Prompt: Write about your favorite place - natural setting or otherwise. Imagine how it might be changed in your lifetime?
Note: I've gotten a similar prompt before, and have gone a similar direction, but that first time I was reprimanded, because it wasn't a real place. evs, yo. So this is the very first draft (that has a lot of holes and needs a lot of help) of a story I've been meaning to write for a really long time.
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First Love?
They say you never forget your first love. Augh, cliché, I know, but I think “they” might be on to something. Given, my story is not a typical one, but bear with me on this one. This is the story of me and Joe. Oh I loved him, but I didn’t know it.
I remember the first time my dad brought him home. I thought he was the ugliest thing I had ever seen. Slightly boxy, completely unattractive, and nothing I would ever want to be seen with. He stuck around anyway.
My sister got him first, of course. She was older, so she had first dibs. She didn’t treat him right at all. Spilled drinks, accidents, scars. Poor guy.
I got Joe the summer before my senior year of high school. I finally got my driver’s license and now I had my first car, Joe Warrior. He was still nameless at this point, and I still hated him. He was even uglier now that my sister had used him. She ran him into a trailer hitch the winter before, so he had a bent bumper and a holey faceplate. Not to mention the fact that she let the road salt eat away at the paint job. He started out a nice white, and by the time I got him, he was more of a coffee stain tan. She had also neglected to change the oil for about eleven months, and hadn’t filled the wiper wash for about three.
There were so many things wrong with him. There was no air conditioning, which is incredibly unpleasant in 95-degree heat. Once winter came, I found out the heat didn’t work all that great either, and frost had a habit of condensing on the inside of the windows, instead of outside. One of the back doors didn’t unlock, and the front speaker on the driver’s side took five minutes to turn on.
For being a 1991 Chevy Cavalier, he had obviously seen better days. Through out the year, I began to get really attached to Joe. He had the most comfortable seats, and many of my passengers accidentally fell asleep, even on short drives. The seatbelts didn’t slide up your chest and rub against your neck, and once we got the heat fixed, I usually had to roll down the windows because it got too warm. And, despite the glitch with the front speaker, the rest of the sound system was amazing, and the tape deck worked fantastically.
Joe and I had some good times. I loved driving out into the old highways, where all you could see was cornstalks and soybeans for miles. Joe’s top speed was 70, and that was plenty for me. On a warm summer day, with all the windows rolled down (cranks, no automatic windows for Joe), stereo blasting a Beach Boys cassette, I would drive all over the farmland that bordered my hometown. Those were great days.
Then Joe started to fall apart some more. I left for college, and he was left sitting in the driveway for eight months of the year. He started to burn oil, and over heat. To keep the engine cool, I had to leave the heat on, even in the summer. The light in the trunk disconnected, his rear passenger turn signal shorted out and blinked twice as fast. My parents would have a few of the things fixed, but it was getting to the point where he was just getting old.
The summer before my senior year of college, my dad informed me that the next time anything broke on Joe, they were going to get rid of him. My heart dropped, and I actually went upstairs and cried for twenty minutes. I was crying over a car! How silly of me… right? It wasn’t until that moment that I realized how much I had grown to love the ugly heap of metal that lived in our driveway. I had spent so much time, learning how to drive in him, taking road trips, surviving some terrifying moments in a snow drift, the thought of losing him was unacceptable to me.
Joe lasted through the summer. Towards the end I couldn’t take him farther than 15 miles, or anything that required more than 45 MPH. He stopped shifting gears and eventually just sat in the driveway, unused. I knew my parents were going to take him, once I left, so I cut the middle seatbelt out of the back seat as a memento. On the inside of the back driver’s side door, I wrote “LULU ©s JOE” in Sharpie. A little weird, I know, but just in case anyone else ended up with him, I wanted them to know that he was loved and they needed to take care of him.
My dad ended up selling Joe to a friend of his a month after I left. My mom told me that there was $100 in an envelope for me, because he really was my car. After I hung up with her, I cried all over again. I had lost my love, Joe. He was in the hands of someone else. When I went home for winter break, I actually saw someone driving him. My heart leapt, and then fell to my stomach. He was no longer mine.
Three months into spring semester, my dad told me that his friend had Joe junked. All that is left of my beloved first car is a square of steel that is going to be melted down and made into screws and nails. Thinking about it still makes me quite sad, but I still have my seatbelt and my car key. A few mementos of a first love.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Coin the Catchphrase: Final round
My Shotgun Piece!
Actors: 5 Prompt: Fake Christmas Tree
-okay, i totally cheated and used part of my ovary monologue. I love that thing. its probably one of my favorite things i've ever written. the 'like a vampire' part was rewritten with my actress, and she totally sold it. this is the original version, the performed version was different. like a vampire won.
(Lights up on DAPHNE J. MEYERS, and the four FINALISTS.)
DAPHNE J. MEYERS
Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the final round of Coin the Catchphrase! I am Daphne J. Meyers and I am your host for the evening. By the end of the night, one of these four finalists will be our grand-prize winner! They will get this shiny medal, a check for $1,000 and will get their catchphrase printed on shirts to be sold at Hot Topic! It’s been quite a ride so far, last night we said goodbye to Ben from Ohio and his phrase “Holy Mother of Bob.” But tonight, we have a special surprise! The audience will help the judges determine what our new catchphrase will be! Lets get started, shall we? First up is Matt Anderson.
MATT
Hey everyone. Thanks for helping me get to the final round, that’s pretty cool. My catchphrase is ‘an asston.’ Descriptive, right? Basically it means ‘a lot.’
First, a little history, about two Christmases ago I was at a friend’s house and their fake Christmas tree was over decorated. And I mean, overkill. You couldn’t tell if it was one of those retro aluminum trees or a green one. It was that bad. I was trying to explain this image to someone and I was lacking an adjective with oomph. And then it popped into my head. Their tree had an asston of tinsel. And I’ve used it ever since.
Now, I like to use it as a standalone answer. For example, if someone asks me how many people we’re on the MUNI, I can just say, “an asston.” Pretty simple. Plus its… vivid. Can you imagine what a ton, like the measurement, not the figure of speech, a ton of asses would look like? That’s a lot of asses my friends. Or even better, an ass that weighs a ton! There’s an image for you. That’s like a quarter of an elephant. So I’m going to leave you with that image. Vote for me and we will sell an asston of shirts!
DAPHNE J MEYERS
Okay, Matt Anderson everyone. Thank you for starting the show with such a… colorful phrase. Next up we have Sam Jorgenson.
SAM
Hi everyone. Hi Mom and Dad! They’re right there! Hi, sorry, okay. I feel so extremely lucky to be here and that everyone has accepted my contribution, even though it’s a bit untraditional. My catchphrase isn’t verbal, but more like nonverbal… stance. It’s called the No Face. (does the No Face). The face has been passed down from my Grandma to my Mom to me. Essentially you use it to convey disappointment. Sometimes you don’t want to words and all you have to do is the No Face. It doesn’t always have to be serious though. If you shake your head and mouth ‘no’ while you do the No face, it means that you are only teasing, though the person receiving the No Face is definitely being dumb about something. Once you practice enough, people can feel the No Face without even seeing it. If you are really good, they can feel it from rooms away! My mom is a genius when it comes to the No Face. I can feel the Face not only from a different room, but a different story of the house. You can sense the silence and feel the face. I hope that you can feel the Power of the No Face, and vote for me. Thanks!
DAPHNE J MEYERS
Thank you Sam! Good job thinking outside the box. We like that kind of spirit around here. Our third Finalist is Cass Davis.
CASS
Hello everyone! I hope you are having a good time. My catchphrase is something that my friends and I find utterly fantastic and want to share it with you all. It is “like a vampire.” Strange I know, but its’ an amazing way to describe speed. Anything that’s really fast, it’s like a vampire. It all started when we were talking about how things can disappear really quickly. The conversation then turned to what disappears the quickest? Of course, vampires do. I mean, they are like WOOSH, gone. I’m sure some of you are wondering what you could use this for, right? I have a situation for you. You’re at a party with your friends and everyone in the group needs a beer. You, being the kind person you are, offer to get some. Someone says, ‘hey, don’t take too long’ and all you have say is, ‘oh no, I’m like a vampire.’ Not only are you telling them you are one speedy person, but you have sparked a new conversation, about vampires! Doesn’t everyone like to talk about vampires? I know I do. I’m sure that each and every one of you can imagine the shirt in y our head. A vampire, cape in mid-swoosh, and in dripping letters, “like a vampire!” You can see it, I know you can. Vote for me!
DAPHNE J MEYERS
Thank you Cass, how very imaginative. It is now time for our fourth and final catchphrase finalist. Jill March, Everyone.
JILL
Oh my god! Hi everyone! I am so excited to be here! I can’t believe I made it to the final round! Okay, my Catchphrase is “blank makes my ovaries clap.” I know what you’re thinking, but men can use it too! They don’t have ovaries to clap, but they can make ovaries clap. Can’t you just see some guy saying, “this car is going to make ovaries clap!”?
Anything you find attractive can make your ovaries clap. My friends and I usually use it to talk about guys, such as “Jake Gyllenhaal makes my ovaries clap,” or “Coffee guy makes my ovaries clap.”
Okay, so there is this incredibly attractive man that frequents the coffee shop I work at and my ovaries don’t just clap for him. They jump up and down in a standing ovation celebration!
There are degrees for you ovaries to celebrate.
Like when I meet up with my roommate and her annoying yet oddly hot boyfriend for dinner or something, my ovaries clap politely because the guy is definitely easy on the eyes youknowhwatimsaying?
But with Coffee Guy, my ovaries shout YAY REPRODUCTION! And have a little hormonal dance party in my abdomen.
Oh! Then there is the ovarian reaction to attractive-fun guys. Jim from the Office, the American version, perfect example! He’s got cute floppy hair and you just want to hug him all the time and join in on his pranks. They do cartwheels! I’m pretty sure they are even saying Wee! In the process!
There are so many more ways that they can applaud, and excited for other people to discover them. Thank you so much for your time. Coin the Catchphrase makes my ovaries clap!
DAPHNE J MEYERS
Okay! Now you all have heard from our four finalists. Who will join the ranks of our previous winners, “word, yo” and “so hot”? Will it be Matt Anderson and “an asston”? Sam Jorgenson and the No Face? Cass Davis and “like a vampire”? or Jill March with “blank makes my ovaries clap”? Our judges are about to vote, and your applause might be able to change their mind!
Lets hear it for Matt and “an asston!”
What about Sam and the No Face!
Cass with “like a vampire”!
And last, Jill and “blank makes my ovaries clap”!
Well, that was overwhelming. Let me get the result from the judges.
(is handed the ‘results)
It looks like _________________ is the winner! Come on up here! Is there anything you would like to say?
(Alternate Endings, depending who wins)
MATT
Hell yes! This crowd rocks an asston! I want to see all of you wearing my shirt!
SAM
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, thank you! MOM AND DAD WE DID IT!
CASS
I won? I WON? YEAH! LIKE A VAMPIRE!
JILL
All of you make my ovaries clap! I can’t wait to see the shirt!
DAPHNE J MEYERS
All right! I’d like to thank all of you for coming to the finale of Coin the Catchphrase! Keep your eyes out for our new shirt in Hot Topic stores! Good Night!
3.29/30.07
Actors: 5 Prompt: Fake Christmas Tree
-okay, i totally cheated and used part of my ovary monologue. I love that thing. its probably one of my favorite things i've ever written. the 'like a vampire' part was rewritten with my actress, and she totally sold it. this is the original version, the performed version was different. like a vampire won.
(Lights up on DAPHNE J. MEYERS, and the four FINALISTS.)
DAPHNE J. MEYERS
Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the final round of Coin the Catchphrase! I am Daphne J. Meyers and I am your host for the evening. By the end of the night, one of these four finalists will be our grand-prize winner! They will get this shiny medal, a check for $1,000 and will get their catchphrase printed on shirts to be sold at Hot Topic! It’s been quite a ride so far, last night we said goodbye to Ben from Ohio and his phrase “Holy Mother of Bob.” But tonight, we have a special surprise! The audience will help the judges determine what our new catchphrase will be! Lets get started, shall we? First up is Matt Anderson.
MATT
Hey everyone. Thanks for helping me get to the final round, that’s pretty cool. My catchphrase is ‘an asston.’ Descriptive, right? Basically it means ‘a lot.’
First, a little history, about two Christmases ago I was at a friend’s house and their fake Christmas tree was over decorated. And I mean, overkill. You couldn’t tell if it was one of those retro aluminum trees or a green one. It was that bad. I was trying to explain this image to someone and I was lacking an adjective with oomph. And then it popped into my head. Their tree had an asston of tinsel. And I’ve used it ever since.
Now, I like to use it as a standalone answer. For example, if someone asks me how many people we’re on the MUNI, I can just say, “an asston.” Pretty simple. Plus its… vivid. Can you imagine what a ton, like the measurement, not the figure of speech, a ton of asses would look like? That’s a lot of asses my friends. Or even better, an ass that weighs a ton! There’s an image for you. That’s like a quarter of an elephant. So I’m going to leave you with that image. Vote for me and we will sell an asston of shirts!
DAPHNE J MEYERS
Okay, Matt Anderson everyone. Thank you for starting the show with such a… colorful phrase. Next up we have Sam Jorgenson.
SAM
Hi everyone. Hi Mom and Dad! They’re right there! Hi, sorry, okay. I feel so extremely lucky to be here and that everyone has accepted my contribution, even though it’s a bit untraditional. My catchphrase isn’t verbal, but more like nonverbal… stance. It’s called the No Face. (does the No Face). The face has been passed down from my Grandma to my Mom to me. Essentially you use it to convey disappointment. Sometimes you don’t want to words and all you have to do is the No Face. It doesn’t always have to be serious though. If you shake your head and mouth ‘no’ while you do the No face, it means that you are only teasing, though the person receiving the No Face is definitely being dumb about something. Once you practice enough, people can feel the No Face without even seeing it. If you are really good, they can feel it from rooms away! My mom is a genius when it comes to the No Face. I can feel the Face not only from a different room, but a different story of the house. You can sense the silence and feel the face. I hope that you can feel the Power of the No Face, and vote for me. Thanks!
DAPHNE J MEYERS
Thank you Sam! Good job thinking outside the box. We like that kind of spirit around here. Our third Finalist is Cass Davis.
CASS
Hello everyone! I hope you are having a good time. My catchphrase is something that my friends and I find utterly fantastic and want to share it with you all. It is “like a vampire.” Strange I know, but its’ an amazing way to describe speed. Anything that’s really fast, it’s like a vampire. It all started when we were talking about how things can disappear really quickly. The conversation then turned to what disappears the quickest? Of course, vampires do. I mean, they are like WOOSH, gone. I’m sure some of you are wondering what you could use this for, right? I have a situation for you. You’re at a party with your friends and everyone in the group needs a beer. You, being the kind person you are, offer to get some. Someone says, ‘hey, don’t take too long’ and all you have say is, ‘oh no, I’m like a vampire.’ Not only are you telling them you are one speedy person, but you have sparked a new conversation, about vampires! Doesn’t everyone like to talk about vampires? I know I do. I’m sure that each and every one of you can imagine the shirt in y our head. A vampire, cape in mid-swoosh, and in dripping letters, “like a vampire!” You can see it, I know you can. Vote for me!
DAPHNE J MEYERS
Thank you Cass, how very imaginative. It is now time for our fourth and final catchphrase finalist. Jill March, Everyone.
JILL
Oh my god! Hi everyone! I am so excited to be here! I can’t believe I made it to the final round! Okay, my Catchphrase is “blank makes my ovaries clap.” I know what you’re thinking, but men can use it too! They don’t have ovaries to clap, but they can make ovaries clap. Can’t you just see some guy saying, “this car is going to make ovaries clap!”?
Anything you find attractive can make your ovaries clap. My friends and I usually use it to talk about guys, such as “Jake Gyllenhaal makes my ovaries clap,” or “Coffee guy makes my ovaries clap.”
Okay, so there is this incredibly attractive man that frequents the coffee shop I work at and my ovaries don’t just clap for him. They jump up and down in a standing ovation celebration!
There are degrees for you ovaries to celebrate.
Like when I meet up with my roommate and her annoying yet oddly hot boyfriend for dinner or something, my ovaries clap politely because the guy is definitely easy on the eyes youknowhwatimsaying?
But with Coffee Guy, my ovaries shout YAY REPRODUCTION! And have a little hormonal dance party in my abdomen.
Oh! Then there is the ovarian reaction to attractive-fun guys. Jim from the Office, the American version, perfect example! He’s got cute floppy hair and you just want to hug him all the time and join in on his pranks. They do cartwheels! I’m pretty sure they are even saying Wee! In the process!
There are so many more ways that they can applaud, and excited for other people to discover them. Thank you so much for your time. Coin the Catchphrase makes my ovaries clap!
DAPHNE J MEYERS
Okay! Now you all have heard from our four finalists. Who will join the ranks of our previous winners, “word, yo” and “so hot”? Will it be Matt Anderson and “an asston”? Sam Jorgenson and the No Face? Cass Davis and “like a vampire”? or Jill March with “blank makes my ovaries clap”? Our judges are about to vote, and your applause might be able to change their mind!
Lets hear it for Matt and “an asston!”
What about Sam and the No Face!
Cass with “like a vampire”!
And last, Jill and “blank makes my ovaries clap”!
Well, that was overwhelming. Let me get the result from the judges.
(is handed the ‘results)
It looks like _________________ is the winner! Come on up here! Is there anything you would like to say?
(Alternate Endings, depending who wins)
MATT
Hell yes! This crowd rocks an asston! I want to see all of you wearing my shirt!
SAM
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, thank you! MOM AND DAD WE DID IT!
CASS
I won? I WON? YEAH! LIKE A VAMPIRE!
JILL
All of you make my ovaries clap! I can’t wait to see the shirt!
DAPHNE J MEYERS
All right! I’d like to thank all of you for coming to the finale of Coin the Catchphrase! Keep your eyes out for our new shirt in Hot Topic stores! Good Night!
3.29/30.07
Runaway
monologues class:
Prompt: write an opening monologue to the play of your life.
-holy hell, thats a heavy assignment. i think this could be a lot better though i like the action of the piece.
(Lights up on AIMEE sitting at a table downstage center, a laptop computer sitting in front of her, as well as a stack of books. She is typing as the lights come up. The rest of the stage is bare)
AIMEE
You know those silly surveys people forward to you through email and are all over myspace? I am addicted to them. It’s my favorite form of procrastination. I can spend hours thinking up witty answers to silly questions. “Are you sarcastic?” No! Me? Sarcastic, never! “Would you let someone shave your entire body (including your head) for $100,000?” My head only, there is no way I will deal with arm stubble for the rest of my life. One of my favorites is “What is your favorite swear word?” I then spend about three sentences explaining that I don’t swear out loud unless it’s included in a song. Ah, good times. When I get really bored, which is a step after spending a half hour searching movie quotes to use as titles for my blog posts, I go deep into the archives of my blogs and redo old surveys. I get a total kick out of reading what I wrote a few years ago. What’s even better is reading survey’s I did before I graduated high school. It’s amazing how much some of my answers have changed. “Have you ever been drunk before?” Then: absolutely not. Now: hah! Oh yes. “What are you looking forward to?” Then: going to college! Now: graduating from college! The answer to one question in particular has changed a lot, “Have you ever run away from home.” In high school this question was incredibly easy to answer. It was a big resounding no. I’d never as so much as sneak out of the house, let alone run away. Now, the answer lands in a bit of a gray area, and it really depends on my mood. I didn’t run away from home in the traditional sense. However, if you ask my friends and family back east, I think you will find that they are under the impression that I did. I guess it really depends on how you define ‘run away.’ If it’s only that you leave home without telling anyone, well I didn’t do that. But, if you put it more as leaving home to live somewhere else against advice to do otherwise, then I definitely did that. On August 24th of 2003, I gave a tearful goodbye to my parents, got on a plane with two large suitcases and flew 2,000 miles away to go to school. I got a lot of flack from people back home. They said that I left them and that I should have just gone to school closer to home. Now, I’ll admit I was miserable for most of my freshman year. There were times that I felt that the homesickness was utterly unbearable, but I am much too stubborn to give up that quickly. I stuck it out for that first year, I made friends and eventually started to feel at home here.
(For the rest of the monologue, furniture is brought in upstage. It is a dorm room, consisting of two beds, two desks, two sets of drawers, a mini fridge and television.)
Leaving those friends at the end of my freshman year proved to be as hard as leaving my family the previous August. Little did I know that the next few years of my college experience were going to make my freshman year pale in comparison. Lucky enough for me, I have almost all of those weird and crazy experiences recorded in my many blogs, usually in the form of a silly survey.
(AIMEE crosses upstage with her laptop. The table remains downstage. She sits on the stage right bed, and starts typing again.
12 february 2007
Prompt: write an opening monologue to the play of your life.
-holy hell, thats a heavy assignment. i think this could be a lot better though i like the action of the piece.
(Lights up on AIMEE sitting at a table downstage center, a laptop computer sitting in front of her, as well as a stack of books. She is typing as the lights come up. The rest of the stage is bare)
AIMEE
You know those silly surveys people forward to you through email and are all over myspace? I am addicted to them. It’s my favorite form of procrastination. I can spend hours thinking up witty answers to silly questions. “Are you sarcastic?” No! Me? Sarcastic, never! “Would you let someone shave your entire body (including your head) for $100,000?” My head only, there is no way I will deal with arm stubble for the rest of my life. One of my favorites is “What is your favorite swear word?” I then spend about three sentences explaining that I don’t swear out loud unless it’s included in a song. Ah, good times. When I get really bored, which is a step after spending a half hour searching movie quotes to use as titles for my blog posts, I go deep into the archives of my blogs and redo old surveys. I get a total kick out of reading what I wrote a few years ago. What’s even better is reading survey’s I did before I graduated high school. It’s amazing how much some of my answers have changed. “Have you ever been drunk before?” Then: absolutely not. Now: hah! Oh yes. “What are you looking forward to?” Then: going to college! Now: graduating from college! The answer to one question in particular has changed a lot, “Have you ever run away from home.” In high school this question was incredibly easy to answer. It was a big resounding no. I’d never as so much as sneak out of the house, let alone run away. Now, the answer lands in a bit of a gray area, and it really depends on my mood. I didn’t run away from home in the traditional sense. However, if you ask my friends and family back east, I think you will find that they are under the impression that I did. I guess it really depends on how you define ‘run away.’ If it’s only that you leave home without telling anyone, well I didn’t do that. But, if you put it more as leaving home to live somewhere else against advice to do otherwise, then I definitely did that. On August 24th of 2003, I gave a tearful goodbye to my parents, got on a plane with two large suitcases and flew 2,000 miles away to go to school. I got a lot of flack from people back home. They said that I left them and that I should have just gone to school closer to home. Now, I’ll admit I was miserable for most of my freshman year. There were times that I felt that the homesickness was utterly unbearable, but I am much too stubborn to give up that quickly. I stuck it out for that first year, I made friends and eventually started to feel at home here.
(For the rest of the monologue, furniture is brought in upstage. It is a dorm room, consisting of two beds, two desks, two sets of drawers, a mini fridge and television.)
Leaving those friends at the end of my freshman year proved to be as hard as leaving my family the previous August. Little did I know that the next few years of my college experience were going to make my freshman year pale in comparison. Lucky enough for me, I have almost all of those weird and crazy experiences recorded in my many blogs, usually in the form of a silly survey.
(AIMEE crosses upstage with her laptop. The table remains downstage. She sits on the stage right bed, and starts typing again.
12 february 2007
Attacking Ellen
Reaction to Daniel Alarcon (go read Lost City Radio. it is utterly fantastic. he also said i had a charmingly spelled name. awww).
Prompt: . Daniel said that his book “touches on national trauma...all this stuff that literature has been avoiding”. Write a story about something you think literature has been avoiding, or something that was not always acceptable to write about, but that has a high level of social and/or political significance.
-so this is my attempt at being 'edgy' and hopefully i don't end up like the freedom fries guy that pam went out with on that episode of the office.
Attacking Ellen
(Lights up on DIANE and STEVE, ELLEN’s parents. They are sitting on a couch, looking upset. ELLEN enters)
ELLEN
Mom! Dad! I’m here! I thought Spring Break was… (She sees her parents). Oh god, what happened? Did Poppy die? What’s wrong?
(They blankly stare at her, she sits)
What?
(Long Pause)
DIANE
We know what you did.
ELLEN
Did? What did I do? What’s going on?
STEVE
Don’t play dumb with us, Ellen. We know.
ELLEN
Apparently I don’t know. What are you talking about?
DIANE
I think you do. We got a letter from Ben today.
ELLEN
Ben? I haven’t talked to him in like two… oh god. Oh no.
DIANE
I guess you do know.
ELLEN
Mom, Dad, I…
STEVE
How could you do that Ellen? How? I thought we brought you up better than that.
ELLEN
Dad, I…
DIANE
My daughter is a slut!
ELLEN
Mom! I am not a… slut. God.
We had been going out for over a year…
I thought I loved him.
DIANE
I don’t care. We taught you better than that!
ELLEN
You didn’t teach me anything! You relied on the school system to teach me. Hah.
DIANE
I guess they didn’t do very well.
ELLEN
They did perfectly well. I knew what I was doing. (Pause) On all counts.
STEVE
You’re making this worse for us Ellen. How could you do that?
ELLEN
I didn’t have a choice, Dad!
STEVE
You always have a choice! How could you do that to us? Take that away from us?
ELLEN
From YOU? How about what it would have taken away from me? I can’t believe you are thinking about yourself in this.
It was my decision, Dad. Mine.
I had to think of myself.
STEVE
Maybe you shouldn’t have been so selfish. Thought of the big picture.
ELLEN
I was thinking of the ‘big picture’! I was thinking of my future. I was only 20. I couldn’t even imagine—
DIANE
Don’t you even say it! You… you… killer!
ELLEN
Mom! I would think you would understand a little bit more! What if it had happened to you?
DIANE
It wouldn’t have happened to me. I wasn’t a slut.
ELLEN
You know, this is exactly why I didn’t tell you. I knew you wouldn’t understand and that you would freak out just like you are.
STEVE
You guessed right. You… defied us. We are your parents you are supposed to listen to us.
ELLEN
I know, you’ve been telling me that my whole life. But if I had told you, I knew what you were going to say, and that would have been asking me to ruin my life. I couldn’t…
DIANE
There are other ways of… dealing with things like this.
ELLEN
No! No there is not! You aren’t listening to what I’m saying. It would have ruined me. I couldn’t have gone to school like that! All of the classes I would have missed… no. Not at all.
STEVE
There are other ways. And you should have asked us before going ahead with anything.
ELLEN
How is it your decision? How is my body your property? It’s bad enough the government is poking their dirty little fingers into this, but I would think that as parents you would care more for my well being before anything else.
DIANE
We are thinking of your well-being —
ELLEN
No, you aren’t! You are so narrow-minded Mom. You want me to believe and do as you say. And I can’t do that. I’m going upstairs, if that’s all right with both of you.
STEVE
We aren’t done here young lady.
ELLEN
Can we please be done, for now at least? You two are exhausting me…
STEVE
This is nothing compared to parenthood.
ELLEN
Well I wouldn’t know that would I?
DIANE
No, you wouldn’t. Go to your room.
(ELLEN exits. DIANE and STEVE remain on the couch and look at each other)
STEVE
Honey, don’t cry…
DIANE
Did we fail? Are we bad parents Steve? What went wrong?
(Lights slowly fade to black)
1 April 2007
Prompt: . Daniel said that his book “touches on national trauma...all this stuff that literature has been avoiding”. Write a story about something you think literature has been avoiding, or something that was not always acceptable to write about, but that has a high level of social and/or political significance.
-so this is my attempt at being 'edgy' and hopefully i don't end up like the freedom fries guy that pam went out with on that episode of the office.
Attacking Ellen
(Lights up on DIANE and STEVE, ELLEN’s parents. They are sitting on a couch, looking upset. ELLEN enters)
ELLEN
Mom! Dad! I’m here! I thought Spring Break was… (She sees her parents). Oh god, what happened? Did Poppy die? What’s wrong?
(They blankly stare at her, she sits)
What?
(Long Pause)
DIANE
We know what you did.
ELLEN
Did? What did I do? What’s going on?
STEVE
Don’t play dumb with us, Ellen. We know.
ELLEN
Apparently I don’t know. What are you talking about?
DIANE
I think you do. We got a letter from Ben today.
ELLEN
Ben? I haven’t talked to him in like two… oh god. Oh no.
DIANE
I guess you do know.
ELLEN
Mom, Dad, I…
STEVE
How could you do that Ellen? How? I thought we brought you up better than that.
ELLEN
Dad, I…
DIANE
My daughter is a slut!
ELLEN
Mom! I am not a… slut. God.
We had been going out for over a year…
I thought I loved him.
DIANE
I don’t care. We taught you better than that!
ELLEN
You didn’t teach me anything! You relied on the school system to teach me. Hah.
DIANE
I guess they didn’t do very well.
ELLEN
They did perfectly well. I knew what I was doing. (Pause) On all counts.
STEVE
You’re making this worse for us Ellen. How could you do that?
ELLEN
I didn’t have a choice, Dad!
STEVE
You always have a choice! How could you do that to us? Take that away from us?
ELLEN
From YOU? How about what it would have taken away from me? I can’t believe you are thinking about yourself in this.
It was my decision, Dad. Mine.
I had to think of myself.
STEVE
Maybe you shouldn’t have been so selfish. Thought of the big picture.
ELLEN
I was thinking of the ‘big picture’! I was thinking of my future. I was only 20. I couldn’t even imagine—
DIANE
Don’t you even say it! You… you… killer!
ELLEN
Mom! I would think you would understand a little bit more! What if it had happened to you?
DIANE
It wouldn’t have happened to me. I wasn’t a slut.
ELLEN
You know, this is exactly why I didn’t tell you. I knew you wouldn’t understand and that you would freak out just like you are.
STEVE
You guessed right. You… defied us. We are your parents you are supposed to listen to us.
ELLEN
I know, you’ve been telling me that my whole life. But if I had told you, I knew what you were going to say, and that would have been asking me to ruin my life. I couldn’t…
DIANE
There are other ways of… dealing with things like this.
ELLEN
No! No there is not! You aren’t listening to what I’m saying. It would have ruined me. I couldn’t have gone to school like that! All of the classes I would have missed… no. Not at all.
STEVE
There are other ways. And you should have asked us before going ahead with anything.
ELLEN
How is it your decision? How is my body your property? It’s bad enough the government is poking their dirty little fingers into this, but I would think that as parents you would care more for my well being before anything else.
DIANE
We are thinking of your well-being —
ELLEN
No, you aren’t! You are so narrow-minded Mom. You want me to believe and do as you say. And I can’t do that. I’m going upstairs, if that’s all right with both of you.
STEVE
We aren’t done here young lady.
ELLEN
Can we please be done, for now at least? You two are exhausting me…
STEVE
This is nothing compared to parenthood.
ELLEN
Well I wouldn’t know that would I?
DIANE
No, you wouldn’t. Go to your room.
(ELLEN exits. DIANE and STEVE remain on the couch and look at each other)
STEVE
Honey, don’t cry…
DIANE
Did we fail? Are we bad parents Steve? What went wrong?
(Lights slowly fade to black)
1 April 2007
MORE POETRY!
Reaction to Tsering Wangmo Dhompa
Prompt: Write a poem and construct it based on breath. Break the lines intuitively according to when you take a breath in the line
-i don't like this one. i didn't like writing either... so it goes.
yet again.
I’m not good at this at all
I never know what
I should say. It
Should be simple
Don’t you think?
But its not
The same thing
Happens every time
I blank out and
Say nothing of importance.
And I miss my
Chance yet again to
Be important, to
Make a statement.
I hate it every time
Utter dissapointment
In a missed
Opportunity.
26 march 2007
Prompt: Write a poem and construct it based on breath. Break the lines intuitively according to when you take a breath in the line
-i don't like this one. i didn't like writing either... so it goes.
yet again.
I’m not good at this at all
I never know what
I should say. It
Should be simple
Don’t you think?
But its not
The same thing
Happens every time
I blank out and
Say nothing of importance.
And I miss my
Chance yet again to
Be important, to
Make a statement.
I hate it every time
Utter dissapointment
In a missed
Opportunity.
26 march 2007
*calendrics
Reaction to Matthew Cooperman:
Prompt: i didn't use any of the prompts i was given, but when he signed my book, i told him that i loved the calendrics he wrote, and he told me to try them myself. so i did. i kind of like them. calendrics are really short poems, reflection on a month or specific time, so i did 3 of them.
*calendrics
march
wait for payday
check to check
no time to sleep, eat
nothing to eat anyway
time goes
alarm rings again
february
short month, too long
mercury in retrograde?
Everyone’s lost it.
MUNI ticket, pay a fine
No bus money for later
I need a beer
And so do you
28 days is long enough
january
unseasonably warm
countdown to snow
morning drives, heat on
day drives, windows down
thermal sweatshirts, scarves, mittens
layers layer layers!
More goodbyes, more tears
Suitcases, plane tickets
Back to bus fares
Back to schedule
3.18.07
Prompt: i didn't use any of the prompts i was given, but when he signed my book, i told him that i loved the calendrics he wrote, and he told me to try them myself. so i did. i kind of like them. calendrics are really short poems, reflection on a month or specific time, so i did 3 of them.
*calendrics
march
wait for payday
check to check
no time to sleep, eat
nothing to eat anyway
time goes
alarm rings again
february
short month, too long
mercury in retrograde?
Everyone’s lost it.
MUNI ticket, pay a fine
No bus money for later
I need a beer
And so do you
28 days is long enough
january
unseasonably warm
countdown to snow
morning drives, heat on
day drives, windows down
thermal sweatshirts, scarves, mittens
layers layer layers!
More goodbyes, more tears
Suitcases, plane tickets
Back to bus fares
Back to schedule
3.18.07
this is not a poem//
response to Anne E. Wood.
Prompt: Write a creative piece in the form of a list of statements reflecting your own views on writing/ society and the self. Remember that you are writers and it is your task to reflect on this time and place in a creative way.
This is not a Poem//
//We all are absorbed with the Oscars/ With the dresses and tuxes/ And I guess we aren’t ignoring/ What’s happening overseas/ It’s subtlety mentioned in their acceptance// Environmentally they are making an effort/ An Inconvenient Truth/ An attempt to be green/ Even Biota bottles made from corn/ At least they are trying// But it’s still all glitz and glamour/ Who wore what designer/ Why is Judge Reinhold even there?/ Ellen is hosting/ But they are the most diverse// I guess we can ignore homelessness/ Ignore poverty/ Ignore the debt of our country/ Ignore the failure of our system/ Right under our noses// It’s more fun to focus on shiny/ focus on gold/ focus on film/ focus on reel life/ focus on what might be//
2.25.07
augh, poetry!
Prompt: Write a creative piece in the form of a list of statements reflecting your own views on writing/ society and the self. Remember that you are writers and it is your task to reflect on this time and place in a creative way.
This is not a Poem//
//We all are absorbed with the Oscars/ With the dresses and tuxes/ And I guess we aren’t ignoring/ What’s happening overseas/ It’s subtlety mentioned in their acceptance// Environmentally they are making an effort/ An Inconvenient Truth/ An attempt to be green/ Even Biota bottles made from corn/ At least they are trying// But it’s still all glitz and glamour/ Who wore what designer/ Why is Judge Reinhold even there?/ Ellen is hosting/ But they are the most diverse// I guess we can ignore homelessness/ Ignore poverty/ Ignore the debt of our country/ Ignore the failure of our system/ Right under our noses// It’s more fun to focus on shiny/ focus on gold/ focus on film/ focus on reel life/ focus on what might be//
2.25.07
augh, poetry!
Stamping Around
Playwriting
PROMPT: character has an object of desire, solicits from another character. Use the template
-more bare bones... i don't know if i like this one as much. it was me venting mostly, i missed a deadline that week.
Stamping Around
(NEIL is seen rummaging around a desk, while holding an envelope. He is talking to himself)
NEIL
Oh, come on. There has to be one here somewhere…
(TAD enters)
TAD
Why are you rummaging around my desk?
NEIL
Thank god you’re here! I need a stamp. Right now.
TAD
I’m so glad you asked politely
NEIL
Please help me find a stamp! This was supposed to be postmarked yesterday and if I don’t mail it I’m going to miss out on that apprenticeship. The fate of my career is on the line here. All I am asking you is to help me find a god-damn stamp!
TAD
I don’t think I have any.
NEIL
Who goes around not having any stamps?
TAD
Us apparently. Plus, if you missed the deadline already, what’s the point? There’s always next year.
NEIL
NO! There is not always next year! I’ve missed this three years running. I’ll be damned if I miss it again. So if you could stop talking and help me locate a stamp?
TAD
You need to calm down. Why didn’t you just go to the post office and have them put postage on it? Wouldn’t that have been better?
NEIL
I tried that already! I don’t have any cash on me and the card machine was broken so I came back there thinking it would be easier to find a stamp and take it… do not look at me like I’m stupid.
TAD
You are. You couldn’t have gone to the ATM, gotten some money and saved yourself the trouble? Were you thinking at all?
NEIL
Do you ever think? I don’t have any money in my account right now. I can’t very well take money out that isn’t there. This is useless. I am wasting time arguing with you. The post office is going to close and I have to get all the way there and I still don’t have a stamp!
TAD
And you are going through every single thing I’ve left on my desk. Invading my space for a freaking stamp that you could have bought with change you found in the couch
NEIL
AH! The couch!
(LOUIS enters, holding up a sheet of stamps)
LOUIS
Who was yelling about a stamp?
NEIL
STAMPS!
TAD
I guess they weren’t that hard to find, were they?
LOUIS
Why do you need a stamp so bad anyway?
NEIL
I have this application that was supposed to be postmarked by yes…what?
LOUIS
The post office is closed.
NEIL
WHAT?!
LOUIS
It’s six o’clock already.
NEIL
No, no, its only five, I have an hour, see?
LOUIS
Did you set your watch after the time change?
TAD
HAH! You’ve been going around an hour behind everyone else! That doesn’t surprise me in the least….
PROMPT: character has an object of desire, solicits from another character. Use the template
-more bare bones... i don't know if i like this one as much. it was me venting mostly, i missed a deadline that week.
Stamping Around
(NEIL is seen rummaging around a desk, while holding an envelope. He is talking to himself)
NEIL
Oh, come on. There has to be one here somewhere…
(TAD enters)
TAD
Why are you rummaging around my desk?
NEIL
Thank god you’re here! I need a stamp. Right now.
TAD
I’m so glad you asked politely
NEIL
Please help me find a stamp! This was supposed to be postmarked yesterday and if I don’t mail it I’m going to miss out on that apprenticeship. The fate of my career is on the line here. All I am asking you is to help me find a god-damn stamp!
TAD
I don’t think I have any.
NEIL
Who goes around not having any stamps?
TAD
Us apparently. Plus, if you missed the deadline already, what’s the point? There’s always next year.
NEIL
NO! There is not always next year! I’ve missed this three years running. I’ll be damned if I miss it again. So if you could stop talking and help me locate a stamp?
TAD
You need to calm down. Why didn’t you just go to the post office and have them put postage on it? Wouldn’t that have been better?
NEIL
I tried that already! I don’t have any cash on me and the card machine was broken so I came back there thinking it would be easier to find a stamp and take it… do not look at me like I’m stupid.
TAD
You are. You couldn’t have gone to the ATM, gotten some money and saved yourself the trouble? Were you thinking at all?
NEIL
Do you ever think? I don’t have any money in my account right now. I can’t very well take money out that isn’t there. This is useless. I am wasting time arguing with you. The post office is going to close and I have to get all the way there and I still don’t have a stamp!
TAD
And you are going through every single thing I’ve left on my desk. Invading my space for a freaking stamp that you could have bought with change you found in the couch
NEIL
AH! The couch!
(LOUIS enters, holding up a sheet of stamps)
LOUIS
Who was yelling about a stamp?
NEIL
STAMPS!
TAD
I guess they weren’t that hard to find, were they?
LOUIS
Why do you need a stamp so bad anyway?
NEIL
I have this application that was supposed to be postmarked by yes…what?
LOUIS
The post office is closed.
NEIL
WHAT?!
LOUIS
It’s six o’clock already.
NEIL
No, no, its only five, I have an hour, see?
LOUIS
Did you set your watch after the time change?
TAD
HAH! You’ve been going around an hour behind everyone else! That doesn’t surprise me in the least….
Don't Test Time
Playwriting:
Prompt: scene secret wants vs. known wants or something.
-this one needs more work. i like it as a base, but it needs to be fleshed out, sam needs more of a purpose.
Don’t Test Time
(SAM and TIME are in a white room. Time tinkers with a watch while standing behind SAM. SAM is sitting in a chair, sleeping. He wakes, and doesn’t see TIME.)
SAM
What the? Oh my god did I die? I died of boredom!
TIME
Of course not
(SAM shrieks)
What a silly thought.
SAM
Oh my g…
Are you God? Have I taken your name in vain!?
TIME
HAH! No. I’m Time.
SAM
Like Father Time?
TIME
If that’s what you choose. I take on any form your little mind thinks up. Don’t go changing my form mid-visit though. That gets annoying.
SAM
…Do most people see you as an old bearded dude?
TIME
You don’t apparently.
SAM
Too true.
Where are we?
TIME
Not sure, I was hoping you could tell me.
SAM
Me? How would I know?
TIME
We’re in your dream sequence.
SAM
Oh. Why?
TIME
Because you cursed me. You’ve been cursing me a lot lately, Sam.
SAM
You can hear that?
TIME
Not exactly. But I’m not going to explain it to you. We are here to discuss your Time Problems.
SAM
Hah. There’s not enough of it. I swear you fast-forward the little amounts of sleep I get at night. Don’t you?
TIME
Haha! I’ll admit, I’ve done that before. But believe me, I made your day that much better. I’m sure you know the day I’m talking about. Think about it.
SAM
I don’t think…oh, yes, yes I do. That day Yeah.
(Smiles to self, pauses, reflects on that lovely day)
So, wait. If you slow down time, you have to fast forward it too?
TIME
Of course. It has to even out in the end. I’m sure there is some law of physics that explains it.
SAM
How come you never speed it up when I want you to?
TIME
I can’t cater to everyone’s needs, Sam. There are a lot of people in the world. I can’t please you all!
SAM
Okay, okay. I guess not. Can’t you just make more or something? I could really use some extra time for laundry, sleep, grocery shopping…
TIME
What do you think I am? More importantly, what do you think time is made of? Unicorn tears and fairy dust? I can’t just make time. There is only so much of it. A finite number. It’ll eventually run out for you and everyone else. But once someone’s time runs out, it’s transferred to someone else. Sort of recycled. I’m not getting into this with you.
SAM
Well what good are you?
TIME
I help manage time. Allotting it to people, seeding up, slowing down, sharing… it’s a bit like driving on the highway actually.
SAM
I still don’t know why you are even here.
TIME
You keep yelling at me Sam, and it’s really starting to piss me off.
So, stop it. Or I will slow down time every morning you get up at 6 to go to work. And I’ll make it even slower for the first two hours of work. And, as for sleep, well, don’t even get me started; just remember, every time I slow down, somewhere needs to be sped up. I won’t even mention what might happen to your weekends.
SAM
You wouldn’t!
TIME
I would.
So knock it off.
SAM
Okay, okay! I’ve just been so busy.
(Sits on chair, slumps)
TIME
Get yourself a planner. Or an assistant. Or an assistant with a planner. I don’t care. Just stop blaming it on me all the time and not your procrastination.
SAM
Sorry Time. I’ll try not to curse you anymore.
TIME
Good. Thank you. Oh, you might want to wake up now, your boss is coming.
(TIME kicks chair. Sam jumps up as the lights change as BOSS walks onstage. SAM looks at BOSS blankly, as lights fade to black.)
Prompt: scene secret wants vs. known wants or something.
-this one needs more work. i like it as a base, but it needs to be fleshed out, sam needs more of a purpose.
Don’t Test Time
(SAM and TIME are in a white room. Time tinkers with a watch while standing behind SAM. SAM is sitting in a chair, sleeping. He wakes, and doesn’t see TIME.)
SAM
What the? Oh my god did I die? I died of boredom!
TIME
Of course not
(SAM shrieks)
What a silly thought.
SAM
Oh my g…
Are you God? Have I taken your name in vain!?
TIME
HAH! No. I’m Time.
SAM
Like Father Time?
TIME
If that’s what you choose. I take on any form your little mind thinks up. Don’t go changing my form mid-visit though. That gets annoying.
SAM
…Do most people see you as an old bearded dude?
TIME
You don’t apparently.
SAM
Too true.
Where are we?
TIME
Not sure, I was hoping you could tell me.
SAM
Me? How would I know?
TIME
We’re in your dream sequence.
SAM
Oh. Why?
TIME
Because you cursed me. You’ve been cursing me a lot lately, Sam.
SAM
You can hear that?
TIME
Not exactly. But I’m not going to explain it to you. We are here to discuss your Time Problems.
SAM
Hah. There’s not enough of it. I swear you fast-forward the little amounts of sleep I get at night. Don’t you?
TIME
Haha! I’ll admit, I’ve done that before. But believe me, I made your day that much better. I’m sure you know the day I’m talking about. Think about it.
SAM
I don’t think…oh, yes, yes I do. That day Yeah.
(Smiles to self, pauses, reflects on that lovely day)
So, wait. If you slow down time, you have to fast forward it too?
TIME
Of course. It has to even out in the end. I’m sure there is some law of physics that explains it.
SAM
How come you never speed it up when I want you to?
TIME
I can’t cater to everyone’s needs, Sam. There are a lot of people in the world. I can’t please you all!
SAM
Okay, okay. I guess not. Can’t you just make more or something? I could really use some extra time for laundry, sleep, grocery shopping…
TIME
What do you think I am? More importantly, what do you think time is made of? Unicorn tears and fairy dust? I can’t just make time. There is only so much of it. A finite number. It’ll eventually run out for you and everyone else. But once someone’s time runs out, it’s transferred to someone else. Sort of recycled. I’m not getting into this with you.
SAM
Well what good are you?
TIME
I help manage time. Allotting it to people, seeding up, slowing down, sharing… it’s a bit like driving on the highway actually.
SAM
I still don’t know why you are even here.
TIME
You keep yelling at me Sam, and it’s really starting to piss me off.
So, stop it. Or I will slow down time every morning you get up at 6 to go to work. And I’ll make it even slower for the first two hours of work. And, as for sleep, well, don’t even get me started; just remember, every time I slow down, somewhere needs to be sped up. I won’t even mention what might happen to your weekends.
SAM
You wouldn’t!
TIME
I would.
So knock it off.
SAM
Okay, okay! I’ve just been so busy.
(Sits on chair, slumps)
TIME
Get yourself a planner. Or an assistant. Or an assistant with a planner. I don’t care. Just stop blaming it on me all the time and not your procrastination.
SAM
Sorry Time. I’ll try not to curse you anymore.
TIME
Good. Thank you. Oh, you might want to wake up now, your boss is coming.
(TIME kicks chair. Sam jumps up as the lights change as BOSS walks onstage. SAM looks at BOSS blankly, as lights fade to black.)
Why am I on a Ladder?
Response 3:
Write about an obsession... if you can remember a dream, especially one that you've had more than once, write about it.
Why Am I on a Ladder?
It’s a fantastic view. It always is. Once it was a gigantic lush green plain, full of tall flowing grasses. I could see for miles and miles. And all of a sudden, I could see a storm rolling in. I counted the time between lightning and thunderclaps; it was about six miles away. I just watch the clouds tumble closer, rolling on over the grass, on their way towards me. When its three miles away I notice that the cloud is a dark purple color, intermixed with wisps of gray. It’s not all that odd, the sky turns strange colors in the presence of hard rain. I continue watching the clouds, getting closer and closer. I can smell the rain now, feel the thunder rumbling. Not once do I find it strange that I am standing on a ladder that is probably about sixteen feet high, standing straight up from the ground with nothing to hold it up. That is, until I start to totter. I look down for the first time and realize how high up I am. In a moment of sheer panic, I realize I don’t know how to get down, or how I got there in the first place. Then, in slow motion, I feel myself falling forward, the ground gets closer, and closer. I can see each blade of grass coming into sharp focus, the smell of rain and damp ground getting closer. And the split second before I make contact, BAM. I’m awake. I’ve been having falling dreams since I was a kid. They usually follow that same pattern. Amazing landscape, enjoying the view, notice the ladder, fall, wake. One particularly interesting one took place in the middle of huge body of water. I can tell I’m high up this time, but I don’t really mind it. I am attempting to understand the sheer vastness of the body of water around me. There is a slight, warm breeze blowing the hair out of my face. The sun is shining, but it’s not blinding. The water is a brilliant cerulean blue with small ripply waves. In a jolt, I realize I am not on a boat. I am standing on a ladder in the middle of a huge body of water. It’s a simple wooden ladder that no one has used in years, and it goes straight into the water, and I can’t see the bottom. The ladder starts to lean backwards, and in attempt to fix it, I lean too far forward and start to fall face first towards that shining water. Each rung hits the water and makes a sloush sound, and small bubbles start to rise from the water. Sloush, sloush, sloush, shloush. I can see my reflection in the water, my face wrinkled on the waves. Closer, and closer I get to my turquoise reflection, and right before my toes touch, I wake. I never let go of the ladder. I don’t recall a falling dream where I do let go. As if that small wooden structure will save me from flattening into the earth, or water, or whatever medium I am exposed to in that dream. I wonder if I will ever sleep long enough to hit the ground. Maybe I have to let go to find out.
14 February 2007
Write about an obsession... if you can remember a dream, especially one that you've had more than once, write about it.
Why Am I on a Ladder?
It’s a fantastic view. It always is. Once it was a gigantic lush green plain, full of tall flowing grasses. I could see for miles and miles. And all of a sudden, I could see a storm rolling in. I counted the time between lightning and thunderclaps; it was about six miles away. I just watch the clouds tumble closer, rolling on over the grass, on their way towards me. When its three miles away I notice that the cloud is a dark purple color, intermixed with wisps of gray. It’s not all that odd, the sky turns strange colors in the presence of hard rain. I continue watching the clouds, getting closer and closer. I can smell the rain now, feel the thunder rumbling. Not once do I find it strange that I am standing on a ladder that is probably about sixteen feet high, standing straight up from the ground with nothing to hold it up. That is, until I start to totter. I look down for the first time and realize how high up I am. In a moment of sheer panic, I realize I don’t know how to get down, or how I got there in the first place. Then, in slow motion, I feel myself falling forward, the ground gets closer, and closer. I can see each blade of grass coming into sharp focus, the smell of rain and damp ground getting closer. And the split second before I make contact, BAM. I’m awake. I’ve been having falling dreams since I was a kid. They usually follow that same pattern. Amazing landscape, enjoying the view, notice the ladder, fall, wake. One particularly interesting one took place in the middle of huge body of water. I can tell I’m high up this time, but I don’t really mind it. I am attempting to understand the sheer vastness of the body of water around me. There is a slight, warm breeze blowing the hair out of my face. The sun is shining, but it’s not blinding. The water is a brilliant cerulean blue with small ripply waves. In a jolt, I realize I am not on a boat. I am standing on a ladder in the middle of a huge body of water. It’s a simple wooden ladder that no one has used in years, and it goes straight into the water, and I can’t see the bottom. The ladder starts to lean backwards, and in attempt to fix it, I lean too far forward and start to fall face first towards that shining water. Each rung hits the water and makes a sloush sound, and small bubbles start to rise from the water. Sloush, sloush, sloush, shloush. I can see my reflection in the water, my face wrinkled on the waves. Closer, and closer I get to my turquoise reflection, and right before my toes touch, I wake. I never let go of the ladder. I don’t recall a falling dream where I do let go. As if that small wooden structure will save me from flattening into the earth, or water, or whatever medium I am exposed to in that dream. I wonder if I will ever sleep long enough to hit the ground. Maybe I have to let go to find out.
14 February 2007
The House that Jack Built
response 4:
Fictitious 'job history' for yourself or a character. Follow Proulx's model (aka no dialogue)
-this was the first time i didn't use dialogue or first person. it was hard. I like how it turned out, and i'm going to use it as my final project and revise it into a full short story.
The Home that Jack Built
Jack Healy is born in the quite town of Aurora, Illinois on January 26th of 1948. Two days later a huge blizzard blankets the town and causes Jack and his mother to stay in the hospital an extra three days. His older sister and father can’t get to the hospital at all. In six years, Jack is the older brother to four more boys. The boys all look alike; sandy brown hair, heavy brows and crooked smiles. Jack’s green eyes make him stand out. His brothers like to tease and say the mailman must be his daddy.
The joke is no longer tolerated the summer after Jack turns 16 and their dad skips town. Jack takes a cashier/ stocking job at the local hardware store to help out. Aurora gets a record 16 inches of rain in 24 hours and most of the town is shut down due to flooding. The owner of the hardware store takes a liking to Jack and teaches him how to pick lumber for houses and gets him construction jobs in the summers.
In 1966, Jack graduates from high school. His grades are decent enough for him to get into the local college. He attends classes at Aurora College for three semesters before he gets too restless and goes back to construction. Jack meets Jaime in 1970 and they are married in two years. Jack adopts Jaime' s three-year-old daughter, Ginny, and is sure he is capable of being a father. A year later, they have another daughter, Emma. Jack is working at the hardware store again, but as a manager. He and Jaime decided to purchase a plot on the shore of Lake Holiday. Jack builds the house himself, breaking a wrist and spraining an ankle when he is blown off the roof during the onset of a tornado. When the yearlong project is almost finished, Jaime accuses him of being distant and a bad father. She takes the girls and moves them to Kansas and divorces Jack long distance. Jack sells the house his family should have shared and quit the hardware store.
He lives in Seattle for a year before the death of his stepfather brings him back to Aurora. He takes a job selling lumber to contractors. 1n 1977, while at a bar with some friends, Jack meets Alice. She is 23 and a teller at a bank downtown. In two years they are married and living in a small town house. Jack is doing well at the lumber company and Alice celebrates six years at the bank. After much deliberation, Jack decides he is ready to be a dad again. In 1983, Jack and Alice have a daughter, Kate. Alice’s parents spoil her and Jack spends a lot of weekends at home. Jaime still refuses to let Jack see the girls, but his child support payments are always on time. Sixteen months later, Jack and Alice welcome another baby girl, Lulu. That Easter, there is a freak ice storm and the family spends the holiday without power in their new house.
Jack celebrates 10 years at the lumber company and Alice is promoted to Senior Teller at the bank. In 1987, Jaime lets the girls visit their father in Illinois. Jack assures his daughter Emma that he refuses to leave Alice alone, even if he is unhappy. Ginny and Emma like Illinois enough and Jaime allows them to stay with the new Healys every summer. The girls grow up and closer together. Jack keeps his promise to Emma and stays with Alice and at his job at the lumber company. All four girls graduate from high school and go to college.
In 2005, instead of a thirty-year anniversary at the lumber company, Jack is fired so the company can hire younger, cheaper workers. Alice is still the Senior Teller at the bank. The girls all move to different states, and Jack only needs to search for a week before a competing lumber company hires him. He has the same job, but only half the pay. That summer, there is a drought and all water usage is carefully monitored. Two years later, Alice informs him that her father is getting old and she wants him to move into the house. He takes on this challenge, and builds a room onto the back of the house. It takes two years to complete, Jack is moving a lot slower than he used to. Alice’s father moves into the room, Lulu moves home and Alice celebrates thirty-five years at the bank. Two towns away a tornado flattens all of downtown. The Healys feel lucky.
A week before Christmas that year, the lumber company decides there is not enough business and fires Jack. After a month of searching, Jack takes a job at the newly built Home Depot and sells lumber to customers who don’t listen to his advice. Alice is still at the bank, her father is still in the back room, and Lulu works in the city and commutes every day. Temperatures dip to a negative 20 wind chill, but everyone goes to work anyway. Skipping work is not an option.
21 February 2007
Fictitious 'job history' for yourself or a character. Follow Proulx's model (aka no dialogue)
-this was the first time i didn't use dialogue or first person. it was hard. I like how it turned out, and i'm going to use it as my final project and revise it into a full short story.
The Home that Jack Built
Jack Healy is born in the quite town of Aurora, Illinois on January 26th of 1948. Two days later a huge blizzard blankets the town and causes Jack and his mother to stay in the hospital an extra three days. His older sister and father can’t get to the hospital at all. In six years, Jack is the older brother to four more boys. The boys all look alike; sandy brown hair, heavy brows and crooked smiles. Jack’s green eyes make him stand out. His brothers like to tease and say the mailman must be his daddy.
The joke is no longer tolerated the summer after Jack turns 16 and their dad skips town. Jack takes a cashier/ stocking job at the local hardware store to help out. Aurora gets a record 16 inches of rain in 24 hours and most of the town is shut down due to flooding. The owner of the hardware store takes a liking to Jack and teaches him how to pick lumber for houses and gets him construction jobs in the summers.
In 1966, Jack graduates from high school. His grades are decent enough for him to get into the local college. He attends classes at Aurora College for three semesters before he gets too restless and goes back to construction. Jack meets Jaime in 1970 and they are married in two years. Jack adopts Jaime' s three-year-old daughter, Ginny, and is sure he is capable of being a father. A year later, they have another daughter, Emma. Jack is working at the hardware store again, but as a manager. He and Jaime decided to purchase a plot on the shore of Lake Holiday. Jack builds the house himself, breaking a wrist and spraining an ankle when he is blown off the roof during the onset of a tornado. When the yearlong project is almost finished, Jaime accuses him of being distant and a bad father. She takes the girls and moves them to Kansas and divorces Jack long distance. Jack sells the house his family should have shared and quit the hardware store.
He lives in Seattle for a year before the death of his stepfather brings him back to Aurora. He takes a job selling lumber to contractors. 1n 1977, while at a bar with some friends, Jack meets Alice. She is 23 and a teller at a bank downtown. In two years they are married and living in a small town house. Jack is doing well at the lumber company and Alice celebrates six years at the bank. After much deliberation, Jack decides he is ready to be a dad again. In 1983, Jack and Alice have a daughter, Kate. Alice’s parents spoil her and Jack spends a lot of weekends at home. Jaime still refuses to let Jack see the girls, but his child support payments are always on time. Sixteen months later, Jack and Alice welcome another baby girl, Lulu. That Easter, there is a freak ice storm and the family spends the holiday without power in their new house.
Jack celebrates 10 years at the lumber company and Alice is promoted to Senior Teller at the bank. In 1987, Jaime lets the girls visit their father in Illinois. Jack assures his daughter Emma that he refuses to leave Alice alone, even if he is unhappy. Ginny and Emma like Illinois enough and Jaime allows them to stay with the new Healys every summer. The girls grow up and closer together. Jack keeps his promise to Emma and stays with Alice and at his job at the lumber company. All four girls graduate from high school and go to college.
In 2005, instead of a thirty-year anniversary at the lumber company, Jack is fired so the company can hire younger, cheaper workers. Alice is still the Senior Teller at the bank. The girls all move to different states, and Jack only needs to search for a week before a competing lumber company hires him. He has the same job, but only half the pay. That summer, there is a drought and all water usage is carefully monitored. Two years later, Alice informs him that her father is getting old and she wants him to move into the house. He takes on this challenge, and builds a room onto the back of the house. It takes two years to complete, Jack is moving a lot slower than he used to. Alice’s father moves into the room, Lulu moves home and Alice celebrates thirty-five years at the bank. Two towns away a tornado flattens all of downtown. The Healys feel lucky.
A week before Christmas that year, the lumber company decides there is not enough business and fires Jack. After a month of searching, Jack takes a job at the newly built Home Depot and sells lumber to customers who don’t listen to his advice. Alice is still at the bank, her father is still in the back room, and Lulu works in the city and commutes every day. Temperatures dip to a negative 20 wind chill, but everyone goes to work anyway. Skipping work is not an option.
21 February 2007
response 6:
Use 3 points of view to describe a situation.
situation is: a woman doing her first free-style climb
I.
I can do this. This is what I’ve been training to do. This is what I told Mom I would do. I can totally do this. Maybe if I shift this way I can…reach…it….Nope. Still not close enough. Jumping really doesn’t strike me as the best option. What if I miss? I would fall and that’s a long way to fall. No, it’ll be fine. It’s not like I’m going to go back at this point. The only way to go is up. All I have to do is trust my body. Just leap. What’s that saying…? “Leap and the net shall appear.” Who said that anyway?
“I’m fine, just planning” “I will”
I don’t think anyone said it. Just some saying. A net will appear. Trusting. Hear that, muscles? It’s all you. Here I go.
II.
You can do it, kiddo. I know you can. All your hard work, all that practice. I know you can do this. Slowly, just take your time. No rushing. You’re not on the clock. Find your footholds, there you go. Find a good handhold, good girl. I remember the first time I brought you out here and your Mom was climbing free-style. You looked at me and said, ‘Daddy, I’m going to do that just like Mommy.’ And now you are. She would be so proud of you. Hmm, you stuck? Think it through. Plan your move.
“You alright?” “Be careful!”
You’re almost there. You are so close. You’re going to leap aren’t you? There you go!
III.
Looks like a good climbing day. Look at ‘em down there. A nice handful. They sort of look like the first ants finding an abandoned chunk of Twizzler. Scurrying around and all. I love flying above them, seeing them climb up, defying gravity like I am. Except they are relying on their muscles alone. Amazing what the human body can do. And the spectators. I would hate to watch a loved one up there on the rock. Must be nerve wracking. Thinking about all of the what-ifs, feeling utterly helpless. No thank you, Bob. Much too stressful for me. Oh, look at that girl, she’s stuck in the spot that climber was in last year. He fell. She’s going to jump for it too, isn’t she? She’s preparing, you can see all her muscles tense. Yup, she’s letting go.
6 March 2007
Use 3 points of view to describe a situation.
situation is: a woman doing her first free-style climb
I.
I can do this. This is what I’ve been training to do. This is what I told Mom I would do. I can totally do this. Maybe if I shift this way I can…reach…it….Nope. Still not close enough. Jumping really doesn’t strike me as the best option. What if I miss? I would fall and that’s a long way to fall. No, it’ll be fine. It’s not like I’m going to go back at this point. The only way to go is up. All I have to do is trust my body. Just leap. What’s that saying…? “Leap and the net shall appear.” Who said that anyway?
“I’m fine, just planning” “I will”
I don’t think anyone said it. Just some saying. A net will appear. Trusting. Hear that, muscles? It’s all you. Here I go.
II.
You can do it, kiddo. I know you can. All your hard work, all that practice. I know you can do this. Slowly, just take your time. No rushing. You’re not on the clock. Find your footholds, there you go. Find a good handhold, good girl. I remember the first time I brought you out here and your Mom was climbing free-style. You looked at me and said, ‘Daddy, I’m going to do that just like Mommy.’ And now you are. She would be so proud of you. Hmm, you stuck? Think it through. Plan your move.
“You alright?” “Be careful!”
You’re almost there. You are so close. You’re going to leap aren’t you? There you go!
III.
Looks like a good climbing day. Look at ‘em down there. A nice handful. They sort of look like the first ants finding an abandoned chunk of Twizzler. Scurrying around and all. I love flying above them, seeing them climb up, defying gravity like I am. Except they are relying on their muscles alone. Amazing what the human body can do. And the spectators. I would hate to watch a loved one up there on the rock. Must be nerve wracking. Thinking about all of the what-ifs, feeling utterly helpless. No thank you, Bob. Much too stressful for me. Oh, look at that girl, she’s stuck in the spot that climber was in last year. He fell. She’s going to jump for it too, isn’t she? She’s preparing, you can see all her muscles tense. Yup, she’s letting go.
6 March 2007
a bit of a note...
i don't really like poetry. i'm sure i've said that before.
HOWEVER
i've had to write so many poems this semester... i don't know.
i'm not a poet.
so i apologize.
i'm going to update an asston now. wOOt.
HOWEVER
i've had to write so many poems this semester... i don't know.
i'm not a poet.
so i apologize.
i'm going to update an asston now. wOOt.
log slide draft #2
Log Slide 2002
a sand hill. not a dune but a hill. a mountain. topped
with trees. mocking. I conquered that mountain. the
lookout, planks of wood for those less adventurous.
we, I, was not part of that group. follow the trail of
ancient logs before us. thirty-five degree incline.
slide down sinking sand to my knees, left my
shoes at the top. the view was…glorious
getting closer to the water, changes
from emerald to turquoise to
crystal clear, I could see
straight to the bottom,
my feet, three feet
under, wiggly
on rocks. in
the 11 am air
a cool breeze
blazing sun.
this is life.
messages
in the sand
I love kate
written
in rocks
long before
I arrived.
I left it
undisturbed.
I hope kate
is still loved.
Did the
sentiment
last longer
than the
love itself?
was kate
part of we
or only an
I, not told
that she
was loved?
pondering it
still, we, I, begin
the climb upwards
fight against sand sweat and
gravity. biting flies long sleeves
devastatingly slow progress, climbing
slipping, hands and knees, no hand holds
just me and the sand. an hour later I emerge
at the top of that sand hill, making it back to flat
land, three hundred feet above lake level. Triumph.
a sand hill. not a dune but a hill. a mountain. topped
with trees. mocking. I conquered that mountain. the
lookout, planks of wood for those less adventurous.
we, I, was not part of that group. follow the trail of
ancient logs before us. thirty-five degree incline.
slide down sinking sand to my knees, left my
shoes at the top. the view was…glorious
getting closer to the water, changes
from emerald to turquoise to
crystal clear, I could see
straight to the bottom,
my feet, three feet
under, wiggly
on rocks. in
the 11 am air
a cool breeze
blazing sun.
this is life.
messages
in the sand
I love kate
written
in rocks
long before
I arrived.
I left it
undisturbed.
I hope kate
is still loved.
Did the
sentiment
last longer
than the
love itself?
was kate
part of we
or only an
I, not told
that she
was loved?
pondering it
still, we, I, begin
the climb upwards
fight against sand sweat and
gravity. biting flies long sleeves
devastatingly slow progress, climbing
slipping, hands and knees, no hand holds
just me and the sand. an hour later I emerge
at the top of that sand hill, making it back to flat
land, three hundred feet above lake level. Triumph.
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