Genius Sister!

Anything written at 3am is probable a good thing. Barbra Anderson said last semester that I must be a night person, as opposed to a day person, since I told her I did a great deal of my writing in the am, witching hour. As much I love sleep (you're innocent when you dream, as Mr. Tom Waits says) I mostly just always look forward to being awake. I do some living in the day time.

But! Here is my epiphany. I have been trying to reconcile the creative aspects of Middle Ground, which could possibly be seen as liberties, with what should probably be a more informative, journalistic aspects, in addition to properly present the Navajo culture in the way that is interesting. Basically, I want to make sure that there is sufficient justification for this being a research project.
My solution is the number 4:

“The number four is a sacred number for the Navajos, coinciding with the number of points on the cross. It also represents the four essential elements (abalone, turquoise, white shell, and jet), the four sacred plants (corn, squash, beans, and tobacco), the four sacred rivers (Colorado River, Little Colorado River, San Juan River, and the Rio Grande); and the four sacred mountains that define the four cardinal directions (Mount Blanca of the East, Mount Taylor of the South” (pulled from a website on Hozho ie, harmony)

And low, MG will consist of four piece, or four parts. I think it only follows, then, that each piece present some aspect of my subject matter, and that each aspect coordinate with one of the four essentials. I think that I want to focus this coordination on the Four Sacred Mountains as the mountains are what make up the tradition borders of Navajo society, which is not to say that the works won’t occur off the Rez. I’m not totally sure yet.

So, what, then, are my four aspects. Obviously they are all inner connected, but, if I am to generalize…what then? I think that at least two of the aspects, judging from the material I already have will be death(this one for sure) and language/communication.

I do not know if I will stick with structure for Middle Ground, but for now I am really digging the concept.

mmmm, these logistics are delicious

Talking with Gillian was good. I've known her my entire life, and while I think that came in handy I am thankful for this project's transformative abilities with regards to, well, me.
I outlined my project for her and told what I needed and what troubles I have been having. Mostly, how hard it was for me to get face time with youths.
Here's what she suggested;
If you are researching the reservation in order to really properly gather data you need to go through the Tribe. Which can take time and lots and lots of money. While I am going to pursue this option, it may only become really possinle after January. But here's what Gillian suggested. I will go to Kayenta and give presentations to individual classes, in a class period or so, wherein I outline my experiences post-high school/college life off the Reservation. When I am done with my story I'll open the floor up for the student's questions and a general discussion.
I am thrilled about this idea, mostly because it isn't bogged down in paperwork. I can give 6 or 7 of these presentations in a single day and their are multiple teaches who would like to have me speak with their students. I will probably give multiple sessions like this between now and the end of the semester.Furthermore, I can use the idea of "middle ground" (Gillian called it "in-betweeness) to steer the discussion, since that is what I am presenting on. This is a project of imagination, and I consider myself a fairly observant gal, and I am sure I can gleam plenty from these sessions. Also, basketball games, I need to go to basketball games.

I just finished reading Towlhead by Alicia Erian. I am still digesting the novel, and cannot quite figure out what I shold say about it. Erian has done a very good job of disguising herself in this book...What I do like about this is the way the main character, and speaker, Jasira, functions. There is, of course, her story. The disfuntion is palatble. But there is also the social and cultural backdrop, which helos define the books characters with out completely dictating their circumstances. I appreciate this and would aim for the same air in this project's stories.

I have done alot less work than I would have liked this weekend, on account on my being sick I have been peering at the increasingly shiver-y looking a world from inside my apartment most of the weekend. I am wanting to write a play about a shut-in. Really.

I am however, going to post my first 1,000 word segment tonight. If you do critque this, and I hope you do, keep in mind how rough this all is. I am just trying to show some of the themes and imagery I am working with here. I plan to post another 1,000 words by monday afternoon. As for the other grand, they will be going to my very neglected lumberjack columns.

The essay segment will be posted in the next hour or so.

Braincloud

The clouds part, and behold! A Blog post.

Seems like "middle-ground" is no ground, or at least, no where to be found.

What haev I been working on, exactly? Alot of brainstorming. My brain is a storm.

1.After what seemed to be a miraculous, Lazarus like healing by my Laptop, the thing broke again last Sunday. It appears to be the 8 month problem of a bum charger cord. I am getting a new one as soon as I get paid Friday. Blog will bemore frequent. As many as three times a week, or with multiple posting in one day.

2. I will head down to Kayenta, (Or elsewhere on the Rez) every second thursday of the month. I will spend Fridays in the schools. See what I will be doing below.

3. I started to think about the student assemblies my elementary eduacation was pepper with. I have theorized that I could probably get permission to have such an assembly. Even, possibly on in the S.A.C. center, but more likely, I will present in teacher's classrooms. I know quite a few teachers who probably wouldn't mind if I took twenty minutes out of their class time in order to present my project. And what will I say? I don't neccesarilly want to talk at kids, I want to talk with them. If I aim to truly capture a portrait of you native culture, while at the same time examining my own culture, I need to talk with these kids. I want to hear about the music they like, where they shop, what they think of their grandparents, and what they eat for breakfast.

4. Playing off the idea of above, I have started to think aboiut interviewing groups of three or four at a time. Interaction.

5. If iam interviewing minors, if I am asking to interview minors I will most likely need to get permission slips. I could e-mail copies to the teachers whose classrooms I might be presenting to before hand and they could get them filled up and I could interview people at lunch.

6/. I need to e-mail the entire school district.

Scrambled

Sifting through the war zone of my hard drive trying to find my HURA proposal.

Found my timeline, and I am on schedule.

Gorgeous recording equipent on the way. I ordered a remarkable device that allows me to record phone conversations. Behold, I am Dick Cheny.

Fodder:

Hiked today and saw a few horned toads today. The word for horned toad in navajo is the same word for grandfather. All of my friends referred to the horned toad as their grandfather.

The night my parent marriage officially distingrated I kept a horned toad in a red and purple satin pouch. I carried that reptile around for twenty-four hours, by the light of the flashing police sirens and the closet where I hid. I slept to the repile on someone else's sofa because my mother wouldn't let me be at home. I stayed in a sticky trailer.

The little toad died shortly before my mother came over and I walked down the steps to that trailer and asked her if there was going to be a divorce.

His little brown body shrivled up inside that soft little bag.

I see potential.

P/S I need to find a really good navajo-to-english dictionary.