La Pastorela, Thespians, Dracula, and other memories of /ˈæktɪŋ/

I have nothing against thespians. As a matter of fact, and for this blog record, I consider myself fairly liberal in many things, and what people decide to be, is up to them. I am a strong supporter of the thespian, and have been for many, many years. I’ve contributed to thespian causes over the years, including having deductions made from my paycheck to the Combined Charitable Campaigns back in the 90’s as a young airmen. But let’s get one thing clear, so there won’t be any misunderstanding around the term thespian, which isn’t used as often as it should, but I’m not here to start a petition on reintroducing it into our daily language. The thespian I’m referring to are not those folks from Thespiae, though I’m sure they were great people who enjoyed fine foods and art and who held extravagant after parties. Here I am speaking of the /ˈæktər/: one who acts.

Liang Yu

I pictured how she must have sat there. Alone in the empty lobby next to a large window, staring at the rain puddles alongside the streets as they filled deeper. It was eleven o’clock; she was expected home an hour earlier. “Xiaojie. Neng gei ni jiao liang chuzu qiche ma?” asked the concierge. “Miss, can I call you a taxi?

You know it is a great thing to get your mail.I have been looking forward to hear from you for 1 month.Meanwhile,i have a little anxious.Because my writen English is poor,but just try to understand me as much as you can.Thanks.

What would Buddha say?

9/28/09 – 7:21 a.m.

Today I awoke at 5:00 a.m. I had decided to return to performing zazen, a Japanese style of sitting meditation. It was part of my weekly practice in the mid-nineties when living in Little Rock, Arkansas. I had talked about visiting the Austin Zen Center for nearly a decade, and finally, this past Saturday, I joined the beginner’s session that started at 9:15 a.m. I noticed that they had early classes during the week that started at 6:00 a.m., so I figured I’d give it a try. I could use the discipline.

Being so early in the morning, my stubborn body moved like a snail, and I didn’t leave the house until 5:23 a.m. Since I don’t have a car, and Capital Metro wouldn’t get me to the zen center on time, I would have to run. And I did run, for 25 minutes, with a couple of brief walks in between to calm the breath.

mfa in creative writing

i’m considering the mfa in creative writing in 2010. i have veteran benefits that i can use if i stay in texas, so i’m looking at universities here. i never thought about an advanced degree in writing. however, i find myself writing more: screenplays, poems, journal entries, random thoughts, and short stories. i don’t have the time or supportive environment to write as much as i would like, and i think the mfa program would provide that. where else can one go for a couple of years to just write? i really am not excited to get a full time job too soon, so grad school sounds like a good option.

the mfa in film production would also be a good choice. but i want to focus on my writing. also, i can see myself teaching writing in the future. in my old age, short gray hair, thin body, huge glasses, i teach college students how to express themselves in diverse genres of writing. in the summer, i head to mexico or china where i work on my next novel or memoir.

of course it depends on freeport, the film i’m working on. if it takes off, then grad school may have to wait. until then, i’ll continue grabbing words and putting them into some format or style, hoping for some engaging and moving story.