April 2011

I'm Gradumacated

Quotation
"'All life lessons are not learned at college,' she thought. 'Life teaches them everywhere.'" -L.M. Montgomery, Anne of the Island

Random Musing
I graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts degree today. A milestone - as everyone keeps on telling me. It doesn't exactly feel like a huge milestone when I have no real post-graduation plans. It also doesn't even feel entirely real given that I graduated after three years, which means the vast majority of my friends still have a year to go (aka: they didn't partake in graduation festivities with me). I'm sure the disbelief will wear off soon though and I'll be able to sink straight on into panic as I search frantically for a job. Particularly as I've realized that the only real difference in my life from yesterday to today is that I've gone from being a "student" to simply being one of the many "unemployed." Sigh. Yep, you guessed correctly ladies and gentlemen, this is yet another cheery view on life from Nazifa Islam. Over and out until next time.

On Friendship #13

Quotation
"'There is so little real friendship in the world!'" -Jane Austen, Persuasion

Happy Birthday To Me

Quotation
"That kind of crying, deep into a pillow, does not happen after we are twenty-one." -Daphne Du Maurier, Rebecca

Random Musing
I turned twenty-one today. The only quote I had relating to the age twenty-one is kind of depressing. I guess it's rather fitting considering my usual gloomy outlook on life? I dunno. I'm not going to pretend to have an explanation for that.

she wears grey

Random Musing
My poetry tutorial doesn't have too many requirements. Four poems submitted every two weeks and - if you want to (so it's not really even a requirement so much as a strongly-pressed suggestion) - constructing a book of poetry by the end of the term. So while the four poems/week are the bulk of the work for the class, this book of poetry is kind of like the class' final.

For my book I decided I would compile my collection of Rosemary poems. I chose the title she wears grey for the collection, managed to get my graphic-designing-fiend sister to do all of the artwork, bought a lot of nice paper and PVA glue from Hollanders, took my files over to Kolossos Printing, and youtubed do-it-yourself book binding. While I didn't construct a book binding jig, I managed to figure out how to do what I needed with the following supplies: two very heavy books (it can be very convenient to have a roommate who's pre-med), two binder clips, cotton swabs, and an exacto knife.

I'm pretty happy with the final product. Here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure:




I only made seven copies originally, but since some friends have expressed interest in buying copies I'm probably going to do a second printing. I'd just give them away but I'm a broke and soon-to-be-graduating college senior, so that's just not feasible.

So copies are selling for $11 each. If anyone reading this is interested in owning my first chapbook, let me know - I'm sure we can figure something out. The US postal system is a wonderful thing.

Rest in Peace Diana Wynne Jones

Quotation
"'Dead?' said Sophie. She had a silly impulse to add, But she was alive an hour ago! And she stopped herself, because death is like that: people are alive until they die." -Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle

Random Musing
The above quote just keeps on being relevant. And it's sadly more than suited for this particular post.

I'm up writing a paper for my American Adolescence class. It's supposed to be 6-7 pages long and I'm only starting on page 4. Woo-hoo. I've just had coffee for the first time in months. Insomniacs don't generally need coffee. But tonight I did. So now I can be awake to fully process the horror of the discovery that Diana Wynne Jones passed away on March 26, 2011 and I only just found out.

She was my favorite fantasy author - responsible for the brilliance that is Howl's Moving Castle and Dark Lord of Derkholm, not to mention so many other wonderful books. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009. Knowing this I've actually been checking her wiki page and searching the news every so often to see how she's been doing. I swear I just wiki-d her a few weeks ago and she hadn't passed away yet. It must have been just days before she did.

So of course now, in the midst of essay-writing procrastination, I discover that she died two weeks ago. Ugh. I'm sad. And I feel like a bad fan for only finding out now. Sigh. Irrational? Maybe...

Now there's nothing literary that I'm all excited about looking forward to. (Well, it'd be really awesome if they published all of the work J.D. Salinger'd been hoarding, but who knows when that's going to happen.) I don't want her to be dead. Yeah, mature thought, I know. I don't care. This year is stupid. (Lesson: Nazifa gets less and less sophisticated as the night hours pass by. Bodes well for my essay.) So many people have passed away. I didn't post about it in light of what happened with Erica Teevens, but Brian Jacques died on February 5th. So I guess 2011 is the Year of Beloved-Childhood-Authors-Biting-the-Dust. Or maybe it's just the Year of Beloved-People-Biting-the-Dust. Who knows.

Back to essay writing. I am so not in the mood for this.

On Love #13

Quotation
"'Don't take it away! It's only a fancy, but a man must love something…'" -Louisa May Alcott, Jo's Boys

On Words #11

Quotation
"'…for words also belong to the sheltering conception of light and order which is our refuge.'" -Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim

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