The Legal Brief and More

So, we presented our first assignment, the legal brief. OMG! Well, actually, the advice I got from Daddy was right on the money as for what should go into the brief except for the - well, you'll see...

I think mine was the second one read. Dr. Reese said that I was a concise writer (lol - I know you want to. Daddy's suggestion, by the way). And she picked up on - no! She read me like a book when she said that Austin frustrated me, that it showed in my writing. For those who might know the professor at UHCL who has a habit of talking in circles as he tries to explain theory (I'm not going to say what kind of theory - that would be giving away too much, as if I haven't already), sitting in on one of his classes would be a cake walk compared to Austin. Not that the professor at UHCL is all bad. Really, he is brilliant and knows his stuff backwards and forward and wants to make sure his students "get it." However, he explains things so many different ways that, at first, I was constantly confused in his class. After I complained about him to another student, it was suggested that when I would get what this professor was talking about, I should tune him out, otherwise... well, you get it. That worked for his class; I got an A, and I produced some interesting poetry during those lectures. But...

Unfortunately, it is kind of hard to tune out when you're reading. If you do, you might miss something (Funny, I was hearing Jim Carrey's "Don't kill 'im; if you kill 'im, he wont learn nothin." That would be from Batman Forever for those who don't recognize camp when they hear/read it. Kind of applies here). Not the same as hearing the lectures (Who noticed the 3 uses of \hir\? It was done "on purpose," I assure you). Too bad really; I probably would have gotten so much more from Austin and would not have been yelling expletives all weekend while trying to visit with my husband and kids down in Crosby (a little town east of Houston). They are used to my "use of language" (I'm supposed to be writing about how I use language as part of this entry), but Austin was making me want to pull my hair out one strand at a time. And I have a lot of freaking hair! That 12 lecture series could have been handled in 1 or 2, but then we wouldn't have been reading him all these years later. (The lectures were originally presented in 1955 - so very long ago). The best example of the brief was Leila's (get used to your names being mentioned here). She summed up Austin perfectly in 1 page, and even had room for a little wink-wink at the end. I, on the other hand, as well as most of my classmates opted for a redo. Think I might start hanging out with Leila or at least move over to her side of the room so some of that brilliance rubs off.

Now, on to the suggested commentary. We were told to notice how we use language, notice our performatives "wherein the actual utterance of a word creates and often times is the action itself." (See, Austin could have used Leila as his copy writer as that was hers. He would be much more accessible.) As I have a tendency to use quite a bit of figurative language, most of my writing is performative (See what I just did? And I did it, again!).

The next set of questions to respond to are: What are you declaring / not declaring? and What are you willing to fight for? (Here is where I sat, thinking with a cup of shiraz and listening to Edith Piaf. My French is so poor right now, the words aren't distracting. Must remember to buy wine glasses or bring some from home.) To fight for is easier, perhaps to respond to, because as I wrote the question, my kids immediately popped into my head. They are adults almost, being 21, 19, and 17, but I would kill and gladly go to jail for them. So what am I declaring? I am Mother, first and foremost, apparently. I figure as Artist, I can continue to create in jail, another thing to fight for. Plus I have an attorney on retainer (his name is Daddy), so hopefully the sentence will be suspended. If not, now I can help him write the legal brief for my appeal.

What did I not declare? Well, if I say what it is, then I would be declaring it, right? I guess my declarations are like Maslow's hierarchy of needs. No, the food pyramid. At the base are my kids, with a recommended 6-11 servings; they keep me grounded; they are my carbs. On the next level are creativity with 2-4 servings and my husband with 3-5; the fruits and veggies. (Does this mean I have become vegan?) So, how am I here in Dallas and they are down in Harris County? It aint easy livin, let me tell ya. I'm seeing a lot of I-45, most of which is ridiculously boring. Clouds are interesting, though.

Quote (actually 2 but they work well together, don't you think?) for the day: The most powerful statement in the world is "I am..."

so, Express your truth and back it up. V. O. Reese