Right Now. . .

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Pages this Week: 105

Pages All Together: 998

Quotes of the Week:

1. "For some reason, I want to grab the guy by the throat, squeeze, cause him pain." - Impulse

2. "But I've spent time with someone fading toward death - held his hand, inhaled the scent of living flesh as it rots away. An old folks' home must smell the same, and no air freshener could disguise that odor. It chokes you, gags you, but you have to pretend that you're doing just fine, not trembling with fear because the end is close. You can feel death hovering, waiting for his very last breath his final shudder; anticipating taking him away." - Impulse

3. "As the old saying goes, 'sometimes loving someone means letting them go.'" - Impulse

4. "Love means holding on to someone just as hard as you can because if you don't, one blind and they might disappear forever." - Impulse 

I really thought the first quote was funny cause don't we all sometimes feel like squeezing someones throat and causing them pain. Oh and also the pictures are just some men's clothing I thought was cool. I personally love men's clothing and I love to wear and intermix men's apparel with very girly, feminine pieces.

Never Let Me Go

     I have started reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and like most books that I read I saw the movie first (I don't like to be surprised and spoilers are a good thing) and I loved it. First off, I love the story line of the movie, it puts the children in this very sad situation that corrupted their little world at Hailsham. Second, I love love love the score that Rachel Portman did, it sets the tone for the whole movie and its amazing.
     So the main characters are Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth. The book is in Kathy's point of view, shes twenty-eight years old and  looking back on her life with Tommy and Ruth at Hailsham. Hailsham is not a normal bordering school that all three of the children go to. Tommy is the kid that everyone picks on. Hes bullied not physically but mentally. Kathy seems to tag along with the "cool" group but seems always kind of by herself. In the first couple of chapters she observes Tommy all the time watching him get bullied and noticing when the bulling lets up. And Ruth is the kind of popular girl, the other girls always seem to be following her around and she makes jokes about Tommy too. So when Tommy's bulling lets up Kathy notices and wants to know why. So Kathy asks Tommy and Tommy tells her that Ms. Lucy (a guardian/teacher) said to not let any of that stuff bother him she also told him some other puzzling things that both Kathy and Tommy find confusing. They both promise to each other that they won't speak of this conversation.

The End

So Conner, Tony, and Vanessa are still out in the wilderness on their challenge and doing many skill tests. They've been crossing lots of sketchy bridges that are many stories high but now they have to climb a very steep rocky cliff. Tony and Vanessa make it up the cliff just fine, they talk about how the future and whats going to happen once they get out of Aspen Springs. They say they are going to stay together once they get out and they are going to support each other in the real world. Meanwhile, Conner was climbing up the he starts hearing his parent's voices in his head. Their saying that hes not good enough, Cara's much better than him, and he won't make the line-up the way hes climbing the cliff. He finally gets to the top and feels totally unsatisfied with his victory of making it to the top, he looks down to see what hes accomplished, he steps closer and closer and then he decides to jump. He died instantly. Tony and Vanessa heard the screams and saw what had happened. Immediately Tony feels guilty thinking that its his fault that Conner had killed himself, knowing that Conner had gone off his meds and wasn't acting normal. He and Vanessa thought he had everything; he was rich, good-looking, a full family and didn't know why he would want to kill himself.
When your in the point of view when Conner is about to kill himself you understand why hes doing it there really doesn't seem like there was any way out of it. He would of needed support which he probably could of found in Vanessa and Tony, but he needed to want their help and he didn't, you could tell he had given up.

Right Now. . .

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Pages this Week: 282

Pages All Together: 893

Best of the Best Quotes:

1. "Freedom is a doubled-edge ideal, because true freedom comes without the protection of laws that also enslave us by defining us - female, male; Christian, Islamic; good, evil. All at the at the whim of a frail minority." - Impulse
2. "The past is just something that's over." - A Single Man
3. "What do they think they're up to, here (here meaning getting an education)? Well, there is the official answer: preparing themselves for life which means a job and security in which to raise children to prepare themselves for life which means a job and security in which." - A Single Man

These are the best quotes because I believe that everyone of these quotes are true. Also, quote three is talking about how an education prepares you for "a job and security in which to raise children". I think this is true, but I find it sad that they map our lives out like that what if I do not want that life?

Letters

During the Challenge they have all received letters from home. Tony's letter is from his very distant father. Hes wants to be apart of Tony's life and hes hoping that Tony can forgive him for not being there when he was younger. With Tony's father back in his life he now has somewhere to stay, he doesn't have to deal with his mother and he doesn't have to live on the street or be homeless. Vanessa's letter is also from her dad. He writes that he is coming home permanently from Afghanistan and that he is going to be there for her because now her mom's bi-polar has gotten so out of hand that she not a suitable parent. Unlike Tony's and Vanessa's letter, Conner's letter is less supportive. Its from his mom, shes not to worried about him. Her only concerns are that he's getting behind on his school work and that he won't get in to a good college like his twin sister got into Stanford. Conner's not too surprised that nothing has change but he knows that he can't go back home. Unlike the other kids nothing changed at home for Conner nothing is going to be better, there is  no one there to support him in the healing process.

Secrets

So Conner, Tony, and Vanessa have passed all their levels up to level five in Aspen Springs. Level five consists of all of them going off into the wilderness challenging themselves with different tasks. Meanwhile, Tony and Vanessa relationship is becoming more serious and Conner has decided that he can't live with his medication creating his moods so he has stop cold turkey (with out anyone else knowing except for Tony and Vanessa) at the start of the challenge. Tony and Vanessa are both concerned that Conner isn't taking his pills and don't know if they should tell anyone, but so far they have kept it a secret. You can also tell that Conner's mood have change a lot since he's stop taking his medication. He doesn't talk much to anyone and when he does he's usually extremely angry.
 So a couple of days into the challenge when there was some free time we discovered that the three main characters have all killed (directly or indirectly) someone. Conner's housekeeper, Leona, who had sexually assaulted him when he was twelve. Conner had threatened Leona that he was going to tell his mom what was going on between the two of him and of course Leona told him not to do that so instead he told Leona's boyfriend. She was fired of course and when she was driving home she died in a car crash. Vanessa had gotten an abortion. The father was her boyfriend Trevor, who when she told him the news he told her to get rid of it. Tony killed Larry, one of his mother's many boyfriends and the boyfriend who had molested him when he was just eight. He was so angry that he took Larry's gun and shot him. All of these events lead all three of the characters to their depression.

Best of the Best Claims

1. "In the "So Long, Farewell" musical number of the Sound of Music, the Von Trapp children's bright  facial expressions, poised choreography, and cooing, melodic music develops the sense of lighthearted pleasure and soothing amusement." - Keep It  Classy
2. "In this flash mob by Todrick Hall, the mischievous and adventurous expressions, jubilant sounds, and bustling moves, show the explosive creativity and confident energy of the dancers."- The Average Life of a Teenage Bookworm
3. "Leonid Afremov's vibrant use of color, flowing appearance, and realistic, silky texture illustrates a feeling of whimsical relaxation and majestic euphoria."- Bud in the Garden
4. "In this scene from Grease, the director's melodic sound, crazy setting, open facial expression, and clean clothing expresses a sense of intimate playfulness, romantic energy, and loving animation."- Twilight
5. "During her routine, Shawn Johnson displays powerful tumbling, gracefully swift dance, intense expression, and representative attire; which sets forth a confidently energetic, yet cheerful routine." - Bookworm Days

I liked claim two because he/she used really different adjectives that you don't hear very often. I also feel like claim three did the same thing. Also I love the word cooing in Keep it Classy's claim.

Most Interesting Artifact: Is here. Flash Mobs are always fun.

The Claim: Proenza Schouler Fall 2010

 If the YouTube video is not working then there are photos of the collection here, and hopefully that link will work. If not I don't know what to tell you.

Sound:aggravated, annoying, repetitive                               
Fabric: confusing, disturbed, cluttered
Construction: seductive, playful, innocent
Color: neutral, dark, somber

Overall Feeling: polished, strange, dark, creepy, innocent

Claim:
Proenza Schouler's somber color scheme, seductive shape, and aggravated music choice, conveys a creepy and polished look for their fall 2010 collection.

My picks for peoms of the year (so far)

My three picks for the year. . . so far:

1. Gee, you're so beautiful that its starting to rain. by Richard Brautigan
2. Once Upon a Time by Jack Gilbert
3. First Kiss by April Lardner

I picked these poems because they are all love poems and they are all different kinds of love poems. Like, Gee, you're so beautiful that its starting to rain, is a kinda of weird, and silly love poem. And then some are more serious like Once Upon a Time and First Kiss. Especially First Kiss, I really love how it explores the relationship of young first love, and how its really not going to last and they aren't really in love. It just seems like an awkward state of two people.

Right Now. . . .

Jeffery Campbell is my favorite!




Impulse by Ellen Hopkins On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Pages this Week: 259
Pages All Together: 611

Quotes of the Week:

1. "Freedom is a doubled-edge ideal, because true freedom comes without the protection of laws that also enslave us by defining us - female, male; Christian, Islamic; good, evil. All at the at the whim of a frail minority." - Impulse
2. "If nobody's home climb in through the window." - On the Road
3. "The time has come for you and me to go see the Banana King." - On the Road

So I have given up on On the Road, this will be my last post about it. I am going to finish it but just not for class. I really do like the book its just a bit confusing and I have to re-read a lot of pages (can't you tell I've only read 17 pages in one week). Also, the pictures are of Jeffery Campbell's Night Walk Platform shoes and I am in love with them don't be surprised if you see them on me after Christmas. . . hopefully *fingers crossed*. Also, I really like the third quote the best because it kinda rhymes and it says banana king.

Parents

All Ellen Hopkins books always make me grateful for the life I have. Especially this book (so far), seeing where the three main characters parents and how they act and how most of them are very distant from their children. It makes me think of kids everyday in school that could be dealing with the same situations and nobody really notices nor cares. Its sad that this stuff can go undetected so easily by people they see everyday. I don't know, its just sad to me that parents so easily and quickly can ruin their children's lives and really not even notice.

Conner, Tony, Vanessa

Conner is your typical jock at school. His mother is a very cold woman, she is all about the looks of the family, everything from what her children wear, to who they date to what parties they go to. Everything has to be perfect, well at least physically. Conner also has a perfect twin sister, Cara, who he says is an exacted replica of their mother. The pressure by his parents to be the perfect family was too much pressure for Conner which lead him to shoot himself. Conner also before he went into Aspen Springs had a relationship with Emily, one of his high school teachers.

Tony's father left him and his mother when he was younger. Tony's mother slept around a lot and Tony was abused by a lot of those guys. With his mother and father absent from his life, Tony was forced to live on the streets and traded sex for pretty much anything, from money, to drugs, to even just a place to sleep. With all the abuse of his childhood Tony is confused with his sexuality. A couple months before he overdosed his best friend, and foster father Phillip died.

Vanessa is a smart, beautiful, shy girl. Her father is over seas fighting in the war, so he really hasn't been around for the past four years and her mother suffers with bi-polar disorder, so shes never mentally there. She says she sees angels and talks to them. Vanessa is also suffering with bi-polar disorder like her mother and is always swinging from "blue to gray to white" as she describes it. The way she copes is by cutting herself. Vanessa just before she was sent into the treatment center broke with the "love of her life" Trevor.

Currently. . .I'm doing better than last time

This is in honor of the start of Fashion Week in New York

On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Pages this Week: 150
Pages All Together: 352

Quotes of the Week:

1. "Ma, I want to be a ho-bo someday." - On the Road
2. " 'Don't get lost along the the way, though.' Old joke, not funny." - Impulse
3. "I tattered their wings and tore off their legs, joint by joint, watched them crawl in circles, like little lost infants, until they decided to die." - Impulse

Impulse

So I feel like its been taking me an extremely long time to read On the Road, so to make up for lost pages I started reading Impulse by Ellen Hopkins. I love all of Ellen Hopkins books and Impulse is the only one I haven't read. If your not familiar with her books she writes them in some special poetic term that I don't know, but there is always like hidden messages and in like one page her words will make like a picture or something. So Impulse is about three teenagers, Conner, Tony and Vanessa, that are all sent to this "treatment center" called Aspen Springs, oh and they all don't know one other. The book is written in all three of the characters point of views, Hopkins, every like five to ten pages will change the character so you know whats going on in every one's heads on whatever is happening in the treatment center. So Conner is in Aspen Springs because he tried to shoot himself with a gun through his heart but the bullet hit his bone and his little brother found him and he was sent to the center. Tony was sent because he overdosed on pills and alcohol and a cop found in a pool of his own vomit on a sidewalk. And then Vanessa is a resident because she cuts herself and one time she cut herself so much that it pretty much went to the bone and her brother found her. So all three of them are pretty much locked up in isolation, constantly being checked up on just in case they try and do anything, but eventually they are given a level one status and are let into small groups to talk. And that is where I had finished.

Semi - Confused

So I've started On the Road. Its kind of difficult to read, being that the whole book is one paragraph. Its confusing when the topic of the story with the change of a sentence, but its working I'll get through it. So the beginning of the book goes super fast, the main character Sal meets this really energetic guy who he admirers a lot named Dean in New York (and a lot of other people that he didn't explain very much) and for some reason Sal wants to go to Denver (I got super confused there were like 20 things happening in a matter of like 3 pages). And then Sal is off on this road trip to Denver where he knows some friends. Once he gets to Denver he meets up with his friends that he knew in New York and really all they do is party/ go out to a bar/ try to hook up with girls (which Sal seems to be very bad at). But really Sal is just going with the flow with the rest of his friends.

Dragonslayer

I don't know, I thought this looked like fun. . . and don't judge the title of the movie its not about a dragon or slayer.

Currently. . . . I'm Slacking

A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood
On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Pages read this week: 102
All together pages: 202

Quotes of the Week:

1. "He would be conventionally handsome if he didn't have a beaky nose; but it is a nice on, a large, humorous organ." - A Single Man
2. "The past is just something that's over." - A Single Man
3. "She hasn't seen him do this asinine thing. Which is truly providential because, if she had seen him, she would have insisted on his staying the night; which would have meant, well, at the very least, such a late breakfast that it would have been brunch; which would have meant me drinks; which would have meant siesta and supper, and more and more and more drinks to follow. . . . This has actually happened, before now."- A Single Man
4. "I woke up as the sun was reddening; and that was the one distinct time in my life, the strangest moment of all, that I didn't know who I was... I was far away from home haunted and tired with travel, in a cheap hotel room I'd never seen, hearing the hiss of steam outside, and the creak of the old wood of the hotel, and footsteps upstairs and all the sad sounds, and I looked at the cracked high ceiling and really didn't know who I was for about fifteen strange seconds. I wasn't scared, I was just somebody else, some stranger, and my whole life was a haunted life, the life of a ghost...." - On the Road

So.... I know I've only really been reading the minimum each week (hey but at least I increased two pages!) but I'm really going to read a lot this weekend (hopefully).

On the Road

I have now started On the Road by Jack Kerouac. I bought this book over the summer and really never got around to reading it (so I saved it for etymology), but what originally attracted this book to me was that it seem very similar to Into the Wild (which is both an amazing book and movie) in the lets go on an across America road trip and find yourself type thing. I love this idea of not really knowing where your going and not really knowing who your going to meet and just getting lost and exploring it seems extremely fun and a little bit scary. But I'm excited to read On the Road and I hope it stands up to my expectations well. Also, the trailer is for Into the Wild its a really amazing movie, Emile Hirsch does a fantastic job, and Sean Penn made this a beautiful movie. And I'm serious go watch it!

Finished

So I finished Christopher Isherwood's A Single Man. However, after both reading the book and watching the movie I truly do love both of them. They were both fantastic in their own unique ways. I mean of course the movie wasn't identical to the book but when is it ever. (spoilers) I guess you could say that the book and movie takes the viewer/reader through one day of a mans life and it just happens to be his final day. The major difference between the book and the movie was that in the movie George (the main character) was suicidal, like carrying a gun around with him all day suicidal. And I guess you could possible say that George was suicidal in the book, but it wasn't as obvious. He said some things in his opinions and thoughts that I think hinted at it. One thing I loved about the movie was how ironic the ending was because George goes through this whole day wanting to die and then at the end he has this moment of clarity in which he is totally peaceful and happy with his life and then bam he dies, he got his wish. 
I think the most interesting part of the book was the way George handled his partner Jim's death. When he received the call that Jim had died a family member of Jim's had contacted George and informed him that he was not welcome to come the funeral. Also the story that he told his neighbors was that Jim had moved out, back home to Ohio and that he was never coming back. The only person George confided in was with his best friend Charlotte, who of course cared for him when he couldn't face reality. However, throughout the day whenever he has flashbacks about Jim or is talking of him he shows absolutely no emotion happy nor sad.  I mean its bad enough to loose your best friend and love but to not even be able to go to his funeral or to talk about to anyone just because it wasn't acceptable to be publicly gay in the early 1960s. I mean its still sad that some people in this country today still can't except the gays and any other minority's for that matter.