Twilight vs. Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre (2011)

Fictional characters are compelling people. Just because they don't exist beyond the written page, the computer screen, or the digital image/film doesn't mean that they can't affect our lives just as much as real people can. My family continues to laugh at me when I cry while reading books or watching movies. The characters come alive, and for a few hours I am transported into their worlds and inhabit them as completely as I inhabit our book-lined mountain cabin.


Once character I've been fascinated by is Stephenie Meyer's Edward Cullen from the Twilight series. And it's not because handsome Robert Pattinson plays him in the movies; it's because of Edward Cullen's literary heritage. Like me, Ms. Meyer became an English major because she adored books--she loved inhabiting new (or old) world peopled with incredible characters. 


So when she created a vampire-with-a-conscience in Edward Cullen, Ms. Meyer drew him from some outstanding male characters throughout literary history. If you've read the books, some of Edward's predecessors are obvious: Emily Bronte's Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, Shakespeare's Romeo, Austen's Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, and Stoker's Dracula. But others may be more difficult to spot. In the character of Edward Cullen I also see shades of the Beast from Beauty and the Beast, of the Byronic Hero of Don Juan, of Raskolnikov from Dostoyevsky's masterful Crime and Punishment, of Edmund from Austen's Mansfield Park, among others. But for me, the most obvious literary predecessor of vampire Edward Cullen is another angst-ridden Edward: Edward Fairfax Rochester of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

I can almost place a Robert Pattinson, aged by 15 years, in the role of this older and more urbane Edward, one equally haunted by his past sins and tied to a dark mystery in which he drags a young, innocent girl into because of the depth of his love. Only Edward Cullen leaves his Bella while Jane Eyre leaves Rochester behind...but both leave for what they believe is the "right" reason.


The women of both Jane Eyre and Twilight, and their stories, definitely parallel each other. Both raised in unusual circumstances, Jane an orphan and Bella parenting her own parents, Jane and Bella are rather strong-minded in some ways, yet their teenaged romanticism colors their world greatly. They're young, innocent, trusting girls who are drawn to dark, angsty men who conceal dangerous secrets and checquered pasts. After a climatic event in the story line, a separation ensues during which both women discover another possible love interest, Jane with St. John Rivers and Bella with Jacob Black. Both women's lives are in danger because of this relationship as Jane could easily die on the missionary fields of India where St. John intends for her to join him while Bella learns to love a werewolf.


Supernatural forces (Jane hearing Rochester call for her, and Bella learning of Alice's vision of Edward's suicide attempt with the Volturi) bring the couples back together, Jane to a blinded and contrite Rochester, Bella to a contrite and apologetic Edward. Choices must be made regarding which love interest the women will choose, and of course they choose their angsty guys, marry them, and live happily ever after, children and all.


And the two Edwards are so similar. They both possess sinful pasts that they are reluctant to share with their innocent teenaged loves, and both have a deep-seated self-hatred based on those pasts and on their perceived danger to their women. Once restored to their loves, both are appropriate contrite although Rochester has truly changed during the separation from Jane while Edward Cullen was altered by Bella more before the separation.


Both male characters are loners to an extent, have past romantic interests in Blanche Ingram and Tanya from Denali, neither truly worthy of the angsty guys, who inspire jealousy in their teenaged loves. Both men are altered greatly by the introduction of these pure, idealistic women who look past the ugliness in the men's lives (Rochester's physical ugliness and the ugliness of who Edward is as a vampire) and love them not only despite the men's flaws but perhaps because of them.


If you haven't yet had the pleasure, I cannot more highly recommend the 2011 film version of Jane Eyre with Mia Wasikowska (from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland) and Michael Fassbender. For a short film version, it's masterful, even though it omits much of the faith element of the book (one of my top three favorite novels of all time) and rushes the ending a bit. It's far better than the Twilight films in quality and faithfulness to the book. 


Always reading,

My Journey as a Writer and Quote of the Week

When I was about eleven, I decided I wanted to be a writer. I took a pad of paper and a pencil and settled myself on the floor under the family room window and prepared to write my first story.

I think I wrote three sentences, got bored, and ran off to play touch football with the neighbors.

The next time I tried to write a fictional story was in my college creative writing course, and then I wasn't writing a story because I wanted to; it was an assignment. I remembered an old story my aunt had written in college at SDSU years before about a flea named Spike, so I wrote a sequel to her story. Not a creative assignment on my part, but it was the best I could do with fiction writing.

Since then, I've written nonfiction and poetry. I've published two books, but both times in an editorial capacity; the first was a collection of scholarly essays I helped to publish in grad school, and the second was a new Book of Common Prayer for the Reformed Episcopal Church. I also started writing poetry in high school, kept writing poetry in college (and was editor of both literary magazines in high school and college), but once I started grad school, the poetry writing tapered off slowly to nothing.

Once I completed graduate school, I was too busy to write; instead, I was researching and designing lesson plans for teaching college courses and the only writing I was doing was in the margins of student essays and exams. Then kids came along, with five pregnancies within eight years resulting in four wonderful children and a difficult and heartbreaking miscarriage. Obviously with a houseful of children and the decision to educate them at home, I had no time to write.

In 2006 I met two amazing women. Smart women. Writing women. Poets, actually: Kitty and Judith. And I was drawn back into the poetic vortex and started composing poems again. I had re-embarked on the writing journey.

In the fall of 2008 I did something that still shocks me. Along with a number of women from a self-education forum, I joined the melee of NaNoWriMo -- National Novel Writing Month. The idea of writing a 50,000-word novel in thirty days--the month of November--was daunting enough, but fiction writing? Me? It didn't seem like a promising combination.

But then I remembered something I read from Christian writer Brian McLaren: he turned an autobiographical journey into a fictional novel which because a well-known book, A New Kind of Christian. And I thought that I could do the same. I could chronicle my journey from evangelical to Anglican via a novel. So I made up a character that was part me and part several women I admired greatly, and I went for it. In November of 2008, I wrote those 50,000 words in thirty days, thus drafting the first half of the novel. In 2009 I committed to NaNoWriMo again, this time drafting the second half of the novel. The join between the two is very rough, as is the entire book; if I ever go back to work on it, it will need massive editing and expanding.

But I had done it. I had written fiction. And writing fiction in the carefree drafting mode of NaNoWriMo was strangely freeing. Although fiction writing always seemed like it was outside my skill set as a writer/editor, I found writing from the top of my head, no outline on paper or plan in mind until I wrote scenes into existence, totally invigorating.

I skipped NaNoWriMo in 2010, opting for a poetry challenge instead. But also in November of 2010,  a hair-raising idea grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. I don't know how I got there, but I landed on an unfamiliar website called Wattpad. And there, amongst all of the different writing genres of historical fiction, science fiction, teen fiction, thrillers, horror, poetry, etc., I saw "fan fiction." And in that moment, an idea was born, and I started writing a story under a pen name, publishing one chapter per week on Wattpad; my tale takes place between the first and second books of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. Obviously, fan fiction based on copyrighted material cannot be published for sale, but I found myself intrigued by the characters and what I could add to those mysterious three months between the books. And slowly other people became interested, too.

Eventually that story became a novel of 140,000 words and 56 chapters. Currently that first fan fiction novel has received over 600,000 "reads" (hits) on Wattpad, and I completed it one week shy of a year after I started it, during NaNoWriMo 2011. A second fan fiction novel, which presents a whole new Twilight story, is even more successful at 40 chapters this week (I'm working on the 41st) and nearly 550,000 reads. I've also written three short stories based directly on the Twilight books, retelling a few incidents from Edward's point of view rather than Bella's (as the original novels are written). On Wattpad alone (I also have posted the stories on FanFiction.net) I've garnered nearly 1.2 million reads. I spend almost a day after posting a new chapter responding to comments and reviews on the two sites (fan mail, basically). And I also am thrilled to be able to mentor some young writers on Wattpad and FanFiction.net as well.

In fact, I'll be teaching a new four-week Fan Fiction Writing class at Brave Writer starting July 9!! It's going to be so much fun leading young people into writing fan fiction about characters from their favorite books, movies, television shows, and even video games and music groups.  Fan fiction is a wonderful way to coax reluctant writers to write, especially in the summer. It's fun, creative, low-pressure, and is very popular among teens...who are most of my readers. :)

So in light of this post on writing, I thought I'd share a quotation that I saw on Twitter only yesterday that inspired me greatly:

"A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit." ~Richard Bach

Isn't that a wonderful thought? I may "only" be writing fan fiction, but I also have hopes of pushing beyond the unpaid writing of fan fiction and write some original fiction as well; time will tell. But until then, I have another chapter to post by tonight, so I'd better get cracking! Fan fiction readers can become quite impatient while waiting for a new chapter; I've instant-messaged with readers who were staying up all night on the East Coast, waiting for my next chapter to be posted at 1:00 AM here in California. (I revise each chapter several times before posting, so it takes a while to get a "finished" chapter ready for publication.) 

Enjoy the journey, my friends~

Escapist Reading....

When pain throbs and limbs ache, I reach for something to take the edge off. Rather than taking more meds, I find escape between the covers of a book...or two. Or more.

Movies will do in a pinch. Elizabeth and I had a bit of a Robert Pattinson filmfest this weekend, watching both Twilight and New Moon, and then Remember Me. We're looking very much forward to the DVD release of Eclipse (my favorite of the Twilight Saga books and (thus far) movies) on December 4.

But I reach for books as they involve my mind far more efficiently. As I attempt to sleep each night, I read one of the four Twilight books, and I also listen to the audiobooks from my iPod when dressing and undressing each day and when driving in the car. Going to sleep is difficult for me as I wait for the meds to take effect after my soak in the spa, patiently awaiting the pain to ebb long enough for sleep to overtake me. Dressing and undressing are painful, and sitting in the car is as well, so listening to the books help to alleviate the pain. I'm not sick of the story of Bella and Edward...not yet. I just pray for Meyer to complete Midnight Sun which is a retelling of Twilight from Edward's point of view. Being strongly "Team Edward," I would love to see more than the fragment of Midnight Sun posted on Meyer's website.

But in the spa each night and during the few other times I can read in daylight hours, I've been making my way through the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series of turn-of-the-century London mysteries by Anne Perry. The first novel in the series was published in 1979, and she has published almost one each year since then. Charlotte is a strong woman who helps her policeman husband solve his murder cases, and I love the setting in Victorian England. Charlotte's family have also helped solve cases, including her mother, sister, and her sister's aunt-in-law.

I've read through the mysteries before, but as my chiropractor's receptionist/assistant is lending them to me (her nephew tracked down Perry's entire series). I am enjoying them greatly and am actually dreading finishing the series simply because I am enjoying having such a wonderful stack of quality books to read right at hand. When I finish one, I go right to the next book in the series.

And rereading the Harry Potter series is another way to relax, one that I'll pick back up when I run out of the Pitt series. And yes, I have several of them on my iPod as well. :)

I have plenty of time to "live life" between my "Escapist Reading" which mostly happens "after hours"--after the kids are in bed, after all other work is done. These books relax stress, unwind mind, and allow pain to ebb until body rests and sleep comes.

Escapist TV is a whole 'nother post, but until then, I'll keep on turning pages....

With a book (or three) open,

After a Long Hiatus: Quick-Takes!

It's been a looooong time since I've done Seven Quick Takes, but I read Jennifer's at Conversion Diary today and just had to post my own quick-takes....

-1-

I am soooo excited about Part 1 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows which is due to be released November 19. If we don't do the midnight movie thing, we'll probably slip into a Friday morning matinee. Harry Potter film releases are one (minor) reason I adore home schooling so that we can watch matinees while the rest of the Potter fans are in their respective schools.

And here's the brand new trailer for Part 1.

-2-

Speaking of movies, I am still sooo enamored of the third film of the Twilight Saga. Eclipse is my favorite of the four books, and after seeing it four times in the theatres (a new record...never have I seen a movie four times in the theatres!) So in addition to the countdown to Deathly Hallows Part 1, I'm also excitedly counting down the December 4 release of Eclipse on DVD.

So excited!

-3-

It's TV week. The fall line up is debuting shows old and new. And I admit it: I watch a lot of TV. With my chronic health issues, I am good for only the sofa from about 5:00 PM onward. So...I watch TV. And movies. And read. But TV is just good stuff...the shows I watch, anyway. These are the ones I tend to watch:

Sundays: Paranormal State (when it starts in October!)
Mondays: House, Dancing with the Stars, Castle
Tuesdays: NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles, sometimes The Good Wife
Wednesdays: Survivor, Criminal Minds, The Whole Truth (new)
Thursdays: Bones, CSI, Grey's Anatomy, Project Runway, The Mentalist

(BTW, Jennifer Grey is my favorite on Dancing with the Stars. She can win this thing, especially with Derek as her partner--his first time with an "older" woman!.)

And on weekends I watch the shows that we tape when other shows are on, basically the ones that E asks us to record so that she can keep up with her favorites despite living in the dorms. I'm still acclimating to the balance between new and old. Two new ones I really wanted to watch are on at the same time: The Whole Truth with Maura Tierney (ER) and Rob Morrow (Northern Exposure, Numbers) and The Defenders with Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell (Crossing Jordan). I stuck with the former this first week and was totally intrigued.

The Rachel Zoe Project just finished this week. And I still have to watch the final few episodes of Rizzoli and Isles with Angie Harmon (Law & Order) and Sasha Alexander (NCIS) on TNT. Perhaps I'll do that this weekend....

-4-

So to switch gears from movies and TV, I'm going to be leading the discussion of two very different books for Logos, Lake Murray Community Church's's monthly literary discussion group. Because only two of us could meet last month, we'll have a short discussion of My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, followed by a discussion of Part 1 of John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.

Talk about two very different books--one about two sisters, one of whom has cancer while the other is her sister's donor, and the other about the allegorical journey of "Christian" on his way to the Celestial City. I think there are some very intriguing parallels between these two very different books written several hundred years apart....

-5-

Now that my first essays at our co-op Class Days have been turned in, I'm back to grading papers for the first time this school year. It's been a nice break, but I'm actually itching to get back to grading...which I predict will last only until I've graded my first two, or perhaps three, essays...depending upon how many serious grammatical issues I find.

Grading essays is gut-work...rather like detective work, really--abeit not-so-glamorous. One can have all the rubrics at hand, but assigning an objective grade to a subjective piece of writing that both point out errors so the student can remedy them while encouraging the student to keep doing what is done well is a fine line to walk. And I walk it with a blue Waterman fountain pen which allows me to write copious comments in relative comfort. My new blue Waterman ink refills arrived yesterday at Staples just two hours after my last refill ran dry. Perfect timing.

-6-

This weekend I'll also be tackling rough drafts from the Just So Stories I'm teaching at Brave Writer this fall. They'll finish pouring in today, and then I'll make suggestions of areas to narrow (not so many of those) and of areas to expland and explain through the asking of questions.

This class is full of younger writers, ages 7-14, so I need to find the perfect balance between encouragement and requiring real improvement. So by asking questions, I can find that balance...questions like: "I love your main character. Bob is a hoot! Can you describe him for me a little more so I can picture him better in my mind?" and "I love the interactions between the kangaroo and the joey. Could you write a conversation for them? I'd love to hear what they might say to each other."

It's a gentle drawing-out of ideas from students who are not used to writing multiple drafts of a story. It takes some delicacy and tons of encouragement, but it works. But I admit it: my passion is truly for teaching high school and university-level students which I do at Class Day and will be doing with my upcoming MLA Research Essay course at Brave Writer which starts in October.

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I am addicted to Trader Joe's Maple Leaf Cookies. Sandwich cookies in the shapes of maple leaves, filled with vanilla frosting. Aaaaah...autumn decadence!

And YES, I know how many calories there are in each cookie. But I ignore it. Just this one time.

Wishing you all a Happy Friday,

Continuing on the Pathway to One Thousand Gifts

This week I continue on the path to One Thousand Gifts with the Gratitude Community....

At times the journey seems easy; at times we seem to be going uphill more than down. Last week felt like an uphill battle. This week seems more...even. And that's a good thing.

This week I'm thanking God for....

326. ...the joy of fresh new journals just begging to be filled with words from my pen.

327. ...the simple joy of pen scratching across a blank page, dipped into inkwell, and back to the page again.

328. ...for a better week this week, with less pain and an improved outlook.

329. ...quiet late nights after the house is tucked in for the night and peace fills heart and soul at long last.

330. ...the start of new fall television. I know, not a very spiritual "gift" but one that helps to distract me from pain in the evenings...especially with Dancing with the Stars tonight.

331. ...a lovely weekend with my girl who was home from college for the first time in two weeks (and who is texting me after each new contestant on Dancing with the Stars while I type this).

332. ...finding a wonderful web site for online grading for my co-op writing classes, Engrade.

333. ...the precious joy of praying the Scriptures on Friday mornings with the Anglicans at Blessed Trinity.

334. ...a wonderful date with my husband, with a dinner out and another viewing (the 4th for me) of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. And he liked it. I know he loves me when he accompanies me to Twilight movies. :)

335. ...having the soundtrack to the above film stuck in my head since last Thursday night's date. ;)

So with grace showering down, and gratitude peeping around the corner as autumn arrives with a touch of frost and the promise of tart Pippins on our tree,

Intriguing Christian View of the Twilight Saga

Everyone seems to have an opinion about the ever-popular Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. The majority of Christians seem to frown at the four-novel tale of a human-vampire-werewolf love triangle. But the Twilight Saga can teach young people a great deal about how to live life, how to love, how to rise above one's self, to live and love sacrificially.

One of my former writing students posted this link on Facebook, and I thought it helpful in aiding parents in deciding whether to read the four books of the Twilight Saga. This article, written by John Nolte, Editor-in-Chief of Big Hollywood, claims that "the kids are indeed right."

See what you think:
The "Twilight" Phenomenon: The Kids Are All Right

I especially like the point about Edward's insistence on chastity in his and Bella's relationship--definitely NOT a common message in teen films or novels--among other bright spots in the Twilight Saga. I also greatly appreciate the pro-life message in the final book, Breaking Dawn.

I greatly enjoy the books--far more than the movies. The beauty of the epic love story of Edward and Bella is an example of the sacrificial love we should indeed have for one another, a sacrificial love I see as a type of Christ's sacrificial love for each of us.

A Total Eclipse...of the Heart

Finally. June 30 came at long last. And with it the third installment of the Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Elizabeth bought online tickets the first day they were available on Fandango--not just for Eclipse but also for Twilight and New Moon as well--a triple feature all in the same theatre. We arrived at 6:10 PM, after eating in the mall and stopping by Hot Topic for Elizabeth to buy Eclipse merchandise (pins and bookmarks) and by WalMart for snacks. Outside the theatre we met up with a local Facebook friend who "friended" me from Sarah's New Zealand blog and her daughter. We walked in past the hall filled with people who started waiting at 11 AM just fifteen minutes before Twilight began at 6:30. We found excellent seats 3/4 of the way up the theatre and stayed there for the whole evening. There was a 20-minute intermission between Twilight and New Moon, and almost an hour between New Moon and Eclipse. But we were in the comfortable theatre seats the whole time, and able to come and go between films as much as we wanted. It was so lovely--so much better than sitting on concrete for over twelve hours.

And Eclipse was everything it was billed to be. Full of action and romance, it followed the book very closely and was very well-acted--by Pattinson and Lautner, anyway. Stewart still gets on my nerves for mumbling too much. Eclipse is my favorite of the four books in the series, having read it at least a dozen times (as I have all of them), and I was totally satisfied with it. More than satisfied.

But I think I might still prefer New Moon over Eclipse. Hmm....it's a close call. Perhaps after I've seen Eclipse a few more times it may surpass New Moon, but New Moon grabbed me--even haunted me--in a way that Twilight never had...mostly because much of Twilight sucked (both the writing and the acting). But better directors are doing more with the original actors, thank goodness.

Eclipse is full of great themes of family, self-sacrificial love, and no sex before marriage--at Edward's insistence. Those are some wonderful lessons for teens of our time. The love triangle of Bella-Edward-Jacob is dynamic, and we learn the backstories of the Quileute tribe, Rosalie, and Jasper. I was impressed by how much of the book was translated into the film, especially my favorite tent scene which was reshot just a few months ago and is a real standout in the film. And the action...WOW.

So...at first glance, I loved Eclipse. But whether it measures up to New Moon is still to be seen. But it might. It just might. I'll let you know for sure after I see it again next week with my daughter and my mom...whom we've also converted into a Twi-Grand-Mum.

If you wonder how a Christian can enjoy a tale about vampires and werewolves, please see my post on "Should Christians Read Twilight?"

Writing in the Twilight,

Books and Movies for 2009

Out of a habit started when I was part of an incredible online community, I track the books I read and the movies I watch each year, posting a list at the close of the year.

So here are those lists of books and movies before I wipe my sidebar clean and start again for 2010:

BOOKS READ IN 2009: (HS = read as part of our homeschool)

34. A History of US: The First Americans (2003) (HS)
33. Bird by Bird (1994)
32. Soul Survivor (2001)
31. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)
30. The Middle Place (2008)
29. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (2009)
28. Murder on Waverly Place (2009)
27. Murder on Bank Street (2008)
26. Murder on Mulberry Bend (2003)
25. Murder on Marble Row (2004)
24. Murder in Gramercy Park (2001)
23. Story of the World 4 (2005) (HS)
22. The Kite Runner (2003)
21. Breaking Dawn (2008) (countless times)
20. Eclipse (2007) (countless times)
19. New Moon (2006) (countless times)
18. Twilight (2005) (countless times)
17. Singing Tree (1939) (HS)
16. Surprised by Joy (1955)
15. The Da Vinci Code (2003)
14. Just Take My Heart (2009) (HS)
13. The Lighthouse (2005)
12. Cry of the Peacock (1992)
11. Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852)
10. At Home in Mitford (1994)
9. Banner in the Sky (1954) (HS)
8. Story of the World 3 (2004) (HS)
7. The Private Patient (2008)
6. Mary Jones' Bible (2007) (HS)
5. George Washington's World (1941) (HS)
4. Tales of Beedle the Bard (2008)
3. Becoming a Writer (1934)
2. The Sherwood Ring (1958) (HS)
1. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban 2003)

A FEW FUN BOOK FACTS:

Favorite Book of 2009 (besides The Twilight Saga): Becoming a Writer (1934)

Oldest Book Read in 2009: Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852)

Book Read the Most Times: Definitely The Twilight Saga -- all together, have probably read all four books (plus the partial draft of Midnight Sun) 8-10 times each which explains the sorry number of books I read for this year....

MOVIES WATCHED IN 2009:

54. It Happened One Night (1940) (twice)
53. Father's Little Dividend (1951)
52. Father of the Bride (1950)
51. New Moon (2009) (three times)
50. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
49. Penny Serenade (1941)
48. The Paradine Case - Hitchcock (1947)
47. Poltergeist (1982)
46. Les Miserables (1998)
45. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
44. An Affair to Remember (1957)
43. Dave (1993)
42. My Fair Lady (1964)
41. The Breakfast Club (1985)
40. In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
39. For Me and My Gal (1942)
38. Pirates (1948)
37. Holiday (1938)
36. I, Robot (2004) (twice)
35. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) (twice)
34. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) (multiple times)
33. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) (mutilple times)
32. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) (multiple times)
31. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) (multiple times)
30. Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone (2001) (multiple times)
29. Emma (Kate Beckinsale) (1996)
28. Pictures of Hollis Woods (2007)
27. Topper (1937)
26. Adam's Rib (1949)
25. Bringing Up Baby (1938) (twice)
24. The African Queen (1951)
23. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
22. Captain Blood (1935)
21. Quantum of Solace (2008)
20. No Reservations (2007)
19. Feudin', Fussin', and Fightin' (1948)
18. The Parent Trap (1998)
17. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
16. Twilight (2008) (multiple times)
15. Just Like Heaven (2005)
14. Raising Helen (2004)
13. The Holiday (2006)
12. Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
11. The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)
10. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) (multiple times)
9. Last Chance Harvey (2008) (twice)
8. Footloose (1984/2004)
7. The Nanny Diaries (2007)
6. The Devil Wears Prada (2006) (multiple times)
5. Elizabethtown (2005)
4. Signs (2002)
3. My Boy Jack (2008) (twice)
2. Twister (1996)
1. Mamma Mia! (2008) (multiple times)

A FEW FUN FILM FACTS:
Favorite Movie of 2009: The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

Oldest Movie Watched: Captain Blood (1935)

Movie Watched the Most Times: (tied) Mamma Mia! (2008) and Twilight (2008)

So what was your favorite book and film of 2009? Please share in the comments and/or provide a link to your own blog post on books/movies of 2009.

Should Christians Read the Twilight Saga?

NOTE: Some "spoilers" are revealed in this post. If you would like to read the Twilight Saga and be surprised by the plot twists, I advise you not to read this post.


Yesterday on Facebook I responded to someone who posted in frustration about all of the people reading the Twilight Saga by citing Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."


I did reply -- I probably shouldn't have, but I tend to get defensive about my Twilight, especially since we just discussed it in our church's literary group last month.


First of all, I have read each of the books a minimum of four times in book form (some 5-6 times), and I have listened to the audiobooks at least once each (again, some more than once). I have watched the first movie at least half a dozen times, more or less to keep my daughter company as she adores the books and the movies. It was at her behest that I read the books in the first place.


In fact, I watched the Twilight movie long before I read the books. I was quite sure that I wouldn't care much for the books, but within the first three or four chapters, I knew I had a book series at hand that could rival Harry Potter; I devoured all four books in less than two weeks and have been rereading the books ever since.


Why have I loved these books? First of all, the true love of Bella and Edward is the stuff of literary giants, a parallel that Stephenie Meyer makes quite clear in the books. The first book has subtle hints of Pride and Prejudice; the second possesses a non-subtle connection with Romeo and Juliet, and the third a strong parallel with Wuthering Heights. I think that Bella and Edward truly rank with the literary world's great lovers -- their unselfish, sacrificial love coupled with great adventures as good battles evil everywhere around them is truly the stuff of epic romance.


Yet the romance is not the main reason for enjoying the Twilight Saga. It's the same reason I adore the Harry Potter books: the epic battle between good and evil that asks the characters to choose good over evil in every decision they make. Edward and Bella are both truly good people asked to face evil situations and make moral choices, unselfish choices, again and again in order to conquer evil and cling to what is good (to paraphrase another Bible verse).


Not only have I read the four published Twilight Saga books, but I have also read the section of Midnight Sun that Meyer has posted on her website -- about a third of the material covered in Twilight but from Edward's first person point of view rather than Bella's. It shows how truly good Bella is, just as Twilight demonstrates Edward's goodness through Bella's eyes.


In addition to good vs. evil, other Christian themes are quite obvious in the four (and one-third) books that tell Edward's, Bella's, and Jacob's stories: self-sacrifice (Edward leaving Bella to save her soul); laying down your life for family/friends (Bella does so several times, as does Edward as does Jacob); Edward and Bella wait until after they are married before having physical relations; plus, in the fourth book there is an extremely strong pro-life message.


Many Christians hear the word "vampire" and immediately cringe away, thinking that vampires = evil, which often they do. But as we understand that Edward and the Cullen family are indeed vampires, we also discover that the Cullens are "vegetarians": they hunt and drink the blood of animals rather than that of humans. Led by Carlisle who "created" Edward, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmet when all of them were at the point of death. Carlisle's motivation: to "save" life, not lose it. Because they value life to much to take it, the Cullens exercise self-control in order to live righteous, useful lives. Carlisle has controlled his need for human blood so thoroughly that he works as a doctor, using his extended strength and senses to help save lives. He explains that his father was an Anglican priest in seventeenth-century London, and Carlisle believes that the Cullens at least have a chance of a place in heaven because of their choices.


Edward does not want Bella to become a vampire because he fears for her soul. He delays her every chance he can from becoming a vampire, but when she finally does become a vampire, Edward does so to save her life after the emergency C-section birth of their half-vampire/half-human daughter. The Cullens need to battle the "evil" vampires in order to preserve their lives and the lives of the innocent humans who live in the communities surrounding them.


Beside all the content of the saga, I have to admire Meyer's superb plotting and character development. Not that the Twilight Saga is the best-written book of all time, but it's masterfully planned and beautifully executed. If only I could infuse my novel with a shot of Meyer's magical writing style. It's really incredibly well-plotted, with characters we can't help but become attached to, both major and minor characters.


So, for these reasons, I think that Christians should indeed read The Twilight Saga and not judge others (especially other Christians) without reading it -- same thing with the Harry Potter books as well.

Being Sick

(Image from dsimple.wordpress.com)

Okay, it's been a week now, and I'm still sick. Some of it is exhaustion, I'm sure, as I've been pushing my rather non-pushable body far past what it can handle. And some of it is just plain illness: dizziness, nausea, lack of appetite, runny nose, sore throat, cough, and just general unwellness. The three older kids have had it, too -- everyone but our youngest and Keith. So this week has been spent indoors, doing some home schooling, watching a lot of daytime television ... and far too many Jon & Kate Plus Eight reruns. And Say Yes to the Dress. And Criminal Minds. We've watched a few movies, too. Or more like rewatched a lot of movies. Twilight (which I also read this week in preparation for our Logos meeting on Sunday). Singing in the Rain. Mamma Mia!. I'm kind of in the mood for Dead Again, my favorite film-noir-wanna-be.

I also met a bunch of deadlines for my Brave Writer MLA course, including spending almost 18 hours reading and commenting on the students' rough drafts; their final drafts are due on Monday although today was technically the last day of the six-week class. This is my first six-week Brave Writer class since 2003, and it has thoroughly exhausted me, especially since I was writing the class posts as we went. The next time I teach this class it will be MUCH easier as the class posts will be already written for me, and I will only have to respond to the students' work. For running through this class for the first time, there were very few snags -- a lot fewer than I had anticipated. The only major change I'll definitely do is post the assignments on Fridays so that students can work over the weekends if they would like to, something I couldn't do this time because I was composing the posts on Saturdays and finishing them on Sundays over the entire six weeks.

This weekend I don't have to do anything with the MLA class except answer questions, but I do need to write up The Arrow and The Boomerang monthly subscriptions for Julie. Each subscription takes hours to write, and the first is more complicated than the latter. For ages 8-12, The Arrow this month will feature the book Pippi Longstocking while this month's The Boomerang for 7th through 9th grades will revolve around The Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I need to get these both to Julie by next Saturday at the latest -- together they will involve 10-12 hours of work.

Due to our illness, we missed Class Day, our twice-monthly co-op classes, something I have not done in years. The co-teacher, Mindy, covered the 4th-6th grade Poetry Class which I regretted as this week my favorite poet, e.e. cummings, was scheduled. An in-class prompt was given to my high school class, and they will turn in their papers this Thursday as we have three meetings this month to make up for having only one each in November and December.

I also had to miss our usual Friday Morning Prayer and Holy Communion with Father Acker at Victoria Chapel, plus J's weekly guitar lessons that usually follow the services. And I didn't drive down the hill to my weekly chiropractic appointment either; I only drove Elizabeth to work at the camp and picked her up. I even missed tonight's MECAC presentation of artist Moki Martin at the Community Clubhouse. Two of the boys walked over to the clubhouse to help set up chairs and such, but I'm still lightheaded enough that sitting up for dinner is difficult enough, much less showering, dressing, and sitting through an hour's presentation, no matter how wonderful.

So anyway, I hope to finish mending over the weekend and be back to normal ... or as close to "normal" as I get, very soon as we have quite a bit of school to make up next week.

The Joy of Old-Fashioned Writing

I've been simply swamped so far this school year. We've completed six weeks of home schooling this autumn, and it's been rather overwhelming with helping Timothy adjust to high school, Jonathan adjust to junior high, Benjamin with his reading, all while Elizabeth races through her senior year, studying for her SATs and starting the college application process and planning visits to her possible choices.

But what can bring me a few minutes of relaxation? Spending time with my Lord in prayer. Soaking in my Jacuzzi. Reading the Twilight series or listening to them on my iPod. And writing.

Writing, though, is also my work. This weekend I need to do a great deal of writing: preparing for my co-op poetry class next Thursday, writing posts on organization and outlining for my online research class ... not to mention essays to grade for my co-op writing class which involve a great deal of writing as I comment on and encourage each student's work.

Blogging relaxes me but also puts pressure on me to produce something ... anything ... that works well, is intriguing, is helpful, is insightful. I doubt this post is any of those, but it's what's on my mind and heart this evening.

But the writing that really relaxes me, really puts me into a creative mood, is done without my laptop, without the seeming ease of distribution and clatter of fingernails on keyboard.

And it is achieved without my beloved Waterman fountain pen that I use for most of my daily writing and poetry composing. No, this manner of writing is even more old-fashioned than my hefty blue-swirled fountain pen.

I follow a blogger who writes with a manual typewriter and with pencils at La Vie Graphite. But as much as I enjoyed pounding on my mother's old manual typewriter from her college days, I prefer writing in an even more old-fashioned way.

The way I truly, truly enjoy to write is with my rosewood pen with a fine-tipped metal nib. I love the uncorking of sepia ink, dipping the pen into the glass bottle, and touching the nib to rich ivory paper -- either of my special embossed stationery or of my leather-bound journal.

The instant that the letters and words flow from the nib in elegant sepia swirls and scrolls, I feel stress rolling off my shoulders and out of my mind. I relax more deeply into my seat, allowing pen to move easily across the page, words flowing as mind captures them and translates them down my arm into hand and fingers, through pen to nib and ink where they sweep and pass, dot and cross, curve and whirl.

The simple joy of "for real" writing -- writing the way Shakespeare did ... writing the way Austen did ... writing the way Dickens did, embraces me. Even if it's only for myself in my journal in which I write approximately once per week, I still feel a trill of joy when I write with these elemental instruments, these simple tools of word conveyance.

Part of the attraction of writing thus, I candidly admit, is pure vanity regarding my penmanship. I would love to learn the Spencerian hand or Round-hand or perhaps Italian or German. Most of them are listed and shown in examples in the Dover edition of George Bickham's Penmanship Made Easy (pictured here).

As much as I like my own handwriting, I would LOVE to be able to make it look even more old-fashioned. Part of the key of doing so is using the correct writing instruments, which indeed I have, and part of it is in the slant of the pen in one's hand -- which is much harder to learn and do consistently. Later when I have some REAL free time, I'll work on it.

For now, I enjoy simply allowing letters and words to flow from my pen, watching the width of the line for the perfect moment to re-dip the nib into the bottle of ink -- not too soon while the pen is still glutted with ink, but not too late so that I have to rewrite the last letter or two after the nib ran dry.

Writing thus with wooden pen and metal nib dipped into a bottle of sepia ink relaxes me the way other women use crocheting or knitting to relax, yet still produce something of use and/or beauty. I enjoy writing actual notes and letters to friends in my efforts to not allow the art of letter writing to completely die out in this age of technology. It is a real joy to write thus, a joy for me as I write and, I sincerely hope, enjoyable for the recipients of my notes and letters as well.

A Crazy Week

I have been BURIED this week under the huge responsibility of my Brave Writer MLA Research Paper class. The students are working on all of the steps involved in writing a 5-7 page research paper with an argumentative edge according to the MLA (Modern Language Association) Style. It seems as though this week started last month as I've been up working late almost every night, including being up until 3:00 AM Wednesday night/Thursday morning, typing up print and non-print source formatting. Before I separated the sources into three documents, I had written nine pages of material that night alone. In five days we've posted almost 200 posts/replies ... abd the class only has eight students. And, of course, I've replied to all of their replies. It's been simply crazy. Really crazy.

This weekend I need to write several long posts for the MLA class on taking notes, explaining summaries and paraphrases, dangers of plagiarism, note cards vs. computer notes, etc. Plus I need to write several handouts for my co-op poetry class for next Thursday, and start writing the Brave Writer monthly subscriptions The Arrow and The Boomerang which need to be completed by the end of the month. I've been doing The Boomerang (7th-9th grades) since last winter, but The Arrow (which is written for children ages 8-12) is brand-new to me. I will probably work on known entity first until I can see some samples of The Arrow from Julie. So I have a lot of my plate this week. More than usual.

Judith, my dear poet friend who lives in my town, has been asked to facilitate a Writers' Day at the beautiful Sacred Rocks Reserve next weekend -- right around the time of my deadlines. I would ADORE having a day set aside to work on my own writing in a serene and beautiful setting, but I just don't see how I can make it work right now. I have a hard time relaxing and creating when I have deadlines hanging over my head. And I've totally had to discard any thought of reading Les Miserables with our church's Logos Discussion Group at the end of the month; I don't have the time or mental energy to read a 1200+ page novel. So I broke down and ordered both the regular movie and the musical version to watch this week. Sometime this week, that is.

You may wonder why a copy of Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse is heading this post. Well, the Twilight books have been my escape this week. I sat down this week and reread what there is of the unfinished Midnight Sun on Meyer's website -- which is the Twilight story from Edward's point-of-view rather than from Bella's, one I wish Meyer would consider finishing as she stopped writing just before the meadow scene which is the crucial turning point of Edward and Bella's romance. It's so intriguing! I first read Midnight Sun in a huge rush, but this time I savored it and am even more impressed with Meyer's character development and story-telling expertise. Edward and Bella truly belong to the annals of literary romantic couples like Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, Romeo and Juliet, Catherine and Healthcliff, and Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, some of which Meyer uses as a background details in the books. Truly, Meyers has reached for that level and made it. Edward and Bella were created for each other, triumph through overwhelming odds, and love each other with an eternal love for the ages. Their story was just what I needed to help me relax through a very long and arduous week.

On a side note, my chiropractor today told me about a holistic doctor in LA who has had some real success in healing of patients with autoimmune disorders like mine: he tells them to rest for sixteen+ hours a day. I could only laugh -- I've been making it on 5-6 hours of sleep a night plus a two-hour nap each day this week. The kids need me more than usual with their homeschooling this year, so it's just the way it's gonna be. But I will make an effort to rest more ... as my deadlines allow, hoping for perhaps a little more pain relief than I am currently feeling.

2009-2010 Logos Reading List

So here is the 2009-2010 Logos Reading List:

JULY: Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

AUGUST: The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

SEPTEMBER: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

OCTOBER: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

NOVEMBER: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

DECEMBER: Off

JANUARY: Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

FEBRUARY: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

MARCH: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

APRIL: The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

MAY: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult

JUNE: Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

If you are a Lake Murrian, please join us on the last Sunday of the Month at 1:00 p.m. for lunch and scintillating literary and theological discussion!

Next Logos Reading List

Two years ago, I approached Pastor Stephen at Lake Murray about starting a monthly literary discussion group to talk about various books, classics, recent novels, and Christian works. He approved, and Logos was born. God had impressed on my heart the desire to start such a group, but it took me awhile to "screw my courage to the sticking place" and approach Steve about it. He was very gracious, asking merely for a list of books we would be reading. So for two years we have met on the final Sunday of the month at various home for lunch and fruitful discussion. Some books were extremely popular and others not so much, but it's been a learning experience for all of us.

Our first year's list was one that Kitty and I put together with much prayer; we saw the Shakespeare together at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park:

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
Measure for Measure by Shakespeare
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

We are now finishing up our second year of reading. This list was more of a group effort in which everyone suggested books, and then I checked to see which ones the library had enough copies of, and then prayed over which ones to list. We had hoped to attend the Shakespeare together as well, but the Globe raised their ticket prices out of the reach of most of us. This list is also in my sidebar, but I will reproduce it here:

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
All's Well That Ends Well by Shakespeare
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Cry of the Peacock by Gina B. Nahai
Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Soul Survivor by Philip Yancey

So now it's time to make the list of books for our third year. I have quite a list of ideas that I will have to narrow down to the eleven we'll read and discuss this coming year. (We take December off because it's so busy). We're all quite busy now as well, so some had suggested meeting every other month; however, what we're going to try to do is alternate books with titles that have movie versions so that those who do not have time to read every month can watch the movie version and still join in the conversation. We'll see how it goes. Here are the ones I listed as we chatted last month (asterisks denote books with films):

Mila 18 or Exodus by Leon Uris
The Bean Trees or Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens *
Bell Canto by Patchett
The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan
Avalon or another title by Stephen Lawhead
Gifted Hands by Ben Carson
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery *
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer *
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen *
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee *
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
Jean de Florette by Marcel Pagnol *
Scream Quietly by Elizabeth Carlson
Still Alice by Lisa Genova

And I have a few books I would like to add, especially:

The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo *
The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris
Twelfth Night by Shakespeare *
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult *

So I shall see what the library has on hand and then pray over the books. Our desire in Logos (which we chose because it means both "word" and The Word Incarnate, whom we seek to glorify) is to seek what is good and right and pure and excellent and praiseworthy in literature (Phil. 4:8), discussing these works through a Christian lens yet being willing to stretch our intellects and spirits to become more conformed to Christ and more easily identify with the world who needs Him.

I will post the final list when God gives it to me; I will need to have it by Sunday, our meeting for June at which we will be discussing Yancey's Soul Survivor which presents us with additional authors (like Chesterton) to read.

Twilight Series

I started reading the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer only a week ago. Over the last year or two, I simply haven't understood the obsession that tween- and teen-aged girls have for these books, and I have been even more surprised that some of my own acquaintances and friends have also found themselves addicted to the books. Currently four books have been published in the series: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn; the next book is "on hold indefinitely," according to the author.

Elizabeth started reading the series in mid-December and received the four books of the series for Christmas, either as gifts or purchased with gift cards. And she was nearly as thrilled (and addicted) to them as she has been about the Harry Potter series, an addiction that I also share. So, I finally broke down and started reading the series last Wednesday.

Today, a week later, I have read two books and am two-thirds of the way through the third, Eclipse. I will admit it: I am completely hooked. The books keep me on the edge of my seat with quick action, deeply-realized characters, and a complex plot that twists and turns more than Highway 101 up the California coastline. The writing on occasion gets a little hackneyed, but for what it is supposed to be (an action-packed story), it's fine. We aren't expecting Jane Austen quality, after all.

The books are very hard to put down -- the mysterious plot keeps me turning pages, loathe to close the book even at the end of a chapter. And the characters are so intriguing: Bella, who is physically weak but emotionally and mentally strong; Edward the cold-as-ice vampire who falls in love with her and who wants her to remain human for her own sake because he hates being a "monster" who must kill to survive; Jacob who also morphs into a horror-movie character and is also in love with Bella, but whom Bella loves only as a best friend.

Then the other "vegetarian" vampires who hunt animals rather than people are very interesting: Dr. Carlisle Cullen, his "wife" Esme, and their "adopted children" Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and especially little Alice -- all of these had no choice when they became vampires and don't understand Bella's decision to become like them. Then there are the "other" vampires, the "non-vegetarians" who feed on human flesh. Battles rage between these normal vampires and the peace-loving Cullen "family." The Cullens are forced to work together with Jacob and the other "special" Quileute tribe (I don't want to give anything away) in order to protect the humans of Forks, their town, especially Bella and her father, Charlie.

The movie version of the first book is pretty good -- it follows the book fairly well and definitely picks up the tension well, even if it loses much of Bella's dry sense of humor and innate intelligence. The next movie, New Moon, is due out in November of this year, and Eclipse in June of 2010. I saw the film version before reading the books, and thus Bella will always be Kristen Stewart from the movie for me and Edward always Rob Pattinson (a.k.a. Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter films). But I can handle that. In certain ways, I think it works just fine, in fact.

If you are a lover of fast-paced mysteries and/or deep characterization, then the Twilight novels may surprise you as much as they did me. I can't wait to get back into Eclipse and see what happens as the big battle for Forks (the human town near the Quileute reservation) nears. And I also can't wait to get a good night's sleep and not stay up far too late into the night reading.

UPDATE @ 9:00 p.m.: Finished Eclipse and will be starting Breaking Dawn tonight. Elizabeth has lent her copy to a friend, but fortunately, the local library had a copy. And as it doesn't belong to E (who is extremely picky about her books and wouldn't let me read them in the Jacuzzi because of possible steam damage), I can read it tonight in the spa! See ya. L.A.T.E.R.

Twilight: The Movie

I just sat down with E and watched Twilight tonight. She received the books (all four) for Christmas, either as gifts or with gift cards/Christmas money and has read them each several times already. I, on the other hand, have read nary a word of Stephanie Meyer's ever-popular vampire series although after watching the film, I would like to.

The film definitely possessed shades of the Harry Potter films, with Edward Cullen played by Robert Pattison who portrayed Cedric Diggory in the fourth HP film. And the young girl playing Bella kept reminding me of Emma Watson who played Hermione -- mostly in her facial expressions as well as the overall shape of her face and eyes.

But the film was very well done, although I understand that it is quite different from the book. I was captured by Edward's intense stares from minute one, and was engaged in the characters and the story immediately. The climax of the story was exciting and unpredictable, and the denouement was well-done.

It's a story that most adults would appreciate and most tween and teen girls swoon over (metaphorically, of course). But it's a fast-paced film with exciting twists and turns, good character development, and believable conflict left wide open for the following films. It's well-worth checking out from the library or video store. E received the first copy from our library, so we had a virgin DVD, and tomorrow night we'll explore the second DVD of extra features.

But Twilight is good. Very good. And the books have definitely moved up my list to the very top and I will start them as soon as I can procure them from the library. For some strange reason, E refuses to lend me her books as I tend to read them in the spa and get them all steamy and wrinkly. Picky, picky girl.....