I used to take some homework breaks to explore my Tumblr account, but I have not visited the site for awhile. My Tumblr blog is like many others: a culmination of pictures I find on the Internet, either discovered myself but mostly reblogged from other Tumblr users, that I think are cool. I have been thinking about the idea of getting rid of the blog, and this led me to ask, what's good about Tumblr? Let's ask some of the bloggers.

• "You will never sleep, socialize, or see the light of day EVER again. I have captured you and you have fallen for my trap." -Tumblr user describing Tumblr
• "I kinda hope my parents find my Tumblr, so then I can get grounded to my room... and spend more time on Tumblr." -Tumblr user
• "Who's your soulmate? My blog." -Tumblr user

Many LVC students also use Tumblr. Sophomore Tyler Shaull says he uses it because "it's an outlet of stress . . . It's also, to me, just pretty cool to do." For those who primarily have picture blogs, as described above, scrolling through countless pictures that are appealing to you is a pretty mindless, stress-free activity. Designing your own blog promotes creativity, and compiling a website full of your interests is also a good outlet for self-expression. Following blogs similar to yours is a way of sharing your interests with a wider audience of both friends and strangers. Some blogs include original creative content, such as writing and photography. If you feel as if you would like to start something creative, there are benefits to creating and managing a personal blog. Although I am taking a break from mine, and I have never felt as enthusiastic as the Tumblr users mentioned above, I never take a break from personal blogging for too long. It is a good way for students to share their creative interests and self-expression with others.

Lebanon Valley College is compiling a literary magazine called Greenblotter, and submissions of poetry, prose, and art are accepted. The word limit for prose is 5,000 words; and the limit for poetry is 5 pages. The deadline for submissions is approaching fast--February 28. Consider submitting!

Lebanon Valley College is hosting another speaker for the Agnes O'Donnell Poets & Writers Series. For this event, assistant professor of English Dr. Juan Martinez will read from his novel Extended Stay, as well as his short story "The Lead Singer is Distracting Me." Martinez teaches literature and creative writing classes at LVC.
 
 You can find Martinez's published creative fiction  in many literary journals and anthologies,  including "GlimmerTrain," "McSweeney’s," "Conjunctions," "Pindeldyboz," NPR’s "Selected Shorts," Norton’s "Suddenly Fiction Latino: Short-Short Stories from the United States and Latin America," and "The Perpetual Engine of Hope: Stories Inspired by Iconic Vegas Photographs."

If interested in attending Dr. Martinez's readings, go to Lutz Hall in Blair Music Center on Wednesday, February 20, at 7pm.

Lebanon Valley College student Marquis Bey recently had a flash fiction piece published on a flash fiction website. What is flash fiction?  It is a type of short-short-story, sometimes less than three hundred words in length, designed to tell a narrative in a very succinct way. For more information on Marquis writing process, watch the video below:

You can read the flash fiction piece that Marquis got published under the Creative Writing tab of my blog.

Though not everyone may be aware, Lebanon Valley College has a creative writing club called The Draft, in which students are able to submit drafts of poetry and creative fiction pieces for review. Tonight I attended a group meeting to see what The Draft was up to.

The group began their session by reviewing senior Rebecca Barnard's Revolutionary War fictional short story. Although she is a Math major, Rebecca loves writing creative fiction and submits many stories to The Draft. First, she read a paragraph that she particularly liked to the group, and the group critiqued it. Then, a group member provided a quick summary of the story, and the group began discussion by talking about what really stood out to them that they enjoyed or "would steal." As one member of The Draft pointed out, Creative Writing professor Dr. Martinez shares with his classes that techniques of writing are often stolen and incorporated into other writers' work. As long as the work is not plagiarized, learning from another's techniques can be a good way to grow as a writer.

Some specific things The Draft looked at in the story were the usage of metaphors, anachronisms, and the tone of narration. President Mike Cripps shared some tips for the editing and revising process of fiction. He said that it is very important to detach yourself from your own writing and to look at the writing objectively in revision. Once you are able to do this, pick out the parts that are working, and continue developing the story from those elements. If line-by-line revision is not working, sometimes it may be best just to start the narrative again from the beginning. The Draft member Nicholas Thrailkill  shared a quote: "There is no good writing, only good re-writing."

Besides sharing the importance of editing, characterization was also discussed. I agree that though it may seem strange, sometimes the main protagonist/character is the hardest character to portray in writing. This is the character that we follow through the entire story, so sometimes he may seem like the "normal" person we can trust. We spend time embellishing unique and quirky traits of other characters, some of whom might be working in opposition to the main character, that they might in fact become more interesting than the main character. Therefore, it is important for all of the characters to possess interesting traits, to help the narrative progress. One tip for this task  is to ask yourself more about the character than you will ever need to know, such as its favorite movie or its favorite foods, and this detailed thought process will give you a better understanding of the character.

During the meeting of The Draft, students received feedback on their own personal writing, and they also discussed writing tips, such as those I have discussed in this post. If you enjoy writing or want to become a better creative writer, consider attending The Draft's meetings at 9:30PM on Mondays. 

Looking ahead--this Saturday, Lebanon Valley College will host a creative event in Lynch Memorial Hall from 9am-4pm. In conjunction with the current exhibition at the art gallery, Gordon Parks: Crossroads, a photography workshop will be held, titled "Photographing Our Times: The Lyrical in the Banal." The workshop will be led by professional photographer Carl Socolow.

If interested in learning more about photography and interested in participating in the workshop, contact the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery at 717-867-6445. Participants must pre-register for the event, and the registration fee for LVC students is $15.

Over the weekend, Lebanon Valley College students held a free concert in Miller Chapel. The concert featured acoustic music by The Engine Atlantic, Worries, Jesse Barki, and MILO. If interested in learning more about any of these musicians or bands (all LVC students) check out their Facebook pages. Support local music and the musicians of Lebanon Valley College!

https://www.facebook.com/events/list#!/theengineatlantic?group_id=331222396982480
https://www.facebook.com/events/list#!/worriespa
https://www.facebook.com/giant.weirdo/favorites#!/jessebarkimusic
https://www.facebook.com/giant.weirdo/favorites#!/milotheband

A photo gallery from today's Love the Skin You're In fashion show. 

On Wednesday, February 6, Lebanon Valley College hosted a special event fashion show called Love the Skin You're In. The models promoted creative alternatives to buying from corporate brands, as all of the clothing in the show was made from organic or natural fibers, many recycled from friends or thrift stores. Watch the backstage video for more!

Senior Music Education major Kelly Ehrenfeuchter likes to get creative in the kitchen when she is not student teaching. Her latest recipe is healthy, easy to make, and has a kick to it.

Thai Red Curry with vegetables over orzo

Ingredients:
-orzo pasta
-Thai Palace red curry paste
- olive oil
-fresh basil
-1 can coconut milk
-chili paste
-garlic paste (or fresh minced
garlic)
-assorted vegetables-choose at your
discretion (tomato, onion, carrots, green peppers, mushroom, bean sprouts, etc.)

Preparation:
1)      Prep vegetables by chopping into bite size pieces
2)      Begin boiling water for orzo
3)      Put 1 TBSP of olive oil into a wok until hot (2-3 minutes on high heat)
4)      Add vegetables for 2-3 minutes for stir-fry
5)      Remove from heat
6)      Once water is boiling, cook pasta for 8-10 minutes
7)      Drain pasta, and let cool
8)      Return wok to heat and add garlic paste, chili, and curry paste (2 TBSPS, 1 tsp, 2 TBSPS) or other amount pending on your preferences
9)      Add fresh basil and stir fry for 3-5 minutes (onion should be translucent)
10)   Add coconut milk and let simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes.
11)   Remove from heat and add Orzo pasta to wok
12)   Stir and let set for 3-5 minutes
13)  Add black pepper or other desired spices