"Road to riches, go and get it in Daytona Chargers
Took a dive for not following our first mind
I was getting it in the mail through UPS
If I tell you I'mma stay away from Juliet
I'm lying" - "Again," Kevin Gates
As a college student, any time you can come away from a semester, or even a huge experience, and feel as if you've gained something intangible, is an unbelievable feeling. Beyond the fact that you're essentially gambling away yours and your parent's life savings in most cases for a chance to take a big bite out of a world full of green, coming away with something no one can take away from you is one of the most rewarding things that can happen during that experience.
I'd be a bold-faced liar if I said I didn't learn anything in my three and a half years of college up until this point, but I'll say that I never quite emerged from a term feeling the way I do after this one. After four classes, all of which out of my immediate comfort zone, despite being mostly writing classes, I know I've grown as a writer. I've broadened my abilities, experimented with different styles, and challenged myself to think outside of my normal, linear way of processing information. Furthermore, even creatively speaking, I've come away with fascinating ideas, ones I can't wait to implement into larger projects, the likes of which you'll see in due time.
During the ten weeks of this term, I've come away with a portfolio's worth of what I feel is quality content. Everything from a collaborative play, to extensive research papers, poetry, and intellectual musings, my cornucopia of work has now been filled with more interesting pieces than it's seen in a while. One of the pieces to emerge this term that I'm most proud of is "Anhedonia," a play I did with my good (long-suffering) friend Amber for our advanced playwriting class. It's sixteen pages (amounting to about 20 minutes of stage-time), set in an apartment bedroom with an adjacent bathroom, and concerns a couple in their mid-30s having an argument before bed. We filled it with crisp, succinct dialog and brutally honest observations about the vast differences between two individuals in a relationship, one approaching conflict logically, the other emotionally. I cannot speak for Amber, but it's one of the pieces I'm proud of the most. It was difficult to write, but satisfying to watch it performed before the class. I'm confident one day you'll be able to read it. Again, in due time.
Another piece you'll be able to read later this month: "I Don't Do Nothin' Fugazy," a structuralist analysis on Future's album DS2. In the piece, written for my literary studies/theory class, I examine Future's third studio album with an intent to show how it adheres to the larger conventions of trap rap as a genre. Furthermore, and more importantly, I also look at how it works to subvert those same conventions by forging its own path while still belonging to its particular genre. For this paper, I had a plethora of ideas of different "texts" I wanted to approach. Being DS2 serves not only as one of my favorite albums, but one of the best albums of its genre, I forced myself to put pressure on why I felt it was worthy of such high praise. It'll be available to access on this website in a few days.
Then there's the progress my radio-show, "Sleepless with Steve," has made. Within the first week of 2018, I launched a new look to my content, complete with a variety of promotional and professional photos, along with a new presentation for my audio-only highlights of my show (easily accessible here). "Sleepless with Steve" was also nominated for Best Talk Program at the Intercollegiate Broadcast System (IBS) Awards. While my cohost, Joe Viso, and I were not awarded the top prize, the honor of being nominated was not lost on both of us.
Less than a year after its official creation as a specialty show on WONC, "Sleepless with Steve" has been greeted with warm reception from staff and listeners alike. It seems like with every show we do, we're met with more texts and positive reception from those tuning in, despite the obviously quirky timeslot (Wednesday 12-3am). It's been a wild ride, one with gas still in the tank, as my show will continue until September 2018. There is still a lot more ground to cover and I hope you tune in to see what's in store.
Then there's the progress my radio-show, "Sleepless with Steve," has made. Within the first week of 2018, I launched a new look to my content, complete with a variety of promotional and professional photos, along with a new presentation for my audio-only highlights of my show (easily accessible here). "Sleepless with Steve" was also nominated for Best Talk Program at the Intercollegiate Broadcast System (IBS) Awards. While my cohost, Joe Viso, and I were not awarded the top prize, the honor of being nominated was not lost on both of us.
Less than a year after its official creation as a specialty show on WONC, "Sleepless with Steve" has been greeted with warm reception from staff and listeners alike. It seems like with every show we do, we're met with more texts and positive reception from those tuning in, despite the obviously quirky timeslot (Wednesday 12-3am). It's been a wild ride, one with gas still in the tank, as my show will continue until September 2018. There is still a lot more ground to cover and I hope you tune in to see what's in store.
A little update on "Cheap Beer, Rich Thoughts," my first novel:
As for "Cheap Beer, Rich Thoughts" — my first novel I announced back in September — its status is mostly positive: it's coming along. While I haven't been as far along in the writing process as I'd like to be at this time, I'm continuing to write and rewrite big portions to assure it covers everything I want it to. It's been a powerful period of self-reflection, on where I was and where I'm headed, and I look forward to releasing it when the time is right. That time will be when it's complete, edited, reedited, and to my liking, for as long as that lasts.
While I still have no official date nor timetable for release, I can say that my method of publishing through CreateSpace remains in place. I'm looking forward to working with their process, which has been the crutch for many filmmakers and authors I've followed in the past. It seems like the perfect way to get my first novel out to the public in both hard-copy and eBook form.
It's been a strong term, hectic and at times unforgiving, but thoroughly rewarding. Having said all that, it's a real possibility some of my reactions to this term are nostalgic ones, given the fact that I have one more that awaits me before I graduate. There's nothing quite like rose-colored glasses to make you reflect upon the struggle with a certain fondness, just like there's no greater motivator than desperation; I'll save the latter for the ongoing job-search.
KEY SONGS OF THE TERM (FIVE SONGS THAT WERE A PART OF MY DAILY PLAYLIST THIS TERM IN COLLEGE):
READ MY OTHER COLLEGE BLOGS:
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