Harry Potter And Literacy

Of course with 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part I' coming out there's a lot of talk about the series coming to a definitive ending and analyzing it's cultural effect. My take.

I was a camp counselor for eight years, my first year was in 1998 when the first Harry Potter book was released in the US so I've been around kids in different aspects since the series started. The last summer I was a camp counselor was in 2005 when 'Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince' came out. The camp I was at was an all boys camp of about 300. I would say easily 250 of the campers had their parents ship them the book on the date of release. All down time activities were set aside for a couple days while everyone finished the book, myself included. When the last Harry Potter book was released I worked at a Barnes & Noble and worked the midnight release of the new book. My point of this being, I've been around the Harry Potter phenomenon semi-intimately since it began.

Also to get it out of the way: I'm a fan. Not a huge fan, I never went to the Museum of Science and Industry when it had its Harry Potter exhibit and I never watched any of the midnight showings of the movies BUT I'm a fan. I got all the books shortly after they were released and have read the series cover to cover about three times. One of the things I like most about it is that it's a quick read, I would call it fast food fantasy. It's not as dense as Stephen R. Donaldson or as satisfying as Gene Wolfe but thats why it appeals so broadly.

In 4th grade I discovered my reading level was almost non-existent. Our English teacher at the time required us to read a certain amount of pages per month. I found much to my surprise not only couldn't I do it but I couldn't decipher most words in most books. My parents solution was to make me go to my room and not let me come out until I finished some assigned reading. I never let on to them how behind I actually was. It was becoming a real problem until I got 'The Chronicles of Narnia.' I was a real big fan of the BBC made for TV movies and in an effort to engage my interest my mom got me the complete hardcover edition. I found reading was easy and even fun when your interested in the story. I've been an avid reader ever since.

The Harry Potter series has done this same thing but on a global scale. Hundreds of thousands potentially millions of kids have started reading because of Harry Potter. Many of whom wouldn't read at all if it weren't for the books. And one thing I've experienced and seen in the kids I've worked with- once you have an enjoyable reading experience you want more.

I realize this point has been made periodically in the past twelve years. I guess sometimes I just wish Harry Potter had hit a bit earlier so it could have effected my generation more thoroughly. Because a lot of the time when I ask someone "You read any good books lately?" they say...

Oh, I don't read.

A Fable About Choices

There once was a bear cub.
A black, cocky bear cub.
This bear cub liked to eat.
He would gorge himself on meat and honey.
He would sit in his cave and eat and eat and eat.
This bear cub got fat.
He lost his edge.
Eventually he had nothing left to eat.
He had to venture out, to hunt.
But he had forgotten how.
His stomach dragged on the ground.
He made too much noise travelling through the forest.
He had lost his edge.
He went back to his cave and laid up.
His hunger ate at him.
His hunger became cunning.
He remembered how to hunt.
Hunt, bear cub, Hunt.

'127 Hours' A Review

For the most part I don't like it when movies have 'Oscar buzz' before they even come out. That being said I really enjoyed this movie. James Franco plays a real life hiker who falls in a canyon and gets his hand trapped by a boulder. The majority of the movie takes place with Franco stationary, pinned, dealing with/brainstorming-ways-out-of his predicament.

(Spoilers)

At times the movie can feel a little claustrophobic because, as an audience member, you're just as much trapped as Franco is. There are only two cut aways from Franco while he's trapped, both are brief and both just pan out to give perspective about how alone he is geographically. The worst parts for me were the times when he was tugging on his arm which was pinned. One of my favorite shows is 'House' and even the procedural stuff in that is tough to take for me sometimes so all his arm stuff was difficult for me to watch.

The movie, unsurprisingly, hinges on Franco's performance. He's totally mesmerizing to watch, partly because the majority of the shots are right in his face so we pick up/are privy to the smallest things that he does and partly because it seems as if he's talking directly to us. He plays the character with humor and an overpowering zest for life. The beginning sequence of the film is his journey out to the canyon which has so much energy and fun-loving spirit you almost dread what you know is coming because you almost want to just watch a film where James Franco has fun.

The enjoyable parts aren't what he does in the situation(for example drink his own urine, woof) but how he reacts to it and what he says. He repeatedly tells his parents he loves them(he has a video camera that he records messages on), he apologizes for not being more responsible, he reminisces about his ex-girlfriend, he chastises himself for his arrogance. And all through out he keeps a sense of humor and a humble spirit for the small things. Favorite scene-

After the second day Franco starts to hallucinate. At one point Franco does this 'talk show' bit where he's interviewing himself about how he put himself in such a bad position i.e. no one knowing where he was going. It's funny and sweet and self-deprecating. It provides some much needed levity and the realization that Franco is totally self aware about who is responsible for the mess. Him. After watching 'High Fidelity' ten years ago a high school friend of mine said "If it wasn't John Cusack it'd be too much John Cusack." Thats how I feel about James Franco in '127 Hours.' The casting was perfect, you had to get an actor who was serious but also had a humorous spirit. You put someone too serious in that roll and the experience would be unbearable.

Franco eventually frees himself by cutting off his own arm. That scene went on a little too long. He binds up his wound and prepares to leave. There's a shot where he walks away, looks back and says "Thank You." You don't know if he's talking to God or the boulder. There's an amazing sequence when he's hallucinating where he says my favorite line of the film.

"That rock has been waiting for me my whole life."

The Road Not Taken

I was walking back from seeing 'Due Date' and I saw this tree. It made me think of this poem.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
and sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
and looked down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
and having perhaps the better claim
because it was grassy and wanted wear;
though as for that, the passing there
had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
in leaves no feet had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
-- I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference"
-Robert Frost

Steve's Guide To Breaking Up

1. Do it in person. There's nothing more gutless or harsh than breaking up over the phone. I've done it, I'm not proud of it. Whoever the person is they deserve a face-to-face. It's daunting, even if your the person who wants to break up its a really terrible feeling, believe me I get it. Sack up and tell the person.

2. Be honest. People can smell deceit. Not all the time but especially in break-ups. Your much better off just telling the person the real reason you want to break up. If you're in a relationship for an extended period of time I'd hope you care about the other person. In fact I'd hope you love them. So be honest, express yourself. They'll appreciate it, it serves you well to put your feelings out there. The other person may be hurt but if you were close to begin with your just doing justice to your connection.

3. Hold something back. Don't divulge potentially hurtful information. If you've been in a relationship hopefully you know each other very well. In that case your in a position to really know the other persons weakness. Do not use this. You may be upset, really upset, thats fine. But don't hurt someone because you're hurting. Don't hurt someone just because you can. Don't throw out pieces of information when your leaving as a 'fuck you' to the relationship. Thats childish.

4. Have your friends on speed dial. In the aftermath of any break-up your going to feel raw. Your going to feel kind of lonesome or listless. Call your friends. Get out and don't stew. The best way to move on is by doing things. The other people that love you as much as your significant other are your friends and family. They're there to lean on, so lean on them. You're not alone.

5. It's not over. If you were in love, which again I hope you were if you were with someone for an extended period of time, its not going anywhere. It's special and it's beautiful and it's not just going to dissipate like smoke. Those feelings linger. Even if you've moved on and the other person is really hurt or whatever you still have this thing in common. Breaking up doesn't mean that it wasn't important, breaking up doesn't mean it wasn't special. You'll always have it, in someway, forever.

6. The contact question. There are two ways to go with this. One, you sever completely and don't contact each other. Two, you become friends. One is easy but it's also harsh. There's no room to wiggle but the benefit is that its clean. There's a definitive ending. Two is much, much harder. You almost have to start completely over to build a connection from the ground up. Without a lot of things. There's no middle ground. If you try to do something in between it's just going to be an extension of the relationship and someone is going to be leading the other person on. Not fair.

Break ups are hard.

Bottom line: You're going to be ok.

Street Talk

FireCup had a show at the Playground Wedensday night. I was walking around the block a couple times to kill time before the show. I hate getting to places too early and going into them alone. I walked passed the L&L Tavern on Clark- a relatively well known dive bar. As I was walking by three friends came out to have a cigarette.

Smoker#1(male): Can I ask you a personal question?
Smoker#2(male): Yeah, man, of course.
Smoker#1: Does your dick ever go numb?
Smoker#3(female): ...
Smoker#2: Ummm...?
Smoker#1: You know like if you lay on it wrong when you're sleeping and...?
Smoker#3: He's asking you if your dick ever goes to sleep.
Smoker#2: I don't think so...most of the time, when I'm sleeping, its the opposite.
Smoker#3: ...(judgmental stare)...
Smoker#1: I swear its not just me.

Steve's Guide To A Sucessful Wedding Experience

Matt and Katie, the day of. Photo credit to HO.

1. Don't be the drunk one. There always seems to be one or two people at a wedding who are way too drunk, so a couple steps to not be that person. Don't pre-game, there's no reason to. Regulate your intake until all pre-planned parts of the wedding are over with i.e. speeches, first dance, cutting the cake etc. After all that is done go to town, just don't put yourself in a position where either the bride or groom has to do damage control. Remember, it's their day.

2. Dance. Older folks and kids will usually start off the dancing so there's no pressure to get the dancing going early on in the reception. But at some point you need to get out there and dance. If you think you can't dance, newsflash, you can, if you're not comfortable dancing post-up by a friend who is and they will ease you in, if you need to just copy what they're doing. The bride and groom want to feel like they're having a successful reception, nothing says successful reception like a packed dance floor. Dancing is fun.

3. Keep your emotions in check. It's ok and expected to get teared up during the ceremony and when the bride dances with her father. But over the top displays of emotion pull focus from the people who the event is really about, the bride and groom. We're all really happy for them but throwing a lot of emotion at a couple who is probably stressed, tired, hungry, and overwhelmed is not helpful. Give them a big hug and tell them you love them. No tears.

4. Save a slow dance for the single folks. Lonesome George can pop up pretty easily at weddings. If you see a single person looking lonely in a corner ask them to slow dance, you were once alone, it's not fun.

5. Hook-Up. Weddings are a real aphrodisiac. Grab a special someone, pull them close, and kiss.

6. Do what they tell you. Do whatever the bride and groom want you to do. You're there first and foremost to make their day special and go the way they want it to. Your enjoyment is secondary.

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