Crazy, Yes, I’m sure I am. What was I thinking taking 9 credits this semester? That is a full load in graduate school. I don’t know how I am going to do it.
I am taking a creative writing class with a favorite professor. She is getting ready to retire so that is why I stayed in the class– originally I was going to drop it. I couldn’t help myself because I love this professor and she reads all the shit I throw at her. She is the professor who makes us keep a journal, her infamous THWADs (Three Hundred Words A Day)….I write about all the crap going on in my life and she reads it all and comments. I love it!! I usually write a lot more than 300 words too, and this is a class on brevity, ha. Plus she GAVE us the books for the class– free books!!
Luckily this class only meets 1 day a week and it is fairly small– there is only 7 of us! I get lots of attention, which is a little scary but good overall. I like my classmates and most are great writers– a couple are even going through some shit too so I have people to commiserate with.
I am taking an online class with Dr. Thomas Foster who is a bestselling author. He is becoming a favorite professor of mine even though he is a little curmudgeonly. The class is called Writing and Publishing and I am learning all about getting published– becoming a freelance author, magazine analysis, writing query letters and book proposals. Sounds a little boring and it is at times but I really love learning about getting a book published. And I am not talking self-publishing– anyone can do that. I am talking about having someone publish my book. Dr. Foster is showing us all the stuff he prepared to get his books published in the mainstream.
Dr. Foster records short lectures which I like. Makes me feel connected to the class because usually I hate online classes because I do not feel connected. What I hate is I have to post on multiple boards and there is a lot of mundane writing. Grrr.
The last class is a Shakespeare class, Doing Shakespeare, where a group of English majors put on a production of a Shakespeare play. I was so excited to take this class with my most favorite professor of all. It was going to be the only class I took, ha. I thought we would just be putting on a play (performing– yay) and doing some community outreach. The class is not what I expected. We are taking a Shakespeare play– King Lear– and making it modern with connections relevant to issues in Flint. Okay, I thought that would be interesting too. The class is to collaboratively rewrite the play and then perform it if there is time. Gah! So far the collaboration is difficult! And my favorite prof, though still my fave, has disappointed me. It has not been fun so far but things are looking up (knock wood) but I may not be able to perform (boo!).
All this plus taking care of my three nephews with Aspergers (and dealing with the state and care agencies regarding them– UGH!) and trying to hold done a part time job. Not to mention taking care of my husband, who had a heart attack in August; I have had to totally change his diet and I am not even done yet. Add to that my health issues and my roller-coaster riding emotions and yes, I am a little, no, a lot crazy right now.
Jacquelyn's Space 