Been a While

It's been too long since I've written here, and I have a silly reason to write tonight. Today Michele was browsing in a store and I felt the need to wait outside, as the lone employee's casual attitude toward cashiering was becoming tiresome--to me and, I'm sure, to the other six people in line.

So while I was outside, I looked at the stores to either side of the one Michele was in. On the left was a women's clothing store called the Dress Barn. I can't imagine how that ever seemed like a good idea to anyone involved in the naming of that store.

For one thing, when one thinks of desirable fashion, one rarely thinks of farm life, or a barnyard context. This alone would keep most people away, I would think. Overalls, straw hats, checkered shirts, gingham dresses, clunky brown boots--at WalMart, sure, but not outside of goonville.

For another thing, the "barn" concept applied to people in general isn't flattering. When you call someone a pig, that person is generally going to be displeased. The same with "chicken" or "sheep." And that's just when you're talking about people in general. The farm-animal references to women specifically are even less flattering: chick, mother hen, hen-pecked, sow, cow, heifer, mare. These are just not ideas one attaches to a woman with whom one wishes to maintain good relations.

So, I'm back. How relieved are you?

Strange

I just found a link to a site I've never heard of that has information about my MFA thesis. All indications I had prior to reading the site led me to believe it's German. And that would be weird.
Other links to me online:

A review I wrote of David Bengston's poetry collection Broken Lines. My review is the last on the page. It's from 2004, and I cringe every time I read that last sentence*.

The Corresponder pdf of my review of Mark Nowak's poetry collection Shut Up Shut Down, from Spring 2005. I'm on page four.

The Corresponder pdf of my review of Jon Hassler's novel The New Woman, from Spring 2006. I'm on page nine. Hassler died in March 2008.

Student feedback from OCCC.

Student feedback from MSU.

For whatever reason, nobody at Rose has posted anything about me.

I read MFilly's post about common-name issues earlier today, so in that spirit here is the link to the profile of the Canadian actor who goes by my name. It's my name because I had it first. And he's been in films with the Olsen twins, so he's the devil.

*That sentence makes it sound like I read that sentence a lot. I don't, but I see it from time to time.