Too Late, Trotsky

15 November 10

Word Usage

Professor (to me): "Where did you get this phrase "idealist anti-church rhetoric?"
Classmate: "That just sounds like Katie."
Me: "Yeah, that's from me."
Classmate: "Have you met her? That's definitely something she'd just say in conversation."

12 November 10

A few days ago, a classmate wrote me this “Very Small Short Story.” It is six pages long, and has a well-directed plot that everyone can relate to.

The text reads: “This class makes me want to kill myself. Twice.”

I, personally, am moved by the words contained in this book, as it has said everything I was thinking in only six minuscule pages of text.

26 September 10

Comments

I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few days reading over passages I flagged when I read 1984 and Brave New World back in high school. I’ve also been reading some of my own academic writing from my first few years in college, and I’ve noticed that a lot of my writing contains the basic principles of, well, if Aldous Huxley and George Orwell had a love child.
A paranoid, society-hating love child.
Even some of my entries on this blog have this characteristic. There are a few posts from when I was in the Economics course (a place where I learned very quickly - toward the end of the semester albeit - that I did not belong in the classical mindset), where I cited certain instances that made me contemplate American consumerism and, well, pettiness.
I found two basic, slightly unrefined rants from my sophomore year, where I mused over the concept of the modern distraction.

I do have to say, I guess my write-child takes after Huxley more. Though it does have Orwell’s eyes. And paranoia that the government will stifle intellectualism until it suffocates. But I love my style no matter what it grows up to be. It’s my child, after all.

I find that a lot of people tend to dislike 1984 and Brave New World because they’re so pessimistic about science, politics, and the future of humanity.
But then again, I guess that’s why I like them.