The Brooklyn Bridge

Maybe. I love writing about literature, and I did a bunch in junior high. HA HA. Junior High. Remember that? Take a moment. You okay? Now we're back. I finished this book right before my 2:00 AM toast today, and I just felt like it deserved a post. I've been amiably and aggressively encouraged to delve into each of John Green's novels for about three years now, so I finally began. An acquaintance of mine also said I look like the girl on the cover so I should start with this one. I don't really see it, but I suppose it's difficult to determine such a thing when you've never really seen yourself from an external source. This was actually just the only one my library had in. Paper Towns  by John Green is one of those enchanting, flutter-by novels with a delicious twist of humanity and realism. Margo Roth Spiegelman is that exciting, incredible force of nature every reader either wants to be or bang. She makes you want to pull out and elongate your bucket list o...

Art has this incredible ability to tell a story. Whatever form, size, location, or audience it is in, there is some type of story behind it, be it short and silly or emotional and long. When Antonio Vivaldi composed The Four Seasons, he was able to capture two forms of art, music and poetry,  and bring them in to his own. He saw the artistic beauty of nature, and the dramatic way it affects our lives. Secondly, he saw significance in descriptive poetry and transposed the images into music. The first movement of the “Winter” Concerto perfectly personifies the perils of winter with an energetic melody, strong harmony, and thick texture.  The movement begins with a rather daunting suspense. Just like the feeling of winter approaching, you know something new and chilly is coming. The notes make you shiver, as frost nipping you on the ears. Overall, the melody is consistent, creating a full and complete feeling for the piece. The movement maintains a similar timbre all the ...

It's finals week and that's every college student's excuse for everything ever. But…in place of a weekly blog post I've posted a no-sense-making video-blog. Complete with adorable thumbnail shot. You Tube just knows how to capture my best moments. Sigh. Happy Finals Week!

Stereotypes are one of the most essential components of our art, culture, and media today. Whether we realize it or not, most audiences thrive on what they expect, or perhaps being presented with what they do not expect. Many campaigns, advertisements, or productions are created with the sole purpose of trying to change a stereotype. More in our current age than ever before, reverse images of stereotypes or expectations are constantly presented, normalized, and even encouraged.  The 1980s musical, Little Shop of Horrors strongly presents stereotypical characters to tell the audience what to think. The musical number, “Somewhere That’s Green,” works cleverly to not only depict time period, but quickly brings the audience over to Audrey’s side to completely support her in her dreams, even if she’s made some mistakes in the past. Her wishes are simple, perhaps even relatable, making it easy for the audience to become emotionally involved in this fictional story. Stereotypes be...

So. In true Brooklyn fashion, I committed to a project, started it a day late, made it look like I was going strong complete with pictures, and then waited until the morning it was due to finish it. Yay. Therefore, if any of you invisible audience members were looking forward to reading all my Thank You chapters, you should seek a new hobby. NO. I joke, I mean I'm sorry. Sorry. It's crazy to think I'm so blessed that I won't even be able to list MOST of the things I'm grateful for. I present, Chapter 3-28: Abridged. 3. Dear J.K. Rowling, thank you for the magical world my heart calls second home, and for creating a story about real magic. Love, Brooklyn. 4. Dear 1970s Clariol Kindness Hot Rollers, thanks for being there daily to calm the storm. Love, Brooklyn. 5. Dear Musical Theatre, Thank you for making my mornings theatrical,  letting me dance through high school, and making me cry at the gym. Love, Brooklyn. 6. Dear Clocks, thank you for giving me someon...

The days will synchronize with the date eventually. Just work with me here imaginary audience. Dear Pie, Thank You! Love, Brooklyn I am very much serious. I have do have an exceptional appreciation for pies. Pie is the most special and perfect dessert-- the beautiful texture combination crust, creme, and fruit brings is impeccable. I think pie requires commitment and love to make, as it can be slightly more complicated than other desserts. But it is so worth it, and I am so grateful for pie chefs. Every time I indulge in a scrumptious piece of pie, not only am I taken on a refreshing, satisfying journey, but I am heavily reminded how much I NEVER want to waste my time settling for cake ever again. Cake is so universal. Everyone appears to like cake, and everybody thinks everyone like cake. It's the go-to party dessert because everyone like sugar bread with sugar slathered on top. I'm glad some people do and I love cake chefs who love cake, it's just not my jive. So if I...

There's this awesome thing that occurs called  NaNoWriMo , short for "National Novel Writing Month." A completely haywire and wonderful attempt to get to 50,000 words of novel in 30 days. I've always started and never finished, so here I am, with a goal similar to the past: finish! Pretentious as you may see this, I'm going to write a novel about 30 things I'm grateful enough for to write about. Not that anyone has to read it, but it's something I always kind of wanted to take a swing at, so here's to it. Also, it's not too late to sign up and start your own novel! Go for it, and let me know if you do! Dear Art, Thank You! Love, Brooklyn. I am so grateful for feelings, passion, agency, and the dire need we have as humans to express it. Some might say art is lovely but we don't really need it, like we need science or water or something. I think we need art, at least I certainly do. A wonderful artist created us, and this earth and all its c...

I think marriage is just about the most permanent decision I will make in my life. So, important, yeah? Don't worry non-existent audience, I'm not engaged, or close to engaged, or even super appealing at the moment. But seeing as marriage is an eternal deal, I've recently been compiling a list of questions I want to ask my significant other prior to the popping of the question. Because questions are good and typically enlightening, or at least thought provoking. Some of these questions will be rhetorical and observatory. True, this list should probably stay in the journal, but there is a reason for the publicity thereof. If anyone IS actually reading this, and more miraculously reading this while MARRIED, please comment any questions you find necessary to ask before commitment as well. Life's a beautiful moment. Much love, Brooklyn Bridget. 1.  How many children do you see your family with? 2.  How quick is your temper? 3. Do you yell when you're upset? 4.  How...

Scrape Day finally came! If for some bizarre reason anyone isn't sure what Scrape Day is, it's the first day after summer has ended in which you must scrape frost off your car. And if that bizarre reason is that I've made up the holiday, that's acceptable. Anyway, despite the sudden requirement for early-morning exercise, it's one of my favorite days of the entire year. It means my favorite period of the season has alas arrived. That cold, dark, chillingly breezy, dreary, cloud-invaded day that might be suddenly sprinkled or snowed upon. I know you wish I were writing saracastically, but truly. I think it's beautiful. Right at the beginning of a wonderful period of the year, so much promise, joy, and work to come. I really am glad warm weather is so popular, and it makes me happy that if it makes you happy, and I am sorry if the cold bothers you. But thanks for letting me have my favorite moment. :)

This weekend's magical endeavor was Colorado's best convention! It was my first time at Magic in the Rockies and I had a blast! I met some majorly radical magicians like Walter "Zaney" Blaney, Autumn Morning Star, Danny Orleans, Duane Laflin, Losander, Becky Blaney and Arthur Stead! They are fabulous performers with very successful and entertaining careers. I had so much to learn from them and had the opportunity to chat with all of them. Amazing! I also performed in the showcase which was so fun, especially because I received so much useful feedback. My whole family got to come, which was awesome. Family bonding time for the win. I'm so excited for every upcoming day. Thanks to the incredible MITR committee for making this extraordinary weekend happen! Check out my eccentric vlog of the weekend: Or, for a quieter approach, the photos below(click to view full size):

If you weren't aware, the moment  you turn 18, your whole life is yanked up, sloshed around in the wash machine on an extremely high speed, and spat out in a completely different shape. It's kind of like accidentally touching a portkey for the very first time on your birthday and arriving somewhere completely different. I'm guessing to an outside source it really wouldn't seem that different. But that's a bit of how it feels. Most of it is good, I'm sure. First, the week before school started, I went to this totally amazing, radical magic convention in Las Vegas called MagicLive! It was my very first time and I absolutely loved it. They have a giant showroom with several dealers selling super cool new and old magic, workshops with incredible, accomplished performers, and then the best magic shows ever to top off each night! I wish I could properly express the awesomeaucity that occurred. The whole thing was the epitome of radicality, but I did have some favorit...

        YAWN. My lips stretch over my entire face as the invisible Exhaustion Monster creeps up my throat and out of my mouth. I accidentally glance at my daddy and the Monster bites him too. We each finish our yawns as we stumble into the theatre, another early morning session after a very late evening. Here we are at MagicLive!, a week-long, complete submersion of learning, buying, talking about, and showing off magic. Lectures in the morning, workshops in the afternoon, shows in the evening, and endless brainstorming, chatting, and rehearsing all night. Not to mention a big change of heart, speedily on its way to me and my career.   This convention is, without a doubt, the best four days of my whole summer. As we find our seats in the theatre, we’re weary but very anxious to know who takes the stage to bring their very professional, experience-oriented, and possibly invaluable wisdom. I open my official, laminated, designer MagicLive! binder and flip ...

This is definitely me at the present moment.

A tug on my hand, A kiss on my forehead. A tear on my cheek, And plenty on my my mind. One day we'll understand Why we chose this instead. We'll find what we seek And won't have to rewind. That day isn't today, At least not for me. Au jour d'hui, Tu me manques. It'll be okay, It'll be lovely. Tu es mon ami, Le futur est quelconques.

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiie, how impatience loureth in your faaaaaace." The cleverness and variety in "A Comedy of Errors" makes it one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. Twins, separated at birth, have now arrived in the same city and a series of mistakes leaves servants confused and overworked, a wife in distress and a really insane doctor trying to clear the whole thing up. I played Luciana, sister to Ariana, wife of Antipholus of Syracuse. Our director was super cool, because he always wanted to do Shakespeare in a different time period or setting. For this production, we were hippies. It was the most radical production you've ever seen. This play was probably one of the most fun I've ever been in.

"This is it, I have found it. I am in hell." This journey is an absolute gem. It has all my favorite feels in it. Steel Magnolias is the story of six friends who give their story to the audience through visits to Truvy's salon. Shelby is about to be married, her mother M'Lynn is like any mother-of-the bride, widow of the mayor Clairee enjoys watching all of it unfold, Annelle is a brand new stylist and scared to death, and Ms. Ouiser Boudreaux is just about every cranky loud grandma you've ever met, combined and magnified by 18. As their lives and love change, we see the beautiful strength in these women. This is one of the plays I am most grateful for. I hold an overwhelming appreciation to my director for trusting me with the gift of Ouiser. She's a nut, like me, but I can't believe he actually believed in me that much, and for that and many other lessons he taught me, I'll be indebted to him in my entire life. I had so much fun in this wonderful...

"I hope I get my raisins from Fresno!" Happy Pioneer Day! I love that we have this holiday to recognize and appreciate the spirit of the pioneers in the valiance of their lives. Speaking of pioneers, that's pretty much what we looked like in our elaborate costume in The Music Man . "Professor" Harold Hill arrives amongst the stubborn citizens of River City Iowa to sell them on the idea of creating a children's band, because the new pool table that's just come in is MUCH to dangerous. He's really a con man who gets caught up in love with Ms. Marian the Librarian, who is quite set in her ways and doesn't want to hear a word from him. But of course, he's eventually found out, changes his ways lives happily ever after (as far as we know) with Marian. As a part of the ensemble, my favorite role was one of the ladies among Eulalie Shinn's band of Grecian Urn Ladies. This musical includes some great, classic Broadway songs like "Rock ...

"Phineas, when did you change your shirt?" This was definitely one of the silliest, cheesiest, and most fun plays I've been in. I was such a little sophomore and felt so proud of my first "female romantic lead" when really I was they only one who actually wanted  to do it. Ha ha! This was the cutest play written in part by one of my favorites, Carrie Finlinson, making light satire about our city of Murray and small quirks of our church. It's a really sweet story that spins off of Shakespeare's "A Comedy of Errors." Phineas and Phineas were separated as infants when a tractor hit their tour bus, sending Dad and Phineas into Preston, Idaho and Mom and Phineas into good old Murray, Utah. The boys grow up, Mom and Phineas in the church, but he's having doubts because he's gotta maintain that Legend-In-His-Own-Mind Image. Phineas of Preston seeks out to find the rest of his family, meets the missionaries, finds his mother without realizi...

" Forget about the boy, Dillmount! Get yourself a canary." Thoroughly Modern Millie is one of those super-fun musicals with a great, stick-right-in-your-head score. Millie is a spunky little farm girl that decides to change her entire image by moving to New York and marrying her new rich boss. But of course, through her roller coaster of love, jail, an insane hotel manager and stenoging, she realizes that her green-glass love is so much more than the emerald image she was running for. I played the completely flattering Ms. Flannery. This was one of my favorite roles because of her cranky volume and all the tap dancing we got to do. Our costume designers were amazing, they made almost everything on stage! Who doesn't love dressing up like a flapper? So many fringes, so many bad wigs. I mean look at that beehive. I'm pretty sure it weighed three pounds. What a blast!

The arts have been a blessing and quite integral part of my entire being. I'm grateful for every show I've been in and the directors willing to trust me with parts. I truly don't want to forget any of the wonderful shows I've been in, so I want to do a little article about each of them. So, the blog will be a bit theatrically clogged for a while, but isn't it always, anyway? "Get your red-hot cheongsams here!" The classic Disney story of Mulan came to life on our stage with interesting new music, a rather philosophical script, and lots of black hair dye. I played the "cheongsam salesperson" and lots of chorus roles. It was my first musical and I couldn't have been more neurotically excited to be a part of it. The legendary Camrey Bagley was our Mulan, and our ancestors were really cool. I'd say it was a really different show than any classical musical theatre.

But love, first learned in a lady’s eyes, Lives not along immured in the brain; but, with the motion of all elements, Courses as swift as thought in every power, And gives to every power a double power, Above their functions and their offices, It adds a precious seeing to the eye; A lover’s eyes will gaze an eagle blind; A lover’s ear will hear the lowest sound, When the suspicious head of theft is stopp’d: Love’s feeling is more soft and sensible Than are the tender horns of cockl’d snails; Love’s tongue proves dainty Bacchs gross in taste: For valour, is no Love a Hercules, Still climbing trees in the Hesperides? Subtle as Sphinx; as sweet and musical Asbright Apollo’s lute, strung with his hair: And when Love speaks, the voice of all the gods Makes heaven drowsy with the harmony. Never durst poet touch pen to write Until his ink were temper’d with Love’s sighs; O, then his lines would ravish savage ears And plant in tyrants mild humil...

I don't know what to say. Write, actually.  I always want to talk, write. But I am usually unsure of what to say. Maybe that's why I love theatre so much. They always tell you what to say and where to go. So what would you like, Quiet Audience? Let me know if you need me. I'll be here.

There's this really incredible, heart-exploding feeling you can have if you are injured during a show. Usually, you're dancing your heart out to the same 42 sets of eight exactly like you have been the past 87 times you've gone through this. But for some reason, this time, in front of the audience you've worked so hard for, you break your toe landing your jete, or sprain your back doing your ariel, or dislocate your knee jumping off that table, or (my favorite) just get totally nailed square in the nose by your partner taking an epic jazz hand. It doesn't matter. That searing, worst physical pain you've ever been in in your short life isn't even there. It's SO there. Screaming at your and rushing through your entire body like thousand-degree needles.  You have to stop, you can't dance like that. It's impossible to keep character with that shearing through you veins. Nevertheless. You do. This precisely, is the beauty thereof. Theatre forces you ...

I think you have to write when you're sick, otherwise you just think about how miserable your body feels, subsequently telling your brain to find something deeper to be sad about. But your body is just having a silly moment, reminding you to be grateful when you are healthy and even happy you're not much more sick than you are. I wish I could go outside and peak at the moon, a good friend of mine. I'll add a picture tomorrow when a bunch of cool photographers have posted them. "Oh moon, whose nook and cranny doth shine so bright." I have no idea what that's from. Or if it's really from something. My daddy always says it, and I love him. I kind of always thought it was in A Midsummer Night's Dream, but I don't think so. Maybe. I don't know. Anyway, Happy Summer Solstice! (Nearly twelve hours ago). Sorry about the improper paren punctuation. Also, fragments. Solstice is sort of a small special thing to me, it warms and races a big part of my...

If things were different,  everything would be different.  No one really knows what another is thinking. You might know all your thoughts, but you probably don't know how to express them thoroughly. At least I don't. Words are usually good, if you can find the proper ones. I bet there's a perfect word for everything we feel, we just don't know them all yet. I certainly don't know quite how to write yet. Words are good. But if we don't use words we do use other things.  No words is a thing. Logically, no words might mean no thoughts. But it probably means a lot of thoughts. It usually means a lot of thoughts. Thoughts you can't write, thoughts you don't know how to write, thoughts you don't believe, thoughts you really don't want to be thinking. Thoughts completely and constantly quarreling with each other. Thoughts that come and never go. There's also bodies. Hitting, something we shouldn't do. Hugs, something we should do more. Sex. H...

A day I never thought much about coming came. Today was wonderful! I am so happy. High school was truly an amazing adventure.  I love it and am proud to be a Spartan. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. Thank you to every remarkable soul in my life, especially my family, and my friends just like family. I love you! In the high school, we are supposed to learn a thing or two, so hopefully, you would agree with me that we did! Mrs. Hanson and Mr. Drake taught me to write cautiously and bravely. Ms. Spackman and Mr. Georgelas taught me to decide to have always have energy. From Mr. Wood, I learned that if at first you don't succeed, just succeed in being a bad example. From Ms. Chappell, I learned that with hard work and smile you can basically accomplish anything. However, I think the most valuable lesson, among many, I have learned comes from Mr. Saxton (if you all weren’t sure, I’m kind of into the theatre-drama stuff). He taught us that STORY IS KING. Any production can be ...

It's interesting to me how we measure things in dates, such as events. It's not necessarily weird. Not that we could all agree on a precise definition of "weird." Or "normal" for that matter. Anyway, it isn't too out of the ordinary to measure in dates, it's quite universal, actually. But we do allow it to affect us. "It's been (x) amount of years since I arrived on the planet, we should throw a party!" "We've been waiting here for hours." "You have three days to pay that off." "It's been one month since it happened." Once we defined time, it began to define us. Now I like very much when people are on time, and I do try to make it a point to be punctual myself. It's amazing how we are so connected to time through our whole lives that it can actually trigger particular emotions. Only a limited amount of items can really do that. Almost all of them have to do with the five senses. Time affect...