Day Two in Boston - Bridgette and Two Minutes

After much running around and getting mildly lost here and there, turned around between similar looking buildings, and a date with campus security to obtain an ID card bearing a terrifying effigy of yours truly, I am finally home (in my dorm) and calling it a night.  I have some things to read, some stories to look through and mark up sufficiently, as well as some ideas to jot here and there for my Dystopian endeavors.  A few things I noticed/learned today: the computers in the library are slower than shit, I like the walk between the dorms and the student building no matter the temperature, I'm not used to eating three meals a day and have spent a majority of my time in the bathroom as a result, 'shitolerance' really is the key to any working relationship, and I'm not the only one who enjoys a good Riesling.    Things that others have noticed about me: I lie constantly but always own up to it, I am passionate about the books I've read, I cried over 'A Separate Peace,' and I may or may not have an alternate personality named Bridget.  The last is in direct relation to the fact that I was supposed to have a roommate but, due to sudden illness in the other party, I find myself quite alone in my spacious dorm.  To alleviate the loneliness, Bridget was born.  She's quiet and sweet but a complete prankster and what started out as an imaginary friend has slowly been turning into a 'possessive force' and we've taken to 'blaming Bridget' when something goes awry or when I try to bite my shoulders.  It's fantastic.

The people that I've met are all wonderful.  The best thing about them is that they are willing to talk about themselves, about craft, and about their nerves or reservations.  I feel silly sometimes because while they are reinventing fairy tales, working on memoirs, compiling poetry, and popping out awesome short stories that make you want to slit your wrists, I am working on a vampire story.  Still, there is no snobbishness here.  There is no 'oh, you're a genre writer' in the atmosphere and for that I am very grateful.  Tomorrow is our first round of work shopping and it will be the 'spoiler' day as we are going to go around and talk about the story boards of each of our pieces.  For those of us working on novels that means giving away the climax, the falling action, the whole kit-n-kaboodle.  This isn't a problem really, but I still feel silly telling them the end of a vampire novel versus telling them the end of a tragic vignette or the like.  Oh well.

I will also be attending two classes tomorrow.  The first one is a class on critical analysis, of which I will be doing many.  I'm actually quite excited for this and have been longing for a chance to do a critical paper detailing certain shared elements between 'A Clockwork Orange' and 'American Psycho.'  And taking 'Kite Runner' and 'Drowned Cities' and drawing upon how one makes you hate the Taliban, the other makes you hate the world and how they do it through nearly identical means.  Most likely these ideas will seem stupid after tomorrow but maybe not.  The other class I'm taking is the one on Dystopian literature.  I'm sure I'll have much to say on the subject.  As I look back over my books read list, I find that I actually have a good deal of Dystopian novels under my belt which is one of the reasons I feel so inclined now, more than ever, to try my hand at one.  That is what I want them to workshop in June.  That is what I want to finish for my creative thesis.  Either that, or I shall finish up my vampire story.  One is nearly done, one is a raw idea that's been slowly taking shape ever since this past August.  I suppose it's just a matter now of which one needs told more.  Eventually both will live and *crosses fingers* be published, but the sudden invigoration of the residency has left me panting and eager to write something brand new.  Again, we shall see.  Later this week I will be doing a student reading and it will either be a portion from a short Nano piece or a couple of poems - the ones on this very blog.  I am undecided.  The other option of course is to read from Fork (the companion piece to Scalpel which we are going to be workshopping after the vampire story).  It can only be two minutes of reading to make sure that everyone who wants to has a chance to go.  I'm nervous but determined.