Imminent Musts

There's much to do before February 7th.  I have several stories to finish up reading as listed below, as well as two critical reviews (or one larger one) of the reading for the Pedagogical Track.  I am still very concerned about going the Pedagogical Route but after today I think I may actually have a sort of direction in mind for my overall Critical Thesis.  This is, of course, being put on the back burner to simmer while I focus first and foremost on my creative work.  In this respect I have been decently productive.  I've done enough research to get the ball rolling and checked enough facts to feel like I've made the right decisions as far as the initial inciting incident.  Now I just need to keep plugging away while keeping in mind the following questions: what does character x want?  Do they get it?  If yes why? If no why not?

• Slaughterhouse-Five/Cat's Cradle/Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut 
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
• The Trial by Franz Kafka
• The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• The Plague by Albert Camus

I also need to finish 1984 by Orwell but that isn't as pressing as some of these others.  For the next packet I will do two critical analyses on some of the novels that I am reading this time around.  During that period I think I would like to focus most of my reading to craft books such as the O'Connor and the Campbell books.  I have to work tomorrow and figure I will get some time to read as well as read over the student handbook some more and really start my Cover Letter as well as Artist's Statement.  In general, I rather miss Chestnut Hill and the people who made the residency such a wonderful experience.  One of these packets I think I will try to write up a short story or two so that I have something good to workshop rather than put in chapters from the novel.  Yet, novel chapters in workshop can lead to some really great brainstorming.  I will wait and see exactly who is running the workshops and if it seems that the set up is beneficial for novel working before I submit anything from The Death Man.