Of Abstracts and Illness

blerg

While school has not put a damper on my fun reading, it has put a hold on writing about it, which is a bummer, but what can you do? I've been sick and working on conference paper proposals and abstracts. So much fun, you guys! You have no idea!

So last week I was stricken with a nasty case of tiny chicken disease and spent the majority of my free time on the couch, eating soup, reading princess novels and watching 30 Rock. I quite like the show so far. I haven't watched it as it airs, but after reading Bossypants, I decided to get the DVDs from my fabulous local library. I think I might be Liz Lemon, or on my way to being her.

I also read through the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede, some of my all-time favorite books in the history of ever. The books are the chronicles of kick-ass Princess Cimorene and friends. These books rank right up there with Tamora Pierce's Tortall books, although Wrede's stories have a comic edge to them, but they are straight-up high fantasy with a girl-power twist. In fact, I would probably consider naming a future daughter Cimorene, such is my adoration for these stories.

I read H.G. Wells's The Time Machine for my critical theory class. It's a strange little book, and if you're ever going to try and watch the movie version instead of read the book for class, don't. They are NOTHING like the book. The book is a weird imperialist fable with overtones of colonial patriarchical b.s. but I think it's worth a read. And it makes this episode of The Big Bang Theory a little funnier.

I got a subscription to Wired and am enjoying nerding out on all that stuff. I have also been listening to the Nerdist Writers Panel podcast. I mentioned previously that my Form and Theory of Fiction class is focusing on screenwriting and the Nerdist Writers Panel is a panel of writers (obvs) who write for film and television. It's a really great podcast, writers talking about writing. From there I found the Wired Storyboard podcast, and so I've been listening to people talk about the process of writing while I sit on my couch and crochet, my preferred method of dealing with anxiety and stress. If you are at all interested in the process of writing, I highly recommend these podcasts. In a way they are like mini writing workshops, and best of all, they're free!

So that's it for now. I'll have another Guys Lit Wire post up next week, and I'm still reading some fun stuff, but I'm prepping for conference papers, so the bulk of my reading will be theory and background. Sexxxy.