Hi Erin!

I haven't seen any movies or listened to anything recently that i particularly want to talk about. But I'm bored, and I did write a poem I want Erin to read. And we're never online at the same time. so...

*** 5.21.08 These poems have been edited a lot since i posted them a while back... They are way better now. The third poem is almost ridiculously different than the poem i wrote originally. By putting it up here I managed to get some really helpful feedback, but I still don't like it. I've replaced it with one that is much better, in my opinion.

*This poem is about my favorite painting from Rembrandt's era. It was painted by an unknown artist (or I can't remember it). I found it in an art book at Webster's Cafe, and then I went back to buy the book the next week and it had been sold. The painting can't be found via googling, so i guess it's somewhat obscure.

Cupid Writes an Oath of Fidelity in the Sand
He writes on
With fervor, eyes cast down, ignoring the heavens.
Lips pursed and brow furrowed,
He searches diligently
For the correct words.

Overhead,
Seagulls bob and weave across the sky,
Forming quick constellations,
Breaking away again.

Even as he writes,
Wind blows lightly and the sand trembles.
Still his hand crosses every "t" with a flourish.
Nodding his head, the last sentence
Is finished.

In no time,
Some sweet new muse entices him
To forget his silly words and write new, better prose.
Bacchus weakens his resolve
Neptune's high tide washes his old words away.


*This one I wrote a few months ago, but I just love it. I feel like it describes my grandfather fairly well.

Christmas 1994
It occurs to me,
As Pop-Pop descends the staircase
Draped in red and white,
That I’m pretty sure Santa doesn’t wear sneakers

He got the jolly part right.
Though the smell of cigarettes and old spice
Tickles my nose
And the Italian accent amuses my ears.

Underneath a towering, glowing pine,
Amid mountains of shredded wrapping,
Between giggles,
I’ll assure him I still believe.

I really, really wanted presents.

* This one is about being stuck on the side of the shoulder of the highway in February. it sucked.

The Afterlife
The road ahead is a shallow pool of tar
Our used car waded through,
As though determined
Until its pulsing metal heart could go
No further.

Tractor trailers race by,
almost smacking our side mirrors,
Splattering us with rain water and grime.
Each time the wind whips us
Our lemon rocks
Back and forth, scattering droplets
Before settling.

The bright blue sign ahead--
State College
62 miles--
Reveals itself and disappears
Under blinking hazard lights.

To the people who read this crap, I welcome your input. If there's anything i've learned this semester it's this : the sometimes harsh opinions of 15 english majors reading my work will make me upset, but the end result makes it worthwhile. I imagine this extends to the opinions of my many intelligent friends, as well.

My love of the song "for the girl" probably means I'm a masochist

Seriously. The chorus goes :
"She was into the Stones when/ I was into the Roses/ She was breaking my bones when/I was busting her noses/ She would tell me a secret/ I would lose it the next day/ Young love pleases you easy/ Makes you sick in a bad way"

But that is not where the story begins.

This is...
Hot Fuzz. It's one of my favorite movies of all time. I've loved the soundtrack for a long time, but I never actually took the time to find out if any of the bands have, you know, other songs. Actually, I didn't even know the song's titles and artists, despite listening to the soundtrack on a semi-regular basis.

So there I was last week, despairing over my lack of new music. "Self," I said, "it's time to get off your proverbial ass and do something about this." I finally took a look at the artists. I had already heard of the Kinks, Eels, Adam Ant, and XTC. But The Fratellis and Supergrass I did not know about.

I scoped the bands out and found they are both pretty fantastic, so I trekked down to city lights. First I had a quick chat with the proprietor about the soul sucking force that is itunes and how cd's are better if only for the feeling I get when I can hold something tangible in my hands. I'm sure if i was born five years ago I'd have a massive record collection, if only because it would make me feel even more like a music elitist. After impressing myself with my own pseudo-intellectual babble, I scrounged around for a bit.

Turns out Supergrass wasn't in stock, but there was a copy of the Fratellis' debut album, "Costello Music." The title itself appealed to me because of the possible reference to Elvis Costello. I snatched that up real quick. Since then it's been scrambling up my last.fm "top artists" chart with the all the swagger of Jack Sparrow.

Swagger really is the best word for it. It's all liquor and women. Each song is a story; Stealing a woman from her husband here, sex with a hippy in a van there. Most likely, the Scottish band rocketed to success so quickly (the band formed 3 years ago) because they sound exactly like the british alt rock sound that is oh-so-popular right now. But I am certainly not complaining. That sound may be over-done (if you look into it as much as I do), but there are only two bands around that pull it off with excellence. The premier band is of course the Arctic Monkeys (if you've spent more than an hour talking to me you probably know of my obsession). However, the Fratellis will also punch you in the face with their 20-something, liquor-fueled stories. I think, being underage and socially awkward I live vicariously through this type of infectious and rowdy alt-rock. Though it's misogynistic at times, it's exciting (much like my last boyfriend, hey-oh!). I can't be that crazy, but my music can be and that's why I love it.


Some songs you should look up:
1- Vince the Loveable Stoner- easily the funniest song on the album
2- Whistle for the Choir- their mellowest ditty
3- Creepin up the back stairs- my favorite

last.fm has a bunch of full-tracks to listen to (though not creepin up) and videos as well
or the songs are all available to stream on freenapster.com


I still don't know what "costello music" means... but that's not really important.