A Poem

Nesta: Prophet of Nine Miles

By Stephen Fish

As WWII came to an end, a prophet was born
To a modest beginning in Nine Miles
Like many of his kind, success did not come easy
But perseverance did come naturally.
It was 1971, and you could hear “Slow Hand”
Playing ‘I Shot the Sheriff’, instant fame.
After that came record after record and
Then the sacred cover of Rolling Stones
Smile Jamaica, or not, Bob has been shot
But Jah protects and he finishes the show.
The bullets tried but could not stop him;
It was nature’s turn, a turn for the worse
Started in his toe, then upward to the liver
But did not stop their, it wanted the brain.
The show must go on, and it did
As he played now, inspired by life.
He would not stop for the illness,
But for Rita he would cease.
36, so many prophets die young
but the message lives on:
We don’t need no trouble
What we need is love!

Why Nalgenes Rule

1. Nalgene is just a cool word to say, Nalgene
2. They hold more H20 (32 oz.) than most water bottles
3. They save plastic
4. If you feel obliged, you may decorate your Nalgene (typically with stickers)
5. They are relatively inexpenisve, typically between 5 and 10 $'s
6. They save plastic
7. They come in all differnent colors, shapes and sizes (like people)
8. They are handy for a hike, and a hot day by the pool
9. They save plastic

-- My quesiton, where do the boundries of poetry begin and end

Ode to the Cold

It's late October now and finally my sweating ends. I just wanted to thank the cold weather for finally coming and relieving me of the blistering Texas sun that mocks all summer. And now, an ode

Cold weather may not always seem right
But God I love a good cigarette
on a cold night
Farwell to the pool and the tan as well
But if it is Hot, keep it in Hell


Sorry if you read that, I am easily bored and I really do enjoy the cold weather

Lars and the Real

One of the first scenes of the movie has Lars (Ryan Gosling) introducing his new girlfriend Bianca to his brother and sister-in-law. Typical beginning of a movie scene, right? The catch here is that Bianca is a plastic sex doll in a wheelchair that Lars bought over the Internet. “Lars and the Real Girl” strikes an unexpected chord between two themes that most people would not associate together: love and mental illness.
Ryan Gosling plays a convincing delusional with continuous awkward moments (not necessarily consisting of him talking to his plastic girlfriend) to go along with his quirks: constant blinking and clumsy fumbling. As his brother and sister-in-law grow gradually more concerned with Lars’ mental health, they enlist the help of the towns local doctor and psychologist.
As hard as it is for his family to accept, Dr. Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson) urges them to go along with Lars’ fantasy. Next to follow is the acceptance of Bianca by the community. The scenes here are both touching and funny at the same time. The community goes along with Lars’ delusion by having her volunteer at a kindergarten as well as giving her a part-time job at the town boutique. Writer Nancy Oliver (“Six Feet Under”) has a clear understanding of the importance of family and community which shines through out the movie. Unfortunately, this becomes problematic as the movie draws to a close.
Lars’ delusional state and quirky behavior are a given but after that, viewers really never really get to know the character. During sessions with Dr. Dagmar, we learn the reasons behind his emotional state: the pregnancy of this sister-in-law, the death of his mother during his pregnancy, but we never get to know Lars. However; we do get to know Gus (Lars’ brother) and Karin (his sister-in-law) as they struggle with guilt, frustration and Lars’ delusion.
Lars’ character is not the only part section of the movie that is underdeveloped. A love-Lorne co-worker, Margo, constantly flirts with Lars. As the movie progresses, their relationship begins to take shape but after a few fleeting scenes between Lars and Margo, the movie comes to an end and leaves the relationship in limbo.
While certain characters and relationships in the movie go undeveloped, the film is an overall success. Director Craig Gillespie refrains from crude humor and inappropriate sex scenes (involving dolls) to make a light-hearted comedy. The balance struck between humor and heartache is a rare find today in the world of cinema, but “Lars and the Real Girl” will make you laugh and think, especially outside of the box.

Writers meeting Writers

This year, St. Edward's has introduced a new program: "The Visting Writers Series". The series was put together by St. Edward's very own Doug Dorst, professor of creative writing and Dr. Alan Altimont. These two professors are well connected in the writing community nationwide and so far have had two very successful readings here at St. Ed's.

Last Tuesday, St. Edward's welcomed a pair of writers, who are acutally a couple, to come read from their new series of short stories. Edward Schwarzschild and Elisa Albert both read with confidence and poise while not taking themselves too seriously. The room was mostly filled with fellow English Writing majors as well as professors of English Writing and Literature. The reading was a little over an hour with a Q & A at the end which everyone seemed to enjoy.

I encourage anyone who is intersted in writing or literature to start attending these events. It is a great way to learn about new authors and the various tehniques each one uses when they are beginning a story, brainstorming or in the process of writing a story. So far, the authors that have come this year have been easily approchable and more than willing to answer any questions you may have. So check the flyers and posters around campus for upcoming events of the "Visiting Writers Series" or, ask yours truly.

Never Thought I'd Blog about Shoes

The ever changing world of fashion tends have me feeling left in the dust. I go shopping maybe once a year and that's about it. I wear a different variation of the same outfit pretty much every day. Pants or shorts, a t-shirt, and shoes. But for me, the cornerstone of my outfit are always the shoes.

I was never "sneakerhead", a phrase coined for and by people who collect different pairs of sneakers, usually by the same brand. But one day, a good friend of mine who had moved to Austin without knowing anyone, gave me a pair of rather expensive, rather rare Nike SB Team editions. I was hooked from then on. While I only have 2 paris of "edition" Nikes (editions range from Team, Jordan, Airmax etc.) I will keep on collecting whenever I have the money to spare.

I am in the process of customizing my onw Nike's right now and as soon as I have the $130 that I need to obtain these footwear gems, I will be walking around in customized style. If a customized pair of shoes whether athletic or casual is something you are interested in, just visit Nike.com and let your imagination fly.

When Atmosphere and Food Converge, Look for the Star

As you walk around the warehouse district of downtown Austin, the majority of the establishments: bars, clubs, and restaurants have a tendency to be uber-intense with bright, eye-catching signs and loud bass-thumping house music. But as you walk up Colorado Street, at the corner of 4th, a very unassuming downtown haunt awaits patrons looking for a hearty meal and a downtown time.
Starlite, whose location changed from a cozy 34th Street hideout to a downtown staple, offers a wide selection of food and drinks. It also provides a multi-layer atmosphere that most downtown hangouts lack. When you first walk in, you are met with a wood-finished bar and mellow beats chosen by the bartender. (The music ranges anywhere from Rat A Tat to Elton John). If drinks are not on your mind, there is an eclectically decorated dining room where restaurant goers can enjoy a scrumptious meal for a moderate downtown price. If the main dining room is not intimate enough for the casual diner, there is a private dining area that can accommodate a couple or a party of twenty-five. Finally, if three choices cannot satisfy, there is an upstairs lounge with a bar, leather couches and chairs, and more seating for food.
A close friend of mine celebrated her birthday a few weeks back but due to school and work, I was unable to make it to her birthday shindig. Feeling guilty about this, I offered to take her out for drinks when we both had the time. She grudgingly accepted.
So when the time came around, I suggested we go to Starlite for their happy hour (4-7 pm on weekdays) and she politely accepted my offer. After our experience, she told me she was delighted that I had suggested Starlite, because I had taken a mutual friend of ours their earlier this year (for the exact same reason). We got to the bar and started off with cocktails: she ordered a Starlite Highball (Bombay Sapphire, Soda, Seven and Bitters) which I neglected to try while I went with the New York Ginger (Makers Mark, Sweet Vermouth, Bitters and Ginger Ale). The New York Ginger balanced sweet and bitter to perfection.
After a cocktail or two, we decided some few might be a good idea. Being a veteran to Starlite, my friend kept pressing me into making the menu decisions which I reluctantly accepted. We started off with their signature salad, warm spinach beneath a base of roasted Yukon potatoes, topped with cambozola cheese and a warm bacon vinaigrette. We followed this wonderfully rounded salad with a delectable wild mushroom and black truffle risotto. The creamy texture of the risotto was only topped by the balance struck between the earthy mushrooms and the sweetness of the fennel. We finished the occasion with a roasted organic chicken half, encrusted with rosemary and thyme and marinated in olive oil, on top of red bliss potatoes and gorgonzola grits. We accompanied this with a rich bottle of ’04 Domaine Montpertius from the Rhone region of France.
The combination of a laid back atmosphere and knock-out food left us wanting more. Luckily for us, executive chef Josh Hines updates his menus with the seasons, so that Starlite patrons never have a stagnant menu.

Thursdays and White Wings

The Tavern is one of the oldest establishments that Austin has to offer both patrons and visitors alike. Located at 12th and Lamar, this historic Austin eatery and bar (which apparently has ties to groceries and prostitution) has become one of Austin's #1 sports bars.

While I am not the biggest sports fan, and not really a fan of downtown Austin bars, I go there every Thursday with a core unit of friends, vegeatarians and carnivores alike, and enjoy the specials. These Thursday specials include .40 cent White Wings (small pieces of chicken stuffed with jalepenos, wrapped in bacon, and then cooked to perfection in wing sauce) which our table usually eats until physical sickness is a mere bite away as well as $1.50 off pitchers to help sooth the heat of the wings.

We try to ignore the typically frat-tastic clientele that shout and slosh around us and sit back and enjoy the good food, drinks and company. Although the draw for most of us on Thursday night is the dirt cheap wings, there are always a few herbivores at the table that just like the social atmosphere that the Tavern provides. Whether or not you are a sports fan, a foodie (well maybe not a foodie) or a fan of good drinks, the Tavern provides a place for people to enjoy themselves. And at the heart of Austin, isn't that what this city is all about?

Can books change lives?

Before about a year ago, I strictly read novels, typically Isabelle Allende or Gabriel Garcia Marquez, not allowing anything of the non-fiction variety into my repertoire. However; after a chance encounter with a free book I snagged at the Scarborough-Phillips Library annual book-giveaway, I had to broaden my reading genre horizons. "A Gradual Awakening", by Steve Levine, opened my doors to books dealing with religion. This particular book deals with the powers of meditation and never directly infers a specifc religions meditational standards.

This finding lead me to the wry, no-holds-bars writing style of Christopher Hitchens, a stoically firm believer in atheism. The first, and so far, only book I have read by is "God is not Great", a book that challenges the history and actions of all religious institutions. I can say, for an almost certainty, that I learned more about religion as a whole in his book than 10 years of parochial schools have provided me.

While I am still a fiction fanatic, these two non-fictions on religion, in completely different manners, have had a great impact on the way I think and feel about much of what is happening around me. I would say to anyone that finds themselves believing that have all the answers, or least enough to suffice them for the rest of their days, needs to do more searching. And religious texts of any sort can provide.

Blogging Etiquette

As a new and upcoming blogger, I have taken an interest in blogs that my friends have created. This leads me to the point of my current blog. I know that blogs are casual and not necessarily subject to the normal rules and regulations of writing. But there is a certain etiquette which needs to be taken into account with reading, reviewing or critiquing someone else’s writing, be it in the intense context of workshop or the laid-back environment that a blog allows.

Interlude.

A close friend of mine is spending the semester studying in the magnificent, rustic town of Florence. To enable her to show all of her friends what’s going on in her life across the big pond and also to stay in contact, she started a blog that basically consists of her day to day events in Italy. Recently, she visited a food festival in Florence and created a post on her blog that explained and showed her and 2 friends eating large, Danish pretzels (these pretzels dwarf the normal human head, no joke, picture available).

In response to her latest entry, this is what the oh-so-clever pen name “anonymous” wrote:

Anonymous said...
You're a couple of porkers eating 3 BIG pretzels. Keep it up!!!!! You'll look like a GIGANTIC pretzel soon.
YOUR WEIGHT-WATCHER,

I would like to take this opportunity to say that everyone, no matter what the writing context is, should respect each other. And the nerve that this character had to write under “anonymous” really gets my goat. For all of you that have sat through my rant, I thank you and hope that, even if you are not a guilty party, take this nugget of respect to heart.

Another Violent Affair

“Eastern Promises” reunites the graphic, gritty directing style of David Cronenberg with the dynamic acting of Viggo Mortenson. They first worked together on the film “A History of Violence”, a film focused on a family man trying desperately to escape his violent past. Both films feature character-driven plots with much less violence than one would expect by going on the title alone, but the brutality and bloodshed that ensues makes a lasting impression.
Viggo Mortenson plays Nikolai, the toughened chauffeur to mob boss Semyon and his son who pushes his actions to excess. While Mortenson’s title is “chauffeur”, he often ends up as baby-sitter to Semyon’s son, Kirill, who constantly tests the boundaries afforded to him as Semyon’s heir. From his tattooed frame and constant cool, we get a feel that there is much more to the quiet-speaking Nikolai than one would infer from the title of chauffeur.
The story unfolds as Naomi Watts, an innocent mid-wife, stumbles upon the diary of a young Russian prostitute in London. As she searches for answers behind the diary, she unknowingly intertwines herself into the devious underworld of London’s Russian mafia. It is through her naïve questioning and unflinching search for the truth that she encounters Semyon and more importantly, Nikolai.
Semyon plays the role of mob kingpin disturbingly well with a cool, laid back demeanor but as Anna (Naomi Watts’ character) inches closer to the truth, we begin to see Semyon lose his composed manner. While Semyon slowly loses his calm with the ever-pestering Anna, Nikolai keeps his nonchalant gangster disposition throughout the movie. He displays his ever composed character during scenes that would break most characters: Kirill forces him to have sex with an underage prostitute while later in the movie it has him in a bath house scene knife fighting two thugs in the nude.
Cronenberg exercises great restraint and balance in this movie by using graphic scenes of violence (the movie’s very first scene has a Mafioso sawing into a characters throat with methodical precision) while keeping the movie focused on the emotional plight of the characters. I think a lot of directors would automatically feel the need to emphasize the violent nature of a mob movie with surplus killings and gratuitous violence. Cronenberg’s message of violence is clear: a few graphic scenes have the ability to portray violence just as much, if not more, than numerous scenes of carnage.
The film has an authentic feel to it that comes from how much time was spent on the different aspects of the movie. All the characters, especially Mortenson’s Nikolai, have their Russian speech and accents nailed solid. Cronenberg also does well by keeping the mood of the movie, gloomy and intense, through the ominous backdrop of dreary London.
Another high point was the subject matter. Countless mafia movies come out every decade but almost all of them are centered around the Cosa Nostra (Sicilian mob) but writer Steve Knight chose the little written about (at least in Hollywood) Russian mafia. I thought that the movie worked well on every level, writing, directing and acting, a hard goal to accomplish these days in the hubbub of Hollywood.