Reading Philosophy

More and more have I become attracted to others philosophical ideas. Although I may not agree with most, some I find intriguing. Recently, I have procured the scandalous book Juliette by the infamous Marquis De Sade. Even though this book contains racy subjects, one must look beyond them to understand the author's personal philosophy. So far in my reading, I interpreted the overall idea of one's human nature and that vice is manifests in our imagination; therefore, they cannot be punished by imprisonment alone.


The Marquis is the perfect example of the power that the human mind contains--especially when left idle and wandering. We should never take for granted what the human is capable of.

I will provide a formal review once I have completed my read of the novel.

~Lovely Iris.

My First Book Signing Experience

Never once in my life have I attended a book signing. Shocker! As everyone knows, there is always a first for everything.

Last night, I arrived downtown by public transportation. Our destination: Barnes and Noble on Walnut Street in Philadelphia. I grew increasingly excited as my mom and I approached our destination. Upon entering, a girl with a youthful demeanor handed matching red wristbands with the letter "D" marked appropriately. What does this letter mean? Well, when the letter on the wristband was called, that group of people were allowed to form a line upstairs for the book signing. Anyway, after waiting around for two hours, my mom and I were called to the scene.

Clutching the thick, red book to my chest, the line moved faster and then we came face to face with her: Kat Von D!! Rushing over to her, she gave me a big hug, signed my book with a red sharpie marker, and took two pictures with me. Following a brief chat, she gave me another big hug and we parted ways. Although this encounter was short, I understood that the endless line continued behind me--In other words, I needed to move along!

 Regardless of the enduring pain of standing in line for hours and the rowdiness of the people waiting, I enjoyed myself. Kat is the same content person portrayed on her show " LA Ink." An all around, real, genuine, amiable person. My disappointment did not exist after meeting her for the first time!


My advice for individuals who wish to have their books officially autographed by their favorite authors: be available! Make sure that you do not have any occasion planned and free your work schedule. You WILL be waiting in line for a long while! Perhaps even bring some sort of activity to work on while you wait? How about a nice crossword puzzle? As I stated before, if this truly is an individual that you admire, the wait will be worth your time. (:

~Lovely Iris

Lovecraft In The Movies.

You know what amazes me? When a person can stretch out a short story into a movie. Recently, I watched "From Beyond," which is an adaptation of H.P Lovecraft's short story, "From Beyond." Taking a (litterally) 3-4 page short story and expanding it always pinpoints unique creativity. Although I did not care for the majority of the movie itself, I do commend the writers from attempting to "finish" what Lovecraft had "started." The selection of the actors proved worthy enough--especially Jeffrey Combs. I think he portrayed Dr. Crawford nicely. I would advise anyone interested in watching the film to read the short story first. It's easier to compare that way.


~Lovely Iris

A Cute Poem About Cats. (:

"Cat Math"

Addition:
How many strokes
Of cheek against chair
Does it take to prove
Territorial rights?

Geometry:
is any amount of bare space
Shining at the bottom of the foodbowl
Acceptable?

And how do you prove the negative
To humans?

Calculus:
Jump too close
And the parabola will be still ascending
Feet below the surface
Where their tangent
Should be level
Landing without lift or fall.

Jump too far
And the parabola will be descending
Feet below the surface.

Feet shouldn't scrabble for purchase.
Cat math depends on dignity.
The derivative should be zero
Eyed before the leap
Into quadratics.

Ruth Berman, Asimov's Science Fiction, August 2008

If you like this poem, you can check out this neat website I found that contains a lot of poems about cats. http://www.pawsonline.info/cat_poetry.htm

Enjoy!

~Lovely Iris

How Does One Classify Horror Literature?

As friends of literature, I am sure you all are aware of what books are deemed worthy to place under the "horror" genre--for example, "Frankenstein," by Mary Shelley and "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. Although these are the most obvious, how about the ones we consider to be horror that are less obvious? First, take a glimpse back to Oscar Wilde's intriguing classic, "The Picture of Dorian Gray."

Naturally, one's reaction would to immediately pinpoint the certain aspects that make this classic a stereotypical "horror": The murder, the insanity, and, most importantly, the ghastly portrait of Dorian's soul. Other than these significant features, how else does this book follow the rules of what constructs a horror novel? From my perspective, I see nothing else that would convince me that this piece could be considered a "horror" classic. Sure, the idea may evoke fear in the audience, but not as significantly as one that contains "otherworldly" beings---such as these ghostly authors: H.P Lovecraft, Stephen King. The better classification as I visualize, would be under, respectively, "Mystery" or "Thriller" instead.

In addition to Wilde's classic, I suggest that "Phantom of the Opera," by Gaston Leroux is not a horror piece, either. Why? Does the idea of a disfigured, misunderstood man living under the opera house spook you? Perhaps to some, but this classic deserves recognition as a romance--the courage of the phantom taking advantage of the one and only chance at finding a partner that would adore him for his personality.

Perhaps I am gazing too deeply down the rabbit hole. But, as far as what my perspective insists, these pieces of literature should not be considered a part of the horror genre. Naturally, there are probably other novels that deserved to be "re-knighted" with another classification. Please feel free to share any thoughts on my blurb!

~Lovely Iris.

A Journey of Progression

Are you often a victim of temptation? Escape with British author Sarah Waters into an erotic tale of betrayal, lust, and status.

Set in the Victorian Era (1890’s London), Tipping the Velvet follows the heart twisting tale of an impoverished oyster girl, Nancy King, climbing the stairs to fame and misfortune. Her place is with her father, a seaside restaurant owner, but is seduced into the world of show business by male impersonator miss Kitty Butler. Nancy eats the fruit produced by the tree of temptation when she travels far away from her hometown. As her relationship with Kitty progresses, the flame inside her heart ignites and a deeper, more intimate connection is established.

As Nancy advances in her career, she encounters the vile snake that hangs from the tree of temptation. The important people in her life abandon her and the people she trusted betray her. Because of her loss in relationships, she plays the part of a male rent boy, roaming the streets for money. Nancy’s life continues to encounter many twists and turns throughout her journey in life.

Waters successfully portrays a world of compassion, excitement, and remorse throughout the novel. She incorporates an accurate setting of Victorian London, bringing her characters to life. Tipping the Velvet is an entertaining piece of erotic literature that anyone with a compassionate heart will learn to love.                                                                                                                                                              (As a little side note, the movie adaptation is sensational! There are a few scenes missings, but, otherwise the flick follows faithfully. I recommend that you read the novel first before taking the plunge.)

~Lovely Iris

Literature Taught in Universities--A Small Thought.

As always, I strongly encourage universities to add "Paradise Lost" to the list for English Literature majors. I was highly disappointed that I had been served a little "blurb" of the epic in a 17th century literature class. Granted, the text is difficult to understand, but, with extra guidance with a trained professional students will learn to cope.

 When I was in college, I attended a "Dante's Inferno" course. Now, this course was very intense--lines interpreted word by word, reference by reference. Although initially intimidating, the course grew intriguing with a Dante scholar as the leader.

 I know after reading this small blurb of a post, some of you may be thinking: "Is she nuts?" or "Why would I want to read that? It's hard and boring!" I agree that older forms of literature are difficult to comprehend. They may even frustrate you to the point where you just want to throw the book at the wall! But,  as I stated in my example before, with the perfect guide and patience, these texts may become more enjoyable.


Enjoy literature as a piece of the puzzle of our history. Do not look at it as a way to make your life miserable.

~Lovely Iris.