Everyone else is doing it...

Some of my friends from Oberlin have been making blogs to keep track of their winter internships. My project isn't an internship, but I thought it was a good idea - a place where I can put all the writings I collect over this month. My winter term project takes place in Berkeley, CA. I start the day at my brother Philip's apartment. He's a UC Berkeley senior studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS, pronounced "eeks!" as in, the sound I make when I open one of his textbooks). My project is technically called "Stories of Berkeley," which is quite vague, and basically just means I have to write five short stories by February 5 to turn in to creative writing teacher extraordinaire and generally amazing person Chelsey Johnson.
I was born in Berkeley, and my parents lived there for twenty years. Berkeley has a fascinating history and culture, but there is a lot more to it than a bunch of war protests nearly fifty years ago. In this project I hope to go deeper behind "Berserkley" and find my way around the city. I've made a schedule for myself, which includes reading "The Fifth Book of Peace" by Berkeley writer Maxine Hong Kingston,(check!) interviewing some of my mom's friends who were in the Berkeley fires of 1991, and writing a story about that (semi check!). Next on the reading list is "Altars in the Street" by Melody Ermachild Chavis, which I just finished, and last night at 1 AM I wrote five pages of reflection about that. Then, some poetry on Addison Street, where poems are written on the sidewalk itself. Finally, there's "Berkeley! A Literary Tribute," and after Philip's semester begins and I have to go back to my real house, some sort of family story.

It's kind of a win-win situation. I get to spend time with my brother, and I get to be near home without 24/7 parent time. I'll be posting some of what I've been working on so far soon!


My home at Oberlin.



My home at Berkeley.