Josh: I was intrigued that you were so eager to perform, despite not being able to read, that you tried to memorize the words you heard the other boys say for their audition. It's interesting how we can want something so desperately, knowing how unqualified or unable we are to complete the required task, and put ourselves through difficulties just to try. I think a lot of really meaningful learning occurs this way, when we put all our energy into it, not necessarily understanding why we want to. I'd be interested in hearing more about your siblings -- why they weren't "gifted" and how they felt about your attendance at the hippie school. I'd also like to read more about your early experiences with art, since you say you were "developing a visual language in which text was secondary to page design, font, and image." That is a very interesting concept to me, since I used to make up a lot of stories based on pictures or objects without needing words; in fact, sometimes I'd just disregard them. Cool memories.
Alex: I was really impressed by your dad's dedication to creativity. It must have been an awesome retreat every weekend going to his house, making up all kinds of stories. I was also impressed by your persistence in writing what you wanted, even though you were reprimanded and your grades were affected. It takes a lot to keep doing that, and I know my response to that kind of negative response to creativity was to just hide all my work away. I became nervous about writing, I think, and picked "safe" subjects, things I'd read in novels and stories, in case someone found my notebooks. I couldn't stop writing, obviously, and neither could you I guess. I had a nice chuckle when I read what you wrote about for your 8th grade essay project and can only imagine how awesome that story must have been. (Also, I just realized you were in my Buddhism class because I vaguely remember you saying you read "The Dharma Bums" and you wrote that in your essay.) It was neat to see how your reading choices changed over the years, and I think you could write a little more analysis on that. And I'm wondering, did you ever share your writing with anyone besides your dad and teachers?
Amanda: I really enjoyed the home setting you evoked in your essay, reading books on your parents bed, reciting the books with your brother. I thought it was interesting that you loved pretending to read, and that your creepy library was the birthplace of your solitary reading initiatives. I loved my library card too, and when my library switched over to a new design I was too attached to let mine go -- though I don't know what I did with it. It's interesting that your parents beat grammar into you and how you feel like you can never to this day make any grammatical mistakes around them. I think that your experience with using expletives in the home is pretty common; I know I at least had that happen to me. "Seriously irreparable damage" is right. I remember though my little brother trying to get me in trouble for singing a bad word (a little louder than necessary) in a Spice Girls song and my mom saying it was alright to sing, but not say to someone. I love that both you and Alex loved telling scary stories at sleepovers, and I remember I always loved when someone at a slumber party was a good storyteller, even though it always scared me sleepless. I wonder why you never wrote them down though, probably because your parents never really encouraged writing I guess. It's great you made the connection though later on. I'm sure your scary stories at least are "worth saying" and I wonder if you could try writing one down from memory. You should try!
Ava: It sure sounds like your house is lively 24/7 but it's really great how that shines through in your personality, even though you say you were straying away from your parents' lifestyle with your writing. I think it's great your dad found a writing group for you; I know my parents, always curious what I did in my room for hours, never really got involved with my writing, and I actually still don't share it with them. I don't know why. It seems you took to writing, not to separate yourself, but to educate yourself and make yourself more able to contribute to your family conversations and "one-up" your folks. I know I've been inspired to read or write or explore an interest I'd never considered before because of familial influence. But it also seems you really did just love writing, and that's awesome. I'd like to read more about your sister though, especially since she's your twin, and how she did or didn't prepare herself to fit that family dynamic. And I forgot all about the book fairs I went to; thanks for the reminder.
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