tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.comments2023-07-24T09:30:23.555-04:00DilettantsiaJessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.comBlogger612125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-28390574713314025462011-04-20T18:29:24.388-04:002011-04-20T18:29:24.388-04:00wow! i am shocked i just heard about this today i ...wow! i am shocked i just heard about this today i have sympathy fro the familes who lost loved ones.i know how you would feel .this was a real dissapointmnt and i hope never occurs again :( may God help you :) ~little kurdistan~Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-61755349144652086462011-04-19T02:12:04.970-04:002011-04-19T02:12:04.970-04:00Have you ever heard of Stendhal's _Charterhous...Have you ever heard of Stendhal's _Charterhouse of Parma_ (_La Chartreuse de Parme_) ? I'm not sure how the English translation compares to the French, but, in my opinion, it's one of the greatest novels ever written.<br /><br />Also (call me heretical if you will), I think that _Pale Fire_ is (at least) every bit as good as _Lolita_.Odinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03112193101733660296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-86888210346492878042010-11-22T23:23:06.388-05:002010-11-22T23:23:06.388-05:00hey! Snobber, I just google searched this. I'm...hey! Snobber, I just google searched this. I'm the laura who wrote this, thanks for not only enjoying what I wrote but also giving me credit! Love your blog :)LAurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01430131803510640286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-40809034065920773352010-08-20T11:47:14.739-04:002010-08-20T11:47:14.739-04:00Melanie - Atonement is great, so is Sophie's C...Melanie - Atonement is great, so is Sophie's Choice! Don't be dissuaded by the movie - honestly, compared to the book it's pretty horrible.Jessica Ferrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-51219478514458082292010-08-20T11:39:35.091-04:002010-08-20T11:39:35.091-04:00Atonement is definitely a book I want to read one ...Atonement is definitely a book I want to read one day! I watched Sophie's Choice but never read it. I don't know if i could have the heart to read it.Melanie's Randomnesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11331778717585609001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-60429124717151976822010-08-16T16:15:24.563-04:002010-08-16T16:15:24.563-04:00I was introduced to this film in my first year of ...I was introduced to this film in my first year of college and have never stopped praising Albee's wit nor Nichols's vision. So glad you liked the unnerving drama.Rutilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13422038770821629312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-16573136695499229472010-08-11T09:07:28.292-04:002010-08-11T09:07:28.292-04:00Hi Chelsea! No problem, I loved your piece, it mad...Hi Chelsea! No problem, I loved your piece, it made me laugh. Drinks and encouragment flowing back your way as well!Jessica Ferrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-37950625181756413042010-08-10T19:14:32.973-04:002010-08-10T19:14:32.973-04:00Thanks for the shout-out, and consider the drinks ...Thanks for the shout-out, and consider the drinks AND encouragement flowing over the vast system of internet tubes.Chelseahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14979614050697222375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-59731231243464846882010-08-01T09:10:43.149-04:002010-08-01T09:10:43.149-04:00I started reading the Dud Avocado in January and s...I started reading the Dud Avocado in January and still haven't finished it. As much as I liked it, too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-21135966571008257452010-07-26T17:31:19.221-04:002010-07-26T17:31:19.221-04:00I couldn't stick with Wolf Hall or Devil in th...I couldn't stick with Wolf Hall or Devil in the White City either. Oh well.<br /><br />I did enjoy Kate Atkinson's When Will There Be Good News, and am looking forward to The Passage.Katenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-65144476852944525852010-07-26T15:35:22.801-04:002010-07-26T15:35:22.801-04:00Thanks, snobber. I have to say I've been surpr...Thanks, snobber. I have to say I've been surprised and puzzled by the fascination a few people have taken with Eric's virginity--particularly gm, who published the book he's promoting there, and the op-ed columnist who wrote both pieces he cites (a former colleague of Jeff's at the Rocky). It didn't seem particularly relevant to me.<br /><br />What is important, and clearly evident, is what you said: that the two boys had quite a healthy social life and circle of friends--nothing like the outcasts they were portrayed.Dave Cullenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07147629998855818290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-61294400316081648422010-07-26T12:35:43.190-04:002010-07-26T12:35:43.190-04:00GM,
Thanks for your comment, and thank you for br...GM,<br /><br />Thanks for your comment, and thank you for bringing another Columbine title to light. <br /><br />I imagine Mr. Cullen asserts that Dylan and Eric may have not been the social rejects that they've been characterized as in the media because they did have friends, and perhaps, dates. Who knows about their virginity, really. All in all it must be difficult for a journalist to lock down their popularity before the shooting. Anything their peers would have to say about them would be influenced by the events of 4/20.Jessica Ferrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-18025408273302755932010-07-22T11:17:07.057-04:002010-07-22T11:17:07.057-04:00You're welcome. Word of mouth is key with book...You're welcome. Word of mouth is key with books, so it's nice to see you reaching people.Dave Cullenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07147629998855818290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-82752915474157432592010-07-22T08:51:53.320-04:002010-07-22T08:51:53.320-04:00Dave,
Thanks so much for stopping by. I really d...Dave, <br /><br />Thanks so much for stopping by. I really did enjoy the book.Jessica Ferrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-60793337515673230642010-07-21T22:23:55.450-04:002010-07-21T22:23:55.450-04:00Thanks, Jessica. I appreciate you spreading the wo...Thanks, Jessica. I appreciate you spreading the word.<br /><br />There's much more about the book and the tragedy on my <a href="http://davecullen.com/columbine.htm" rel="nofollow">Columbine</a> site. I recently added <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/davecullenwriter" rel="nofollow">videos</a> for book clubs or classing, covering topics like the structure of the book, and characters. For schools and book clubs, I will skype in for 20-30 minutes this fall.Dave Cullenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07147629998855818290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-51706556843747753772010-07-13T12:23:15.184-04:002010-07-13T12:23:15.184-04:00Yes, absolutely, confidence is the problem. But bo...Yes, absolutely, confidence is the problem. But boy, cultivating it is easier said than done. Especially when you realize this at 25, and not, you know, 8.Jessica Ferrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-92198108886972814652010-07-13T12:05:31.602-04:002010-07-13T12:05:31.602-04:00Great post. I understand where you are coming from...Great post. I understand where you are coming from. <br /><br />To address your last question, above - "How do we stop talking shit?": Isn't it an issue of developing self-awareness and confidence? <br /><br />Don't we need to spend our energies creating lives for ourselves that are fulfilling, lives that we can be proud of? I think when we know who we are and what makes us special, unequivocally or as much as we are able, we will be able to love and appreciate other people who are going through their own journey, no matter where they are on that path. I would hope that the competition drops when we are secure enough to realize that life's not about the competition.<br /><br />But I truly don't think it's possible without a concentrated effort toward believing in ourselves.emloebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11135630377982695373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-49763040749784393922010-07-13T09:21:14.731-04:002010-07-13T09:21:14.731-04:00Alison,
Wow, thanks for your insightful comment....Alison, <br /><br />Wow, thanks for your insightful comment. I think you're correct - women do use gossip as a way to relate and bond to each other. What better way to get someone on your side than by talking shit about another girl you both despise? Of course you're absolutely right that it always comes back to bite you in the ass. Men use other things to bond over: video games, alcohol, fishing (this is so gender biased and i'm mostly kidding) but no they rarely gossip. If they do it's usually one off color remark and that's it. Women just go on and on. The question is: how do we stop talking shit?Jessica Ferrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-6755644233806310142010-07-10T18:59:12.608-04:002010-07-10T18:59:12.608-04:00Dear Jessica,
I was pleased (relieved, even?) to...Dear Jessica, <br /><br />I was pleased (relieved, even?) to read this post. It's not a novel idea to say that girls are (more often than not) catty, insecure, selfish. It's not new, no, but it is, for me, still constantly surprising. And it doesn't stop the more educated, the more successful, the more independent you (and the women around you) become. <br /><br />Maybe it's rooted at the core in how women communicate with each other - we bond by gossiping, and the best, juiciest gossip is the stuff that puts other girls down. Doesn't it make you feel better to know that Sally might have a great career, but she can't keep a boyfriend? Jane might have bigger boobs than I do, but she's not as smart as I am? The little bits of negative gossip ("I heard he cheated on her") tear down the women we envy the most into manageable adversaries. And that's why you can walk out of an all-girl dinner feeling, for a fleeting, petty moment, better about yourself. <br /><br />What's so interesting is that all girls use "insecurity" as a sword - "she's insecure" is the worst verbal girl-on-girl crime there is. But obviously (transparently, pathetically) it's a shield, because if we weren't insecure, we wouldn't have to put her down. (Have you ever noticed the only people you consistently say nice things about are your ugly friends?) <br /><br />When we're with men, we're not allowed to talk this kind of shit about people we know. Gossip is not tolerated for very long, or received very well. With men, we talk about movies, we talk about politics, we talk about...I don't know, farts, whatever, it's not always substantive or highbrow, but it's not exclusively about specific people we mutually know. This may also be why keeping in touch with male friends is sometimes easier - you can meet a man for lunch long after your everyday lives no longer run parallel and still have plenty to talk about. But when you lose your gossip circle, you start to run out of things to say to your once-close girlfriends. <br /><br />Unless, of course, you can write long rambling gender-biased posts on their blogs.Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11942127097622182389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-91989259018132822162010-06-30T15:32:26.440-04:002010-06-30T15:32:26.440-04:00You're right, Sherry. I think it probably has ...You're right, Sherry. I think it probably has more to do with the person than his or her sex. I find that it happens *more often* in my relationships with women, which is why I made the delineation.Jessica Ferrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-19086635614541923082010-06-30T15:27:38.330-04:002010-06-30T15:27:38.330-04:00I used to find your comments true, but now not so ...I used to find your comments true, but now not so much. I think it has to do with expanding one's social circle: there are men and women who are equally my best buds and men and women equally whom I don't get along with at all. I stopped making blanket gender assumptions in college and now find myself with a mixed-sex bag of incredible buddies.Rutilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13422038770821629312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-71941675431099689952010-06-02T18:34:45.747-04:002010-06-02T18:34:45.747-04:00Have you read Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where...Have you read Jonathan Tropper's <i>This Is Where I Leave You</i>? Within the first ten pages the narrator muses: "You marry to have an ally against your family." I knew I was going to love it after that line.Rutilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13422038770821629312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-18875863076046573432010-05-30T18:29:39.134-04:002010-05-30T18:29:39.134-04:00Thanks Snobber, I think you hit the mark in you an...Thanks Snobber, I think you hit the mark in you analysis of the film. I hate to admit it, but the actual underlying messages of the film were unclear to me before I read your piece just now. I now intend to see the movie in the future, at which point I hope I will be able to appreciate it to the extend that you did. Thanks.dfishbaynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02532801988170157659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-68356733365799575092010-05-27T09:48:49.714-04:002010-05-27T09:48:49.714-04:00Ooh yeah. I've never read her, but I have some...Ooh yeah. I've never read her, but I have some friends who are obsessed with Lamott.Jessica Ferrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-61902962635430111562010-05-25T19:06:16.265-04:002010-05-25T19:06:16.265-04:00She's over 40, but lately I can't get enou...She's over 40, but lately I can't get enough Anne Lamott. She probably most famous for her non-fiction (Bird By Bird, her Salon columns) but has written some great novels.Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11942127097622182389noreply@blogger.com