The Current State of Ryan Matthews Esq.

I was supposed to have travelled to Rockville, Maryland today to visit F. Scott Fitzgerald's grave... Unfortunately, the writings of Hemingway that I have to read for class have hindered me from this voyage. I think Hemingway would have liked to hear this though, seeing as they both had a bumpy friendship. However, it is my goal to visit the grave before I move out of Virginia.

There are tons of cool events on the horizon! This coming Saturday I get to be the soccer fanatic that I am! I get to see the US National team play Cuba for a World Cup qualifier. Then, as if one game was enough, I get to see Arsenal a week later in LONDON! God has blessed me more and more as I walk with Him.

It has been a running joke at my store that if somebody wants to find me I'm in either of three places: My Apartment, My Bathroom (and essentially therefore my Apartment still), or my Starbucks. I really do love it here though. The combination of fresh coffee, a multicultural base of customers and partners (we call our co-workers partners), and comfy chairs. This store is one of the first things that to my mind when I think of Richmond. It'll probably be the one thing I miss most though when Liz and I leave for Grad school.

I just recently made a new friend named Josh. Have you ever met a person and thought that you must have been twins and switched somehow during childhood? Well, that is what it feels like between the both of us. No homo... Here's a list of odd similarities:

-both are obsessed with Star Wars, Chris Thile, and Jesus

-we both lied to our significant others when we first met them (I apologized to Liz afterwards though, for my family readers out there)

-and other odds and ends that seem to go on forever. He is a great friend, and I think we will stay that way for a long time! It's good to find a Christian bro to lean on and hang with.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

I have been forever transformed by the amazing writing of F. Scott Fitzgerald. I know, I know: the guy that everyone had to read in high school. Guess what though...I never read him in school, and just recently read "The Great Gatsby".

But among my friend's in the literary world shouting blasphemy at me, I have fallen in love with yet another writer. Not only does Fitzgerald embody the pure, raw emotion of the upper crust during the jazz age, he also shows the cynicism of old money and the bastardization of the "American Dream". His use of language, describing double vision with Nick in "TGG" is perfectly mastered!

But his writing isn't the only thing that is wondrous about him. The relationship that he had with his wife Zelda is exhibitionist to say the least. Apart from Zelda's many trips to the mental institution, they were known for their odd public behavior. One of their favorite things to do was to arrive to friend's parties acting like dogs, lapping their wine and walking on all fours. They would dance in fountains naked as well as drive naked in Downtown Manhattan. My favorite thing that they did was their driving: when driving on a winding road, Zelda would reach over Fitzgerald and yank on the steering wheel, trying to get the car over the cliff's edge.

Now, Ryan's top five authors have been revised as thus:
1) Walt Whitman
2) John Steinbeck
3) William Faulkner
4) James Joyce
5) F. Scott Fitzgerald

Because of the copyright difference in the UK, there is an annotated version in England at the moment. It is hard to order online from the states, but nothing is going to stop me from buying it when I'm hanging in London in less than a month!

"Life is essentially a cheat and its conditions are those of defeat; the redeeming things are not happiness and pleasure but the deeper satisfactions that come out of struggle."
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Reader-Response Criticism

In order to fulfill my professor's expectations, I have to write an essay (in reader-response form) on Jame Joyce's short story "The Dead". The story is quite interesting, since it portrays life in Ireland during its nationalistic movement. The characters are strong and lifelike in their dialogue and conversation. However, it is the way that I have to write this paper that is frustrating me to no end.

Normally, I write like a deconstructionist: finding binaries, allegories. Or even sometimes focusing as a historicist: locating the history in that area at the given time of the writing/setting and applying to the struggles within the narrative.

Unfortunately, I have to step further out of my comfort zone and put my head to the grindstone for a criticism that is dying as we speak. I highly dislike this writing, because it focuses on the response/feelings that the reader has when reading a certain piece. This disrupts my writing, because I HAVE to write in first person; something that I have quit doing in formal papers since 10th grade. This is going to be the hardest paper I've ever written, even though people that aren't English majors are having the time of their life writing this.

Life as it is Today

Walt Whitman said in "Song of Myself": "I believe that a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars". I totally agree with him. Think about it: God is so meticulous in his inner-workings that a leaf of grass is just as important as the stars. Everything has its role, and everything is perfect in its own way.

I am taking an independent study on Whitman with my undergrad mentor, so I felt compelled to write about him for a sec. I have to write a huge seminar paper that will be used also for my Grad School applications. I am juggling with his ideas on Faith: both of God and of Democracy. It should be interesting.

On the home front, my roommates and I get along really well. It's quite hilarious having a door on my wall that I share with Matt though. It reminds me of Peter in Office Space and his neighbor. Whenever we want to say something, we knock on this shared door and yell. I get a kick out of the little guy. Adam, well Adam is Adam. He recently found out that I don't like male on male contact. I'm not against gays, however I am nervous on male-male hugs. Adam isn't gay either, he just finds it funny that I cringe when he tries to rub my back or whatnot.

Liz and I just had our Engagement party in the OBX. It was a blast, and we are so blessed. It was so cool to see our families inter-mingling without any problems. God has truly blessed our future union, and this is proof. Liz was so gorgeous in her black dress; which is kinda odd because in a year she'll be wearing a white one! There's so much to do in that realm that I try to play it off as if we have so much time, but it's starting to feel as if more time may be needed. Thank God that Liz's mom, Susan is helping so much with planning and arrangements. Not only is she a great mother-in-law, but is quite a phenomenal secretary as well!

GREs are around the corner. I have to take the English subject test as well as the normal one. Any suggestions?

Also London is around the corner...any cool places there we should go see?

Nonetheless, I feel grateful that so much is happening and God is giving me a stress-free outlook on it all. I wouldn't be able to do half the things I am doing if I didn't have Him. I pray that He blesses you this way as well.

Until next time! Cheers!

Word of the day: paradoxical (per-ə-ˈdäk-si-kəl): of the nature of a paradox
One of my Lit profs used this today, and I thought it was made up. Well at least now I know I can use it as well!