I saw a castle on a hillside, but I was unable to get a good picture of it since it was foggy and dusk. If you look closely, you can see its two spires toward the top of the hill in the photo. It was really beautiful and grandiose, and I wish I could have done it justice in the picture.
In my courses, we are nearing the end of the first semester, so we are all beginning to think about our final projects. In my Art and Craft of Fiction, our assignment is to prepare a 6,000 word piece of fiction which has been inspired by one or more of the novels that we studied in class, followed by a 1,000 word critical commentary expounding on this inspiration.
I have already written my 6,000 and continued on to a little over 12,000 words as I am hoping to make the work novel length (which, is typically around 50,000 words). My story explores the fluidity of sexuality in modern society and the influence of past and present events in shaping the course of personal development and fulfillment. I have been inspired by Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" and Vladimir Nabokov's "Laughter in the Dark." In my piece I have incorporated the use of very distinct and abrupt narrative flashbacks, as in "The Handmaid's Tale" however I have taken the Atwood-esque flashback and pushed it further, using not a distinct section of text, but also a change of perspective in the narrative. I chose this method over other methods such as that in Kazuo Ishiguro's "An Artist of the Floating World" which had very smooth discreate flashbacks. I found this technique confusing and prefer the stark contrast that Atwood employes. Secondly, I was influenced by the tone and minimalist style as in "Laughter in the Dark." I also attempted to incorporate humour and a narrative similar to everyday life.
In my Twentieth Century Body course, I am a bit nervous about our final assessment. We have to select any of the texts which we studied throughout the course, and we need to ask and answer a question about it in a 4,000 word essay. I am not sure which text I will select, but I am more uncertain about this essay due to its highly critical nature. Many of the texts we studied in class were rather difficult, and I am uneasy about selecting my own topic and question to discuss. My class instructor already offered to give advice on any issues that we had, so I am planning on narrowing down the text and question I will address this week and meeting with him to discuss. It will be challenging, but no doubt rewarding to complete it!
Until next time,
Sarah
