In the same vein as the post I just reblogged, I took far more pleasure than I should have last year in writing a mini-dissertation on the power structure of the goa’uld (from Stargate SG-1), precisely because it was ‘popular’ source material.

I took even more pleasure in the fact that I got a first class mark for it.

Yeeeah I went on a bit /facepalm

*insert some ranting about academic snobbery*

I was talking with someone the other day who said that my uni “prided itself on producing many literary writers of great reknown” and I’m afraid we both then had a little snigger about pretentious rubbish which is mean and wrong. I mean it’s ok that I think that but I should phrase it differently because it implies a value judgement which is incorrect. What I should say is that it’s not to my taste, which is kinda the whole point I’m driving at.

Literary fiction isn’t the only kind of worthy fiction in the world. Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s not good. The problem with me stating my opinion on this is that I’m not a graduate, I don’t have any kind of academic pedigree to give my opinion any merit. I firmly believe that there is a lot to learn from all kinds of literature, every genre, literary or popular, hell I firmly support fanfic as I find the transformative nature creative and fascinating.

I respect all words. True I don’t enjoy everything in existence but then who does? In my naughty moments I call it pretentious twaddle but even as I say it I know that’s not right. I just really wish that the respect was returned and that academic institutions quit preaching that literary is the only fiction worth a damn.

As a side note, on the literature side of the coin (as opposed to just the creative writing), I really wish we’d study more variety. 95% of it is old white men, usually written a hundred years ago or more. The excuse trotted out is that those things have “stood the test of time” but in whose opinion? Sometimes I think that we only think things are important because we’ve been told they are so many times we don’t question it.

If we’re looking at literature in the scope of history, then damn straight we need to read older works. If we’re just analysing literature for form or technique, then why not read modern stuff? Why not read ‘popular’ works? Not everything has to be literary and not everything should come from Europe. Now yeah there are a few exceptions but those exceptions only highlight how uniform the rest of the curriculum is.

/grumble /grumble

(I don’t hate my degree btw, I’m just frustrated)

I feel like Captain Kirk in my classes. Like Scotty should be standing there going:

“She likes that seat.”

I get very grumpy if I can’t sit in the same place every week. That’s my seat *hides*

1-3pm has to be one of the more annoying 2 hour blocks for class /whine Add on travelling time and it’s too early for lunch but then starving by the end.

Although I do count myself lucky I don’t have another class directly afterwards as that would suck.

Aaaand I seem to be thinking with my stomach today *rolls eyes at self*

*sniggers* doing my customary rewriting of my bio pre-NaNo and as always 9/10ths of it is me fangirling. I even acknowledge that at the start.

Every year I write a new bio and I talk about my current fandoms. Three years ago I said how much I loved the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Stargate. I then spoke at length about a new favourite – Once Upon a Time. Once has finished now and to be honest I didn’t watch season seven but I’m still active in the fandom, and still writing (or at least thinking about writing) fanfic for it.

I said last year how much I loved Agents of Shield and that is still very true. This long hiatus before the (probable) last season 🙁 is just ugh too long! I want to know what happens next dammit. I’ve recently started watching Warehouse 13 and I’m love with H.G. Wells, Jaime Murray is amazing in every role I’ve ever seen her in and this is no exception. I’m currently mid-way through season two so #nospoilers.

My total favourite *cough* ok obsession, right now has to be The Librarians. Oh man I couldn’t love it more if I tried. I am not admitting how many times I’ve rewatched it (ending at just 42 episodes is so cruel) but wow I don’t think I’ve ever watched a show (not even Stargate, my absolute all-time favourite) which makes me as happy as The Librarians does. It is just such a happy show. The enthusiasm they have for learning, and the comedy and the banter and just everything – I love it!

I would be remiss in failing to mention Killjoys, which alas only has one more season left, but at least the writers got a ton of notice so I’m expecting it to wrap up well. I’m also watching Black Lightning. I think that’s it?

Nope nearly forgot Timeless, Garcy ftw!

Still if I’m going to fall in love with a bunch of new shows, at least I mostly picked cancelled ones, which is better for my time even if I’m still sad that there is no more.

Quite why EVERY SINGLE YEAR I seem to think this is necessary content for a bio is beyond me. BUT every year I flail over TV that I love. Every year!

*sniggers harder* actually I’m wondering if maybe it’s me subconsciously doing a big rude gesture to the established ‘wisdom’ when it comes to writing. You know the old “you have to read in order to write” cliche. I tend to believe that you have to be exposed to good stories, and I’m not picky about the form. I think TV has a lot to recommend it when it comes to mining for writing tools: inspirational visuals, snappy dialogue, a clear act structure etc.

Oh man in class yesterday the lecturer was asking what people were currently reading. The students that spoke up were all reading ‘worthy’ books (or so they said). The lecturer said that she didn’t mind what we said, that even if we we reading say Neil Gaiman it was ok (I was like ??? that this was her example of ‘low’ literature because really?). I was soooo tempted to say that I was reading fanfic just to shock everyone but I was too much of a coward.

Oh and one more funny thing about yesterdays class. We read this poem and the commentary on it was “most people reading this had no idea it was a love poem” and I really struggled not to laugh because I must have read too much fanfic, as it screamed dom/sub dynamic, it was like poetic erotica.

I’m going to shut up now.

#but as I’m too afraid to speak my mind I will probably never find out if they are also biting their tongues#I love writing and I love books but usually if I read something that purports to be literary then I think it is snobby and crap#I wish I could know whether I’m alone in this on the course or if any of my fellow students feel the same way#ok I shouldn’t say crap I should say not to my taste because casting judgement is bad but well that is what I’m thinking even if I don’t say#seriously sometimes I wonder if maybe I’m not a good fit for an English Lit course

theoneandonlylittlebird:

galactic-pirates:

So I just had my first creative writing seminar at uni. We spent most of the two hours reading the module outline out loud ??? (I know I’m terrible but I have never seen the point in reading things like that out loud in class. I can read myself).

Anyway the one bit of writing we did was what they called “automatic writing” where without stopping, censoring, correcting etc. we had to write about someone we knew well and precisely describe what they were likely doing at that moment.

I learnt two things

1) it’s really easy to get off the point when I am basically just free typing

2) my typing speed was 1154 words in 15 mins. That is how fast I can type – crucially though it is NOT how fast I can write as stream of consciousness isn’t writing.

I hope we actually get to do something fiction/creative related next week. It was the first ever session so it was bound to a bit slow.

WTF is a module and sounds like maybe you need a new uni… Why would you do a read aloud? What? (she says snarkily without too much sincerity)

Also, I have tried many creative writing classes and some of them have been… not what I’ve hoped for, while others have been grand. 

So maybe there’s not need to fire the uni, but don’t give up hope if one writing class doesn’t meet with your expectations. LOL. 

Heh keep the snark coming 🙂

I am 100% in the “why would you do a read-aloud?” Camp. I understand reading a poem, that is important as it needs to be felt as much as read. I understand acting out a play to bring the lines to life. I do not understand reading an admin document out loud.

Not giving up though 🙂 I just paid them an ungodly amount of money for the year.

A module is how they split the classes. There are 3 modules a semester, and two semesters in a year so study a total of 6. The modules divide out separate areas of study. I have one on close-critical reading, another on analysing literature in its historical context and then the creative writing one.

So I just had my first creative writing seminar at uni. We spent most of the two hours reading the module outline out loud ??? (I know I’m terrible but I have never seen the point in reading things like that out loud in class. I can read myself).

Anyway the one bit of writing we did was what they called “automatic writing” where without stopping, censoring, correcting etc. we had to write about someone we knew well and precisely describe what they were likely doing at that moment.

I learnt two things

1) it’s really easy to get off the point when I am basically just free typing

2) my typing speed was 1154 words in 15 mins. That is how fast I can type – crucially though it is NOT how fast I can write as stream of consciousness isn’t writing.

I hope we actually get to do something fiction/creative related next week. It was the first ever session so it was bound to a bit slow.

Honestly I don’t think I’m cut out for this people thing. There are too many and they are so loud.

And there are still 3 more days this week

#headphones are worlds best invention I swear

I swear my uni has a welcome week building fail every year. Although I suppose two years running isn’t really a pattern *rolls eyes at self*

Last year there was a day of Humanities panels and there was a wasps nest in the room. Rather than find a different room, or reschedule, or even cancel, they just went on anyway. People got stung and everything.

Today I went for an intro lecture and the heating was broken, jammed full on and it was like a sauna in there (quite literally as for sustainability all the walls are wood panelled) and again rather than do anything about it, it was just ignored and a girl fainted.

I know the British stereotype is stiff upper lip, carry on no matter what, so perhaps it’s not very British of me to think they should have done something like move rooms, reschedule or cancel. I do think though that carrying on regardless is crazy and I don’t really understand why they do it. None of the scheduled events were that important.

I’m so insanely stupidly nervous.

Semester starts tomorrow, not classes, it’s an introduction week with admin type stuff. It’s the first day of the course but not my first day at this uni. It’ll be a lot of my classmates first day but I did a foundation year here so I know exactly where I’m going and I’m prepared. I’ve done next weeks reading already, my bag is packed, my clothes are laid out, I’ve triple checked everything I can think of – and I’m still scared! Oh and it’s only 4pm /headdesk

I want it to be tomorrow and yet I really don’t at the same time.

Just ugh!

#anxiety is in overdrive as per usual