriage was portrayed.

#4 The Music Man
This movie is just the epitome of small town America. Which is why I love it. Of the times on family road trips, when we have driven through Gary Indiana, or Iowa, we always think of it fondly.

#5 Norman Rockwell Paintings
He captured the hometown family feel of America perfectly. His iconic images portray a simpler and happier time, but I think that it still exists in America today.#6 Will Smith
Because he is little Willie from Philly, the All-American boy. And he also is the hero in many films, particularly Independence Day seems rather relevant.


#7 Liberty's Kids
Because this show was just awesome. It was funny, cheesy, and taught us lots of cool things about the American Revolution. Not to mention it had a wicked theme song.

#8 American Girl, by Tom Petty
This song is just plain awesome and pretty full of American-ness.

#9 Chuck Taylor Converse All-stars
Because these sneakers are so comfortable, just plain awesome, and superly American. And they come in lots of different colors so you can get red, white and blue if you so desire.


#10 Wizard of Oz
This is THE American fairy-tale. It had the best characters and who didn't want ruby slippers after watching it? The little Kansas farm girl going on a strange and wondrous adventure. Very American.

#11 Star Wars
I couldn't resist doing a #11, and if the Wizard of Oz is the American fairy-tale, Star Wars is the American epic mythology. It's the American ideal, a small-town farm boy going up against the evil Empire. That's what's great about America, we fight for the little guy.

Happy Independence day to all! God Bless our wonderful country, the United States of America!

Excuses for my abscence. Anyone, anyone,-Bueller

I know it's been awhile since I posted. Come to think of it, I haven't posted all semester.
But yes, I do have excuses. At the beginning of the semester, I was in Narnia, directing a play involving a cast of a lion, a witch, and 20-plus extras all under the age of 12. After that I was transported to the beginning of creation, by Milton's Paradise Lost. Now that I've come back from my other-worldy trips. Oh boy, it's time for finals. My how the semester flies.
Well in other trips, I've discovered a new writing site, webook.com where you can post your book. My "The Light of Stella" is up there, with the first 6 chapters posted. So please check it out and comment.
Other than that, I hope to be posting again soon about further new excursions in the fictional world, both real, written, or televised.