To the class:
I enjoy being amused and amusing, but we are supposed to be deeper, and I’m tired from jetlag (California! Knows how to party) so I’m not sure how this will go, I may just impart some closely held parts of me without my characteristic crinkle that you can normally pick up on, though it sometimes doesn’t translate; some things are funnier in my head. I jump around a lot, something mentioned cyclically on my returned writing comments, so to preface, I think I’m actually going to start with the History rather than the personal quirks that I was about to get into.
I’m San Francisco developed, but I’m half Australian and went to a boarding high school there. This blog is going to involve a lot of ‘I’ and I’m not sure how much analysis… I only speak English, and I’ve always liked that class the best, the teachers seemed better mostly. I had a long poetry phase as a child, that I now believe I have little competency in, but the blogs I read before writing this give me a small flame of hope. For a digressing example; we were asked in some early grade (called year in Aus. i.e. 3rd grade, year 3) to decide what we would put on a vanity license plate, 7 letters. It seems silly to just come out and say it now, but yes, yes I did say POETRY, and I loved that it had the double meaning when on a car plate, provided the kind of car I hoped I would one day be driving. SO, I love reading, and am also incredibly picky about what I do read. I like fantasy and comfort books (one’s I read over and over so I appreciate the story, find out new things by rereading, and don’t stay up or concentrate to hard because I know what is coming), and they have to have an at least semi-happy ending, but I hate cliché. Most of the time. You’d think I’d be a romance novel enthusiast, but no, not as of yet. Hmm, writing wise, I have no real clue where I stand, though I like stories *surprise* so I have always wanted to try my hand at fiction but school doesn’t lend itself to the time.
I’m an incredibly shy, private and defensive person. I am also hyper-observant, in that I watch people and pick up on verbal and physical cues to try and interpret what others mean. Which means that my sense of people’s reactions manifests in that I don’t put myself out there, in a way like the characters that may over-interpret (perhaps getting it wrong to their own detriment and in doing so provide the driving force in the book). Oh, but that doesn’t make me quiet in front of company, you will all have heaps of Alicia time, don’t worry your pretty little heads about it. I just don’t like getting hurt. Everyone will get a piece of this action, with Barbara there to direct my inarticulate commentary.
Tags: me
February 13, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Alicia-
I’m going to grab a hold of what you said about the POETRY and car thing because I think it pertains to what we were doing tonight as we connected text and voice, etc. For me, I feel the word “poetry” would be cheapened by slapping it on a license plate, but I can’t pinpoint why poetry should have any higher standing than, say, “gasoline,” which is fine to associate with a car. Writing for me sometimes becomes something for the “elite” – those with time and brains, mainly time — and not something to advertise by glimpses of words. To contradict myself, I’m always fascinated by the poetry people make by compiling newspaper clippings or writing down random words off of street signs. At any rate, I’m all for you getting the license plate no matter what type of car you have. It’s either a beautiful comparison or a witty joke.
February 13, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Alicia,
I was thrilled to hear that you, too, suffer from chronic timidiosity. I have always been rather soft-spoken, ever since I can remember. Up through high school even, I remember making a comment in a conversation, and inevitably, someone would turn to me with a look of mock-astoundment and say, “she actually talks?” I was always a little surpised and a tiny bit hurt. Yes, I obviously DO talk. They apparently just never listened. The ironic thing about this quiet reputation I had was that I was also a cheerleader in high school (I know, I know…lame. Sue me.) So there I was, a soft-spoken cheerleader who was nearly invisible. I think that’s one of the reasons I began to write so frequently—because, really, I have A TON to say. Fortunately, here at Midd I have not only maintained my voice, but I have succeeded in amplifying it, so that now, I am no longer the noiseless wonder that I once was.
February 13, 2008 at 11:32 pm
First I find people who went to school in other countries incredibly fascinating, and I would love to hear more about your experience. I was also a painfully shy little kid, and have
been slowly growing out of it. For me, living as an exchange student was a incredible catapult out social awkwardness. I’d be curious about whether or not you had a similar experience going to school out of the country.
As a side note, I always find it interesting which people self-select themselves as shy, because its sometimes a complete surprise.
February 14, 2008 at 12:55 am
Since we’re talking about shyness, I might also add myself to the list of one who has had a quiet reputation. I think that this quality may affect writing in a couple of different ways. I think that quiet people tend not to project themselves so much as listen and soak up others’ loud personalities (which isn’t to say they don’t have strong personalities, only that they don’t let it out quite so much). This maybe allows them to put forth a great variety of different charcters just because they spend more time observing, listening, and watching how others behave rather than become immersed in their own voice and behavior. You said that you were hyper-observant. I think this is a very good quality to have when it comes to writing about the details and intricacies of our world.
February 15, 2008 at 10:35 am
I would also call myself a shy person. But it is actually only around people that I don’t know very well. At home and with close friends I am far from shy. I think it is so funny that all of us are describing ourselves as shy individuals. I wonder if their is some kind of connection here between writing and shyness? Any thoughts?
February 16, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I love the irony of this letter — your shyness, and yet your openness about that very timidness. It’s coming up quite a bit right now (especially in our group for this unit). I’d echo Clare here, and take her one step further: what is it about shyness that compells us to write? I was a really shy child, and even now tend to be the kind of person who gets anxious in public settings. But I think the very private, rich interior life I led as a child (and continue to lead now) makes for good writing. Those of us who are naturally shy perhaps pay more attention to what’s happenng inside our own heads. The quietness of shyness lends itself, perhaps, to writing.
What a funny story about your 3rd grade license plate!
Amble over to my blog if you get a chance in the next day or two, Alicia. You can find it at kflagg.wordpress.com. I’d like to set up conferences with everyone in our group for early next week. I’m looking forward to sitting down with you and hearing about how the class is going so far!
Katie