Saying Goodbye

Well, my time as an undergrad has expired. I am officially done with all of my classes and there are just 12 days left until I graduate from UVA. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions. It feels overwhelming to be entering a new chapter in my life (that is still unclear). Thinking about completing school - something I've been working toward for years - makes me feel happy, nervous, excited, etc. all at once.



Moving forward. Moving on. Moving away. Everything is so open. I've been thinking a lot about the past and it makes me melancholy for how fleeting it all is. It's a very strange sensation to be in this transition. I never thought it would get here. Now that it has arrived, I find myself not quite sure how to react.



(Image of UVA graduation 1947 courtesy of LIFE)

To-Do

One of my professors recently informed me of the Emily Dickinson's Garden: The Poetry of Flowers exhibit going on at The New York Botanical Garden. Fortunately for me, it runs through June 13, leaving me just enough time to scoot by there once I arrive in New York on June 6.



As an Emily Dickinson fan (I'm currently taking a class called "Emily Dickinson and Contemporary Poets"), I cannot wait to go to the Botanical Garden to see what her garden would have looked like. There are also marathon-readings of Emily's poetry during the exhibit. How cool is that? This is definitely on my to-do list for my time in NYC.

(Photo found here)

Empire State of Mind

I'm headed to New York!



I just recently found out that I've been accepted to the NYU Summer Publishing Institute. For six weeks, I'll be attending this intensive program to learn everything I possibly can about magazine, book, and digital publishing. I am so excited. I leave in a little less than two months (right after graduation)! It's always been my dream to live in NYC. Even if it's just for six weeks, it will be a complete thrill.




(Images via metroscenes.com)

French Milk

Sadly, spring break has come to an end. I should be finishing up an Anthro midterm and writing two English papers that are due tomorrow but instead, I find myself here.

Chance and I went to the Green Valley Book Fair this weekend. We came home with about $100 worth of books. He bought mostly Anton Chekhov and Oscar Wilde. I, on the other hand, loaded up on a random assortment including a collection of New York magazine essays and The Color Purple. Among the stash was this little gem:

Although I haven't read too many graphic novels, I picked this one up because of its adorable cover that faintly reminded me of a past post from A Cup of Jo. I started reading it on the way home and was hooked. The illustrations are so fantastic and the story is fun. The book documents Lucy Knisley's trip to Paris with her mom for several weeks in celebration of their birthdays. Lucy was turning twenty-two at the time (which is how old I'll be this year), so I could easily relate to her tone, mood swings, and fear of failure upon approaching graduation from college.

I love the book's journal quality as well as the mixture of illustration and photography. It made me feel like I was listening to my friend recount stories from her trip. Lucy was great company on a dreary day. I was actually disappointed when she was gone until I discovered more of her work here. Hooray for the wonders of the internet!


(Images via comicsreporter.com)

Sprout Film Festival

Alison and I recently attended the Sprout Film Festival. This traveling film festival is supported by the awesome Sprout, a non-profit organization based in New York. The short films showcased during this event are made by and deal with issues related to people with developmental disabilities. This is one of my favorite films featured at this year's festival in my hometown:



This is a fantastic idea. On the rare occasions that people with developmental disabilities are depicted in film, they are often played by people without developmental disabilities (a la Sean Penn in I Am Sam). The films showcased by the Sprout Film Festival are making huge steps to make people view developmental disabilities in a different light. I so, so enjoyed the films at this year's festival. Please check this website to find out when the Sprout Film Festival will be in your area. If you don't see your home on the list, request it! Until then, I hope you enjoy this fantastic video as much as I do.

Heartburn

I know I have expressed my love of Nora Ephron before. Nonetheless, I must do it once again. I just recently finished reading her book, Heartburn. I picked it up and could not put it down. I just love Nora's witty, conversational style of writing. Her ability to turn a negative situation into an amusing and entertaining story is a true talent. I found myself literally laughing out loud at the depiction of Rachel Samstat and her deteriorating marriage (which, I know, doesn't sound the least bit funny).



After reading the book, I rented the movie version of Heartburn (1986 Mike Nichols film starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson). Although the movie is worth viewing, I found the book much more entertaining. If you're looking to add a book to your reading list, I would highly recommend it!





(Images via trashionista.com and moviefone.com)

Go See Alice

Last night, Chance and I went to see Alice in Wonderland with my best friend, Alison. Although I thought the 3D made the price a bit steep, it turned out to be totally worth it. I have never read the Alice books and I did not particularly enjoy the original Disney movie, so I wasn't sure if I would like the movie; I ended up loving it. Johnny Depp is a great Mad Hatter (no surprise there) and I like Mia Wasikowska as Alice. Nonetheless, I find myself most taken with the Cheshire Cat and Bayard, the dog.



If you haven't seen Alice in Wonderland yet, I would most certainly recommend it!