In one trip to the mailbox my life took a sudden and very positive turn. In one package was a copy of The Alchemist, Valencia's Osceola Campus Literary Magazine, in which my short story "Receding" was recently published. In another package was my acceptance letter to Florida State University. I did a small dance that nobody saw.
Quitting my job July 31st. Moving to Tallahassee August 20th. After months of feeling like my life was going nowhere, finally a small return on my large investment has been received. I'm now more encouraged to continue my writing and finish these last couple summer classes. Full speed ahead!
ps. I have movie reviews, ride reviews of the new attractions at MGM and Universal, more fun from break.com, and a whole lot of other stuff to blog about, but time has been a crunch lately. bare with me and stay tuned!
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
The real thing
To this day, only two college classes have really educated me, and in both cases the instructors were adjunct -- meaning only part-time, taking a break from their day jobs to share their real world experiences with students. Timothy P Werhner, an astronomer teaching astronomy, was one, and Carol Chiodini, a director and screenwriter teaching screenwriting, was the other. While Werhner has fallen off my map (not surprising, as I recall him missing our first week of class due to being stranded at the South Pole!) I found a nice clip that one of Chiodini's students put up on You Tube. It briefly and accurately sums up what she's all about, and I think it is worth sharing.
I've sat through so many different classes with instructors who barely even hide the fact that they are only there for the paycheck, who don't care about your grade or what becomes of you after you leave the class. After great classes like Werhner's and Chiodini's, instructors who merely go through the motions stand out horribly. It almost feels like being taken backwards.
We desparately need more Timothy Werhners and Carol Chiodinis. I may not even write another screenplay, I'm more of a novel guy, but Carol's passion is something that has and will continue to inspire me to work hard at what I love to do because, like she said, if you don't you will never make it: The most important lesson I've learned to thus far, and a lesson that most of those other instructors are probably learning too late.
I've sat through so many different classes with instructors who barely even hide the fact that they are only there for the paycheck, who don't care about your grade or what becomes of you after you leave the class. After great classes like Werhner's and Chiodini's, instructors who merely go through the motions stand out horribly. It almost feels like being taken backwards.
We desparately need more Timothy Werhners and Carol Chiodinis. I may not even write another screenplay, I'm more of a novel guy, but Carol's passion is something that has and will continue to inspire me to work hard at what I love to do because, like she said, if you don't you will never make it: The most important lesson I've learned to thus far, and a lesson that most of those other instructors are probably learning too late.
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