Week 17: Reflections as Writer-in-Residence
The biggest surprise is that I am actually enjoying the HBO drama Generation Kill. The characters have real dilemmas. They are easy to differentiate from one another because of their unique personality traits. There seems to be one Marine for every mood, every stereotype, every possible predicament. I suppose this hodge-podge is Hollywood convenient, but I like to think it might also be a realistic sampling. Never mind that the men dressed in fatigues are paid actors. Never mind they’re actually filming in Africa and not the Middle East. It’s a convincing, educational, thought-provoking rendering of a current crisis and I’m digging it so far.
As someone who has watched very little televsion and even fewer movies, especially in the last 10 years, what I do choose to watch often has a visceral impact on my subconscious. Without exception, if I watch a movie after dark I will dream of those characters, that place, or a slightly altered version of that plot when I sleep that evening. Last night, with 3 episodes of Generation Kill, 80 pages of The Things They Carried, and 90 minutes of National Geographic’s documentary, Inside the Iraq War, you can bet my dreams were dust storms and fatigues and then some.
In other news, I recently learned that 2 of my art essays were selected for republication in a book published by the American Ceramic Society. The book, Studio Ceramics: Advanced Techniques, was published this month and is a coffee table sized, high glossy, full color, perfect bound, addition to my little stack of “Published 2010” accomplishments. Also, I’ve updated my website and you can learn more about additional publications by clicking here.
Here at Interlochen, the students are in high gear preparing final papers, portfolios, and studying for tests. I have all the time in the world this week, it seems. Come Friday, however, my work will be cut out for me with several hundred pages of student work to read and 18 grade reports to write. Onward to commencement, just a few weeks away!
