Sarah: Reading, Writing, Etc.
This was an exciting weekend. Why? Because I read some cool publications and got a new sort-of job. As a journalist! I know. It's a little exciting. I've been thinking a lot about my experiences, and would like to sort of mash out those thoughts here. Because guess what? I can.
I think the most straightforward way to explain myself is to compose a list of the experiences or parts of my life that have brought me to my current line of thinking.
Everyone knows I love my celebrity gossip magazines. I truly do, but I can occassionally break out of my shell to read other printed materials.
As I've mentioned here, I've been an editor for the Century magazine (an Institute publication), and have really enjoyed my time there. I have met an incredible group of people (shout out to Dave, E, Mark, Andrea, Michelle, Becca, Emily, and Sunny), and also gotten a glimpse into the world of journalism, writing, editing, and publishing.
Armando and I occasionally will go to Barnes & Noble, grab some magazines or books, and just sit at a table and read. Saturday was one of those days. I've been interested in ReadyMade magazine, so I grabbed the latest issue. The tagline is "A BiMonthly Print Magazine For People Who Like to Make Stuff." Perfect for me, right? The magazine is very creative, not only in its content, but in its presentation. There is so much to read, and it is not full of only craft projects. There are interviews with interesting people, personal stories and essays, and a focus on re-use, re-thinking, and keeping the environment in mind. I have the magazine on my Amazon wishlist, and would love to eventually have a subscription. If the gift fairy does ever purchase this magazine for me, though, I believe you get a better deal purchasing a gift package from the ReadyMade site. I'm just saying.
Two of the blogs that I read daily (found here and here) are by smart, funny women that make their living by writing. Maggie Mason especially interests me, because from what I can tell, she writes free-lance for different publications, covering a wide variety of subjects. Her resourcefulness and versatility inspire me to find something I'm passionate about, and carve out a place for myself in the professional world.
I did some minor grocery shopping this weekend, and picked up a copy of Real Simple while I was out. I thought this was an extremely aesthetically pleasing magazine. Like ReadyMade, I felt like you get a good quality product for the price you pay (roughly 2.5 gossip magazines).
(I wrap things up after the jump)
I wrote my first little article for the Daily Utah Chronicle, the on-campus newspaper. It's not a big deal, but it's the first piece of writing I've been paid for. That makes me a professional writer! Well, sort of.
Being an English major, I'm often asked about my favorite author or literature. Honestly, I don't have a favorite author yet. I've enjoyed some poetry, but haven't been able to get excited about traditional choices, like e. e. cummings. I loved reading Charles Dickens, but sort of in the way you enjoy eating whole grain bread or celery. It's yummy and you enjoy it, but you can't help feeling that you enjoy it partly because it's 'good' for you. I know that I love short stories, though. That tiny capsule of literature, where every word is selected to convey as much as possible, seems more vibrant than an 800 page novel, where brevity is of little consequence.
People are often asking me what I plan to do with my English degree, provided, of course, that I eventually graduate. I don't usually have a good answer. The more I immerse myself in journalism, however, the more excited I get. Finding articles for a quality magazine would be like becoming Ira Glass of This American Life. You have to find something brief that still carries a strong message, emotion, or mental image. It is undoubtably a challenge, but seems so rewarding. Plus, think of all the wonderful personal narratives you'd pass on the way.
I don't have much more to say on this matter for now, except that I'm excited to be exploring my options, and to be filling my brain with more than celebrity gossip (although that is really more in my heart... okay, just kidding).
Posted by sarah at February 06, 2006 01:08 PM
