Turkey, Writing

Thanksgiving was delightful; my family doesn't typically suffer strange drama on that holiday, perhaps mainly because we don't invite others over. It's just the five of us. That was fine with me. Without guests to tend to, I had time to pursue my usual creative projects. 

Over the holiday, I wrote this story, "Capital City, Iowa," which you can read here. You can read my recently reviewed and published How-to guide "How to Entertain Yourself During a Bus Commute" here. I published some of the holiday content I wrote for Style Weekly here, here, and here, too. I also began writing a new short story, "The Button Burial," which should be finished by Monday or Tuesday. I'm pleased with how it's going thus far and might even turn it into a longer project, such as a screenplay. As usual, I blogged, as well, posting to 24 Hour Poetry and Give Me Paisley and Parasols.

Furthermore I had a problem with MS Word and, consequently, any writing I posted online on Thursday and Friday; you can read about the situation here.

Today I started making a dress out of "non-traditional materials" for my fashion class. So far I spread globs of glitter glue over a transparent shower curtain. The project's due Monday at 5:30 p.m. so I'm going to complete it tomorrow. Then I'll post pictures of it on Facebook, I suppose.

Nothing else to report, really. Stay tuned tomorrow, folks!

As always, thanks for reading! Please share this site with your friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"The Night Visit" by Christine Stoddard; I put this together yesterday on the ride home and uploaded it on Facebook today.

Not much on the newsfront today, folks. It is, after all, a holiday. I posted to 24 Hour Poetry, added a lame horoscope to my Associated Content page, and submitted two pieces to AC for upfront payment so you won't be able to view them for the next week or two. You can, however, read these recently reviewed and published AC articles:

"How to Communicate Effectively in a Romantic Relationship"

"Spectacles, Birdcages and Parasols: Victorian and Neo-Victorian Terms"

"How to Properly Usher a Play"

"How Should Student Reporters Cover a Cheating Scandal at their School?"

If you haven't checked out my latest post on my fashion blog Give Me Paisley and Parasols, you can do so here.

I'll be writing for a couple of hours today but...it is Turkey Day. Expect more updates tomorrow, or at least sometime this holiday weekend!

P.S. I also want to bring attention to this humor piece, "Turkey Brain Consumers are the Best Kind" that I wrote about Black Friday back in high school.

As always, thanks for reading!

More of the Same, Really

One of several pictures I edited from my series "Flashes of Richmond." I submitted them to an online journal based in Seattle, a place I'd like to visit again someday, yesterday.

Nothing spectacular has happened within the past two days but they were certainly pleasant days. I wrote two short stories, "A Girl Named Lauren, a Boy Named Adam, and a Girl Named Sophie" and "Grace Dulce," the latter of which I much prefer. The former is very teen chick lit while the latter is a bit...stranger. Both are stories I began writing a veeery long time ago but only just finished. I submitted work to several publications, too, including 'zines. One of them was a magazine called "Her Journey;" I reviewed the best place to on a date in Washington, D.C. in under 200 words. You can read that piece here. Furthermore, I posted a short response on my most important extracurricular activity that I used for college admissions ages ago.

In terms of my on-screen acting, yesterday I went shooting with Tim. We chose this amazing industrial location that I can't wait see on video. Today, I responded to a Craigslist ad from a student seeking an actress for a silent film. I sent him some links to my work and he was so impressed that he said he definitely wanted to collaborate with me on this project. We're meeting next week, after the holiday. He said the actual shooting should only take one day; it's a short project but I'm really excited about it. 

On the whole note of films, I went to the Virginia Film Office today to inquire about a spring semester internship but they said I would have to dedicate 10-12 hours a week, minimum. I only have room for a one credit internship, which means 3-4 hours per week, so they're out. Their website does list several production companies, however, so I called a couple of them and left messages. I hope they get back to me after the holiday. If not, I certainly have other options. I just don't want to end up with another standard journalism internship again. I want to do something more creative, which is why (literary) publishing and film interest me so much. I still have time to arrange something.

In other news regarding internships, tomorrow I am officially finished with my Richmond.com internship. No need to hurrah though; I think my feelings are pretty evident. I just have to write a piece about the best gifts for couples and then another about some of the upcoming events in Richmond.

Lastly, my Publications teacher, Mr. Weatherford, mentioned this cool, alternative quarterly campus magazine that's coming out soon. It's called Ink. The staff meets on Sunday evenings so I want to get involved somehow. It seems like it would be a lot of fun.

And now for a lovely Thanksgiving break. Turkey, family bonding, writing, reading, collaging, and Black Friday shopping galore!

As always, thanks for reading!

Working on the Sabbath

"Vintage Wool," one of the collages I created yesterday.

I started writing "On My Education and Other Little Tangents," in true 19th century fashion, over the summer but only recently realized that I had never finished it. I went back today and completed it. Now you can read it here. I started this short story, "The Tragedy of Patrick Kuhlick" a long time ago, as well, but only finished writing it today. I've recently made it a project of mine to go back and complete half-written pieces.

In other news, I posted a poem I'd forgotten about to 24 Hour Poetry today. One of the reasons why I like running the blog is because it forces me to go back and look at my past writings (a humbling but necessary experience if I ever hope to improve as a writer). Apparently, I still have 2-3 articles to write for Richmond.com before my internship is officially over. At least one of them is due tomorrow so I have to crank it out tonight. I'll post the stories on my Associated Content page once I'm finished with them. I'm also waiting for the client of a display advertorial I wrote for Style Weekly to respond (I have to ensure that he likes the piece, otherwise there's no good reason to run it).

I also liked the post I wrote for Give Me Paisley and Parasols today, about changes in fashion and the grunge look. If you're not familiar with Give Me Paisley and Parasols (I just learned that even many of my regular readers aren't), it's the alternative fashion blog I started back in August. You can view it at http://www.blogger.com/www.paisleyandparasols.com. Right now I'm exploring my fashion history textbook in a project called "Pages Through 'The Dynamics of Fashion.'" After that project's over, I plan to do a one-week project on Neo-Victorianism and then proceed to an On the Street project.

Well, I accomplished a lot today already and it's only 6 p.m. I still have more to do but I'm not worried. I know I'll get it done. So much for resting on the Sabbath!

P.S. It's come to my attention that many of the readers of this blog view the posts through Facebook, as opposed to through the mother site, www.christinestoddard.com. If you are one such reader, I suggest taking a peek at ChristineStoddard.com because it has added features that the Facebook feed doesn't. You can take polls, look at a slideshow, find a list of links, read my bio, and more. Give it a try! You can even subscribe to my posts on Blogger.com.

As always, thanks for reading!

Yesterday and Today

Ah, yes, the summary: yesterday, director Tim Ashworth and I went over what he's shot of me thus far for "The Garden" and I acted in VCU student Rinny Wilson's film "Lotus" (which may or may not be completed, depending on whether some grant pulls through). Today I modeled for a local photojournalist named Ben Madden (I hope to have those photos within the next month) and created two collages. You can view the collages on my Facebook Group, Christine's Cognitive Chaos. I also updated my Associated Content page with something I scribbled in high school called "Indecency is Fashionable" and a short story I wrote today, titled "Bamboo Tryst." Furthermore, I submitted a somewhat humorous How-to article called "How to entertain yourself during a bus commute" to AC for upfront payment. And, as I often do, I replied to a few Craigslist ads and submitted my writing out into the world. Now, I wait.

As always, thanks for reading!

Free at last!

My supervisor at Richmond.com uttered some of the most beautiful words uttered by humanity: "Christine, you don't have to come in next week. You can end your internship early since you finished all your work." Okay, maybe not humanity's most beautiful words, but certainly the most pleasant ones I heard between 12:45 and 4:00 today. So it's final. I simply write one more assignment for the site and email it to Karri by the end of the business day on Monday. I go into the office the same day, have her fill out a form evaluating my performance and then...it's done. It's all over. Christine and Richmond.com never have to occupy the same sentence again.

Before I received this wonderful news, I posted "African Rain" on 24 Hour Poetry. I also finished writing "How to Communicate Effectively in a Romantic Relationship" and submitted it to Associated Content for payment so it should be reviewed within a week and then posted on my AC Contributor page. I also wrote a poem based upon a line I came up with while walking to my Fashion History class on Monday. It's called "Where the Moon's Tears Cease to Fall" and you can read it here. Other than that, I spent the rest of the day in class, reading and celebrating the end of my internship. Now I'm looking forward to tomorrow, which I shall hereby call "Double Shoot Day." If I'm lucky, I won't get too tired out.

As always, thanks for reading!

Chilly Day, Warm Thoughts

This is a video in which I briefly performed for Madison+Main, a Richmond-based advertising firm who created the film for Children Incorporated. We shot this back on Oct. 20 but the video only went online yesterday.

Despite the weather, I felt cozy today---not physically but inwardly, I felt warm and at peace. I didn't even feel particularly disgruntled about heading over to the Media General building to finish one of the last days of my internship. I did exactly what I was supposed to do (calendar entry) and even surpassed my supervisor's expectations. Usually, I do everything I can to avoid busy work but I wasn't so evasive today. I guess I was just in a particular mood and the fact that I realized I only have four more days at the office certainly helped, too.

Before I headed over to my internship, I wrote two poems during Italian class (I swear that I managed to pay attention, too!) and posted them on my Associated Content page. Their titles are "Python" and "Dance, Alice," the former of which I really just squibbled and the latter of which I actually liked. I worked on some other writing, too, but didn't finish any of it; I should be done with the other pieces no later than the end of this week.

Outside of writing, I coordinate three shoots for this Friday and Saturday. On Friday, I'm working with Tim Ashworth on his film "The Garden." For those of you who read my "Diary of an Artist" series, you'll know that I'm the lead role in the film; you'll also know that I'll reveal little else about the project but that it should hopefully be done in about a year, if not sooner. After I shoot with Tim, I'm going to perform in a science fiction film called "Lotus." I have a minor, non-speaking role but it will be an opportunity to act, at least. Then on Saturday, I'm doing a modeling shoot with a new photographer I met on Craigslist. Michael, the photographer I worked with last week, said he should have the photos to me soon, in which case I'll put a couple up and provide links.

This evening, besides staring at the cieling and meditating, I'll write a bit more, read, tend to basic personal hygiene (of course), and go to bed. Then tomorrow shall be another day. If I'm lucky, I'll feel equally placid. And if I'm really lucky, I'll write something I love.

As always, thanks for reading!

Unlikely Inspiration

"Yum Peking," a collage I made over the summer, using a digitally modified drawing and a photograph. I submitted it to the 'zine "Emerge and See Unity" today because the 'zines creator accepts artwork from readers. I submitted a few other pieces, too, but I'm hoping this one will get chosen. It's never been published anywhere before. I've only posted it on Facebook. I like giving all of my collages an equal chance at exposure!

It was a somewhat listless afternoon until I read a 'zine called "Emerge and See Unity" by Dakota Phoenix. I had found encouragement in a free 20-page, stapled bunch of black and white paper. Suddenly I didn't feel so "lame" for cooping myself up in my room and writing from the hours in between lunch and dinner. And write I did.

Today was a bona fide productive day. First I posted my poem, "Children of Silence" on my 24 Hour Poetry blog, a poem which I wrote back in 2006 as a sophomore in high school. I wrote a poem entitled "Not that I'm Justifying," which began as a chant I sang to myself while walking from a friend's apartment to my Publishing/Newswriting class. Then I wrote an article called "How to properly usher a play" and submitted it for payment to Associated Content. It wasn't the most useful or even insightful how-to article I ever wrote but it was of decent quality. Besides, I think the most skilled writers are able to pull off a variety of genres or at least be willing to experiment with both fiction and non-fiction. I also submitted a Neo-Victorian fashion glossary called "Spectacles, Birdcages, and Parasols" to AC; I wrote the glossary for my fashion history course but was proud with the work and new it would interest a certain niche of online readers. (Both of the articles I submitted to AC for payment today should be online in about a week because that's how long it takes for their editors to review work.) Furthermore, I finally finished writing that children's story ("Lucy, the Girl of Thread and Needles) like I promised I would. I'm not sure why it took so long but it did, possibly because I let it sit for a few days. You can read it here.

As always, thanks for reading!

This Weekend

"Pistol Beauty" is a collage I made this past summer; I've submitted it to a few places, including the campus journal Amendment. The collage is part of a series I made called "Venus Eats Clichés."

This is the year of my life that I can remember Virginia's weather fluctuating so rapidly; it's almost like living in the Midwest again. The day began warm with a soft, balmy breeze but then the sunshine disappeared, it began to drizzle, eventually rain, and grew cold. On such a day, I had every right to coop myself up in the library and then later two bookstores (the VCU Barnes and Noble and then the Barnes and Noble in Willow Lawn, thanks to bus no. 6). 

At the library, besides leisurely reading (Mother Earth News, Writer's Market, Business Weekly, European Photography, Washington Post magazine, etc.), I submitted pieces to VCU's progressive journal, Amendment. I sent in an essay about Toni Morrison's Sula, a poem titled "Brotherhood begins in the first person plural," a reflection about the Richmond 'Zine Fest, a philosophical musing ("Beyond Shadow Play," which I mentioned the other day), as well as collages with feminist leanings. Then I researched grad schools for a little bit. My current obsession (ha, which is bound to change, considering that I still have two years left of undergrad unless I choose to graduate early) is Hunter College in N.Y.C.; it has a great M.F.A. program, a wonderful atmosphere, a progressive student body, and is very affordable---one of the most affordable universities in the whole city. Of course, N.Y.C. is still expensive so I'm looking into scholarships NOW. I also like the sound of Sarah Lawrence in Bronxville.

As for today, my parents are visiting, which will limit the amount of time I can be creative and such but I will have time to finish up writing a glossary of Neo-Victorian fashion terms, which I then plan to sell to Associated Content. Other than that, tune in later this upcoming week, folks! Because the Christine Stoddard show just never ends---and, better yet, it's not full of re-runs.

As always, thanks for reading!

Ending the week

Watching "Shadow Play" at VCU's Singleton Center last night and the VCU Theatre department's Senior Showcase this afternoon encouraged me to take the second part of Intro to Drama and sign up for an acting class, as well. Most playwrights studying acting at one point or another and while I've done some acting in the past, I've never truly received any formal training. Now is the time for that. I re-worked my schedule so that next semester, I'll be taking a writing class, a literature class, Intro to Drama II (we read and analyze plays), a French film class (conducted in French because I need/want to practice!), a linguistics class, and stage performance. I'm also going to try and coordinate a one credit internship with Brandy Lane, an independent and Richmond-based publishing company I just discovered last night. I've never interned for a publishing company before so I think it would be a fun and exciting experience---as several of the ones at VCU have been.

On the whole note of VCU, I submitted several pieces to the school literary and art magazine, Poictesme, today. One of the pieces I submitted is a short story I wrote at Grinnell, entitled "Fiction is Cruel," which you can read here. The deadline isn't until Nov. 21 but I want to get my work in early. I haven't reached the maximum number of submissions yet (something I intend to fulfill) so I'm going to look back at a lot of my unpublished work from last year to see if any of it's worth submitting. I also plan a few new pieces before the deadline and maybe choose from one of those. 

In other news, my boyfriend and I just returned from the 2008 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award festival at the Student Commons. After listening to so many highly educated people speak about their literary careers, I'm further convinced that earning an M.F.A. in Creative Writing is a good idea. I also wrote a very short musing, which you can read here as well as posted a little chant, and updated my poetry blog.

And now for a happily productive (but not stressful) weekend...

As always, thanks for reading!

Limited Writing and Ushering

I created this collage, "Las Vegas," when I was 14, during the summer between 8th grade and 9th grade, but it's definitely my most consistently accepted collage. It's appeared in plenty of 'zines (even the covers of a few), lit mags, and websites. I have a line of different versions but they're all essentially the same. Yesterday Indigo Editing and Publications wrote a review of it because they've included it in their Autumn issue of Ink-Filled Page, a literary journal.

Even when it rains in Richmond, it's still strangely beautiful. I suppose the architecture redeems it. Many people's mood seem to mimic the weather outside; when it's sunny outside, they too become sunny and when it's gray, their attitude evolves into a glum one. But I try not to let the weather influence my feelings or my level of productivity. Today was quite relaxing and all in all I didn't accomplish much but not every day has to represent some kind of triumph. As usual, I posted to 24 Hour Poetry. I also wrote a quick piece about local events coming to Richmond this week for Richmond.com, which you can read here. Afterwards, I trolled the Internet for mentions of my name. I Googled it and searched for it on Alltheweb.com and took screenshots, which I then put in two Facebook photo albums. You can view the albums here and here. I also continued writing the children's story I began yesterday but didn't finish it. I'll probably be done with it tomorrow and add it here. In less than two hours, I'm going to go usher VCU's production of "Shadow Play," where I imagine I'll learn something about performance and writing for the stage. When I come home, I plan to post to Give Me Paisley and Parasols in addition to updating my resume---the hunt for a summer internship will really begin soon!

As always, thanks for reading!

An Uneventful Wednesday

My long and drawn-out expedition to St. Mary's Hospital to check the status of my mysterious lump (very likely not cancer, thankfully!) didn't allow for much creative time today. I did, however, write this story and began writing a second one. I promise that the second story is much more pleasant! I should be finished with it tomorrow and will likely post part of it here.

"Can I borrow some money to go tangoing?"

By Christine Stoddard

Laurelin stepped into the room, wearing her dancing shoes. They were vermillion and ever-so innocently shaped like Mary-Janes. She never took them off, these shoes. Laurelin's humming mother craned over the kitchen sink. The only other sound in the apartment was the rhythmic splashing of the dripping faucet. Until, of course, Laurelin clacked in, with the usual request teetering on her lips.

Laurelin's mother didn't look up when her daughter entered because she already knew the girl's request and she had already determined her answer. So Laurelin just stood there. The music---the guitars, the piano, the violin---ran through her head so violently that she almost forgot where she was. Inside, she was already moving.

Her mother kept drying plates. One plate, a little black teacup saucer, squeaked as she rubbed her dishrag against it, like a scratched record.

Laurelin cleared her throat and asked her fatal question, "Can I have some money to go--?"

Not a beat later, the mother turned her head toward the daughter. "What?" The word hit the air like a wrong note.

She threw the dishrag into the sink. "What, you need some money to swing dance?"

Laurelin swallowed.

"Samba? What is it today---fucking waltzing? Hip hop? Square dance?" Her voice crescendoed as she listed dance after dance after dance. "Ballet? Jitterbug? Bunny hop? Whatever the name of that shit they do in Bollywood movies?"

Mother moved toward Laurelin in a single stride and smashed the black plate just as she said, "Mambo?!" It shattered all over the hard wooden floor. Laurelin flinched but otherwise remained calm. She was used to noise, to drama.

"I," her mother paused, "don't have any more money for dance clubs or dance lessons or dance competitions or dance shoes or anything! I don't have any more money for anything! Ever since your goddamn father left us, all you want to do is dance!"

Another plate. Another fall. Another explosion of ceramic shards across the floor.

Laurelin opened her mouth to release a single word. "I..."

Read the rest of the story here.

As always, thanks for reading!

Today is Tuesday

This art piece embarrassed me just as much when I first made it as it does now but I was on deadline and I really tried to swallow my pride. The difference between the past and the present, though, is that Teen Voices put it online. If you want to see the piece in its original context, accompanying articles and all, you can go here. I emailed it to them months and months ago but they only informed me that it's on the site today.

Today is Tuesday and that generally means I'm happy and relaxed, and therefore very productive. And I was happy, relaxed, and productive...until I had to go to Media General/The Richmond Times-Dispatch, the company that bought Richmond.com, and basically sit around for three and a half hours entering events into their online calendar. Their office knows no other color than beige. My computer there is practically as old as I am. And the only thing sweet about the place was the strange scent lurking in the air. Everyday I'm more convinced that I could never work for a newspaper. Occasionally freelance? Yes. Sit in a cubicle for 40 hours a week and have someone else tell me what and how to write? No way. There are more more entertaining ways to lose my soul.

Now let me explain what happened in my life before I stepped into Media General. Yesterday I went to an old school house converted into artists' studios with local photographer, Michael Spanel. It was my first ever paid shoot so I was rather excited. The school house was gorgeous, in that dilapidated, semi-industrial kind of way: brick exterior, hardwood floors, and simple lines. You can view one of the photos that Michael took of me here. It's not my favorite but I like its somber mood; I can't wait to see the whole edited batch. The photos aren't supposed to be glamorous (I don't have the right look for that); they're supposed to be artistic and intimate and I believe Michael and I were able to achieve that goal. 

After I finished shooting with Michael, I worked on two display advertising write-ups for Style Weekly. You can read one of the advertorial pieces is available here. Then I went to my fashion history class, came home, posted on Give Me Paisley and Parasols, read a little, finished writing a short story called "My Green October," and went to bed.

This morning I took a French exam and placed into the class I wanted so if all goes well with registration tomorrow, I'll have Tuesdays and Thursdays off. That means more "creation time." After taking the exam, I edited the short story I wrote last night, which you can start reading here:

"My Green October"

By Christine Stoddard

The sun's flickering rays woke me up so I tumbled out of bed instead of forcing myself to sleep a little longer. As I stood up and slid back the doors of my closet, there was a vague nagging on my mind I couldn't quite place.

I pulled a wispy sweater over my white tank top and slipped into silver flats. The mirror greeted me with the reflection of a 19-year old girl with a long face and marked cheekbones. The right leg of her jeans was decorated with a romantic fleet of paisley and roses. She looked relaxed but exhausted. I smiled but the truth was I was still tired.

Again I flipped open my purse and rummaged through it, checking that I had everything---not that I would need much; I was only heading to the bank to cash a check. But I felt compelled to verify that I had everything anyway. I knew how forgetful I was, how prone I was to daydream about bygone days instead of focusing on the immediate present.

Deadlines passed me. My priorities were skewed. "If only..." was my favorite phrase. If only I lived in another time. If only I could escape this place. If only tomorrow were here, or, better yet, if only it were yesterday. This kind of nostalgic longing had  aged me.

I had my cell phone, my dirty wallet, and a stack of rubber banded business cards with the names of people I said I'd one day contact. I also had a couple of envelopes, a pen, some crumpled up papers, an uncashed check, my key, and a concert ticket. In other words, I had everything.

"It's going to be cold today," I assumed. Maybe I was going off of the fact that it had been cold for the past few days or perhaps I was entering that stage in my life where everything was cold: people, things, places. I grabbed my coat, a vintage one, and opened the door. It was finally time for me to go to the bank. I had a little slip of paper with $200 to my name and I wasn't going to lose it. Once in a while I had to do something right.

Read the rest of the story here.

As always, thanks for reading!

Returning to my version of normalcy

"Those Nasty Ear Lickers" by Christine Stoddard; I created this digital collage yesterday in between studying for an Italian quiz and a Drama test and researching for two Style Weekly projects. In art news, I submitted five collages to a California compilation 'zine called Poet's Espresso and they chose one of the pieces for their winter cover, although they haven't said which one yet. But SKIRT! magazine rejected the same pieces. That just does to show how much opinions about art vary from one person to another. I plan to submit my art  and writing to different publications later this week.

It's a crisp Monday, consistently the most hectic day of my week but luckily it tends to be the only day where I'm running around in at least a mild state of panic. Today's not as overwhelming as I had anticipated though and for that I am grateful. 

I already took my Italian quiz and my Drama test is in half an hour, but I'm not worried about either one. Then I have to write two display advertising inserts for Style Weekly and go to a modeling shoot in an old church with Richmond photographer Michel Spanel. The latter is certainly more interesting than the former. 

I'm not the most enthusiastic advertising writer who ever lived but at least I don't let it show through in what actually goes to print. The gig pays well but I'll drop it next semester if editorial doesn't start sending some work my way. After all, I'm trying to free myself from unsatisfying obligations as much as possible (*ahem* like my mandatory internship with the now nearly defunct Richmond.com) to maximize the time I have to write what I want, make collages and just do as I please. 

I value the importance of planning but I appreciate spontaneous creative energy more. I know that I write my best work when I don't have class exams or meaningless busy work (*ahem* again returning to my internship) looming over my head. With this in mind, I'm scheduling my classes next semester so that I have Tuesdays and Thursday off. That way I'll have more time to devote to what I care about most: my writing and my collages, as well as other miscellaneous creative projects. 

Already I suspect that 20 is going to be a very good year. It hasn't even been a week since my birthday, but I have a strong feeling that I'm going to really grow. And hopefully that will reveal itself in my art and writing.

As always, thanks for reading!

Reclaiming My Life

I created this piece,"She, the Nightmare," after not making a satisfying collage for a while. Collage, predictably, is my favorite visual technique. I like combining drawings, photographs, and  newspaper/clippings to deliver an impact. Because I'm a "lady of letters," I often include words in my artwork, too. We as human beings need a combination of words (spoken and written language) just as much as need visual elements (such as hand gestures and facial expressions) to communicate even in basic, everyday conversations.

Anyone who's been following my writing and art probably wonders why I've only just established ChristineStoddard.com. It seems that with my penchant for sharing my creations, I would have started up this site ages ago or at least a year or two earlier. What prompted me to do it now?

Well, in the past, I always had some excuse, some other creative project or a less-than-appealing obligation like an internship I wanted to escape but really couldn't. For the first time in my life, I feel truly free---artistically and personally. I can be self-centered and do what I want because I'm already "successful" by the typical bourgeois definition (2nd one listed here). Along with that definition of success, I have a steady income that allows me to pursue many of my interests without fear of going bankrupt. I've been saving up, little by little, to earn my autonomy. That's not to say I'm some deep pocket and that my poetry, stories, and collages have bought me a mansion and caviar everyday for the rest of my life but it is to say that, at this point, I can survive on my writing and art alone.

That's my prideful answer, at least---that I've earned the right and the time to maintain this site with the same domain name as my own. But a single and far more sinister event is what really influenced me to open up ChristineStoddard.com now. Two weeks ago, I wasn't sure about my future. Because only two weeks ago, I thought I had cancer.

I remember that night rather poignantly. My boyfriend, David Fuchs, and I were sitting down at dinner in the VCU cafeteria, laughing and joking as usual. As we spoke, David stroked my hand, then my wrist...his fingers kept creeping up and then stopped to focus on a spot near the inside of my elbow. My face fell when I realized why he concentrated his fingers there.

"Hey, what's this?" David's fingers circled around a pea-sized lump. I pushed his hand aside and touched the lump, too. It was firm. 

My mind immediately leapt to my family history. My father had cancer---benign tumors---that his doctor removed. My paternal grandfather had died of cancer. My paternal great-grandmother died of cancer. An aunt of my mother's had died of cancer, as well.

That night, after calling my parents, I returned to my dorm and before I could do anything else, sobbed. I was grateful that my roommate wasn't there. I needed time for myself, to deny, accept, and meditate. 

The next day I headed to the university clinic only to discover that they didn't accept health insurance and demanded a fee. I then had two options, to visit the hospital or a local private clinic called Patient First. When parents said they would come the following day, Saturday, and take me to the clinic.

Saturday was such a gloomy, gray day, very unlike an October day in Virginia. It was drizzling and the sun barely shone. My heart pounded on the way over to the clinic and I remember that every part of me seemed to be burning. I was so hot on such a chilly, rainy day.

I walked into the clinic, well ahead of my father. I went up to the front desk and took a seat in a little cubicle so I could begin answering all her questions. It was my first time at the clinic so she had to register me, check my health insurance, blah, blah, blah. I was in no mood for logistics then. I just wanted to see the doctor. Thankfully the nurses were ready for me; they called my name even before I finished signing the necessary paperwork.

One of the nurses weighed me---I had lost four pounds since my last check-up. She took my temperature. I had a slight fever, just a couple of degrees. The the nurse told me to wait a couple of minutes for the doctor.

Doctor Roe asked me what the problem was. I showed her the lump and she basically shrugged the matter off, saying it was probably a cyst, just as my mother had explained. I sighed. Then Doctor Roe announced that there was still a small possibility that it was cancer so she recommended me to a specialist. Excellent. 

Well, my appointment with the specialist isn't until this upcoming Wednesday but I'm not nearly as worried as I was only two weeks ago. The experience, along with two others I'm about to recount, just woke me up.

Starting a few days before and then throughout the whole "I might have cancer" period, my darling computer died. I didn't understand why because I'm not the most tech-savvy gal although I learned later that the hard drive had worn out and that it would cost nearly $200 to replace it. I took it in to an independent Mac owner and waited days for them to finish repairing it. This was, needless to say, only an added stressor.

But the computer situation didn't compare to what happened to me only a week after David discovered my lump: the City of Richmond had rejected my voter's registration application. That alone wouldn't have been so terrible except that they rejected it for an immaterial reason (I didn't write my address exactly according to the way it appeared in their files yet they were still able to mail the rejection to me, using the address as I had provided it) AND I wasn't sure if I was registered in my hometown of Arlington, Va. 

[Tangent: I attended school for a year at Grinnell College in Iowa. I changed my voter's registration from Virginia to Iowa because I wanted to participate in the caucus (which never happened because the caucus fell during my Christmas break on rather short notice). I then transferred to VCU in Richmond for my second year of college so over the summer, when I interned at Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive I changed my voter's registration on the street. But the county never mailed me a voter's card!]

Anyway, I stormed over to the Richmond Obama Headquarters to ask for help; one of the top volunteers there wrote a nasty letter to the city and told me to go over to the John Marshall courthouse, as instructed on the rejection/petition sheet. I marched over there and found out that they had listed the wrong room number so I had to go to a different room. Once I arrived at the correct room, the lady there said it was only her duty to collect the petition and the petition check (the City charges $10 to file a petition against voter's registration rejection), not debate the matter. She sent me over to City Hall. At this point, I was so frustrated I was almost crying. I didn't even have to cross the street to discover that City Hall had been evacuated. Fire trucks and police cars surrounded the building and everyone in sight was walking away from it.

The next day was Halloween and a Friday and I knew that Monday, the day before the election, would be to late to dispute the matter. I had to act fast. Apparently at least part of City Hall was still evacuated on Thursday afternoon but I called anyway. I was interning as a writer and photographer at Richmond.com, a then independent website taken over by conglomerate Media General literally the next day. The secretary at City Hall said that it was too late for me to do anything but I was still registered in Arlington County. Of course, that was only a partial victory. On Tuesdays, I have class and work---and even if I didn't, I don't own a car so my parents would have to pick me up and bring me home to vote. Luckily, that's what ended up happening. I got the day off from work and my parents were kind enough to whisk me back to Arlington. It was the happy ending to my hellish two weeks.

So after those three experiences, I feel empowered. I feel ready to accomplish more than ever before. I'm already mapping out my plans for next semester and even thinking about the summer. I met with my advisor yesterday and discussed everything from courses (plans for one literature class, one writing class, one linguistics class, one chemistry class, one French class, and one film class for next semester) to study abroad (France this summer to help fulfill my French minor and Scotland next summer for the school's writers and artists workshop in Glasgow) to earning an M.F.A. in Creative Writing (I'm minoring in creative writing here and have a list of places I wouldn't mind going to earn my Master's: VCU, NYU, Hollins, etc.) 

My future is a beautiful shade of gold---and I'm doing everything I can to ensure that my present is, too.

As always, thanks for reading!

Do you really need an introduction?

Bio pic; photo by David Fuchs.

So many friends and classmates predicted its eventual advent that I almost considered not creating it at all. Just out of stubborness, just to be contrary. Yet I relented nonetheless: ChristineStoddard.com is here. And whether you welcome or despite it, the website is here to stay. From now on, I want people to be able to come visit one central location to read my writing, view my artwork, and learn about my creative plans, ongoing projects, and accomplishments. ChristineStoddard.com will function as both a journal and portfolio. It will feature links, lists, articles, announcements, photos, artwork and anything else pertaining to my development as a writer and interdisciplinary artist. Essentially, it will serve as a much more comprehensive and even interactive version of my "Diary of an Artist" series. In fact, ChristineStoddard.com will replace "Diary of an Artist." (I announced that today in a post I wrote on Facebook notes and Associated Content.) I plan to update this site often and make sure that it accurately reflects my involvement in writing and art at all times, as well as my thoughts about creative theories, media trends, art news and other relevant subject material.

Note: To avid followers and occasional site visitors alike, please leave your feedback, whether complimentary or critical. This website is the first of its kind that I'm attempting. I'm interested in learning not only what people think about my writing, my art, and of my creative projects but also how I present them here at ChristineStoddard.com. If at any time you think that what I'm failing at what I'm trying to accomplish with this website, tell me.