hello

I am technically an undeclared sophomore, but as I am actually sending in my major card this week, I will therefore soon be a French and English double major with a minor in Education. I am studying English because I love to read. It sounds like a lame reason to base a major life decision on, but I figured that I couldn't go wrong if the homework was something that I would choose to do voluntarily anyway. Ever since middle school I have known that I wanted to study English in college, but it was not until last year that I changed my mind from literature to writing. I love both reading and writing, and I have especially enjoyed the opportunity to take creative writing classes here at SLU. Prior to college, I felt like I never really had the chance to experiment with different forms of writing and never knew how much fun it could actually be. I decided on being a French major too, because someday I would like to be fluent. I love learning other languages and I think its really interesting reading books and literature in the languages they were actually written in. I am also hoping to go abroad to France to study in the fall because I have never really traveled before and I'm excited to try out all the French I have been learning. I am an education minor because I think I would someday like to be a teacher. I am a tutor right now and have had to do some field work in a couple different classes with a range of ages and I haven't decided yet what level I would like to teach, but I know that I do love teaching and working with kids.

I am from North Sutton, New Hampshire. It's a small town, but I love it. We have one business in Sutton and that is Vernondale's General Store. At Vernondale's you can buy one can of any type of food you might want, but there is rarely more than that and it's usually wise to check the expiration date just in case. It's a typical small town, where most everyone knows each other and usually the most exciting thing going on is a meeting of the volunteer fire department or a high school football game. We aren't far from Concord, the capital city, though, so if we want a little excitement most people usually head there.

Aside from writing, I love to knit and I actually spent a couple of years working at a yarn store in high school. I am currently working on a sweater and only have to finish the sleeves, so I am pretty excited about that. I like being active, usually running in the summer and ice skating or playing pond hockey in the winter. Other than that, my hobbies aren't too exciting or unusual. I like hanging out with friends and here at SLU I am in Kappa Delta Sigma.

The feedback I received in Techniques of Poetry last year was very encouraging for me. I am still a little nervous about reading my work aloud, and actually to be honest, I am even nervous being in the room while I know that someone else is reading it, which is admittedly, for someone who loves to write, kind of a silly fear to have. On the upside, I have found that after workshopping both in poetry last year and in creative non-fiction last semester, I am slowly getting more confident and comfortable with sharing my work and actually allowing what I've written to be read. I would say overall, that that is the one thing I would like to work on most this semester, aside from of course, improving my writing.

I don't know for sure yet who my influences are. I wish I could name some really great poets, but I feel like I am still a bit of a beginner poet and not much of my work seems to resemble a lot of the work I've read, but hopefully someday maybe it will. My favorite poets are probably Adrienne Rich and Maya Angelou, I think what I like best about them is their voices. After reading their writing I feel like I actually met them; they have poured so much of themselves into their work that their poetry is like a little slice of their personality and experience. I think it takes a lot of courage to be that genuine and revealing, and I guess I hope someday to be able to write like that. I also think that that is what makes great poetry, the reader should walk away feeling like the poet actually spoke to them. On the other hand I think the biggest pitfall can be writing so honest and open that it sounds gushy and the reader feels like they got just a little too much information.