I'm in the process of changing my blog. The first thing was to change the pink explosion theme. It was a nice stand-by until I found this much prettier blue theme :) I'm not sure about the reader, but it's definitely a lot easier on my eyes.

As for the title change, and the Catullus poem (I'm working on the translation, to be posted later :) - I hoped that would serve as an introduction, or at least a preview, of what I want to write more about. I'm further encouraged by this excerpt from an interview with writer Chris Bohjalian, Amherst alum '82:


Q. What tips or advice do you have for writers still looking to be discovered?

A. Read lots. Have a thick skin. And write often-and write about things that interest you passionately. Writing teachers often encourage young writers to write about what they know- or, conversely, to write about things that are foreign to them. I think neither should be a cardinal rule. Instead, you should write about things that interest you, regardless of whether you know anything about the topic when you start, or you're among the world's foremost experts. The key is to care so deeply about the subject-find it so extraordinary-that you are willing to give up a year or two of your life to it. If you bring that level of enthusiasm to the story, it certainly increases the chances that you will create something of interest to strangers browsing in a library or bookstore.


Full interview here: http://www.chrisbohjalian.com/bohjalian-qa.htm


I'm not hoping to be discovered, however - let's see what comes out of my reflections on love for the next year or dozen posts (on the topic), whichever comes first. These posts will be interspersed with the standard updates on my life - I don't want to get rid of that completely. It looks like I may have found a direction for my blog :) And maybe you, the blog reader, will have gained something from it as well.



In other news, I am really enjoying my class on program planning. I'm particularly excited about its use of ecological models to guide needs assessment and to describe health behavior. I loved my ecology class in college - it's part of what drove me to public health - and it's great to finally see how it's applied in this context.

On a side note, with my program winding down, I kind of wish I had taken more biostats =/

Finally, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of music on my computer at work. Actually, it's somebody's old user files. She's got everything - reggae, Soca, trip-hop, soul/neo-soul, jazz, Hindi, flamenco, bossa nova, hip hop, Celtic, etc. I'm in heaven. And bringing my iPod in for 'updates,' mwahaha. ;)





Leaving you with one of my favorites from Jesse Cook, contemporary flamenco guitarist: