Homage to the Epistolary

LUCIFER

WILLIAM

Elm Street 27

1206, Flatiron

New York, New York

December 6, 2007

William,

Today, we have completed a six month cycle of writing, and answering to each others’ letters. I am going to take this as a chance, to thank you for all the beautiful moments you’ve given to me, that have lit up my life and put a smile on my face on the rainiest of days in this cheerless existence I live in.

I am simply unable to stop reading Sonnet 116 that you sent me, it fills my mind day and night, and with it so do you. The simple words, love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom, stir me, in the most delightful way.

Without romance every human is simply a wilting flower, do you not agree?

The sky is already darkening outside, for when I sit alone, parchment and pen in hand, thinking of what to say and how to phrase all the thoughts I mean to say to you, in my world, time stops as you engulf my thoughts, but outside it it rushes faster than ever before.

Wishing of hearing from you before long, for your reply can never come too soon.

With love, Lucifer

Harrison Avenue 33

5698, Kerbwood

Jacksonville, Illinois

December 20, 2007

Hello Lucifer,

Yes, it’s amazing isn’t it, to think that so much time has past since we started pen paling. I’m glad you liked the poem, I thought you’d enjoy it, as I already told you it’s one of my personal favorites. Sorry I haven’t been replying shortly, but things have been hectic over here. I’ve been exhausted with work at the farm, the pigs given birth and I have to take care of all the piglets now on top of everything else, but they’re such darlings, God bless them. At least John, my friend that I’ve been telling you about, has been helping me out, I’d be a mess without him.

Also I’ve been suffering from a sprained wrist, and writing to you earlier would have been difficult. What happened is that John and I were at the pub, and as we went to leave these buff brutes surrounded us and, they called us names, and you know how that angers me. I’m not hiding what I am, and in fact, I’m quite proud. A fight began, and that’s how I got injured. I knocked one of them straight unconscious, but besides, he was asking for it, the idiot.

Anyway, I’d like to tell you more details but I have to run and finish this letter in time to get it to the post office.

Hope everything is fine up there,

William

Elm Street 27

1206, Flatiron

New York, New York

December 29, 2007

Dear William,

I cannot help but feel that perhaps we are being torn apart by the world around us. I miss the personal, private conversations we would have. I have shared with you the deepest secrets that I have held hidden within my soul my entire lifetime, and you have shown to me your most sensitive, tender, vulnerable sides.

With all these things taking place in your life, I feel, I fear, I dread, we are fading away.

I never knew John and you where so close. You have left me quite in the dark regarding this matter; I wish you would have told me from before. You two seem to be getting along frightfully well…

Be sure that not every boy will realize what a rare diamond you are. Be careful not to get your heart trampled on, I assure you, it isn’t the most pleasant feeling…it makes one feel weak, and helpless…I am drowning, William, you are blind. Love is blind.

It’s up to you to take me out of this nightmare before it’s too late.

Lucifer

Harrison Avenue 33

5698, Kerbwood

Jacksonville, Illinois

January 13, 2008

Lucifer,

I’m sorry to hear you feel this way, but I honestly don’t really understand. I thought you would be happy I found someone, you said it yourself that love is all we really need to keep us alive, and I agreed. John and I weren’t even together Lucifer, but things have changed since my last letter, and I must say we are now living the happiest days of our lives, together.

Word’s can’t describe the bliss I feel, the joy he brings me.

I hope everything is alright between us, if there’s something you want to discuss feel free to tell me as always, you seem troubled but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

William

Elm Street 27

1206, Flatiron

New York, New York

January 21, 2008

William,

I have tried to tell you in so many ways, but you do not believe, or you do not want to believe what I am showing you. Perhaps I am not worthy enough of you.

You have changed everything for me.

You gave me a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to continue, a reason to live. Now, you are taking all that away from me.

I can take this no longer. I am breaking every second. I simply, cannot take it anymore.

I am falling into an abyss, which I can no longer pull myself out of. As I fall deeper, and deeper, I feel that I am getting closer to the end. I had found hope, in wishing for the impossible.

I love you, William.

With these last words, I shall say one last goodbye.

Yours forever,

Lucifer

Harrison Avenue 33

5698, Kerbwood

Jacksonville, Illinois

January 29, 2008

Lucifer, what’s going on?

You have me worried!

Snap out of this, you’re being childish, all we had was a long distance friendship, stop these imaginary scenarios please. How dare you try to turn all this around and try to make me feel guilty for something that I have not done?

Why can’t you just be happy for me?

Stop being selfish. You should feel lucky I’m still speaking to you.

William

Harrison Avenue 33

5698, Kerbwood

Jacksonville, Illinois

February 14, 2008

Lucifer,

I’m sorry for everything I said,

I take it all back.

Please, just reply soon, so that I know you’re all right, okay?

I still care about you you know.

William

Harrison Avenue 33

5698, Kerbwood

Jacksonville, Illinois

March 3, 2008

Lucifer,

It’s all right, I understand. You must have thought I looked down on you, and perhaps I mislead you all this time. I see why you’re not replying to me, I just hope that you’re happy now whatever you’re doing, and that you don’t regret us meeting.

You can still reply whenever you feel, and we can still talk, as friends.

William

A Dream within a Dream- Edgar Allan Poe

AGAIN

Anton Chekhov, A Work Of Art

-.-

“Don’t!”, she screamed. Her distinct voice reached his ears, even across the bustling crowd.
“Don’t do it.”
Being in love with her, he reconsidered for a second. But then he remembered once more why he was there. Having only a few minutes left till the final move, he pulled himself together. As he turned around once more, away from the stare of the girl, his face arranged itself in painful expression, as if he had just been shot in the chest.
“I have to”, he whispered to himself. He thought for a moment how he had gotten himself into this situation. How he had kept it a secret from her. This secret had been like a burden of a thousand bricks laying on his shoulders. The only choice was to continue with the plan.
It had been a month ago that someone had the idea. It made him shiver as if he had stepped into a cold room even the first time he heard of it, but being the newest member of the group, he simply shook his head and agreed. It was only till afterwards, when they chose him to carry out the act, that he had wished he never let his emotions take over him, that he had never had the impulse to join the group. But he had never been good at anything. He wanted to prove himself, just once.

He thought of the previous events of the day. If she hadn’t found out about it all it would have been so much easier now. It had been the final call to make sure everything was set, he answered it, and went over the plan once more with the leader of the group. He didn’t know the man’s name- he never said. She had picked up the telephone from the kitchen, a mere coincidence, to call a friend, but having such gentle mannerisms, nobody noticed the click of the telephone being lifted. She overheard the entire conversation. She had immediately tried to stop him, but in vain, he had his mind set on it and was as stubborn as a child.
A cold sweat broke on his forehead, even though the hundreds of people packed together around him made him extremely hot. The president was giving his last words of a speech that had so many standing on their toes and screaming with excitement.
The President made his way across the stage, near him. He was only three, two, one meter away from him now.
This was it. He opened his jacket slowly, looking down. He felt the wires tug at his body. He followed them down to the plastic box across his stomach. He felt the edges of the red button with his finger. Her voice rang in his ears again, but he didn’t understand what it said.
He pushed the button, and suddenly, all his fears, all his anxiety, his love, his pain, dissolved into a corona of white light.

ELEMENTARY ASSIGNMENT

VIDEO CRITIQUES

ROMEO AND JULIET PUPPET SHOW

I rather enjoyed this video. The length was ideal, and the content was accurate. There wasn't much dialogue in the original Shakespearean form, but the story line remained the same. Even though it lost the tint of romanticism due to the modern language, this made it more humorous. The characters had new dimensions to them, and their personalities corresponded to the way they would be if they lived in the modern world, even though supposedly it is still set in the same time period as the original story. 

ROMEO & JUILET- SCOTTISH FALSETTO SOCK PUPPET THEATRE

This video was probably my favorite. There where many limits to it, because of the style they used (sock puppets), and the fact that the set was simply a piece of material that remained the same in all the scenes. Also, only two characters where visible on stage at any one time. They changed the dialogue greatly, including the names of the families. It actually made me laugh. It wasn't the entire story, so I look forward to seeing the rest of it. 

ROMEO AND JULIET ANIMATICS

Terrible. Cute drawings but that's it. Also, there's only about 5 of them. The scene was way too short, not long enough to even try and change it to make it funny. The illustrations where enjoyable, but irrelevant. They did try to somewhat stick to some original language though, which was a positive aspect. Also, the quality of the recording was quite bad, you could here as much static as voice. The concept was fine, but the actual production was quite bad, they could have done a much better job by extending the scene at least.

ROMEO & JULIET STOP MOTION STYLE

This video was definitely the most professional looking and best made one. Though the characters where action figures, it was done so well that you simply forget it, and one is actually able to feel the emotion in this scene. There was an excellent choice of music, and I like how they managed to incorporate text into the film as well, since there was no dialogue. You could tell they used a good quality camera as well, since there was focus that was changing when necessary, and the pictures where clear. The transitions worked splendidly, and I thought it was great how even though it was stop motion, several angles of each scene where included.