"I find it best not to plan. That way nothing goes wrong." --Neil Gaiman
(He is also a big fan of Diana Wynn Jones, so there's one more person who agrees with me!)
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Ham-Fisted Doofus
1 week ago
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Literary Snobs
So, I have received some unfair criticism on my top ten book list. The top eight have remained safe, (being classics) but people seem to disagree on the “literary value” of the last two. I can easily argue that Diana Wynn Jones ranks with the best of the great children’s authors (I realize this puts her right up there with C.S. Lewis, but it’s a place I think she has earned). Howl’s Moving Castle is arguably her best work, so it gets on the list.
As for the Sookie Stackhouse novels, well according to my personal definition of “literary value”—a work that withstands the trial of time—those novels probably don’t have it. This doesn’t mean that I don’t find them enjoyable, entertaining, and a fun way to pass the time. Sometimes, that’s all that matters in a good book. Charlaine Harris may not have the alluring writing style of Tolkien, (a fact that she herself admits to early in From Dead to Worse) but she is funny! I enjoy reading her work like I enjoy a good action film, and it wouldn’t hurt my feeling to be compared to her as a writer.
So, there’s my defense, now give me a break. Stop being literary snobs and enjoy a fast-paced, entertaining work of fiction every now and then.
As for the Sookie Stackhouse novels, well according to my personal definition of “literary value”—a work that withstands the trial of time—those novels probably don’t have it. This doesn’t mean that I don’t find them enjoyable, entertaining, and a fun way to pass the time. Sometimes, that’s all that matters in a good book. Charlaine Harris may not have the alluring writing style of Tolkien, (a fact that she herself admits to early in From Dead to Worse) but she is funny! I enjoy reading her work like I enjoy a good action film, and it wouldn’t hurt my feeling to be compared to her as a writer.
So, there’s my defense, now give me a break. Stop being literary snobs and enjoy a fast-paced, entertaining work of fiction every now and then.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Neil Gaiman!
Tomorrow I will be going with a group of friends to hear Neil Gaiman speak at the University of Alabama! For those of you who don't know, Neil Gaiman is one of the best writers of our day. He does everything from comic books to screenplays to poetry to novels! Some of his greater works include Sandman: Endless Nights (one of the few graphic novels to make the top twenty on the New York Times bestseller list) and Coraline (the children's novel that was recently adapted for the screen). Sure, he's had his fair share of foibles, (anybody see that newest Beowulf film? He wrote it) but the things he has done for the graphic novel world as well as the literary world have made him a master.
Needless to say, I am extremely excited about hearing him speak, though perhaps not as excited as James, who claims to be Gaiman's number one fan. (Of course James is coming with me.) I hope someone out there understands enough to share my elation!
Needless to say, I am extremely excited about hearing him speak, though perhaps not as excited as James, who claims to be Gaiman's number one fan. (Of course James is coming with me.) I hope someone out there understands enough to share my elation!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Marvel Movies: Why Bryan Singer is my Nemisis
So, for those of you who don't know, I am a huge comic book fan. The series I'm currently collecting is X-Force, even though it does not include Rogue or Storm. I have always been an X-Men fan. It was the first series I started collecting. Needless to say, the movies fell way short of my expectations.
Let me just say that I think the first movie was pretty okay. Wolverine and Sabretooth fought, Cyclops was an action figure, and Patrick Stewart was an ideal Professor Xavier. However, Anna Paquin was far from any Rogue I had ever seen. In fact, lets just admit it, she was Kitty Pride with some of Rogue's powers. The relationship Rogue has with Wolverine in the movies (the whole protective older man and young girl thing) is actually the same relationship that Kitty had with Logan in the comics. Rogue was also an adult by the time she joined X-Men. Rogue was always the "hot girl" in the comics (not that Paquin isn't beautiful, but it's a different type of beauty). Rogue was super-model tall with extra curves, and an accent. Nobody in the X-Men movies got their accents right (except Nightcrawler and Wolverine).
Don't even get me started on Halle Berry's pitiful portrayal of Storm! Agh! Why didn't they get Jada Pinkett-Smith?
Then, there was Wolverine. Now, I love Hugh Jackman as much as the next female and I believe that he got the attitude of Wolverine down perfectly. But in the comics, Wolverine was 5'4"! Let's face it, Bryan Singer once again screwed us all over by combining Wolverine and Gambit. For example: Wolverine never openly flirted with Jean Grey, Gambit flirted with Jean and every other woman who crossed his path; Wolverine was short and stocky, Gambit was tall and...sexy; Wolverine never drove a motorcycle, the motorcycle was Gambit's vehicle of choice. So, there you have it, the two coolest X-Men characters were combined to become Hugh Jackman.
I don't blame the actors (although Jackman did produce the movie that brought Gambit in with no explanation other than the fans wanted him). I blame Bryan Singer. I also blame him for the longest, most boring Superman movie in the world, in which he cast a skinny Brandon Rooth as the lead character. Honestly, if Singer would just stop making movies altogether, I would be so happy. He should stick with House. That's a great show! He doesn't even have to ruin my favorite characters to make it!
I was really hoping the Disney takeover would fix this whole X-Men issue. I was hoping that they would take over, reboot the entire series, keep Patrick Stewart, and cast Jada Pinkett-Smith. Alas, I just discovered that X-Men: First Class is being developed by none other than Bryan Singer. Oh, Disney, how you've let me down!
Also, Will Smith is rumored to be cast in the role of (I can't believe this one) Captain America! I love Will Smith. He's a wonderful actor, but Steve Rogers is a blond-haired white man who fought in World War II! I really hope Will has more class than that. There are so many good super-heroes he could play. Captain America would be bad for his career.
So, there's my opinion. Take it or leave it.
Let me just say that I think the first movie was pretty okay. Wolverine and Sabretooth fought, Cyclops was an action figure, and Patrick Stewart was an ideal Professor Xavier. However, Anna Paquin was far from any Rogue I had ever seen. In fact, lets just admit it, she was Kitty Pride with some of Rogue's powers. The relationship Rogue has with Wolverine in the movies (the whole protective older man and young girl thing) is actually the same relationship that Kitty had with Logan in the comics. Rogue was also an adult by the time she joined X-Men. Rogue was always the "hot girl" in the comics (not that Paquin isn't beautiful, but it's a different type of beauty). Rogue was super-model tall with extra curves, and an accent. Nobody in the X-Men movies got their accents right (except Nightcrawler and Wolverine).
Don't even get me started on Halle Berry's pitiful portrayal of Storm! Agh! Why didn't they get Jada Pinkett-Smith?
Then, there was Wolverine. Now, I love Hugh Jackman as much as the next female and I believe that he got the attitude of Wolverine down perfectly. But in the comics, Wolverine was 5'4"! Let's face it, Bryan Singer once again screwed us all over by combining Wolverine and Gambit. For example: Wolverine never openly flirted with Jean Grey, Gambit flirted with Jean and every other woman who crossed his path; Wolverine was short and stocky, Gambit was tall and...sexy; Wolverine never drove a motorcycle, the motorcycle was Gambit's vehicle of choice. So, there you have it, the two coolest X-Men characters were combined to become Hugh Jackman.
I don't blame the actors (although Jackman did produce the movie that brought Gambit in with no explanation other than the fans wanted him). I blame Bryan Singer. I also blame him for the longest, most boring Superman movie in the world, in which he cast a skinny Brandon Rooth as the lead character. Honestly, if Singer would just stop making movies altogether, I would be so happy. He should stick with House. That's a great show! He doesn't even have to ruin my favorite characters to make it!
I was really hoping the Disney takeover would fix this whole X-Men issue. I was hoping that they would take over, reboot the entire series, keep Patrick Stewart, and cast Jada Pinkett-Smith. Alas, I just discovered that X-Men: First Class is being developed by none other than Bryan Singer. Oh, Disney, how you've let me down!
Also, Will Smith is rumored to be cast in the role of (I can't believe this one) Captain America! I love Will Smith. He's a wonderful actor, but Steve Rogers is a blond-haired white man who fought in World War II! I really hope Will has more class than that. There are so many good super-heroes he could play. Captain America would be bad for his career.
So, there's my opinion. Take it or leave it.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Voice and Performance
First of all, it has been way too long since I've written anything on this blog. It's as if I stopped blogging as soon as I let everyone know I had a blog! Agh.
So, about my life.
I started taking a voice class this semester. I'm an English major. I don't really see singing anywhere in my future, but I love to sing. According to my parents, I could sing before I could talk. I started doing musical theatre (just community stuff, nothing major) when I was three, and I've loved it ever since. Even though I haven't been in a musical in probably eight years, I still have a passion for the arts. So, with this level of defense, I decided to take a voice class.
On my first day my professor, Dr. Banks, tested our ranges, and he was surprised to learn that I've always considered myself an alto. If you've ever heard me talk, you would think that too.
He said, "You have a beautiful headvoice. You must always sing soprano."
"Not at all," I answered in my man's voice. "I'm an alto."
"You just sang a high F. You're a soprano." And just like that, my identity was shattered. Okay, that might be a bit over-dramatic, but I am over-dramatic. It might be a good thing, actually. Being a soprano will allow me to sing a wider variety of songs.
I have to pick one classical song to perform in class, and I am learning that I don't really like classical music. I would much rather get up there and sing some Saving Jane or Alanah Myles, but that's not going to happen. Nope, I have to sing opera. Not just any opera, no, a song from a French opera. I don't speak French--I don't even like French--but I'm singing French. I'll stop complaining, though. The song, Plaisir d'Amour, is actually really pretty, and it will be a great learning experience. I just wish I understood the lyrics.
Dr. Banks also told us to find a singer who we thought might have the same voice types as us and who we could "look up to" or something like that. This assignment left me totally confused. You see, there are a lot of female vocalists I wish I could sing like (and in the case of Freddy Mercury, there is also one male vocalist I wish I could sound like). As for whether or not we have the same voice type, I have no idea. I don't know what my voice type is. This is my first professional lesson.
So, for funzies, I have attached the names and links of singers I admire, leaving out the better known singers like Aretha Franklin and Judy Garland. (If you don't know who those two are, you're not my friend. Stop reading my blog!) Here we go:
Sara Ramirez
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TIVnq2kkjY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMwb3wG2fC8&feature=related
Kate Voegele
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v22NMAG1k18
Marti Dodson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggj1re60d2I
Kerry Ellis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVBR-SC3HDU&feature=related
Ruthie Henshall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyscZQmRc6w
Ethel Merman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s62MrU8mHx4
Idina Menzel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g4ekwTd6Ig
There you have it! Please enjoy and feel free to comment. Maybe you can help me decide which singer I should pick? Who knows. I'm going to go do something productive now, like read for my creative writing class. (I'm writing a short story! I might post it.)
Tootles,
Kayla Elise
So, about my life.
I started taking a voice class this semester. I'm an English major. I don't really see singing anywhere in my future, but I love to sing. According to my parents, I could sing before I could talk. I started doing musical theatre (just community stuff, nothing major) when I was three, and I've loved it ever since. Even though I haven't been in a musical in probably eight years, I still have a passion for the arts. So, with this level of defense, I decided to take a voice class.
On my first day my professor, Dr. Banks, tested our ranges, and he was surprised to learn that I've always considered myself an alto. If you've ever heard me talk, you would think that too.
He said, "You have a beautiful headvoice. You must always sing soprano."
"Not at all," I answered in my man's voice. "I'm an alto."
"You just sang a high F. You're a soprano." And just like that, my identity was shattered. Okay, that might be a bit over-dramatic, but I am over-dramatic. It might be a good thing, actually. Being a soprano will allow me to sing a wider variety of songs.
I have to pick one classical song to perform in class, and I am learning that I don't really like classical music. I would much rather get up there and sing some Saving Jane or Alanah Myles, but that's not going to happen. Nope, I have to sing opera. Not just any opera, no, a song from a French opera. I don't speak French--I don't even like French--but I'm singing French. I'll stop complaining, though. The song, Plaisir d'Amour, is actually really pretty, and it will be a great learning experience. I just wish I understood the lyrics.
Dr. Banks also told us to find a singer who we thought might have the same voice types as us and who we could "look up to" or something like that. This assignment left me totally confused. You see, there are a lot of female vocalists I wish I could sing like (and in the case of Freddy Mercury, there is also one male vocalist I wish I could sound like). As for whether or not we have the same voice type, I have no idea. I don't know what my voice type is. This is my first professional lesson.
So, for funzies, I have attached the names and links of singers I admire, leaving out the better known singers like Aretha Franklin and Judy Garland. (If you don't know who those two are, you're not my friend. Stop reading my blog!) Here we go:
Sara Ramirez
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TIVnq2kkjY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMwb3wG2fC8&feature=related
Kate Voegele
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v22NMAG1k18
Marti Dodson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggj1re60d2I
Kerry Ellis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVBR-SC3HDU&feature=related
Ruthie Henshall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyscZQmRc6w
Ethel Merman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s62MrU8mHx4
Idina Menzel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g4ekwTd6Ig
There you have it! Please enjoy and feel free to comment. Maybe you can help me decide which singer I should pick? Who knows. I'm going to go do something productive now, like read for my creative writing class. (I'm writing a short story! I might post it.)
Tootles,
Kayla Elise
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