This is a blog post which I actually found when editing a new post to come. I'm not really sure how I forgot to publish this post, but alas I did. While this post may be a bit over a year and a half late, I hope you enjoy it:
"So, for about three weeks, I have developed an interest in poetry. I credit to a local poet in Jackson, TN, by the name of James E. Cherry. Cherry, a Union grad, came to Barefoot's Joe for a reading from his nominated book of poetry, Honoring the Ancestors. For some reason, the simplicity and the passion blended beautifuly in my mind. I have never been able to really enjoy poetry before. However, his words changed that. Something about his words have influenced me to alter my opinions and give poetry a shot. I had always discounted it; I thought it was too vague or whatever excuse I had at the time. Cherry's poetry was pure passion and emotion in text and verse. Even his simplest poems that I have been reading have sparked ideas in my own developing mind. The poem "Chicken Sandwhich Blues" has challenged me to look at everyday things differently, appreciate them, cherish them. The poem that has had the greatest impact on me so far in my very short jaunt into poetry would have to be "Mother's Day." His poem has inspired the writing of the following poem. My writing looks back at how I lost one who was very close to me. Please, read and react. Let me know your take on this piece of vers. Enjoy."
The Passing
By Nathan Fisher
They were simple times – my younger years.
Time when pleas for play were answered
With words of “Yes dear, but I get the red car.”
Simple times with simple pleasures,
Times with toy cars and my wonderful Grandma DuMont.
The family kitchen table, and occasionally the living
Room, was home to drag races, city blocks, and vast parking lots.
Around and around we went in our circular world.
These simple times with toy cars and my Grandma DuMont.
One day the request for play was not returned as it always was.
In its place I received a blank look and silence.
I hurried to get my mother for help; I was scared.
I had not felt a fear like this before in my short life.
Frantic dialing and distraught words soon followed.
The still silence of the evening was filled with shouts as I
Was rushed next door to my aunt’s half of the duplex.
My four-year-old mind could not comprehend what
Was happening to my best friend in the world.
The rhythmic flashing of red and blue soothed me for a time.
Once the comforting lights left, my young mind raced with questions.
Panic then began to overcome me. What happened to her?
Of all the questions I have, only one was answered.
My grandmother, my best friend, died of a stroke.
My father told me God needed a friend to play with cars.
I couldn’t let her leave me unprepared.
At her funeral, I placed our favorite car in the casket with her.
She needed a car, the red one, to play in heaven.
Being the age I was, I wasn’t very eloquent with words.
All I could say, the last thing I said to her, was “Play nice.”
Oh, the simple times with toy cars and my Grandma DuMont.
Finally, I am back on here. It has been a while, and this will be my first blog not related to class work. Kind of... Either way, I'm excited about it.
As an English major, I have an understood relationship with books. What kind of English major would I be, after all, if I were not a fan of reading and literature? I'll let you answer that. Honestly, I am proud for my love of books. After some people have gotten to know me, they are somewhat shocked to learn that some of my favorite authors are Poe, Matheson, and King. One is disturbed and marries a cousin; another is the father or modern horror; and the last has to sleep with the light on because of his own imagination. A great top three, right? Something about these three authors draws me to them. I, honestly, have no idea what it is, either. Not 100% sure anyways. Maybe it is the creepy feel to some of the stories. Maybe it is their reputations. Maybe it has to do with who they are and what their lives have been like. Again, let's take a look at them. In order: one was a drunk and had psychological issues; another was a part of the Christian science religion and served during World War II; and the other started out as a high school English teacher and was published for the first few times in Playboy or a similar magazine. Are these guys good literary role models? Stories of black cats leading someone to put an axe in his wife's head, vampire apocolypse, model students on shooting rampages, psycho murderers, teenage girls decimating an entire army with their thoughts, and haunted hotel rooms aren't exactly the kind of stories that launch new careers in literature. Why is this? It the literary cannon set and unchangeable now? Should these stories not be looked upon with high regard due to their plot content? Definitely not. The creativity and passion put into these stories, even the shortest, have over powered some of the classic pieces I have read before. Maybe it has to do with the generational gap. Maybe I am just a different kind of English major. Maybe I am just weird. Still, those three authors encourage me both in profession and literary pursuits with even their darkest of tales. Don't get me started on the touching stories right now either. Matheson's What Dreams May Come was one of the most beautiful novels I have ever read.
You have my take on a few authors. Now what about books in general. First off, I assume that I am not the only one who feels relaxed and at ease in a book store (especially if there is a coffee shop inside). There is something about the atmosphere there. I feel like I should be quite, like in a library, yet I just want to shout with excitement sometimes. I love books. I want to buy so many. Sadly I don't have the money to buy them nor the time to read them all. I basically have a "waiting list" of books to read right now. I have planned out my literary life for the next few months already. That doesn't mean that the list cannot evolve, because it does, especially when I keep buying new books. Just last week I bought a double book by James Joyce. Granted I already have quite a list made, but Joyce has somehow cut in that line and gotten his way a little closer to the top. Places like Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Walden Books are all addicting places for me. I almost feel like I should buy something any time I set foot in one. I want to buy something. I am drawn by some force to the bargain section and can find countless books I would love to have. Oh! the pressure! These nice refined books stores aren't the only places that plague me, either. Even Goodwill or the Salvation Army stores get to me. They have so many books that people discard without good reason. I have bought something like ten hardback novels for $1.25 each. They were near brand new, too. Had I gone to one of the before mentioned stores, I would have paid nearly $250 buying these new. Instead, I pay less than $15. Yes! The Book Worm near home is another literary distraction. It is a new and used book store. A great place with seemingly thousands of books packed within its tiny walls. Kids books, cooking books, Clancy novels, religious self-help books, manuals for old electronics... there is a little of everything there. Buying books is like a drug for me. I need a fix about once a month or I get that itch. Thankfully, I am good for another three weeks or so.
As a side note on my literary outbursts: do not read a book at the same time as me unless you are a faster reader than I am. I have the bad habit of talking about a book forever when I read it. I don't want to ruin it for you.
-nathan
"Abilities for life." This is the headline you will see if you visit the STAR Center's website. Someone who has not visited this wonderful place will bever know the full extent of this truth. The men and women of this center do everything they can to help individuals with physical or mental disabilities and give them life skills. Looking at the building from the outside, there is nothing special about it. However, you will be amazed when you go inside. They have so many resources for so many people there. What they are able to do under that roof boggles the mind. To be honest, I almost couldn't belive just how many different disabilities that center treats, nor the age range. A single blog is not enough to contain the limits of what I have learned just by taking an hour long tour of the facility. Computer labs, music and art therapy centers, and job training centers combine to make up just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much there. They are not limited to those who can make it to their four walls either. The STAR Center also has a mobile center that serves the surrounding West Tennessee area. Please, check out the website in the link above, but remember that you can only learn so much from those projected words.
First off, how many of you out there are excited about creating a virtual scavenger hunt? Just as I thought. The idea of the online scavenger hunt doesn't seem that exciting. That was my mind set before I actually used Trailfire. To see my creation, Click Here. This very simple application was actually fun to use, too. I had to stop myself from adding more and more pages. It was something that you can really get into and seemingly never get out of. Despite the addictive properties, it is also a great teaching tool. Being able to link web pages and even add "post-it" notes to the page itself is a great thing to have. When using web pages in a lesson, Trailfire greatly simplifies the process of bringing up each of the pages. Class projects, homework, and student research are all possibilities of this tool. I could go on for quite some time about Trailfire, but I think that you can get a feel for it best by just playing with it. Give it a shot.
When one thinks of presentations, one usually thinks of slide shows or even PowerPoint. For me the same is true. At least, it was. A new media presentor has arisen, and its name is Animoto. This is a Web 2.0 application and is web-based. Like with most programs, there is a premium or a free package available. The free version lets you make as many 30 second "mash-ups" as you would like. Longer mash-ups would cost $3 a piece or $30 for a year of unlimited videos. Either way, this is a great tool for educators to know about. This is an easy application to use, though I am still working my way through it due to time constraints. Audio can easily be incorprated into the visual presentation. This ease of use and incorporation ability makes Animoto a great tool for student-created short presentations. My ideas for application in English have included, but is not limited to, developing the main idea of a story with photos, make a visual essay, or even use it to compliment a research assignment. All in all, this tool helps both teacher and student alike in similar ways. To give it a go yourself, head over to their site and at least give the samples a watch.
Website creation. For many, this is a concept and process that seems way too far out of reach. Up until about ten minutes ago, I would have been one of those people. Now, however, it is much different. I always thought of creating a website as being lines and lines of code. I was wrong. At least for the more basic pages, I was. I'm sure that there are many complex pages that do use this approach. For me, the drag and drop method is working, and I don't plan on giving it up for the lines of code yet. Some day, but definitely not today.
My website will be a virtual reflection of who I am in life. Whether it be the music I like, the movies I enjoy, where I go, or whatever, it will have a small place here. To be honest, I'm excited. This isn't myspace or facebook anymore, this is my own website, and it doesn't have to fit their formats!
To those out there who are still nervous about the journey, have heart; it isn't as bad as it seems.
This is Nathan signing off. Until next time.