Carrie Fisher :D :3 :) xD

Carrie Fisher is not only an inspiration because of her sense of self, her in-charge attitude, and her all around coolness, but also because of her very particular brand of tweets. It uses lots of emoticons, exclamation points, and general craziness that I don't often find in many tweets. I don't know why it intrigues me so much, but to see someone tweet the way she does it kind of nifty. Here's an example;

Link: https://twitter.com/carrieffisher/status/699773767741022208

Metaphors.

Methaphors - Sylvia Plath

(Sidenote: The line breaks have been changed.)

I’m a -

Riddle in nine syllables,

An elephant, 

A ponderous house,

A melon strolling on two tendrils.

O red fruit, 

Ivory, 

Fine timbers!

This loaf’s big 

With its yeasty rising.

Money’s new-minted

In this fat purse.

I’m a means, 

A stage, 

A cow in calf.

I’ve eaten a bag of green apples,

Boarded the train 

There’s no getting off.

No Homo

A poem created from the opening paragraph of a letter penned by Alexander Hamilton to John Laurens, 1779, aka -

Alexander Hamilton’s totally hetero poem for John Laurens:

Cold in my professions,

warm in my friendships, 

I wish, my Dear Laurens, 

It might be in my power, by action rather than words to convince you

That I love you. 

I shall only tell you that 'til you bade us Adieu, 

I hardly knew the value you had taught my heart to set upon you. 

Indeed, my friend,

It was not well done.

You know the opinion I entertain of mankind, 

And how much it is my desire to preserve myself free from particular attachments, 

And to keep my happiness independent of the caprice of others. 

You should not have taken advantage of my sensibility 

To steal into my affections without my consent. 

But as you have done it,

And as we are generally indulgent to those we love, 

I shall not scruple to pardon the fraud you have committed, 

On condition that for my sake, 

If not for your own, 

You will always continue to merit the partiality, 

which you have artfully instilled into me.

Breathe.

A character study -

Breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Or is it the other way around? I can’t see, remember. I can’t remember much of anything right now, if we’re being honest. I’m wracking my brain, but nothing it turning up. The only think I can think about is breathing, focusing on breathing. I don’t remember it being this hard to breathe. I can’t breathe. My throat is closing up. I’m dying. This is killing me. I don't want this to be the end. How can I ensure this isn't the end?  Dear god, this is the end-No, it’s not. You’re doing it again; driving yourself up the wall. You need to focus. Just breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

Viking Funeral.

We gathered around and watched as the strong hands of my father, brothers, and uncles pushed the boat from the shore. It was a viking funeral for a Christian man; his pale hands clutching a bible as we prepared the pagan ritual. It didn't make much sense, but neither did the fact he'd been taken from us so young. We dealt with what we were given. Thunder rolled in the distance, as if there were warriors in the sky rushing toward us, their horses hooves scattering the dust beneath their feet. The seas waves beat against the shore and rushed back in toward the center, carrying his body away. It was hard to look for too long. Instead I looked to the sky, and was met with stark gray, unforgiving yet even in a way that left me uncomfortable.

When the was far enough away, the bow was drawn. My oldest brother, the one he'd been closest to, steadied his hand. Before he let go, the arrow was light aflame, and the orange flicker reflected in his numb eyes which had seen their fair share of tears. It was loosed, and hit its mark head on. The boat caught, and I watched until my eyes burned just as surely as he did. The warriors in the sky has come to take him home.

- Prose inspired by "Memory of a Friend: Samuel Arthur", a piece done by Walter Collier Nicolai, located in the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery in Keene, NH.

Those damned kids!

If you want to see me go from 0-100 real fast, go ahead and tell me that my generation is useless. Tell me how technology is ruining this country through a link you posted on Facebook. Tell me how we are whining about the price of college, when the prices for tuition have absolutely exploded since my parents were in school. Or, my favorite, tell me that we are the world's most apathetic generation when all you can do it seems is give us crap about what we're passionate about.

Go ahead, and see what happens (Incase you're wondering what would happen, and can't stand the suspense; I will go the route of Mark Twain, and beat you over the skull with your own shin bone.)

Our culture does little to appreciate it's children. It says it supports them, but actions speak louder than words, and somehow I don't thinks standardizing it's school systems is a actual form of care. However, that is a whole other rant. Instead, I want to complain about something that is equally bothersome to me; the way we look at stories aimed at younger audiences.

When someone is to think of influential literature, they think of the classics. Shakespeare and Austen pop into their heads, and can not help but be moved by their work. This is fine and all, but one should also consider what first piqued their interest. What made them fall in love with stories? What made them love to read?

For me, it was Junie B. Jones by Barbra Parker. The series was the first I read all on my own accord; I was in love with the story, and the characters. I couldn't wait to know what happened next. I spent hours tucked away in my room, After that, came the Harry Potter series, Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism, and The Hobbit. All of these books shaped the reader and writer I am today, but they are largely discredited, because of their ties to younger audience.

For some book, this is understandable. But for books like Harry Potter, it is a huge issue. When I am told in my AP Literature class that Harry Potter is not a credible work to draw from, I'm appalled. Here is a story so incredibly woven, filled with intricate details, and messages important for all readers, young and old. To say this work lacks literary merit is ridiculous, and stems from a prejudice for younger readers.

The same thing occurs with movies and TV shows. Movies like Frozen win awards because they are popular, not because of their story. Committees don't care about animated films, as evidenced by the Academy voters during in 2014 (The year Frozen was up). Four out of the seven members abstained from voting, one going as far as to say "I did not see any of them. I have no interest whatsoever. That ended when I was 6." Similarly, when you tell people you watch cartoons, you get a look of disgust and confusion, because why would you, an adult, enjoy something made for children?

And here writers find themselves in a kind of predicament. Do they write children elaborate and creative stories, create complex and layered worlds, and put in the time and effort to teach them important lessons? Or do they just produce the bare bones skeleton with a few poop jokes thrown into the mix, to make everyone happy and not work hard because no one is going to care anyways?

For me, the first answer is the correct one. However, something has to change. We need to recognize those writing for children do so with a purpose, and just because you might think it below you because you are an 'adult', does not make it so. We need to create a space for children to learn important lessons as well as be entertained, and honestly, people my age and older need to sit back, relax, and enjoy it too.

Short to long.

1.) I like dogs better than cats

2.) I like dogs better than cats because dogs snuggle better

3.) I like dogs better than cats because, in my experience, dogs snuggle better

4.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because, in my experience, dogs snuggle better.

5.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because, in my childhood experience, dogs are better at snuggling

6.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because what I have found, in my own childhood experience, is that dogs are better at snuggling.

7.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because what I have found, in my own childhood experience, is that dogs are better at snuggling then cats are.

8.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because what I have found, in my own childhood experience, is that dogs are better at snuggling then cats are during the night.

9.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because what I have found, in my own childhood experience, is that dogs are better at snuggling then cats are during cold winter nights.

10.)  I enjoy dogs more than cats because what I have found, in my own childhood experience, is that dogs are better at snuggling then cats are during cold winter nights and keeping me warm.

11.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because what I have found, in my own childhood experience, is that dogs are better at snuggling then cats are during cold winter nights in the middle of January and keeping me warm.

12.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because what I have found, in my own childhood experience, is that dogs are better at snuggling then cats are during cold winter nights in the middle of January in New England, and keeping me warm.

13.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because what I have found, in my own childhood experience, is that dogs are better at snuggling and keeping me warm than cats are during cold winter nights in the middle of January, especially in New England.

14.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because what I have found, in my own childhood experience, is that dogs are better at snuggling and keeping me warm than cats are during cold winter nights in the middle of January, especially in New England where temperatures can dip below zero degrees.

15.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because what I have found, in my own childhood experience, is that dogs are better at snuggling and keeping me warm than cats are during cold winter nights in the middle of January, especially in my small home town in New England where temperatures can dip below zero degrees.

16.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because what I have found, from my own childhood experiences, is that dogs are better at snuggling and keeping me warm than cats are during cold winter nights in the middle of January, especially in my small home town in New England where temperatures can easily dip below zero degrees and leave you shaking from the cold.

17.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because what I have found, from my own childhood experiences, is that dogs are better at snuggling and keeping me warm than cats are during cold winter nights in the middle of January, especially in my small home town in New England where temperatures can easily dip below zero degrees and leave you shaking from the cold if you don’t have a ready source of heat available.

18.) I enjoy dogs more than cats because what I have found, from my own childhood experiences, is that dogs are bette than cats are at both snuggling and keeping people warm during cold winter nights in the middle of January, especially in my small home town in New England where temperatures can easily dip below zero degrees and leave you shaking from the cold if you don’t have a ready source of heat available.

19.) I can’t help but enjoy dogs more than cats, primarily because what I have found, from my own childhood experiences, is that dogs are bette than cats are at both snuggling and keeping people warm during cold winter nights in the middle of January, especially in my small home town in New England where temperatures can easily dip below zero degrees and leave you shaking from the cold if you don’t have a ready source of heat available.

20.) I can’t help but enjoy dogs more than cats, primarily because what I have found, from my own childhood experiences all those years ago, is that dogs are bette than cats are at both snuggling and keeping people warm during cold winter nights in the middle of January, especially in my small home town in New England where temperatures can easily dip below zero degrees and leave you shaking from the cold if you don’t have a ready source of heat available.