My English teacher’s wise words
Posted: December 6, 2009 Filed under: .coffeeshops., .general madison., .writing havens. Leave a commentUpon my decision to attend UW Madison, many had advice on places to go, events to attend, or libraries to spend my days at. One family friend told me to always study at College Library, because she met her husband there and she thought, naturally, I would, too. My aunt urged me to go to the Terrace once every week in the summer to get the famous Terrace brats. And my wonderful high school English teacher revealed to me her favorite coffeeshop to go to after the Farmers’ Market: Michelangelo’s.
Now that I’m here, I do study at College Library, but not always, and I haven’t met my husband yet. Maybe he’ll show up one of these days. The Terrace brats are fantastic, though I don’t eat them weekly. What’s interesting about Michelangelo’s, though, is that I do go there often because of my English teacher’s high esteem for it. I guess this is the only advice I actually did follow. And I’m glad I did.
Walking into Michelangelo’s is like walking into a comfortable cottage. The bakery items include delightful cookies, pastries, and cakes, all made that day. The coffee is amazing, and their whipped cream is homemade. They also make their own chai, which is delicious. It’s refreshing to taste something other than the too sweet chai concentrate.
The thing that’s great about Michelangelo’s is that there’s always a place to sit. At other shops on state, sometimes I have to get coffee and then find another coffeeshop to drink it in, but not Michelangelo’s. It has two areas, one in the front, and one larger, more artsy area in the back with an abundance of outlets and bigger tables. The table I always sit at has an outlet that is above the window so I have to stand on the nook below the window to plug my extension cord in, which is comfortingly precarious. The art is fantastic, some even being painted right onto the walls, making it more of a museum than a temporary place to put canvases.
If I run out of cash, they even have a convenient ATM inside their premises, right next to a computer for customer use, which is extremely helpful when I just have to check something when I’m walking up or down State Street. The atmosphere is extremely diverse, which is greatly appreciated right after being to the coastie-infected Starbucks. They also have board games, which are always a wonderful way to spend time. Why do homework when I can play Scrabble?
So, I just want to thank my favorite high school English teacher for enlightening me with such great advice. You were and still are my most wonderful teacher, and I thank you for leading me to the best coffeeshop on State Street. Let’s go play Scrabble!
Authors! Take heed! A list of things that will make an editor cringe
Posted: December 3, 2009 Filed under: .creative writing., .the writing craft. Leave a commentAs a publishing intern, I have read my fair share of manuscripts. Some are extraordinary. But then there are the others. And these others usually have similar missteps. So I decided to make a list of the things that make me want to throw the manuscript out the window. Along with the author.
- too many adjectives
-If you are using more than five adjectives in a sentence, cut some out. For example, saying that “she glided up the stairs, her flawless, smiling, slightly flushed face hidden beneath a flowing, translucent veil” is over the top. You don’t want your editors to roll their eyes at your excessive use of description.
- a four-year-old protagonist
-I don’t know how many times I have read something like this. A four-year-old cannot be controlled by his hormones, nor can he be a dominating physical presence. And is it really realistic that this same four-year-old will save the planet? Make your characters reasonable.
- repeating a color or description
-Using the same color more than three times on a page is illegal. Just kidding. But really. Vary your colors; there are so many wonderful ones! Also, using “tall, dark, and handsome” multiple times is not original, nor does it make me marvel at your creativity. Create your own characters.
- ridiculous plots
-If you think your story is getting boring, do not just haphazardly bring some aliens in. This also applies to pirates, zombies, and plagues. Take a break, remind yourself of your overall plotline, and keep writing. You can fix the slow parts after you have finished your manuscript.
When you’re writing your manuscript and you’re about to take that wrong turn, stop! Remember these four things like your life depended on it. Some might be common sense, but you would be surprised at how many people still do them. These slip-ups might be the difference between your manuscript getting published and being flung out the window in frustration.
Most importantly, though, keep writing and keep submitting your work. You never know who will like your story.
Comfort in Ink
Posted: November 24, 2009 Filed under: .bookstores., .miscellaneous. Leave a commentI don’t know about you, but I could probably spend my entire day at a bookstore. One entire day surrounded by that wonderful almond smell of paper and fresh ink. It would begin at the opening time, probably around 8 am, as I opened the doors. I would feel the rush of warm air as I walked in from the cold winter morning. Then I would hear the quiet murmurs and the shrill beeps of the scanners, reminding me that I could take any of these books home (yes!). I would then feast my eyes on the bright, gleaming book covers only a glance away from the front doors as they shone their spotlights onto me, beckoning me to come and look at them.
And, obviously, I would listen, and rush over to the new releases table, breathing in every shining cover, flipping through the first couple of pages of some to judge my level of interest. Now wait a second. Let me make a side note about interest. Don’t you think it’s completely illogical that while we are taught as tiny, innocent children that we should “never judge a book by its cover,” this is precisely what we proceed to do from that moment forward? Think about it. When you are looking for a new book to read, you don’t take each book and examine its insides; on the contrary, you skim over the covers and the titles, and if one catches your eye by its color combination, font decorum, or title appeal, you retrieve it from the shelf to learn more about it. Only after you have determined that its cover has impressed you enough do you venture to open it. Weird, right? Ok, back into it then.
What Is the What
Posted: November 17, 2009 Filed under: .events., .miscellaneous. Leave a commentUsually, when I go to a reading of a notable author, I don’t expect to be shoved and pushed aside by my fellow literature lovers. However, as I arrived only ten minutes early to the wildly popular reading of Dave Eggers and Valentino Achak Deng, I shouldn’t have expected anything less. Every seat filled and every step crammed with at least three excited students’ Bascom-trained butts, the room grudgingly admitted me into its jam-packed 10×10 space in the back of the Elvehjem lecture hall. And though I didn’t actually
get a glimpse of the two speakers until an hour into the lecture after some wimpy students left because of their tired legs, I still completely enjoyed the reading.
Valentino Achak Deng was born in Southern Sudan, in the village of Marial Bai. Growing up in refugee camps because of the Sudanese civil war, Valentino decided he would make a difference in other Sudanese lives when he grew up. Consequently, when that time came, he looked for a writer to document his life and his accomplishments and randomly found Dave Eggers. Dave and Valentino hit it off immediately, Valentino’s hilarious miscommunications and Dave’s easygoing attitude carrying them through the US, Sudan, and other parts of Africa.
Valentino spoke of his creation of the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation, which has a main purpose to educate people around the world, including the Sudanese, about the conflict in Sudan. His goal is cultural awareness; additionally, the Foundation just opened a secondary school in Marial Bai, which includes a library and housing for teachers. The school was built in less than a year, and up and running soon after that. And now it’s actually in progress! I was completely astounded by this seemingly quick achievement since usually, advancement is difficult to achieve in such a short time.
crêpes and the sahara
Posted: November 3, 2009 Filed under: .coffeeshops., .general madison., .writing havens. Leave a commentAs a student, I have hardly ever ventured out from my comfortable soapy bubble consisting of State Street, campus buildings, and Camp Randall. Which is sad, really, since some of the best places to eat and drink and write are hiding behind massive amounts of foam from this said bubble, namely the adorable and tasty Bradbury’s. Nestled in the pizza-shaped corner of Hamilton and Webster, this coffeeshop is more than terrific. Not only do its baristas produce a sweet and tangy coffee that’s unique to Madison, but they even know how to make CRÊPES. With NUTELLA.
Let me just give you some space to be in awe…
Ok, now I’m thinking if you like food as much as I do, you just gasped. And then you got excited. Which was my precise reaction to hearing about Bradbury’s. Their crêpes are made just crisp enough, not too soggy and not too hard so you can’t cut into them. The crêpe makers use fresh fruit and fresh dairy from organic farms around the area to create them, which basically makes these crêpes unrivaled in the history of my life of continuous eating. Types of crêpes range from one with pumpkin, apple butter, whipped cream, and fresh grated nutmeg to another with raspberries, Nutella, and whipped cream to even another with beef bourguignon, greens, and fried egg. Am I serious? Completely.
word laundry 