Week 1: Curation

I use the bookmark feature on my MacBook religiously. Its how I keep track of all the important websites and information I need for school. I recently used Interest in one of my classes to curate ideas. At first, I thought the same as Laura that Interest was just for shopping and food. But, then we used it to look up ideas for our class projects and saved the good ideas we liked. It was really helpful in finding resources and getting the creative process started. I also curate by using Twitter and favorite posts I have read and liked or want to read later. Cosmopolitan twitter always posts good articles about entering the work force that I favorite to read later.

Photo from my Twitter. Article I read later
about finding a new job. 

Storybook Favorites

I looked through the previous storybook posts and found many I really liked but I am going to describe three that I really enjoyed. I really enjoyed The Ridiculously Old Witch. It was a really good story and I really enjoyed how it was written. The story was so creative and fun. I enjoyed the unrealistic element, how all the inanimate objects could talk and took on human qualities. I think the story was really creative and well written. I also enjoyed the scary/suspenseful element to the story. I also enjoyed the images the author used to tell her story. They look like original images and I really like that.

I also really like the story Mermaid Maiden. I chose this one because I love mermaids and the ocean. This story like the other one was so creative and fun to read. I also love the images the author included. I also enjoyed the way the story was broken into parts. I thought this story was well written and interesting. The story kind of reminded me of The Little Mermaid. A rebellious daughter and a royal king father who didn’t approve of what she is doing. I think the author did a very goo job of displaying imagery and describing the ocean scene.

I also really enjoyed the project Cupid on Trial. I enjoyed how this story was divided into each characters section. I also enjoyed how the stories were written and how it was dialogue based between the characters. I think it was such a creative idea to use Cupid for the story. I really like how everyone was so creative on his or her projects and they were actually really interesting to read. I want my project to be interesting and people enjoy reading it. I look forward to deciding what I am going to base my idea off of.

Jupiter Sculpture found on Wikipedia. 

Untextbook

I am very interested in the reading unit Legends of Alaska. Legends of Alaska include 15 stories told by Eskimos. I am really interested to hear about the skims. I have always wanted to go to Alaska and am very interested to see what the stories talk about. I am also interested in Alice’s Looking Glass. I think its cool it was inspired by chess. I have always wanted to play chess. I also really like poetry so I am excited to read this section. I am also looking forward to reading Arabian Nights. I think I am interested because of Aladdin but the stories sound so interesting. I like the levels the stories go to, stories within stories. I look forward to reading this selection. I am also looking forward to reading Beowulf. I really liked the novel in high school. I don’t know if they are connected but I really think it would be interesting. I am also excited about reading Myths of the Cherokee because I took Cherokee in college and really enjoy learning about Native American life.

Portrait of Cherokee Leader, Stalking Turkey 1762. 

Introduction Blog

Hi, I am Averey McDowell. I am a 5^th year senior majoring in public relations and minoring in enterprise studies. I am from Dallas, TX and plan to more back there after graduation to be closer to my family. That is probably the most important thing to know about me, I love my family. My mom, dad, brother, and sister are my favorite people. We have so much fun together. I also have a 15-month-old niece who is actually the cutest baby in the world. I love her more than anything even though she is in a stage of hating me right now. 

My niece Beckett when she was 7 months old. 

My sister just got engaged 2 weeks ago in NYC. I am so excited and can’t wait to help plan. I also love to travel and cook. Traveling is my favorite thing to do and I have been lucky enough to visit some amazing places. Paris, Rome, Prague, Spain and the Caribbean are my favorite places I have been. I studied abroad that summer and got to visit so many amazing places. I studied in Erfurt, Germany and went completely by myself and without speaking a German. It was the greatest experience of my life. I would recommend it to anyone. I also love to cook and I am actually pretty good. My family and I love to cook together and talk and just have fun. My mom is probably my best friend. We get along so well and can have so much fun together. My dad is one of my favorite people too. He makes everyday and everything so fun. He is the funniest man I know. I also love to read but haven’t had much time lately due to school. After graduation in December, I plan to move back home to Dallas and live with my parents for a little but then me and my friend from school are going to move in together. I am really glad I have another semester and football season but am also looking forward to graduating.

My new friends and I on the Vltava River in Prague. 

Week 1 Storytelling: Steve Can Run No More

Author's Note: I wrote this story based on an untitled Nursery Rhyme from The Nursery Ryhme Book edited by Andrew Lang. Below you will find the nursery rhyme I drew inspiration from: 

THERE was a man, and he had nought,

And robbers came to rob him;

He crept up to the chimney-pot,

And then they thought they had him.

But he got down on t' other side,

And then they could not find him.

He ran fourteen miles in fifteen days,

And never looked behind him.

Steve was loading the dishwasher when he heard a clashing sound. He stopped what he was doing and walked closer to where the sound came from. He thought it came from his living room but wasn’t sure. He walked closer and closer and heard yet another clashing sound. But, not he also heard voices. He saw 3 men standing near his living room table wearing masks and carrying guns. They found me, her thought. He knew they were looking for him but didn’t think they would find him this quickly. He looked around in a panic. Where can I hide, where can I go? He asked himself. He looked around and saw that his only escape was his chimney. Steve ran to his chimney and shimmied up and hid inside. He could hear them looking for him and threatening to kill him. Steve started sliding down the chimney. He couldn’t hold himself any longer. The men heard him and ran to the chimney. His life flashed before his eyes and Steve got the strength to shimmy all the way up and out of the chimney. He jumped off the roof and started to run and run and run. He was going to have to start all over again. New name. New town. New life. Steve was tired of running. He missed his family and friends. He wanted to know how his children were doing, how big they are now. Steve just kept running and running. He had no chance to see his family again if he was dead. He ran and ran. He finally reached his safe house where he had everything he needed to start over again. Money, car, new identification, cell phone. He had to make it quick so the men wouldn’t find him. He grabbed everything he needed and headed for the train station. Maybe they won’t find me in Paris, he thought. But, this was his last time to run. He was going to fight back next time and figure out a way to reunite with his family. One day. 

Man on Balcony by Gustave Caillebotte, 1880. Man on Balcony

Bibliogrophy: The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897)