Well, I Hope This Isn't My Last Post

     That would be awfully depressing. Anyway, I'm not entirely sure what to do right now, so I am taking a little break to write on my blog. (Were we required to do this? I don't think so, but I thought it would be fun) Reading this week has been, er, not much. I finished a book called Savvy which is about a family, where each memeber gets a savvy on their thirteenth birthday, and it can be just about anything. The main character, Mibs (Short for Mississippi) has two older brothers, one who has electricity-type powers and the other that has wind/hurricane powers. Her mom's savvy is that she is perfect, and her grandpa can move the ground and create new places. So they live somewhere between Kansas and Nebraska (They call it Kansaska/Nebransas) and not much happens. Then, her dad is mysteriously injured (quite seriously) on her thirteenth birthday and she is not allowed to go see him. Unfortunately she believes her savvy is waking things up (She lacks reasoning, in my opinion) and hitchikes on a bus that is supposed to go by the hospital. Of course, in doing so she also drags along her older brother, her younger brother, and the pastor's kids, Will and Bobbi. (The pastor's wife threw a birthday party for her) So the whole book is about how she helps out a bunch of people on the road to find her dad. Hopefully you can see that this book is aimed at younger readers and not choose to read it, but I guess the choice is up to you. I think it was a very creative book, but it was too well planned. I think everything unexpected quickly became uninteresting. The only good thing about the book was the little brother, Samson, who was infinitely smarter than all the rest of his siblings and everyone else in the whole book. (I'm sure anyone who has read the book will agree with me) He does become the main problem for them at one point, but I think that's also supposed to be a good thing and he helps solve the problem. Anyhow, that book is happily sitting on a shelf at the library now.
     The book I just started reading is called...er...just a second. I know exactly what the cover looks like but I don't remember what it's called. Aha! It's called Moon Over Manifest, and so far very few things have happened. The only thing I really know is that the main character, Abilene, jumped off the train, because although she could actually afford the ticket (this time), she wanted to. Then there was a newspaper bit from 1916 (20 years ago for the time), which hasn't said too much yet. Then again, I've only read about the first ten pages of the book. Moon Over Manifest won the Newberry Medal this year, (which is probably why my mom got it for me from the library). I was reading about it, and evidently it starts off very slowly, so I guess I have some long reading to look forward to. (But I have heard very good things about the ending, too)
     Poetry this week was the usual Poem-A-Day, which I have not cancelled yet. A little while ago (I have no idea what day it was), I read a poem by Linda Pastan (She also wrote Why Are Your Poems So Dark?, which is on Poetry Everywhere), called Traveling Light. It was not too long, but it was still long enough to make sense. (If poems are too long I usually lose interest pretty quickly) I also read a poem by Emily Dickinson called Hope is the Thing With Feathers. It was definitely a poem that made me smile!
      Happy reading and portfolio-designing to all!! Here is a very calming poem for overworked minds. (And it's not too long) :)

Peace
Is not the fault-finder
Of the world.
Peace
Is the fault-mender
Of the world.  

- Sri Chinmoy

Poetry and Tulip Time!

Happy Tulip Time! I hope you all have been enjoying the flowers and food and parades. (Let's see, so far I've seen Anna, about four times, and Susan at least twice, whose name I yelled loudly to see what would happen) Where is everyone else?? (Don't give me that "I'm not remotely close to Holland excuse"...) But anyway, I think it officially ended and I should be discussing Poetry Everywhere! (It makes it sound sort of scary, don't you think?) All of the titles that I mention are hyperlinks, so if you want to read them, that's probably the quickest way.
     I started by watching the animated ones, and I liked many of the poems. I thought it was a little bit farther away from the poet, but it also helped to form a picture and let you imagine more. One of my favorites was a children's poem called Some Words Inside of Words by Richard Wilbur. I think the animation was really useful for this poem, because by being able to show the words, you could see what he meant by 'words inside of words'. I also liked the voice of the poet, so even though you don't get to see his expression, he reads it with a lot of expression. I also watched Hedgehog by Paul Muldoon, and while I wasn't actually that impressed by the animation, I thought that it was still a good poem. First of all, how could you not like a poem about a hedgehog? Second of all, it made hedgehogs sound really mysterious, which was only slightly as strange as that sounds. But what I really liked was the specific words that he used, that helped to make you think about it. I actually watched most of the poems, but most of them I just don't care for all that much. I watched Shiver & You Have Weather by Matthea Harvey, and I guess it was pretty good, but the way it was written made it seem to end very abruptly.
     In the non-animated category, one of the first ones I noticed and liked was called A Partial History of My Stupidity by Edward Hirsch. I'm not quite sure why I liked it so much, but I did. It was also a little strange because the poet reminded me ever so slightly of a janitor who used to work at our school. I also watched Turtle by Kay Ryan, and that just made me feel really bad for turtles. It made them seem so doomed to not go anywhere or be able to do anything. Poor turtles. I watched Why Are Your Poems So Dark? by Linda Pastan, and at first I thought it was a little strange. Then I watched it again because I was sitting in the library and I missed half the words because a class came in to the computer lab and it was set to be pretty quiet. So I listened again, still thinking it was a little unusual. The funny thing is, I kept remembering the poem throughout the next few days, so I guess I did like it. I liked how the title added so much, because without it, it wouldn't make much sense. I also liked how she feigned this stupidity in her poem, and then used what she had said before to answer. The last one that I saw that I liked was called Brian, Age 7 by Mark Doty. I thought it was sort of a strange thing to write a poem about (you'll have to watch it to see) but at the same time, some of the comparisons made me laugh. It was a little unusual because he was so calm when he read it, yet the words he uses don't seem like they should be so calm. In the end, it all sounds pretty good, so I guess it doesn't really matter.
     I think that all of the poets did a really good job of presenting their poems, although Why Are Your Poems So Dark? probably had the most expression and was presented most in a fashion that I imagined it would be in, but I think A Partial History of My Stupidity was also presented quite well. I should also mention that I watched One Boy Told Me, but I think enough people have mentioned that by now. :)

Once again, Happy Tulip Time!! (I hope those who did enjoy their time had a good laugh at tourists)

Poetry and Corpses

Well, I think today is the last day of April, which should mean that the rain stops! (Even though we all want rain on that Thursday during Tulip Time) Hooray for warm weather except for when it's too warm and unbearable because you can't do anything except hope that a freak downpour will occur! Anyway, I saw an ad that said "Offer valid only from April 1st - 31st" and I think it's sad that whoever made that ad didn't know how many days were in April. I personally use the "knuckle trick" when I need to remember how many days are in a month, but my mom always tried to teach me a rhyme that I never seem to remember. (If you don't know they knuckle trick, I'm very sorry because even one-handed people can remember how many days are in a certain month) Sorry, back to poetry.

     Poem-A-Day was an interesting idea. After all, who doesn't want to get a random poem in their mail? I like the idea, but I also felt like it wasn't quite right for me. Sometimes the poems just seemed sort of uninteresting to me, so sometimes I didn't really want to read it, or when I did, I didn't feel like a better person, or think it was the best poem ever, or have ideas about how to write my own poems. Poetry is a really great way to express an emotion, but I think it's hard to appreciate charged up emotions without a voice or some sort of story. It's even harder to appreciate it when it is a story, and it starts out making sense, but then the whole idea suddenly changes. Like the exquisite corpse poem. If I were to give that to someone to read, without telling them that it had 16 poets rather then one, they would think that it was really bizarre. Unfortunately, I sometimes feel like I was just handed a poem like that because it follows no course. So as much as the poet might have done a fine job of writing, it's sometimes a little too much to ask another person to understand.
     I don't think I have any new favorite poets. Usually whenever I think that I might like other poems by a poet, I find out that I don't really like the other poems nearly as much. I have read a lot by Theodore Roethke, although Poets.org doesn't have many of his poems. I also came across a villanelle he wrote called The Waking, and two on the Poetry Foundation's website that I like, called "Long Live the Weeds" and A Wheeze for Whystan. I was reading a very long and detailed biography about him, and the poor man did not seem very happy, although he wrote some cheerful poems. Evidently he would have breakdowns and never seemed to fit in well. Poor Theodore. Anyway, he is probably the only new poet I discovered that I really liked a lot of poems by. I also like some of Emily Dickinson's poems. Looking at my notebook, I have only one poem from each poet, because there are really so few available to add. I have about thirty poems by different poets in my notebook, so I don't think I'll list of them. There are a lot of poems that I would call favorites, probably at least half of my notebook. After memorizing it, it's sort of hard not to like When I Have Fears That I May Cease To Be, and sometimes I do say it to myself without thinking about it. I also really like two from the packet, most likely because I had to go through and write little notes on it. I think I mentioned The House on the Hill, which is a villanelle, if I remember correctly. I also read a poem today called Arbolé Arbolé . . . by Federico García Lorca because I saw it on the homepage. I don't have too many from the Poem-A-Day, although I think there are some. (I'm not entirely sure which came from it and which didn't).
     I do plan on continuing to make an effort to read poetry, although it will probably be the Shel Silverstein book of poetry by my bed. As long as I'm working of the poems I'm writing, I'll still be reading poetry. An final poem to end poetry month:

One Flower

By Jack Kerouac

One flower
   on the cliffside
Nodding at the canyon

Poetry: Earth Week

 Yes, all this week has been Earth Week! (That's the way I look at it) Unfortunately, I have no Earth poems to share with you, simply because I didn't find one I really liked. I have been reading poems on the Poetry Foundation website that are the certain poems we are supposed to write this week. (Pantoum, Villanelle, etc.) and I found I do like those a lot. At first, it was really frustrating to write the pantoum and villanelle poems (the others are still in progress) and I didn't really want to do them. I spent a really long time on both of them (which is sort of annoying because I still have other things I should finish), but I am still pretty pleased with how they turned out. It was actually really fun to try and fit the structure, and to find rhymes for a whole poem with only two words to rhyme with. The pantoum was also a fun challenge, because there were very specific limits with structure, but at the same time no limits on what it was about. I had to take one line and keep rephrasing it and rephrasing it because otherwise it sounded sort of weird as the next line. I think I'll definitely need to change a few things with them, but I'm not sure exactly what yet.

     Anyway, I was getting to a point, which was that writing these poems has given me a better appreciation for the other poems that are in that form. I was reading a double sestina and I had to wonder who really had the patience to write one. (One 39 line poem is more than enough for me) Most of the new poems that I found that I do like are in that structure. The House on the Hill by Edwin Arlington Robinson, which is a villanelle poem, is sort of sad, but I also like it. (If you read about the poet, it says something about how he was the poet of unhappiness or something like that) I added that to my notebook, and realize that I also had the poem One Art in my notebook which I may or may not have mentioned before. (It's also a villanelle) How could you not like villanelles? Even the name is neat. (It reminds me of a female villain, wait, that would be villianette) I like how the meaning of the line (usually) changes with every time that it's used, and how a clever line at the beginning can make a really good ending.

     I also found a poem this week that I like called My House is the Red Earth by Joy Harjo. I'm honestly not quite sure why I like it so much, but I do. I also read a poem called Eating Poetry, which was a little strange. I don't think I really liked it, but I thought I should still mention it. I also read a poem called September Elegies which is a sad pantoum about four boys who committed suicide because of bullying, which, although is not my very favorite or anything, I thought used the structure of a pantoum very effectively. I know this poem is out of season...

An Autumn Greeting

"Come," said the Wind to the Leaves one day.

"Come over the meadow and we will play.

Put on your dresses of red and gold.

For summer is gone and the days grow cold."

Poetry This Week

What sort of poetry have I been reading this week? I looked at quite a few over this week, I can't say I can specifically remember all of them, but I'll try to recall a few that I added to my notebook. The first, obvious ones, are the one in the packet. I actually really liked these, although my least favorite is probably Flash Cards. I guess I thought it was sort of strange, and it sounded like she was almost being forced to be good at math. I also thought that the first line made it sound as if she were bragging about herself: "...I was the whiz kid...", although it didn't necessarily follow through with the rest of the poem. I did find an interesting recording of the author reading it, which made me like it a little better, but I wasn't really sure how they author meant for me to feel at the end. It doesn't sound like a happy poem, but it doesn't seem very sad when she reads it, either. But I also don't want to emphasize the bad things (I can be fairly critical) because I did like it, particularly when listening to her read it.

      While looking for a poem to carry in my pocket (I remembered), I found the poem A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes which is actually a children's book, but it made me smile. It's very short and compares everything to a pocket, like a vase, and a bowl, and a chicken coop. I almost brought it with me on Thursday, but instead I brought Spellbound by Emily Brontë, which I really like, and I wrote out The Purple Cow for my friend who is, strangely enough, very fond of both cows and the color purple. I did tell a few people about Poem-in-Your-Pocket day on Wednesday while we were sitting on a hill, waiting for a bus which evidently forgot to take us to our soccer game, but they all forgot. I also read a poem this week called The Tree, which I also liked. He starts by saying "I am four monkeys," and then tells what each monkey is doing, and then ends with "How many monkeys are you?" I thought that was an interesting way to talk about yourself, each monkey shows a different part of his personality. The last one that I like is a few poems from a book, I Am! Say the Lamb. It has all these short poems about different objects/animals. (The Donkey, The Ceiling, The Chair, The Hippo, The Lizard) The poet is the same one that wrote My Papa's Waltz, Theodore Roethke.

About the Bloath
By Shel Silverstein

In the undergrowth

There dwells the Bloath

Who feeds upon poets and tea.

Luckily I know this about him,

While he knows almost nothing of me.

Reading and Snow

Hello to all three of my loyal followers...Just kidding I don't have any. My tendency to ramble seems to have lost even the best of readers. If you've read this far, good for you. You can now decided it's safe enough to skip to the bottom and make a comment on something you saw while skimming through. Now that my lament is over I can go on to other things like...snow. Before I start on my reading and the poems, I would like to mention something. Although I spent a good chunk of time here in Holland, we did take a little road trip all the way to New York. There is a college there that my sister is considering going to in a little town called Ithaca. There are a few things you need to know about Ithaca: a) Odysseus does not seem to live there b) It way out in the middle of nowhere c) It is very very hilly, and driving up and down roads there can be just a little bit scary. Although the weather was really quite nice, I was just a little bit alarmed to see snow between Erie, PA and Ithaca (I don't know exactly where but along the highway) Whoever decided to build Erie was a genius because there is not a whole lot of places to stay withing quite a few miles around. Strangely enough, Erie is farther away from Lake Erie than a whole lot of other cities, but that's okay. Anyway, most of my reading was in the car or sort of before that. I don't seem to get carsick, only once when I was really little, we do have motion sickness bands, but I don't use them. My mom decided to stop by the library and bring me some books...one of these days I will learn to return them before I read them. Just kidding! I got a Muse magazine (I don't know if any of you know about it or not) which had some interesting articles about whaling and digging up and burying artifacts. I think it's geared toward slightly younger readers, but there's not a whole lot to do in a car when your GPS tells you the next turn you will make is in 175 miles. (Oh, I wish I was exaggerating) We did see a really long train just sitting parallel to the highway. We are thinking has approximately 200 cars (I started counting after I realized it was really long).
           Anyway, after I read that I read a book called The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh (Well, I had already read half of it before leaving) and that was pretty good. It's about a little boy who lives in an abbey (Crowfield) next to Foxtwist woods where he finds a hobgoblin (who is later named Brother Walter) caught in a nasty trap that should not be there. The boy (William) manages to get the hob out and takes him back to the abbey to get help from Brother Snail, who is the only kind/understanding person there. But then all these mysterious things start happening that are really unrelated to finding the hob, but William starts to get really freaked out because there are white crows and misty ghost people and creepy old ladies standing around corners and shadows that should not be there. Then he hears about an angel that supposedly died after being shot with an arrow and is buried somewhere around there. (He unravels the information much slower, from different sources) The hob tells him a little about it (he calls it a nangel, after hearing "an angel") and Brother Snail (or the snail brother) shows him a feather from the angel for proof. There is also a mysterious man and his servant who come to the abbey and they seem unusually interested in William and the angel. (Don't want to give too much away) By the end I had noticed a few things: a) It was unusually difficult to tell whether a person was supposed to be good or evil at first, and for some even later b) The hob was probably the best part of the story because of the way he spoke and the things he did c) There should definitely be a sequel because it was not really resolved and d) The cover was really terrible because very little seemed to connect with the story. There are these weird monsters perched in trees on the cover, black with glowing red eyes, and even at the end of every chapter, and yet I still really don't know what they are. I think they represent the presence of the Dark King, and are always in the forest watching, but at the same time they really aren't mentioned. The other thing is that there is a cat/fox thing on the cover. There is some mention of a fox, but I really messed with me because I think it was supposed to be the hobgoblin. All hobgoblins look (to me) like Dobby, but with fur and a tail. This made it really weird because I never imagined it like a fox. (Sorry that was quite long)
     Other reading, earlier this week, was a book called Fever Crumb. I did like this book, but not quite as much as I thought I would. (It looks like there might be more...not sure) The fun started with the cover. There is a picture of the girl, Fever, looking somewhat serious and somewhat menacing in a reddish hood. Now the day my mom got the book, I was wearing a red sweatshirt. Pull the hood up, tuck the hair back, give your most serious glare, and there you have a Fever Crumb. (Sort of scary) I really liked the world she lived in (Future London) and how things worked there. Fever is the only female engineer who lives with the order of Engineers, who are orderly, logical, reasonable, rational people. Everyone else is irrational to them (They believe feelings should not be shown) Fever is sent to work with Kit Solent, She struggles to stay rational in a world where everything is totally irrational. Anyway, when she first gets there, she gets lost and the crowd sees her eyes are two different colors and her head is shaved so they think she's a Scriven, which leads to a bad reputation for the rest of the book. Scriven were a modified race, supposed to be superior to others, and so they ruled for a while until the population shrunk and was overrun. No one can tell though, because Scriven have cheetah sort of spots and had more teeth, along with other differences, none of which she has. It was also very rare for a Scriven baby to be born, for whatever reason. But still they suspect her to be Scriven, even though she thinks not. (I think this is a good time to mention that she has been raised by Dr. Crumb, who reassures her she was found only with a tag that said "Her name is Fever", so she cannot be entirely sure, but still thinks it highly irrational) So she works with Kit on a secret project, and starts to get these strange memories that are not hers. One of my favorite things is that she struggles so much with little kids. She thinks they are all must be slightly crazy to be so irrational, and talking to them is such a challenge for her. Kit's kids are really quite confused by her (The girl carries around a stuffed dog she calls Noodle Poodle) and think she must be sort of dumb because she never knows what to say to them. In the end, I was sort of dissatisfied, but there are more books, so that's reassuring. I felt like very little was resolved, especially since all these nomadic people come in at the end, and sometimes was a little confused by the weird technology they had, but I still thought it was a good book. I think science fiction always throws me off a little bit, because I think there's a clear image in the author's mind of how the world works, and it never quite gets all the way across to me. (Sorry, this one was long, too)
     Finally, poetry reading! I like getting random poems, so I never have to choose, but I really haven't liked many of the poems that well. Most of them I thought were great poems, but I just didn't feel appreciative of the writing, I guess. Sometimes I was sort of confused about what they were trying to get across, and sometimes I felt like I just couldn't follow. I think we all get the same poems, or similar ones, and there was the one about the fish that she caught and let go, and that was all right. She catches it, thinks it's ugly, then sees the hooks in the jaw/lip and lets it go? The first time I read it, I thought it was sort of weird, and the second time I liked it a little better, but there's something about it I just don't like, and I don't know what it is. Then there was the one called  Exact, and as much as I liked it, I just feel like I shouldn't be reading it because I have no idea what he's talking about. I think that goes for a lot of the poems, I feel like I should understand something from it, but I don't and as much as I try to see what the poet saw, I can't. I will not tell you all of the poems in my notebook, and I was disappointed because I couldn't find some, but I guess that means there are different ones to find. I added only two from the Poem-A-Day, and then some extras. Let's see, there's one called April by James Schuyler, We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks (which is a definite favorite, if you have never read it) and One Art by Elizabeth Bishop. I find it very tough to find poems that I really like, but that's okay. I have also been attempting to memorize a sonnet. Originally I really wanted to do the Poe poem about silence, but all I remember are: 'There is a two-fold silence' and 'There are some qualities'. I tried quite hard but it simply would not stick. Now I am doing "When I have fears that I may cease to be" by John Keats (which I have also added to my favorite poems). I am trying quite hard and as of now have almost exactly half memorized. I started reciting it in the car and my sister was a little alarmed. (She thought I was making it all up as I went along and was not sure where it came from) So now I am done and have some writing and memorizing to do! Happy Spring Break!

Reading and My Trend

It's Saturday and I have been sitting at this computer for quite a while. While my schedule has been quite packed and I nearly decided to accompany Holland's Science Olympiad team, I still managed to find some reading. (I usually leave the house at 7:35 AM and get back and around 8:45 PM) I didn't actually go to SO, but I hope the team did well. Anyway, reading: Play scripts, play posters, the little papers with the cast list, the cheat sheet of what scene comes next, etc. Kidding. Although I think I have read all of those. And I saw Susan and Anna at the play! (Ignoring the fact that they know many other people who were also part of the cast)
     Real reading: The END of the Seekers series. I have had the book for so long and not a chance to read it. It's currently sitting sort of near my bed in hopes that I will finish it sometime soon. I am still curious how this will all work out. There are three different types of bears and a shape-shifting bear, right? So how is it all going to end up happily?  I am more than halfway through and wondering if the ending will be very strange. I found only the first book and this book are really enjoyable, because all the ones in between were somewhat similar. There's so much travelling that problems just start getting reused: hunger, tension, where are we going? I don't think there's a chapter that doesn't discuss the lack of food or the joy of finding some. Luckily, the first and the last are not so much of going somewhere as figuring things out. The beginning was neat because each bear had a different background and they each still had their own story to follow, but once all four come together, the story is basically the same other than the shift in the point of view.
     The other thing that bothered me was the idea as a whole. These are bears who are supposed to be facing serious problems, mostly because their homes are being destroyed and they are wandering. Other than the fact they talk to each other and travel together, they seem like relatively normal bears. But then the authors just pulled out this idea of a magic, shape-shifting bear and it doesn't fit very well. I sort of believed that these bears were there and travelling around, especially since they add a map of Canada and list all these very specific places they went through. Facts were used specifically about each kind of bear to make everything seem realistic. So why did there have to be a magical bear? It's not terrible, but it just bothered me a bit.
     Other reading: What is the What. My mom got it from the library and we are both reading it! We just started, so there's not much to say yet. But I am very excited.
     Trend reading this week has been less than other weeks. There was one article that I found in class last week before my eyes were completely screwy from that screen. More and more my topic comes together and then separates. I honestly try to throw other minimalist shoes into the mix, but it's really so hard to. It's becoming barefoot on one side and Five Fingers on the other, because it's so hard to look for both at the same time. But in the article I mentioned I did find something that said that sales tripled since Born to Run was published. I also read little bits of the book online, and read a bit more about it. I'm trying now to really find facts that will help support it, because even though every article refers to it as a rising star in the running world, there aren't that great of facts so far. I think this essay will turn out pretty well!

This Week Was Strange

That means I really don't want to think about next week. Research for my trend? Well yesterday I spent the whole day (ish) at a forensics tournament because ever since I was about seven I have been at the ones in Holland, selling food. No one has worked longer than my mom and I. Most parents stay for one or two years and then let someone else take charge. So every year they go to my mom for advice and totally disregard it. (I may or may not be coming to a point here) Anyway, they let my mom and I take over the cash registers, and we are hopeful that they listened to our advice that the would need ridiculous amounts of ones and quarters because kids come with twenties for a bag of chips (50 cents). Of course, we open up our registers to find one quarter roll to split between both of us, and a total of zero tens, three fives, and twenty-some ones. We are trying to warn the lady in charge that as soon as the lunch crowd hits (anytime in the next few minutes) we will be toast because we have enough change for roughly two kids with twenties. So it was quite annoying and a lot of people now think I am bad at math because I had to keep asking my mom if she had any change and many people thought I just didn't know how to give them change for a twenty. (No, believe it or not, I actually can tell you that I should give you eighteen dollars, but of course I don't have it!) So one poor kid waited for about ten minutes until we could get change for him and a few left without fifty cents they should have had. My point: after seeing a lot of kids go through I did not see any of them wearing Five Fingers or going barefoot. But then again no one was running and I don't think you're allowed to wear things connected to your topic. As weird as that may sound, it is extremely possible that someone might have been giving a speech about the shoes. But then again there are thousands of other topics they might have been doing and some of then weren't even giving prepared speeches. So that's why I didn't post yesterday. Otherwise I have done some additional reading for my topic. I need to start a new paragraph.
     Research this week has been a lot of reading. I've been spending a lot of time with Runner's World (A running magazine) that has different stories about minimalist shoes and some about barefoot running. I found this sort of surprising considering all the ads for running shoes in there. I also found a Popular Science article about bad news for the running shoe. That was pretty exciting. A lot of the things I find link back to two things. Either they read/heard about the barefoot professor and the Harvard study, or they read Born to Run. (I'm not discussing Bruce Springsteen) So I decided it was probably the tiniest bit important to learn about this book. I found a website for the book and what did I find? A list of ten big newspapers that wrote about running barefoot. How lucky! (There is also one of these on the Virbram website for all the times newspapers mentioned FiveFingers) I sort of looked through those and a lot were interviews with the author, Christopher McDougall. Then I found an almost hour long (52 min) Google Talk with the author which I am still working my way through because it's obviously pretty long. So far it's quite interesting and I don't really want to have to pause it. One thing that's been hard is not trying to make this into a persuasive essay. I think it's really easy to just find out why it's good more than why it's growing more popular and where the trend is growing more popular. But it is really weird to think about these people that were told not to run because of injuries and that they would hurt themselves and then they learn about running barefoot and try out shoes like the Five Fingers and suddenly there's no pain. It's also been hard to think about because of something I just heard the author of Born to Run. He just read something that an editor from Runner's World said about how we were not 'engineered' to run long distances barefoot. So I'm sort of curious as to how the magazine has put out multiple articles about how shoes aren't necessarily a good thing and some people might benefit from not using them. I think as of now I have a lot of proof for my trend. :)

Before I forget! This coming Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (March 24, 25, 26, and 27) our school will have a performance of The Music Man! It's in the Holland High performing arts center at 7:00 on Thur. Fri. and Sat. and 2 pm on Sun. Tickets will go on sale an hour before and doors open at 6:30! (Or 1:30 on Sunday) Some of you will remember Delaney from last year's class and will recognize her as the leading female role: Marian! I will also be in it as one of the old ladies who walks around and is annoyed with everything that happens until I become irrationally excited. (That's the best way to describe it because almost no one has a real name for their character and if they do it's one that you never really hear) Anyway, you are all invited and I think if you came you'd enjoy it!

And Now For Some Experimenting

This can be so frustrating! It's sometimes hard to tell what is an interesting article and what is just trying to get me to buy a shoe. I looked for articles on barefoot running and minimalist shoes for a while on the computer. Then my mom came in and told me that my brother had sent her an article about it from a study  a while ago. I have been watching video after video after video on YouTube on running barefoot. I found a particularly interesting video that I, unfortunately, didn't ever finish. It pointed out a few things. When wearing running shoes, you generally land on your heel. If you were to take off those shoes and just jump up and down on your heel, it would be difficult because there's not much cushion or anything to make your feet bounce back. (Okay, it's nearly impossible to jump on just your heels) Jumping completely on the toes is a little easier, but there's not much cushion. But, if you try on the forefoot (middle to front), it's easy! (Now half of you feel really embarrassed because you just tried jumping just using your heels and it didn't work.) I thought that was an interesting point to make, although I'm not sure who runs on their toes. So that was pretty weird to think about.
     Then I read a few different news articles in different papers. The website for one of the shoes has links to just about every article written about them. I have been trying to find some studies here and there, and I've found a few. The one I am looking at now is a study from a professor at Harvard, which is actually quite interesting! There is a video that was posted of an interview/ explanation with this man on YouTube, and I think I get why these shoes are so popular. When you prove that heel-striking causes a sharp shock to your body, you have people saying "Oh! Then I better not use shoes!" But then people start to doubt that running barefoot is a good idea. What if I step on something? So then these shoe people jump in and say "Hey! Look at this amazing shoe!" and the attention is brought to a shoe where you move more naturally. (Forefoot strike) Yes, reading and watching for my trend essay.

(And now that I have been looking up this topic I am starting to really want a pair of minimalist shoes. I would probably feel strange using them, since I don't run that much, yet. Thank goodness this isn't a persuasive essay.)

On Romeo and Juliet

     I would like to start off by answering the question of what I would change if writing the play. I think I would end up doing everything differently, but not because I wanted to. If I wrote this play, no one would want to read it because somehow I do not seem to be able to write like Shakespeare. But besides that slightly important detail, I don't think I would change anything. I think everyone agrees that the language in this play is beautiful. Changing it to make it easier for younger people to understand would ruin it. The one thing I might do is change the Prologue. Why remind them what happens in the end? I would keep all the explanations of what's going on (These two families are fighting...) What if someone was hearing this story for the first time? I would want it to be a surprise for them, so although I would want them to know what was happening, why spoil the end by telling them the ending? I don't think I would be happy by changing the end, so that they end up alive. It was really frustrating to have everyone come at the wrong time, but I don't want them to run away, either. It was somehow very satisfying to see them all dead. Maybe because I knew that they were supposed to die. Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't change the Prologue. (In case you haven't noticed, I am not good at making decisions.)
     What did I like? There's not much I didn't like, actually. As I mentioned before, although I may not have always understood exactly what was happening, the language was still charming. The very first line I noticed was from Juliet at the end of the first Act. (Now I have to find it so I don't screw it up)

My only love, sprung from my only hate!

Too early seen unknown, and known too late!

Prodigious birth of love it is to me

That I must love a loathed enemy.

     While I had to read it more than once to understand completely, I still thought it was amazing! Then, after we finished that, it was pointed out that it was in iambic pentameter. Now, it's not only touching, but there is a further appreciation for the writing. (It would take me quite a while to come up with a rhyme like that)

     My favorite character was probably Friar Lawrence. He always helped out both Romeo and Juliet, and was trying to help the families by marrying them. He stopped both of them from killing themselves before the end. And he said things like "Holy Saint Francis!" He was the only one who is on both sides, really. Romeo and Juliet were wrapped up in themselves. The Capulets and the Montagues hated each other. Mecrutio sided more with the Montagues. Paris and Escalus didn't really help anyone, and Friar John screws everything up for everyone. How could you not like Friar Lawrence? Sure, it's frustrating that he can't save them, and that he couldn't send the letter properly. But I imagined the ending without Friar Lawrence, and it doesn't look too good. Who would be there that knew their story? There was the letter from Romeo, which basically killed him mother, and there was the nurse, who knew a little about the marriage but really thought Juliet had died. So who better to tell the story than our friend the Friar? Sure, he gives Juliet a highly suspicious potion, but it does what he promised. Our job is not to question why this little man is brewing strange potions in his cell, but to appreciate that he has them on hand, just in case someone needs to appear to be dead.

     After him, I don't know who I like better than others. Nurse was sort of strange, sometimes funny, but strange. Juliet more sensible than many of her relatives (any Capulet) and the Montagues, but she went a little crazy after Act II. There seems to be no point where she is not crying or yelling after that. She cries when she hears Romeo is banished, when she sees Friar Lawrence, and then is 'dead' until she actually dies. It's not the best way to be remembered. What she did say in the first two acts was usually either carefully thought or sounded delicate and beautiful. Romeo always seems to be running somewhere, acting quickly, or jumping around. Strangely enough, I always thought of him to be the more relaxed one. Then there's Mecrutio. At first he was slightly scary and strange. But now I just remember him, thanks to Stephanie, as a strange bird. He just said all this strange things. Sometimes they were funny and strange, and sometimes they were just strange. And everyone else was not that great. Paris and Escalus: not that great. Paris was sort of pushy and loud. Escalus didn't do that much, other than ride in at opportune moments. And how could anyones' favorite character be Tybalt? (My apologies to the person who had to be Tybalt. Anna, I believe) He ruined it for the poor Romeo and Juliet. He did make the story more interesting, but that doesn't mean I have to appreciate it. Let's see, who else? There are little people, like Peter, and the Musicians, and the Apothecary. I'm sure that they all would have been great had they been particularly easily remembered by me. Peter stood there a lot. (None of the servants are that memorable, except for the biting of the thumbs) I don't remember much of the Musicians, other than they wouldn't play a song for Peter. The Apothecary just sold him the poison, reluctantly. So they don't really compete for that spot. Then there's Benvolio. He's just a mischievous friend of Romeo. I thought he was a little more adventurous than Romeo, but not as crazy as Mecrutio. He always seemed to want to cheer Romeo up, get him into a better mood. I bet he was probably pretty sad after both Mecrutio and Romeo died.

     Is there anything else? Struggles? Obviously, line by line wasn't always clear. I think I probably got most of the picture, though. It made sense. Sometimes it was better to have to read a little slower, because it was easier to pick up little details, and appreciate the quality of the writing more.

A glooming peace this morning with it brings.

The sun for sorrow will not show his head.

Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;

Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished;

For never was a story of more woe

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

From Romeo and Juliet Act V, Scene III,  (317-322)

Romeo and Juliet Acts 4 and 5

     It seems an end has come to Romeo and Juliet, and a tragic one at that. It starts with a frantic Juliet, going to Friar Lawrence. Somehow he manages to keep her from killing herself, which he is pretty good at, since he stopped Romeo before. Then he pulls out a weird potion sort of thing for Juliet to drink. If I were Juliet, I would question what would make me look like I was dead when I wasn't, but it is a pretty good way out, providing Romeo gets the message to come and get her. And she does question it, what if the friar wants to kills her? (No) But what if she lies there and goes crazy? She definitely freaks out, but in the end, she goes home, and 'dies'. She gets out of the wedding and put into the tomb, and lies there for a while. Meanwhile, the Friar is waiting for Romeo to come, and then John comes and tells him he didn't give him the letter. So he was going to hide Juliet in his cell, which doesn't work when Romeo gets there first, kills Paris, kills himself, and then Juliet wakes up and kills herself.  I thought it was sort of funny how she gets mad at him for drinking all the poison. (You didn't leave any for me?) Then everyone from everywhere comes running in, and the two families are friendly again.
     I was honestly surprised to find Paris there. It would make sense he was there, but I still didn't expect him to be there or to suddenly want to fight Romeo. Why is Romeo always the better swordsman? What if Paris just pulled out his sword and sliced Romeo up? But no, Romeo is, of course, the superior swordsman and kills Paris. I thought it was a little strange and a little funny when it just says 'He dies'. I think it's just so you know he's not lying on the floor, dying while everyone is running around, worrying about Romeo and Juliet. I also was surprised to hear Paris was related to Benvolio, I think he said. He should feel bad. WAIT! If Paris was related to Benvolio, then isn't he a Montague and should not be marrying Juliet? That's so weird! Why isn't that a big deal?
     That's the other thing that doesn't seem fair. Why does Lady Capulet get to live when Lady Montague  dies? She should die of happiness because there is no longer a feud, but instead she dies of grief from Romeo. Did anyone else catch that? Not much chance for a good relationship anymore. Poor Lady Montague.
     I was actually surprisingly okay with the ending. At first I was mad Friar Lawrence comes in right after Romeo dies, but then I felt better when they said he had been there for a while. One thing bothered me: Why couldn't the friar get there faster? It seems like Romeo, coming from another city, would take longer than Friar Lawrence coming from nearby, but I guess it had to happen. I liked the last two lines about Juliet and her Romeo, and it was very satisfying to see everyone happy with each other, even if Lady Montague died and didn't quite make it there.

Other than that, I also finished a book called Stealing Death, that I may or may not have mentioned before. I takes place in, as far as I know, an imaginary place, but still based on a desert-based land, (Saharan Africa?) It's about a young man named Kipp, whose family is lost in a fire at his house, but he has to take care of his sister, who survives. Then the debt collectors come and he has to go and work at the rich landlord's house, on his farm. Unfortunately, he loves his daughter, Zalika, and his braid has been shorn by a witch, which is embarrassing for a man to be seen without a braid. His religion is a little strange, and I don't completely understand it, but much of the story has to do with the Gwali and a sack called the Kwaja. So the Gwali is a man who rides of a mystical ghost horse with a pack of dogs, and collects dead peoples' souls in this sack, or the Kwaja. Kipp is angry that he couldn't stop the Gwali from taking his family, so he swears to steal the Kwaja from the Gwali. So he goes to the witch to figure this out, who gives him a potion sort of thing to help steal the soul sack. A lot happens in between, he steals the sack, Zalika almost dies, he saves her by not letting the sack take her soul, but at the same time, he's being dragged by the magic of the sack, which wants to collect souls. It was surprisingly able to really catch and keep my attention, and I really liked how the author had this whole culture for the people who lived there, not just one predictable sort of idea. And there is a series of different problems that Kipp faces, making the book a bit more interesting. Quite good. :)

The Third Part of Romeo and Juliet

Excitement, excitement! What's going to happen? Somehow I feel the ending wouldn't have felt so obvious if they hadn't pointed it out in the beginning. (Okay, duh) What I mean is, I don't think I would expect them  to die in the end if it wasn't the best known love story in history. And I'm still sort of hoping it won't happen. But then again, there wasn't really any other way to fix the fight between the two families. So sad, so sad. A lot of bad things happened. Mercutio died, poor guy, and Romeo gets mad and ends up killing  Tybalt, and that gets him shoved out of Verona. Mercutio was weird and sort of frightening, but I think it's still a little for him to die. It's all sort of painful to read, really.

Then Juliet's parents decide that in a few days she's going to marry Paris. I love how Juliet reacts. Of course, she's really upset that her parents would do anything, but she covers everything so well. She's crying for 'Tybalt', which she was upset about at first, but then she decided that she needed to side with her husband, even though he was the person who killed him. I think she probably realized that it would be hard to hate Romeo, anyway. But then she says "I will not marry yet; and when I do, I swear/ It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate,/ Rather than Paris. These are news indeed!" I laughed at this, because it seems so obvious, but it really isn't for her mom. It seems like Romeo would be a weird person to bring up, but since she's 'crying about Tybalt', who was killed by Romeo, it's not strange. I still think it's strange how well Romeo fits as being hated by her, and then she says she would rather marry him than Paris. (Little does her mother know she's already married) How much I love Juliet.

Other than that, the story wasn't especially cheerful. We find out Romeo is jealous of the mice that will get to be with Juliet when he can't. Poor Romeo. I did always feel a little bit like the Capulets were the 'bad' people and the Montagues are 'good'. It's hard to love Tybalt, so I don't blame Juliet for not being that sad. It would be sad to know your cousin died, and you would generally be mad at the killer, but how do you excuse his killing Mecrutio without sort of excusing Romeo? At first Juliet is really upset that Tybalt died, and mad at Romeo, but then she sort of drops the anger and realizes it will be more painful to be without him. (She never really did see him as the murderer sort of guy) I feel like I should be angry that Romeo was so irrational to fight Tybalt and kill him, but I also feel like it would be hard to see your close friend die.

Well, anyway, I am still wishing that maybe everyone will live and Mercutio comes back to life. And that everyone will be happy and that Juliet's dad will realize that Paris is not the best person to marry. If only everything could end up happy.

Romeo and Juliet Act 2

So, this week I had almost nothing to do on Wednesday in the afternoon, other than homework for this class. So I read Romeo and Juliet. I was so focused on reading that I really over-read. (Meaning then end of Act 2 is long gone) But I will attempt to remember everything and talk about it. This week, it was both easier and more frustrating. But I think I got it. It's hard not to pay attention too much to one character. I'm trying to catch everything for my character, but then I tend to ignore other people. Not flat out ignore, but sort of focus more on one. I don't really know what to say. If I were Juliet, I would honestly 1) Be freaked out to find Romeo below my window and 2) Calm down. She is really freaks out when the nurse doesn't come back with news from Romeo. Honestly, even if it has been three hours, it's not that terrible to wait for news (She knows Romeo loves her already) I can just see the whole of Scene 2 being ruined by Juliet staying away from that window, or even him going to the wrong window. How does he know which window is hers? I still think it's weird he stood outside her window. Maybe she was really happy to see him there, but I can just see so many things happening. 1) Someone else looks out the window. 2) Someone notices Juliet talking to herself. 3) The window to Juliet's room doesn't open 4) Romeo or Juliet can't hear the other person without talking too loudly to be heard. It's just hard for me to place (Probably because the window to my bedroom is a) Basically behind a little tree b) looking out on what would be my neighbor's driveway c) Only the top half opens - to a screen (which rarely opens), which is still hard to hear out of and d) I share a room with my sister. Her bed blocks off any access to the window from my bed or the doorway. Yeah, it's a little hard for me to picture now, but it is not too difficult to imagine all of it as I'm reading.
     I'm also glad they both like each  other. Honestly, what is Romeo fell in love with Juliet, but she thought he was a terrible person? Then his heart would be broken twice, and the poor guy would feel terrible. I think it's better than they fall in love and die together than not falling in love and not dying together. What else? Romeo excusing his absence was interesting. They demand to know everywhere he's gone! I am puzzled to think how he managed to get out of that one. Then they go and get married. That also confuses me, they never show them getting married? You see them both go to the cell and they leave for the church, but it never continues on to the church. Oh well. Anyway, I do like this play, and I would like to finish it soon! (Unfortunately, I read most of the next Act... Sorry)

Romeo and Juliet, Act I, and Other Reading

     The first act of Romeo and Juliet. I thought it was pretty good. Of course my mind blanks at specifics, but I did like it. I didn't find it cumbersome to read or anything, but sometimes I would get bored when someone talked for a long time (Mercutio and dreams, the Nurse and her... joke) because I wanted everything to keep moving. It wasn't bad to listen to the long talk about 'Queen Mab', but after the first twenty lines or so, it wasn't holding my attention. But really, I don't mean it was bad, in fact, I thought it was very good poetry. Speaking of that, I also really liked that little four line rhyme Juliet says at the very end of the last scene. (Scene 5, 147-150) I thought it was beautiful.

     I agree with, well, probably almost everyone, that it is, although not unusual for the time, not favorable that Juliet is almost fourteen and Romeo is a few (five-ish, I'm think) years older. Of course, Paris doesn't sound like the youngest guy, either, certainly older than Romeo. But I actually find it more alarming that they (Juliet's mother, her nurse, people then in general) thought of marriage at such a young age, rather than the gap in age between the Romeo and Juliet. I guess her dad did say wait a few years, but that's still young. To me, though, neither seems particularly young. Romeo doesn't seem really old, and Juliet seems as if she might be closer to his age than she is. They do seem to fall in love particularly fast, but I guess when you have two hours to put on a show, you have to keep things moving if they need to die by the end.

     I am pretty excited about reading this play, so far it is very good, and I enjoy the poetry. I'm glad that Romeo can get over Rosaline (Although alarmed at the speed...) and that there was a masquerade ball. I have always thought it would be neat to go to one of those, as long as everyone truly was disguised well. I would love all the mystery to it! You would never know who you were dancing with. Hmmm, maybe I don't like the idea. (Besides, I doubt I could ever dance fancily like they did)

     Other reading this week: actually, a few things. I read a book called 'The Haunting of Charles Dickens' by.... someone or other with a weird last name, Buzbee, maybe? I thought it was a sort of strange, kind of cheesy book, but at the same time I did like it. Basically this girl's brother disappeared and with the help of her friend, Charles Dickens, they discover where he disappeared to. So Meg (the girl) does all sorts of sneaking around (tunnels, deserted houses, mansions, factories with child workers) and acting. I felt like everything worked out a little too well and that Charles Dickens wasn't really necessary in the story. First of all, the basically jump from clue to clue without any trouble, other than Meg's father doesn't want her to be in any danger, so he tries to stop her for looking for Orion (her brother). Everything is figured out very easily (with the exception of the letters MR) and there is little suspense. Now that it's all over, as I've said, I'm not quite sure why Dickens was important. I have read a few books by Dickens, and reading this does give me inspiration to read more, but he didn't really seem vital to the plot. The characters that are give them clues are from Dickens' books. For example, Mr. Micawber (David Copperfield) and Jenny Wren (Our Mutual Friend) both help Meg and Mr. Dickens to find Orion. The unfortunate thing is, without having read all books by him, I probably missed some characters that were from his books, and assumed this author made them up. (Some characters clearly were Dickens' and others clearly not) When reading it, I wanted to catch all the names, and it was annoying to only catch a few. I probably wouldn't have caught any at all if the first person they met wasn't Mr. Micawber and didn't clearly share his personality.

     Things I did like about it, though, were also important. I loved this picture of London, back in Dickens' day. I don't know what it is about it, but I enjoyed that part of the setting. I also enjoyed these pictures that were put in every so often. There were probably less than ten in the whole book, but each one helped to form an idea of what a scene or object looked like. I also liked how the author made each character with a purpose to help in the discovery of Orion. In the end, although I felt the writing was sort of weak and predictable, I did enjoy the story.

     I also read a few comics this week, which I will only write briefly about. I read a Foxtrot comic called 'And When She Opened The Closet All The Clothes Were Polyester!'. I think Foxtrot is probably one of my favorites. I also have Calvin and Hobbes comic that I'm reading. While I was at the library, looking for Foxtrot, I found this one about a duck on an island, which I don't remember other than that, and I was going to take that, but in the end I didn't.

Romeo, Juliet, and Henrietta

     Hello again. I feel sort of guilty, because I really haven't done much reading this week. I don't know why, but I just haven't. On Wednesday, I sort of flipped through Romeo and Juliet and read an essay that my sister wrote. (Hey Clara, you look bored...) My creativity fails me as it comes to rewriting the Prologue. The trouble is, you can write anything you want and put it to music, and it'll be the greatest thing ever. So how I write something to sound more 'modern' is beyond me, other than that by doing so I would make it about a tenth of the length. I have to figure something out. I rewrote each line to help make sure I got everything, but the only thing I learned is that they really made it too hard to say.
     On a, different, note, I have been reading a book about a young woman, a deceased woman, I should say, named Henrietta. I would say 'On a lighter note', but it's not exactly fitting. This young African American woman, Henrietta Lacks, died at the age of thirty, in 1951, of cancer. At first it looked as though the cancer would be easily treated, and it was, with radium. But it eventually got worse and worse, and it spread throughout her body. The radium left her stomach black, and she hardly had any strength. So, she was finally admitted to the hospital, and she later died there because she couldn't rid the toxins from her body. What she didn't know was that, right when the cancerous tumor had begun to grow, the first doctor she went to cut a bit of the tumor off, and kept it for scientific studies. Most African Americans who came to hospitals were expected to be guinea pigs. They were sometimes injected with diseases, and things were tested on them. So, without her knowledge, let alone approval, he took these cells from Henrietta, labelled them HeLa (From her name, Henrietta Lacks) and gave them to his assistant to see if they would grow. Does anyone know where this is going?
     Henrietta's cells were the first human cells to grow outside of the body. They thrived with minimal help from scientists, and were shipped around the world to help studies. They helped to find answers for polio, and replaced monkeys and other animals for testing. While this may sound amazing, Henrietta's family still did not know a thing about it, and was never paid for her gigantic contribution to science. The book I'm reading, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks talks about how the author struggled to find any information on her. The family didn't really talk about it, and neither did anyone close to her. The hardest part is, when her family found out, they were more upset by the fact her cells were living when she wasn't. They believed it wasn't right to have her cells living when she wasn't. It's really a sad book. Her children had a hard time, too, and it's very upsetting to see how much worse everything was for them because of their mother's death. Very frightening.
     Well, today I watched Holland High's version of The Three Musketeers, for the district competition. It was quite funny, for being very short. For those of you not familiar, competition theatre requires your performance must be short, half an hour, if I'm not mistaken. They did the whole thing earlier this year, which was hilarious. I feel bad that you have to cram so much into such a short show, especially when you have to cut things out that were important to explaining the plot, or something funny. They also rearranged some of the.... slightly less important characters. (Non Musketeers/Aspiring Musketeer) I'm not sure how I liked that. They got rid of Milady, a villain, and had that actress become the queen. She was much better as the villain. But, Constance, the important lady-in-waiting who falls in love with What's-His-Face, the main guy who wants to be a Musketeer, was much better. Before she was sort of boring, but she was much funnier, because she is so oblivious to everything. But that's technically not reading, so I apologize.

"...smoked the enemy with my blazing sword!" That is a good line, if anyone saw it, which I hope Anna or Paul did, at least the longer version, because if anyone from this class was there today, I completely missed them. However, I did spot our four special guests from last week. :)

Reading: Jan 18-25

     I don't even know what to call this post. This week I have been reading a lot. Music, math and social studies books, and the closings at the bottom of the television. Actually, I did go to the library when I found out I was unwanted at play practice that day. I got three books. One is a mystery about a missing musical instrument, which is solved by a group of friends. I thought it was okay. The puzzles in it were cool, but I found the characters sort of strange. This valuable violin is stolen from the store where it was being repaired, and they have to figure out how anyone could have stolen it without going through the front of back doors, which had alarms, or breaking any windows (which were barred) The problem is that there are only a select few suspects, so it's not that difficult to figure out 'who' as much as 'how' and 'why'. I honestly thought the reason why was a little weird. But the very ending, after they solve the mystery, I liked.
    The other book, which I just started, is called 'The Islands of the Blessed' this would be the third book in the series which I think I have mentioned before. (The Sea of Trolls and The Land of the Silver Apples) So far it's pretty good. There's an un-dead mermaid that is coming to find a monk because he refused to marry her because she was a monster. Then he burned her tail and floated away in his ship. And she died, but not really, so her spirit has come back and it gets angry every time it hears this gold and bronze bell. And there was a gigantic tornado that ripped through the town. That's sort of important. Right now there are some hobgoblins, named The Bugaboo and The Nemesis, who are visiting our friend and bard in training, Jack. Sort of unfortunately, all the copies there were in large print. I'll have to see how it all turns out.

The End of The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

     So, I had time on Wednesday to read the end and then reread it because I had almost no homework. (That was because it was waiting in ambush for Thursday...well not really) Anyway, I read the book over again and looked for 'huckleberrying' and wrote it down for myself.
      I am still particularly amazed by this book. Henry has such an interesting spin on everything. But the ending made the play seem more serious. He has that once scene with Edward where they're picking huckleberries, but other than that I felt like there was a complete lack of cheerfulness in the end. Lydian says he should get married, Waldo fights with him and everyone else gets mad when he rings the bell but Waldo doesn't come. Then there's that dream with the war, where they pretty much kill Edward. It didn't leave me feeling very happy. I did like Williams a lot, though. I felt like I could see him popping out of nowhere. (Cañada) When I went back and reread it, it didn't seem as funny as it did the first time. He said all the same things, but it all felt much more serious than it had before. It was like someone had just taken all the "Funny" and drained it out. Henry still had his sense of humor, but it was almost like at the same time he didn't actually think what he was doing was funny. I felt more like what he was saying came from some strong emotion that had gathered up inside him and sounded sort of ridiculous when he said it rather than something that, although is perfectly serious (in Henry's case) seems to have more purpose as a joke.
     What I liked about Henry were his peaceful views, even though he wasn't always peaceful himself. It wasn't just he refused to pay taxes for the war, that he was sent to jail because he 'did not murder'. He also questions what good it is to 'flog' students, and resigns soon after he is forced to do so. He acts, in more ways for something he truly cares about. He also genuinely cares for nature. He admires the bird's ability to fly and sing and live off of flowers while sitting in his cell with Bailey. He says to Ellen "Did you know that trees cry out in pain when they're cut?" He also tells her that people are poisoning paradise. He believed that no matter who has bought land, the animals that live there still own it. (Woodchucks)
     I think that's why I didn't like Ellen. Thoreau had such ahead-of-everyone ideas that when Ellen disagreed, she seemed unintelligent. When they talk about the railroad, she says it's much smoother and faster, but seems only confused when he points out that it's uglier and dirtier. He sees these terrible things in the future, but she seems only to deny it. She also believes her father too much. You can still love someone and not believe everything that they say! My dad says this. My dad says that. Guess what? Your dad isn't the only person in the world who you can base your opinions on! How could she be so willing to learn (going to school) but at the same time be completely narrow-minded about what she was learning?

I forgot to mention last time that one of my favorite things he says is about how books should have legs. (That would be pretty cool)

The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

     I have no idea why at this very moment, but I LOVE it!! That just about sums it up. If you don't like to read all of what I wrote, it's longer than usual, so you can just stop there because that's all that's important. At first I thought it would be very depressing, considering that it sounds like just the night he spent in jail. (This is before I had even opened it) However, I found it really amazing! If I told you all my favorite parts, I would be listing most of the book. I love how crazy he is, because when he says it, it no longer seems so crazy! And even when he doesn't sound like he makes much sense, I listen anyway He teaches Bailey to write, and then he gets angry that he can write his name and tells him to un-learn it. B-A-Beanpole-Turn the Corner-Comb-Tree! I also really loved the teaching thing with the audience, and the whole conversation with the Deacon.
     The weird thing is, I have this really clear image of the set in my head. I can see how it all works, except for the part where he's in the boat with Ellen. That has always been clearer in my mind as in a movie, not sitting on a stage in a boat, which bothers me, because it would seem very pathetic to sit in a boat on the middle of the stage and clunk the oars against the ground every so often, because he obvious isn't going anywhere. So for that part I forgot about the 'play' part of it.
     One thing I like about him is, like I sort of mentioned, is that he says and does strange things, and yet it doesn't make you think worse of him. For example, when he has the whole in the shoe, he walks with one shoe on and one shoe in his hand and salutes people with it. Then he takes the order to arrest him and sticks it in his shoe. Everything he does is strange, but at the same time, I accept that as the way he is, and it doesn't bother me at all.
     He's brave enough to laugh in even in a bad situation. He can be in trouble, and yet he'll still be calm. That's what makes him better: he defends his opinions well. With the Deacon, he tells him exactly what he thinks, even if the man clearly disagrees. He only gives in to save his job. He even struggles to whip the students in the room! He seems like an almost unreal person. He cares deeply about all people (which gets him in jail), and he stands by that, even when he could get out of it. (I thought that conversation where Bailey asks him why he's in jail was just wonderful, by the way.) He also has these great ideas, and he can say exactly what he means. At the same time, he seems sort of normal. He does things with his brother, he has a sense of humor, he falls in love with Ellen. (Deacon: We've been feeding our souls! Henry: How selfish of you.")
     Some of the best things are with his brother, John. He seems to really understand Henry, and accepts his name is backwards, and he sort of shares his sense of humor. They are probably my two favorite people in the play. I actually don't like Ellen that much, she always seems sort of dumb compared to the brothers. (I'm sure she wasn't but she doesn't seem to share his intelligence) And then she turns out to be mean to Henry on their little boat trip. I would have been perfectly happy if John had married her, but I was happier when John comes running in, and you think he's all happy because she said "Yes" and then he say that she really didn't!
     One thing I didn't realize, but really appreciate is that it's not fictional. I was reading about how John died of lockjaw, which must have been impossible for Henry, and it was strange because it happened in the book. Henry did get a sympathetic illness (lockjaw) after John's death. I also read that he died in Henrys' arms. That must have been hard for him, but meaningful at the same time. I guess Ellen seems a little more impressive after his death, but I still liked John better.
     And finally, the time he spends at the Emerson's. I think it must have been amazing for him, considering Emerson was basically his hero, but I thought it might be a little weird for him to show up at his house and ask to be a handyman. "The weeds are at war with the marigolds..." But I hope it was good for the man.
     But I really do love this play. It's mostly just the way Henry is, but it's still amazing. Here's another piece I liked. First of all, it made me laugh. Second of all, he becomes serious in a second, and he wants Ellen to be herself, and he ties it in with the meadow!

Ellen: When you go to school, you're supposed to write things down, so you remember what you've been taught.

Henry: Then it's the notebook that does the remembering, not you.

Ellen: You keep a notebook.

Henry: I also wear a ridiculous straw hat. That doesn't mean that you should wear a ridiculous hat. You'd look ridiculous in it. Nature didn't stuff this meadow full of identical blades of grass, each an imitation of another. They're all different! Follow-the-leader is not the game we're playing here! Young lady, BE YOUR OWN MAN!

Reading for 2010 and 2011

The best thing about the new year so far has been the Google Doodle on December 31st. I guess that's not this year. So I don't know what the best thing is. I have been reading a little this week, which is quite interesting. I read a fascinating book called "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm". While it may be sort of classified as a children's book, I found it in the 'Young Adult' section of the library. Those librarians. I picked it up because of the author, Nancy Farmer, who wrote other books that I likes, one of which was 'The Sea of Trolls' that I read a few years ago. Of course (and it hurts to say it) it was part of a series. Why does this happen to me! The strange thing is I had absolutely no idea that there was even a sequel to this book. So I took the sequel, too. Let me catch up with myself.
     'The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm' was interesting for me for multiple reasons. One of them happens to be that it takes place in ZIMBABWE! Let me just ask, has anyone else ever read a book that takes place in Zimbabwe? (Not including non-fiction books) It also turned out to be science fiction, which was hardly surprising since it says on the back it's in 2194 and Ear, Eye, and Arm got special powers from pollution. The cool thing about this book was that it took real things that happened in the twentieth century and farther back, and projected what it would be like, along with the author's own ideas. Basically three children, Tendai (13), Rita (11, I think) and Kuda (Maybe about 4) are kidnapped on a trip to the city and are going to be sold to the gang called the Masks. I takes traditional culture from tribes in Zimbabwe and uses words from their languages, which made it more interesting for me. The three siblings are the children of General Matsika, who is a very famous man who has worked to improve life in Zimbabwe (Like breaking up gangs) While the family is well off and able to hire detectives, it also makes them targets in the city. So the mother hires three detectives, Ear, Eye, and Arm to search for them. These men have powers that go with their names. Ear has exceptional hearing, Eye has exceptional eyesight, and Arm has the amazing ability to feel other people's feelings, which makes them ideal detectives. I was really amazed by this book, and it was thoughtfully printed in large print. (I don't know how I ended up with that copy.
     I now am reading a book called 'The Land of the Silver Apples' which is also a book by Nancy Farmer. It's about a boy named Jack and it takes place in the past in a magical world where there are giants and elves and magical creatures. This would be the sequel I was talking about. So far he has found out his sister is actually an elf, seen her taken away along with all the water,  explored differences between the old gods and Christianity, and with a slave and an ex-slave with him, he journeys to fix the problems of water and elves. Jack is trained in magic, by the Bard, and has experience with magic and magical creatures. He also is joined by a friend from the previous book, but it all makes much more sense if you've already read the first.
Sorry for the long ramble, but it was quite exciting for me. I can't believe anyone has the patience to read this, anyway. :)