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Thursday’s Thoughts: What I Would Study


This week’s Thursday’s Thoughts question is

If you could study a subject that you’ve never had the opportunity to learn, what would you choose? This could be an academic class or the study of a specific skill or art.

I may be a day late on this week’s question, but hey, I’m answering it. I’ve wanted to go back to college for some time now, more specifically graduate school for an MFA in Creative Writing or an MA in literature, and eventually a PhD so I could teach college courses. Unfortunately, that time has passed along with my grandmother; she was a great inspiration to me and provided much of the money I needed to get into undergrad. I thank her dearly. Graduate work is out of the question unless I win the lottery.

However, I’ve also wanted to take courses in photography, particularly to learn about composition. It also would be great to learn about developing photos the old fashioned way in chemicals and a dark room and how to use photoshop to modify digital photos. I did learn a great deal when I worked for five years at photography store in the area, and the people I worked with taught me a lot. But formal training in photography would be fantastic.

Another thing on my to-do list is to learn my father’s native language, Portuguese. I’ve always loved other languages and can still speak some Spanish thanks to high school courses, but I would love to learn Portuguese and talk with my dad in his native tongue and head on over to the Azores to speak with those relatives as well.

I have a great many interests, but those are the top two on my list. What’s on yours?

***Giveaway Reminder***

1 gently used ARC of Reading by Lightning by Joan Thomas; Deadline is March 20 at Midnight EST.

3 Copies of Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly for U.S./Canada residents
1 copy of Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly for an international resident
Deadline is March 24, 5pm EST

1 copy of Plum Spooky Audiobook by Janet Evanovich; Deadline is March 26 at 5PM

Thursday’s Thoughts: What Grabs You?

Which author’s writing surprised you when you first read their work and what about it grabs you?

Since the question is mine, I figured I better answer it, and I’m going to go a bit askew and mention a poet, who has been featured recently here on Savvy Verse & Wit.

You guessed it, Arlene Ang. I’ve read her work for several years now in journals, and I will immediately read the latest issue of Pedestal Magazine or in whichever journal I find her published next.

What grabbed me first about her poetry is its eccentricty. Yes, her poetry is odd at times, but that’s what I love about it. I love the way she thinks about language and applies it in her work.

The Itch on my Scalp Means is one of my favorites; this is how it begins:

“I’ve been drinking in the nude. There was

a special occasion sometime in my past:

the sliding door stuck and I invited the maitre d’
upstairs to come through the window”

I love the inherent suspense she builds at the beginning of her poems; what is this special occasion from her past and does it have to do with this maitre d’?

How about her poem, “Shipwreck“? (I have a poem with the same title)

“Arrival is another
optical illusion of departure—

to reach the bottom,
the body is called upon
to leave first: the surface, a self,

the neck of a broken bottle
that hangs by a string.

Prior to drowning,
people shout in unison
with their faith—little fetish objects
around their throat—

but do not stop
the ship from sinking.

ii.

Even water has a pulse.

It slows down in the absence
of living, and competes
with movements that have
to do with survival.”

You’ll have to read the rest of this great poem here.

Check out these poems in Poems Neiderngasse.

I also adore that she experiments with her art whether its photoetry in “Like Turned Tables” or her blog.

If you haven’t checked out her by now, you should. There’s even a chance for you to win a copy of her chapbook, here. Yes, that was my shameless plug for more entrants. Today’s the last day!

Happy Thursday!

Thursday’s Thoughts

Hey everyone, just wanted to alert you to my spotlight moment on Thursday’s Thoughts. Yes, I came up with this week’s question.

Head on over, check it out, and PARTICIPATE!

I hope you have fun!

***Don’t forget my Arlene Ang, Secret Love Poems, giveaway***

Thursday’s Thoughts: Which Fictional Character Would You Be?

If you could be any fictional character who would it be and why?

I’ve thought long and hard about this one, and are you ready for my unconventional answer? Ok, its really a character that everyone should have predicted by now. In spite of her prejudices and faults, I would love to be Elizabeth Bennet. Why? Because she has the love of her father, the kinship of her sisters, her family, and Charlotte.


She’s also feisty, witty, and plain spoken. She doesn’t give a darn about convention, and is willing to risk it all for love. That’s who I would love to be. Independent, dependable, Lizzy!

Now, if I felt I had more leeway and I could be anyone or anything, I would have chosen differently.


How about this one?
I know I could have selected whomever I wanted, but the truth is I couldn’t just pick one. I love Lestat from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. He’s another witty character who flies in the face of convention to get what he wants. I love the passion. The desire to get it all.

What about you? Which fictional character would you choose?

***Don’t forget to enter my Clearing the Shelves giveaway. ***