Hello, World

My schedule is pure insanity lately. I work three jobs and run the campus newspaper, all of which I enjoy (when everything's going right). I'm discovering a knack for organizing people; now if they would just do what I say, everything would be great. Living in such a fast-paced, communication-intensive world makes me even more frustrated when people don't stay on the ball... I think I'm going to have to slow down just because no one else can seem to keep up with me. Plus all this switching gears is starting to mess with my head.

Anyway, if you're so inclined, I'm keeping a blog for a class I'm taking this semester, which by assignment must be updated at least once a week. It's here. I'm also taking a fiction workshop this semester which I love but which has also caused some self-doubt on the whole "I'm a Writer" front. My first story was generally well-received and I got a lot of good feedback, but I sort of feel like fixing the problems in the story is beyond my ability. The real problem is just that I need to practice more, and it's a challenge I'm going to attempt, as soon as I find the time... I have the next two days off, finally, but at least one of them will probably be spent cleaning the apartment, because while my roommates seem to have infinte tolerance for filth, I can't really stand it.

Plus there are flies. Like five of them. I don't know where they came from but they've started hanging out in the bathroom over the last day or two. THEY MUST GO. (I'd say "DIE," but stupid as it is, I'd rather chase them out the window than kill them, regardless of how annoying they are. Though I realize they may not cooperate.) How long is a friggin' fly's life span, anyway?

Google says 15-30 days.

So anyway, that's my life currently.

Armagh at last

Well with all the hype leading up to my trip to Ireland, I'm sure my lack of posting now that I'm actually here has severely disappointed my five whole followers. So, be disappointed no longer: here's the post.

It's amazing here. Just like everyone said it would be. I officially reached the halfway point of my stay yesterday; the first week seemed to last forever (not in a bad way -- just an overload of sensory stimuli) and the second flew by. The city of Armagh has more hills than Baltimore and more trees than Saginaw. It's rained almost every day and I have yet to see a sunrise, but the sunset illuminates the clouds in colors I didn't know were possible -- electric reds and pinks. It's light here until after 11pm which still messes with my jet-lagged head. I don't know if I'll ever fully adjust to the five-hour time difference -- that morning on the plane fast-forwarded to sunrise at what would've been my 3am and made everything seem sort of surreal. Customs was easy to get through at the Dublin airport and everything from there went smoothly too. That first day after being assigned my room I was woken from a nap and sent out into the city by the program director; strange currency in hand, I found lunch at a restaurant called Fat Sams and was sure they could tell I didn't belong even before they heard me speak. Speaking of which, the lilting Irish accent is lovely but I've heard so many others here as well -- Scottish, English, Belgian, and others I can't place. 

The group of students I'm here with is fantastic and the words are flowing from my pencils (in various forms). I'm journaling as often as possible and satisfying my wanderlust with weekend trips to Belfast and Londonderry, the latter of which was chosen completely at the last minute, with no prior arrangements made.  We wandered into town, checked into the first hostel we came to, and walked down which ever street looked the most interesting at the time. These are my first experiences with hostels and so far they've been great for meeting interesting wanderers from all over the world. It also makes the first time I've slept in a room with 8 other people -- some of whom I'd known for only a week; some I didn't know at all. I've met Irish off-duty cops, a couple of English journalism students and an American backpacker named Adam who's finishing up a three-month tour of Europe; they all had great stories.

Armagh is a ghost town after about 6pm with the exception of a couple of pubs, but it almost seems like the Irish drinking stereotype is a myth -- the pubs are more empty than full on weeknights. Even in Belfast and Derry the stores are all closed by 7pm, though the nightlife is definitely more prominent there. I've had whiskey and cider and some weird fluorescent mixed drink called Mad Frog. I've hosted a party in my hostel room and wandered off by myself to sit amidst the ruins of a 13th-century Franciscan Friary. I've stood on the hills of Giant's Causeway and listened to the crash of the ocean waves; I've sat in a room or on a bus and read poetry and plays by Irish writers. I've gone shopping and discovered new music and hunted down gargoyle statues. And of course learned so much about a history and culture other than my own.

I don't know if I would want to live here simply because I wouldn't want to become desensitized to it all. But even being here for two weeks makes me seriously doubt whether I want to go home.

This is what I see out my window every morning.

In which I ramble about Ireland again (and some other things too)

Our trip has its own official wordpress site, which you can find here and which I'll also be linking under "Sites of Note." Part of my assignment is to post there semi-regularly, so if you don't see many updates here, you can find me there (I will warn you now though, there may be some duplicate posting between sites). I've also finally got a (somewhat vague) syllabus and free registration for a poetry workshop at the John Hewitt Festival (though whether the coordinator put me in Adam O'Riordan's class or Nessa O'Mahony's class I've yet to find out. One poet's English, one's Irish; one seems a little more contemporary but the other's had a longer career and thus more experience... so I guess I'm not too concerned either way).

At the beginning of June I started an Etsy site, on which I'm attempting to sell various items that I've made. There are a few hardcover books and a few wire tree pendants up for sale currently and more on the way. Last summer while I was in Michigan, there was a man who made these wonderful wire trees on display at the coffee shop I frequented. Later on I was in a store with my mom and we saw small trees, also wire (intended to be the Tree of Life) on metal rings with small stones twisted in as leaves. They were $20 apiece so I didn't buy one (though I later bought one without stones at a festival in Baltimore for $18) and have since learned how to make the pendants myself. And now I sell them for half the price, even with the stones. I've learned how to make the regular wire trees as well, but don't currently have any completed. I have a lot of other craft/art project ideas too, but it seems like my free time is decreasing exponentially as my trip gets closer. Word got out that I was making another run of pianos, and the two I intended to make became four. I'm making good progress; the goal is to also have those completed (and shipped, in a couple of cases) before I leave.

Several weeks ago I started reading Infinite Jest, the ambitious 1079-pg novel by David Foster Wallace. My original goal was also to complete that before Ireland, but I'm on approximately page 425 and, with 18 days to go, it's just not going to happen. It's a great book so far; the connections between the plethora of characters it asks you to become familiar with are starting to become clearer, and as that happens the whole thing becomes more interesting. The explorations of addiction and entertainment (and the notion of Subsidized Time) are intriguing and the relationships between the Incandenza brothers (and their resulting conversations) are in themselves almost enough reason to read the whole book (or at least through pg 425 where I am. I suppose it could take a dramatic downturn from here. I'll let know know once I finish). So it may end up being the one prose book I drag along with me. Though I think we all know I won't be able to bring just one book. That will be another item on my to-do list: determining my overseas reading list (note to self: You'll only be there for FOUR weeks, doing lots of OTHER THINGS, and carrying around a ton of books gets CUMBERSOME). We'll see how that goes.

There are about five four weeks left until I go to Ireland. My flight is booked, along with a hotel in Dublin for two nights after the program ends (because staying the two extra days, even with the cost of a room, saves me about $150 vs. flying back to the US on a Saturday). I've checked my electronic devices for compatibility with the 220-volt UK/Europe electrical system (turns out that most devices these days -- laptop, cell phone, and camera chargers, specifically -- are rated for use around the world) and bought a funky little multi-way outlet adaptor. I've checked out a couple different travel guides for the UK/Ireland and did some reading online about Armagh and the history of Ireland in general. The prospect of going to a nation with some actual, real capital-H History is really exciting in itself (because the U.S. is really just a baby, or at most an adolescent, in comparison). Every single person who's been to Ireland has told us how much they enjoyed it and we're going to like it, and I'm inclined to believe them. So yes, it's safe to say, I'm really looking forward to this trip.

An Interlude About Real Life

The first weekend in May, I flew home to MI to attend a graduation ceremony and party for Jake's younger brother Caleb. Jake had decided, somewhat reluctantly, to push back his original move date from April 28 so he could attend; I told him that I wanted to as well. I've known Caleb almost as long as I have Jake (a little over 5 years now) and probably saw him almost as often, considering we worked together for close to three of those years. I pretty much love him like my own brother -- he can be both a pain in the butt like a brother and a great friend/confidante. (Am I the only one who thinks of the Golden Girls theme song when I hear the word "confidante"?)

So, I arrived in Saginaw around 9:30am Friday morning and spent the day with Jake; we joined my parents and sister Janessa for lunch then spent a couple of hours at our old hangout spot, the Red Eye. I have to say, Saginaw is getting quieter and quieter. I still run into plenty of people I know but their numbers are dwindling. Not long after I moved (and even shortly before) people started leaving -- for other cities and other states -- and a good portion of those that remain are talking about doing the same, at least idly. It occured to me over the summer how strange it is that, while unfamiliar places can become familiar, the opposite is also true. That night I drove Jake and myself home from The Scottish Inn and quickly became all turned around in the roads near there. Granted, Saginaw city's roads have always been somewhat of a cluster; they aren't gridded properly because of the river and a great number of them curve sharply or stop and start or end altogether. But I used to know my way around pretty well. Fortunately Jake wasn't actually in bad shape and played navigator for me.

At our Scottish Inn party that night (for which the event page on facebook was titled, "Rachel's Visit/Jake's Exodus") I was reminded of just how good a friend group I've left behind. The number of people who continue to attend these events when I visit home has certainly dwindled over the past couple years (as people have moved away and/or on with their lives), but the ones that do show up are quality people.

But they didn't just come for me; Jake's not much of a party planner but despite the last minute announcement, several of his friends, co-workers, and 2/3 of his brothers came out for the evening. I got some great pictures.

Saturday's graduation ceremony and resulting party were both well-attended; delicious ribs were eaten (at the party, not the ceremony), bocce ball was played (not by me, sadly, though by watching I now understand the premise of the game) and more pictures were taken.  We had a fairly quiet evening, expecting to be on the road sort of early Sunday morning; in true Jake fashion though, the car wasn't cleaned out until then and it took a couple tries to pack everything in tight enough to fit all of it (including a cat box for our reluctant feline traveler). He did it, though (2000 Ford Focus = surprisingly high capacity for stuff-holding) and after one last stop for coffee and a bagel at the Red Eye, we hit the road around one pm.

A little over 10 hours later, after a relatively uneventful trip, we arrived in Baltimore, unloaded the cat, and unpacked the car. And thus, I have acquired a Jake. At a week and a half in, we're still working out some logistics but have otherwise been successful at co-habitating. We've even managed to explore a couple of places in the city together that I hadn't been to on my own yet.

The Finished Product

 (or, the Last Post I Make About the Pianos Already, I Promise)

The night before my pianos were due, I posted a picture on Facebook of what I thought then was the finished product. They were bound, glued, painted, and glazed; in a written reflection which was to accompany them, I predicted that I'd spent about 40 hours collectively on them. This was not counting drying/setting time or computer time (for laying out the inside pages). Looking back, this might be a little high, but for about two weeks I spent a few hours nearly every day on them, so I'm probably not far off.

The posted picture garnered over 40 comments, about half of which came within hours of posting and a couple which expressed interest in buying a piano. I was a little dumbfounded by this -- people actually wanted to pay money to have one of these? I'd been thinking a little about price anyway, as part of the assignment, and was thinking somewhere in the $25 range. This seemed low to me, but I couldn't imagine people would pay more than that for one -- being handmade, they weren't without flaws: small gaps between the covers and the piano body; the black keys cut to different sizes, etc. But Jake convinced me that, based on the amount of effort alone, I should price them higher than that (plus, he said, they were "really awesome," which I guess I mostly agreed with). So I offered them at $40. And my prospective buyers still wanted them.

The "finished" pianos

Now that purchasers were involved, I started looking at them a little more critically (despite my goal to finish them Wednesday night). As I was handling the books, I noticed that in one of them, the wire binding was... broken. I repaired it that night, replacing the wire with some thin elastic (which was really a much more suitable material) but didn't rebind the pages to the back book cover, figuring I could use the broken wire to hold the elastic in. I called it a night and went to sleep.

The next day I ended up rebinding the other two books, which had the same issue (you'd think I'd have known better than to use a slightly-discolored wire spool that had spent an unknown number of years in a box). I also rebound the first book yet again, taking apart the book cover so I could assemble it properly (attaching the elastic to the remaining wire still left too much stretchiness). Fortunately the end result was worth it, despite the fact that I had to re-cut, repaint and reglaze the spine. And while touching up one of the covers, I ended up dumping glaze on one of my favorite pairs of work pants (again, you'd think I'd have known better). At that point I quit while I was mostly ahead, only to realize that in my haste to get the glaze upright and on the table, I'd spilled a string of it onto one of the other pianos. SO, I had to sand it off and reglaze it after the presentation that night. I was really tired of them all by then.

At school, the pianos were very well-received. People seemed to really enjoy the fact that they could actually touch them and pick them up (I worked to purposely make them nice and sturdy). After the reception, the professor collected a copy to grade, and asked me if she could keep it afterward. I told her that I'd already sold two of them (the second one was claimed that afternoon) and was planning to keep the third; she said that she was willing to outbid another buyer if necessary. I was amazed that she wanted one that much. So I told her she could have the one I'd planned to keep; I could just make another. And with that I'd sold all three pianos. So, the above picture, taken before they were rebound with elastic, is the most recent shot I have of them. But I fully do plan to make another, plus an extra that's just a box without book pages inside.

I really enjoyed having a project like this to work on (though I probably wouldn't have done three of them at once if given the choice). Someone joked that I should make other instruments now; I told them I actually was considering trying a cello that opened up or something. I might still. I just need some more cardboard boxes... time to eat a crapload of cereal.

What are you doing here, anyway?

I don't know if I've actually said anywhere on here what it is I'm doing in school. I mean, I've stated that I'm working on an MFA (in creative writing and publishing) but nothing more detailed than that.

I was just wading through my archives, as I'm wont to do from time to time, and noticing some holes in my life-story coverage. So:

I'm just about done with my second year here. Since I've only been taking classes part-time, I'm finishing in four years instead of the anticipated three. And while I thoroughly enjoy the program, I feel like a lot of the experiences and opportunities I've had outside of my classes have been what really makes this whole adventure worthwhile (apparently this is common). I've also pretty much decided that anytime I move to a new city, I need to go to school there, because that seems to be the best way to meet people and get involved in the city.

Anyway, some statistics: there are about 30 students admitted to the program each year; 10 each for poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. In my year, we had people from Michigan (me!), Indiana, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. It's a 48-credit program which requires us to complete an internship as well (something I've started thinking about but haven't pursued yet).

So far I've taken a couple of poetry workshops, a creativity class (called "ways of seeing"), a literature seminar, a typography class and a class detailing the methods and processes of getting published (sadly, I've forgotten most of what I learned in that class because I didn't have anything ready to send out for publication).

This semester, I'm taking an Experimental Forms class and a Literary Publications (Lit Pub) class. The latter is the one I'm making the ridiculous(ly awesome) piano books for.

The assignment is to make an unconventional book whose form somehow fits the content. The less traditionally book-shaped, the better. I sat and pondered ways to make a book shaped like a tree for awhile, but then while laying in my bed, looking around my room for some other form of inspiration, I spotted my keyboard, leaning against the wall near my closet. Stream of consciousness led me to grand piano, and thus my final idea was born.

My first mock-up

The lid of the piano opens up, revealing the pages of the book. I've written various poems and musings that somehow relate to music, so I pulled a few of those together for the content. I also made this nifty music note thing for the cover page (yet another example of my astounding progress in Illustrator):

My first mock-up, which is now largely disassembled, consisted mainly of cardboard from a Cheez-It box. The newer, more presentable versions are cut from book board and use far-superior cereal box cardboard (actually, the only advantage of the cereal box is that it's longer and thus requires me to cut fewer separate pieces). I'm using wire to bind the pages and tacky glue to hold everything else together.

I'm pretty proud of how well the design is working out so far (and of how good I'm getting with my box cutter). The only real issue I've had to work out is how to attach the legs to the bottom of the piano: attempts to nail them down ended up spltting the wooden legs apart. But I think I've arrived at a solution for that involving wood glue.

My progress as of a couple days ago: pianos in the front, in varying stages of completion; covers in the back left and pages in the back right.

We're supposed to create some type of display for them and mark them for sale (or with a sign that says, "Not for sale"). I'm not sure how I'm going to approach that yet.