Monday, January 30, 2017

Mental Library: Lenses: Feminism

Hello, Friends!

Today, we are starting a new series. I may still add to the postmodernism series, but, well, this is an exciting topic. I came across it as one of my ideas in my blog journal I had forgotten about.

Critical lenses are lenses literature can be viewed through. Lenses are kind of like putting on a pair of glasses, for example, a green-tinted pair of glasses would make everything look green, a pink pair of glasses would make everything look pink, and so on. Postmodernism is actually also a critical lens. Remember, also like a pair of glasses, just because we are analyzing a piece of literature through this lens does not mean that that is the main message of the book, or even that that is the correct (if there is a correct) interpretation of the book. Just like wearing green tinted glasses doesn't make everything actually green, it just makes everything look green, like Dorothy finds out. :)

The feminist critical lens looks for the balance of power and role of women, particularly highlighting the oppression of women. Many princess fairy tales can be viewed through this lens. Now, I'm not attacking fairy tales, or saying this is absolutely how they have to be seen all the time. This is just one way to look at them. For example, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Cinderella are all rescued by men. They seemingly have no power to control their own destiny, and can only be saved by men. This is just a very simple feminist critique of these fairy tales. Someone posted an article on Twitter arguing why Cinderella shouldn't be seen like this, which. . .well, I can see both sides. Lands Uncharted first brought my attention to it. If you want to read it, click here. (BEWARE: Swearing is used in this article.)

On the other hand, Scarlet, the second book in the Lunar Chronicles, features Scarlet, an amazingly strong woman. Go read it. Analyzing Scarlet through the feminist lens portrays the main character to stand up for herself and not just let men come in and save her.

Another example of a woman saving a man is also in fairy tales. In many fairy tales, the woman has to somehow free her beloved. The most commonly known fairy tale of this is the "Frog Prince."

Try analyzing something through the feminist lens, then post about your experience in the comments!





Spruce Nogard
Attributions:
 

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Genre of the Month: Dystopian Fiction

Hello, Friends.

This month's genre is dystopian fiction. I do not like dystopian fiction, so I don't read it. Well, I guess you could call Cinder and the Lunar Chronicles dystopian fiction. . .

What dystopian fiction books do you like?

Spruce Nogard

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Creative Complex: Character Constructing: Hair

I feel like I'm just going to start saying: "sorry this post is up late" for every post.

Anyways, hair.

With imagining characters' hair, you need to consider a few things:

Length:
How long is your character's hair? Do you know in precise units (inches, etc.) or do you know more in relation to the rest of your character (part-way down his/her back)?

Consistency:
How curly is your character's hair? Is it completely straight? Do they have mermaid curls? Big ringlets? A million tiny curls? Is their hair bushy and wild? Is it tame?

Color:
What color is your character's hair? It doesn't have to be specifically one color, and always remember colors like copper, raven, and mousy are more descriptive and specific than red, black, and brown. Are there other ways you could describe hair color, ways that no one has used, like the color of oak wood? Does the color of their hair change depending on the lighting? Is it shiny, or dull (I don't mean dull as in not pretty, I mean dull as in opposite of shiny.)


Thickness: 
How thick is your character's hair?

Feel:
How does your character's hair feel? Is it soft and downy, like baby hair? Is it coarse and rough? Is it smooth and silky? Is it somewhere in-between? Does it depend on the time, or when the hair was last washed? What else can you think of?

Smell:
How does your character's hair smell? Does it smell like their shampoo, or a perfume/cologne they use? Does their hair have a distinct smell of it's own? How would you describe that smell?

Hairdos:
Does your character wear their hair in a certain style all the time? Do they like to change what they do to their hair? Do they have a favorite style? Do they always brush their hair?

Spruce Nogard

Monday, January 23, 2017

On My Mind: Theatre

Hello, dear Friends.

By this point, you must all be very annoyed at me. I say I post three times a week, but I forget half the time. Besides, on Monday, to tell the truth, I frankly did not want to write a post. I didn't know what to write it about, and, well, I decided not to. I know it's a responsibility that I have, and that it's different when I actually forget, but I did not mean to write it this late. Sorry.


You may wonder why you're only seeing this post on Thursday when it says it went up on Monday. I can schedule it in the past (on Monday) so it will show up as having been posted since Monday, when it's really not. I do this for my own records and keeping posts straight.

Anyways, theatre. I love theatre. I don't like being in plays, but I love watching them. There's just something about theatre that is magical, mystical, and wonderful. I get so attached to the characters, and every time a play gets done, I get a little bit sad because I know I'll never see anything quite the same again, even if I see the exact same play later. And that makes me sad, because I know I'll never see that exact kind of wonderful ever again. But, I still love going to plays and being in pit for musicals, because pit is extremely fun. I guess my joy and love for and excitement about plays outweighs the sadness.

Do you like plays?

What is your favorite play you've seen?

Post in the comments!

Spruce Nogard
Attributions:

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Recipe: Banana Bread

Here is a banana bread recipe that's been in our family for a while. I'm sorry for this post being late.

Ingredients:

2-3 ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon water-warm
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2) Mash the bananas and add the sugar. Let stand for 15 minutes.

3) Add shortening, and beat. Add eggs, and beat again.

4) In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients EXCEPT baking soda.

5) Add to the banana mixture.

6) Mix the baking soda and warm water together. Don't over mix.

7) Add to the other ingredients.

8) Grease two loaf pans and pour in the mixture.Bake for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Spruce Nogard

Attributions:

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Creative Complex: How to Make

Good Day, Friends!

Today, think of something a character has to learn how to do in a story. It could be an activity, a skill. . .

Share in the comments!

Spruce Nogard
Attributions:

Monday, January 16, 2017

Dragons: Dragon Wings

Hello, Riders.

When I was young(er), I used to draw diagrams of dragon wings. I kept a journal of all my dragon ideas, including starts of stories, descriptions of dragon species, diagrams of dragon parts. I made my own language, made a map, and even made charts of different eclipses. I still have the journal, and here are some copies of my drawings for dragon wings:

In each picture, the dragon's back is represented by the strip of blue.
















Sorry, but the dragon's back for this one would be at a tilted line, but I couldn't format it correctly.


For this picture, the head would be toward the top.





For this picture, the dragon's head would be to the left.

Of course, there are variations on each of the wings, but these are the main ones.


Which way do you imagine dragon wings? Are there types of wings you haven't thought of before?

Spruce Nogard

 Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/amazing-beautiful-beauty-blue-736882/






Saturday, January 14, 2017

Gardening: Organic Gardening

Hello, Gardeners!

You might be wondering how I'm going to post about gardening if I can't have a garden in winter. You'll see. . .

Anyways, this should be interesting, because Dragomir is here to add his views to it. (I didn't know he gardened until yesterday.)

Today, I am talking about organic gardening.

Why should you garden organically?

1) Pesticides

Many plants at grocery stores are covered in pesticides, or in pesticide residue. Pesticides are used to kill pests, so it makes sense fruits and veggies would be covered in them.

There are plenty of studies showing the effects of pesticides. However, few studies have been done long-term on humans with pesticides ingested through food. Even if you wash your fruits, greens, and veggies, some of the pesticides still remain. Laws limit the amount of pesticides allowed to be used on plants intended for eating, but still, the purpose of pesticides is to kill pests. If something's sole purpose is to kill, how bad is the build-up of pesticides in our bodies?

Now, I am not trying to implant in your brains a fear of food from the grocery store, but I do think it's better to eat organic.

Dear Readers, I do believe she is trying to impress upon you the good and right fear of food acquired at the grocery store. The only way to stay safe from this impending threat is to avoid it utterly.

And that is the extreme version of what I was trying to say.

3) GMOs

GMO: Genetically Modified Organism

As Mrs. Seleshanko clarifies in her profound work entitled: Grow the Dirty Dozen, some produce and or packaged food is engineered using Genetically Modified Organisms. Furthermore, Mrs.
Seleshanko notes that an assortment of Genetically Modified Organisms are made using "genetic material from soil bacteria. . . [or] insects." That, as we must all agree, is unquestionably repugnant.

2) The Cost of Gardening Organically as Compared to the Cost of Buying Organically or Buying Non-Organic Food

As one celebrated quote proclaims: "When I get a little money I buy books, and if I have any left I buy food and clothes." -Erasmus
Although this is not, in any sense, practical, I presume that you, dear Readers, would realize the truth of this quote. As implied, gardening in the organic sense is considerably more affordable. This would cause one to conjecture, thereafter, that one would attain a larger budget for books.

If you buy a packet of organic seeds for about $3.50, and get maybe 20-100 seeds, and about half of them come up, you are saving much more money than even getting a seedling for the same amount of money. Not to mention, you are saving much more than getting a couple of the fruit/vegetables at the grocery store. Not to mention, (again) that organic foods are much more expensive than non-organic foods. And, yes, as Dragomir mentioned, this means you have more money for books.

And that is why you should garden organic, Friends!

Spruce Nogard
Dragomir Volkov

Attributions:

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Writing: Creative Complex: Immunity

Hello, Friends.

Today, I have a question for you: What would you do if you were immune to [blank]?

[blank] could be:
  • A disease
  • Heat
  • Cold
  • Weapons
Whatever you can think of!

I'm thinking of the fairy tale "Snow Daughter and Fire Son," but the only version I could find was not the same story at all. In the version I know, snow daughter and fire son want to be near each other, but they can't because they are opposites. I think the brother travels the world to find a way they can be together, and he eventually brings back giant, thick coats that they can wear when they want to see each other. This works, and they live happily ever after.

Spruce Nogard
Attributions: 
https://pixabay.com/en/ice-winter-blue-1125335/ 
https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/03/31/22/14/castle-1296932_960_720.png 
https://pixabay.com/en/angel-fairy-fire-banner-fantasy-1014564/

Monday, January 9, 2017

Books: Favorites: My Dream Bed

Whoever said we weren't allowed to include picture books in a post about our favorite books?

Well, I certainly didn't. I'm glad you allow picture books, too. :)

My Dream Bed, by Lauren Child, starts out like this: "When you are tucked up in bed but you just can't sleep, try to imagine your perfect dream bed" (1).

We see a bed in a flower, a bed in a nest, a bed on an elephant, and many more.

This book is so amazing because on each page, you put the girl in her new dream bed. (A ribbon attached to the spine makes sure you don't lose her.) The book also includes many flaps and wheels to turn.

I have a wild imagination, and so this book was perfect for me when I was little. I still like to imagine everything. Have you read this book? I think it might help hyper children you're babysitting fall asleep. . .

Spruce Nogard




Saturday, January 7, 2017

Books: Fairy Tales: Cinderella at the Theatre

Hello, Fairy Tale Characters!

I again am sorry about being late. However, please do realize that I have a life. :) Anyways, I'm going to set aside some time soon to do a ton of blog posts.

Today, I am talking about a production of Cinderella I saw recently. The play was brilliant, in so many ways.

First of all, the play was done in a particular style that incorporates modern references into the fairy tale.

I'm going to explain kind of how the play went, and then tell you some parts I really liked.

The opening scene is at a Victorian (?) Christmas party, where a grandfather is telling his granddaughter the story of Cinderella. Throughout the play, there are scenes with the carolers, the people at the party. They sing, dance, play games, and have contests. At one point, there is a tap-dancing contest between the carolers, which was wonderful to watch.

The actual Cinderella part was magnificent.

First of all, the stepsisters were played by men. This was supposed to be obvious, and funny. It was very hilarious. Second of all, the stepmother and stepsisters made many modern-day references, like references to the Vikings, Dunn Brothers, and Arby's. At one point, the stepmother started quoting A Christmas Carol, and her daughters had to tell her that was the wrong theatre. Also, the characters sang modern-day songs, like "Shut Up and Dance with Me." The prince sang modern-day love songs, as well.

They also made fun of and threw things at the pit orchestra. The pit was, of course, in a. . . hole? in the middle of the stage. The conductor was Canadian, so they made fun of him for that.

As well as all this, there was audience participation. The audience was asked questions, and had to cheer for Dorcas or Pearl (the stepsisters) at one point. . .etc.

At another point, a life-sized cow fell from the sky. . .

And I haven't even mentioned Bill yet. I am using the name "Bill" for privacy of the actual person as well as other reasons. Near the beginning of the play, the stepsisters went up to a random guy in the audience and asked his name. They then asked him if he was single, and proceeded to pretend they were in love with him the entire show. They put a camera facing him, and randomly throughout the play he appeared on the screens to each side of the stage. Once, he was on a kiss-cam, and the stepsisters kissed him, and another time, when Cinderella was locked in the closet and couldn't do her chores, they threw their laundry at him.

On the other hand, the sets were breathtaking. There was a set of the Stepmother's house, the enchanted garden, and the ballroom. The sets were, as someone we went with described it, "The closest I've come to seeing magic in real life."

The house set was actually. . . well, a house. They did not use the same main set and just change major props like they did if you saw the Beauty and the Beast play at the Chanhassen (although that was amazing, too). The sets actually changed. Cinderella's mice and bird friends were real, moving, speaking, creatures, but they were still a normal size. There was a fireplace with soup over it, many cupboards and a closet that opened.

The garden was the most magical set. The air was filled with fog over a frozen lake, while enchanted plants grew. In the background, reindeer actually grazed, wandering around in the trees. The fairy godmother enchanted the mice, who became mice footmen, and horses appeared. (These were played by people.) Then, the fairy godmother enchanted the pumpkin. It flew up, up, up, and out of sight. Then, a majestic carriage floated down, with intricate designs lacing every aspect of it.

The ballroom had a spiral staircase and a balcony, which people actually walked on. It had magnificent doors, and the dances performed were amazing.

I know it seems crazy that they could put all this in one play and not have it turn into a mess, but that's exactly what they did. 

Spruce Nogard

Attributions:

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Creative Complex: What Can You See?

Hello, Friends.

X-Ray vision is one superhero power. Echolocation is the real version of X-ray vision, in a way. No matter where it comes from, this is always an interesting attribute.

So: Here's your Creative Complex for today:

Make this power more specific. Can your characters see things no one else can see? Can they see extra details, or more of something than everyone else? Can they see through certain substances?









Explore wisely, Friends.
Spruce Nogard
Attributions:

Monday, January 2, 2017

Mental Library: Archetypes

Hello, heroes, mentors, and villains.

Today, we are talking about archetypes.

Archetypes are things that are found throughout literature and mean the same thing (almost) every time you find it. For example, there are archetypal colors (red=danger,etc.), archetypal themes (good v. evil etc.), and archetypal characters (damsel in distress, sidekick, etc.). Also, take note that any of these can be flipped to deliberately mean the opposite of what they're supposed to mean.

Here are some basic ones:

Characters:

Damsel in Distress: The helpless woman who is saved by the man. Sleeping Beauty and Snow White are examples of this.

Hero: The person who goes on a journey. . . which has many specifications. I wrote a post about the archetypal hero's journey here. Example: Harry Potter

Mentor: The person who teaches the hero. Example: Dumbledore

Villain: The person who is against the hero. Example: Darth Vader

Themes:

Light v. Dark: This is self-explanatory. An example of this is in Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series.

Coming of Age: This is when a character moves from childhood to adulthood.

So many more archetypes exist, but you'll have to look into them on your own. :)

Happy New Year!

Spruce Nogard
Attributions: 
https://pixabay.com/en/harry-potter-warner-bros-1132332/ 
https://pixabay.com/en/snow-white-princess-prince-933491/
https://pixabay.com/en/star-wars-darth-vader-cult-space-1204193/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone-j-k-rowling/110003632
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Rising-Susan-Cooper-Cober/dp/B002WXOQ5I/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1480800949&sr=1-8&keywords=the+dark+is+rising