Just when I was starting to think that the Trail of Indiscretion thing had fallen through (the last issue on their website was Summer 2007), I get an e-mail asking for a short bio to print with the story. The magazine's almost ready to come out! I'm almost published!
WOOT!
There will be a bigger woot when the magazine is actually ready for purchase. And yes, Gentle Readers, I will let you know where to get it.
More later.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Writing News
Rejection received from Maya Rock (Writer's House).
Newly "crittered" story "The Truthsayer" sent to Strange Horizons magazine. They're one of the ones on the SFWA list of acceptable publishers for membership. So here's hoping.
More later.
Newly "crittered" story "The Truthsayer" sent to Strange Horizons magazine. They're one of the ones on the SFWA list of acceptable publishers for membership. So here's hoping.
More later.
Figures
So graduation is Saturday, and the weatherpeople are calling for thunderstorms. Of COURSE. If it storms, grad students don't get to walk in the main ceremony cause there's not room in the auditorium for everyone. We still get to go to the hooding, though. It's annoying because we've got people driving in from hours away and they might not even get to see us walk. Grumble.
In other news, I've received another rejection letter (Jack Byrne) and sent out a couple of job applications. Last night W.E. and I tackled his applications as well and got about 4 sent out. He's got much better prospects around here than I do. It's kind of weird, though, being excited about the possibility of making $30,000/year. I mean, that's still practically nothing. But we've gone so long with making $20,000-ish between the TWO of us that the idea of just W.E. bringing in $30k is kind of exciting. And maybe next year, if (WHEN) I get into a PhD program and we move, he'll be able to find a better-paying job. Apparently median salary for his field is around $50k.
Still working on that Labyrinth paper. I've got about a page done so far. It's kind of nice, not having a deadline and so being able to stare at my last sentence for hours without panicking.
More later.
In other news, I've received another rejection letter (Jack Byrne) and sent out a couple of job applications. Last night W.E. and I tackled his applications as well and got about 4 sent out. He's got much better prospects around here than I do. It's kind of weird, though, being excited about the possibility of making $30,000/year. I mean, that's still practically nothing. But we've gone so long with making $20,000-ish between the TWO of us that the idea of just W.E. bringing in $30k is kind of exciting. And maybe next year, if (WHEN) I get into a PhD program and we move, he'll be able to find a better-paying job. Apparently median salary for his field is around $50k.
Still working on that Labyrinth paper. I've got about a page done so far. It's kind of nice, not having a deadline and so being able to stare at my last sentence for hours without panicking.
More later.
Monday, April 28, 2008
.:HeadDesk:.
Last night, as I was trying to fall asleep, we had the TV tuned to C-SPAN. Usually boring enough to put me right out. But last night, they had Rev. Wright on there, and after a few sentences, I was wide awake and ready to throw something. He was addressing the NAACP, and kept making comments about how people have called the AfroAmerican dialect of English "deficient." I tend to agree with modern linguists that no dialect is "primitive" or "deficient," that there is a place for every type of speech. However, his defense of his dialect consisted of attacking people's accents and asking how they could say they were speaking "proper" English.
First of all, an accent and a dialect are most emphatically NOT THE SAME THING. He complained that New Englanders say "paak" instead of "park," and "aesk" instead of "ask." Pronunciation has nothing whatsoever to do with dialect. Or, at least, it is not the defining characteristic of a dialect. There is no comparison whatsoever between the dialect he is defending and the accents of affluent Northeastern Americans.
Then, he tried to claim that his dialect is a language all of its own, not a dialect. Again, wrong. Princeton's Word Net defines "dialect" as "the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people," and "language" as "a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols." While the AfroAmerican dialect can be called a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols, the sounds and conventional symbols they're using are ENGLISH. Not French. Not Urdu. English. Just as Appalachian English is, the AfroAmerican dialect (and I'm not sure if there's a name for it--are they still calling it ebonics?) is a DIALECT, or the use of a language that is specific to the AfroAmericans, of ENGLISH.
For those of us in the room who are me who have studied Linguistics, we get very angry when people try to speak authoritatively on the subject but know nothing about it.
Rant over.
More later.
First of all, an accent and a dialect are most emphatically NOT THE SAME THING. He complained that New Englanders say "paak" instead of "park," and "aesk" instead of "ask." Pronunciation has nothing whatsoever to do with dialect. Or, at least, it is not the defining characteristic of a dialect. There is no comparison whatsoever between the dialect he is defending and the accents of affluent Northeastern Americans.
Then, he tried to claim that his dialect is a language all of its own, not a dialect. Again, wrong. Princeton's Word Net defines "dialect" as "the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people," and "language" as "a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols." While the AfroAmerican dialect can be called a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols, the sounds and conventional symbols they're using are ENGLISH. Not French. Not Urdu. English. Just as Appalachian English is, the AfroAmerican dialect (and I'm not sure if there's a name for it--are they still calling it ebonics?) is a DIALECT, or the use of a language that is specific to the AfroAmericans, of ENGLISH.
For those of us in the room who are me who have studied Linguistics, we get very angry when people try to speak authoritatively on the subject but know nothing about it.
Rant over.
More later.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Into the Black Hole
My job hunt has kicked into high gear, and I've sent out several applications today. Two to local community colleges and one to the Department of Corrections (they're looking for an office assistant). While I may be overqualified for the DOC position, I figured I might as well try, anyway, especially since it's about 2 blocks away from my house.
One and a half weeks until graduation.
More later.
One and a half weeks until graduation.
More later.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
More Queries
In one of the fastest turnaround times ever, Dr. Stender of TriadaUS sent me a rejection letter yesterday. So, in my typical fast rebound time, I sent Healing the Elder to Maya Rock of Writer's House. I've queried her once before with Stars Without Name, but just because she didn't like that idea doesn't mean she won't like this one.
To recap, here are the queries that are still outstanding:
Healing the Elder - Caitlin Blasdell (Liza Dawson Agency), Maya Rock (Writer's House)
Stars Without Name - First Fiction (LGI), Jack Byrne (Sternig & Byrne)
"Stone Mountain" - Writers of the Future Contest
It's been long enough since I sent the query to Caitlin Blasdell that I kind of think I'm not going to get a reply. But you never know.
"The Truthsayer" should be hitting the Critters readers within the next two weeks, and as soon as revisions are done with that one, I'll be sending it out as well. Hopefully, by then, the Writers of the Future will have gotten back to me one way or another on "Stone Mountain" so I can decide whether I'm sending "The Truthsayer" to them or not.
More later.
To recap, here are the queries that are still outstanding:
Healing the Elder - Caitlin Blasdell (Liza Dawson Agency), Maya Rock (Writer's House)
Stars Without Name - First Fiction (LGI), Jack Byrne (Sternig & Byrne)
"Stone Mountain" - Writers of the Future Contest
It's been long enough since I sent the query to Caitlin Blasdell that I kind of think I'm not going to get a reply. But you never know.
"The Truthsayer" should be hitting the Critters readers within the next two weeks, and as soon as revisions are done with that one, I'll be sending it out as well. Hopefully, by then, the Writers of the Future will have gotten back to me one way or another on "Stone Mountain" so I can decide whether I'm sending "The Truthsayer" to them or not.
More later.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Publish Me!
I've sent out more queries today. I have now exhausted my list of agents who will accept e-mail queries. I sent Healing the Elder to Dr. Uwe Stender at TriadaUS and Stars Without Name to Jack Byrne of Sternig & Byrne.
Fingers crossed.
In finding-a-job news, the cost of gas has cut out a few of my options (they're too far to drive every day at these prices), so I'm down to 3. THREE! And one of them I'm pretty sure I'm not qualified for (it's a technical writing job and I know not enough about computers). So my best hope is the head of the English department here giving me a job. Beg. Plead. Cry. Whine.
More later.
Fingers crossed.
In finding-a-job news, the cost of gas has cut out a few of my options (they're too far to drive every day at these prices), so I'm down to 3. THREE! And one of them I'm pretty sure I'm not qualified for (it's a technical writing job and I know not enough about computers). So my best hope is the head of the English department here giving me a job. Beg. Plead. Cry. Whine.
More later.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Scholarship . . . For Fun?
Yes, I am actually working on a scholarly paper (which I hope will become a journal article) without an assignment from a teacher. It's partly because I want to have a good writing sample to send in with my next batch of college applications and partly because I want to be published. And, again, partly because I've been staring at screenshots of Labyrinth (they're my screensaver) for months and very badly wanting to tackle the subject.
Right now, I'm thinking I'm going to address the structure of the movie as a dream narrative, but there's SO MUCH stuff that I could talk about! It's a very involved movie, and no one's really done anything on it. I could talk about the symbolism, the defiance of usual fairy-tale norms, the defiance of patriarchy, etc. etc. One at a time, though, and I think I'll start with dream narrative.
More later.
Right now, I'm thinking I'm going to address the structure of the movie as a dream narrative, but there's SO MUCH stuff that I could talk about! It's a very involved movie, and no one's really done anything on it. I could talk about the symbolism, the defiance of usual fairy-tale norms, the defiance of patriarchy, etc. etc. One at a time, though, and I think I'll start with dream narrative.
More later.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Better Days
Today has been better than the last few, which I've spent sulking and looking for jobs. Today I went to the English Department Director with my resume and a cover letter, not really expecting that she'd have anything open, and she was very encouraging. She said she had a few adjunct positions open and that the director of the Writing Across the Curriculum program (which starts next school year) may need an assistant. She also noted that having teaching experience might help me get into a doctoral program next year (after giving me a "what were they THINKING?" look when I told her I hadn't been accepted to any). Overall, she gave me a fresh burst of hope and happy; working here at this college instead of the others I'm looking at (one about 20 minutes away and one about 2 HOURS away) will make the next year much easier than otherwise.
So now all I need to do is graduate and have my transcripts sent to her, which will complete my application file, and she'll get back to me. I have high hopes for this (though I'm trying not to get them TOO high--look what happened LAST time!).
Also, I sent out my paper on Sheri S. Tepper's The Gate to Women's Country again. Hopefully JFA will want it this time.
More later.
So now all I need to do is graduate and have my transcripts sent to her, which will complete my application file, and she'll get back to me. I have high hopes for this (though I'm trying not to get them TOO high--look what happened LAST time!).
Also, I sent out my paper on Sheri S. Tepper's The Gate to Women's Country again. Hopefully JFA will want it this time.
More later.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
No Go
School No. 2 is a no-go. I didn't get in. I'm looking for a job in this area and so is W.E. I'll be applying to every school with my major in the area next year.
More later.
More later.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Thesis Defense - Check
One more thing down. Other than passing my Medieval Dream Visions class, I'm done with the semester. I graduate in 3 weeks. It's kind of stressful, especially since I STILL don't know if School No. 2 has accepted me (though it's looking more and more like they have, just because I still haven't heard and their final decision day is in 5 days).
I will not hyperventilate. I will not hyperventilate. I will not hyperventilate.
More later.
I will not hyperventilate. I will not hyperventilate. I will not hyperventilate.
More later.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Well Articulated Argument
A discussion of violence (particularly an episode of violence in Ireland that involved a rocket launcher) on the Buffy Boards led to a very well-articulated post that I thought I would share with you. With the permission of the author, of course.
What we have here is a basic example of human nature.
Some humans are still very much attached to the savage side of their nature and most people are in denial of the savage side of human nature.
I teach martial arts and one of the first things I express to students is the fact that they don't think like criminals. I ask them, outside of revenge for a loved one being assaulted, what would make them want to go and punch someone in the face? What would make them enjoy throwing someone to the ground and actually ENJOY kicking them? Most people cannot conceive of themselves behaving in such a manner. Whenever we hear of atrocities committed the first reaction is a stunned disbelief, then an attempt to rationalize it. We all have a natural tendency to try and translate things into that which is familiar to us, and what is most familiar to us is the way we think and act. People have a natural tendency to believe that everyone is basically the same and its more comfortable to believe that some traumatic event forced criminals to commit their crimes, because the thought that there are some among us that have no problem with beating, abusing, torturing another living thing and they look just like us. They don't have blue skin and horns.
We haven't evolved to a point where we are beyond our base instincts and emotions, worse we have developed an attitude that we have moved beyond them. There really is a monster in the closet, and we close our eyes because if we can't see it, its really not there. Like it or not, you have to confront the monster, and when its evil, call it evil. Don't call it misunderstood, or less fortunate, call it evil when it does evil. There is also far too much compassion for the criminal in proportion to the victim. I teach several police officers and corrections officers. If people would listen to the stories these men tell of behavior of criminals it would serve as a wake up call. Its very easy to say that if this guy had only been hugged more often he wouldn't be bad. That argument will dissolve the second you make eye contact with someone who not only intends on bashing your skull in, but is going to enjoy it as well.
The rocket launcher is just the biggest stick they can find. This is evidence to anyone who thinks people would never use nuclear weapons against people. there is no horror humanity will not visit upon itself. We also keep moving farther and farther from value systems that teach what is right and wrong. Instead we have embraced a feel good mentality instead of a do good mentality. Too much getting in touch with feelings and not enough looking ahead at effects. Too much thinking that everyone's value system is as valid as their own and that no one has the right to judge someone else.
We have outlawed social stigma, eliminating the idea that there are ramifications for bad behavior. There used to be a sense of shame if you did something bad. If you slept around, if you stole, if you vandalized you were shunned, and now you're embraced as cool. We have created prisons that become a haven instead of something they avoid. Put them on a chain gang and see how they avoid going back then.
The problem isn't guns or weapons. Weapons will always exist, just as people willing to use them will always exist. We each have a choice to stand up to them or be dominated by them.
We need to reverse this attitude that intolerance and discrimination is wrong. I am intolerant of criminals and people that think they have a right to harm others. I will not associate with blatantly immoral people, therefore discriminating myself from them. Its OK to embrace your value system that says its wrong to kill, to steal, to lie, to terrorize, to behave like a savage. The good people of the world need to stand up and point out evil as evil instead of just saying its a different culture, or finding some excuse for it.
This is what I have been trying to say about gun ownership for, well, EVER. Just because you have the ability to hurt people does not mean that you are inherently violent person. Taking away weapons will not make inherently violent people any less violent. And people who don't care about the law WILL get their hands on weapons ANYWAY (as this group of people in Ireland did). The weapon itself is not the cause of violence, it is the tool of it. People are responsible for their own decisions and their own actions. Music, TV, video games, guns--none of these force people to do anything. A weapon will not jump up and force you to do its evil bidding. It is only a tool in the hands of a person who has decided that violence is an acceptable lifestyle choice.
Thanks to RogueHunter for letting me borrow his words.
More later.
What we have here is a basic example of human nature.
Some humans are still very much attached to the savage side of their nature and most people are in denial of the savage side of human nature.
I teach martial arts and one of the first things I express to students is the fact that they don't think like criminals. I ask them, outside of revenge for a loved one being assaulted, what would make them want to go and punch someone in the face? What would make them enjoy throwing someone to the ground and actually ENJOY kicking them? Most people cannot conceive of themselves behaving in such a manner. Whenever we hear of atrocities committed the first reaction is a stunned disbelief, then an attempt to rationalize it. We all have a natural tendency to try and translate things into that which is familiar to us, and what is most familiar to us is the way we think and act. People have a natural tendency to believe that everyone is basically the same and its more comfortable to believe that some traumatic event forced criminals to commit their crimes, because the thought that there are some among us that have no problem with beating, abusing, torturing another living thing and they look just like us. They don't have blue skin and horns.
We haven't evolved to a point where we are beyond our base instincts and emotions, worse we have developed an attitude that we have moved beyond them. There really is a monster in the closet, and we close our eyes because if we can't see it, its really not there. Like it or not, you have to confront the monster, and when its evil, call it evil. Don't call it misunderstood, or less fortunate, call it evil when it does evil. There is also far too much compassion for the criminal in proportion to the victim. I teach several police officers and corrections officers. If people would listen to the stories these men tell of behavior of criminals it would serve as a wake up call. Its very easy to say that if this guy had only been hugged more often he wouldn't be bad. That argument will dissolve the second you make eye contact with someone who not only intends on bashing your skull in, but is going to enjoy it as well.
The rocket launcher is just the biggest stick they can find. This is evidence to anyone who thinks people would never use nuclear weapons against people. there is no horror humanity will not visit upon itself. We also keep moving farther and farther from value systems that teach what is right and wrong. Instead we have embraced a feel good mentality instead of a do good mentality. Too much getting in touch with feelings and not enough looking ahead at effects. Too much thinking that everyone's value system is as valid as their own and that no one has the right to judge someone else.
We have outlawed social stigma, eliminating the idea that there are ramifications for bad behavior. There used to be a sense of shame if you did something bad. If you slept around, if you stole, if you vandalized you were shunned, and now you're embraced as cool. We have created prisons that become a haven instead of something they avoid. Put them on a chain gang and see how they avoid going back then.
The problem isn't guns or weapons. Weapons will always exist, just as people willing to use them will always exist. We each have a choice to stand up to them or be dominated by them.
We need to reverse this attitude that intolerance and discrimination is wrong. I am intolerant of criminals and people that think they have a right to harm others. I will not associate with blatantly immoral people, therefore discriminating myself from them. Its OK to embrace your value system that says its wrong to kill, to steal, to lie, to terrorize, to behave like a savage. The good people of the world need to stand up and point out evil as evil instead of just saying its a different culture, or finding some excuse for it.
This is what I have been trying to say about gun ownership for, well, EVER. Just because you have the ability to hurt people does not mean that you are inherently violent person. Taking away weapons will not make inherently violent people any less violent. And people who don't care about the law WILL get their hands on weapons ANYWAY (as this group of people in Ireland did). The weapon itself is not the cause of violence, it is the tool of it. People are responsible for their own decisions and their own actions. Music, TV, video games, guns--none of these force people to do anything. A weapon will not jump up and force you to do its evil bidding. It is only a tool in the hands of a person who has decided that violence is an acceptable lifestyle choice.
Thanks to RogueHunter for letting me borrow his words.
More later.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Good-ish News
Some of you, Gentle Readers, may remember when I submitted a paper to the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts back in December or so. They told me they ought to be back to me by February, and they weren't, so I'd kind of given up on them and figured they didn't want the article. But today I got an e-mail letting me know that the readers had gone over it, and they requested that I revise the paper for resubmission. They liked the idea, but both readers had certain specific ideas they wanted me to elaborate on. The only annoying bit was that one of the readers pointed me toward 5 specific articles--4 of which were already listed in my Works Cited page. Argh.
I will absolutely revise and resubmit; it can't hurt anything, and having a scholarly publishing credit would look AWESOME on my resume when I reapply to PhD programs (hopefully in 2 years instead of this December).
More later.
I will absolutely revise and resubmit; it can't hurt anything, and having a scholarly publishing credit would look AWESOME on my resume when I reapply to PhD programs (hopefully in 2 years instead of this December).
More later.
Friday, April 04, 2008
On a More Writerly Note
As soon as I get dressed, I have to run to Wal-Mart to grab some manila envelopes and #10 business envelopes, and then to the post office, where "Stone Mountain" will begin its journey to the Writers of the Future Contest.
Fingers crossed.
More later.
Fingers crossed.
More later.
By Special Request
Last night was another hilarity-ensuing night in my Medieval Dream Visions class. We're reading Piers Plowman right now, and the classmate who led discussion yesterday had us make murals from magazines illustrating the seven deadly sins. My partner (CrazyAnimeGirl) and I had Wrath. Another group had Lust, which, of course, led to all sorts of remarks and made even innocent remarks sound suggestive. At one point, someone said, "I've got a picture of a half-naked chick," to which the guy in the Lust group said, "I'll take it." The teacher responded, "If it's a half-naked man, I'LL take it." Another student said, "Take it where?" And I said, "If it's a picture of a naked Orlando Bloom, she's taking it right out the door!" (My teacher is moderately obsessed with Orlando Bloom.)Then, of course, CrazyAnimeGirl says, "Let me show you how to USE that staff, Elf Boy!"
Needless to say, hardly any work got done for the next few minutes. And I have it on good authority that my head turned purple, I was laughing so hard. The teacher tried to take a picture of it with her phone, but I had calmed down by the time she got it out. So now I have to make sure that if any embarrassing or funny situations come up, she's nowhere around, because she'll "be watching me!" waiting for another chance to get a picture of me turning funny colors.
More later.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Not My Fault
I found out an interesting thing today. One of my students (who will, for everybody's protection, including MINE, remain nameless) is on the verge of being expelled for plagiarism. Apparently this person told the Dean's office that s/he had never been told that s/he needed to cite and didn't know how. So the dean's office called us, naturally, to ask us to teach him/her. My boss knew who it was, of course, because this person has been in more than once and I've worked with him/her. My boss then proceeded to pull up all of my session notes and inform the dean's office that YES, this person was informed on more than one occasion that s/he needs to cite, and YES, this person has been taught how. So this person will most likely not be a student for much longer.
I felt kind of guilty at first, but then learned that this person wants to be a teacher. This person does not have the constitution to be a teacher. So I felt less bad. And really, none of it is my fault. I warned him/her multiple times, and s/he obviously did not listen. And it's not like I'm the one who turned him/her in, either. So I have nothing to feel guilty about. Except that I'm happy I'll never have to deal with him/her again. I feel guilty for being happy about it, even a selfish happy.
Oh, well.
More later.
I felt kind of guilty at first, but then learned that this person wants to be a teacher. This person does not have the constitution to be a teacher. So I felt less bad. And really, none of it is my fault. I warned him/her multiple times, and s/he obviously did not listen. And it's not like I'm the one who turned him/her in, either. So I have nothing to feel guilty about. Except that I'm happy I'll never have to deal with him/her again. I feel guilty for being happy about it, even a selfish happy.
Oh, well.
More later.
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