Holy cow-eth!

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a performance of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.  Talk about being blown away-eth!  I was overcome with emotion when I simply walked into the exquisite playhouse, which has a stage that protrudes into the three-tiered house.  The composition of the theater brings thoughts of what the Globe Theater might have looked like... though on a smaller scale.  The group of students and teachers I went with had seats in the front rows along the right side of the stage.  Let's just say that I not only had a perfect view of the balcony scene (swoon), but I was also close enough to the stage to be showered with Shakespearean-articulation-spittle.  The entire show was absolutely magical.  In this production, directed by Gale Edwards, the Montagues and Capulets were plucked out of old Verona and placed in a warped modern world with graffiti-sprayed doors and fantastic party dresses.  The charm of old times was not lost, however, because the actors always spoke in Old English.  The show was so well done, I had to shut my gaping mouth when the house lights came up... I had almost forgotten I was in a theater.

The actors were incredible.  They were all well trained in theater... I could tell by the way they swooshed their costumes and dramatically ran off stage at the end of their monologues.  Romeo looked strangely similar to Edward Cullen/Robert Pattinson, though his abs were slightly more realistic.  Juliet, most likely in her twenties, was a convincing 14 year old who had temper tantrums, a great giggle, and sweet costumes.  Friar Lawrence was a kick as he was raised onto the stage with a glowing, bubbling, multicolored chemistry set... complete with swirly tubes, fog, and all the goods.  In my mind, the star of the show was the Nurse, who was a feisty black lady with a fabulous matronly swagger and the BEST costumes (think BIG sleeves and red heels, yeah girl).  Mercutio was dirrrrty (haha) and did a great job (though I would hold KTG's performance up to his any day... seriously.)  The fight scenes were extremely epic and even the set changes were exciting.  What a great show!

I was surrounding by a wonderful group of students and teachers.  On my left side was my fellow musical-junkie friend who knows the Chicago theaters well.  On my right was another friend who had never seen a professional show.  My, was it interesting to watch the performance between two extremes of the theater world!  The girl to my right constantly gasped when something unexpected would happen-- for instance, she muttered "oh, woah, what's going on?" as the live Juliet stripped down to her undies to change into her party dress and later when she was joined by her husband in her chamber.  It sure is amazing how different the sensation is to an audience when a performer is present rather than projected onto a screen.  Somehow this seems to intensify all of the action and meaning of the show, for that one show can truly only happen once, in that moment.  "Is that right?" suddenly becomes a true question in reference to the actions of the actors on stage, rather than unquestioned recordings of a movie.

Another interesting part of the show was intermission, when I took the mandatory fifteen minute break to wait in line for the ladies' room.  A girl who looked to be about 11 years old was with her mom, who asked "so what do you think of the show?"  The girl, who was obviously enjoying her evening of being spoiled to dinner and a show smiled and said "they say 'thee' and 'thou' a lot! Thee thou thee thee thou thee thou thou thee thee thee."  Her giggles were the cutest thing... she reminded me of a trip to Chicago I made at her age with my Aunt KK and my Mom.  I was also spoiled to a fabulous day in the city, which I chose to spend mainly in the American Girl Store :)

Let's just say, I want to go back to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.  Soon.  And I want to take you with me.  Alas, "parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night 'til it be 'morrow."

Drink it up

So I was sitting at the computer this morning, enjoying a Fiber One Bar with chocolate chips in it and a latte from the cafe on campus when a thought (which is not new to me or many others) occurred to me.  "Gee why is this cup of delicious steamed milk and espresso so darn expensive?"  A little Googling and common sense led me to this conclusion:  Because we'll pay for it.  Yes, I admit it.  I have paid way too much for coffee, but I also admit that I like it, gosh darn it.

For those of you who would rather reason your way out of consumer guilt, I recommend this article from the blog Bad Money Advice:  http://badmoneyadvice.com/2009/05/the-end-of-the-latte-era.html.  I like how he talks about the "Latte Factor" as a "Popeye Ploy."  What cute terminology for a social phenomenon like $4 lattes.
Anyway, I choose not to feel guilty for this morning's latte.  It is yummy, already paid for (using meal plan "flex points"), and heck, it might even help me prevent Parkinson's disease. (http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/coffee_health_benefits).

Even more than coffee, I appreciate a good cup of tea.  There is nothing more delightful than conversation with Mom and friends over a perfectly brewed pot of tea and no place is cuter than a home town tea room.  The attention that goes into every pot is important, but only a true tea lover will recognize this.  Depending on the type of tea you want to make, the temperature of the water you use and the brewing time is different.  Basically, you don't want to over-boil your white and green teas because their flavors are more delicate than your black teas, which do require boiling water.  I respect everyone's personal preferences, but I must say my favorite teas are Darjeeling, Jasmine Green Tea, and good old Earl Grey.  Yumm...

Tea is really quite cool, because all true tea (except herbal "tea") comes from one plant, the Camellia sinensis.  The type of tea produced depends on where the tea was grown, at what altitude, and the climate of the location.  When the tea leaves were picked, how they were heat- and moisture- treated, as well as how much they were crushed also effects the tea.  Tea has quite an interesting science behind it!   When choosing tea, know that the smaller the leaves are, the lower the quality of the drink will be.  Look for loose tea or "pyramid bags" that allow water to circulate around the leaves.  Pay attention to the smell and color of the tea and learn about what you like and what you don't.  Most of all, brew your tea with love.

At home in the cupboard sits my tea cup collection, which I insist be used and not just admired.  I enjoy using my beautiful tea cups because they remind me of the people who gave them to me.  Every delicate cup has a story behind it, from where it was found to the occasion on which it was given.  I have cups from birthdays, Christmases, and even thrift store finds, which can be as exciting as a holiday.  One of my best cups (because it has a great shape for holding and drinking tea) was a gift from my Grandmother and her husband Roland.  It is decorated with "September" in beautiful script and lovely purple flowers.  I love visiting Grandma and Roland because we always drink green tea brewed English style.  Roland shared wonderful stories about how his mother, a true Brit, always used a brown tea pot made from a particular type of pottery with a spout that turned down.  Oh, how I wish to know the traditions of all tea drinkers!  I truly believe tea is a unifying thing in our culture and in our world.  The tea party is a symbol of tradition and refinement in many cultures, especially in Japan.  Attending a Japanese tea ceremony is definitely on my list of things to do before I die.  I hope to learn more about the world through my love of tea.

So remember:  Love your coffee, love your tea, but most of all, love the people you share these delightful beverages with.

sources:
http://www.coffee-tea.co.uk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea

"Ohai-yo"

A short history of the BUCKEYE

Ohio is known as the "Birthplace of Aviation" (because we birthed the Wright Brothers), and "the Mother of Modern Presidents" ('cause we're pretty good at winning elections). Most of all, Ohio is called "the Buckeye State." Explanation time:

Ohio, the “Buckeye State”, received its nickname because of the many buckeye trees that once covered its hills and plains.
But that's only partly the reason. We have to go back to the feverish presidential campaign of 1840 for the rest of it.
William Henry Harrison, a Virginia-born Ohioan and military hero, was a candidate for the White House, but his opponents commented that he was better suited to sit in a log cabin and drink hard cider.
Some of Harrison's leading supporters, who were experts in promotional know-how, decided to turn into a positive reference what was supposed to be a negative one.
They dubbed him "the log cabin candidate," and chose as his campaign emblem a log cabin made of buckeye timbers, with a long string of buckeyes decorating its walls. Furthermore, in parades, his backers walked with buckeye canes and rolled whisky barrels.
The campaign gimmicks were successful. "Old Tippecanoe," as Harrison was often called, beat President Martin Van Buren in the latter's bid for re-election, and thereafter the buckeye was closely associated with the state of Ohio.
The name itself is of native origin. Because the markings on the nut resembled the eye of a buck, the Indians called it "hetuck" or "buckeye."
© 1997 Dan Chabek
source: http://www.lkwdpl.org/buckeye/index.html

Pretty sweet, huh? Well. perhaps you'll also be surprised to learn that the nuts of the buckeye tree are kind of poisonous, though carrying one around in your pocket is said to bring good luck and a cure for rheumatism. Native Americans would sometimes cook them up and use them as a nutritional supplement (apparently they aren't poisonous if you cook and mash them up) (http://www.ohio-nature.com/buckeye-tree.html). The circular, smooth, two-brown-tone of the buckeye nut is an enduring symbol of the Buckeye state and its "Best Damn Band in the Land." That's right, folks. The Ohio State mascot is a nut. A nut named Brutus. Don't even think about laughing at that. And if you ever hear someone shout "O H!" be sure to respond with "I O!" right away and with much excitement. If you don't, they will pelt nuts at you. Circular, brown, poisonous nuts.

MOST IMPORTANTLY the buckeye nut has been immortalized in the form of a dessert. A peanut butter ball dipped in (but leaving a circle of peanut butter showing) is called a "buckeye." Not a "buck I" as thought by my Illinoisan roommate (luv ya grl lolz), but a buckeye. Try one. They're really good.

sources:
http://www.osu.edu/O-H-I-O/
http://www.50states.com/bio/nickname4.htm

p.s. Bonus points go to the first person who knows which language the title of this post comes from and what it means!

"Intense love does not measure, it just gives." Mother Teresa

If it were Betty Crocker saying the quote above, it might read: "Intense love does not only measure, it levels, sifts, folds, and bakes at 350 degrees for 2 hours."

There is something to be said for the ingredient of love in homemade food. I had the pleasure of enjoying a homemade sugar cookie from a SERVE Bake Sale for Pakistan today and it was tasted even better than the purple sprinkles and buttery color seemed to be saying it would. From its fresh smell to the simple, sweet aftertaste that tickled my tongue, this cookie tasted of love. Un-preserved, never shrink-wrapped, not mass-produced love. Thank goodness for generous teachers and commuter students who bring a little bit of home to my college-kid tummy.
Another shout out goes to my Dad's scrambled eggs. Never runny, always yummy, and cooked with skill. Perfect fluff and impressive pan flipping are my Dad's key egg-cooking characteristics.

One of the best gifts I ever received was the Betty Crocker Cookie Book...
I miss looking through the pictures and recipes for inspiration or just for fun. Scanning the ingredient list to see what we have and what we need is always a hopeful and exciting task. One of my specialties is Betty Crocker's sour cream cookies, to which I like to add chopped up milk chocolate bars. For some reason, the chopped bars taste even better than regular chocolate chips for this delightful treat. Mmmm...

You know, Betty Crocker wasn't a real person. She was an imaginary spokeswoman for the Washburn Crosby Company of Minneapolis which later became part of General Mills. Majorie Child Husted is attributed with creating the figure in 1921. Her role was to give advice and tips to American women through her cookbooks and products. Her picture was created in 1936 and has changed seven times since then to appease the public's vision of a perfect home-cooking, beautifully baking, on-top-of-it-all-mother type of woman. During the twenties, Betty Crocker had a radio show and in the forties she hosted a television program. Betty Crocker would eventually become America's "2nd most popular woman (after Eleanor Roosevelt) as reported by Fortune magazine in 1945) (wikipedia). Go Betty!

I like this bio (from ilovethefingerlakes.com) of the woman who was Betty Crocker 1949 until 1964:

Adelaide Fish Hawley Cumming (1905-1998)

The General Mills Company created the character of Betty Crocker in 1948 to answer baking questions American women sent to the company by letter. General Mills hired Cumming, a radio personality and actress living in New York City, because she represented the stereotypical image of the American homemaker. From 1950-1952 Cumming appeared on the half-hour Betty Crocker Show and in 1952 on the Betty Crocker Star Matinee and Bride and Groom. She also appeared in many commericals touting cake mixes and other General Mills products. In 1964 Cumming was dropped by the company at the age of 59 for someone younger.

After receiving a Ph.D. from New York University, Cumming went on to a second career as a teacher of English as a second language.

Long live Betty Crocker! Keep on cooking those cookies :)

More info on Betty Crocker

http://www.ilovethefingerlakes.com/history/famous-people-cumming.htm

My weekend on the high-ropes

For a New Beginning

In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

~ John O'Donohue ~

What a wonderful poem... and what a wonderful beginning to an amazing weekend!
I recently participated in Dominican University's Emerging Leaders Retreat, a weekend of adventure and discovery for a fantastic group of freshmen. We were sent off to the Outdoor Wisconsin Leadership School (OWLS) in Wisconsin by President Donna Carrol and Vice President Sr. Diane Kennedy, the amazing leaders of this University. Sr. Diane read this poem to us before we left with our host of eager frosh, excited student leaders, and patient staff members.
Now, if you think this was an ordinary group of college kids, you are oh so wrong. These were (and still are, I suppose) the kind of people who actually like ice-breaker games because they are a good way to make friends. They will do their best to line up in order of birthday without stepping off of a foot-high log or speaking because "mysterious dust" is in their throats. They might even strap themselves into a harness and traverse a rope bridge or walk across logs 30 feet in the air. They are blue, gold, green, orange, and a jumbled mix of these fascinating "color characteristics" (more about that later). Most of all, they care. These are the type of people who are passionate about leading others to a better world through peaceful action. Ghandi's quote, "Be the change you wish to see in the world" adorns their t-shirts, which they believe wholeheartedly. What amazing people. How lucky I am to call them my classmates and friends.

The camp was beautiful, the weather was nippy but nice, the stars were innumerable, the s'mores were perfectly gooey, the conversations were meaningful and the laughter was endless. I especially liked zip-lining down from the high-ropes course... because it meant I would be on the ground!
For me, the most amazing part about the retreat was being called a "social butterfly." That's right, me! A social butterfly! What?? Apparently, I'm coming out of my cocoon. All I know is that I enjoy every chance I get to stretch my growing butterfly wings.

To all of my ladybugs, blue people, Brunk Cabin-mates, and s'more lovers: I look forward to "being the change" with you!

Our Ellie

Eleanor Roosevelt: An Incredible "Woman of Vision"

She is a role model to me and a heroine to American women.

During her husband's presidency, Eleanor worked hard to connect with the women of America.
"At the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency, the same time that Eleanor served as First Lady, most women found themselves within the walls of their homes. Only 25% of women worked outside the home. The vast majority of women, that being 75%, were unpaid homemakers. Mrs. Roosevelt used her weight in the media as a way to connect with women who found themselves in domestic isolation. With this in mind, Eleanor used three mediums to keep in touch with her female followers. She used the press conference, a daily newspaper column, and magazine articles. These three means opened up the communication into a two-way channel.... Eleanor Roosevelt recognized a need for American women to take part in media communications. As a public figure she harnessed the power of the media and used it to interact with the women of America. By use of this medium, Roosevelt attempted to break the barriers of the domestic household and broaden the spectrum of women. She also set a precedent for following first ladies to remain in touch with the nation by means of the media."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Roosevelt).

Oh, how I would love to do the things she did! I admire the way she used her wealth and education to help the poor and underrepresented people of America. She was able to travel the world, meet incredible people and do good things while she was at it. I know that being an active member of the New York Junior League, the president's wife, and a UN delegate took a lot of hard work, but with passion like her's anything is possible! I hope to develop the qualities she had: willingness to work with others, courage in the face of hopelessness, vision of justice, and a strong, confident voice for herself and others.

Please enjoy these quotes from The Quotations Page. They are the wonderful wisdom and articulate truths from Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the USA's finest first ladies. A finely educated woman, Eleanor used her knowledge and determination for good in many incredible ways.

A woman is like a tea bag- you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.

Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world.

Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.

I could not at any age be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on.

I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision.

If someone betrays you once, it’s their fault; if they betray you twice, it’s your fault.

It is not fair to ask of others what you are unwilling to do yourself.

Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.

Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.

Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.

One thing life has taught me: if you are interested, you never have to look for new interests. They come to you. When you are genuinely interested in one thing, it will always lead to something else.

The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Eleanor_Roosevelt

An autumn poem

Autumn Chant
Edna St. Vincent Millay

"Now the autumn shudders
In the rose's root.
Far and wide the ladders
Lean among the fruit.

Now the autumn clambers
Up the trellised frame,
And the rose remembers
The dust from which it came.

Brighter than the blossom
On the rose's bough
Sits the wizened, orange,
Bitter berry now;

Beauty never slumbers;
All is in her name;
But the rose remembers
The dust from which it came."

Enjoy the autumn everyone :)

I always knew I liked this guy

Ask me who my favorite actor is and I will say Jimmy Stewart, hands down. A little bit of Googling led me to the conclusion that I picked a pretty good guy to call my favorite. This handsome fellow was not only an incredible actor, but he was an incredible person too. I appreciate his dedication to making good, clean movies with valuable plots and characters. There's even more...

He was very intelligent, a lovable guy, could play the accordion, wrote poetry, was humble and friendly, believed in the USA, fell in love with a former model, supported Scouting, served as a Major General in the Air Force, almost became an architect, hosted philanthropic events, was a roommate with Henry Fonda, found pleasure in gardening and even performed on Broadway. What an admirable combination of attributes and accomplishments!

Here's his poem:

"Beau"

by Jimmy Stewart

He never came to me when I would call
Unless I had a tennis ball,
Or he felt like it,
But mostly he didn't come at all.

When he was young
He never learned to heel
Or sit or stay,
He did things his way.

Discipline was not his bag
But when you were with him things sure didn't drag.
He'd dig up a rosebush just to spite me,
And when I'd grab him, he'd turn and bite me.

He bit lots of folks from day to day,
The delivery boy was his favorite prey.
The gas man wouldn't read our meter,
He said we owned a real man-eater.

He set the house on fire
But the story's long to tell.
Suffice it to say that he survived
And the house survived as well.

On the evening walks, and Gloria took him,
He was always first out the door.
The Old One and I brought up the rear
Because our bones were sore.

He would charge up the street with Mom hanging on,
What a beautiful pair they were!
And if it was still light and the tourists were out,
They created a bit of a stir.

But every once in a while, he would stop in his tracks
And with a frown on his face look around.
It was just to make sure that the Old One was there
And would follow him where he was bound.

We are early-to-bedders at our house--
I guess I'm the first to retire.
And as I'd leave the room he'd look at me
And get up from his place by the fire.

He knew where the tennis balls were upstairs,
And I'd give him one for a while.
He would push it under the bed with his nose
And I'd fish it out with a smile.

And before very long
He'd tire of the ball
And be asleep in his corner
In no time at all.

And there were nights when I'd feel him
Climb upon our bed
And lie between us,
And I'd pat his head.

And there were nights when I'd feel this stare
And I'd wake up and he'd be sitting there
And I reach out my hand and stroke his hair.
And sometimes I'd feel him sigh
and I think I know the reason why.

He would wake up at night
And he would have this fear
Of the dark, of life, of lots of things,
And he'd be glad to have me near.

And now he's dead.
And there are nights when I think I feel him
Climb upon our bed and lie between us,
And I pat his head.

And there are nights when I think
I feel that stare
And I reach out my hand to stroke his hair,
But he's not there.

Oh, how I wish that wasn't so,
I'll always love a dog named Beau.

I like this quote from Wikipedia:

"From the beginning of James Stewart's career in 1935 through his final theatrical project in 1991, he appeared in 92 films, television programs and shorts. Through the course of this illustrious career, he appeared in many landmark and critically acclaimed films, including such classics as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Rear Window, The Spirit of St. Louis and Vertigo. His roles in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, It's a Wonderful Life, Harvey, and Anatomy of a Murder earned him Academy Award nominations (he won for Philadelphia Story). Stewart's career defied the boundaries of genre and trend, and he made his mark in screwball comedies, suspense thrillers, westerns, biographies and family films."

Basically, if you haven't seen the movies highlighted in orange, get on it now.


Jimmy Quotes:

"I have my own rules and adhere to them. The rule is simple but inflexible. A James Stewart picture must have two vital ingredients: it will be clean and it will involve the triumph of the underdog over the bully."

"I don`t act. I react."

"Asked how he wanted to be remembered: As someone who believed in hard work and love of country, love of family and love of community."

**swoon**

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stewart
http://www.meredy.com/jimmystewart/beau.htm
http://www.quotelucy.com/quotations/7357/182357-jimmy-stewart-quote.html

For the love of learning

I certainly hope it is not pretentious of me to post a homework assignment of mine online and think you might like to read it, but that is what I am about to do. I was so enlightened by Dominican University's recent Caritas et Veritas Symposium that I just wanted to share some of what I learned.

The Caritas et Veritas Symposium was a fascinating day for me and I enjoyed exploring the meaning behind Dominican University’s motto. I had the privilege of attending three sessions in which speakers applied the meanings of “caritas” and “veritas,” the latin words for “love” and “truth” to their fields of knowledge. I was especially moved by the English department’s presentation called “A Gradual Dazzling: The Nature of Truth in Literary Studies.” This took place in the beautiful Noonan Reading Room, which I thought was a perfect setting for such a topic. The presentation explored how literature often uses a “slant view” of truth, using Emily Dickinson’s poem “Tell all the Truth but tell it slant” to present the idea. Four professors spoke about writings in their fields of expertise to describe this further and explore the role of love and truth in literature.

Professor Warren Green, a teacher of ancient literature, spoke about the Greek tragedies of the 4^th and 5^th centuries BCE. He explained how the role of theater in Athens during the 5^th century BCE was very central to society, though I was disappointed to learn that only men were permitted to attend theatrical events. I was fascinated to learn that the theater of Dionysus was large enough to seat the entire male population of Athens, and it did so during a four day theater festival that took place every year. Theater-going was therefore a communal experience, in which men of all social classes and roles were brought together to observe and participate in a parade and as many as 12 plays in 36 hours. The great playwrights Euripides, Sophokles, and Aeschylus wrote the tragedies to show the men of Athenian society “how to be an active citizen in a democracy at war” (Green). The tragic stories of Antigone and Polenyssius offered play-goers a view of the consequences of greed, pride, and willfulness, as well as an argument for finding a balance between the laws of the state and the laws of heaven. I found it ironic that although the plots were often extreme and included elements of the divine, these seemingly unrealistic pieces of the story became ways to explain the troubled political situations of the times. The men who attended the plays were brought together in community and were inspired to discuss justice and mercy. The tragedies of ancient Greece can therefore be understood when they are presented in the context of the era. Through a knowledge of ancient Greek democracy, history, and the theater experience, we as 21^st century Americans can better understand why ancient Greek tragedies could become a means to understanding of the truth. I believe theater continues to confront societal issues and inspire dialogue that finds solutions and cooperation.

The next speaker, Professor Mickey Sweeney, brought us further through history as she presented a mesmerizing look at the Romance genre of literature. The Romantic era of story-telling, writing and poetry came about during the Medieval Era in the 13^th and 14^th centuries CE. Such writing, mainly by Geoffrey of Monmouth, includes stories of knights, kings, and magicians. Professor Sweeney explained how collective learning was often done through the distribution of manuscripts, which were both entertaining and informing, for they attempted to convey the truths of history and human flaws while maintaining an audience. Histories and tales of adventure were often stretched to grand, unrealistic proportions, such as the passionate story of Sir Lancelot and Guinevere. I related this fact to current media techniques, which continue to stretch the truth in order to keep consumers interested. However, I noted a difference in the role of God and religion today than in the Romantic era. Whereas people of the time believed in God’s control over history, writers viewed their historical stories as “records of God’s divine history” and as “tools to tell moral lessons” (Sweeney). Kings and nations would prevail because of their moral strengths, and individuals would fall because of their moral weaknesses. The supernatural elements of some stories, including the magical character Merlin, were often criticized by Geoffrey’s contemporaries as being heretical, yet “magic” has always existed in history as a human explanation of the mysterious things of the world. It seems that God has taken a secondary role to science as the modern world’s source of reason. In ways similar to modern media, the stories of the Romantic era were told on a “slant,” with the purpose of conveying the importance of history and an explanation of why things happened as they did.

The third presenter, Professor Joseph Heininger, used the work of two contemporary Irish writers to show how poetry is a complex and profound way to respond to world events. I was especially captivated by this presentation because I have not studied much modern poetry. Heaney’s poem “Punishment” contains the heart-wrenching observation of an adulteress who suffers a horrible punishment from the IRS, which dominated Northern Ireland at the time. Following this retelling, Heaney explores the complexities of the event. While he sees the woman as a victim of scapegoating, Heaney also understands the human desire for revenge. Longeley’s poem “Ceasefire” also explores a historical event, but in a different way. His poem is an analogy of the ancient Trojan Wars to modern Irish conflicts, from which Professor Heininger concludes that “nothing erases killing, but there is atonement when the cycle of violence is ended with love and self-surrender” (Heinenger). I am delighted that poetry continues to be a valuable source of truth, for I love reading and analyzing the works of Longfellow, Sandburg, and St. Vincent Millay. I shall certainly continue to look into modern publications, for these works show how poetry may better contain the breadth of human emotion than other genres of literature.

By looking into the “slant truths” of literature throughout history, these speakers showed how such “lies” lead readers to the truth. To discover the truth, however, it is necessary to find the intended meaning of the literature through an understanding of the writings’ contexts. Greek tragedies of the 5^th century BCE, Romantic writings of the Middle Ages, and poetry of the modern era played and still play important roles in history, not only in the preservation of historical events, but also in the explanation and interpretation of these events. Furthermore, the exploration of society and how it should be is a constant theme of literature, which makes it a valuable tool in the classroom and in life.

P.S. The picture is from a prayer service for Sudan. Keep on praying!