ta-da!

My Books Are On Sale!

You read that right. My books are now on sale on a few platforms. If you'd like, you can purchase a copy from either link, but I prefer the Createspace.

"Leaving Neverland"
https://www.createspace.com/4789433
http://www.amazon.com/Leaving-Neverland-Jenes…/…/ref=sr_1_2…

"How the Sky Was Born"
https://www.createspace.com/5206096
http://www.amazon.com/How-Sky-Born-Jenessa-St…/…/ref=sr_1_1…

Changes are Coming

Yes, changes are coming to this blog, and winter is finally going!
I am proud to announce that I have now written two full-length novels. I am delving into the surreal realm of self-publishing, and so I have to update this blog to better accommodate my new authorly persona, because I have to have one so people will (hopefully) buy my books. Just a little heads-up that this blog will be somewhat under construction, and possibly still woefully out-of-date.
I understand that this was my first blog from when I was an awkward sixth- or seventh-grader, and then my Humanities 1010 blog, but it will also be my book review blog and a sort of info center for people looking into my book in case I have not provided enough information on any other platforms.
With that, I sign off with a digital flourish with the hopes that I will be posting soon.

Medieval Tympanii

I think the Romanesque art period was a time when they focused a lot on the concepts rather than detailing faces and clothing. They wanted emotion to seep through the piece to the viewer. While the Gothic era also dealt with feelings, that was a time when naturalism began to come about again, and the faces received vast amounts of detail and expressions.

Another thing I have noticed while studying the pictures is that in the Romanesque tympanum, the figures are crudely made, and it fits their purpose. They are more askew and wild whereas the Gothic tympanum is very symmetrical and graceful. It seems that the words inscribed in the Romanesque one are explaining the scene; the Gothic one has enough storytelling done through the pictures that words are unneeded and would only ruin the image.

Religion played a large role in both societies, but in different ways. The Romanesque time seemed to explain what would happen if you didn't follow the rules. The images are not as glorious as other time periods. The chaos also lends the effect of negativity rather than an optimistic feeling you think one would experience when considering what their religion would do for them. The Gothic tympanum clearly displays Jesus as a savior and the people know it and are grateful for their salvation.

In addition to these ideas, it is funny to note the clear line between heaven and hell (the depiction on the left being heaven due to orderly people looking at Jesus; the right showing a bunched group of men with their heads down in defeat or despair, unable to look up for their would-be salvation as a demon gleefully tips the scale). The left side happily relies on an angel standing stoically and honestly while the demon messes with the way of life to win in its favor.

Below the Gothic depiction of that is a crowd of men (maybe politicians) who are not looking in any specific direction. I think it is showing those who were becoming priests as they were studying or following other scholarly-spiritual duties. The Romanesque does not show any obvious common people; upon looking at the plain people, the members would make a connection with them and think that they had just as good of a chance as being saved by following the church of their time.

Rome/China--Women's Lives

Livy seemed a little back and forth about the whole ordeal. She at times seemed to side with the women who "dared seek a higher position," but other times, she criticized them for their efforts. Despite this, Rome seems like a good place to be alive during the Classical Era. In Greece, men--husbands--went out alone and would party in the amphitheaters and see plays and performances, all without their wives. In fact, they would leave the wives at home to go have an affair for the night, and the wives could do nothing about it. In Rome, while women weren't necessarily given equal rights, they have privileges the Grecian women did not. For example, the Roman women were allowed to accompany their husbands out of the house. They could participate in social gatherings and have a say, even if it had no worth. Yes, they had little added advantages, but they were bold enough to keep asking for more. Even if they were asking other women's husbands (which is indeed a bold move), they were trying to make a change for their fellow Roman women.

It's funny, because Roman woman had very few rights, but they were...revered. Not idolized, but slightly respected. Woman in China led a very different life. The woman were respected to an aesthetic extent, but that was the only extent. They were not treated well. They were not respected nor cherished like males were; they had no choice in marriage, politics, or personal decisions, and they were only used for purposes like childbearing. The respectable housewives were stuck at home all day. The women who weren't respected in high society, ironically, were respected in a different sense because they were the emperor's concubines. They were more well-known than any wise, creative, or brave women. In short, women in China were used and I would hate that.

 Despite this, I think the question of which location I would want to live in this time period can't be applied as it once may have. Life is so different today than it was back then that there is hardly an adequate comparison. Of course, women today still don't have equal rights despite many movements and laws (women of the same education and class and race as men won't be paid the same amount as men in the same job, etc.), but they are allowed to be seen out of the house, they have more purpose in life than getting married to produce posterity, and they can take an active role in daily life. They can participate in politics and careers and make their own decisions. Women in the Classical Era rarely experienced that sort of liberation, so if I had to choose a time to live in, it would be now; however, if I had to choose a place to live in back then, it would be Rome.

Antigone and Greek Heroes

It’s interesting that there are so many Greek tragedies and dramas that all play the same role but in different ways and orders. For example, Odysseus is a man—yes, a king, but still just a man—who only wants to return home to his family. He is a very good leader and fights to keep every one of his men, even if it means taking time away from traveling home. In this way, he is selfless and confident. Antigone is similar in that aspect: she feels very strongly for the people in her life, especially her family, and she will go to any limit to see that her family receives the respect and appreciation she thinks they deserve, even if it means putting her own life in jeopardy. Odysseus is looking out for his family of marriage while Antigone is looking out for her family of blood. She respects the divine law, while Odysseus makes the civil law.

I think the main virtue Antigone epitomizes is courage. Death is a frightening aspect of life (actually, the lack thereof). Despite this, Antigone decided that a proper burial for her brother was a better cause than her own imminent burial. Likewise, Odysseus took risks that should have inevitably killed him, but never did. In fact, Odysseus basically stood up to death and said that he would control his lifespan, and it would not end until he was again united with his family.

Creon, on the other hand, was not courageous and not respectful of family ways. He was so determined to be seen as a strong, undefeatable leader that he allowed that to stand in the way of what most people look for in a leader: compassion and empathy. It’s unfortunate because Creon’s main purpose centered around him striving to please the people by comforting them with a leader they deserved. The ironic thing is that, in a different lens, he would be considered a hero, and his personal Achilles heel is the very thing that would be seen as a strength rather than a weakness.

Heroism

Rather than talking about Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors, I wish to address the famous David from David and Goliath. According to our most recent findings about David, he was a young boy of fifteen or sixteen. He was still very much like a child, and his weapon of choice was not a sword or a mace, but a sling. He wore no armor to protect himself. While no one truly knows his feelings on the subject, the task itself had to be intimidating, especially because Goliath was well known for his size and brutality in the opposing army. Despite this, David did not fear that he might meet his own death; rather, he faced his opponent as he would with any other challenge.

Gilgamesh, on the other hand, feared death more than almost anything. Not only did he not wish to die (he wouldn't because he was half-immortal), but he didn't want his friend, Enkidu, to die either. Rather than face life without his mortal friend, he descended into the underworld to find a way to keep Enkidu alive. He was very strong and experienced, unlike David, but they both had merits of being brave. At first, he was looking out for himself, but then he also watched out for Enkidu, showing that he had a change of heart.

Both stories illuminate characters of stories who succeeded in triumph. David saved his people from the enemy army, and Gilgamesh, while he did not stop Enkidu’s death, did sacrifice his own time and life experiences to try to keep Enkidu alive.

What both stories encourage leaders and followers alike to do is to take a look at the world through a different lens, a lens where people don’t focus on themselves, but who look around them at the greater cause and try to contribute to it. One story shows a glorious triumph; the other shows the side of failure. Both are important to realize because, as humans, we are certain to make mistakes. They are a part of life. The lesson is to learn from them and continue to seek out better ways.

DocUtah

The film I watched was Thy Will Be Done, directed and produced by Alice Bouvrie in 2010. The movie follows a transsexual woman through her journey to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church. The issue being tackled is two-pronged, depending on the audience. For those undergoing similar struggles, the message is supposed to be one of comfort and encouragement, showing those people to be brave in their endeavors. The other issue is informing people not experiencing these trials is to not only be aware of other’s struggles, but to be accepting of people and their shortcomings, despite what they may be.

Although the main idea may not be clear, it is sure that one of the themes is illuminating people’s differences and asking them to showcase their differences as a form of uniqueness. The motivation of this is not to rewrite history, but not necessarily to add to it. It’s an in-between where transsexual people wish to establish themselves and justify their actions. The funny thing is, right now, there isn’t very much groundwork for this topic. It’s all very behind-the-scenes that only people going through it realize. Because of this, the political questions being confronted are also somewhat stagnant. While there are most certainly debates occurring, they aren’t out in the open for the public to be aware of.

The argument being made (acceptance, etc.) is made effectively, for the most part. The difficult thing to get past is the viewers’ opinions and values concerning this specific topic. Other than that, there are very diverse tactics the producer uses to convince the viewers to side with her.

The movie starts with the transsexual woman, Sara, canoeing by herself in a river. Her voice comes over, talking about acceptance and equality. Emotions definitely play a strong role throughout the whole movie as Sara shares her early life and struggle with cross-dressing. The camera alternately pans and zooms on a mannequin that, each time, displays different women’s outfits that Sara assumedly wears. The lighting on the clothes is subtle and soft so the viewers can imagine someone wearing the clothes, and it may not be the woman you think it would be.

There are multiple personal interviews of people related to Sara, such as her ex-wife, daughter, and therapist. The interviews all appear to take place in the interviewees’ houses, which shows they are comfortable in their own setting as Sara is in her current body and mindset.

A very common part of the movie is pictures, film clips, and audio bites of Sara and her life. The pictures are chosen very well, including pictures of her as a young boy and high schooler, and in early life with her ex-wife. The film clips include their wedding and fun moments with their infant/toddler daughter. On the other side of things, there were also pictures of the Book of Order, the constitution of the Presbyterian Church saying transsexuality and same-sex marriage was not allowed.

Counterarguments that could be made against this are, of course, the laws that were (and in some places still are) against same-sex marriage. While scriptures say that all men (and women) were created equal, those same scriptures do not ordain a marriage of two women, like Sara and his current wife. Then there’s the argument that no matter how much one wants others to be accepting of him/her, not everyone will be. The producer also makes a note that after the marriage, the woman who “married” them was charged for marrying two woman. While the movie made a good argument that should not have been the ending.

The (Sad) Only Reason I'm Re-Vamping My Blog

Hello, interwebs. I am back again due to college enrollment. This is the blog I will be using for Humanities and possibly other classes, if I'm ever required to write a post for another class.
I am Jenessa. I am technically a freshman, but I completed Concurrent Enrollment courses during my high school career, so I consider myself a sophomore due to the sheer credits I have already earned. I have lived in St. George for about 8 years now, and I have lived in Provo (I was born there) and Spanish Fork, as well as Ivins, and I have also lived in Scottsdale and Mesa in Arizona. I am here at Dixie because I want an education. Although I am breaking the bank and taking classes I don't think I would if I wasn't forced to, I do appreciate the opportunity, and I think I'll appreciate it even more on graduation day. My goals for the future are to finish college quickly (school grows tedious after 13+ years). I will be taking a break after Spring semester to serve an LDS mission, hopefully somewhere far away from the US. I'd like to think I'm an artsy kind of person (I randomly draw/color/sketch, I took a few art/ceramic/photography/theater/creative writing classes in high school), but I don't know how well I can actually define myself as far as knowledgeable about art or technique. My only frequent concern is passing the course, which I think I will be able to handle, because I need to keep a high GPA for both over-achiever syndrome (which I'm pretty sure is a real thing) and my scholarship. I guess the one thing I'd warn any professor about is that I can be very vocal in a virtual setting, but in the classroom, I am very quiet and I tend to absorb rather than contribute. Apparently, I will have to work on that because my professors expect me to speak my mind in front of complete, judgmental strangers. Nothing like a little soul-bearing with my nonchalant classmates.

Yep, I'm a Liar

I admit it full-heartedly. I have not kept up with my promise. I have not written often. In fact, I missed a month, maybe two. But that's not my fault. I blame school. (Does anyone really like things like math 1050 or physics? Nah, I don't think so.)
But perhaps the biggest reason  have not kept up (okay, so it's only been a week since this reason became valid...) is NaNoWriMo. That's right; you read it correctly. NaNoWriMo is a fantastic website that holds all my wildest dreams in it's open hands. This is the year I will make the time to write this story I have been so excited for ever since I came up with the idea a year or three ago. This is going to be the fantastic time I will prove that I am an author. And, if I am ahead of schedule, maybe I'll introduce another story. (Actually, if I can hold it in until next November, I may use that idea for November 2014. My, that sounds so far away!)
Anyway, maybe I'll find time to write this entry I have been dying to (the problem is I can't remember the topic right now...oops).

Ooops

Well...I feel a bit guilty...bad...ashamed...etc. etc. I know I promised to keep up with this blog, but with classes in session, I can hardly function (a slight hyperbole), let alone inform all you non-readers. It's just that college is no mean feat (it is, but who appreciates that nowadays? I mean, save yourself time and money and hit the road to LA, audition for some singing or maybe an indie movie, then tell them you're fine with being completely computerized, digitally altered, and sold off as something you're not. Lie to the general public. They also quit school, so they will adore you as if you're not even a human being, but a demigod or actual god. Or take the easy route by becoming the disgusting new celeb who's famed for their...promiscuous ways and sickening music videos.).
Now, I assure you that I had an actual topic in mind when I logged on to my blog, but I can't remember what it was. Gosh dang it! I was thinking about it last night when I was drifting off. (Isn't it unfortunate that all my best ideas come at night when I'm in bed or when I'm in the shower and can't remember long enough to write them down? Urgh!).
So, a random side note. Yesterday, a few of my mates and I ate lunch at a park, and one such girl had a tub (I mean a tub, not a little plastic can thingy) of cookie dough she had accidentally left in her car. Naturally, we had to open it and eat about half of the dough. We did not heed the warning on the lid that stated that the dough should not be consumed raw. In fact, the word "not" was completely scratched out, so really the tub was telling us to consume the raw dough.
To get to my point, I still have a good-sized amount of dough left (I had a baggie that I stuffed some in, and now I have eaten my way through all but the size of my fist, or maybe a large baseball-and yes, I know baseballs are the same size, but it's more than that by a titch-and I have great plans for the remaining dough).
Some of my friends have told me of baking a cake, brownie, or cookie in a cup. Apparently, you throw in random ingredients like milk, egg(s), vanilla, flour, salt, sugar, cocoa chips, baking powder (soda?), into a cup, mix it, stick it in the microwave, and cook it until they form a solid food that may or may not be edible.
I have been wanting-almost yearning-to try this, but I first need to convince the female parental unit of my household. However, since I have a surplus of dough and won't be using any of her cooking stuff, I'm going to plop it in a cup, cover it with a strainer (ha! can't use the "You'll dirty the microwave" excuse now), and cook it, just to see how it turns out. I need to be rid of this dough.
It's actually kind of gross. Before I arrived home to stick it in the fridge, some of the grease (I'm guessing the butter) started to...come out of the dough, coating the outside of it. When I refrigerated it and pulled it out today, all the butter had hardened, so there was a yellow rind of butter on my poor dough, and after I scrape it off, I will indeed be trying this newfangled idea.
I suppose I'll keep you posted, but don't expect anything. I'm not holding this blog up as well as I thought I could. Blame higher education!

A Moment To Analyze Today's Literature (Amongst Other Media)

Well, this is embarrassing...if you're perhaps a guy or otherwise non-young-adult-reading teenaged girl with way too many book crushes. The purpose of this post is to inform these sad fellows why they seem to longer snag dates or impress girls they may have once ruled. Dear readers, let me introduce you to the world of young adult novels. And by young adult, I mean to immediately eliminate the 2% of male-aimed books and only include books written for teenage girls who are a bit silly for their own good, and young adults, and, heck, even middle aged women (who are a bit ridiculous--I mean, hardly any young girls have Twilight clubs, but I know for a fact that there are many groups dedicated to Twilight, of all things, ran by older women...unfortunately, I may become one of those creeper women when I reach my 40s and am still avidly reading series that are better off without me...as long as I'm not reading Twilight...).

   I suppose I'm writing this because I feel a wee bit bad about all my book character infatuations. I mean, this is getting serious. I reread and rereread books because of certain characters, such as Warner from Shatter Me, Four/Tobias from Divergent, Patch from Hush, Hush, Kaidan from Sweet Evil, Ren from Tiger's Curse, John from Abandon, Perry from Under the Never Sky, Astley from Need, Chase from Article 5, Fade from Enclave, Michael from Hourglass, and I could literally keep typing, but I think those reading get the picture.

   Authors make these guys so imperfectly perfect. I always despise characters who are just perfect with no problems. What's the point in writing a story about someone with no problem? The purpose of the book is to describe one's journey from a problem to a bigger problem (if it's a series), an inspiration, a conclusion, a something. I appreciate their flaws. Recently, Warner is my favorite because he's the bad guy of the book, but I'm so horribly drawn to his story rather than Adam's. I guess girls do go for the bad boys...but I blame authors for making them so dang lovable.

   Nowadays, writers have gone all epic, intense, dramatic, and melancholy. Breathtaking boys with heartbreaking pasts. Totally draws in the ladies, if you know what I mean.

   After reading all these books, girls tend to associate attractive guys with these attractive fictional characters. (Have you ever read Austenland by Shannon Hale? ((It's hilarious, and it's been made into a movie!)) In Austenland, the main character is hopelessly obsessed with Mr. Darcy and Colin Firth from the BBC movie, so she can't focus on anybody real because she too greatly appreciates the qualities personified in books and on the big screen. I'm sorry to say it, but that is what you're facing with young-adult-novel-reading people today.) Do you know how hard it is to compete with these guys? Way too hard. That's why I'm apologizing now for the lack of girls' attention towards males.

   There's my rant; I must be off. I'm traveling again.

A Moment of Deep-Rooted Appreciation

   I have a thing for cover artists. I despise the radio because it's so low and degrading and it puts me in a pretty bad mood because it's so foul and whatnot. Because of this predicament, I have turned to YouTube in time of need. It is there that I have found my solace. The talent found on a video sharing site compared to what these famous singers supposedly have is incredible.
   The reason I bring all this up today is because I have been very bored this morning and decided to check for updates on YouTube. Therefore, I will list these beloved artists, and perhaps you will find them and love them as well. In no particular order (but perhaps a bit on the first few...):
Charlie Puth
Tanner Patrick
Grant Scott
Alex Goot
RUNAGROUND
Peter Hollens
The Piano Guys
Lindsey Stirling
Nick Pitera
Matthias Harris
Ricardo Munoz
Tyler Ward
Madilyn Bailey
Luke Conard
Jona Selle
Sam Tsui
Corey Gray
Mike Tompkins
Tanner Howe
    These are my most favorite artists. To them, I dedicate an ode which will be written and posted at some later point if I don't forget/get too lazy.
   Until then, I bid you adieu.

My New Babies

    Yep, you read right. I have some new tykes in my life. Five of them to be exact. The funny thing is, they kind of look like...superheroes. But I promise that they are not, in fact, superheroes. Perhaps to me, because I'm they're mommy. They all have strange birthmarks on their chests, and some of them have eye problems that make it look like they're wearing masks, but I love every little flaw of each of my babies.

    Giggly Zap is the oldest, and he's a great brother, even if he looks a bit like a pug. He can run faster than my eye can see, almost like he's transporting in a flash. Fluffity Glow has a strong personality. Others have said it's like he has his own lantern in his heart or soul. My only girl, Huggly Awe, has a stop-dead appearance that leaves you in wonder, and a empathetic personality to boot. Sparkly Night is a prodigy genius who loves to play with all my technological gadgets. He's also very quiet and stealthy like a bat in the night. The baby of them is Cutie-Pie Soar. Although he's young, he can out jump any of the others, almost like he's flying. The kid has super-stamina like none other.

    I love these kids so much. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life being with them. They're the best family I could have asked for (or chosen...ha! Adoption rocks.).