First Semester

AP English Literature and Composition has been one of my favorite classes this year by far. One of the parts I loved from the first semester of AP Lit was the discussion on philosophy that spanned several class periods. I have always been interested in philosophy, but I didn't know anything about existentialism, and I found it a very enthralling topic. I found the short story unit to be surprisingly fun. I didn't think I liked short stories, but this unit definitely changed my mind about that. Also, I love all of the reading that we do. I know that should kind of be a given with the whole AP "Literature" thing, but reading is one of my passions, and this class certainly fulfills that to a great extent.

I have been frustrated by something this semester, however: the outside reading essays/assignments. I love reading, and I happily read many books on my own outside of school, so the fact that reading was assigned was not a big deal to me. However, I was not a big fan of the essays that came with it. I understand that we need to practice writing, but I think we should be trusted to read our books without having to be tested over them (though I see the obvious problem with this).

We have already been informed that next semester the outside reading has changed, and I like the new format more than the last one. I still dislike the fact that we are being tested over our books by writing an essay, but I like the idea of reading books in order to answer some kind of discussion question. I very much look forward to the unit on novels next semester as well.

As a final note, I really love the blog posts idea. It can be hard to come up with good topics every week, but I like writing like this for fun on a topic of our choice. It's relaxing and a fun exercise.

This video is unrelated, but awesome. So here ya go!

Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek, by Imogen Heap, is one of my favorite songs of all time. It is incredibly beautiful and powerful. If you haven't heard it before, I strongly suggest listening to it with headphones turned up a bit- it's quite an experience. If you have heard it before, I would still encourage you to watch the video, as it has the lyrics, which are hard to decipher from just the audio.

I've listened to this song a lot, but I have never understood the lyrics before. Once I looked up the lyrics, I found them to be meaningful and well-written. So what is this woman singing about anyway?

Of course there are different opinions on the lyric's meanings, but, for me, she is singing about a new beginning after breakup of some sort, and sometimes uses the analogy of a new house. She is very upset about this turn of events, and she blames her ex-partner for it. This story is nothing unusual, but the poetry that she uses to tell us the events and her feelings is beautifully written.

If you want a line-by-line analysis, I've done a basic one below, though I can't decipher all of the lines.



Where are we? --Where are we in our relationship?
What the hell is going on? -- How did we get to this point?
The dust has only just begun to form -- Our relationship has recently ended, and I am just beginning to get over it
Crop circles in the carpet -- (Furniture being moved around) You have moved out of my thoughts/heart
Sinking, feeling
Spin me around again
And rub my eyes -- Try to wake me up, as this feels like a dream
This can't be happening -- How could our relationship have ended?
When busy streets
A mess with people
Would stop to hold their heads heavy -- Even strangers would find this situation so depressing that it would make them stop in their tracks

Hide and seek
Trains and sewing machines -- (I honestly have no idea)
All those years
They were here first -- Before this emptiness that now occupies my soul, we spent years together
Oily marks appear on walls
Where pleasure moments hung before -- The places in my mind/heart where happy memories of times with you were stored have now been cleared out and those memories have been put away
The takeover
The sweeping insensitivity of this
Still life
Hide and seek
Trains and sewing machines

(You won't catch me around here)
Blood and tears
They were here first -- Before this emptiness that now occupies my soul, we bled and cried together (meaning we were very close)
Mm, what'd you say?
Mm, that you only meant well
Well of course you did -- I know you were well-intentioned, but that doesn't change that you hurt me
Mm, what'd you say?
Mm, that it's all for the best
Of course it is -- I know you think this is better for both of this, and that may be true, but it still hurts
Mm, what'd you say?
Mm, that it's just what we need
You decided this -- You were the one who decided that we needed to end our relationship- I was ready to try and fix it and continue our lives together
Mm, what'd you say?
Mm, what did she say? -- (Possibly hinting at an affair)

Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth --You keep trying to take things from me (breaking my heart?)
Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cutouts --(I am not sure on this one)
Speak no feeling, no, I don't believe you
You don't care a bit, you don't care a bit
Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth
Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cutouts
Speak no feeling, no, I don't believe you
You don't care a bit, you don't care a bit

(You don't care a bit)
Oh, no, you don't care a bit
Oh, no, you don't care a bit
Uh-uh, you don't care a bit
You don't care a bit
You don't care a bit

A Fading Existence

You don't know what you have until it's gone.

This shouldn't be a new concept to anyone. It's a cliche as old as anyone can remember, and for that reason, it often gets passed off as trivial, stupid, or common sense. Once in a while, however, I think it's important to remember that cliches are around for a reason- they're usually true.

There are some things which we don't always have, and so we are forced to think about their impermanence. Success. A boyfriend/girlfriend. Approval.  Things like homes, money, jobs, or even more abstract concepts like freedom of speech. We are constantly bombarded with campaigns telling us to imagine life without these things, to the point where it seems as though we live in constant fear of either not being able to obtain them or losing them.

There are other things that we are around all the time, and we don't even contemplate their impermanence, as we have never had reason to suspect they could disappear. I'm talking about losing things like your family's love. Your skills. Your identity. Imagine going to sleep one evening and losing your practical knowledge- how to walk, how to talk, how to interact. Or, even worse in my opinion, imagine losing those things over time, without you even realizing it. That happens all the time to every one of us. I'm not suggesting that your parents will stop loving you tomorrow, or that you will suddenly forget what you learned yesterday in English.  But as you get older, things begin to go. First it might be your knowledge from high school physics, then your friend's birthdays, then what you had for breakfast that morning, then your family's names. All things end. Or, more accurately, all things fade.

Time is the great force-

     The absolute undoer of men;

     The steady unraveler of substance;

And no mortal can oppose its deadly pace.

Here's a soliloquy from the "immortal" Shakespeare's play, Hamlet:
   No, faith, not a jot; but to follow him thither with modesty enough and 
   likelihood to lead it; as thus: Alexander died, Alexander was buried, 
   Alexander returned into dust; the dust is earth; of earth we make loam:
   and why of that loam, whereto he was converted, might they not stop at a 
   beer-barrel?

For argument's sake, I'm not sure everything fits into this description. Take love, for example. Yes, it can end. Yes, it can fade over time. Yes, it can be impermanent. But is it not possible to love for one's whole life? I can't provide an answer for that, but it's an interesting thought.

In case you haven't been depressed enough at this point by the mortality of this world and all that's in it, here's an amazing video my friend showed me. It's an artist's interpretation of the last two movements from Messian's Quartet for the End of Time. Watching these videos is a moving experience, and I encourage you to find 20 minutes by yourself in a quiet place and watch it all at once.

Here's part 1, and part 2 is in the suggestions box: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QrGzES0UNk

Humor in the News

"Petraeus Is Only The Beginning," Teases Obama, Promising Second Term Full Of Homeland-Like Twists

New Al-Qaeda Recruit Sick Of Hearing Senior Terrorists Brag About 9/11 Attacks

Scientists Develop Highly Volatile New Relationship

These are but a few headlines from the riotous publication The Onion. The Onion is filled with hilarious articles and satirical videos, largely dealing with the most recent news.

I have told many of my friends about The Onion, and I have been surprised by the results. Many find the website funny, some others dismiss it at a lame attempt at humor, but a couple of people have commented on the inappropriateness of their news, saying things like "making jokes about this issue is making the issue into a joke."

I think that that's a pretty stupid idea.

Humor has always been prevalent in cultures, and poking fun at current events is nothing new. Making fun of these things is a way to lighten the mood. These articles and videos let everyone have moment to breath, step back, and realize the absurdity of the real news being satirized. If anything, I think that publications like The Onion help people think clearly about issues by relieving them of their preconceived biases. "But how does it do that?", you might ask. In making us laugh about a subject, it clears our minds and allows us to reevaluate it more objectively.

I'd love to post more Onion on here, but not all of it is G-rated, so I'll just tell you guys to check it out for yourselves.

Poetry

I used to think poetry was awful. When we read poems in elementary school, I hated how amorphous and open-to-interpretation most of them were. When the poetry unit came around in middle school, I was dreading it. My opinion changed when we read some of Edgar Allan Poe's work. I wouldn't say that his work profoundly affected me in any way, but I thought his writing was really cool.

Though I have yet to read poetry in high school as part of a class, I have found my taste for it growing recently. Some poems do sound nice or, for lack of a better word, are simply 'cool". But some poems are so much more than that. They can reach a level of understanding on a topic that seems impossible to put into words. They can make me feel sad without ever saying anything saddening. They can make me feel happy in a tenth as many words as a novel or short story.

What my elementary and middle school brain didn't understand is that poetry's vagueness and indirect language is what makes it so fantastic and gives it such potential. Some things can seem hard to put into words because our language simply doesn't have ample words to describe them. Poetry strives to explain the inexplicable by making connections and using language as a tool to accomplish much greater means.

Of course, not all poems are meant to delve into greater understanding. Some of my favorite poems are meant to evoke an emotion or make a statement of some sort. However, all types of poetry use language in similar ways.

Below is an example of one of my favorite poems:

"Invictus"

by William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Also, here is the scariest version of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" ever. Because it's Christopher Walken.

Speakin Skillz

I was watching ESPN tonight, and they had a special on UK basketball. They were talking about how people came in to work with the players on their speaking skills. The commentators were saying how important it was for players to be able to speak well, since they have to conduct dozens of press conferences and interviews.

Speaking well has not always been an important thing in our culture. Until the invention of the radio, for example, politicians have never been able to speak to large audiences at once. After this technological advance, it became necessary for politicians to be powerful speakers, as the whole nation could listen to them.

Speaking skills have continued becoming more and more important in society. In MSTC Senior Seminar, we practice our public speaking non-stop through a variety of activities. Many classes have started including a presentation aspect in projects for this reason.

Our modern culture places lots of emphasis on coherence and being able to present one's ideas clearly. I completely agree with the direction we are headed in. Being able to speak well will impact every avenue of one's life, from job interviews to public presentations to not being awkward on a first date.

Below is an example of excellent public speaking skills.

Fiction

I can't stand fiction. Not all fiction- only really good fiction.

Before you exit out of my blog and hate me forever, allow me to explain.

First, let me tell you what I define as a "really good" book. I often define a book of this caliber by its ability to deeply affect the person reading it. It doesn't have to teach a lesson, but the reader leaves with some conviction that they did not previously posses. Now, this definition falls somewhat short when I think about some of the best fiction books I've read. I do not glean some new piece of information or spark of inspiration from them. In my opinion, what makes fiction books great is their ability to transport the reader. Obviously not physically, but on an emotional and psychological journey. When I read a good piece of fiction, I get lost in its depths.

The reason such books are so great is the same reason I hate them.

See, when I get lost in a book's depths, when I find myself totally immersed in another world, certainly there's a part of my mind that knows that this escape will not last forever, but I try to ignore that voice as much as possible.

And then it's over. With the turn of the final page, the universe I have poured so much of myself into disappears. When I finish a good fiction book, I feel empty inside. What I devoured so rapidly and with such intensity is gone, and I don't know what to do with myself.

This might sound extreme and melodramatic, but there are few things I can compare to finishing a good work of fiction. I have never been depressed for long periods of time, and I have never been clinically diagnosed with depression, but I have felt depressed before. I expect that I experience this feeling no more than any stressed senior, but I bring this up as a means of comparison. When I put so much time and dogmatic faith into this endeavor  I invest a great deal of myself into the world created by the melding of the author's words and my creativity. When that comes to a close, I find myself lost. It often takes me days, and sometimes even weeks before I fully recover from finishing a fiction novel.

And yet for all of this emptiness, these holes left by a good book, I cannot help but pick up another. I don't think it's because I'm a sadist, and I wouldn't say I'm hooked on the hollowness brought on by a finished novel. If I had to guess, I'd say the reason for this is because of the absolute high of living in a fantasy world, even if it's only in my mind, and even if it's only for a short 600 pages. Being able to create, destroy, interpret, and experience such other-worldly things is something that I could never give up.

But WHY?

Why do we feel the way we do?

This is a question I've been pondering for a while since we had a discussion in English about existentialism. There are so many different thoughts jumbling around in my head, I'm going to try and present all possible views I can think of on the subject.

For the purpose of comparison, I'll use the example of love. An undoubtedly strong feeling, prevalent in almost all aspects of life, some stronger than others. But why do we love?

According to (my understanding of) existentialism, the reasoning behind emotions and feelings is always selfish in nature. For example, we might love someone because we are similar to them, and therefore have a higher chance of getting together, which means a higher chance of procreating, which means a higher chance of passing on our genes to future generations. Another selfish aspect of this emotion is the fact or evidence of its reciprocation in the object on our feelings. This might seem like a bit of a stretch, but, when you think about it, pretty much all human actions can be boiled down to selfishisness. But, it's important to note that in Existentialism, selfishness is not an inherently negative thing. In fact, being selfless and acting completely unselfishly results in the literal loss of one's self, or one's identity. So love is felt due to selfish motives, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

One idea that scared me for a while was that everything that defines us, everything that we feel, everything that we think, is all just a specific interaction of neurons in our brains. We love the people we do because certain chemicals were triggered in the right ratios in our brains at the right time. This is quite a depressing thought for me. This idea gave me the impression that I have absolutely no control over my feelings. Loving someone, which feels so definite and absolute in my mind, is really caused by reasons outside my control. But then, after a while, I realized that yes, our feelings are dictated by physical interactions. But that makes them no less real, and no less our own. Sure, I only love you because of a specific combination of chemicals in my brain at the right time. But imagine the complexity of such interactions. The math points to the statistical impossibility that all of these triggers would align perfectly for me to love you. And yet they did. The infinitesimally small chance that the physical events would happen for me to feel the way I do is so astounding that, in my mind, it in no way diminishes the reality of the emotion.

I guess I believe in a bit of a combination of these two ideas. The existentialist approach teaches me that I love the people I do because I want to benefit myself in the long run. And there's nothing wrong with that. The second idea teaches me to not pass off the things I feel as trivial or meaningless. The fact that I feel the way I do is incredible and unique, and there's nothing dehumanizing about it.

Of course, these are only two theories of hundreds. And they are by no means exclusive or closed off to different interpretations. These are just a couple of thoughts I've been having on the subject. They may not make any sense, but I have found that writing your ideas down and sharing them helps you come to terms with what's hard to put into words.

A Colorful Alternative

Graphics novels.

When you hear those two words, chances are your mind immediately goes to comic books. Batman and Robin, The Green Lantern, Superman, Deadpool. There are a few major differences between what we think of as comics and what are classified as graphic novels.

Comics are released as a continuation. One publication has the same story as the previous one, but it advances the plot a little bit further. Graphics novels are entire stories in one large chunk. For this reason, while comics are generally released in small serials, graphic novels are released in lengthy books. Both comics and graphic novels use a combination of pictures and text to communicate their ideas, but, in graphic novels, these ideas are often more mature and literary, while comics tend to be more commercial in their goals.

Because of the false association many people have with graphic novels and comic books, graphic novels tend to be looked down upon as a literary form. I think that this is a shame. Not only do graphic novels posses the same literary power that novels do due to their text, but they in fact have increased potential because they have the added dimension of pictures. If anything, graphics novels are able to convey much more complex emotions and ideas than novels can.

I have read a few graphic novels, and I can think of two off of the top of my head that are perfect examples of excellent works of literature. First, is the 3-part series Maus, by Art Spiegelman. This novel tells the story of a holocaust survivor through the allegory of animals. The Nazis are cats, the Jews are mice, the Poles are pigs, and so on. This is an incredibly powerful tale, and it is written in a gripping style. However, if the story were solely text, the effect that is created with the animals would not be nearly as effective.

Another graphic novel is Watchmen, by Alan Moore. This is one of the most thought-provoking works I have ever read. The story is far too complex to outline, and the characters are far too dynamic to describe, but Alan Moore was able to create a world that the reader can identify with, which is quite a feat for an author to successfully accomplish. The added effect of the visuals to this work adds a great deal to the reader's understanding of the characters and the story. This graphic novel truly makes you stop and think, and I cannot recommend a better read for a curious mind.

All in all, I hope this makes you somewhat interested in the world of graphic novels, as they are sadly under-appreciated in today's culture. If you are interested in reading either Maus or Watchmen, I have both and can lend them to you. I have also heard that Batman: The Long Halloween is another excellent novel, though I haven't read it myself.

Below are just two examples of the kind of deep questioning that Watchmen in particular ponders.

History

I am going to start out today's post with a quote from the book The Plot Against America, by Philip Roth. Because of a couple of references, you might need a bit of background to understand what is happening. *NO SPOILERS WILL BE GIVEN- ONLY BASIC BACKGROUND* The Plot Against America is an alternate history novel, speculating what would have occurred if Charles Lindbergh had won the presidential election that was actually Roosevelt's third term. Lindbergh was a known anti-Semite, and this book is told from the perspective of a young Jewish boy looking back on that time. At this point, the father of the boy has just come to a realization, and the boy is stunned by his father's sudden hopelessness.

"And as Lindbergh's election couldn't have made clearer to me, the unfolding of the unforeseen was everything. Turned wrong way round, the relentless unforeseen was what we schoolchildren studied as "History", harmless history, where everything unexpected in its own time is chronicled on the page as inevitable. The terror of the unforeseen is what the science of history hides, turning a disaster into an epic."

This quote struck me as extremely powerful. The message that it sends is an important one, as important to us today as it was to the young boy in the 1940's. Roosevelt himself said only the election before, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." I do not think this is an accurate statement. As shown by the passage, the greatest fear is that of the unknown. Over time, people tend to forget about that fear. What we all think of as "harmless history" was unthinkable and unexpected to people at that time. Today, things are constantly happening in the World that we can't foresee or prepare for. The message that I take away from this passage is to never get too comfortable with how things are, because you never know what's around the next corner.

Another point that this passage makes, though it might not appear to make it outside of context, is the message that all of our actions have far-reaching consequences. Every tiny decision you make effects thousands of things that you can't possibly know about beforehand. It's impossible to take all of these things into account with each decision you make, but it's a good philosophy to always make decisions keeping their potential impact in mind.

I have deleted the picture I posted because it was too small to read. Sorry :(

Forgiveness

Next Tuesday evening starts the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. This is a day of atonement. Coming 10 days after the new year, one is supposed to ask pardon for all of the transgressions they have committed in the past year. I was thinking about this earlier today, and the general theme of the holiday- that of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is such a major theme in human history, literature, and culture. From the Torah to Avatar the Last Airbender, forgiveness plays a major role in much of society's thoughts. The natural human want, the almost animalistic desire, for forgiveness is astounding. Why do humans crave this so much?

I think it stems from our self-centered need for acceptance. Societal approval means a great deal to us, and it has to humans for the last 5,000 years or more. Forgiveness means having others think better of us, thereby propelling us up in the social ladder, or at least boosting our images in other's minds.

In addition to that reason, I think this desire also comes from our need for rewards. We are taught (by our parents, schools, and most of the major religions) that, even if we do bad things, if we apologize for them, we will not only be forgiven, but we will be rewarded for our honesty. The incessant human urge for rewards also drives our need for forgiveness.

I'm not quite sure where I was going with all of this, but I thought it was an interesting thing that I'd never really thought about before. If you guys have any thoughts on why we need forgiveness, why this theme is so common in society, or comments about my opinions, comment!

Required Reading

Today in class, we had to answer the question, if you had the opportunity to make one book required reading for everyone on Earth, what book would you choose? At the time, I put down Brave New World, but I wasn't satisfied with my answer. A book for everyone?? That's a big choice. I wanted something that would educate people, make them understand each other, open their minds, teach them morals and values. I couldn't think of a book that could do all of this. But when I got home today, it hit me. The book that I would make everyone in the World read is What to Expect When You're Expecting.

For those of you who have never given birth or have never been the partner of someone who has given birth,  What to Expect When You're Expecting is exactly what it sounds like. It gives soon-to-be parents knowledge about childbirth, and about prenatal care and health. This may sound like a rather odd choice of reading material. But, when you think about it, tens of millions of unhealthy babies are born each year, many of which could have been born healthy if their parents knew how to act during pregnancy. If everyone read this book, countless babies who would have otherwise been bore feeble would be strong. This would give millions of children the opportunity to grow up to be healthy and stable human beings. These people would contribute to society. They would be doctors, lawyers, politicians, scientists, teachers. The World would be a much better place if everyone had the equal opportunity of life from birth.

Rap

Earlier today I was thinking about what I'd talk about in this week's post while listening to my boi Kanye West. I like rap, and I listen to it quite often, but I realized that I didn't know the lyrics to the song I was listening to. I started the track over, and paid attention to the lyrics this time. I was surprised. It's not like I expected the lyrics to be deep and meaningful, but I was shocked at just how empty they were.

Back in the days when hip-hop was still young, before I was even alive, rap was much different. Back then, rappers, more often called MC's, were poets, just reading their rhymes to a beat.

Take this line, for example, from Tupac's "Only God Can Judge Me":
    And they say its the white man i should fear
    Buts its my own kind doing all the killin' here

Here's a verse from Talib Kaweli's "Ghetto Afterlife":
    These n****z ain't thugs, the real thugs is the government.
    Don't matter if you Independent, Democrat, or Republican,
    N****z politickin' the street, get into beef,
    Start blastin'... now a new cat is executive chief.

And here's a verse from Nas' "Heaven":
    It's hard taking this 

    Racist planet where they take another brother in a handcuff
    Even if he innocent nicca get on the car put your motherf*****g hands up
    Thinking I'm a lose it
    My mom's in chemo
    Three times a week, yo keep trying but people
    Is hard and God your young soldier's not so bold
    But needs you
    This world's my home but world I would leave you.

These lyrics resonate with me as being poetry. They are not, at least in my mind, "commercial" writing. They are examining the world, making observations, and inspiring the listener to think about things. I think that's one of the main differences between old school rap and the newer stuff.

At this point, I was planning on taking a few lyrics from some rap songs that my peers might be more familiar with. But, honestly, the commercialized stuff that's produced nowadays isn't quotable. There just isn't any lyric that defines just how hollow and fake the rap game has become.

I don't mean to imply that there is no longer any conscious rap (which is what deeper rap is called).

Here's a verse from Bun B's "So Close, So Far", released in 2010:
     Wouldn't it be nice if life was sort of like a dream,
     And everything wasn’t really what it seemed?

     What if everything you ever wished for was in reach,
     And you could learn everything your school didn’t teach?
     Wouldn't it be nice if the banks didn’t f*** up the loans,
     And people ain’t have to move out they homes?
     With no GM or AIG…and for that matter no cancer or A-I-D?

However, rappers nowadays seem to be (in general!) a lot more focused on getting a good product that people will like and buy, instead of being focused on really affecting people.

I think the words of KRS-One's "Classic (Better Than I've Ever Seen)" sum this up pretty well:
     Rappers spit rhymes that are mostly illegal,
     MC's spit rhymes to uplift their people.










Here's a link to some really deep and powerful Tupac lyrics: http://www.alleyezonme.com/poetry/

The End

I've read good books, and I've read bad books. Some books have made me cry, some books have made me laugh, and some books have made me fall asleep. With all of the reading that I've done, there is one thing that I believe to be the most important aspect of a piece of writing- the ending.

When you read that last paragraph, you were probably thinking, "well, duh..." Of course the ending is important. But time and time again I've been an unfortunate witness to an author pulling me in and grabbing my attention for the first 600 pages, only to completely ruin my expectation with the last 10.

No, "ruin my expectation" isn't what I mean. The ending to The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay ruined my expectations. The ending to Brave New World ruined my expectations. Ruining expectations can create an incredible and unforgettable close to a book. But doing it the wrong way can destroy everything the first x pages worked towards.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

For example, the ending to the 4 book, epicly long, beautifully written Inheritance Cycle was terrible. The last book was fantastic, and, in the end, the good guys killed the bad guys and everyone was happy. Then, out of nowhere, in the very last chapter, the main character decides that he has to leave the continent forever. His true love doesn't go with him, because she has become queen of the elves, and she can't leave her people behind. They don't live happily ever after, and they don't even kiss once! IN FOUR BOOKS!!! I grew up reading these, and I adore them, and the last emotion the series should have me feeling is not pity for their lost love, and certainly not hatred towards Christopher Paolini!

The point you should take from all of this is, don't just give up at the end. I know your deadline for your publisher is tomorrow, but you don't have to write the last chapter in one night. Ask for an extension! I would be forever grateful if writers would simply take their times with the endings. Nothing ruins my day quite like getting through a beast of a novel, only to discover that the writer decided to take a crap on the last page.

Hey yall! This is my first blog post as the Lonely Ranger. This is my first official thingy with my name as the Lonely Ranger, even though a lot of my friends call me that, but it's not really official, but it is now, because I made the blog about me and called myself the Lonely Ranger. Sooooooooooo, this blog's gonna be about me an my english skillz. An books n stuff. SO. Where ta start. Uh, I love books. Books are nice. I really like good books. And example of a good book is one such as The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. I liked dis book becuz it was nice. I liked the characters, especially Joe Kavalier, who is one of the main characters in the book. In other literary news, I like poems too. And Im kind of a romantic. Below is a sample poem of mine... kind of...
My love, I have tried with all my being
to grasp a form comparable to thine own,
but nothing seems worthy;

I know now why Shakespeare could not
compare his love to a summer’s day.
It would be a crime to denounce the beauty
of such a creature as thee,
to simply cast away the precision
God had placed in forging you.

Each facet of your being
whether it physical or spiritual
is an ensnarement
from which there is no release.
But I do not wish release.
I wish to stay entrapped forever.
With you for all eternity.
Our hearts, always as one.

(actual poem by Anthony Kolos)