(no subject)

Well I am about to put pen to paper and write in my personal statement for my application. It seems so archaic to be handwriting this thing. Part of me is certain that I must be doing it wrong. But it really does seem to be the right way. But it looks so bad, and the one I have typed so neatly is so much better.

But oh well, I guess I don't really have a choice. And now it's too late to seek the advice of anyone in England. So I guess I'll just have to do it, hope for the best and then send it all in. I suppose it will feel good to have it sent and just be waiting to hear, though I think that sounds a bit stressfull too! Course at this point everything seems stressfull to me.

Application Away!

Well I managed to get it in the mail. I'm trying to feel relieved. Hopefully it'll all go well. On the plus side I had a great time taking the class this fall, and I got a recommendation from my favorite history professor, so really I should be proud! And they should let me in!!!!!

At the post office I also got to pick up a lovely 600 page book of translation of obscure daoist immortality texts and anaylsis of them.

Charles De Lint, Newford

It must have been 10 years since I picked up the first collection of Charles De Lint's collection of short stories about his imaginary city of Newford. I loved them they were unlike anything else I'd read. Modern Urban fairy tales, some silly, some scary but all very enjoyable. He's one of the few fantasy author's that I'll still read.

I picked up a recent collection of Newford stories Tapping the Dream Tree. De Lint has spent a lot of time looking at the blending of native American myths and European myths in his stories. This collection included some Christian mythology too, which was interesting. I found it harder to get into this collection, though I'm not sure I blame this so much on De Lint but rather on the people I've known who believe in fairies and spirits and part of the living in the modern world and having that part be real just reminded me a little too much of them.

But there were some nice stories that seemed like fairy tales, there were some interesting new ideas about ghosts, I think my favorite was about a man who sold his soul to the "devil" only to have the devil turn out to be a benevolent soul who was only interested in helping people improve themselves. But over all I did find it a little disappointing, but I think that might be my fault and not the authors. But it all seemed a little too simplistic and well meaning at times.