Back in the Burg.

I'm a moron! Yes, the rumors are true. So yeah, that bookshop I went to? Caveat EMPTOR, not Emperor. Jeez. I walked by on my way to drop off writing samples at NES and, lo and behold. Coincidentally, the next day I came across the phrase in the book I'm currently reading (The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen). For the record, it's a market term meaning that the buyer is responsible for assessing the quality of the product. A great name for a used bookshop.

Anyways. Here I am in Galesburg, until Sunday, to visit Mark. Margaret, ironically, is in Bloomington visiting IU's biology department. She'll be back tomorrow, so for now it's just Mark and me, with sporadic bouts of Tim when he's not studying. =) There are plenty of other people I'd love to see, but I saw most of them on my last visit, and most are now busy with finals and whatnot. When spring break starts for them, at least they can relax. My semester is just over halfway complete, and my professors seem to have thought, "Oh, spring break! That's a LOT of time! I'll assign LOTS of homework!" For 510 I have a paper and a shitload of readings, for 552 an essay, and for 560 a whole book to read and some new assignment ideas to brainstorm. Awesome awesome.

As I'm sure millions before me have noted, moving on from school to "the real world" will be a strange experience. Although I spend about half of my time in the real world, I still cannot truly know what it will be like to be immersed fully. And of course, one wonders what it's all for. That's the question that modern fiction often tries to grapple with, especially postmodernish pieces like The Corrections, stressing a breakdown from within of long-held values. Families, relationships, the brain. Yaaay. By the way, The Corrections is quite depressing. I also just had to read Hiroshima for 560, and while it is an extremely important book, it is also one of the most depressing to read, especially as an American. I wonder how a survivor might see it, or a Japanese person born since. Depressing, certainly, but most likely in a different way. Also, just finished Lucky by Alice Sebold (of The Lovely Bones fame). Lucky is her memoir about being raped as a college freshman and her subsequent recovery process and the saga of bringing the rapist to justice. So yeah...kind of a lot of depressing reading lately.

Okay...well...I guess enough rambling now. I really ought to fire up The Little Beast and get some work done. Body massage machine GO!