Existential Moments in Reading and Blogging
December 22nd, 2011 § 5 Comments
i’m going through a reading identity shift, which is a good thing. but, i’m not sure where that leaves this blog.
when i went back to school a year ago and decided to pursue a MA in English (instead of continuing on with Biology or IT work), i thought this blog would play some part in the process. and early on, it did. i tried to keep blogging about books i was reading in class (like my Toni Morrison binge), and it was exploratory and fun. but, as things got busier with grad school and i was reading less novels and more theory, the blog just didn’t fit. i mean, who wants to hear about me fumbling through composition and cultural studies theory?
also, i’m finding that the 300 or so books that are taking up shelf space are no longer in my target reading zone. i used to love a good novel, but now i’m more interested in non-fiction, politics, social justice, and the like. my interests have shifted so dramatically that i surprise myself every day. i’m happy with the change and my time spent thinking and reading and living feel more meaningful as a result.
as for the blog – i think the coming semester will tell. my theory heavy load is gone and i’ll be taking classes that will once again fit into the blogging life (i hope!). i’m taking a class on Biography and the American Dream, a literature class (either American Realism or Representations of War in pre-1700 literature), and an American Studies class in social movements of the 1960′s. the reading list for these classes should prove to be much more interesting and discussable.
this will never be the blog it was before; i know that. but, i am not ready to sunset the whole concept just yet.
Sounds exciting – I will look forward to whatever changes your studies bring!
I’m glad you’re enjoying all the nonfiction and theory you’re reading.Why did you decide to pursue an MA degree in English?
i was working in IT and hated it. was dying to go back to school, and english just made sense given my passion for reading and writing. the program is actually nothing like i’d expected, but i love it.
I think as we read more and also when we give other books a go based on what others are recommending it’s inevitable that our tastes will alter. Your classes and the potential for the blog sound very exciting!
Just gives you a completely new way to write your blog – something that will really stand apart from so many of the other blogs since you’ll have the opportunity to discuss things other than current novels.