Monday, March 31, 2014

Art Comes In All Shapes And Sizes

Recently I was asked to describe my writing process, below is what I learned about myself.

I consider writing to be a form of art. I believe that each poem, novel, and letter is carefully crafted. When readers relate to a piece of writing it has the power to inspire, educate, and unify people.  However, not all writing is able to motivate and enlighten other people. That is why writing is an art. It is the author’s intent to relate to his reader and therefore have the ability to teach the reader something. When crafting such writing it is important for the author to find a setting that is conducive to his needs.
Personally, I sit with a purple lead pencil in my hand. A spiral notebook sits on the table in front of me. In the bottom right corner there is a date scribbled on the cover with the word “start” in front of it. I always like to see how long it takes me to fill an entire journal. The sky is now dark and I can see my own reflection in the window in front of me. My back is curved into a question mark as I try to answer the myriad of questions in my mind. I like to write at night, when my brain is too tired to care about things like run-on sentences and bad spelling. The room is silent, except for the faint din of my family in the kitchen. There is something unique about putting pen to paper. I spend the majority of my day staring at a computer screen, typing essays and sending emails. However, creative writing requires me to be free from these distractions.  I mustn’t allow myself to think too hard. If I think too hard I might try and figure out the ending, and I know that the ending can’t be decided upon until I am done with the story. My hero might decide to turn malicious and my villain might reveal herself to be a misunderstood widow. I must not think about the ending.

However, this does not mean that I write without a purpose. I write to understand my emotions and myself. I then share my writing to relate to other people, trying to communicate my experiences so that other people will not make the same mistakes I made. I believe that this type of communication comes with an understanding of universal human struggles. When people realize that they all have similar difficulties they will be more compassionate toward each other.

How do you write??

Keep on writing,
     Rachel Stein

GUEST ARTIST ON APRIL 7th IS CANCELLED

GUEST ARTIST ON APRIL 7th IS CANCELLED

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Staff List


Hey everyone! Here is the final list of 2013-2014 Tapestry staff members. All of these names will be printed in the book - thanks so much for all your hard work. :)

Final Staff List:
Zoe Aridor
Lydia Beyer
Francesca Cano
Aleyna Collins
Maggie Coulson
Nicole Fallert
Rachel Gorby
David Han
Jessica Hertzberg
Yosra Kandil
Emily Kiehn
Julia Lynch
Tim Marsh
Madison McCleese
Jane Millard
Suvir Mirchandani
Hannah Mueller
Nina Mulroy
Shaina Munin
Kat Nestel
Jasmine Pabla
Emma Paulini
Avalon Perdriel-Arons
Kristen Rabbitt
Iris Schaitkin
Sarah Schanwald
Katie Stevenson
Sam Waxman
Elaine Yates
Hannah Yeager
Gabi Young



Sunday, March 23, 2014

March List

Hey everyone! Happy spring! I can't believe that it's not warm out yet, but that's okay. It will get there
soon enough - at least that's what I keep telling myself...  ;) So in order to bring up a little cheer in the midst of all this cold un-spring-like weather, I thought I'd make a list of the best parts of March so far:

• The Oscars - it's always so much fun to see all the stars and root for your favorite movies of the year

• Beauty and the Beast - the musical was amazing and I absolutely loved watching it - great job to everyone involved!

• Counting down to spring break without seeming totally desperate (19 days!)

• Wearing rain boots (no explanation needed :)


(http://sacramentosidetracks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/rain-boots-and-puddle1.jpg)


• Free Rita's... and Rita's being open in general (although I actually didn't take advantage of this, as I was a bit too cold to eat anything frozen...)

• Divergent - I just saw the movie this weekend and it was so good! I really liked it and I highly recommend that you see it (and read the books - which I actually haven't finished doing yet but am totally going to do... I have to find out what happens next!)

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/41/Divergent_film_poster.png)

I hope everyone stays warm and enjoys the rest of March!
- Sophie

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Tapestry Update / Upcoming Events

Hey Everyone!

IT'S OFFICIALLY SPRING! I hope everyone has had a lovely first couple days of this wonderful season.

Now that the submission deadline has passed and traditional Tapestry meetings have ended for the year, I thought I'd give you an update on the latest happenings in the Tapestry club.

Now that all of the pieces have been reviewed for the book, Faith has started to organize the accepted works and create the layout of the book (ahhh!). Coming up this week, the Tapestry senior staff will choose the cover of the book. Once this is finished, we will begin re-reviewing all of the pieces during (quite long) review sessions. During these meetings, the staff will go through each and every piece to check for spelling mistakes, misspellings of names, grammar errors- EVERYTHING- to make sure everyone's work is well represented in the book. After we fix all of the mistakes and the layout of the book is finalized, we begin the publication process! This will happen in late April/early May and by late May, we will receive the books and hold a publication party! It's crazy how fast everything happens, but it's extremely exciting to watch the wonderful work of FC students come together in Tapestry's literary arts magazine!

In the meantime, while you wait for the book to be published, there are some Tapestry events coming up very soon that you'll definitely want to attend! There will be an OPEN MIC on MARCH 28TH (this Friday) during QRT! The sign up list will be located on room 176's door early this week. Bring your poetry, stories, art, and music!

There will also be a guest artist in April (more information to be given soon).

Keep checking back for more Tappy updates and I'll see you at the open mic!

- Emily F.


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Lists about journaling (Dani Burton)


Last month I made a resolution to journal every single day.

Reasons I wanted to commit to journaling:
  1. To work through some stuff
  2. To keep myself thinking creatively without any English in my schedule
  3. It’s what you hear writers should do to develop their voices/point of view/why do they say that? And they also say to read every day, which I should probably also be doing
  4. My journal is fun to reread so I never forget how I felt at different points in time and realize how much I have actually grown. I started my journal in sixth grade so some of the early entries don’t even sound like me! Even my handwriting has totally changed. It’s cool to see
  5. Apparently I love talking (slash writing) about myself
  6. It’s a better use of my time than watching American Idol… even though that’s pretty good (anyone else hoping to see Jena and Alex in the finals?)
Why haven’t I journaled every day, then? I keep my journal right next to my bed, for Pete’s sake. (All I even expected of myself was one side of a page a day.)
Well maybe I think I don’t have anything different to say each day. But I do because I already journal about nothing. Real talk, what I actually write:
  1. Titling each entry. Sample: “wed. mar. 18, 2014 10:47 am. sitting on a computer in the library.” Yes, I started including where I’m writing the entries. When I flip back through them I like to picture myself writing them.
  2. I talk about the people and TV and classes and projects on my mind.
  3. Anxiety. You may know that complaining is one of my favorite pastimes; I can always agonize over college for at least a front and back. First I complain, “Now it’s only 9 days until I hear back” or whatever updated time. Insert more expletives and frustration.
  4. Speculations about my mental health
  5. Signing it. I have never actually told anyone about this, but I sign, “Always, Dani” (in place of, “Love, Dani” or something) and put a music lyric by it. (I don’t know if I even like it, but it’s what I do.)
What I think someone reading this could get out of journaling:
  1. Understand yourself and really know yourself (I believe firmly in self-awareness and apparently adverbs)
  2. Practice writing. Usually when you have assignments, you have that period of working up to the content that is actually valuable, but in a journal there’s no pressure or urgency. Just write, “Why did I want to journal in the first place? Dani is kind of lame. This journal is lame. Look, a whole line and a half done. I’m magic.” Then try to write something useful.
  3. No pressure means you can write about anything. You can work though stuff you’re kind of ashamed of or don’t have anyone to talk to about. You can make a bunch of lists and feel better about stuff.
  4. Unwind
  5. It feels like an accomplishment to write and after time passes you have a piece of yourself to flip through and look at all the lists and formats and colors of all the old entries.

The more you know! Have a great day! Hope this post inspired you a little, maybe.
Always, Dani
You’re losing your words, we’re speaking in bodies ["Settle Down," The 1975]

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Solipsist

Hi everyone!
I recently watched a really cool film in the digital filmmaking class I take at pittsburgh filmmakers and wanted to share it with you. It's an experimental film, so everything you'll watch is purely an experiment, nothing else.  It's totally open for any interpretations.

Some background information (according to wikipedia): Solipsism is the philosophical idea that only one's mind is sure to exist. Solipsism holds that knowledge of anything outside one's own mind is unsure. The external world and other minds cannot be known, and might not exist outside of the mind.


-Emma

Friday, March 14, 2014

10 Things That Inspire Me.

  1. Plants (They literally push their way to the top, bloom, and then make Oxygen for everyone to enjoy)
  2. TED talks
  3. Accounts of victims of horrible situations who have come out of those situations changed for the better.
  4. Goosebump inducing Fiction
  5. Global Warming (Inspires me because I want to fix it- Turn off the lights, and RECYCLE!)
  6. A hard earned, solid A on a test
  7. Success stories- please refer to Bill Gates, Lupita Nyong'o, Nikola Tesla
  8. Hot boys
  9. Advice from my parents
  10. The future
hey also
Don't let the haters stop you from doin your thang
Until Next Time,
Jaagrit

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

73 Questions: Vogue Style


Hi!  How is everyone doing today?  I don't know why, but today was a lousy Wednesday.  But then, I got home and watched this short interview with Sarah Jessica Parker which made my day a whole lot better.  I love Sarah Jessica Parker so much.  First of all, I love her name.  Secondly, she is one of my fashion icons and she played Carrie Bradshaw in Sex & the City which was/is a fabulous show AND she has her own shoe line.  This interview takes place in her house in Manhattan where the interviewer asked Sarah Jessica Parker 73 questions for Vogue.  In this interview, I got a preview of her house and learned a few interesting facts about her, like that her favorite country is Greece and her least favorite food is parsley.  You guys should watch it!!




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W511rtnnlZM

Xoxo, Sarah

Monday, March 10, 2014

Just a Poem by a Friend

Hey everyone!
Sorry about my absentee-ness last month on the blog... Things were kind of crazy.
Anyway, I thought I'd share a poem written by my friend Nina Mulroy.

~ ~ ~ 

Darling

A star wishes & wants & waits
floating in a dark,
dead,
   dead
       galaxy.

As a child
she, not unlike others,
banded all across the night sky,
more awash & resplendent than any.
A
   true
                      luminary.

But she aged,
& her shine exhausted itself.
Ceruleans & ultramarines
tarnished into
    cardinals
&
   rubies.

The moon now pays her once darling star
no mind,
for other diamonds
gleam so much brighter
than she
ostensibly
                ever
                             did.

Collapsing into herself,
she can overreach no more.
For her final farewell,
she splits open
& scatters her marrow
across
        the
margin.

~ ~ ~

So there you have it! I adore this poem and thought that you all might enjoy it as well.
Hope your week goes well, and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts!

- Maria



Tuesday, March 4, 2014

National Pancake Day




Hi everyone!  I just wanted to say HAPPY NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY!!  Go out and get yourselves some free pancakes at iHop because you deserve it!

xoxo, Sarah

Monday, March 3, 2014

Stop, Drop, and Blog: March Blog Schedule

Hey Tappy Staff! Here's the blog schedule for March! Keep blogging, and remember that if you think of something awesome to blog about and you can't wait- don't! Just because it's not your "assigned day" to blog, doesn't mean you can't blog on other days (: 


10th - Emily K.
11th - Emma
12th - Jaagrit

14th - Maria
15th - Juliet
16th - McKenna

18th - Che
19th - Dani
20th - Faith
21st - Adlai
22nd - Emily F.
23rd - Sophie

25th - Marisa
26th - Bailey
27th - Sarah

29th - Stephen
30th - Rachel
31st - Habiba

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Music March

Hey guys! Emily here (:

Hope everyone had a nice (and quite fast) February. Lately, I've found myself listening to music even more (if that's possible) than I normally do. I can't seem to stop. It surrounds every part of my life. And I love it! I thought I'd share some of the music I've enjoyed over the past month with you. P.S. Sorry I've been off on my blogging game lately!

Babylon performed by Sam Woolf : Sam is a contestant on the current season of American Idol. You might have heard this song before by David Gray, but I think Sam does a fabulous cover of it.



Daydream by Tori Kelly: Tori is a singer/songwriter who made her name on YouTube. This song is one of my favorites and I think it speaks to a lot of young people, especially high schoolers (myself included) in their search to find out who they are.



Dance With Me Baby - Ben Rector: Ben is a singer/songwriter and I've been listening to his music, in particular, nonstop throughout January and February. This is one of my many favorites of his.



A Beautiful Mess - Jason Mraz: Jason performed at Taylor Guitar's 40th anniversary showcase which streamed live on Taylor's website in January. I spent that evening listening to some amazing live acoustic music, and found myself falling back in love with Jason's music.




... And here's a song that I wrote in the time between listening to all of this cool music!
Boston - original song


Have a lovely day! And here's to a (hopefully) much warmer and less snowy March!

- Emily F.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Fashion by Mayhem

The other day, I was lounging on the couch watching The Middle, when my mom called me to the computer to show me something.  It was an article on Huffington Post about this 4 year old girl (she calls herself Mayhem) who started making her own clothes out of materials around the house with her mother.  The dresses started off to be very simple and then they began to evolve.  I was so impressed with Mayhem's work that I decided I needed to share this with you guys!

(Look at that sass)
(She made this one all by herself)


(Work it Mayhem)


(Aw she looks like a mini present)
(Strike a pose)

(This one is my favorite)


Look how cute she is!  Mayhem is going to have a killer dress for Prom.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I did!

Until next time, Sarah