John Romano's film

Untitled from Weird Piles on Vimeo.

Best of Seven

Home, Sweet Home

Branches

Branches from joe wilkinson on Vimeo.

Ryan Ela's Film

Untitled from Ryan Ela on Vimeo.

Multimodal Narrative

Mulitmodal: Some Things I Know

Multimodal Project: Some Things I Know from Laura Creighton on Vimeo.

The Struggle

Multi-Modal Project - Daniel Walter: "Pissstory"

Multimodal Assignment

Sam LeBlanc Multimodal Assignment

Autobiographical Fragment

Big Coffee Drinker

Starting a new job sucks. Luckily for me, I’m not really starting a new job. I’ve actually worked here, on and off, for about three years. However, it’s been almost exactly two years since I left, and back then, I was doing a completely different job. In fact, being a barista in the coffee shop is just about the only job in this bookstore that I haven’t done. I was hired as a sales person, quit and moved to Utah, hated it, moved back, worked in shipping and receiving, quit and moved to Utah, hated it, and now here I am - the newest barista at the Tattered Cover Coffee Shop. It’s interesting how I got here, really. Working in a coffee shop, I mean. You know, given that I’m 23 and I only just started drinking coffee about a year ago. That was my first real act of rebellion against the teachings of my childhood. Taking the first sip of that slightly burned tasting white chocolate mocha was my first tug on the loose thread in the bindings around my own curiosity and independence. That’s right, I’m telling you that I’m a closeted lesbian, clinging to the last breaths of my Mormon upbringing by my fingernails, and I’m blaming the coffee, which incidentally, I hated that first time around.
I can’t actually say for certain that my starting to drink coffee, and figuring out that I was gay were at all related. To be honest, I was on my way out of the Church well before I knew I liked girls. I can tell you, however, that they share the commonality of both being things that I discovered, ironically enough, in Utah, surrounded by Mormons. My family, all of my friends, all of my coworkers, everyone I knew - Mormon. Which, as you can probably imagine, made those discoveries a touch uncomfortable for me. Which is why I moved back to Colorado, and came back to work at the liberally minded bookstore that I’ve come to call my second home. Although, I’m still not out. But I’m working on it! I mean, I did the whole closeted thing in Utah. I would make the occasional, but well timed comment about how cute some male customer was. And then I would go home from work, pop in an “L Word” DVD, cry my big-gay-self to sleep. But things are different now! Sure, I still live with my Mormon family, and I’m still going to church, and I haven’t told a living soul that I’m...you know...that. I’m getting to it though.
That’s all just background information though. Now that I’m back, I’m living in the here and the now. I’m back in Colorado, and I’m back at work with old friends, and there are some new people, but they seem pretty great too. Except for one of my new coworkers. Maybe it’s the fact that her name is Lauren, and I have never met a Lauren that I liked, or maybe it’s how genuinely good-natured and kind she seems, but there is something about this girl that I do not like. She’s really talkative, and is always asking me questions about myself - what I’m majoring in, what I like to do in my free time, what kind of music do I like, do I need help washing those dishes, can she get me something to eat while she’s out on her lunch break, etc. And, she seems legitimately interested in my answers. I mean, what’s her game? I guess it’s pretty cool that she’s a Women’s Studies major, and that she likes Tegan and Sara, but there is just something about her. She just makes me nervous all the time. No other person in this entire world has ever made me feel this off balance before. Oh, and she watches me. How creepy is that? I get that she’s training me, but she watches me while I make drinks and just smiles. All the time, this girl is smiling at me! On a side note, her smile is incredible. She gets these little crinkles around her big blue eyes - which are constantly sparkling, by the way. I’m not going to lie, her smile kind of makes me a little weak in the...wait! Do I have a crush on this weirdo? Oh crap.

Introduction: Catherine Boyle

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?

I have really been enjoying my Education courses. I am passionate about children, and believe that everybody has the right to a great education. I love attending my practicums where I can actually spend time in the classroom, which makes me excited for my future career.

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?

The longest paper I have written was 23 pages, not including my bibliography.

3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.

Surprisingly, my favorite paper I have written is my longest paper, which was a report on Michelangelo’s Last Judgment. I was able to explore the history and context of the piece as well as all of its different influences such as Dante’s Inferno, which was very interesting.

4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?

I am not the type of person to just sit down and write, just for the sake of writing; however, when I do write I enjoy writing about personal experiences that I have learned from or have changed my life.

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments are welcome.

Over the summer I reread all of the Harry Potter books. I absolutely love Harry Potter, and the world that J.K. Rowling created. I think that it is pure genius how she ties in many different themes in such an enjoyable and easy to read way. Harry Potter fostered my love of reading at a very young age, and I now read all types of books: fiction, non-fiction, scifi, anything all the time. It was nice to revisit my favorite characters in literature this summer, and I plan on doing it again very soon!

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why?

Again J.K. Rowling. Her life story amazes me, and I think that what she has created through her writing is a work of art in itself.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?

My main interest is skiing. I love the feeling of being in nature, of looking out from the top of a mountain onto the spectacular landscape of Colorado. The adrenaline that it gives me compares to nothing else.

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.

Over the summer I read an article in the Denver Post about how Earth could have possibly had two moons at one point in time. Scienitsts are thinking that the larger of the moons gravity was so strong that sucked the littler of the two in, to create the moon that we have today. That is why the moon is somewhat lopsided, and why one side is smoother than the other. I thought this was interesting because many other planets have more that one moon, Jupiter has over 60, and I wonder how life on Earth would be different if we still had two moons. Would the ocean tides be different?

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons).

This weekend I am going to see Phish for two days, which I know will be an amazing cultural experience. People from all over the country, and the world, travel around and follow this band religiously. I am excited to meet some interesting folks.

10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply.

This past Spring semester I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. This changed my life profoundly. Never before had I been away from everyone and everything familiar to me, and pushed so far out of my comfort zone. It forced me to grow-up and become an adult. My experience also affected me in the way that I know understand how the world views Americans, and sadly why it is in a not so positive manner.

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”

–Dr. Seuss

Introduction: Louis Zeller

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?

Probably my philosophy courses, I've only taken lower level classes but they were the ones i most looked forward to. Those classes really get you thinking about the things you believe in that sometimes can stay hidden away subconsciously somewhere.

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?

10 pages I'm pretty sure, it was about the pine ridge reservation for the Oglala Sioux. I got really attached to that one, partly because it was so long and partly because the story is so heart breaking.

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments are welcome. Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut, An Apology for Idlers by Robert Louis Stevenson, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote and I've been reading all of Herman Hesse's books, just finished Steppenwolf and in the middle of Rosshalde right now.

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why?

Herman Hesse is probably my favorite writer right now, his style is very honest and introspective. I like to see what actually going on in the mind of an author more so than the story being and Hesse does that for me with good balance.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?

I like to hike up in the mountains, its always nice especially at night though.

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.

My friend showed me an article about how the star, Beetlejuice, may turn into a supernova sometime in a span of 150,000 years. Scientists predicted that it would pretty much give the Earth a 2nd sun. Imagine waking up and rolling outta bed to see a supernova illuminating the sky at 4 AM, now thats something I can look forward to.

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.

"One never reaches home, but wherever friendly paths intersect the whole world looks like home for a time." - Demian by Herman Hesse

Introductions

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?

I'm a creature of limited interests. In school, I'm majoring in Art History because, a) I love it, and b) because I truly love very little else. I have an incredible ability to retain the most ridiculously random facts about a myriad of subjects, but I can rarely focus on one thing long enough for anything substantial to come of it. Art History, however, seems to be the one subject that continuously excites and challenges me.

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?

If I remember correctly, my longest paper was about 12 pages, including a bibliography. It was a research paper for a different writing class.

3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.

I've written several small papers about some contemporary artists that I've really enjoyed. I think my favorite was a discussion/comparison of the works of installation artist, Kara Walker, and photographer, Ruth Bernhard.

4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?

I really enjoy writing about art. My favorite part of my studio classes has been doing artist research, and having to compile information about different artists and their bodies of work. Like I said, I'm a creature of limited interests.

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments are welcome.

I planned on reading so much over the summer! I have no idea what happened to those plans... I ended up reading Tina Fey's memoir, Bossypants, which confirmed my long-held belief that Ms. Fey and I share the same brain. I also reread my favorite book, You Shall Know Our Velocity, by Dave Eggers. And currently I'm reading Art and Fear, by David Bayles and Ted Orland, which is an awful book, because it leaves cowardly, would-be artists with absolutely no excuse to not make art. Bastards.

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why?

It may seem a bit cliche, but Claude Monet. I just love him. I've loved Monet's work since I was a kid. True story-when I was 19, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and when I entered the room on the second floor that is completely dedicated to Monet's work, I suffered a not-so-terribly minor case of Stendhal syndrome. There I was, by myself in a room full of strangers, looking at a painting of Rouen Cathedral, and just balling my eyes out. People were looking at me like I was a crazy person. Maybe I am. But I just love that man's paintings.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?

I love gardening. I thought about studying horticulture, but it turns out they make you take a lot of science for that, and I don't need that noise.

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.

I just read an article from The Advocate, that a spokesman for the American Family Association thinks that the U.S. should reinstate anti-sodomy laws again and make homosexual activity a felony, like in the good ol' days. Which got me thinking, if I'm a lesbian, do anti-sodomy laws still apply to me?

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons).

In July, I went to a gallery opening for an instructor at CU. His work is shown in installations, both real and virtual, and deals with literary theory and the nature of language. Joel Swanson-check him out.

10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply.

I recently celebrated my two year anniversary with my partner. That may not seem like a big deal to you, but it was to me.

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.

"If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased." -Katharine Hepburn

INTRODUCTIONS

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?

My favorite course of study has been in school. It was my 2500 film class here at CU. In this course we worked with film that was 16mm. I loved this class for many reasons. I became extremely close with my other classmates, my teacher was awesome, and being able to express my own creativity through film is a privilege.

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?

The longest paper I have ever written was roughly 15 pages. It was a research paper on the documentary Food Inc. There were endnotes and a bibliograpghy included.

3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.

My favorite paper was something I wrote my junior year in high school. We were assigned a paper that had to do with US History and I was able to write about 1960s America. I am obsessed with that era, and having the opportunity to spend my time researching the topic was really cool.

4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?

Since I have been enrolled here at CU, I have actually not had much writing to do. Many of my classes are production based, so we would work on projects instead of writing. Writing used to be one of my favorite passions, and now I struggle with it. I enjoy creative writing, because I am able to express my ideas more that I would with a research paper.

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments are welcome.

To be honest, I am not a huge reader. I have a hard time sitting down and focusing on a book. But this summer I started reading (and still am) The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Trip by Tom Wolfe.

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why?

As of right now, Wes Anderson impresses me. He not only directed and wrote my favorite films, but the way he goes about it is what leaves an impression. Anderson is not a mainstream director, which I appreciate as an aspiring independent filmmaker. His words, " I want to try not to repeat myself. But then I seem to do it continuously in my films. It's not something I make any effort to do. I just want to make films that are personal, but interesting to an audience. I feel I get criticized for style over substance, and for details that get in the way of the characters. But every decision I make is how to bring those characters forward" wrap up how I feel about him.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?

I enjoy traveling and immersing myself in cultures that are new to me. I have been on many trips, but the most important trips to me have been my visits to Israel (for vacation and to study) and my two month stay in a rural village in Tanzania, where I helped rebuild schools and taught English to children.

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.

Everything I read in newspapers gets me thinking. Sadly in a negative way for the most part. Because of this, I have stopped reading the newspaper for a bit, and focus on what I have in front of me. I am aware of what is going on in the world, but I rather not read it for now.

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons).

I love music so much. I wish I could play an instrument so badly. Instead I go to as many concerts I can and appreciate what these artists can do. This summer I went to a Fleet Foxes concert and was so moved. I have been to countless shows of all kinds, but this performance blew me away. This band is brilliant. They have such talent that I literally started crying.

10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply.

The friendships I have created this past summer living in Boulder has changed me. I know who is real and what is important in relationships. I love the fact that I met these friends later in my college experience, but I know that they will be with me for the rest of my life.

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.

"No matter how bad it gets, I'm always grateful to know that I don't have to stay with the negative"- Maya Angelou

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?

Pastry arts and professional baking. This is my job, which makes me very happy.

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?

Eachzhuther. It does not include endnotes or a bibliography, but it is very large.

3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.

Eachzhuther. It starts like this, "We met Each Zhuther. This is the story of Each Zhuther. He decided we would be great friends. And we believed him, mostly because whenever Each Zhuther spoke, budded stems issued from his flabular lips and blossomed into the air..."

4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?

Visual writing. And writing with chocolate.

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments are welcome.

I am currently reading Ed Tangen, Picture man! and Narcissus and Goldmund. Recently I re-read Stardust and some Promethia issues. Books that have been assisting me for a while are Planetary Herbology and Bread. Some films I like are: Army of Shadows, Kings of Pastry, Tampopo, and A Boy and His Dog.

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why?

Stacey Steers. She is a wonderful person as well as a friend and mentor. Her work encourages me.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?

Bread and pasty making. It is my intent to run a high volume artisanal bakery within the next 8 years.

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.

There is this guy, ya' see, he goes by the name, "potty-peeper," ya' see. He was found covered in poo ya' see, saying things like,"This is really amazing; I've been blessed and anointed by the makers of life."

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons).

I have been less inclined towards cultural events recently.

10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply.

I drove to california a few weeks ago to fly paragliders in Monterrey and San Francisco. A new type of friendliness was shown to me. As well as a profound appreciation for fresh cream puffs.

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.

At work, quietly work harder. The source would be first hand experience.

Intros

http://vimeo.com/26848589 -- An animation short I did for a class!

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?

So far I would say my favorite class I’ve ever taken would be a life drawing class I took in the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. I felt like I learned so much in such a small block of time, and all it took was drawing some naked people…

2 .How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?

The longest paper I’ve had to write was a 15 page research paper. It was for advanced freshman lit, so it had an annotated bibliography and endnotes. It was about the debate of comic books as literature.

3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.

My favorite paper I’ve written was the paper for my freshman lit class. I’m a big fan of comic books and graphic novels, and being able to explore the medium as works of art and works of literature was great – though a close second would be a paper I wrote in my AP Literature class in high school, a book review, written entirely with clichés.

4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?

Not particularly, though I haven’t done much other than what I’ve written for school. I’d like to get more into writing comics, though.

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments are welcome.

I’m currently in the middle of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. I’m also reading Y – The Last Man. I just finished Catch-22 and Battle Royale for the second time. I’m also reading through some non-fiction about the Jewish philosopher, Philo.

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why?

I’m a big fan of cartoons and animation – right now I’m a big fan of J.G. Quintel (Regular Show, Flapjack) and Pendleton Ward (Adventure Time). As far as fine art/illustration goes… Bobby Chiu (and the rest of imaginism studios, really); I love Francis Bacon, and Dali’s early work.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?

While I’m not perusing it in a scholarly manner, the study of Jewish culture and history has always been an interest of mine.


8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.

I recently read an article on the beating of the Arab cartoonist Ali Ferzat. Even in today’s day and age, political cartoons are still major powers in commenting on world news, and the violent acts taken for something as innocent and free as a cartoon reminds me of the effect that art can take upon the world.

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons).

I was really impressed with the Whitney Biannual. To be honest, I didn’t really like a majority of the art that was displayed – some of it I thought was tacky, some annoying, loud, and some pieces not even art at all – but the experience of going to a show and being able to question the work’s value was a great experience that I shared along with my peers and colleagues.

9.Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply.

Netflix. It affected me deeply… but not in a good way.

http://collegedog.tumblr.com/

and

http://www.octopuspie.com/

as well, for unexplainable reasons.

But really, going to school in NY for my freshman year was both amazing, amazingly crazy, and amazingly depressing. It was a complete shock and change for a kid from Centennial, and I can’t wait to go back.

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.

http://xkcd.com/435/ and that’s all I can really say about that.

Hello Hello

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?
Philosophy and Science- it was something I knew literally nothing about at the start of the course, but absolutely loved and learned so much during. It has been one of the best classes I've had because it was sort of exactly what I pictured a college class should be; fun, relevant, interesting, and new.

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?
A research paper that was 15, not double-spaced. Wrote it for Advanced Freshman Lit, and yes it included endnotes and an annotated bibliography.

3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.
My favorite paper I've written was my college application essay, which was an obituary for summer. In a very different and nonlinear way, it talked about all my hobbies, loves, and personality without overtly doing so and being one of... THOSE college essays.

4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?
I love writing what amounts to glorified fanfiction; self-made episodes for my favorite TV shows, "better" scripts for movies I wasn't satisfied with, other ideas I feel a franchise could've explored.

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments are welcome.
I most recently read Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book," which is a young-adult novel but is pretty awesome for all ages. It is simplistic but feels very genuine, and builds on many urban legends and mythologies (as most of Gaiman's work does).

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why?
Previously mentioned writer Neil Gaiman is probably my favorite bloke around right now. He has an amazing style of storytelling that is absolutely captivating, and is all the more amazing for his ability to write on just about anything and have it be interesting. His mastery of the language and his ability to turn a phrase make me endlessly jealous.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?
Uh, I don't really have many interests that aren't the humanities... I love the outdoors, and frequently hike, jog, and horseback ride.

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.
I read an awful/hilarious article in Cosmopolitan the other day about "150 things to do naked (that aren't sex!)." It got me thinking that a better title for the article would have been "150 easy ways to get yourself arrested."

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons).
I went to a concert at Chataqua the other day which was pretty amazing; The Weepies were the band playing, a folksy husband and wife duo who are from Boulder originally and have managed to make a pretty good name for themselves out in the entertainment world. They had a set they had built for their acoustic tour which was really impressive. It had a miniature city that lit up differently depending on the song, a backdrop of tiny winking stars, a little forest, etc.

10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply.
The new season of Doctor Who is airing again, starting last Saturday. It gets me quite excited for life in general.

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.
The moment when I honestly and completely understood that "things will always get better" was a pretty big revelation for me. Not sure where to possibly refer someone who wants to have the same moment... at some point, I just really and deeply realized that things literally can't stay the same, and if things are bad at that moment that means they will get better.

Introduction | Blair Olivia Kirkbaumer

1.What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why? | My favorite course has been MUSM 4010 - Museums and Society because I am highly interested in museum studies for graduate school. Bob Nauman taught the class for Maymester and was an amazing inspiration towards the structure of the class. We took many field trips to museums which made the class more intriguing. Taking this course has taught me that museums are a vital aspect for the education system and I am very interested to learn more about museums in the future.

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography? | The longest paper I have ever written was 15 pages long and it included a bibliography.

3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences. | My favorite paper I have written was for my modern architecture class on Le Corbusier's the Unite d'Habitation. I had never written a paper on architecture and I really enjoyed the process on researching and learning about a building.

4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do? | I like to write while doing research on a certain subject. It makes me more interested in finding out more on the subject matter.

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments are welcome. | I sadly have not been keeping up on reading lately but the last book I read was Water For Elephants. The book started off slow but turned out to be a great story and had a little bit of history to it by being in the circus setting. Some of my favorite books are The Time Travelers Wife, White Oleander and A Million Little Pieces, just to name a few. I also look back from time to time on Taschen's Horror Cinema because I am fascinated by horror films.

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why? | Steve Klein has always inspired and impressed me by his photography because of the way he catches raw emotion with elaborate scenes in a studio setting. I just love all of his work, especially his fashion photography statements.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)? | Outside of the humanities, I am very interested in cooking, traveling, reading, spending time outdoors, and developing closer relationships with family and friends.

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately. | Seeing all the articles and images from Hurricane Irene has really struck me emotionally because I have a lot of friends who live on the east coast. It is scary to think that houses, schools, and places you grow to love can be gone in a second due to nature.

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons). | In June, I went home for a weekend to see U2 and I am still amazed from that concert. I knew U2 was going to be a good show but I did not expect it to be unbelievable! I am a huge music freak and going to Sasquatch in May was the highlight of my year, sorry U2 but you just can't beat that!

10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply. | A non-cultural event would be what happens with my friends and family because they are extremely close to me and it is personal to me.

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go. | In my EDUC 3010 class we had to read an article on CU Learn and a quote that struck me was "Habit covers the very makeup of desire, intent, choice, disposition which gives an act its voluntary quality". This quote made me think myself and what habits I do from the choices I make within my life and education.

Introductions

Left- My Brothers Keeper, 22 h x 4 w x 12 d, stoneware and rust paints

Right - Water of Life, 7 h x 20 w x 5.5 d, stoneware, stains and clear glaze

My favorite course of study has been ceramics. The depth of artistic freedom and knowledge of the science behind producing the pieces seems endless and keeps me wanting more.

The longest paper I have written is 12 pages long. It was for a philosophy and society class 2 semesters ago.

I have enjoyed writing in the past. I wrote a short fantasy story a long time ago and really enjoyed the process. Now I don't really take the time. I am so involved in the studio.

The latest book I've been reading is Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. It is a great study into what society sees as excellence or genius and how those people got to the top of their field and made an impact and a ton of money. Before that I was caught into the world of the Dune novels written by Frank Herbert and then his son Brian Herbert and novelist Kevin J. Anderson. They are the greatest stories I have ever read.

The architect Frank Gehry has always impressed me. His creations always are visually stunning and new breaking a lot of rules along the way.

Besides art I have always been into athletics. I enjoy playing tennis, basketball and golf a lot. I also love to play pool and long walks on the beach and a bottle of wine to share with that special someone. Grrrrrr!

I do pay a lot of attention to politics. This started in 2000 when Bush stole the presidency. I recently have sworn off following it though as I have become very disheartened by our current administration. I have been an ardent support and believer that he could be a philosopher king and make changes in the way we do business, but the most recent capitulations on the debt ceiling and of course the bush era tax cuts has pushed me away. Its politics as usual and the Tea Party has guns, hatred and followers that idolize a system from 200 years ago backed by a ton of money. I need time to focus on my art.

The Arab Spring throughout the Middle East and northern Africa is really amazing. We are witnessing historic change for so many people that are giving their blood and soul to live a freer life. Kind of an ironic statement seeing as how in the previous statement I have given up while they give their lives.

My idea of opening up intellect is to put myself around as many different types of people that I can throughout life, and see them always as an equal human being living a life. There's a lot of characters out there to learn from.

Thanks all for reading

Introductions - Daniel Walter

1. Philosophy. I love discussing ethical problems and conducting thought experiments

2. The longest paper I've ever tackled was 12 pages long with an additional 2 page annotated bibliography.

3. The paper that I enjoyed writing most was an extendedanalysis of Kant's critique of Pure Reason. It marked the begining of a period of re-examination of the ways I think and perminently altered my conceptions of logic and reason.

4. I've found that using writing as a stream of consciousness outlet helps to unburden my mind and help clear away the clutter before I settle down to work on a project.

5. The summer allowed me to catch up on a lot of reading I'd been putting off for quite some time. The most satisfying of which was P. D James' Children of Men

6. Andrew Wyeth. His use of space and the intimacy of his portraits floors me.

7. As I said above, I'm very interested in philosophy. I also love composing experimental electronic and acoustic music.

8. This morning I read a fascinating piece on The New York Times' website entitled The First Church of Robotics for my philosophy in science fiction class. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/opinion/09lanier.html

9. Last semester I got to see The Caribou Vibrations Ensamble perform at the fox. Their show consisted of a lush blend of acoustic percussion and these huge waves of synths and bass. It was easily the best live concert I've ever attended.

10. I found this to be very impressive and inspiring: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/08/art-student-hand-illuminates-binds-a-copy-of-tolkiens-silmarillion.html

11. "One thing I've learned: you can know anything, it's all there, you just have to find it." - Neil Gaiman