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A Novel In Verse: My Take on Eugene Onegin
As someone who is very interested in Russian History, culture, and literature, I love to explore different Russian texts in translation. One of my current favourites is the novel written in verse, Eugene Onegin. Written by Pushkin in 1825, this novel is short, witty, and engaging, with an unexpected twist at the end. It is an easy book to enjoy while juggling schoolwork and readings. Beware, spoilers ahead! Eugene Onegin follows the story of the young aristocrat, Eugene Onegin, as he slowly becomes bored with the debonair life he has been living and withdraws to the countryside. Once there, he quickly forms a friendship with his neighbour, Vladimir Lensky. Lensky…
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Tips for Getting Over Writer’s Block
As someone who loves to write creatively, I’ve encountered my fair share of writer’s block. And as someone who has had to write countless essays, I’ve also encountered the dreaded blank page, staring at me, taunting me with its blank-ness. So, I’m here to try and give you some of my tips for writer’s block, whether creative or academic. 1. Start small Trying to sit down and bang out a whole essay (or whole story/poem/whatever you are trying to write) is just unrealistic. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your great piece of writing shouldn’t be either. If you feel like you’re stuck, try to start…
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My Journey into the Perilous Realm: a Non-English Student Studies Fantasy Literature
As a non-English major, my English courses are often few and far between. This term, I am taking ENGL 227, with the vague course title of “Prose Fiction.” The course itself is centred around the theme of fantasy fiction, a genre I have had little interaction with other than Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, along with other “mainstream” fantasy literature. All other English courses I have taken have been pretty cut and dry: read some Shakespeare, a few poems, and finish off with a contemporary novel. This course, however, has turned my expectations for UBC English courses on its head. The professor, Dr. Daniel Justice, strives to allow…
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Top 10 Places to Read on Campus
If you’re like me and enjoy reading above and beyond the requirements set by class, you have probably already scouted the campus for private and quiet places to enjoy a few chapters during the school day. So, without further ado, here is my definitive list of the best places to catch a few paragraphs before your next class begins. 10. In your lecture I do not condone reading during lectures, but during syllabus week it can be so hard to stay focused in class. I won’t blame you if you whip out your book and read a few lines while your professor reads the printed out syllabus sheet word for…
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University Haikus
As exams are fast approaching, I have taken the liberty to illustrate the slow, or sometimes fast, descent into panic that we have all experienced at some point in our lives through several haikus. Each haiku represents a month and shows the meticulous organization that occurs at the beginning of the year, and the slow shift to procrastination. Eventually—for they are unavoidable— finals arrive and there are hundreds of pages of readings to slog through and the empty promise that I will never again leave anything to the last minute. September The sun is shining On hopeful smiling faces My readings are done. October The last leaves of fall…
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Not Just Baristas: The Case for an Arts Degree
We all hear the typical comment at some point throughout our degrees, whether it be from a family member or a friend: “Why are you taking Arts? The only job you’ll ever get is that of a Barista.” And while the first 10 or 15 times someone dissed my major I was mildly to extremely offended, eventually I embraced what I’d decided to do with my life. I’ll be honest, throughout my first year, I found it extremely difficult to bond with people in my residence because of my degree. While most people on my floor were in Sciences or Engineering, I was one of the few people in the…
