The new academic year has not started without it's hic ups. Thankfully these were resolved and this week my classes & lectures have started. My literature module for this semester is looking at various novels and their film adaptations. Rather than a lecture followed by a seminar our tutor is treating it like a workshop. We read various novels and watch the film adaptations in our own time and then discuss them indepth in class. Today we looked at Edgar Allan Poe's The Fallen House of Usher and the 1960 film (with Vincent Price) House of Usher. Many of us watch adaptations and often see them as a violation of the novel so it is interesting to learn why these adaptations made. Novels from our past like 19th century literature are converted into films to provide us with a visual of what the times were like back then. What clothes were worn, what transport was used etc. The adaptation of contemporary novels are more often than not created for commercial reasons. We often see the best sellers turned into films and very often the plot is changed, characters have different relationships and the narrative disappears. If a novel can make so much money than it can make a good film too...the story earns respectiability as a novel so people run out to see the film. I can't wait to dig further into this and find out what all the critics of literature say. I've already been to the library and taken out various text books. The assignments for this module seem straight forward. Adapting an extract myself, a presentation (my group is doing it on Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events) and an essay. I'm confident I'll get good grades in this module.
My only other class for this semester is another publishing project. Not doing a book this time, instead I will be creating a leaflet for an arts provision in Preston. Haven't got any more details on this. Not until tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it and my friend's mum has lots of tips on marketing and promotion for me :)
My dissertation is already well under way and I'm really excited about it. The little class time I have this semester means I can spend quite a bit of time reading and writing. I'm determined to keep my grades up and finish my degree with a bang.
Monday 21 September 2009
Wednesday 16 September 2009
Unicorns of the Night
Dark blue sky hovers over a wonderful scene,
A herd of unicorns can be seen.
A filly drinks from a pool of cold water,
Quenching the thirst of this mystical daughter.
The stallion’s coat shines silver in the moonlight,
But by dawn he will be white.
His ivory horn illuminates his beautiful face.
Oh this magic image is something I must embrace!
He looks over his mare with protective eyes,
Watching the land where she lies.
He hopes no goblins will appear tonight,
Because they will ruin this evening’s delight.
A cluster of flowers lie close to the water’s edge,
Sweet nectar they pledge -
To the hummingbirds who fly amongst fairies,
Whose mischief makes the unicorns quite wary.
A thick mist sweeps over the enchanted land,
Hiding the volcanic sand.
Soon it will be dawn and the unicorns must go,
Or they will grow too hot under the sun’s glow.
Will Miss Her :(
My internet has been down over the last couple of weeks but this is what I wanted to post on 4th Sept:
I am currently in need of tea and sympathy as I have just waved my friend off to the bright lights of London.
So many people have come and gone from my life but I don’t think I have ever experienced a tearful goodbye. Not since I was a kid anyway. I met this friend just over a year ago, through other friends and we just clicked, as you do with some people. We became firm friends and did what girls do. We went out dancing, went to gigs, festivals, went shopping, went to the pictures or we’d stay in, drink lots of tea and eat pizza and chocolate. We did what any friends do, even when we had no money (which is often!), we’d always find something to do. She has this unusual quality that makes those around her act young and daft. She is probably one of the reasons why I don’t feel my age! Despite only knowing her a short time she became one of the few people I could confide in and trust and in return I too became someone she could trust.
She has gone to London because she’s a born performer and her ultimate ambition in life is to sing. She’s doing the thing screenwriters and authors write about all the time. Chasing her dream into the big bright lights, to where all the celebrities hang out. Some people will think that’s crazy but if you knew her you’d know that she is doing the right thing. I’ve every confidence in her and should it not work out, I won’t be disappointed either, she’s my friend and friends support one another.
From a selfish point of view I’m upset, what will I do on Monday afternoons when we’re usually wrestling with the clothes rails in charity shops or giggling over a sugar high in Neros? Who will come to festivals with me and sleep in the car? Who will encourage me to wear all things pink and girly? Who will watch stupid You Tube videos with me on Sunday evenings? There are so many things that we did together and I’m going to miss those times. We’ve always had fun and forgotten our troubles when we’ve gone out on random road trips etc.
But I wish her every ounce of luck in the world because I wish the best for her. If it hadn’t been for her not only would I have had to drink a white-chocolate-vanilla-syrup-cream-chocolate-covered mocha on my own but I wouldn’t have met my boyfriend either.
I haven’t said a proper goodbye because I will be going to visit her, even if it means catching the megabus and driving through the night to see her. Good friends are hard to come by and I only have a few of them so I treasure them and treat them like they’re my own family.
To add insult to injury my longest serving friend (we went to school together), has gone to Bulgaria for two weeks. Thankfully my gay friend is still around for shopping trips and sugar highs. Otherwise I’d have to resort to making whipped cream covered beverages at home and shop online which just isn’t quite the same is it?
Finally, before you reach for the tissues at my tale of woe, it was my birthday yesterday and tomorrow night myself, my boyfriend, my brother and a couple of close friends will be having a meal in a posh restaurant in Manchester. This will keep me from thinking about Monday afternoon.
To date I've either been kept busy on Monday afternoons and had one unsuccesful shopping trip. I got a take away coffee and it spilt everywhere. My new uni timetable means I'll be in class all day Mondays from now on - this will keep me from insanity for the time being but I'll still miss her :(
I am currently in need of tea and sympathy as I have just waved my friend off to the bright lights of London.
So many people have come and gone from my life but I don’t think I have ever experienced a tearful goodbye. Not since I was a kid anyway. I met this friend just over a year ago, through other friends and we just clicked, as you do with some people. We became firm friends and did what girls do. We went out dancing, went to gigs, festivals, went shopping, went to the pictures or we’d stay in, drink lots of tea and eat pizza and chocolate. We did what any friends do, even when we had no money (which is often!), we’d always find something to do. She has this unusual quality that makes those around her act young and daft. She is probably one of the reasons why I don’t feel my age! Despite only knowing her a short time she became one of the few people I could confide in and trust and in return I too became someone she could trust.
She has gone to London because she’s a born performer and her ultimate ambition in life is to sing. She’s doing the thing screenwriters and authors write about all the time. Chasing her dream into the big bright lights, to where all the celebrities hang out. Some people will think that’s crazy but if you knew her you’d know that she is doing the right thing. I’ve every confidence in her and should it not work out, I won’t be disappointed either, she’s my friend and friends support one another.
From a selfish point of view I’m upset, what will I do on Monday afternoons when we’re usually wrestling with the clothes rails in charity shops or giggling over a sugar high in Neros? Who will come to festivals with me and sleep in the car? Who will encourage me to wear all things pink and girly? Who will watch stupid You Tube videos with me on Sunday evenings? There are so many things that we did together and I’m going to miss those times. We’ve always had fun and forgotten our troubles when we’ve gone out on random road trips etc.
But I wish her every ounce of luck in the world because I wish the best for her. If it hadn’t been for her not only would I have had to drink a white-chocolate-vanilla-syrup-cream-chocolate-covered mocha on my own but I wouldn’t have met my boyfriend either.
I haven’t said a proper goodbye because I will be going to visit her, even if it means catching the megabus and driving through the night to see her. Good friends are hard to come by and I only have a few of them so I treasure them and treat them like they’re my own family.
To add insult to injury my longest serving friend (we went to school together), has gone to Bulgaria for two weeks. Thankfully my gay friend is still around for shopping trips and sugar highs. Otherwise I’d have to resort to making whipped cream covered beverages at home and shop online which just isn’t quite the same is it?
Finally, before you reach for the tissues at my tale of woe, it was my birthday yesterday and tomorrow night myself, my boyfriend, my brother and a couple of close friends will be having a meal in a posh restaurant in Manchester. This will keep me from thinking about Monday afternoon.
To date I've either been kept busy on Monday afternoons and had one unsuccesful shopping trip. I got a take away coffee and it spilt everywhere. My new uni timetable means I'll be in class all day Mondays from now on - this will keep me from insanity for the time being but I'll still miss her :(
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