Saturday there's a writing boot camp on campus for people wanting to sign up to write from 9 AM till 4 PM. Hell, yeah. Lately I haven't been inspired or motivated to write much. Why is this, you ask? Well, sometimes I get in these insanely lazy moods that are rooted in some deep seeded emotion. Sometimes they occur because I've been working too hard but other times they happen because I can be a lazy mo fo. This writing boot camp was designed for the purpose of bringing writers together and putting their ass in the chair. This way when you want to check facebook, or turn on the tv, or something else super distracting and time wasting, you don't! So I'm bring my ipod and my lap top and setting up shop for the day. Whatever will I write about? My book! What a perfect opportunity to sit my ass in a chair and have to keep working. I'm so excited for the motivation.
It's also inspired me in other ways! Like, fall quarter during school I saw a fiction writing workshop that I am unable to sign for, so instead, I'm pretending I signed up for it and keeping that chunk of time for writing. I'll grade myself on my own attendance and work ethic. How cool is that? The whole point of this is that I'm happier when I'm working and my passion is for writing. Sometimes God works in mysterious ways and this week it seems that God wants my ass in a chair.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Finally Writing Again
Good Morning!
I am finally able to stare at a computer screen for more than six minutes at a time! Headaches be gone! So, I promised to talk about what I said at my recent involvement with my first ever Women's Studies conference. Here goes.
Of course, I talked about feminism and Christianity (I am way too original!) and it went over surprisingly well! It's always iffy when discussing religion especially something as mainstream as protestant Christianity. I focused on what it was like for me in the classroom to have instructors making fun of Christians and then in church to be told I'm going to hell (Excuse me, birds help me get dressed in the morning...I am not going to hell). I spoke about the freedom I had after an instructor offered a class called Feminism and Christianity. And then I talked about the youth group. My point all came down to my freedom to explore and learn more in the classroom allowed me to put all of that good learnin' into my church and community. Then I used quotes from the youth group kids to support my theory. BOO YA! A lot of people (3) in the room listening said they were also minister's children and that was a fun discussion. It hit home for a lot of people which was rewarding and a huge relief! The good panel we presented and all the good New England fish was pretty much the perfect weekend of my life (except Will.I.Am did not propose yet again!)
So lesson learned, don't think you have to separate religion and feminism. They couldn't be more related. (And it pisses off conservatives!)
I am finally able to stare at a computer screen for more than six minutes at a time! Headaches be gone! So, I promised to talk about what I said at my recent involvement with my first ever Women's Studies conference. Here goes.
Of course, I talked about feminism and Christianity (I am way too original!) and it went over surprisingly well! It's always iffy when discussing religion especially something as mainstream as protestant Christianity. I focused on what it was like for me in the classroom to have instructors making fun of Christians and then in church to be told I'm going to hell (Excuse me, birds help me get dressed in the morning...I am not going to hell). I spoke about the freedom I had after an instructor offered a class called Feminism and Christianity. And then I talked about the youth group. My point all came down to my freedom to explore and learn more in the classroom allowed me to put all of that good learnin' into my church and community. Then I used quotes from the youth group kids to support my theory. BOO YA! A lot of people (3) in the room listening said they were also minister's children and that was a fun discussion. It hit home for a lot of people which was rewarding and a huge relief! The good panel we presented and all the good New England fish was pretty much the perfect weekend of my life (except Will.I.Am did not propose yet again!)
So lesson learned, don't think you have to separate religion and feminism. They couldn't be more related. (And it pisses off conservatives!)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
New England Women"s Studies Conference
This weekend, I attended and presented a women's studies conference in Dartmouth, Masachesettes. I presented with an instructor and fellow atudent about activism in the classroom in reference to sexual violence and feminism and Christianity. The idea behind the presentation was that because our instructor was open about her personal history as a survivor of rape and her Christianity, that we as students beneiftted. It was a risky presentation but appeared to go over very well.
Why risky? A lot of professors and academic people believe that for an instructor to openly explore rape in the classroom and reveal herselef to be a survivor, that this is "unprofessional". It's my blief that instructors shouldn't teach classes soley based on sexual violence unless they are survivors. I'm not saying that non survivors can't teach about rape or be allies, however, I am saying that to teach a class that is about rape from the survivor's perspective is a different issue. I think that students benefit more from that personal experience. Discussing rape in the classroom is completely different from taking a class named "Rewriting Violence Against Women" which discusses nothing but violence against women.
That's all on the conference today, I had a car accident on the way home (Everyone came out alive and well) but I have a post traumatic migraine apparently so no more typing o rlooking at a computer screen! More tomorrow about my paper!
Why risky? A lot of professors and academic people believe that for an instructor to openly explore rape in the classroom and reveal herselef to be a survivor, that this is "unprofessional". It's my blief that instructors shouldn't teach classes soley based on sexual violence unless they are survivors. I'm not saying that non survivors can't teach about rape or be allies, however, I am saying that to teach a class that is about rape from the survivor's perspective is a different issue. I think that students benefit more from that personal experience. Discussing rape in the classroom is completely different from taking a class named "Rewriting Violence Against Women" which discusses nothing but violence against women.
That's all on the conference today, I had a car accident on the way home (Everyone came out alive and well) but I have a post traumatic migraine apparently so no more typing o rlooking at a computer screen! More tomorrow about my paper!
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