Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Cars Cars Cars


And before I nip off to the library for another day of mediocre-productivity, this is what I'm wearing. I wore this top on my first day of classes back in the first year of University. In typical ice-breaker fashion, two senior lecturers from the American Studies department took turns picking people to tell the rest of the room aspects they thought defined culture in the United States. I was picked and forgetting what exactly was blazoned across my t-shirt (but presumably subconsciously also remembering) I said 'car culture'. This formed the very first impression my now-best friends have of me, as that neek who lives and breathes cars. Which I don't, I can't even drive. Alas, they decided I wasn't too much of a gas-head and those are the very same people I drove with along the coast of California in the Spring. Just, y'know..in the back seat.

Today I will be writing about Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, Audre Lorde, Mark Doty, Kate Borstein and self-representation within American Literature. I will be listening to Cities by The Talking Heads, taking regular breaks for fresh air with Nanon and Ashling and counting down the minutes until lunchtime when I can eat my packed lunch of couscous, bolognese and homemade slaw. I will cycle home, maybe watch some Arrested Development and then go to bed with A Visit From The Goon Squad which I am 190 pages into.

7 comments:

Samantha said...

I miss university, a day reading Audre Lorde and wearing clothes that are office-inappropriate (especially car themed tops and trainers) sounds luxurious.

Anonymous said...

This honestly sounds like the best day in the history of the world.

Anonymous said...

Love your t-shirt and that song, Talking Heads are one of my favorite bands.
And that tale about your first day at unversity was really funny and interesting. I'd love to study literature and write about all that things. Hope your morning at the library has been a bit productive!

kisses!

blue roses said...

mark doty was a guest professor in my creative writing department my senior year; unfortunately, i did not have a workshop with him, but loved pseudo-stalking him around campus cafes and loved all his readings.

never too late to learn something new and get a license.... explore the open road from behind the wheel (cue depeche mode...)

Jessica Samantha said...

What a cool shirt! That sounds like such a nice "...and that's how we became friends," story! The cars shirt reminds me of driving by a beach in San Diego gosh gosh gosh

Jessica | Vixenelle

Anonymous said...

are you ploughing through, 'a visit from the goon squad?'. i couldn't put it down, - though it did leave me feeling quite sad actually.

Unknown said...

this shirt is so fun! i would DIY it a bit - maybe cut the neckline and roll up the sleeves. kind of funny how first impressions work, huh? i wish you lots of luck writing about all of these people and self-represntaion within American Lit. Oh and the talking heads might just be one of the best bands to ever grace the earth. david byrne is my main man.

http://www.lovefromberlin.net/
xx rae