Travel Writing, School and Whatnot

Posted by: Mia Taylor on December 1, 2008

“No venture ever succeeds alone, but is always reinforced and strengthened by the contributions of many people…”- Louise Purwin Zobel, 1980

“The true professon of a man is finding his way to himself” -Herman Hesse

I just received a book from Amazon.com today that I think is going to help set me on the right track for a really great travel writing experience.  The book is called The Travel Writer’s Handbook. How to write- and sell- your own travel experiences. Written by the late Louise Purwin Zobel, I was extremely suprised to see that the book was shipped to me by her daughter, Jan.  I have heard a lot of really good things about this book and look forward to expanding my knowledge on Travel Writing.  I’ll probably start reading it this evening.

On another note, I’ve been preparing for finals to take over my life and I have to say, I’m not really excited about it.  Finals always seem to creep up on me.  I am, however, looking forward to writing and traveling during the holidays. I’ve finished decorating my home and now all I’m missing is the tree ( I even have a With Sinatra on Christmas CD).

I’ve spent the entire day at home today, which has felt really nice.  Both of my roommates were gone and I read my new book, worked on my class schedule for next semester, wrote some copy for the websites, cleaned and decorated.  It’s been nice having the place to myself, and more than ever I’ve been finding the solitude quite comforting.  It has given me the time and space to be introspective, proactive and productive.

On another note, I found a new hiking trail just across the street.  I’d seen it before but never knew where it went. I’ll probably scope it out this week.

I really enjoy the Winter season out here, it’s a nice break from the city.  Sometimes…well, a lot of times, Los Angeles gets to be a bit overwhelming. I mean, the traffic is incredible- I still can’t figure out why they aren’t improving the Public Transportation system- and Santa Monica is filthy.  Aside from the fires, there’s not a lot that goes on out here.  Sometimes thats a good thing, but sometimes I wish I could access the city a bit easier.  Can’t have your cake and eat it too though, Right? Or is it….The Grass is always greener…  Anyways, since it’s not 118 Degrees out here, it’s pretty enjoyable.  The days are perfect and the nights just chilly enough for a comfy, sherpa-lined hoodie.

Until next time,

Mia

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The Flunky- A Review

Posted by: Mia Taylor on November 25, 2008

The Flunky- A New Musical

I had the opportunity ythe-flunky-picesterday to see the premier of a soon-to-be Broadway musical performed in an 80-person capacity, solar-powered, Venice Beach theater.

Adapted from the 2000 film also titled The Flunky, directed by Vincent Van Patten, The Flunky: A New Musical portrays the life of rockstar named Tyler Mann and his “flunky” ( a diehard fan dedicated to the service of said rockstar) along the path of betrayal and moral tension. Like any good musical, The Flunky: A New Musical left me humming out the door. Those who know me, though might argue I do that anyways.

The musical starred Jimmy Van Patten, Actor and son of long time T.v. star Dick Van Patten, teen icon Deborah Gibson and triple-threat comedian, P.J Griffith. Van Patten, often recognized for his role on The Odd Couple and more recently in Saw IV, shook the stage with talent. Van Patten’s character, Tyler Mann, sings and dances his way through a Hollywood comeback, all the while making and breaking co-dependent relationships with frauds and fans.

Deborah Gibson, playing the role of Sandra, brings to the show immense talent and passion. With over 16 million albums sold and world recognition as the youngest female singer/ songwriter/ producer of a #1 Hit Single on the Billboard Hot 100 List, there is no doubt it will become one of Broadway’s finest comedy musicals. Gibson was the show’s lyricist.

P.J Griffith, as the role of Flunky, Jackie, so convincingly played the role of a diehard fan that you might not have expected him to have his own fan club. Griffith has appeared in roles on shows like House MD, Without A Trace and worked on popular TV series such as: Mad TV, Penomenon, Comedy Central Presents…, and Days of Our Lives.

The Flunky: A New Musical bares all in their “truth-be-told” portrayal of Hollywood phonies. With songs like “Hey Man,” “Too Rich, Too Thin” and “Rock Star’s Life,” The Flunky employs the ideas and criticisms of things we’ve all seen in grocery store tabloids.

Reviewer Rating: 5 Stars!

Until Broadway… Ciao!

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Election Day 2008

Posted by: Mia Taylor on November 3, 2008

For the past eight years President Bush and his administration has been nothing short of disappointing to me in many ways and that is why I am writing this post. I’m not writing to sway your vote one way or the other, I’m writing because I believe people do not understand the importance of voting. Even more importantly is understanding why you are choosing to vote for Candidate-X, or if you’re even going to vote.

The Seatlle Times, in an article written late October, stated “more than 100 million Americans will vote for president on Tuesday, and not one of them expects his or her vote to decide the outcome.”

Whether you’re the type of person to cast your vote in utter secrecy, so as not to be branded, or the type to flaunt it on your facebook status, knowing that your vote does count in agregate is the first step.

Regardless of who you vote for, it is crucial to think of each candidate as candidates of neither the Republican nor Democratic party. Ultimately, although the President passes/vetoes Bills, our lives are determined more by the Supreme Court.

“Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal judiciary. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed with the “advice and consent” of the Senate.” (According to Wikipedia.com)

There is always a chance that with the election of a new president, and a change in Party, that a supreme court justice could retire his/her tenure. Only the President has the power to nominate a new Justice, and Supreme Court Justices (SCJ) hold office for life, so…If there’s a new SCJ and new President… maybe we can welcome new changes.

In order for this democracy to function at it’s highest potential, we need to participate in how it is run. Vote.

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Stephen King's 1408- A Review

Posted by: Mia Taylor on October 21, 2008

Stephen King’s 1408 (Contains Spoilers)

Stephen King’s short story, titled 1408- later adapted by Director Mikael Håfström as a film in 2007- is not only a story of psychological atrophy but also a story of faith. The film touches on this slightly less than King’s short story, however, lends itself to audiences as more of a horror film than psychological thriller. The film seems to have received just as much clout as King’s short story; however, the two pieces differ in significant ways. Character involvement, the Climax and the ending of the short story are three of the variations made between the short story and film.

There are three fairly significant differences between the film and short story, one of which is character involvement. In the film, Mike Enslin is portrayed as a skeptic across various verticals of life, yet the audience is taught to forgive this close-mindedness. Mikael Håfström directs the film in such a way that the audience learns of Enslin’s tragic back-story. Obviously not long before his return to New York, (Enlin’s lawyer asks concerning “Are you sure you’re ready to come back?”) Enslin loses his only daughter, Katie to sever health issues. As a result of their loss, Enslin can no longer look at his wife “without seeing Katie” and uproots to Boston to start a new life sans emotion and faith. Håfström tugs at the audience’s heartstring such a way that we hope for the best outcome possible in Mike Enslin’s favor.

Mike’s tragic back-story about the death of his young daughter, and separation from his wife allow audiences to develop a strong rapport with Mike’s character. In the film, however, because we do not develop a strong affinity for Mike and his hardships, readers feel less connected to him and therefore care less about the outcome of Mike’s trials in room 1408.
The short story offers little connection to Mike’s character and dedicates significant time to the fore-story and after-effects of room 1408. I believe these variations, however, are not negative aspects; Håfström and King are merely reaching different goals in different ways.

Along with variation in character involvement, the story doesn’t focus as much on the Climax as the movie does. Less time is spent dwelling on the actual horrors of the room than in the movie. This could be that King’s goal differs from that of a film director’s.

It is possible that King intended for the story to affect the reader’s perception of reality and faith in their own lives, whereas Håfström may have been more focused on being portrayed as a psychological thriller as well as a horror film. The special effects used in the film: frozen room of doom, warping Karen Carpenter’s vocals, and intricate set designs get the audience visually involved in the mental chaos Mike Enslin experiences.

The main difference between Stephen King’s original version of 1408 and that of the 2007 film rendition is very obviously the different endings. The end of the story written by King has a damaged feel. The reader can see how much damage the room has ultimately caused Enslin.

In addition to problems with his blood-pressure, severe burns and enflamed prostates, Enslin sleeps every night with the lights on, has given up writing, had all the phones removed from his home and has consistent nightmares.
“In the meantime, though, he sleeps with the lights on in his bedroom, so he will know at once where he is when he wakes the from the bad dreams. He has had all the phones taken out of the house…and when the sun goes down…he pulls every shade and blind and drape in the house. He sits like a man in a darkroom until his watch tells him the light- even then last fading glow along the horizon-must be gone.” (King 24)
This quote shows a man who has been affected greatly and who has faith that there is something greater than he; a man with a newfound faith.

In an attempt to cater to the likes of Hollywood moviegoers however, Håfström twists the ending more positively. At the end of the film, Enslin is seen sitting at his computer while his wife unpacks boxes. Far from the chaos and mental destruction seen at the end of the short story, Enslin and his wife listen to a recording of their late daughter’s voice in their pristine and inviting home while Enslin narrates that he will soon be publishing a new book.Although it is common for pieces of writing to be adapted as a film, most films do not accurately portray the story as the writer intended. I believe that although the short story and film are different in many ways, the film does a good job (if not a better job) representing the mental turmoil Enslin experiences.

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A Few Pictures

Posted by: Mia Taylor on October 8, 2008

Here are a few of the pictures i’ve snapped in the last couple weeks. Enjoy!

This weekend I had the pleasure of enjoying an outdoor obstacle course for jumping horses in competition. Above is Whitney C. jumping Colin T.

» continue reading

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Imitation Passage

Posted by: Mia Taylor on September 22, 2008

I had to imitate a passage from an author of my choice and I chose Fiesta 1980 by Junot Diaz. Diaz writes in the first person, past tense point of view which was a little difficult for me at first. I found it hard to include details like Diaz did but nonetheless, I wrote about a childhood “first time” experience of my own.

The first and only time I broke a bone I was on the monkey bars in the school yard. The sun was hot on steel bars and the woodchips below soaked up any and all moisture in the vicinity. It was dry. Dry and Hot. It was the second recess of the day, my favorite since it was twice as long and the ice cream truck usually came. I usually got a Tweetybird ice cream with gumballs for eyes, eating the gumballs before they froze was the key. It was no surprise that today I was found racing back and forth on my own since that’s where I usually was, trying to beat the record I set for myself last recess. The metal was hot; there was no time to dangle or dilly-dally.

I had to beat my record. The course was long and winding so I had to maneuver around the curves in order to keep my momentum. Michelle was there too, she watched me a lot and would sometimes even warn me if the woman with the whistle and high socks was coming to tell me to slow down. She often blew her whistle alarmingly to keep us kids in line and when she was gone we would go back to our business. Her high white socks and pristine Saucony tennis shoes accompanied a well-starched white blouse and awkwardly long plaid skirt. And that whistle. I tried. Eleven seconds.

A week later and I still had not beaten my record. I was so close. Today was the day I would make it across the steel jungle of bars in less than nine seconds. The ice cream truck blared a warped version of “Pop goes the weasel” and I knew that if I was going to beat the record I had to beat the heat first. Tweety. By the time I finished my ice cream my hands were covered in yellow sugar and Michelle had borrowed a timer from Coach Smith. I ran to the bathroom to rinse off the leftover Tweety residue and stuck my hands under the new automatic sensor hand dryers. Impatient with not having paper towels I ran back to the yard and briefed Michelle on when to start the timer. It had to be perfect. Ready, Set…Go!

Under the monkey bars! Come quick! Michelle said to the woman in white socks, she slipped off and can’t move her arm!

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Spending the weekend in the sky

Posted by: Mia Taylor on August 17, 2008

This weekend I ventured out of Calabasas again and made my way up the 5 to the Sequoia National Forest with Wil and his dog. On my way, I made a pit-stop at a more modern ghost town called Randsburg. Before continuing to the national forest, I spent the night in a small cottage and enjoyed the utter silence in the ghost town. The rest of my weekend would be spent in a fire tower lookout at the peak of a mountain surrounded by sequoias.

We headed to Randsburg just before dark and arrived in the small (and I mean very small) ghost town and checked into The Cottage Hotel. Although the quaint hotel sat on the main drag of Randsburg, the town was absolutely silent. When I woke up we explored the ghost town and stumbled upon quite a few run-down homes and an old city jail. For lunch I stopped in to the local Saloon and to my surprise it was filled with old Randsburg relics and shots guns.

One day in Randsburg was just the right amount of time and by this point I was really anxious to see what this fire tower was going to be like.

It took about two more hours of driving before reaching the top of the mountain. I was in complete awe when I got out of the car; towering over me on the top of a boulder was a fire lookout cabin. In order to get your belongings to the top of the tower you had to pack it into a metal crate and have someone pulling it up via a hand-over-hand pulley system… or carry it all the way up. When you reach the top of the steep staircase you have to use a code to open the trap door. The tower has a 360 degree view of the mountains, Kern river and of the Bakersfield cityscape. It’s quite a sight. At dusk you can watch the sunset to the west and just shortly thereafter see the moon rise to the east. With 3 full windows on every wall of the tower, the sunrise wakes you up in the morning and warms the room. It really is amazing.

We spent the days hiking and enjoying the mountains and spent nights by the fire and keeping warm in the fire tower when the sun went down. The weather was pretty nice overall but when the sun went down it got a little chilly for my thin blood. During the day I could hear cows mooing and hunters shooting in the distance. Not once did I see a random hiker or even a forest ranger.

The fire tower could quite possibly be the most awesome place I’ve ever camped and I’ve already started looking for future reservations- the only bummer is that I tried to make another reservation for another weekend this year but it it completely booked until next season!

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"Yes, We Can"

Posted by: Mia Taylor on July 9, 2008
I’ve recently enrolled in a Political Science class that has opened my mind to the history of our nation. Now more than ever, I appreciate and am aware of the things like the history of our Constitution, the Revolutionary War, King George and the radicals that made the idea of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness a reality. This is not to say that I did not ultimately “know” about these things before, but that in my years of public education, never once was I truly moved by our history. Never once was I motivated to even read The Declaration of Independence.
Never once did I really, truly know what it felt like to be proud of my country. With that said, I am trying to become more politically aware and form my own opinions on issues our nation faces on a daily basis.
Not too long ago, I came across a video that gave me hope. On Tuesday January 8th in Nashua, New Hampshire, Barack Obama gave what I believe to be the most moving and inspirational speech I have heard from a presidential candidate. This video is a collaboration of artists singing the words of the same speech Obama gave in New Hampshire. It is about time that we regain hope for the future. In the last two presidential terms, I have found myself, as I am sure many others have, disappointed and longing for change.

The Speech:
“It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.
Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics…they will only grow louder and more dissonant ……….. We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining see”

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