All Things That Are Good » School

All Work, No Play

Keith — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:00:23 +0000

I spoke to my academic advisor on the phone today (because she would not respond to my emails). I’m trying to get an independent study added to my schedule. Turns out universities are very stringent about giving out credits. Among all the other bureaucratic red tape, here are two major requirements I gleaned from our brief conversation:

1. There must be work involved. Lots of it.
2. That work must under no circumstances be fun.

Thoughtful People

Keith — Sat, 30 May 2009 19:00:04 +0000

I think that all thoughtful people go crazy. I would be worried about you if you were lucid all the time, you know? I would be so worried about you.

— Dr. Carolyn Weber
May 5, 2009

Good professors make all the difference.

Rumor Mill

Keith — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:11:02 +0000

Apparently, rumor has it that Death Cab For Cutie is playing Seattle University’s 20th annual end-of-year festival, Quadstock. I heard this last night and thought that I’ll believe it when I see it; they have to cost at least a couple grand to get to play anywhere these days.

Then out of curiosity I checked out Death Cab’s tour schedule. Turns out they have a month-long break when Quadstock would be. Who knows?

Class Starts In an Hour

Keith — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:50:17 +0000

I am not ready.

Finals Week: Winter 2009 Edition

Keith — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 06:22:32 +0000

6 pages: “Narrative of Intellectual Exploration” due 16 March (ENGL 493)
3 pages: Presentation supplement paper due 17 March (EVST 481)
20 pages (approx.): Treatment of film script due 18 March (ENGL 351)
4 pages: Single scene of film script w/ dialogue due 18 March (ENGL 351)
8 pages: Essay on La Jetée due 20 March by 1630h (ENGL 493)

There are only three words that sum up this situation: FUCK. MY. LIFE.

Philosophical Musical Experiences, Et al.

Keith — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 23:15:46 +0000

Last night I went to Café Allegro in the U-District to see Meagan—a girl I know from school—play some of her songs. It was really entertaining, but also kind of instructive. She sings beautifully, but she appears to have a habit of explaining the meaning of every song before she sings it, so you’re kind of left waiting for the words as they come. It has a way of killing the expectation, I think. This is why I don’t like explaining anything I write.

Another thing I learned is that perspective has as much relevance and importance in a song as in fiction writing. It also made me think about the blurry line between egoism and altruism w/r/t musical ability and live music shows.

Afterwards, we drove back and went to Meagan’s house where I played Apples to Apples for the first time, which was actually pretty awesome, and then the whole thing kind of devolved into a dance party. It is not my scene, but I danced anyway. Then I went to Wilfred’s house momentarily, then went home and slept.

This morning I woke up at 10:30am and drove to Green Lake with Ryan and Rachel and went for a two-hour run.

“Yeah, I’m Drowned”

Keith — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 04:40:49 +0000

I am stressed out. I worked like mad last night and this afternoon after work on a ten-to-twelve-page paper due today at 4:00pm. I finished it. It is not the required ten-to-twelve pages. It turned out to be nine, but actually eight because one of them was the bibliography. I just could not go any longer, and it was getting to be the due time. So I wrapped it up and passed it in and I am hoping for the best. I am checked the fuck out.

I now have to work on a five-page paper about Jane Eyre and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man which is due tomorrow at noon. I really don’t have that much motivation and I’m kind of churning out crap right now.

After my paper tomorrow, I have to work on my writer’s journal all day for Wednesday, then I have my non-fiction meeting with my prof. Then I have Thursday off to revise my portfolio, get my shit together and maybe relax if I can. On Friday, I have to pass in my 30-pages of non-fiction portfolio and an essay for publication. Then I fly home.

I probably won’t post again until this weekend. Stay tuned.

These Things Go

Keith — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 07:25:57 +0000

Thanksgiving recess is over today and I fly back to my now-official home in Seattle. It’s been an absolutely wonderful break; I would like to thank my friends for making it fun and my mother for making it delicious.

It’s been a really exciting five days. A lot of people I know from back home are talking about visiting me and this is extremely happy for me because I’m thrilled about the prospect of finally showing everyone I know that Seattle really is a super fun place to be.

When I get back, however, I have a daunting amount of school work to do. I will get through it, no doubt, but I’m apathetic: I’d rather not have to. All the work I’ll have over the next two weeks, however, is overshadowed by the fact that after winter quarter I will have a mere twenty-five credits left before I finish my degree. That’s five courses. Which means a full three-class quarter in the spring and a slightly lighter two-class fall quarter and I’m completely finished. My education will be finished the way I never imagined it would be.

In celebration of this approaching-but-not-actually-that-close ending of my undergraduate education, here’s two untitled instrumentals that I recorded three years ago which I just discovered still exist on my parents’ desktop computer:

On Writing

Keith — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:21:18 +0000

I’ve been taking this nonfiction course over the past few weeks. I took the class because prior to I had not been writing much, and I thought it would spur some creative writing in me (it is my major, after all). I also took it because nonfiction has interested me of late; I’m eagerly awaiting having the time to read some of DFW’s nonfiction and I’ve become particularly into new journalism, as well as how nonfiction relates to blogs.

It’s been plodding along; I’ve been given these prompts and I’ve been writing my experiences and it’s all been fine and dandy. However, when I get to writing these things, I get that familiar self-consciousness. I should explain: I have this weird nervous tic about creative things. When I’m aware I’m not doing my best work, I get these blocks where it’s hard to write or play music or do whatever. Then I just get totally skittish and I’m just embarrassed by everything I’m doing and become very discouraged.

So I get this feeling writing these papers that I’m writing this drivel (which it may or may not be—by now it’s obvious that I’m not the best judge of my own creations). Basically, what it feels like is that I’m writing these “creative” nonfiction pieces about my experience and my perspective out of necessity. These works feel like nothing more than a philosophy or literature paper that I’m turning in for a grade. Which I suppose I am.

I guess my real question here is, does life ever stop feeling like school?

Come On, Get Down With It

Keith — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:38:05 +0000

I get sick the first day of every single quarter. It’s like clockwork. My stomach felt this morning like it had teeth and it was slowly devouring its way out of my abdomen. I was so sick the first morning of my summer course I had to leave the room. I don’t recall my first day of spring or winter quarters, but I definitely remember being pale-faced and slumping in my chair the first day of fall quarter last September in Brit Lit. I think my aversion to mornings goes as far as being a physical affliction.

Or perhaps it’s a beginning of the year thing? A preview of my health of the coming school year?