Biography of Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19th, 1809, to actors David and Eliza Poe.  David Poe soon abandons his family, including his wife, Edgar, and his two other children.  When Edgar’s mother dies in 1811 he is taken in by the Allans.  This is where Mr. Poe came by his middle name, Allan.  Though he was never officially adopted he was provided with a quality education and care.  Between 1815 and 1820, Poe attends school in London.

Poe returns to America is in 1825 he is secretly engaged to Sarah Elmira Royster.  In 1826, Poe enrolls at the University of Virginia.  He begins to gamble quite frequently in order to obtain enough money for his college tuition, yet in two years he loses about two thousand dollars.  In 1827, Mr. Allan refused to help Poe pay for college.  Poe then left home and enlisted in a five year term in the U.S. army.

In 1827, Poe used his own money to publish Tamerlane and Other Poems, which was a failure.  Poe joined Westpoint Academy for two years but dropped out after he realized that he would never gain Mr. Allan’s approval or money concerning his writing.  After refusing to continue in the army, Mr. Allan and Mr. Poe had a disastrous quarrel, after which Poe moved out to live with his Aunt Clemm and his seven-year-old cousin Virginia.  In 1836 Poe married his cousin Virginia, who, at the time, was thirteen, while he was twenty-seven.

Mr. Poe soon resorted to excessive drinking and could not hold a job for more than two years at a time.  Poe moved with his wife and mother-in-law to New York and published his only long fiction, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym (1838).  In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Poe became coeditor of Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine.  While working for Burton’s, Poe published some of his most famous works, including The Fall of the House of Usher.  In 1841 Poe published Murderers in the Rue Morgue.

In 1843 Poe won many awards for his poems and stories, including The Goldbug, which is considered a classic in it’s genre, yet at the same time his wife was suffering from tuberculosis.  This may have actually been part of his inspiration and motivation to write so much during that time.  On January 30, 1847, Virginia Poe died.  After his wife’s death Poe was incredibly depressed, yet he produced a great deal of his most famous work.  In 1845, during the course of his wife’s illness, he published The Raven and Other Poems.

In 1848, Poe began to court his childhood friend Ms. Shelton, and eventually they were to be married.  Poe was traveling to bring his Aunt Clemm to the wedding when he stopped in Baltimore, Maryland.  No one really know exactly what happened but Poe was found unconscious outside a saloon on October 3, 1849.  Many speculate that he drank himself to death, and some others say that he was also a drug addict.  For whatever reason he died in a hospital four days later.

A Book Review of Edgar Allan Poe: The Complete Stories

Title: Edgar Allan Poe: The Complete Stories

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Copyright: 1992

Genre: assorted

In the words of Mr. Key “IT’S EDGAR ALLAN FRICKING POE”!!!!! The master of macabre is truly a demented genius, or something of that same species. From The Angel of the Odd to Island of the Fey, Poe is a genius at writing, even if it’s in a way that seems strange to most people.

Poe seems to have a gift for picking out anomalies in everything, from the tedious regiment of everyday life to the most obscure and disturbing of the borderline insane. In stories that should seem to be grotesque, Poe’s dry humor will worm its way in like maggots into decaying flesh. Some stories that seem to be originally intended humorous do turn out to be quite serious, yet they fit almost perfectly that way. As in the story Hop Frog, Poe seems to make it a joke that the jester is abused and yet goes insane from the torment. In all of the stories, there seem to be aspects of everyday social life under scrutiny. As Poe stated in The Premature Burial, “to be buried while alive is, beyond question, the most terrific of these extremities which has ever fallen to the lot of mere mortality”. In other words, he picked this subject because he liked the fact that other people hated it.

Poe tends to write in first person as almost a narrative or in third person in the same manner. In first person the writer seems to be almost secluded from regular perception. In third person the writer seems to be almost writing from first hand accounts. Most writers in modern times tend to switch these methods and that tends to make for a slightly duller, if far more fathomable read. At times Poe seems to be, as some say, completely off his rocker. At other times, Poe seems to be a learned scholar. It is almost as if Poe wrote in different minds yet still the same person.

Rating: 8.5

However good these stories were, they are very long at times and incredibly hard to read in many instances. Poe has some very different views. He seems to deliberately try to go against the grain of society in his writing. What is generally considered to be grotesque, obscure, and taboo in ‘good society’ Poe seems to find quite entertaining.

It is very thought provoking in many ways. Firstly, you have to be able to think about vocabulary expansion and to think of where the dictionary is. Secondly, you gain a new way to look at almost everything. Thirdly, you must try very hard not to laugh at corpses and to be serious at parties after reading all of Poe’s stories. However much Poe is revered, many do still agree that he was a strange man. It’s a pity his though process hasn’t caught on as a trend.

Book Review of Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut

Galapagos is a tale of the near-apocalyptic rise and fall of the human race. Vonnegut tells the story in such a humorous way that he turns a tragic plot into the funniest nobel I have ever read.

This book is A-list because is, though an interesting plot, shows us an outsiders’s view of our thoughts as humans. And not what our thoughts will be in the future, but what they are right now, right at this minute. As the narrator is telling the story one million years in out future he cleverly points out some of the outrageous beliefs that each and every human being has now. Becuse it is showing a different view of how we live our lives and pointing out the pointless and unexplainable behaviors many of us have.

I beleive another reason why Galapagos is an A-list book is that it is an interesting mix of reaserch and pure fiction in one beleivable novel. Many things writen about in Galapagos, such as wildlife and the hhistory of Charles Darwin’s explorations there must have been reaserched in depth. However, Galapagos is fiction. Vonnegut writesabout events that happened in 2001, sixteen years before it actualy happened, and it is now in our past. Now we know that the events he wrote about in his book are false. The mix of fiction and fact in Galapagos is most definately of A-list quality.

One thins that is very unique about Kurt Vonnegut’s writing in this novel was the ammout of foreshadowing. I would estimate that this writing tool took up about forty percent of the book. Some people might thins this would become boring, but in this case it didn’t. Because Vonnegut used foreshadowing in crucial places he was able to tie together many events in the intricate plot. What foreshadowing providded the reader with the most was a greater understanding of why things were happening in the story and how they were related to eachother. I beleive in most other books this level of understanding in this particular area is nonexistant.

An interesting part of Kurt Vonnegut’s writing was his ablility to create amazing characters while still keeping the story fairly beleivable. In Galapagos there were mant such characters. Between the main characters of the book one was blind, two had a disease that made you go crazy at age 41, and one gave birth to a furry child. However strange these descriptions might seem, the novel was still completely reasonable. It takes much skill to be able to create such extravigant characters while still keeping the reader beleiving.

In my opinion, one of the most interesting ideas brought up by Vonnegut was Darwin’s theory of narutal selection.  As narutral selection (in theory) selects the beings who have the best surcical qualities to reproduce more it helps the species survive longer or in better health conditions.  However, I don’t think humans have ever thought of themselves as being affected by this process.  In this novel they are, to a huge extent.  In my mind humans think of themselves as superior to any other type of being.  But humans aren’t.  We aren’t different than any other beind out there.  At any time, natural selection could take its toll on out species, just as it did in Galapagos.

Overall, Galapagos is one of my favorite books of al time.  It’s extremely unique and provides a new, exciting, and entertaining way of looking at our everyday lives.  On a scale of one to ten I rate this book at a 9.25.  I would certainly recoment this book to anyone who loves a new read.  This book could be exciting for anyone!!

Review by greensquared

Trial and Error

As some people know, the BIG mock tirals are comming up swiftly for the gifted literature students. Nerves are fraying, concentration is strained, and the competative spirit has taken over room 114. We are all told not to wory about who wins or loses, but who listnes to that? Winning your trial is always the bets part.

For sixth graders, the big mock trials are just big chances to nap. They tend to miss half the trial because they space out. The other half is kinda a blur because they don’t understand a lot of the language.  Usually they feel small, new, and totally lost.  Then again, don’t we all when we are the smallest, youngest, and newest?

In seventh grade they actually have some experience under their belts, however minimal.  Sometimes they have a very good handle on things and work really well with the eighth graders.  Sometimes not.  Sometimes they make such big fools of them selves that they never want to do mock trials again.  There are many seventh grade attorneys who totally forget the cross that they are doing (whatever side they are on) and end up feeling like…well let’s just say not-so-good.  It is all part of the natural cycle of mock trials, however mortifying.

As eighth graders everyone is confidant, self-assured, and totally competative.  Seventh grade (and sometimes sixth grade if you are smart enough and unlucky enough) students are a bit shy arround the incredibly intense eighth graders.  For eighth grader this is the last mock trial year where you can dress up weird, not be against other schools, and find out a lot about the other team because your feind is on the other team and they accidently tell you everything.  They are all going to be excited, very few ecceptions.

I am here to tell everyone to relax, have fun, and MOCK YOUR TRIALING HEART OUT!!!  If that didn’t make sense, then just good luck.  May you be victorious, live long, and prosper!

Spring Fever

As soon as the weather starts to pick up and thing start to bloom a set of changes occur.  These changes aren’t about the weather or anything.  These changes usually only occur in people between the ages of about seven to around eighteen.  Focus goes out the window, people start acting weird, and rules become almost trivial.  Elementary school, middle school, and high school teachers all know that around valentines day Spring fever kicks in.

It’s almost like a disease, and at times it can be as bad as allergies or a bad cold.  Teachers dread the last month or so of classes because it seems that they are teaching a bunch of monkeys.  Symptoms of spring fever are slow in coming at times but when they arrive they are blatantly obvious.  Students start to slack off or work harder, talk more, violate dress code, bring water balloons, etc.

There is no known cure for this mysterious ailment and many are still not entirely decided on its cause or origin.  Studies have found that students tend to mellow out after the third day of summer break, though this is not even close to bringing a solution.  There are rare occasions where students are immune to this epidemic, though these students may catch occasional snatches of Spring Fever once in a while.  We are still a long way from a cure though.

Students under the influence of Spring Fever, please remember that if you do not show symptoms of spring fever then your teachers will most likely be creeped out.  Whether this is good or bad, keep in mind that creeped out teachers+end-of-the-year field trip= WAY FUN TIME!!!  Enjoy these last weeks!!!

VE=NT

VE=NT stands for Voices Emerging=New Thunder. It is a slam poetry competition for middle school students. I began in 2006, starting off with about six teams from different schools in some junior high cafeteria. It was fairly informal but it ended up being a great jumping off point for the VE=NT competition. That year the overall poetry champions were the students on the Jefferson Slam Team.

In 2007 the second competition took place. Unlike in 2006, there were at least 30 different teams. The event had to be held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. It lasted from midmorning ’till after dark and still the competition ended in a tie. There was no time for a tie-breaker round. Jefferson was one of the teams that tied for first.

Now, in 2008, the third anual VE=NT middle school slam competition is uppon us. The Jefferson team is completely prepared *knock on wood*. They’re trying to get support, but not many seem terribly interested in slam poetry. I find that odd because so many people like rap music and slam poetry is just good rap music without all the interference. The slam is on the 26th of April at the National Hispanic Cultural Center and it starts at about 11a.m.

http://www.myspace.com/ventpoetryfestival

Night

Night sweeps the land
Darkness crashes lke the sea
A moon illminates the clouded sky
Wind whips the leaves
As death enters the town
Moaning
Crying
Whining
No one goes well
Creeping into false assurances
No one has ties
Deeper than man’s lies
Paul Revere riding night
And America’s sinister plight
Nothing can’t be hidden in darkness
But soon darkness overcome by light

By Rogaine

Pushing Up Daisies

I’m sure everyone knows, it’s spring time. Spring means flowers. Flowers mean pollen. Pollen means ALERGENIC DOOM!!! There have been bad allergy years before but some people are saying that this is the worst year yet. How is it that some place with so few plants can have so much allergies?

With all of these allergies coming out every drug manufacturer is trying to figure out new ways to make allergy medicine more powerful and helpful. My question is what the heck is in that stuff?!?! How do they make something that cures allergies, looks like a candy apple, and tastes like synthetic cherries?!?! Some of the best tasting medicines work the worst and some work the best. Is that just because of the people taking the medicine or is it because of the actual drug?

Some of the best medicines are the things that are all natural, nasty, and funky looking. One of the absolute best allergy medicines, in my opinion, is HAS (Hay Fever Allergy Sinus). It doesn’t taste great and it looks like herbs. I think that the fire engine red and electric blue medicines are more funky looking than that!

With all of the fake stuff in food in today’s grocery stores and food courts it may be impossible to eat something all natural. Marshmallows have blue dye number 1 in them to make them white!!! To get good food without any preservatives, colorings, flavorings etc.. we may have to start growing some of our own food.

I ask you, would that be such a bad thing?

Lunch from Hell

As we probably all know, APS lunches aren’t the best. Alright, they’re probably the worst food that they could get their hands on. As I walked down the 6th grade hall to lunch today I began to gag on the smell of old tuna fish. This may not seem odd to some people but let me just say that today’s lunch was hamburgers. HOW DO HAMBURGERS SMELL LIKE ROTTEN FISH?!?!

The fact that we are eating meat with questionable virtue on bread that is 75% air seems to be the fault of the school district. Prioritizing is always a good thing, and the APS school district is incredibly lacking in that respect. Being the child of a teacher and having hung around with teachers while they rant I have managed to pick up a few bits of information.

Most schools in APS are equipped with out-of-date text books, crappy restroom facilities (pardon the pun), and either no computers or a few seriously messed up computers. On the other hand, some schools are getting ELECTRONIC KIOSKS!!! THESE SCHOOLS DON’T EVEN HAVE ART SUPPLIES!!! Do they want to ADVERTISE THAT FACT OR SOMETHING?!?!

Everyone is griping about the lack of government funding for public education which is definitely part of the problem, but there is a lot that we can do with what we have. When schools get new computers those computers don’t go to other schools or salvage yards or anything. THEY GO INTO STORAGE!!! If we could just reuse these computers then some schools with no computers would at least have something. Before we try to get more government funding for education, maybe we should try putting what we already have to good use.

Optical Illusions

Here are a few mind bending, reality twisting optical illusions. No answers needed but feel free to give your self a head ache trying to.

How many legs does this elephant have?

This object is called a blivet. How many prongs does it have?

Where is the lowest stair?

Is the square in the middle a perfect square?