tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21945906965523039632011-09-18T23:52:30.900-07:001950 Third Street La Verne, CA 91750 Email: prismreview@ulv.edu http://www.ulv.edu/writing http://www.ulv.edu/creativewritingPrism Reviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08959767772943492872noreply@blogger.comBlogger881100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-75253177145034911652009-06-06T10:30:00.000-07:002009-06-06T10:32:30.952-07:00

Our new website is here -- we have a non-blog home again! (Though we've been happy to have the blog home, and we may keep updating it from time to time.) All information about submissions, getting issues, and upcoming contests are on our new homepage, and we hope to add a few more features to make it even snazzier. Enjoy!

Prism Reviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08959767772943492872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-36831470339584986752009-04-19T15:09:00.001-07:002009-05-05T11:52:22.993-07:00

Featuring interviews with poet Neil Aitken (The Lost Country of Sight), author Jane Austen (Northhanger Abbey), reviews of contemporary fiction and poetry, and of course a sterling collection of intelligent, pee-your-pants funny, and dab-at-your-eyes-moving stories and poems from both first-time and well-established writers of national and international backgrounds, including Fred Skolnik, Lenore

Prism Reviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08959767772943492872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-25906801286903122602009-02-26T20:41:00.000-08:002009-02-26T21:14:57.440-08:00

KERRY RUEF! We are very pleased to announce that Kerry's poem "What Is Possible, Traveling by Car," has been selected as the prize-winning poem in our (first) annual poetry contest by judge Neil Aitken.Here's a teensy taste:. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . In the car: all the little rattlings of wind at the cracked windows, of cases and bags

Prism Reviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08959767772943492872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-91157545404080099572009-01-13T11:34:00.000-08:002009-02-15T16:47:58.393-08:00

Volume 2, Issue X has arrived!This is the final issue from our longtime outstanding editor Kirsten Ogden, and it's deliciously nourishing with heaps of literary vitamin and nutrient. For subscription information, feel free to shoot us an email.In the meantime, we're still welcoming submissions for the following issue (in which the poetry contest winner will appear -- announcement on the winner

Prism Reviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08959767772943492872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-48093987610233528922008-07-21T11:12:00.001-07:002008-12-11T07:29:35.571-08:00

Prism Reviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08959767772943492872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-30492389644178291202008-06-08T06:38:00.000-07:002008-06-08T06:55:16.514-07:00

Today is the first day of my summer vacation. *sigh* I couldn't be happier about graduating from high school, but I'm a little irked at the thought of no longer being able to procrastinate writing because of schoolwork. I have a job, so I won't be doing nothing besides writing, but I'm not used to having no paper, test, or project in the back of my mind. It's scary to be only responsible for my

Julia Marleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664075222285094128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-48620182297759571332008-05-14T08:52:00.000-07:002008-05-14T09:02:15.424-07:00

So, freshman year is like over. Well, on Monday it will be. For Cassie, it will be on Wednesday (HER BIRTHDAY FYI!). To be honest, I am a little depressed about it. I remember freshman year in high school. O.M.G. it was so great! I met so many people, everything was so fun and new. Sophomore year was BY FAR the worst year of my life. I had the worse time and it was just difficult to even wake up

Noor Wahbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06449187616949672015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-84398169224540435182008-05-12T15:02:00.000-07:002008-05-12T15:08:10.096-07:00

“And what will you be when you grow up?” asked the man in a tone which conveyed a goodhearted teasing; he meant no harm implying that I, as a 19-year old, was not “grown up.” I am not sure what he estimated I would say. He was an elder gentleman, reminding me of a grandfather with his whitened whiskers and cologne created by the use of fine tobacco. In wait in my response I watched him, watching

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360564029011560900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-20386579484431646822008-05-10T21:07:00.000-07:002008-05-11T00:06:32.341-07:00

Realizing that it was Mother's day this weekend and that I have no money to spend on something, I quickly decided that the best way to not look like an asshole was to clean the house and prepare breakfast for my mother. Along with the arduous task of cleaning comes the benefit of being able to listen/watch the big screen television with all the channels (minus the naughty ones). BET* was showing

Matt Izaguirrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811578394768441628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-15633862174414844242008-05-06T10:53:00.000-07:002008-05-06T11:31:04.248-07:00

I am dangerously devoted to Rilke, and his obsession with inanimate objects is blaringly apparent in my own poems. So you can imagine my disillusionment when I realized that personification defeats the purpose I once thought it had. I was trapped in the back seat on my way to Pennsylvania when I decided to amuse myself by personifying bent trees, something about how they were scooping things

Julia Marleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664075222285094128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-79063796411429935622008-05-04T16:41:00.000-07:002008-05-04T17:03:49.673-07:00

Stereotypes are indeed based on fact, so they prove to contain at least some truth. So one must wonder then why movies portray writers as tortured souls. Why does the phrase "starving writer" take place in common conversation? Why are writers thought of working in the back darked corners of cafes; alone in the agonized process of putting pen to paper? These stereotypes are so common that they

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360564029011560900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-2371730958971623842008-04-28T13:02:00.000-07:002008-04-28T13:50:26.982-07:00

(My apologies for not writing this sooner.)A four-by-four pixelated block performs a dance along my TV screen. Searching for his lost love, but alas, she is in another castle. Each new lesson learned from the last session leaves it's lasting and longing feeling. Forgo that feeling! For it is false! Follow your own direction and disturb the doom and gloom of that Saturday afternoon. Remold

Matt Izaguirrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811578394768441628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-18700315940823188122008-04-28T12:48:00.000-07:002008-04-28T13:12:45.175-07:00

This weekend was the annual Festival of Books held at UCLA. I had been to the festival many years ago as a young child and all I could remember before yesterday was the Children's Corner on the north side of the festival. However, yesterday I attended the festival and I was amazed at how much I had forgotten. As I walked out of the eight dollar per car parking structure, I noticed the thousands

Cassie Hobbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11519393781243552170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-89437189778695190792008-04-27T11:42:00.000-07:002008-04-28T15:16:37.630-07:00

I recently discovered a new word – periplum. A periplum is a map or drawing that shows how land looks from a point at sea. Because I’ve been thinking about language lately, and the ways that the practice of reading and writing poetry somehow help one’s thought process, happening upon this new word has added something new to ponder. And, I like the idea that a poet, well any writer for that

paalominonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-79289069698450850532008-04-26T04:40:00.000-07:002008-04-26T05:04:01.806-07:00

Vacations are invariably disappointing when you don't actually take them. This is what I've been doing all week. My April vacation--or do you call it spring break?--has consisted mostly of writing essays for scholarships and practicing for the AP calculus test.  It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't make such a martyr of myself, sighing heroically whenever my mom told me to take a break, answering

Julia Marleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664075222285094128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-18540966101596370802008-04-24T17:22:00.000-07:002008-04-24T20:31:07.243-07:00

Alone in the vast quiet of a deep silence my breaths steady, streaming into relaxing patterns. Here in this place of calm quiet is where I should be able to put pen to paper and expell the creativity which turns into words. But my creativity is not coaxed into cooperation by peaceful places; I find an empty page before my empty ideas when in an empty room.From what I have been told, quiet corners

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360564029011560900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-83829456738696244362008-04-21T17:54:00.000-07:002008-04-21T17:55:30.242-07:00

“Nimrod” is an international literary journal which is published from The University of Tulsa since 1956. It is published twice a year and has 190 pages each publication. Readers can subscribe for a full year for $17.50 and even view samples of the work at Nimrod’s online website. This journal features a great deal of international writers, even encouraging translated submissions. The journal

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360564029011560900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-84299801505898401732008-04-21T00:10:00.000-07:002008-04-21T00:12:59.436-07:00

Exams are an anomaly in the education system. A component misplaced, a cog spinning but not really connecting with the greater machine. Looking back on my schooldays, I find that I have mental blocks in place when it comes to the memories of many exams. Try as I may, I simply cannot remember what I wrote, or what I supposedly memorised in order to write. All I remember from such joyous times

Note Wellnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-28022451023056423052008-04-20T14:06:00.002-07:002008-04-20T17:07:19.690-07:00

My apologies, I've been sick.I always hear about people "watching television religiously". Shows like Grey's Anatomy, House, Sex in the City, and American Idol are usually the ones that people care the most about. I actually enjoy House. The man has a gameboy and hates his own patients. What's not to love?Over the last few years however, there seems to have been a growing emphasis on shitty

Matt Izaguirrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811578394768441628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-64744196470279228052008-04-16T09:12:00.000-07:002008-04-16T09:13:18.600-07:00

In case you haven’t heard, tomorrow is a very special day, and I think you should consider participating in it.There isn’t much you have to do.In fact, for a poor lazy person, it’s an ideal challenge. You don’t have to run a marathon, donate thousands of dollars, or give up hours of free time.No, all you have to do tomorrow is pick a poem, any poem, and put it in your pocket.That’s it.If you want

Prism Reviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08959767772943492872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-20346622931481190142008-04-13T22:22:00.000-07:002008-04-13T22:30:13.748-07:00

Living in Los Angeles surprises me everyday. After nearly nine months here, I still wake up surprised by sounds of angry commuters causing traffic back-ups outside my window. I am surprised when I hear of horrific acts of violence on the news which have occurred in cities I pass on my commutes on the freeway. I am surprised when I meet someone and, minutes into the conversation I know every

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360564029011560900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-85110480369773898082008-04-11T23:02:00.000-07:002008-04-14T01:41:01.880-07:00

Off-the-cuff decisions are rarely my forte. I don't like to be put on the spot, but years of improv have trained me well for these situations: What to say, how to act, and when to know when I'm beat are all key things to remember when the spotlight drops center stage. There I was, fresh out of my Anthropology class. It was a standard day in class; she hated men, as always. My fault. All mine. I'm

Matt Izaguirrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811578394768441628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-17479305635375811462008-04-10T17:13:00.000-07:002008-04-10T17:15:24.824-07:00

Tomorrow (Friday April 11th) at about 6pm in the president’s dining hall there will be an ISO (international student organisation) talent show. I will be participating. If anyone would like to throw flowers and/or money at me, it would be appreciated. As such, I shall share with you a few thoughts on my particular talent. I play the violin. Yes, it’s true, I am a violinist. I fiddle. I have

Note Wellnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-27927634215970874792008-04-10T15:35:00.001-07:002008-04-10T15:39:42.855-07:00

Vo.2, Issue 5 Launch Party Tonight! Thursday, April 10, 2008!Join us if you're in the area!6:30pm Harris Art Gallery (Next to the Library)Main Campus, University of La Verne1950 3rd StreetLa Verne, CA 91750(From the 210 Freeway take the Fruit Street Exit)Map at www.ulv.eduFEATURED POET: Alden Reimonenqand a reading by the first City of La Verne Poet Laureate!Reception and Open Mic to follow.

Prism Reviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08959767772943492872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-58129518129798980972008-04-09T16:22:00.000-07:002008-04-09T16:45:25.679-07:00

1. I threw away half of a Lindt chocolate truffle today because I didn't want it anymore.2. This morning, there was frost on my mom's windshield. Frost. On April 9th.3. What matters is not discovering the unknown, but my willingness to be submerged in the unknown.That last one could use some context. Since January, I have been writing a book. It's set in Chicago in the very early Great Depression

Julia Marleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664075222285094128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-5161167955940184152008-04-07T08:25:00.000-07:002008-04-07T08:27:35.331-07:00

What a beautiful poem Gail Peck writes about the simplest of human attributes; a poem about a hand. Writing is usually something I declare as beautiful because of its image-inspiring language; a poet must create three- dimensional images for readers from two dimensional words. Black and white words from a page must leap across the vision of the reader and inspire colorful thought. This is usually

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360564029011560900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-27237837867173906192008-04-07T02:03:00.000-07:002008-04-07T02:10:41.123-07:00

(Warning: Post may contain peculiar UK English spelling. Side effects of reading peculiar UK English spelling may include – the naming of Jell-O as Jelly, and the naming of Jelly as Jam.)Here lies the story of one of the two things that have inspired me most in my writing.Many years ago (but let us be clear; not that many years ago, for I have not that many years behind me to spend upon such

Note Wellnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-12427832308523290172008-04-05T15:35:00.000-07:002008-04-05T15:56:03.591-07:00

For the first time in nearly five years, I wrote a screenplay. "What the hell is a screenplay?" you may ask. Well, a screenplay is basically a script for film, television, or sometimes even the live arts. I recently had the distinct honor to write such a piece. When I first agreed to writing the script for the performance, I had no idea that I would need to write it at 1 o'clock in the morning

Matt Izaguirrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811578394768441628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-80649286630754034252008-04-02T10:33:00.000-07:002008-04-02T11:00:59.327-07:00

In Harrison Canderlia Fletcher's article, he discusses lyric essays and the importance of a lyrical essay taking shape and form throughout the essay by explaining different steps a writer should take in order to create a well rounded writer. The first common denominator to improve a writers lyrical essay is to focus on nouns. In the section of the article, the author says that by explaining

Cassie Hobbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11519393781243552170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-19262814239757160932008-03-31T20:54:00.000-07:002008-04-02T14:32:04.554-07:00

Nobody can really say what the Devil is for sure, or if it even exists. Hardly my place to try to figure that out; people have been trying for centuries and haven't gotten anywhere new. For one reason or another, he's a very interesting character. What is it about the devil that peaks everybody's curiosity? I'd be willing to bet that it's his ability to challenge people and have us grow. Without

Matt Izaguirrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811578394768441628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-17743808719099409812008-03-30T19:34:00.001-07:002008-03-30T19:36:37.678-07:00

Where has my enjoyment of free reading gone? As a college student, I am expected to spend a great deal of time reading textbooks, newspapers, journals, and (trying) to reread my own handwritten notes. Each class has a different professor with different expectations, but at least one idea is shared by all professors: that college students have too much time and would do well to fill it by reading;

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360564029011560900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-64014908090221742712008-03-23T13:56:00.000-07:002008-03-23T13:57:29.760-07:00

La Petite Zine is an online literary journal published by Web Del Sol and drew me in because of its quirky, artistic appeal. The opening page of the magazine has a quote “Throw Nothing in the Sea” in three languages and represents the value this magazine places upon artistic merit. There are no illustrations online, but the selection of poems and stories they have chosen to include are very

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360564029011560900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-27893144328334103312008-03-22T05:29:00.000-07:002008-03-22T06:10:39.871-07:00

Okay, my first two posts have been thoughtful and abstract and thereby kept you all ignorant of my true nature: I am a complainer. And a procrastinator. What's more, I fully believe my complaints justify my procrastination, that is, until I watch something like Ansel Adams on American Experience. It was stunning, I didn't know much about him before watching. I was awed, enthralled, and convicted

Julia Marleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664075222285094128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-75941483659177887722008-03-21T15:39:00.001-07:002008-03-21T22:05:21.375-07:00

It came to me yesterday evening when I got out of the shower.Is there anything more rugged and manly than a face full of hair? I consulted my handy-dandy manly handbook but found nothing. There's nothing like strutting your way into the classroom on the first day of high school with a full goatee. Nothing compares to the look on your friends' faces when they see you at Rite-Aid purchasing a can

Matt Izaguirrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811578394768441628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-44508627747164624692008-03-20T20:00:00.000-07:002008-03-20T20:25:44.837-07:00

Hello all,My name is Nathan Dietmeier, sometimes I go by Nate. I am currently an English major at La Verne and am now happy to now be participating in the Prism. I am not in the class so you might not see me much. Hopefully some time in the near future I may be able to attend a few sessions. It is good to be in a steady circle of writers now, I have already read some of the blogs and have enjoyed

Nathan Dietmeierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15200073454948427956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-33242348218606462722008-03-16T14:47:00.000-07:002008-03-21T22:06:47.145-07:00

Why?Is it strange to anybody else that we've got a lone, seemingly ambiguous week off in the middle of March? For one reason or another, we college students are allowed an entire week of sloth and debauchery without any consequences. Not ready to get hammered for being the nail sticking out of the wood, I welcome this week away from school as a much needed break from life, along with the perfect

Matt Izaguirrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811578394768441628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-79403582506315240082008-03-14T03:19:00.001-07:002008-03-14T03:25:13.621-07:00

(Warning: Post may contain peculiar UK English spelling. Side effects of reading peculiar UK English spelling may include - regular usage of the words “posh” and “pillock”, along with a very different understanding of the term “pissed”. Yes, today’s disclaimer was brought to you by the letter P.) I think there are certain things humans were not built to comprehend, or simply haven’t evolved

Note Wellnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-68884168561793426112008-03-09T23:23:00.000-07:002008-03-10T00:13:24.007-07:00

What is it that causes hatred? For some it's an event early in life that leaves a scar so deep that nothing can wax over it to change things for the future. Sometimes, we aren't even aware of our own hatred; it's such an embedded thought process in our lives that we can't truly fathom our wrong-doing. Such a strong word is used so casually in our vernacular that we glide over it's intensity and

Matt Izaguirrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811578394768441628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-41098074631428639552008-03-09T15:25:00.000-07:002008-03-09T16:02:16.379-07:00

(Warning: Post may contain peculiar UK English spelling. Side effects of reading peculiar UK English spelling may include - the all-pervading melancholy of a fallen empire, the ability to see flaws in the most perfect of situations, and nostalgic memories of when BBC 2 was worth watching.)As I sit here on a sunny Sunday afternoon, having stayed up until 4am the night before and having slept until

Note Wellnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-78383685906982247872008-03-08T21:03:00.000-08:002008-12-11T07:29:36.913-08:00

Noor and I were going to write a deep thoughtful blog but we decided to wait until we were overly stressed out so our readers could truly appreciate our angry thoughts. Here is yet another happy blog. People often wonder why Noor and I are best friends.Is it because we are both loud and annoying? Is it because we are cooler than anyone at ULV? Whatever the reason, the time we spend together is

Cassie Hobbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11519393781243552170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-43247656648807433572008-03-06T17:08:00.000-08:002008-03-06T17:29:03.021-08:00

Literary journals are a fairly new medium for writers and readers alike. They began appearing as publications on school campuses about 30 years ago and caught on; people wanted to submit their work to print just as people wanted to read these submissions. But it was only recently that literary journals moved to online sources; now an even wider variety of diverse journals is available.When I

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360564029011560900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-18691504070833944562008-03-03T16:36:00.000-08:002008-03-03T17:25:48.645-08:00

(Warning: Post may contain peculiar UK English spelling. Side effects of reading peculiar UK English spelling may include - a tendency to call pants "trousers" and an inexplicable thirst for something called Scrumpy Jack) When someone tells you not to be so superstitious, kick them in the shin. When you tell someone not to be so superstitious, seriously consider kicking yourself in the shin. This

Note Wellnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-8449652073277503842008-03-02T14:09:00.000-08:002008-03-02T14:22:09.041-08:00

Having read Dan Barden's essay in the recent issue of Poets and Writiers, like Heather Christie at The Kenyon Review Blog, I had a strong reactin to some of his feelings about teaching the workshop class. I must admit, however, that after teaching writing for over ten years now, in settins as varies as a third grade classroom to a university, I agreed with a lot of what he had to say. There is

Kirstennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-66703751279924822862008-03-01T21:41:00.000-08:002008-03-01T22:00:03.751-08:00

Last Wednesday at 11:30 AM, Noor Wahba arrived at school for class and parked in the designated three hour parking lot. She enjoyed her two morning classes, philosophy and anthropology until she realized her three hours were almost up. When she arrived back at her car at 2:30, the parking patrol was writing her a ticket. However, because Noor was able to show off her dazzling good looks right in

Cassie Hobbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11519393781243552170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-65692461183850971802008-03-01T05:00:00.000-08:002008-03-22T06:11:58.758-07:00

I've just finished John Hellman's Simone Weil: An Introduction to Her Thought, a lovely little book about the French philosopher/resistance fighter/Marxist/Christian mystic who I find extremely stimulating. Anyway, in the second-to-last chapter I ran across Weil's concept of attention, which relates to many of her spiritual ideas but also applies strikingly to writing: "Most often attention is

Julia Marleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664075222285094128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-2655551186699321942008-02-29T20:35:00.000-08:002008-03-01T19:13:04.548-08:00

Everybody seems to think I'm a great writer. "What the hell are you talking about?" is usually the first thing that comes to mind after being complemented so. I've never been one to really expect much out of my own writing, which may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. My process for coming up with things is usually a bit strange, and perhaps even a bit perplexing.

Matt Izaguirrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811578394768441628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-82028666132981209572008-02-28T17:00:00.000-08:002008-02-28T17:27:50.557-08:00

The immense availability of bookstores in the greater Los Angeles area is so overly imtimidating that there is no need to settle for visiting a chain-run bookstore. Going to a Barnes and Noble used to be such a treat for me where I lived; a trip there meant a three hour drive to a bigger town. But now, visiting a new indie bookstore or a shop specializing in science fiction novels or comic books

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360564029011560900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-81697220375565164232008-02-26T22:00:00.000-08:002008-02-26T23:41:36.299-08:00

I’ve never really got a hang of what makes a good writer, or even what makes me a good writer. Some stories I write are hits, and more than often, they are misses. But I couldn’t really tell you what makes those hits hit. Trust me if I could, I’d be doing a lot more with my writing than I am now (which is leaving them to the obscurity of a “MySpace Friend’s Only” blog).So, to start off this

Adri Serranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09472707329688880350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-62618253681472367622008-02-23T21:52:00.000-08:002008-02-23T22:13:38.658-08:00

Well, since we are so amazing we would like to take this golden opportunity to write about ourselves. Matt Izaguirre thinks we talk far too much, but that is only because we have deep souls and we enjoy expressing ourselves to the world. Not to sound conceited or anything, but I mean come on...we are freakin amazing. We're positive you will never meet anyone cooler than us. Noor is a ray of

Noor Wahbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06449187616949672015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-13403504931680786802008-02-23T14:31:00.000-08:002008-02-23T15:12:06.968-08:00

Ugly is not an attractive word, but in some cases it can bring a new experience and a new taste to poetry. This is what happened when I went to my first poetry reading at "The Ugly Mug" coffeehouse in Orange, California. The night started with me and my best friend walking into a narrow hallway to find the stage filled with red plastic party chairs and three comfy couches for the early

kwoloschukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06136976814690491617noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-38366509729185463862008-02-22T19:00:00.000-08:002008-02-22T22:58:10.205-08:00

“My name is prot.” When I first read those words in Gene Brewer’s K-PAX almost 4 years ago, I didn’t realize how drawn into this book I would get. K-PAX is an amazing science fiction adventure that is not only insightful in its criticisms of our society, but also humorous in its depiction of humans from a different point of view. prot, a scruffy looking man who never takes his sunglasses off, is

Matt Izaguirrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05811578394768441628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-77876206400497582062008-02-21T17:10:00.000-08:002008-02-21T17:39:31.255-08:00

No One Belongs Here More Than You, a compilation of stories by Miranda July follows the lives of women whose stories belong together in this book; all of them face the struggle to be loved and accepted for themselves. Sisteen stories tell the lives of sixteen very different women whose in an overly personal tone, so the reader feels as though thye have intruded upon these secret lives.The

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360564029011560900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-17200870123421722862008-02-20T20:27:00.000-08:002008-02-20T21:17:32.021-08:00

I have to say that I felt like I was at a concert, neck craned to see the performer, screaming pre teen and teen girls behind me drowning out the sound from the stage, and an opening act that really needed to wear some pants that were a little less tight. Really, do I need to see 15 and 16 year old boys wearing skin tight pants right at my eye level? I'm talking about the Jonas Brothers and while

Jessica Bohatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10890790058608496053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-77574493787577701292008-02-20T15:08:00.000-08:002008-02-20T15:12:38.225-08:00

Immediate and abundant submissions of poetry, prose, drama, reviews, photography, illustrations and more are needed for the next issue of PRISM REVIEW!Please visit our website at Http://www.ulv.edu/creativewriting and click on PR for Prism Review! You can email submissions as .doc's or .rtf's to prismreview@ulv.edu.

Kirstennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-53122721999504817292008-02-19T23:30:00.000-08:002008-02-20T09:25:34.147-08:00

Orner, Peter. Esther Stories. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Books, 2001. The short stories that Pete Orner tells in Esther Stories are varied; but each are effectively told with the same raw emotion and reality that one can easily identify with. The characters in Orner’s short story all long for something more. Orner’s complex characters were written with such honesty and

Adri Serranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09472707329688880350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-13006587832956566472008-02-18T21:30:00.000-08:002008-02-18T21:31:57.413-08:00

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga is a series of letters from a man of modest beginnings who lives in India to a wealthy Chinese businessman. Balram Halwai of India was borne into "Darkness," a place where those of his low-class are destined to serve the upper classes until they die of starvation or sickness. The class struggles in this place are ugly, so Balram escapes in Delhi where he is lucky

Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10360564029011560900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-41983437378158389472008-02-18T16:52:00.000-08:002008-03-22T06:12:47.229-07:00

Greetings, Prism Review! I hail from slushy Massachusetts and am thoroughly excited about joining the blog. Here it goes. Lately, I've noticed something: it's much easier to bring myself to write on busy schooldays than on the weekends. One would think that more time equals more writing, but come Saturday morning, watching ice melt is downright fascinating compared to dragging myself to meet the

Julia Marleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664075222285094128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-35374458075682153502008-02-18T13:17:00.000-08:002008-02-18T13:39:18.188-08:00

Here's your Week in Link! (With lots of love).I plug the new CPITS Anthology on the Kenyon Review Blog!A.E. Stallings is reinterpreted in graphic novel form.Adrian Tomine of Optic Nerve fame catches my eye! (wink wink)Persepolis the movie is way better than Persepolis the comic. Just my two cents.Salmon Rushdie realizes "no city is all palaces."Deadlines are looming: Wisconsin got your fancy?

Prism Reviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08959767772943492872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-28507470058220535942008-02-12T14:58:00.000-08:002008-02-12T15:04:25.236-08:00

I attended A Mic & Dim Lights in Pomona two weeks ago where I came upon a realization. We often think of creative writing as a creation or an artistic expression of the individual. A performance is just an extension of this to many people. If this is the case. What are the events that lead up to poets reciting their pieces? These are the experiences that contribute to the unique identity of

Thomas Kerrins-Torreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15990136037900944921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-48274809573727659512008-02-06T11:03:00.000-08:002008-02-06T11:07:09.190-08:00

There are two steps that one needs to accomplish to become a writer.The first step is actually calling yourself a writer (out loud, and said to a real person—no imaginary friend counts), and as I discussed in my previous post, this is fraught with fear and trembling.But once you get this painful right of passage out of the way, you can begin the second step. And this one is even harder because it

Elizabeth Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10380362170809635209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-75549044906797088392008-02-03T17:38:00.000-08:002008-02-03T18:13:02.116-08:00

Across the street from the mall. That alone says a lot about LA. Now throw in some peacocks, ready to snatch food out of your hand. Priceless eh?Actually its about $5. And completely worth it too. Peacocks everywhere, exotic flowers, imposing trees, snapping turtles, and track suited soccer moms pushing strollers, only stopping to pick fruit from the trees.Yeah, thats right. A soccer mom, in

lilinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-64166662967085414972008-02-02T12:37:00.000-08:002008-02-02T12:54:16.475-08:00

A year after I was born, "white girls listened to Joni Mitchell."In Ohio, David Hall subscribes to Poetry for the Proseand fears 'that burnout looms over the horizon, that [he's] missed the moment [he's] been knocked out.' Fear not, David, the cities aren't losing their sparrows for long.And by the way, here's another reason to love Phil Gerard--truthfulness.Last Thursday I was in heaven. Someone

Kirstennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-36446216392219718432008-01-28T14:56:00.000-08:002008-01-29T15:26:44.684-08:00

I also read through the Fall 2007 issue of the Kenyon Review. And I've never looked at it before either but I loved it. It was awesome. I'd give it 4 **** out of 5 stars. Here's why: The Kenyon Review is intended for a variety of readers. Writers from differing styles would all find this journal an enjoyable read. The Kenyon would satisfy both the poet and the screenwriter, but is

lilinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-84260733229880946532008-01-18T00:58:00.000-08:002008-01-29T15:22:07.627-08:00

So I took a look at the Fall 2007 issue of the Writer's Chronicle, which is put out by the Association of Writer’s and Writing Programs.I've personally never read it before but out of five stars I would give it 2 **Here were my thoughts on it. The Writer’s Chronicle is a collection of works written and read mostly by older, more experienced writers. The reader on average would be someone

lilinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-13210531339450571892008-01-17T14:56:00.000-08:002008-01-17T15:05:42.352-08:00

Last year, I became a novelist.I say this with trepidation, because who am I to call myself that? Can one merely write words on a page, in some sort of order, for the required amount of pages, and then proceed to call oneself a novelist?Well, I hope so!That’s what I did when I participated in NaNoWriMo this past November. I sat down for 30 days, writing approximately 1667 words per day, and ended

Elizabeth Wolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10380362170809635209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-61074403089042370712008-01-12T00:42:00.000-08:002008-01-29T15:29:19.421-08:00

Having recently become obsessed with an old BBC show, Monarch of the Glen, I was surprised to find out that it's loosely based on a book. Actually quite a few books-- named within the show's credits as the "Highland Novels of Compton Mackenzie."Always being one who believed the book is better than the movie/show, I checked out the book from which the series takes its name. I have to admit I was

lilinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-89494697385441472262008-01-06T14:23:00.000-08:002008-01-06T14:43:47.498-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about the writer's notebook. I'm interested in how we each choose to record ourselves. As a child I was an avid diary keeper. I read The Diary of Anne Frank and was so moved that I started my own diary and called her 'kitty.' I kept this trend throughout middle school, and then in high school, something crazy happened---I carried around my diary all over the place

Kirstennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-73068293293359530922007-12-23T11:45:00.000-08:002007-12-23T11:48:11.399-08:00

Tune in next week for Sunday Funnies! Hot off the Kenyon Review Blog, Kirsten Ogden posts little chuckles connected to writing topics!

Prism Reviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08959767772943492872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-76704453300656845432007-12-14T16:19:00.000-08:002008-12-11T07:29:38.415-08:00

Since I gave you all a sneak preview of this comic two weeks ago, I have to start off with True Magic.An exciting adventure fantasy featuring the likes of characters such as Expendable Joe and Disposable Bob! Of course although these two are really important, this tale is that of these guys and their quest, which they’ve lost sight of, but hey their enemies haven’t. So sit back and wait to see

Sylvia Chavezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177027726557344220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-38494420703341645982007-12-05T20:14:00.000-08:002007-12-05T23:05:40.698-08:00

Radium: With Your Host Tera Wray - Matt Zane ProductionI was asked to review Radium: With Your Host Tera Wray for a music magazine. When thinking about how I could write a review for the DVD, my goals to finish the review changed and I decided that people do not really need a review, rather they need a warning!What does one say when asked to review a DVD where one has no interest in watching said

Jessica Bohatchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10890790058608496053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-66254682687559341822007-12-01T15:38:00.000-08:002007-12-01T16:00:04.966-08:00

Of all types of writing there is in this world, poetry is my favorite. I love it. There is nothing like reading something that carries you away with it’s rhythm and connects with you on a very intimate level. I mean, don’t you just love it when you can read a poem and it is so beautiful that you say, “I wish I was the one to write that.” Poetry can be so inspiring. Just as the poem “A Greater

Amber Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522549747069253730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-32510938617791038162007-11-30T19:19:00.001-08:002008-12-11T07:29:39.087-08:00

I warn you all that this is my favorite genre on the web. These are the comics that I would spend hours reading through the archives to get to the end so I my go fan girl on you. I will however do my best to remain in control. Now last week I mentioned Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire.This was my first fantasy web-comic, and I am glad that it was. I really don’t expect anything I am about to say

Sylvia Chavezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177027726557344220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-6337401732789300302007-11-23T16:47:00.000-08:002008-12-11T07:29:39.437-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I hope all of your Thanksgivings were fun, I know mine was. It was pretty cool this year, considering I had a cold and most of my family wasn’t there. My Mom was with her sister in Utah and my sister was in San Diego, so it was just my Grandmother and me. We made meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus, chicken, biscuits, side salads, and pumpkin pie. All of

Sylvia Chavezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177027726557344220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-35612014715273606302007-11-22T17:41:00.000-08:002007-11-22T18:08:06.553-08:00

I have not been in the writing mood lately. At least, I have not been in the mood to write creatively for some time now. This would be my first semester at university where I have not had any assignment that has asked for me to create a piece of creative writing. So, I have not been in the mood to write a piece that is based solely on creativity rather than some research assignment or reflection

Adri Serranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09472707329688880350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-19417984702470837692007-11-19T14:46:00.000-08:002007-11-19T14:50:21.309-08:00

This is a post by friend Tom Kerrins-Torres!---a.h. I think that any one who helps facilitate the meeting and mingling of creative minds is a Shepard for their communities artistic future. Certain groups in our area contribute to the exposure and growth of creative mediums such as visual performing arts. These places exist to encourage young novice poets to go out into the community and see

ashlee_harringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08962185915536526712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-54761361828648528432007-11-16T23:00:00.000-08:002008-12-11T07:29:40.075-08:00

Being an addictive personality, when it comes to comics, I am always looking for new titles to read. Having started this post here at Prism, I now have an excuse. However, I have a new problem, I have started finding great new comics whose genre I have already promoted. Luckily for me finding the solution was as easy as finding these great comics, so I hope everyone will enjoy Genre Updates!I’ll

Sylvia Chavezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177027726557344220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-88951592331180636222007-11-10T20:25:00.000-08:002007-11-10T21:04:00.433-08:00

I just finished reading Native Son by Richard Wright. The novel is about a young man, Bigger Thomas, who is struggling with his position in society. He is being pushed to become something greater, but the inevitability of him becoming a product of his environment chases him. The novel is divided into three sections, Fear, Flight and Fate, witch outline the, assumed, general mind set of the 1930’s

Amber Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522549747069253730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-27499392360213664922007-11-03T15:43:00.000-07:002007-11-03T15:44:58.714-07:00

I have kept a journal since I was about thirteen years old. My journal has opened up to receive anything from me, ranging from my deepest secrets, to something as simple as what I had for lunch that day. Overall, it has been there for everything! Sometimes I feel a bit strange for personifying such a thing as paper bound together, but hey, that’s what works for me. Since I started writing, I have

Amber Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522549747069253730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-85951570763329994732007-11-02T23:00:00.000-07:002008-12-11T07:29:40.404-08:00

Happy Halloween!These are a couple of treats from the writers and artists of ZAP! and No Need for Bushido. I thought that with the strange costumes and creatures now would be a great time to get into my Sci-Fi picks, starting with ZAP! The story of how the most important rebel ship in the galaxy ended up in the hands of an apparent idiot. However, there is more to Captain Zap Vexlar than meets

Sylvia Chavezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177027726557344220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-7163728106365026002007-10-29T12:52:00.000-07:002007-10-29T12:53:28.070-07:00

This summer, I was on a complete Toni Morrison kick. I mean, I had heard of her before and I knew she was a well known African American writer, but I had never experienced her classics for myself. So, one day, I just walked into the Rancho Cucamonga Library and picked up her first novel, The Bluest Eye. As soon as I cracked open the novel, I fell in love with the idea of character, Pecola

Amber Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04522549747069253730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-4809709813141516222007-10-28T23:54:00.000-07:002007-10-28T23:55:15.960-07:00

Since last week’s blog was about the comedies, I thought that this week would be the time to look at the more serious stuff. However I must first issue a warning that these comics are rather graphic and should not be shared with children. Now I personally do not read a lot of these comics because they can be very depressing but in order to be fair to all genres I figured I’d browse a

Sylvia Chavezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177027726557344220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-72480204051748948212007-10-25T20:00:00.000-07:002007-10-25T20:38:57.121-07:00

So, it is of course that time of year. Halloween is on its way and with it for most college students the occasional costume party. However, for me it was once much more than getting dressed up in the “sexy” version of an ordinary occupation. For me, Halloween used to be about telling scary stories and visiting the so-called haunted places in my town. My friends and I were thrill seekers growing

Adri Serranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09472707329688880350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-50953445171123678302007-10-19T22:47:00.000-07:002007-10-19T22:55:16.366-07:00

Disclaimer: This is my definition of Internet Comedy and downright raunchy doesn’t play into it so don’t expect me to recommend a comic that gets its inspiration from a Will Ferrell movie. Oh and some of the links use dirty words.There would never have been comic books and comic strips without comedy so I decided that the best comic genre to start with would be the “Funnies.” Now it’s kind of

Sylvia Chavezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177027726557344220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-53966718532098497062007-10-18T23:50:00.000-07:002007-10-25T22:31:54.966-07:00

I find it amusing to say that the most recent book I purchased was a book filled with literature I could find for free online. Kevin Smith is an acclaimed director of such films like Clerks, Chasing Amy, and Dogma. He is also a master at blogging. He has his own blog where he talks candidly about his daily life, film directing, and his family. Thousands read his blog updates as well as his

Adri Serranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09472707329688880350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-9700515048091292672007-10-12T17:52:00.000-07:002007-10-12T17:55:00.660-07:00

Since this is the first post, I believe introductions are in order. My name is Sylvia Chavez and I am a major comic book nerd. However, as much as I love digging into my comic book collection at home or searching the stacks at my local comic book store I have become increasingly addicted to web comics. Now I am not abandoning the paper medium, in fact they might show up in this blog from time

Sylvia Chavezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12177027726557344220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-73629617113189801322007-10-11T11:08:00.000-07:002008-12-11T07:29:40.898-08:00

"I'll Kill You If You Don't Come Back" by Christopher ZerbyBalling, Rich. Revolution on Canvas. Orange, CA: Ad Astra Books, 2004.The short fiction, "I'll Kill You If You Don't Come Back," is found in the poetry book, Revolution on Canvas, and highlights poems, art, and short stories from musicians of the contemporary indie music scene. This book put out by Ad Astra Books, a subsidiary of We The

Adri Serranohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09472707329688880350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-22317900773921792372007-09-14T16:38:00.000-07:002007-09-14T16:39:04.938-07:00

Birds in Fall is a mesmerizing, haunting novel. The book opens with a plane crash, and then quickly moves into the aftermath of that crash by following the lives of the victims families as they cope with the losses of their loved ones while staying at an inn on an outer island of Nova Scotia. What Kessler does so beautifully here, for most of the novel, is to skirt sentimentality and nostalgia by

Prism Reviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08959767772943492872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194590696552303963.post-7991016655848123112007-08-12T08:09:00.000-07:002007-08-12T08:15:09.066-07:00

Hello and welcome to Prism Review's newest endeavor. I’m Kirsten Ogden, Editor of Prism Review, and this is Prism Review's official blog. Myself and the staff will be commenting on whatever new literary stuffs have caught our attention. While Prism Review is still 'old school' with a lot of what we do, we hope this blog will be a new way for you to take the literary journey with us! Thanks for

Prism Reviewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08959767772943492872noreply@blogger.com0