Breaking up with Edward Cullen, or My Thoughts on Hollywood and Teen Movie Sagas

Hollywood has not figured out how to totally appeal to teenagers. I discovered this nugget of truth out on Friday when I helped my librarian friend chaperon a trip to see the Hunger Games. While we were waiting for previews, we were informed by the theater manager that we would get to see the preview for the next Twilight film. The librarian and I assumed the whole theater would erupt in squeals. After all, it was just last year that all the copies of Twilight and the subsequent sequels were on a wait list at the library. Last year, students were wearing Vampire t-shirts and friendships were formed around whose team you were on (ie,"Team Edward" or "Team Jacob") Interestingly, I was the only one who seemed excited for the preview at the movies. As I watched the teenagers laugh with their friends and send text messages to people across the theater, it became apparent to me that they have long since moved on from being Twihards.

I shouldn't be shocked by their waning interest in the last teen book/movie sensation. After all, as a teacher I know students want instant gratification. They can't stand to wait for an answer to a text message from their friends. They hate waiting for me to grade essays (if they want good comments from me, they best get used to waiting!). And if you think they get upset about those things, try making then two minutes late for lunch!

Knowing all that I know about teenagers and the youth culture of today, Hollywood has got their movie release philosophy alllllllllll wrong. I think the big wigs in Hollywood believe that spacing popular teen films out will drum up excitement; instead, I think kids lose interest and move on to the next fad. Oh, but what about Harry Potter, you may ask. Well, HP continued to be popular in my opinion because the instant gratification of texting, Facebook, Twitter, etc. was only just becoming a part of youth culture. (I was in high school when the HPs began coming out, and I was almost a graduated senior before I sent my first text message.) As we progress into this age of "give me my news, music, and other forms of media NOW NOW NOW," I believe kids are becoming less interested in the art of anticipation.

If Hollywood's main goal is to maximize their profits, my personal suggestion is that they just bust the movies out. I believe the box office would make a lot more money if they kept teen movie saga release dates 3-6 months apart. This waiting a year and half to see the next film business is, I believe, losing them major dineros. If, however, Hollywood is interested in teaching kids life lessons, like the value of patience, then by all means they should keep the release dates two years apart.

Of course I could be wrong, but then again I myself have lost interest in Twilight since The Hunger Games became the new "it" series in young adult fiction. Sorry, Edward Cullen. Peeta just kinda does it for me.

4/12

So I was listening to the new Blink album (it's not my favorite of theirs, but I really love Snake Charmer),and while I was listening, I was struck with this idea of what it would be like to be a siren. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't want to murder anyone, but the thought of captivating men with a sexy song suddenly struck me as a skill coveted. Imagine: little ol' me, consistently bringing grown men to their knees with my voice. Ha! So I said out loud, "man, I wanna be a siren." There is was: first line stuck in my head. Given my physical insecurities lately, it kinda covers the desire I reckon most women want to exude, myself included. Enjoy!

I wanna be a siren,
lure men in.
They’d come
a sure bet,
ears caught, beckoned.
They’d come
to the edge, tempted,
rowing to the rhythm
of my seductive hum.

I wanna be a siren,
hair in waves,
the color of toffee
skin the scent of salt.
Sailors drawn to sharp rocks.
For me
they turn their masts
away from home.

I wanna be a siren,
sink ships
with seemingly loose hips.
The men always ready,
wide eyed,
aching, panting to touch—

A sure death each time,
Men turned cold by song.

3/12

When I met my boyfriend, he told me he was a photographer. I found this fascinating because when asked what I do, I've never said "writer." When I hear the word "writer" resound in my head, I think Keats, the Fitzgeralds, and of course Uncle Walt. Never does my name flicker in bright letters across the kiosk of my mind. For a while, I thought maybe this had something to do with me not making money writing, but the fact of the matter is, I have made money writing (although not enough to pay the rent). I've read to the public, been well received by other writers, been accepted to an MFA program, but I just can't pull the trigger on calling myself a writer.

And tonight it dawned on me.

I don't consider myself a writer because I don't do it that often. Once a month now, once every six months last year. At my best, I wrote twice a week in college. But what if I treated it like my job? What if I pursued writing like a career... doing it every day for a considerable amount of time?

Food for thought, but anyway, here is my real reason for writing today's post: a poem.


"Juxtaposed"

We see the same scenes:
a haunting silhouette
left by a crescent moon.
Newborn sheep gaining
their legs, curly hair still pristine and white.
A bee on a clothesline,
wings batting wildly, fishing wire
pinched by pins.

For him, art is different.
He freezes the frame:
catches the dog forever barking,
two lovers whose lips never stop,
and the quilt, yellow,
hanging incessantly off a chair.

For me, art is fleeting.
Two words juxtaposed,
Phrases slipping off the tongue,
An image —
Then gone.

2/12 Poem

The first poem of the year wasn't worth posting, so I threw you a bone with the Halloween-esque poem. What follows is the official second poem of the year.

If you write, maybe you will understand what I'm feeling. Sometimes I sit down to write and I feel like every word is utter crap, and then other times I sit down and the words flow from me quickly, so quickly that it almost feels like the poem is using me as an outlet. I imagine my poem floating around in space,undulating among airwaves, waiting for a writer to sit down with a little confidence and ink.

Sometimes I start with a line and what follows comes as a total surprise to me, like tonight. I had a first line and nothing else. Perhaps a Field of Dreams reference is appropriate here.

“Lover Seeks Kiss”

One third of the photograph is bursting:
pink and green azalea bush in full bloom,
dainty stamen extending shyly,
like a lover seeking a first kiss.
Cheeks blushing as fingers creep
over dewy skin, goose bumps
spreading, exploding over timid flesh
covering the total topography of skin.
Connecting islands,
one freckle to another, quickly expanding
like diffusion in a controlled lab,
like the suddenness of spring.
Stolen kiss,
hands sneak around hips:
fire lit.

Ho Hum

Hello readers!

I apologize for my hiatus in writing, but I have been an unhappy bear the past few weeks. I'm not entirely sure what's wrong with me, but I'm not satisfied. I would go so far as to say I'm bored with my life which seems crazy to me because my calendar has been full for quite awhile now.

Maybe it's the monotony of work and the fact that summer has officially ended and the first cold snap has settled on us, but I want to do something different. I need to shake something up or I'm going to be in a permanent slump until spring.

Maybe it's because I'm not writing.
or not drinking.

Or is it the thing I don't want to say out loud?

I feel a need to get rowdy. To travel somewhere alone. To dare and eat a peach before I have to wear my trousers rolled. To "vita abundantior" while I still can.

I feel suffocated, and I desperately need to rip this plastic bag of discontentment free from my face. So forgive me for not posting, but I didn't want to burden you with my Debbie Downerisms.

Let's Review, Class

Lately I've been getting a lot of messages about how I became debt free. (Recap for those of you who missed the first quarter of the game: I paid off $50,000 in a year and half.) From our conversations, I'm noticing that many of you are sick and tired of being up to your eyeballs in debt, and you're ready to roll up your sleeves and get serious about paying off your loans.

So here it is--a crash course in becoming debt free. *Remember, I am not a financial advisor, I am an English teacher. If you want fo' rizzle advice, you should seek the help of a trained professional.*

1. Dave Ramsey- This man was instrumental in getting me out of the gate. I read his book, Total Money Makeover, and learned how to budget. There are seven steps, and even today, I am working those steps (I am currently saving for retirement). While you are more than welcome to go out and buy a copy of his book (it's really terrific), I found my copy at the library because I didn't have enough money to buy my own personal copy. The month I read Dave, I had literally counted out pennies to have enough money to buy groceries (personal low).

2. Mint.com- This little gem of a website is a great way to track where you spend your money. I used it for three months before starting Dave Ramsey to figure out where I was bleeding cash money. Answer? Barnes and Noble. Yes, I was a little bit ridiculous with my book and magazine purchases there for awhile. Mint allowed me an honest look at my finances because, after all, those cool little pie graphs don't lie.

3. Recognizing a "Need" from a "Want"- I want lots of things. I want new clothes, I want to go on vacation, I want to decorate the walls of my house, but I only need three things: food, shelter, and water (and I'm not talking bottled Dasani). I stopped eating out all together, and cooked dinner every night. My big secret? Meal planning. I stopped wastefully spending money on groceries and made each penny count. I clipped a few coupons, but honestly planning out my meals and buying only those ingredients was what kept my budget in check. Grocery shopping became a game for me. I wanted to see how well I could eat for under $50 a week.

4.Every last cent- I put every free dollar toward my debt. I did nothing that required money for a year and a half, and you know what? I became happier. I stopped focusing on what I didn't have and focused on what I did have. I cultivated a true heart of gratitude during this period, and I saw firsthand what God can do when we're willing to do a little work ourselves.

5. Take advantage of free things- We live in a country where we pay a butt load of taxes. Take advantage of the few good things they provide for us. My library became my new best friend. I borrowed books, magazines, and movies from the public library instead of buying them. I also spent a lot of time walking the trails at the park and even took up a little disc golf during this time period.

Paying off my debt was difficult. There were many times when I wanted to give up, but I kept pushing through. Like losing weight, if you want to see results you have to do something radically different. Being debt free has been such a blessing to me the past nine months. I will happily tell you about the benefits of being debt free in my next post, so stay tuned.

Writing Bits

When I think about your eyes
exposed to the bare flesh of another,
my stomach churns into tangled knots.
I use my fingers to untie them
(same fingers with which I touch
your skin alone)
but they return, tight.
You mark your territory on pretty doves,
aim your metaphorical gun at them,
but the only one left bleeding red
is this brown headed robin.
I want to horde your eyes selfishly
so their lenses reflect only images of me,
want to be the only one
covered in your brand name.