the grass wasn’t mowed
but flowers did grow
at that little house on Ellengale Drive
the old green gate creaked
the garden hose leaked
at that little house on Ellengale Drive
where lessons were learned
the old stove top burned
a sand box, a play pen
the brick covered grey den
an open garage door
a brown and white tile floor
at that little house on Ellengale Drive
At that little house on Ellengale Drive.
The rules are relatively simple:
1: Keep your identity, opinions, and motives to yourself
2: By day, vigilantly watch your opponents. By night, be hopeful for your future
3: Whoever you are, don’t get caught
Each player has the potential to be one of three things:
– An Eye (A spy whose job it is to get rid of the Rebels)
– A Rebel (The non-conformists whose goal is to free the Handmaid’s to Canada)
– A Handmaid (Helpless victims of a new society)
If you are an Eye, your goal is to catch every Rebel before they free the Handmaids to Canada. However, if you, by some chance wrongfully accuse a Handmaid of being a Rebel, both you and the Handmaid are dead.
If you are a Rebel, your goal is to release the Handmaid’s to Canada. By day it is your job to scout out who those Handmaids are, because if by night you mistakingly try to free an Eye, you will be caught and sentenced to death.
And finally, the goal of the Handmaid is reasonably easy. Be Freed. However, once a Handmaid is chosen to be freed, he or she has the option of becoming a Rebel. By joining the “dark side” he or she now has the option of freeing his other fellow handmaids, so long as he does not get caught by an Eye.
I myself, was an Eye. Although my position was not as disadvantageous as that of a Rebel, or as optimistic as a Handmaid, it still wasn’t easy. Though I did not have the option of being “caught” I did have the potential to “catch” the wrong person. With the ratio of Rebels to Handmaids far from equal, and even so, changing all the time, selecting who to call out as a Rebel took concentration, stealth, observance, and lots and lots of hope.
Images From We Heart It
There once was a boy from the Upper East Side
He was raised in an Empire, had a stature to hold
With purpose he walked, confidence in his stride
His pockets quite deep, his suits rather bold
There once was a girl from a few blocks away
The queen of the island with minions a plenty
The steps at the MET is where her legacy lay
She schemed more than breathed, payback never came gently
When the two would join forces, no one stood a chance
Manhattan was small, full of lovers and friends
The non- judging breakfast club, a wicked romance
Outsiders were banished, no chance for amends
And with parties and trust funds, their lives wouldn’t unfurl
Until she came along… XOXO, Gossip Girl
Image from We Heart It
The CW hit T.V. series Gossip Girl (which will sadly be coming to a close on Monday, December 17th…shed a tear and stay tuned for a GG blog post next week) centers itself on three things: sex, style, and most importantly, power. Now, some may say that good things come to those who wait, however the past six years have taught us that on the Upper East Side, waiting is not an option.
Whether it’s Blair Waldorf, classy yet conniving, in her sky high Louboutin’s, or Chuck Bass, crude and clad in his Brioni suit, power is graced only upon those gruesome enough to grab it. Queen B didn’t get her title for being beautiful, bright, or bubbly. Oh no, Blair Waldorf, the queen of scheme, earned her reputation through dirty deeds and backdoor deals, and although many tried, everyone failed when their positive personalities and good hearted goals were put up against secretive seductress, Queen B. The classic tale states that the pen is mightier than the sword, but on the Upper East Side it’s a blog blast that’s mightier than a bomb, and even with their closets full of Barney’s, Bendel’s, Bergdorf’s and Birkins, everyone knows that power itself is the most coveted accessory.
The gossiping guru herself said it best: “On the Upper East Side, the rules of battle are simple: there are no rules,” and, as in Gossip Girl, the same holds true in The Tempest by William Shakespeare. In our society today, as in the societies of the past, it has been taught to us that hard work and honesty is what will get to you to the top. However, the unspoken rule as portrayed in Act Two of the The Tempest is that it is not always truth and skill that gives you power, but rather the ability to not let anything, or anyone stand in your way, regardless of the repercussions.
In Act Two, it is both Antonio and Stephano who showcase this knowledge of power and how ruthless one needs to be to obtain and then maintain it. Gossip Girl once said that “our most dangerous enemies are the ones we never knew we had” which in the case of Alonso, may very well be his own brother, Sebastian. Once all the men fall asleep, Antonio is left to conspire with and convince Sebastian to kill his own brother in order to gain power. Although Sebastian does not follow through with this plan, Antonio’s method of deceit to gain dominance demonstrated that he has what it takes to gain the ultimate control.
Similarly, Stephano exploits his power through manipulation and deceit. By inebriating the mind of another, Stephano can gain control more easily and with a lesser chance of having his subject question his motives. Although in a perfect world Sebastian, the one too loyal to kill his own brother for power, would be king, as is on the Upper East side power is given to those willing to use any means necessary.
After all……
Images From We Heart It
Act 1, of the play The Tempest, by William Shakespeare utilizes “power” as a central theme. The play begins in the midst of a storm where the audience is introduced to many aristocrats and the boatswain, all of whom are aboard a ship. Act 1, Scene 1 discusses a power struggle between the Boatswain and the other gentlemen. Although in most circumstances the aristocrats would have authority over the boatswain, they find it difficult understand that in this situation, it is in fact the boatswain who holds the power. On land, Alonso, Antonio, and Gonzalo may be kings, however, at sea and on the ship, the boatswain is the King. Consequently, unlike the other men, he is trained and knowledgeable in steering the ship clear of the storm, and has the right to ask them to return to their rooms.
Power continues to be a central theme in Act 1, Scene 2 when the audience is introduced to Prospero and his daughter Miranda. All through her youth, Miranda had not been told the true story of her mother and why it is she lives alone with her father. The scene begins with her worrying about the storm, which it is later discovered Prospero is behind. Prospero, although physically powerless himself, is still capable of controlling Ariel, his spirt servant, and forcing him to perform acts of magic on many of the characters. Not only does Prospero demonstrate power over both Ariel and Miranda, but he utilizes his powers over Ferdinand, by restricting him from falling in love with Miranda too quickly.
Below is a scene from a longer screenplay. The first section is summarized background information of the two characters history.
Scene- Background Information
Alexis and Logan have been best friends since they were kids. Before high school she moves away with her family. For the first three years that they’re apart they keep in touch, talking to each other almost everyday. Although in high school they live totally separate lives, their friendship strengthens with every conversation they have. Back when they were kids, Logan always had feelings for Alexis. But, being the practical girl she is, Alexis never thought that it was anything more than a juvenile crush. However, it isn’t until they’re older and she moves away that Alexis begins to develop feelings for Logan. Their chemistry was unquestionable and their attraction towards each other was obvious to most everyone they knew. Likewise, every conversation they had consisted of flirtatious banter and endearing, affectionate words. However, for the sake of their friendship these feelings were never physically acted upon. No matter what, the two would always be kept apprised of the goings on in the others life, romantic and otherwise. Neither of them ever felt uncomfortable taking about the relationships they were in, and even when there was someone in the picture, their feelings and affection towards each other never changed. As teenagers, they would always joke about moving to New York together and escaping their reality. He would open his own bar and try to pursue a music career. She would be a writer and possibly find a job in the fashion industry. The summer before their senior year they began to loose touch. At first it was a week or two that went by, something that seemed normal due to their busy schedules. Then months passed, birthdays were unacknowledged, and senior year came and went. Alexis ended up moving to New York for school and after graduating eventually settled in a small one bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. After dropping out of university in the middle of his sophomore year, Logan saved up a little money and moved to New York City as well. After paying his dues at a couple low income jobs, Logan ends up establishing a successful bar in the East Village. He now lives in a studio apartment downtown and works at/ runs his own bar. Although they have both been in the city for almost 6 years, they have never run into each other. Even though they no longer speak, from time to time, Logan will keep track of Alexis, trying to figure out what she is up to. However, Alexis is completely oblivious to the fact that Logan also lives in the city, and is basically fulfilling their childhood dream. Through a mutual friend from middle school, Alexis randomly finds out that Logan lives in New York and owns his own bar, one day she goes to check it out….
Scene- 8 years after they last spoke
A girl (Alexis) walks into a bar. It’s a late, snowy Thursday night in November. The bar is loud and crowded. She finds an empty stool, takes off her coat, and sits down. The bartender (Logan) comes over, he recognizes her and smiles, surprised.
Logan:
(smirks) So, you finally decided to come…
Alexis:
(she stares at him, unable to speak)
…
Logan:
(smiling) What’ll you have?
Alexis:
(baffled) uhhh…whatever, Crown on ice if you have it
He turns around to get a glass for her drink. He looks over his shoulder and smiles, not taking his eyes off of her. Looking down at her phone, she doesn’t notice. After making the drink he places it in front of her and leans on the counter. She looks up.
Alexis:
(takes a deep breath, she moves her finger around the rim of the glass, with a flirtatious smile) so…
Logan:
so…
Alexis:
(looking around in awe/ disbelief) you did it…
Logan:
yeah (nodding, he chuckles) I guess I did….
Alexis:
(she exhales a loud huff, shaking her head, amazed) wow…
Awkward silence. Alexis continues to circle the rim of her glass. She takes a sip.
Alexis:
mmm… (she swallows… puts her drink down, and giggles) tastes a lot different when it’s not from the water bottle hidden at the back of your closet
He laughs. She takes a few more sips from her drink in silence. He continues leaning on the counter. Their silence is comfortable. They sit there, not taking their eyes off of each other, with juvenile grins on their faces.
Logan:
hold on a sec…(he walks away to help another customer)
Alexis finishes her drink. He returns quickly.
Alexis:
thanks (she pushes the empty glass towards him)
Logan:
(shuffling around) hey, do you want maybe get out of here? (he gestures towards the door) yeah, Come on, I have an idea…
Alexis:
(she looks around the busy bar) uhh… what about your customers?
Logan:
ahh, it’ll be fine… hey Tommy! (motioning to a twenty something guy at the other end of the counter) cover for me.
Tommy nods at Logan and goes to greet a new customer. Meanwhile, Alexis starts to pull money out of her wallet.
Logan:
(stopping her) don’t worry about it….. Come on
Alexis stuffs the money back in her wallet and puts her coat on. She follows Logan into the back room. He grabs his coat and messenger bag, takes her hand, and leads her out the back door into the frosted, city night…
Images from We Heart It
You have your family, a bunch of aunts, uncles, and long lost cousins that seem to only crawl out at baptisms and funerals. You have your colleagues, acquaintances who receive your polite small talk on the elevator and cordial smiles. As you get lower down the line the numbers begin to dwindle as you count up your friends. Some you might see at New Years parties, send a card to during the holidays, or invite over for a sunday night football potluck. And finally there are those final few, the ones they say will stick with you through thick or thin. The ones you’ve deemed your chosen family, the ones that you protect and defend.
Some people are lucky enough to find those people at a very young age, others never find them at all. But in the case of Victor Frankenstein, in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, it is the former.
At the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to Henry Clerval, a young boy from Geneva, who becomes close with Victor and his family. It is with fondness and admiration that Victor describes his dear friend. A “soul that overflowed with ardent affection” an “enthusiastic imagination…chastened by the sensibility of his heart.” As the novel progresses, Henry Clerval plays the significant role of caretaker for Victor in his time of misery. Clerval represents the “light.” He is the positive and optimistic character in the novel.
Not only does Henry care for Victor at the university, but also upon Victors return to Geneva offers to accompany him on his journey to London. Henry’s positivity emphasizes Victor’s pessimism. The pinnacle of their friendship is represented during their walk in London. This moment acts as a harbinger for future events. After leaving London and venturing out to Scotland, Henry offers one more act of kindness and friendship. However, due to his misery Victor chooses to keep in solidarity, not knowing that this decission will never allow him to see his friend again.
A wonderful spectacle,
of dazzling splendor.
Dramatic, yet Elegant.
Diversity, Originality, and Eclecticism
Models, Moguls, and Muses
defining, now.
Glamor grazes a ravishing vision.
Architecture and Artistry,
miraculously orchestrated to provoke the daring mind.
Fearlessly distinguishing,
and risking audacity,
in awe of stellar art.
Source: Vogue, July 2012. Letter from the Editor: Only The Brave, Anna Wintour
Found Poetry is a type of poetry created by taking words, phrases, and sometimes whole passages from other sources and reframing them as poetry by making changes in spacing and lines, or by adding or deleting text, thus imparting new meaning. (Wikipedia)
Image courtesy of We Heart It
The LEGO Blocks of Literature 