Some brief updates

Katie D.

April 18, 2010 - 9:31 PM

Readers, so much has been happening, and so much is left to happen before I can go to bed tonight, that I'm going to reduce several stories that could be full blogs of their own into brief blurbs. I hope you will forgive me, and accept my assurances that there will be full-length stories in the coming week.

First, date check! Today, April 18th, is exactly one month from the day the final draft of my thesis is due to my committee. The thesis stands at forty-seven pages out of an approximate seventy-five. But fear not! I've found a method for this madness, and for me that means writing huge chunks in short amounts of time, and then resting my weary mind for a couple of days before writing again. Although there's a long way to go, I know I'll get there soon. It's coming together nicely. Still, one month to the final draft! YIKES!

On the subject of theses, my friend Miles will be defending tomorrow. I read his thesis today, and it is a beautiful document. Tomorrow he will give a presentation of about fifteen minutes before his committee of three advisors and anyone else who will attend (myself included) and then answer questions for about forty-five minutes, before the committee decides whether or not he passes. With his permission, I'll be writing a more complete report about his thesis, because I think it's fascinating to hear what my various friends are writing and researching. In brief, his thesis is a philosophy paper regarding narrative forms and ethics, specifically focusing on the book The Corner, which was written by the producers of the TV series The Wire. Essentially, our lives are shaped by various narratives and narrative identities (such as that of "student" or "writer" or "young white woman") and contexts (USA 2010, Protestant faith, University) that shape our decisions and our perceptions of what is right and good in our lives. It was a fascinating paper, and will be a fabulous presentation tomorrow. I hope to be able to share excerpts of his thesis with you later. My other friends will all defend within the next five weeks, and I'll keep you posted!

I also want to follow up on last week's blog about speaking to the League of Women Voters about my time with No More Deaths. My friend, Leah, and myself joined the LWV for lunch and a presentation last Thursday, and it went extremely well. The LWV is an incredible organization of individuals profoundly concerned with the rights of citizens and the functioning of our democratic system. They are non-partisan but take strong stances on issues they see as having an impact on the health and welfare of the American public. Speaking before this group of informed and committed individuals was both humbling and inspiring, and I had a wonderful time. It went really well! I spoke for about half an hour, and Leah for another fifteen minutes, before we answered questions jointly. I have presented about No More Deaths many times now, and each time have experienced a new perspective about my own experiences and my beliefs about border justice and our place as citizens. Even more importantly, however, I received support and affirmation from the group-some audience members challenged my stances, but supported my actions in defense of the lives of people struggling on our southern border. I was reminded that I have huge power because of my status as an educated young person, and encouraged to use that power to continue to work to better the world.

Update on Turned magazine: we've passed off almost all content to the designer, and are now waiting for layout and formatting! We've still got some work to do, including photo editing and some extra tightening on some written pieces, but we're essentially done with our part of the project. We got the cover on Friday, and it is a thing of beauty! If all goes well, we will have the printed publication in hand on June 4th. We're already planning a celebration with many of the individuals who made this possible, to happen up at OSP with James. What a journey this has been! I've learned so much, and am so anxious to see the final project!

Finally, schoolwork. Classes continue, regardless of other commitments and happenings in life. I'll be honest: I've never had such a hard time concentrating on homework. I love all three of my classes, and am learning quite a lot from each. I enjoy the readings, and am seriously a fan of Jose Marti, the author I'm studying for my Spanish class. But, friends and readers, I am a busy woman these days. I'm often out of the house from ten to ten, mostly busy with meetings and projects, but partially occupied with exercise and friends and self-care. These are all legitimate and essential to living a happy life, and are all competing with my classes for my time and energy. It's worth it, though-I feel now, more than ever, that my studies are tying in with my other interests and commitments. It's all linked, and it's all exciting. It's just a little daunting, since I have more than four hundred pages of reading due Tuesday... Breathe deep...

I want to share a final small gem of Katie D. identity. When I was in fifth grade, we had to memorize a poem and recite it for the teacher. I was so nervous, but I learned that poem backwards and forwards. Since then I've memorized several others, my favorite being "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver (translated to Spanish, also), which is my go-to poem for occasions of emotional turbulence or celebration. But that fifth grade poem has stuck around all these years, and might prove a permanent part of my life. I think of it all the time: when in need of some patience, of a distraction, of a moment to breathe. I start stressing out or getting upset at some little thing, and out comes "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost, in the same singsong pattern I learned as a child. This is one of those moments: take a breath, think through the poem, take the next step.

"For I have promises to keep,
and miles to go before I sleep,
and miles to go before I sleep."