Personalized Letters to my Commenters

Subtitle: My Sneaky Way of Covering a Blog Post and Replies Simultaneously

This is what a two-week-long absence yields! I should whisk myself away to the mountains all the time. I am so grateful for all your thoughtful comments; I’ll ask that you’ll forgive me for the belated replies!

Dear UH: Thank you for the wonderful quotation! It’s so deliciously visual, with the rubbery texture and stretching and splitting, and makes “our faces” sound so very transitory. Which I love! I’d hate to think I’m stuck with one face forever, particularly if it’s the one I’m wearing now . . But I also find the quotation (”quote,” according to one Professor Frankl, is an example of modern butchery) a little misleading, because it implies that we can switch faces willfully! But I guess the point is that one has many faces. Anyway, must take another Adler class! Must, must!

Yes, the interview was for the study-abroad program . . and guess who one of my interviewers was? – Prof. M. Kim. It was a strange blend of feelings, haha: a little daunting and a little relieving. In my opinion, my interview was very mediocre, objectively speaking. But what is this? I see that you still haven’t done anything to your blog? Why!

Dear, dear Lucy!: “Yellow is the complementary color of Violet.” I thought of that the other day and I said to myself, “how pleasantly ironic!” Or does it make more sense the other way – ironically pleasant? I just know that we have so much to tell each other. If all is up to par I will see you tomorrow and we will trip into a warm little cafe and spend a few delightful hours there before Carmen leaves work and joins us.

I’d like to write with you. I think it would do both of us a world of good if we were to truly make an effort now; so that when the real writing assignments stack up on our agenda, we will neither of us feel . . . well, you know. I have vague memories of us forcing, wringing, squeezing stuff out of ourselves at the very last minute – the result being unremarkable (in our eyes, at least) stories that might have done so well otherwise! I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault that our minds were so dry; but I think now’s the time to figure this out once and for all. What are we doing wrong? How do we dispel this state?

My love and regards,

Mimi

Dear Tiffanie: Stalkerish? Are you kidding? I am absolutely thrilled that you found my blog! You are such a welcome visitor. And really, if anyone, I think you can relate with this blog entry the most specifically.

It is so strange because just last night, no joke, I was riffling through my pages of Word documents, and I came across ancient post snippets – and those were such golden days! I don’t mean for our enthusiasm levels (which definitely apply too, and I’ve wept over this many, many times before), but for our writing quality. The posts I churn out now, not too frequently, are so plotless and shallow (and short) and don’t at all care for characterization, that it makes me very sad. I’m a little split in that I’d like to believe that the improvement in my writing has maintained a steady upward tread over the years, but sometimes, like yesterday, I look back at what I used to be capable of doing – not that it’s the least bit amazing either, heh – and I feel a bit insecure.

I’m so sorry to hear of your break-up, and your unfortunate situation . . It’s really sad and ironic, to be sure. I forget, how did Jostayn and Terrian deal with that sort of thing? Ah yes, they dragged out the awkward tension for years and years, and at the end of an Age, after Terrian had picked up two Warders, they finally decided to bond! I guess our stories aren’t always the best guidelines; and also, isn’t there that secret pleasure in giving our characters pain?

About Trielle, I do so wish that you’d come back; you’re very missed. Honestly, I forced myself to – it was the only way I could start writing again. But I understand your misgivings well. I’m terribly un-fond of Briseis, too. About our hanging thread, would you possibly be interested if I picked it up, on another board? I mean, we’ve come this far. And what you’ve done with Trielle would be such a waste. I was reading your thread with (I almost said Madeline, my goodness) Miahala a few months ago, and your replies are so well done. I could never write with such patience and rationality as you do.