Tuesday, April 24, 2012
First Contact (sort of)
I haven't been good about updating this blog in the past week or so, but my work may finally be paying off.
I received a few (!) messages from Chris Stedman, both via e-mail and Twitter, about working together, somehow! He read my piece (mentioned in a previous post) and seemed interested in discussing some of what wasn't discussed explicitly in the piece - between the lines, if you will.
What would happen if a Roman Catholic and a Faitheist walked into a bar?
I was juggling two options: either an interview, or an NPS-style blog post. With Chris traveling so often (he'd only just returned from Australia when we spoke), the interview seemed less and less likely, and the post became quite doable. While playing Words with Friends, though, I had a revelation:
Why not do both?
My NPS-style post could second as the beginning of a conversation piece, an introduction to a dialogue, in what could be an ongoing discussion of living well, with and without faith. Perhaps a new blog, on my part, in response to the Faitheist movement, would be the answer. I'm not sure! What're your thoughts?
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
I'm back FROM the future!
Well, it's been a while since I last posted.
I've been keeping busy with Spring Awakening rehearsals - I'll be portraying Georg at the end of the week - and haven't had a ton of time otherwise.
If my twitter feed tells me anything useful, and I hope it does, my man Chris has been keeping busy a well, with international conferences and the like. Very cool stuff.
Unfortunately, that also means he hasn't had the time to get back to me about an interview through Twitter, so I'll have to try another way.
Email may well have to suffice. How boring, right?
I've been keeping busy with Spring Awakening rehearsals - I'll be portraying Georg at the end of the week - and haven't had a ton of time otherwise.
If my twitter feed tells me anything useful, and I hope it does, my man Chris has been keeping busy a well, with international conferences and the like. Very cool stuff.
Unfortunately, that also means he hasn't had the time to get back to me about an interview through Twitter, so I'll have to try another way.
Email may well have to suffice. How boring, right?
Monday, April 2, 2012
Oh, the places I'll (hopefully) go!
As of right now, it looks like I'll be continuing my work on Stedman and the atheist-activist movement with an eye to what I hope can be an answer to the title of my original essay. How cool would it be if I could spend an afternoon with him over coffee, or walk into a bar and not have it be a punch line? I don't know how possible it is, but I was even thinking a Skype conversation could do. Oh, the possibilities!
Monday, March 26, 2012
If you would...
...please read my posted PI essay on Inter-Faitheist Activist Chris Stedman and tell me what you think about it below!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Brainstorming!
I can't lie: I hate exercises like these. Writing my undeveloped ideas has always been tedious for me, and nothing I've ever enjoyed.
What do I love? What do I love enough to write about?
Why even write about it?
I'm not sure. I loved reading and writing about Chris Stedman, and have recently been in contact with him through Twitter, so there could be something by way of an interview on the way.
I've read quite a bit about superheroes and philosophy, which has brought two of my greatest loves together with delightful results. I might be interested in going down that road, as well.
I'm definitely interested in magic in relation to prayer, as well as prayer in relation to magic. I'm not sure if I can write on it yet, but I want to at some point.
As much as I love music, I can't imagine going down that road without hating it, and I'm not sure how I feel about writing about God publicly, at least yet.
I guess I'll have to see.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Coffee-Talk
His thick-framed glasses, nose ring, gauged ears, Minnesota Northstars snap-back, peat-coat, scarf, skinny jeans and Converse All-Stars don’t surprise me at all. What surprises me is his voice. I’d seen pictures of him – I knew what to expect in that arena – but I didn’t expect his voice to be so deep, soothing, and, well, learned. I imagine all the things he would teach me, if only I was his student. Would I be so wise, I wonder?
I get over myself and tap him on the shoulder. “Hi, Chris? My name’s Trevor Kelly. I’m a huge fan,” I tell him.
He doesn’t look up immediately. His fingers are tapping furiously. It looks like he’s on Twitter. He’s seriously always on! How does he do it? If I could tweet half as fast as him, I’d go pro. When he finally realizes I was trying to introduce myself, holding my hand out for him to shake for what feels like an eternity, he apologizes fervently and asks me if I’d like to sit with him while we enjoy our coffee.
I don’t know what came over me, but I went absolutely and embarrassingly fan-boy on the guy, from his writings for the Huffington Post to his upcoming book, “(F)a(i)theist,” and how much I appreciated his article for Huffington Post Gay Voices entitled “Growing Up Queer.” My uncle is a Born-Again Christian, and I’ve always had difficulty understanding what made him turn away from Catholicism, I tell him, as if he cares. The thing is… I’m pretty sure he does.
He laughs, thanking me for taking the time to read what he said. I can feel his eyes on me as I mutter apologies under my breath. I’ve probably scared the poor guy away, I think, and I start to scold myself for it. He puts his hands on my shoulders, though, and I look into his eyes for what feels like the first time. The gentleness and compassion beyond his thick, hipster lenses tell me all I need to know.
Immediately, I understood it all. I understood that I haven’t been nearly a good enough Christian, and I’m not ashamed to have learned it from an atheist activist, even if in a Starbucks. The scene likely couldn’t have been more cliché, nor should it have been. I felt like he and I talked for hours, though it was in truth only one or two. He taught me that all of us, as human beings, owed it to each other to stand together in communion and community.
And you know what? I agreed.
I get over myself and tap him on the shoulder. “Hi, Chris? My name’s Trevor Kelly. I’m a huge fan,” I tell him.
He doesn’t look up immediately. His fingers are tapping furiously. It looks like he’s on Twitter. He’s seriously always on! How does he do it? If I could tweet half as fast as him, I’d go pro. When he finally realizes I was trying to introduce myself, holding my hand out for him to shake for what feels like an eternity, he apologizes fervently and asks me if I’d like to sit with him while we enjoy our coffee.
I don’t know what came over me, but I went absolutely and embarrassingly fan-boy on the guy, from his writings for the Huffington Post to his upcoming book, “(F)a(i)theist,” and how much I appreciated his article for Huffington Post Gay Voices entitled “Growing Up Queer.” My uncle is a Born-Again Christian, and I’ve always had difficulty understanding what made him turn away from Catholicism, I tell him, as if he cares. The thing is… I’m pretty sure he does.
He laughs, thanking me for taking the time to read what he said. I can feel his eyes on me as I mutter apologies under my breath. I’ve probably scared the poor guy away, I think, and I start to scold myself for it. He puts his hands on my shoulders, though, and I look into his eyes for what feels like the first time. The gentleness and compassion beyond his thick, hipster lenses tell me all I need to know.
Immediately, I understood it all. I understood that I haven’t been nearly a good enough Christian, and I’m not ashamed to have learned it from an atheist activist, even if in a Starbucks. The scene likely couldn’t have been more cliché, nor should it have been. I felt like he and I talked for hours, though it was in truth only one or two. He taught me that all of us, as human beings, owed it to each other to stand together in communion and community.
And you know what? I agreed.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Chris Stedman: Interfaith Avenger
My man Chris has been keeping busy this past week, as Harvard's 2012 Interfaith Awareness Week off to a running start. Packed with speakers, panels and everything in-between, the event sounds like a rousing good time. I eagerly await a write-up either from Chris or one of the NPS panelists.
Also, check out these awesome Avengers-inspired LEGO toys. This could be the greatest thing of all time, ever, and when I say "could be," I mean "is definitely."
Also, check out these awesome Avengers-inspired LEGO toys. This could be the greatest thing of all time, ever, and when I say "could be," I mean "is definitely."
Five People I Saw Today.
1. A boy studying. I feel like I haven't seen somebody reading from a book in a long time that's not me. I'd be willing to bet he's either a biology major or pre-med - he looks pretty serious about whatever he's reading.
2. A girl eating chips. Not brand name - something health conscious, probably rice or soy based. They look good enough. I'd probably eat them, but that isn't saying much.
3. A girl on her laptop. It's an HP - not school bought, but not terribly expensive. She's been speaking loudly enough that everybody around her knows what she's reading about. I wonder if they're laughing because she's funny or because they want her to shut up.
4. Another girl on a laptop. It's a Mac - more toy than computer. Custom blue case, kind of a silly color. She's been laughing at 3. for as long as she's been speaking, which is nothing to laugh at. She's a trooper.
5. A boy on his phone. Nobody's sitting with him, and nobody's really talking to him. I almost want to sit with him, but Lord knows I won't. He could smell! Besides, he's been texting furiously for a few minutes, and I wouldn't want to interrupt.
2. A girl eating chips. Not brand name - something health conscious, probably rice or soy based. They look good enough. I'd probably eat them, but that isn't saying much.
3. A girl on her laptop. It's an HP - not school bought, but not terribly expensive. She's been speaking loudly enough that everybody around her knows what she's reading about. I wonder if they're laughing because she's funny or because they want her to shut up.
4. Another girl on a laptop. It's a Mac - more toy than computer. Custom blue case, kind of a silly color. She's been laughing at 3. for as long as she's been speaking, which is nothing to laugh at. She's a trooper.
5. A boy on his phone. Nobody's sitting with him, and nobody's really talking to him. I almost want to sit with him, but Lord knows I won't. He could smell! Besides, he's been texting furiously for a few minutes, and I wouldn't want to interrupt.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Chris Stedman: NonProphet Status
Stedman is a proud atheist and humanist with a focus on interfaith and inter-religious dialogue, contributing to the "Religion" and "Gay Voices" portions of the Huffington Post web-newspaper.
Through his own blog, NonProphet Status, he and several like-minded young men and women form a panel of atheistic interfaith advocates - no small feat, as it turns out.
His contributions to HuffPost, especially, are noteworthy, including (but not limited to) this piece on "atheist activism" problems and this piece on growing up queer and "born-again".
For more on Chris, check out his Huffington Post bio.
Super-Superbowl
While watching the Giants face off against the Patriots yesterday was high priority - after all, how much of a man could I be without enjoying senseless violence and copious amounts of alcohol? - I, admittedly, had one higher priority:
The Avengers Superbowl spot.
When my best friend stepped in front of the projector, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to strike him down, but I saw a vast majority of it and nearly cried (whether or not the beer had anything to do with it is still to be determined).
With only a few short months before the film's release, I can't help but feel more and more excited every time I so much as think about it. With that being said, I feel like I know less and less about the plot of the film every time I see something about it (Were there Skrulls? Hard to tell).
"I have an army."
"We have a Hulk."
Yes, yes you do. And I can't wait to see the whole gang in May!
The Avengers Superbowl spot.
When my best friend stepped in front of the projector, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to strike him down, but I saw a vast majority of it and nearly cried (whether or not the beer had anything to do with it is still to be determined).
With only a few short months before the film's release, I can't help but feel more and more excited every time I so much as think about it. With that being said, I feel like I know less and less about the plot of the film every time I see something about it (Were there Skrulls? Hard to tell).
"I have an army."
"We have a Hulk."
Yes, yes you do. And I can't wait to see the whole gang in May!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Three Things That Stopped Me in My Tracks
1/26 - The bass player in my band tells the band that he submitted our music to the Space in Hamden, and the frontman and guitar player in the band tells us that the guys over at Toad's Place want us to play on February 16th. I am excited, to be sure, but I'm just as sure it hasn't really hit me yet.
1/28 - I call my dad in order to catch up. He tells me that he and my mother been talking to my sister about moving into a condo in Berlin, Connecticut. Both he and my mom are very excited about the idea. I'm certainly not opposed to it, by any means, but it feels strange to think about moving.
1/29 - My mother texts me that, while my great-grandmother has been brought to the hospital with yet another GI bleed, I shouldn't worry. Naturally, I worry, but I try not to. Thankfully, she seems to be doing better already. I swear, the woman's healthier than I'll ever be, hospital or not.
In each of these things, it seems to me that the connecting fabric - if there is any - is a feeling of disconnect and disbelief. I never dreamed that I could actually play Toad's, even though I've always wanted to. I never dreamed that my parents could actually move out of our house, even though it's not the first time we've discussed it. I never dreamed that my great-grandmother could actually die, even though she's outlived nearly all of her family. Does all of it make sense? Could all of it actually happen? Yeah, I suppose it could. Hell, I know it could. It still feels strange, is all. Sometimes I forget the world turns.
1/28 - I call my dad in order to catch up. He tells me that he and my mother been talking to my sister about moving into a condo in Berlin, Connecticut. Both he and my mom are very excited about the idea. I'm certainly not opposed to it, by any means, but it feels strange to think about moving.
1/29 - My mother texts me that, while my great-grandmother has been brought to the hospital with yet another GI bleed, I shouldn't worry. Naturally, I worry, but I try not to. Thankfully, she seems to be doing better already. I swear, the woman's healthier than I'll ever be, hospital or not.
In each of these things, it seems to me that the connecting fabric - if there is any - is a feeling of disconnect and disbelief. I never dreamed that I could actually play Toad's, even though I've always wanted to. I never dreamed that my parents could actually move out of our house, even though it's not the first time we've discussed it. I never dreamed that my great-grandmother could actually die, even though she's outlived nearly all of her family. Does all of it make sense? Could all of it actually happen? Yeah, I suppose it could. Hell, I know it could. It still feels strange, is all. Sometimes I forget the world turns.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Avengers: Roll Call
State of the Union 2012: Obama knows best.
In tuning in to Barack Obama's annual speech, I challenged myself to read - and not listen to - it, essentially removing rhetorical devices in order to be able to focus on the speech, itself, and not the speaker.
At first, reading the transcript was a bit like the last time I listened to the radio - it's nothing I haven't heard before, and the only real unity present was the current popularity of the songs I heard.
It was nearly schizophrenic. While I was certainly pleased to read we are no longer at war and are instead creating millions of jobs, I was especially pleased to read how much I felt like I was learning. An entire political year in one speech - and isn't that the point of the State of the Union?
One particular element I couldn't help but pick up on was the following: "And we know how." We know how to fix our inexcusable behavior. We know how to solve the challenges that ever lie ahead.
My only real question, in conclusion, is this: Do we really know? Does Obama really know? I'm sure, if I had watched it, I would've bought it. I voted for him because I bought it the first time. Whether or not I buy it this time, though, is still to be seen.
At first, reading the transcript was a bit like the last time I listened to the radio - it's nothing I haven't heard before, and the only real unity present was the current popularity of the songs I heard.
It was nearly schizophrenic. While I was certainly pleased to read we are no longer at war and are instead creating millions of jobs, I was especially pleased to read how much I felt like I was learning. An entire political year in one speech - and isn't that the point of the State of the Union?
One particular element I couldn't help but pick up on was the following: "And we know how." We know how to fix our inexcusable behavior. We know how to solve the challenges that ever lie ahead.
My only real question, in conclusion, is this: Do we really know? Does Obama really know? I'm sure, if I had watched it, I would've bought it. I voted for him because I bought it the first time. Whether or not I buy it this time, though, is still to be seen.
Monday, January 23, 2012
New Directions
What are some blogs I really liked. Why?
www.wired.com/blogs
Tech-geek magazine Wired has been a mainstay at my house since before I can remember. The blogs hosted by the magazine's website provides a variety of focused science and technology-based perspectives, ranging anywhere from videogames to DNA sequencing. Underwire, especially, deserves a nod.
www.millarworld.tv/blog.html
Mark Millar, writer of such cult graphic novels as "Wanted" and "Kick-Ass," both of which are now major motion pictures, proves to be just as witty on a day-to-day basis as he is in his major works. Though powered by Twitter, Millar's blog provides an interesting insight both into his own works and the comic industry at large.
www.twitter.com
I feel like I can't go without mentioning Twitter, itself, in thinking about blogs I like, even if it is not explicitly a blog or even a blogging site. While the social aspect of the service places greater emphasis on trends over the content of a site such as Blogger, the immediacy of Twitter makes for nearly instant communication with far superior accessibility, both for better and for worse.
What features made a blog easy to follow? Off-putting? What features encouraged reader participation?
Simple, unified color schemes and themes certainly made a blog more accessible, while complex and busy designs did exactly the opposite. Simple fonts are also a must - cursive or scripted fonts can be exceptionally difficult to follow, and even more difficult to read!
Do good blogs need to have a tight focus or not?
While a tight focus doesn't necessarily make a good blog, it certainly can be an attractive feature. Some focus is necessary, I think, whether it be a specific angle applied to a variety of topics, or a specific topic explored by a variety of perspectives.
Is there a particular angle you want your blog to have? (We’ll be writing about a lot of things, but you can still emphasize an area of interest).
I think a good blogger stays true to who he/she is. I'm a geek at heart, and I'd be misleading you, as my reader, if I ever suggested otherwise. It's all about the story, at the end f the day, and I hope that I can bring the things I love into everything I do.
Based on your investigation, what are some key qualities and features that you want to bring into your blog?
Personality is the most important aspect of the blog. Be it writing style or voice, the power of the blog is more in the presentation than in the content. If it doesn't feel authentic, it probably isn't! My blog is an honest reflection of me - a student who strives to be a Doctor.
www.wired.com/blogs
Tech-geek magazine Wired has been a mainstay at my house since before I can remember. The blogs hosted by the magazine's website provides a variety of focused science and technology-based perspectives, ranging anywhere from videogames to DNA sequencing. Underwire, especially, deserves a nod.
www.millarworld.tv/blog.html
Mark Millar, writer of such cult graphic novels as "Wanted" and "Kick-Ass," both of which are now major motion pictures, proves to be just as witty on a day-to-day basis as he is in his major works. Though powered by Twitter, Millar's blog provides an interesting insight both into his own works and the comic industry at large.
www.twitter.com
I feel like I can't go without mentioning Twitter, itself, in thinking about blogs I like, even if it is not explicitly a blog or even a blogging site. While the social aspect of the service places greater emphasis on trends over the content of a site such as Blogger, the immediacy of Twitter makes for nearly instant communication with far superior accessibility, both for better and for worse.
What features made a blog easy to follow? Off-putting? What features encouraged reader participation?
Simple, unified color schemes and themes certainly made a blog more accessible, while complex and busy designs did exactly the opposite. Simple fonts are also a must - cursive or scripted fonts can be exceptionally difficult to follow, and even more difficult to read!
Do good blogs need to have a tight focus or not?
While a tight focus doesn't necessarily make a good blog, it certainly can be an attractive feature. Some focus is necessary, I think, whether it be a specific angle applied to a variety of topics, or a specific topic explored by a variety of perspectives.
Is there a particular angle you want your blog to have? (We’ll be writing about a lot of things, but you can still emphasize an area of interest).
I think a good blogger stays true to who he/she is. I'm a geek at heart, and I'd be misleading you, as my reader, if I ever suggested otherwise. It's all about the story, at the end f the day, and I hope that I can bring the things I love into everything I do.
Based on your investigation, what are some key qualities and features that you want to bring into your blog?
Personality is the most important aspect of the blog. Be it writing style or voice, the power of the blog is more in the presentation than in the content. If it doesn't feel authentic, it probably isn't! My blog is an honest reflection of me - a student who strives to be a Doctor.
Reflection: Lions for Lambs
While I tend to have anti-political and anti-war leanings, I found Robert Redford's "Lions for Lambs" surprisingly entertaining. Whether or not my love of Tom Cruise and Andrew Garfield (both of whom were exceptional, as always) was responsible for this reaction is still to be seen, but I suspect it only contributed to, and did not substantiate, it. I was particularly moved by Cruise's character, an up and coming senator with eyes on the presidency, and the language he repeatedly used - victory and winning, it seemed, were the only things on his mind. Even with his own military background in Intelligence, specifically, he did not seem particularly affected by the potential loss of troops, satisfied only by a win, "no matter the cost," and with "whatever it takes," as his mantras. Meanwhile, Garfield's character, a college student, served as a sort of foil to the cunning senator as a somewhat cynical student of political science who easily saw politics as it was and still is, today, and not as it appeared and still appears, today. The balance between the Cruise and Garfield perspectives, especially, illustrated quite clearly - and quite cleverly, in my opinion - a difference in the political mind from generation to generation, with Redford's own character - Garfield's college professor - serving as another generational gap, as his character was the senior-most of the group and, to a certain extent, the wisest as well. While at least somewhat stereotypical, Redford manages to capture a broad understanding of basic political thought from a variety of sources and perspectives throughout the film, which was no small feat. I certainly enjoyed it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)