4 Irish Authors You Should Know About

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! In honor of the holiday, I have compiled a list of 4 Irish authors for you to explore, if you are not already familiar with them.

Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849)- Actually, she’s Anglo-Irish, born in Oxford, but her work is often categorized as Irish Literature. She lived in Ireland, loved Ireland, and set most of her stories there. I think you should know about her, so I’m putting her on the list. Her books were a challenge to hegemonic structures, and often troubled race, class, gender, and nation. So, of course I am interested in her work. She is most famous for: Castle Rackrent (commentary about Irish landlords), Belinda (had an interracial marriage between two servants, which was later removed by publishers), and Helen.

William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)- “Turning and turning in the widening gyre/ The falcon cannot hear the falconer;/Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;/ Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,/ The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere/The ceremony of innocence is drowned;/The best lack all conviction, while the worst/ Are full of passionate intensity.” Terrifying, but badass. Need I say more?

James Joyce (1882-1941)- Maybe he’s the obvious one, (and he is actually Irish) but the author of Dubliners, Finnegan’s Wake, Portrait of a Young Man, and of course, Ulysses, has won the loyalty of many adoring fans.

Ulysses, on my table.

I know we should read Joyce because I know someone who has dedicated her life to studying and teaching him, and two friends whose romance was inspired by him. I am currently still trying to begin Ulysses, and my goal is to read it before I go to their wedding in June (there will be Joyce references everywhere). It  has been on hold while reading other things, but because it is St. Patrick’s, I feel more inspired to start reading it again. So far, my issue has been one of intimacy-Joyce writes his characters in their most private moments, and as a reader, I feel like an intruder. I’ll have to get used to it, and will keep you posted on my progress.

Seamus Heaney (1939-present)- You have likely heard of Heaney as well. This Irish poet has won pretty much every accolade that a writer can earn, including the Nobel Prize in Literature, the T.S. Eliot Prize, and the Golden Wreath of Poetry to name a few (yes, there are more). When you read his writing, it is easy to see why he has been so impactful in the contemporary scene. He confronts and copes with the political climate of Northern Ireland in both aggressive and heartfelt ways, and he does not stray from tough topics, but coaxes the reader to join him in surprise and misery. I would recommend reading the poem Mid Term Break for an example of how he does this (but be warned, it is intense).

There are many more noteworthy Irish authors, but I wanted to highlight a few of the names that have stood out to me. If I did not mention your favorite Irish author, please let me know who it is in the comments!

I also thought you might enjoy this article I read this morning, about the History, or Blarney, of Saint Patrick’s Day 😉 I am going to see a Sounders game tonight with some friends, probably to a pub afterwards, and may partake in singing Finnegan’s Wake if someone starts it up.

Do you have any fun plans for today?

Cheers with Harp Lager,

Miss E

Fun Center in my Mind: Best Songs for Getting in the “Write” Mood

What music is the best for productive writing? Well, it depends on what you are looking for that day. Some people can write with the same type of music on in the background every day, and some prefer to have no music at all.

I am unfortunately always most productive when I am surrounded by silence, like a vacuum- sealed library study room, but I love music, and try to incorporate it into my day whenever possible.

I usually listen to music when I write for at least half the day, and if I am in a loud coffee shop, I find headphone music incredibly useful for drowning out distracting conversations of patrons around me. As you may know by now, I do a “writing song of the day” on the Looking for Pemberley Facebook page. These songs often range from slow and gentle folk or blues, to fast-paced and energetic Cumbia music. Since I am looking for music that puts me in a certain mindset, I usually pay more attention to rhythm and tone than I do to the lyrics when choosing these songs every day.

Music can open up the "Fun Center" in my brain, provoke thought, and put me in the mood to write.

I have pretty eclectic music tastes, and like almost all types of music (with the exception of some scream0 and country music). Syncopated and complex beats are really interesting for me, since I was a percussionist back in the day. However, they are often very distracting for me and require my full attention, so I don’t like to listen to them when I am writing, even though I love them.

If it is raining outside, I will either try to pick a song that reflects the somber mood of the weather, or something more energetic to lighten my own mood and make writing easier.

Usually, I will listen to my Pandora stations or use another online streaming platform, and the song that first grabs me and gets me in the writing groove will be the one I share with you. Some days, I post the writing song of the day later in the day, because it takes that long for me to hear a song that puts me in the “write” state of mind.

I often listen to other music when driving (in the days when I had a car), cooking, or dancing than I do when I am writing. Writing music for me is also very different than editing music. In fact, when I am editing, I prefer complete stillness around me or music without lyrics. Although I can write faster without music, I enjoy adding it to the mix and seeing how it affects the finished product.

There are two ways that I combine music and writing.

1. Listening to Music while I write or type. When I am listening to music, I am interacting with it, even when I write. Songs with a steady beat but kind of subtle lyrics really help me too. I can type to the beat of a song, or listen to music while I am writing that has presents the tone as the one I am trying to convey: energetic, melodramatic, alternative, edgy, angry, macabre, joyful, exploratory, etc. in very complex ways. Music is the best way to get me feeling a specific way. A great example of this is the song: 
2. Reacting to a song after the fact is the other most frequent way I use music for my writing. Some songs do really have amazing lyrics, or fascinating tones (especially in classical music) that can conjure up dramatic stories in my head. When I was in middle school, a friend and I used to make up sagas and adventures that would be set to the songs we were playing, and it kind of became a habit. One example of this is the song: 

If there are lyrics, I think about what type of people or places they are referencing and it can spark a million subsequent thoughts. This is one of the reasons that sometimes I just can’t listen to songs with words or catchy refrains when I am writing- I end up Google searching lyrics and trying to learn them for my next Karaoke adventure.

Good writing songs, for me, need to fulfill one of these two roles- as mood/energy music, or as story inspiration in a way I can write and interact with, either during or before the writing process.

What makes a good writing song, in your opinion?

Cheers,

Miss E

Blog Update

Hi everyone,

Miss E here.

I did not fall off the face of the planet or anything, but I have actually been on the blog every day doing background work. P.S. I finally figured out the Pinterest button! (should be to your right at the top of the page 😀 )  I have actually been on Pinterest for a long time- it has to be my favorite social media site.

Lake Washington in the Winter

I have been trying to figure out a few secrets to blogging, setting up a host, and other bloggish things that I am still mostly in the dark about. I am adding more every week, but it is slow going many days!

Even though I have not posted, I have been logging in to read your fabulous comments! Yay! Thank you 🙂 and I also had my first “Troll” experience on the blog. Someone left some pretty negative comments to other readers, and to myself, that were just not productive or appropriate, actually.

I didn’t “accept” them because they would have been a waste of space, but they were a great reminder that I need to keep doing what I’m doing, and trying to create conversation (polite conversation, not the textual equivalent of yelling).

Usually, I accept every comment and respond to as many as possible, and I actually enjoy engaging with those who agree and disagree with my viewpoints. I am not cool with people attacking my other commenters or being just plain ignorant, however. Nope, not cool with it.  Looking For Pemberley is a safe space, and none of you should feel attacked here.

How do you handle “trolls?”

I will have another post for you soon, and hope you are all having an amazing weekend.

Regards,

Miss E

 

Women’s Day

Happy Women’s Day.

I don’t know about you, but I had not previously heard so much about International Women’s Day before this year. Perhaps in large part to the recent politicized news about women’s rights, health, and the increase in social media sharing with Twitter, facebook, and blogs, the news is just easier to access?

There were protests in Turkey and around the world to remind people of all nations that women are still treated unfairly to a large extent.

Perhaps the most interesting article I found was from Alternet.org, which discusses the increased awareness towards the sexist and anti-women messages coming out of recent Republican debates.

Of course, this increased awareness in America about our own problems is a good thing, but as the article points out, there are women who are still suffering  around the world as a result of inequality, subjection, patriarchy, and lack of adequate healthcare access.

This holiday interests me, and am eager for your thoughts about it.

What is your favorite or least favorite thing about Women’s Day?  Do you see it as problematic in any way, as a necessary celebration, as your favorite day of the year?

Look forward to hearing from you,

Miss E

Target Women and the Woman Question

Women have been in the media a lot lately, and the reproductive health controversy is sparking debates about ethics, morals, and the female body itself. Honestly, it reminds me of the Victorian England “Woman Question,” that I have discussed a bit previously.

This type of rhetoric and debate about the physical uterus and its “proper place” has been an underlying current in Western society since gender roles were invented. Yes, they were invented, and they are still being solidified, broken down, and rebuilt through everything we participate in: conversations, news broadcasts, advertisements, and media.

In a bizarre turn of fate, Rush Limbaugh recently decided to (continue) to be an outspoken anti-women and anti-choice bully, and jump started this already prominent conversation in politics and social media. However, his subsequent scapegoat status does not solve the problem of gender biases, inequality, and a continuation of gender role alignment with heteronormative morality. In other words, the sexist beast that shadows our culture is still out there. It has been there for years, but perhaps Lumbaugh’s latest line crossing remarks have finally made a larger audience aware of its existence.

His recent derogatory comments have drawn attention to our binary gender system- have we really changed our beliefs about gender so little since the Victorian period. Well, many prominent men and women still very much prescribe to the Victorian gender binary, and all of its moralistic connotations. A very specific, gendered brand of moralist rhetoric is still continuously permeating our culture, belief systems, and feelings about what women (and men, their supposed “opposites”) “should” or “should not” be.

Rhetorical analysis is fun, right?

For those of you interested in gender and the way it seeps into every part of our daily lives, you should check out the hilarious Sarah Haskins from Current  Media. She humorously analyzes advertisements geared toward a pretty large target audience: Women.

Although these videos are a bit older now, you can see many similar advertisements focused on “women” if you turn on your television, Hulu, or YouTube. By the way, for you educators out there, this is also a great tool to teach rhetorical analysis, and also to teach audience consideration, advertising, and a host of other possibilities for older students.

I like Haskins’ approach because she is funny, relatable, and because she points out just how absurd some of the underlying assumptions about women that these advertisements derive from.

Have you seen her segment before? What do you think we can learn from Haskins and the recent media attention about Women and their reproductive organs?

Regards,

Miss E

Review: Bride and Prejudice

Hello readers!

Some of you will remember that I wrote a review a while back about a Sense and Sensibility Kollywood adaptation that Aishwarya Rai was starring in, as the Marriane-inspired character. Well, she has had a hand in more than one Indian cinematic Jane Austen adaptations, because she also plays the Elizabeth Bennet lead in the Hollywood meets Bollywood Pride and Prejudice adaptation, “Bride and Prejudice,” directed by Gurinder Chadha. Of course, as always, I rented from Scarecrow Video in Seattle. One of my readers from that old review had recommended I review this movie, so here I am.

If you are curious, here is the trailer:

The trailer itself actually purports in many ways what Lalita (the Elizabeth Bennet Character of the film) was trying to counteract in many of her interactions with Will (Mr. Darcy). It advertises somewhat of an imperialized and Anglo-cized version of Indian cinema, and this trailer version seems directed at an American audience.  At one point in the film, Lalita says that Will, an entrepreneur from America, is trying to sell India to tourists who don’t want to see the real India, but who instead want to have “a touch of culture thrown in” during their vacation. Tourists who, “want to go to India, without having to deal with Indians.” This moment is made light of in the film, but it is a serious concern for the main character. Disappointingly, the movie almost becomes just that in its marketing strategy, geared towards an “Americanized” audience used to Hollywood films.

This movie is pretty hard to explain, but I will do my best to give you what in my opinion were the best and worst moments.

Think: cultural cross-pollination and filmic shots between Amritsar in India, London in England, and Los Angeles in America, with some big name stars and some who may be unknown to you.

Pros:

• Pretty colors, and lots of them;
• First wedding dance number is very fun, and really sets the tone for excitement throughout;
• Lots of music to dance to (if you are into that);
• Aishwarya Rai plays a much better Eliza Bennet character than she does a Marianne, in my opinion.
• Fun if you are an Austen fan to see how the director interprets some of Austen’s characters from P&P;
• Underlying critique of American Imperialism;
• Defense of a developing India after independence from British rule;
• Not your typical Bollywood film, and quite a bit shorter, which is refreshing;
• Balraj (Mr. Bingley) is one of the actors from the old television show Lost- Naveen Andrews;
• “Take me to love” song and Montage that includes helicopter rides, a canyon, and epic choir moment on a beach…

Cons:

• Unrealistic acting, singing (often in English), and storyline;
• A definite classism, with characters easily able to traverse the world, and even the “poor” Bakshis (Bennet family) have quite a few servants at their disposal (which is actually true in the original novel as well);
• Light and fluffy in places it might serve from its modern direction and have some sort of social commentary;
• Has some pretty heavy colonial overtones in a lot of problematic ways, and makes light of some pretty serious cultural and racial tensions that are present in the movie
• “Cobra Dance” as the youngest sister’s embarrassing moment- it just felt way over the top, and also kind of another moment of cultural clashing just barely touched on.
• It must be hard to pull off a mix of so many different genres and cultural references, but I don’t know that this film necessarily did it in a very graceful way.

I won’t recommend it, even though I enjoyed parts of it, because honestly I think it appeals to a very specific niche, and falls short in many other ways. If you love cheesiness, silliness, Pride and Prejudice and dancing, then you may enjoy the movie. Honestly, if you are strapped for time, I would recommend the two songs mentioned above- epic choir moment and intro wedding dance number, as they are probably two of the best moments in the movie.

For story coherency, creativity, energy, and the way it connects back to its source of inspiration (you can at least tell who the characters are supposed to represent from the novel within the first 20 minutes), I would say that the film Bride and Prejudice deserves a 2.5-3 /5 rating.

Warning: do not watch this movie unless you in the mood for pure brain candy, or if you want to do an analysis of the cobra dance moment and share it with me. Honestly, right now I just don’t have the mental energy.

Happy Monday,

Miss E

Art of Writing

This will be a short post, but happy Saturday/ Sunday depending on your location!

I just saw this quote, and wanted to share it with you because I thought it was beautiful:

“The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.” ― Gustave Flaubert

Do you agree with Flaubert?

This has been true in my experience. That is one of the reasons I have wanted to get back to writing for myself (see post about Writer’s March). For example, I had no idea I was so interested in gender until I had an imperative to write hundreds of pages, and the topic kept coming up as one of my main focuses.

For those of you who voted to see more movie and book reviews here, just rented quite a few literary movies from Scarecrow Video, and also that I have purchased the book, “Jane Austen Made Me Do It,” since Austenprose Blogger Laurel Ann Nattress edited it, and I keep seeing it on every Austen inspired book blog I encounter. I’ll review it here someday in the future.

I also wanted to alert you to the Looking for Pemberley Facebook page. If you “like” the page, you can get updates as to articles of interest, and I often post “writing songs of the day” there as well.

Here is a photo that makes my heart happy, and that has inspired one of my personal writing goals for the night:

That was a good day 🙂

Talk soon,
Miss E

What makes a man a man?

Last weekend I saw Le Faux, a drag impersonation show at Julia’s on Broadway in Seattle. The show was incredible, and was definitely the best show I think I have ever seen. There were so many artists portrayed, the dancing was incredible, and the host of the show, Jinx Monsoon, was amazing.

Here is a slideshow of the event!

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The entire show was outstanding, and I loved every minute of every performance. Pink was definitely a badass, and one of my favorites, and there was very awesome rope dancing as well!

The best moment, in my opinion, came to the was when Isaac Scott, who had also played Pink! performed the moving song, “What Makes a Man a Man?” The number began with full drag, and throughout the song the wig comes off, makeup is removed, and he is down to his boxers.

It was incredibly powerful as an example of the performativity of gender, and the lyrics of the song were so impactful in part because they were directly relevant to the experience of the performers in the show. This song really created a moment of audience awareness to important political issues surrounding gender identity, sexual orientation, and the stage life. It especially highlighted the specific struggles of those in drag impersonation performance who are also gay men. I was crying by the end of the song. It was incredibly moving, and I would be shocked if others were not moved as well.

Here is a Youtube video of the song (not the same as the performer I saw, but similar style):

Here are the lyrics in print as well:

“My mum and I we live alone
A great apartment is our home
In Fairhome Towers
I have to keep me company
Two dogs, a cat, a parakeet
Some plants and flowers
I help my mother with the chores
I wash, she dries, I do the floors
We work together
I shop and cook and sow a bit
Though mum does too I must admit
I do it better
At night I work in a strange bar
Impersonating every star
I’m quite deceiving
The customers come in with doubt
And wonder what I’m all about
But leave believing
I do a very special show
Where I am nude from head to toe
After stripteasing
Each night the men look so surprised
I change my sex before their eyes
Tell me if you can
What makes a man a man
At 3 o’clock or so I meet
With friends to have a bite to eat
And conversation
We love to empty out our hearts
With every subject from the arts
To liberation
We love to pull apart someone
And spread some gossip just for fun
Or start a rumour
We let our hair down, so to speak
And mock ourselves with tongue-in-cheek
And inside humour
So many times we have to pay
For having fun and being gay
It’s not amusing
There’s always those that spoil our games
By finding fault and calling names
Always accusing
They draw attention to themselves
At the expense of someone else
It’s so confusing
Yet they make fun of how I talk
And imitate the way I walk
Tell me if you can
What makes a man a man
My masquerade comes to an end
And I go home to bed again
Alone and friendless
I close my eyes, I think of him
I fantasise what might have been
My dreams are endless
We love each other but it seems
The love is only in my dreams
It’s so one sided
But in this life I must confess
The search for love and happiness
Is unrequited
I ask myself what I have got
Of what I am and what I’m not
What have I given
The answers come from those who make
The rules that some of us must break
Just to keep living
I know my life is not a crime
I’m just a victim of my time
I stand defense-less
Nobody has the right to be
The judge of what is right for me
Tell me if you can
What make a man a man
Tell me if you can
Tell me if you can
Tell me if you can
What makes a man a man”

So, what makes a man a man? A woman a woman? Attraction? Hopefully this sparks some food for thought. Have a great weekend.

Miss E

Writer’s March

It can be a great thing to set goals for yourself in any area you want to improve in. Goals can give us direction and purpose, but also help us become more aware of our own needs.

I joined Writer’s March last night, and my resolution was to write at least 1 page a day for myself. It goes during the entire month of March, so you totally have time to join!

As stated on their goals page, I am a freelance writer, so I am writing all day, every day. I also write on the weekends and at night. One of the reasons I am a writer by profession is that I just very much enjoy writing.

However, I would also like to spend more time writing interesting posts for Looking For Pemberley. I also think that to continue being passionate about my writing, I need to write for myself.

Pretty! Maybe this can inspire your writing?!

What falls into my definition of writing for myself?

• journal entries
• short stories
• personal blogging
• writing for fun
• poetry
• cathartic writing

What does not count as writing for myself?

• professional e-mails
• e-mails of any kind, for that matter
• articles for clients
• comments on blog posts
• typing search terms into Google 😉
• letters of recommendation for former students
• anything written with the intention of selling, advertising, or distributing to mass audiences via social media or blogging

1 page a day might seem like a tiny goal, but for me it feels pretty challenging. I currently don’t write for myself most days, not even a few words. Hopefully my goal will help revitalize my personal writing life, and improve my writing in other areas, including Looking for Pemberley. I would love to write more often here, and to write posts that you enjoy.

If you haven’t heard of Writer’s March yet, check it out! The talented writers working on that site have great insights into the life of writers, professional, student writers, and casual writers.

All the best,

Miss E

Flat Ruthie and I

I had some adventures this week with “Flat Ruthie.” She is like Flat Stanley, if you have ever heard of that trend.

Check out the post (mostly pictures) over at Cardboard me! *(There is a link to Flat Ruthie Info here!)

She has a great idea, travelling the world and having adventures with all kinds of people in all kinds of places. Pretty fun!

Cheers,

Miss E

****So, after getting a few reader questions, I have posted links to more info about the Flat Stanley and Flat Ruthie for you all 🙂 This was my first experience with a “Flat” anybody, and I would highly recommend trying it- twas a lot of fun!