I’m thinking about this fine essay “A Character’s Skin” by my old mentor Tracy Daugherty. I’m also sitting here wondering how my students will react to his ideas concerning characterization. I’m hoping they will also have ideas on how it relates to the selections from Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson I also gave them. AndContinue reading “tracy daugherty “a character’s skin””
Author Archives: john paul jaramillo
didion’s minimalism
In my lit course we’ve been reading Joan Didion’s novel Play It As It Lays and there is so much for the young writer to learn from this book. I have to preface this review or response or whatever you want to call it by saying I’m a writer and not a literary critic. Mostly IContinue reading “didion’s minimalism”
teaching as a writer
I’m looking at my last post and seeing how frustrated I was. Grading assignment after assignment can do that to you. Three sections of composition can take a good amount of energy from you. And really teaching has given me so many opportunities. I shouldn’t knock it. Now I worry concerning time and writing–I worry thatContinue reading “teaching as a writer”
even more thoughts on spanglish
I’ve been thinking more and more about the idea of language in my fiction. It’s something I obsess over. And I guess this whole series of posts began with Richard Hugo and Auden and the idea the writer must love the language they utilize more than the reader. And I do love the mix of SpanishContinue reading “even more thoughts on spanglish”
research and thoughts on spanglish
This last week I’ve mentioned Spanglish in my classes on more than one occasion. My midwest students look at me as if I’m crazy and one even asked me, Is that a real thing? She said it rather dramatically and forcefully. She said it as if I was telling her about something so foreign andContinue reading “research and thoughts on spanglish”
random thoughts on teaching like a writer
Long and difficult week of teaching has me dead tired and wondering if I can return to manuscripts. Revisions of Monte Stories will have to wait until I can read through a mountain of student essays. And this week as I have been teaching I am more and more aware of this disconnect between teaching andContinue reading “random thoughts on teaching like a writer”
six armed cross at la garita
Today I am sitting and studying the Six Armed Cross on the church at La Garita in the San Luis Valley in Colorado. Hope to travel there soon and have better pictures. Hope to draft more ideas returning me to the Monte Stories project. But today I am obsessing over the cross and the uniqueness.Continue reading “six armed cross at la garita”
barthelme and failure
Finished re-reading Didion’s Play It As It Lays last night and have some time before I have to re-read Fight Club for my Intro to Lit course and I don’t have to read Kingston’s last essay from her book Woman Warrior until Weds night–see what I mean when I say the brain of school hasContinue reading “barthelme and failure”
tami show and those puro classicos
I’ve been wanting to write about the TAMI Show for a while. I have the story in my head of Lolo travelling to Denver to see Gerry and the Pacemakers. They probably all have pacemakers now but back in the day this film and travelling concert series almost led Lolo to flunking out of school.Continue reading “tami show and those puro classicos”
donoso in the brain
A new writing assignment has me with José Donoso in the brain. All articles I requested and his book Hell Has No Limits all came in today like a spring force. I’ve been interested in Donoso since I read the short story “Ana Maria” years ago in an ethnic lit course. And now I haveContinue reading “donoso in the brain”
gorilla, my love
Some random thoughts on Bambara: I haven’t been able to teach an ethnic lit course for a while but I am glad to have the opportunity again. After Tancredo’s ridiculous call for literacy tests this last week and also the crazy comments I hear from my students in the hallways I can’t think of anything more important atContinue reading “gorilla, my love”
barthelme
Found this today. My old teacher talking about his old teacher. I wonder if I can take some time from my writing to read Daugherty’s book on Barthelme. http://oregonstate.edu/media/stgqf
the brain of teaching
The brain of teaching and conferencing has me and I haven’t been able to revise or draft as much as I have been wanting. I hope to go back to the Highland Stories this weekend because I have been discussing Denis Johnson and Amy Hempel stories and I have been inspired to pair down those storiesContinue reading “the brain of teaching”
prose home movies
The first time I heard of the ‘prose home movie’ I was in Will Hochman’s Major Authors course studying my beloved JD Salinger. I remember it was a seminar course and we sat round robin style and Will made fun of the white socks and black shoes I was wearing at the time. He admitted toContinue reading “prose home movies”
Random Thoughts on ‘Messy’ Writers
Because I am a sad intellectual type I found myself listening to NPR today, specifically Dave Davies sitting in for Terry Gross. And if you anything about me you know how I feel about Terry Gross. Anyway, today, Davies interviewed Paul Giamatti who I loved in Sideways as the frustrated novelist. I like that hisContinue reading “Random Thoughts on ‘Messy’ Writers”