A poet! Yes! I am about to embark on a big poetry unit with my students at Baldwin High School. Can't wait to show you some of their writing. Since I am teaching World Literature, I am obsessed at the moment with poets who do not write in English. Which world poet do you think would resonate best with high school students?
Lorien, I'm in Dr. Cumings's "Autobiography, Autotheory, and Activism" course this semester. Your first paragraph reminded me of a conversation we had that started because of this http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/books/review/Genzlinger-t.html?_r=2&ref=books. It's a NYT article about memoirs/autobiographies and how they were so "over done." As I read more, I'll come up with a question for you - I just thought you might like to read the article.
The artists you mentioned in your autobiography are definitely inspiring. When I look for inspiration I always find myself looking to artists and writers of the past rather than the present. So my question is are there any modern day artists or poets that you have found to be as inspiring as Rossetti and Story?
I could tell from your bio that you have drawn a lot of inspiration from the different places you have visited. If you could go anywhere in the world to draw inspiration from where would you go?
Lorien, what is your favorite Girl Scout cookie? Also, since you have a creative writing background, do you see yourself getting involved in Literary Magazine at whatever school you end up teaching at? I was in Intermediate Creative Writing, so I've read some of your poetry. Girl can bring it.
Andrew and I are in the autobio class. And I felt the same way you did whenever trying to begin your autobio. What was something you felt was most compelling when wanting to tell your story?
since you are fluent in french, I have to ask, do you ever plan to go to France one day? and if you do, do you think that trip would be a major influence on your writing?
Lorien: People have sort of asked the things I want to know. So I'm going to ask something a bit sillier. You and I suffer from the same pathology apparently; I too have more books than I will ever read or could want to read. I take pride in my little personal library; things have gotten really bad over the past year or so since graduation when I've had nothing but time on my hands. There is this store outside of Athens that is run by Friends of the Winterville Library that raises money for the library called Front Porch Bookstore. I am a sucker for cheap books and I am a sucker for little grassroots orgs (I don't have a lot of money to spend, so it is always nice to keep my money in my community if I'm buying something.) Anyways, they have these things called "bag sales" where you give them $10/$20 and get this huge paper back to fill with as many books as you can. Bookshelves are about to collapse.
Oh, a question. Sorry. And I think it reveals a lot about you: on your bookshelf, how are your books arranged? Most people go alphabetically. I am a free spirit. Tallest-to-shortest, all the way. -NH
Lorien, You seem to be a very talented writer and I love that you draw inspiration from art. Writing is in itself an art, but have you ever tried 2D or 3D art yourself? If so, what kind of art would you or do you like to create? ~Rose
Sorry this reply comes so late. I have been preparing for my Capstone presentation and several exams. Last night I tried to post answers to all your questions twice and twice the posts were rejected by the blog and deleted. Hopefully it will work now. Third time is the charm!
Dr. Alby: I look forward to reading your students' literary endeavors! I haven't read many foreign poets recently, the last World Lit class I took focused on Greco-Roman classicalism, but I did a little research and I think Pablo Neruda, Yevgeny Yevtushenko's "Memento", "Epistle to Neruda", and "Babi Yar"; and Anna Akhmatova might resonate with high school students especially with themes of love, loss, and rebellion.
Andrew: Thank you for the link! I'll be sure to check it out.
Amber: Yes, I am inspired by: Jasper Fforde, Nemerov, Denise Levertov, Julia Jordan, David Foster Wallace, Sharon Olds, and Chekhov to name a few.
Katherine: I would love to return to Venice; but closer to home I have always found natural scenery to be helpful in my creative process. While in Arizona a few years ago I was profoundly inspired by the Grand Canyon.
Brent: I like Thin Mints. I would like to become involved in the literary publication at the high school where I will teach. I think it is important to encourage students in all aspects of the creative process, especially editing and publication.
Christine: Thank you. I enjoy The Last Book in the Universe, Kon-Tiki, Jane Eyre, Burned Alive, The Contemporary Book of American Poetry, The Well of Lost Plots, Pygmy Kittabu, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to name a few.
Erin: My own work centers around social justice. Some of my themes involve gender inequality, abusive relationships, psychological deterioration, grief, rape, civil rights, societal failure, childhood trauma, and human dignity.
Abigail: I wrote about my writing. It is such an important aspect of my life, of defining who I am, that I felt it was the most distinguishing characteristic I possess.
Danielle: I am not fluent in French--not yet. I would like to travel to France someday. All authors (and human beings) are influenced by the places they inhabit, even if only for a short time. Our environments shape what we write and how we write, even if we don't realize it ourselves.
Nicholas: I haven't had much time to reorganize my "at home" bookshelves lately so most of them are alphabetical by title with all the others stuffed, stacked, and shelved in any remaining available space. Ideally they would be separated by genre and then organized in alphabetical order. However, I organize my books by height when I am at school.
Marina: I wanted a smaller school. GC has an excellent creative writing program and a more condensed population which means the faculty and the resources are more accessible for me.
Rose: I dabble in photography. When I went to Europe I took lots of pictures and most of them turned out well, but I think that had more to do with the beautiful scenery than with me. I haven't had much time to take any pictures lately, though.
Hey Lorien, Do you think anyone can enjoy Tolkien? Or at least as an English major, do you think I should read it or is it only for people who are really into fantasy genres? I have been contemplating reading some of his books forever, but I know they are time consuming and haven't been able to commit myself yet.
Yes! Read them! It is essential for every lit teacher to have a good basis in Tolkien because every fantasy novel written after his work was published has been in some way influenced or inspired by him. (He is often referred to as one of the Fathers of Fantasy Fiction much the same way as Asimov and Bradbury for Science Fiction) :)I have a slight obsession with Tolkien, not only for his work which I admire for its sheer size and artistry, but also for his stylistic devices, plot flow, and the attention to detail that makes his narratives so powerful. (It also helps that my name appears twice in his literary universe and I grew up reading his work since I was a child). If time is a consideration, and it often is with Tolkien, I would recommend reading something smaller. Start with "The Lost Tales" (there are several volumes) since they are collections of short stories they aren't really connected to each other by plot, don't have to be read in any particular order, and probably won't take up as much time as "The Lord of the Rings". "The Hobbit" is also a bit faster to read than his longer novels and most people begin with that piece. However, if you want to get the full effect I would start at the beginning with the "Silmarillion" (but it's huge and reading it is somewhat like slogging through thick mud). However, it is important because it explains much of what happens in "The Hobbit" and especially in "The Lord of the Rings".
A poet! Yes! I am about to embark on a big poetry unit with my students at Baldwin High School. Can't wait to show you some of their writing. Since I am teaching World Literature, I am obsessed at the moment with poets who do not write in English. Which world poet do you think would resonate best with high school students?
ReplyDeleteLorien, I'm in Dr. Cumings's "Autobiography, Autotheory, and Activism" course this semester. Your first paragraph reminded me of a conversation we had that started because of this http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/books/review/Genzlinger-t.html?_r=2&ref=books. It's a NYT article about memoirs/autobiographies and how they were so "over done." As I read more, I'll come up with a question for you - I just thought you might like to read the article.
ReplyDeleteThe artists you mentioned in your autobiography are definitely inspiring. When I look for inspiration I always find myself looking to artists and writers of the past rather than the present. So my question is are there any modern day artists or poets that you have found to be as inspiring as Rossetti and Story?
ReplyDeleteI could tell from your bio that you have drawn a lot of inspiration from the different places you have visited. If you could go anywhere in the world to draw inspiration from where would you go?
ReplyDeleteLorien, what is your favorite Girl Scout cookie? Also, since you have a creative writing background, do you see yourself getting involved in Literary Magazine at whatever school you end up teaching at? I was in Intermediate Creative Writing, so I've read some of your poetry. Girl can bring it.
ReplyDelete-Brent
Lorien, I am excited to have a class with you again.. your writing is always super beautiful and engaging, this bio was no exception.
ReplyDeleteYou said you can't resist books, and your bookshelves are overflowing. What are some of your favorite authors and novels? (Besides Tolkien!)
As a creative writer, future celebrated author, what are some of your favorite topics to write about?
ReplyDeleteAndrew and I are in the autobio class. And I felt the same way you did whenever trying to begin your autobio. What was something you felt was most compelling when wanting to tell your story?
ReplyDeletesince you are fluent in french, I have to ask, do you ever plan to go to France one day? and if you do, do you think that trip would be a major influence on your writing?
ReplyDeleteLorien:
ReplyDeletePeople have sort of asked the things I want to know. So I'm going to ask something a bit sillier. You and I suffer from the same pathology apparently; I too have more books than I will ever read or could want to read. I take pride in my little personal library; things have gotten really bad over the past year or so since graduation when I've had nothing but time on my hands. There is this store outside of Athens that is run by Friends of the Winterville Library that raises money for the library called Front Porch Bookstore. I am a sucker for cheap books and I am a sucker for little grassroots orgs (I don't have a lot of money to spend, so it is always nice to keep my money in my community if I'm buying something.) Anyways, they have these things called "bag sales" where you give them $10/$20 and get this huge paper back to fill with as many books as you can. Bookshelves are about to collapse.
Oh, a question. Sorry. And I think it reveals a lot about you: on your bookshelf, how are your books arranged? Most people go alphabetically. I am a free spirit. Tallest-to-shortest, all the way.
-NH
Lorien,
ReplyDeleteIs there a particular reason why you didn't go to UGA since your father worked there and you are from the area?
Lorien,
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be a very talented writer and I love that you draw inspiration from art. Writing is in itself an art, but have you ever tried 2D or 3D art yourself? If so, what kind of art would you or do you like to create?
~Rose
Sorry this reply comes so late. I have been preparing for my Capstone presentation and several exams. Last night I tried to post answers to all your questions twice and twice the posts were rejected by the blog and deleted. Hopefully it will work now. Third time is the charm!
ReplyDeleteDr. Alby: I look forward to reading your students' literary endeavors! I haven't read many foreign poets recently, the last World Lit class I took focused on Greco-Roman classicalism, but I did a little research and I think Pablo Neruda, Yevgeny Yevtushenko's "Memento", "Epistle to Neruda", and "Babi Yar"; and Anna Akhmatova might resonate with high school students especially with themes of love, loss, and rebellion.
Andrew: Thank you for the link! I'll be sure to check it out.
Amber: Yes, I am inspired by: Jasper Fforde, Nemerov, Denise Levertov, Julia Jordan, David Foster Wallace, Sharon Olds, and Chekhov to name a few.
Katherine: I would love to return to Venice; but closer to home I have always found natural scenery to be helpful in my creative process. While in Arizona a few years ago I was profoundly inspired by the Grand Canyon.
Brent: I like Thin Mints. I would like to become involved in the literary publication at the high school where I will teach. I think it is important to encourage students in all aspects of the creative process, especially editing and publication.
Christine: Thank you. I enjoy The Last Book in the Universe, Kon-Tiki, Jane Eyre, Burned Alive, The Contemporary Book of American Poetry, The Well of Lost Plots, Pygmy Kittabu, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to name a few.
Erin: My own work centers around social justice. Some of my themes involve gender inequality, abusive relationships, psychological deterioration, grief, rape, civil rights, societal failure, childhood trauma, and human dignity.
Abigail: I wrote about my writing. It is such an important aspect of my life, of defining who I am, that I felt it was the most distinguishing characteristic I possess.
Danielle: I am not fluent in French--not yet. I would like to travel to France someday. All authors (and human beings) are influenced by the places they inhabit, even if only for a short time. Our environments shape what we write and how we write, even if we don't realize it ourselves.
Nicholas: I haven't had much time to reorganize my "at home" bookshelves lately so most of them are alphabetical by title with all the others stuffed, stacked, and shelved in any remaining available space. Ideally they would be separated by genre and then organized in alphabetical order. However, I organize my books by height when I am at school.
Marina: I wanted a smaller school. GC has an excellent creative writing program and a more condensed population which means the faculty and the resources are more accessible for me.
Rose: I dabble in photography. When I went to Europe I took lots of pictures and most of them turned out well, but I think that had more to do with the beautiful scenery than with me. I haven't had much time to take any pictures lately, though.
Yay! It worked!
ReplyDeleteHey Lorien,
ReplyDeleteDo you think anyone can enjoy Tolkien? Or at least as an English major, do you think I should read it or is it only for people who are really into fantasy genres? I have been contemplating reading some of his books forever, but I know they are time consuming and haven't been able to commit myself yet.
Yes! Read them! It is essential for every lit teacher to have a good basis in Tolkien because every fantasy novel written after his work was published has been in some way influenced or inspired by him. (He is often referred to as one of the Fathers of Fantasy Fiction much the same way as Asimov and Bradbury for Science Fiction)
ReplyDelete:)I have a slight obsession with Tolkien, not only for his work which I admire for its sheer size and artistry, but also for his stylistic devices, plot flow, and the attention to detail that makes his narratives so powerful. (It also helps that my name appears twice in his literary universe and I grew up reading his work since I was a child).
If time is a consideration, and it often is with Tolkien, I would recommend reading something smaller. Start with "The Lost Tales" (there are several volumes) since they are collections of short stories they aren't really connected to each other by plot, don't have to be read in any particular order, and probably won't take up as much time as "The Lord of the Rings". "The Hobbit" is also a bit faster to read than his longer novels and most people begin with that piece.
However, if you want to get the full effect I would start at the beginning with the "Silmarillion" (but it's huge and reading it is somewhat like slogging through thick mud). However, it is important because it explains much of what happens in "The Hobbit" and especially in "The Lord of the Rings".