applications

Several years ago, spacecowboytom, drawgirl and I spent some time coming up with the worst breakdown we could imagine. This was when we were back at Reed and any given semester took us relatively close to breakdown (I believe I might have been writing my thesis at the time of this conversation).

Here is what we came up with: a person in a darkened room staring into the corner simultaneously masturbating and weeping.

The good news is: I'm not masturbating yet.

EDIT: Or would I be better off if I were?

introduction to Infinite Jest

There are two, maybe three of you tops who might care, but if anyone is into David Foster Wallace (or wants some insight into the nature of my psychotic bug-eyed obsession with said writer), Dave Eggers' introduction to the 10th anniversary edition of Infinite Jest is available here (as reprinted in the LA Weekly). I initially scoffed at the idea of Eggers introducing Wallace, but it's a quite nice introduction and pretty well expresses some of the things that are dazzling about IJ. 

I've been so grouchy lately, it's a good time to put up something I'm excited about. 

In a related note, I used chapter three from my undergraduate thesis for my critical writing sample in my applications (it's on skepticism, faith, and empathy in Infinite Jest). Upon re-reading it I realized it has everything, everything to do with "The Butterfly Mask," which is the piece of fiction I'm proudest of having written. It's probably not the most academically sound thesis in the world, in large part because it concerns itself with compassion in fiction and that's not a terribly hip subject academically speaking, but it has everything to do with what I want to write. It was good to re-read it. It made me realize that my thesis was not the failure I thought it was, but was rather just...not right for academia. Well, onwards.

adjectives are not your friends

A conversation between me and Hodge, upon him reading and critiquing a teaching statement I had to write for my apps:

HODGE: Lose "interesting." Lose "incredible."
ME: (whining) But I'm tired! And they're easy! How else am I supposed to say it?
HODGE: Make it relevant to you specifically. "Teaching is exciting?" "I want to make their stories interesting?" No. No. Adjectives are not your friends.
ME: (being petulant) Yes they are.
HODGE: No they're not
ME: Yes, they are. Adjectives give me smooches.
HODGE: Adjectives don't give you smooches, they give you back-alley hand jobs.