Saturday, March 21, 2009
XVII
Folks, it is the Saturday after Spring Break 2009 and what a tumultuous week it has been. I didn't go home or anywhere fancy. I stayed in Knoxville and my body lazed about while my internal landscape raged like the storm to end all storms. The movie Twister comes to mind. It's lucky that my body was in direct opposition to my mental state for I fear what would have happened had they ever fully aligned. For example, on Thursday, in some blind fit of sporadic, angry energy, I decided it would be a good idea to get some fresh air and exercise. I ran on the greenway outside. My calves are still a teensy bit sore when I point my toes. In fact, I sort of feel like doing this again right now or soon. This is frightening. Ah, the unexpected consequences of prolonged idleness and mental unrest.
Okay so here are some things that happened:
Last Thursday, the Thursday before Spring Break, I found out I got the internship I applied for at the Oxford American. The editor called me while I was at work. Reader(s), had I been certain that the sudden lost of all bodily control would not jeopardize my chances of obtaining the internship, I would have collapsed and lay writhing on the floor, right there between Nancy Drew and Magic Tree House. As it turns out, I was able to keep relatively calm and I answered all the editor's frighteningly loaded questions with some degree of finesse, given he offered me the position at the end of it all. So yes. To say I'm excited is an understatement.
For those of you who don't know, the Oxford American is a quarterly general interest magazine that focuses specifically on Southern literature, arts and culture. Each issue adheres to a certain theme, from food and movies to architecture and sports. The current issue features the past, present and future of race in the South. By far, their most popular issue is the annual music issue that always comes with a free CD sampler. Self-proclaimed to be the "Southern Magazine of Good Writing," the Oxford American has snagged more than one National Magazine Award over the years.
I discovered the Oxford American just this past fall and, in my literary magazine ignorance, was struck by how fresh and engaging it actually was. And it's a magazine about the South that isn't kitschy or pompous. From the perspective of a girl who grew up walking the beaches of Lake Michigan, I've encounter the negative stereotypes of the South from my fellow northerners, as well as this bizarre resentment/embarrassment of the South from more than a few of my fellow students native to the area. Simply, I'm glad there is a magazine that celebrates and expounds upon the deserving aspects of Southern culture. 'Cause I like it.
The offices of the Oxford American are located on the University of Central Arkansas campus in Conway, Arkansas. It's about 40 minutes north of Little Rock and about 8.5 hours west of Knoxville. And about 10.5 hours south of my little home town of Crown Point, Indiana. Point: Oh my god I'm living in Arkansas by myself for three months. I don't know anything about Conway or Arkansas, so I've been researching.
Apparently, Conway isn't far for the Ozark Mountains - which is neat; I've visited them in Missouri. And perhaps more interestingly, there is a festival during the first week of May every year called Toad Suck Daze. There is toad racing and other activities and I am honestly disappointed I will not yet be in town to experience it. I think it might be a big deal there.
Also, the mascot of Conway's high school is the "Wampus cat," a six-legged feline with "four to run with the speed of light, and two to fight with all its might." For those of you who don't know, the Wampus Cat is a legendary creature in Cherokee mythology as well as a "fearsome critter" in lumberjack folklore. According to legend, a Native American woman camouflaged herself in the skin of a mountain lion in order to spy on men while they told sacred stories and did magic. Women were not allowed to hear the sacred stories or see the magic. She was caught and the medicine man transformed her into a half-woman, half-cat creature that supposedly still haunts the forests of East Tennessee. Hey...did this just come full circle? I think it did.
According to Wikipedia, the Wampus Cat has been known to stalk humans and "several instances have been recorded of actual attacks, but most are believed to have been mountain lion attacks." I can see how one could make the mistake. As far as I can tell, the only difference between a mountain lion and a Wampus Cat is the addition of two more legs. If one were being attacked by either a mountain lion or Wampus Cat, it would probably be difficult, if not impossible, to get an accurate leg count.
WARNING: there have been reported sightings of the Wampus Cat on the Hill. Some believe it lives under the city of Knoxville.
Apparently, this is more serious than I had previously thought. If you type in "wampus cat" into the Google search bar, the first two suggestions - which, may I remind you, are determined by popularity - are as follows: "wampus cat sightings" and "wampus cat university of tennessee." No joke.
Once again, I've gotten way off track. Now my post is too long to tell you anything else that has happened to me over break. And I'm not even going to explain my stormy interior landscape. Too bad for you. Actually, I'd be surprised if you are still reading this. Although, if you have toughed it out - please spread the word about the Wampus Cat situation here on campus. Awareness needs to be raised. We all know what to do if zombies attack, but what about Wampus Cats?
Mountain Lion:
Wampus Cat:
Scary story.
It has occurred to me - and I'm just throwing this out there based on pure speculation - that perhaps only sexists need be afraid. After all, it seems as though the Native American woman was just rebelling against a patriarchal oppressive society. Perhaps the attacks are just a continuation in that line of thought. Perhaps the attacks are just an extreme form of demonstrative feminism. Just something to think about.
ps: I'm living with llamas in Arkansas. Word.
Llama:
Okay so here are some things that happened:
Last Thursday, the Thursday before Spring Break, I found out I got the internship I applied for at the Oxford American. The editor called me while I was at work. Reader(s), had I been certain that the sudden lost of all bodily control would not jeopardize my chances of obtaining the internship, I would have collapsed and lay writhing on the floor, right there between Nancy Drew and Magic Tree House. As it turns out, I was able to keep relatively calm and I answered all the editor's frighteningly loaded questions with some degree of finesse, given he offered me the position at the end of it all. So yes. To say I'm excited is an understatement.
For those of you who don't know, the Oxford American is a quarterly general interest magazine that focuses specifically on Southern literature, arts and culture. Each issue adheres to a certain theme, from food and movies to architecture and sports. The current issue features the past, present and future of race in the South. By far, their most popular issue is the annual music issue that always comes with a free CD sampler. Self-proclaimed to be the "Southern Magazine of Good Writing," the Oxford American has snagged more than one National Magazine Award over the years.
I discovered the Oxford American just this past fall and, in my literary magazine ignorance, was struck by how fresh and engaging it actually was. And it's a magazine about the South that isn't kitschy or pompous. From the perspective of a girl who grew up walking the beaches of Lake Michigan, I've encounter the negative stereotypes of the South from my fellow northerners, as well as this bizarre resentment/embarrassment of the South from more than a few of my fellow students native to the area. Simply, I'm glad there is a magazine that celebrates and expounds upon the deserving aspects of Southern culture. 'Cause I like it.
The offices of the Oxford American are located on the University of Central Arkansas campus in Conway, Arkansas. It's about 40 minutes north of Little Rock and about 8.5 hours west of Knoxville. And about 10.5 hours south of my little home town of Crown Point, Indiana. Point: Oh my god I'm living in Arkansas by myself for three months. I don't know anything about Conway or Arkansas, so I've been researching.
Apparently, Conway isn't far for the Ozark Mountains - which is neat; I've visited them in Missouri. And perhaps more interestingly, there is a festival during the first week of May every year called Toad Suck Daze. There is toad racing and other activities and I am honestly disappointed I will not yet be in town to experience it. I think it might be a big deal there.
Also, the mascot of Conway's high school is the "Wampus cat," a six-legged feline with "four to run with the speed of light, and two to fight with all its might." For those of you who don't know, the Wampus Cat is a legendary creature in Cherokee mythology as well as a "fearsome critter" in lumberjack folklore. According to legend, a Native American woman camouflaged herself in the skin of a mountain lion in order to spy on men while they told sacred stories and did magic. Women were not allowed to hear the sacred stories or see the magic. She was caught and the medicine man transformed her into a half-woman, half-cat creature that supposedly still haunts the forests of East Tennessee. Hey...did this just come full circle? I think it did.
According to Wikipedia, the Wampus Cat has been known to stalk humans and "several instances have been recorded of actual attacks, but most are believed to have been mountain lion attacks." I can see how one could make the mistake. As far as I can tell, the only difference between a mountain lion and a Wampus Cat is the addition of two more legs. If one were being attacked by either a mountain lion or Wampus Cat, it would probably be difficult, if not impossible, to get an accurate leg count.
WARNING: there have been reported sightings of the Wampus Cat on the Hill. Some believe it lives under the city of Knoxville.
Apparently, this is more serious than I had previously thought. If you type in "wampus cat" into the Google search bar, the first two suggestions - which, may I remind you, are determined by popularity - are as follows: "wampus cat sightings" and "wampus cat university of tennessee." No joke.
Once again, I've gotten way off track. Now my post is too long to tell you anything else that has happened to me over break. And I'm not even going to explain my stormy interior landscape. Too bad for you. Actually, I'd be surprised if you are still reading this. Although, if you have toughed it out - please spread the word about the Wampus Cat situation here on campus. Awareness needs to be raised. We all know what to do if zombies attack, but what about Wampus Cats?
Mountain Lion:
Wampus Cat:
Scary story.
It has occurred to me - and I'm just throwing this out there based on pure speculation - that perhaps only sexists need be afraid. After all, it seems as though the Native American woman was just rebelling against a patriarchal oppressive society. Perhaps the attacks are just a continuation in that line of thought. Perhaps the attacks are just an extreme form of demonstrative feminism. Just something to think about.
ps: I'm living with llamas in Arkansas. Word.
Llama:
• • •
2 Comments:
Congrats!!!!!!!!!!! :D
Thank you!
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