On Friday, I finished my finals at the University of Kansas.
I had a very rough semester, considering I am still grieving my roommate’s death in October, but I managed to get through my semester successfully, and I’m very proud of that.
Also, I wanted to take this opportunity to share my favorite required reads and films I saw during my classes, so here we go: (Click any of the titles to read more.)
Poetry:
The Mystery of the Hidden Driveway by Jennifer L. Knox
the new black by Evie Shockley
Films:
Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946, Tay Garnett)
Books:
Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
…
I’ll probably review most of these in the future individually, so I can give you more information without taking up your whole afternoon reading (Ha), but all of these are fantastic reads and films to entertain yourself with.
Have a great weekend and fantastic break if you’re a student,
~SAT
Shannon A. Thompson 
“Notes From Underground” is in my Top 10 of favorite all-time books. (P.S.: Hope you passed all your tests!)
Hey, Congratulations, Shannon! It’s tough to get through school when you’re dealing with grief, but on the other hand, sometimes it helps to have something totally unrelated to focus on. Good for you sticking to it, showing that persistence and resilience that will take you far in life.
Glad to know that you were able to complete your semester successfully. Those are wonderful books that you have read. ‘A Room of One’s Own’ is really wonderful. I also loved the movies that you have watched. You had a film noir class? Wow! So jealous of you 🙂 ‘The Postman Always Rings Twice’ is a wonderful film noir. I liked the later version also which had Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange. Did you get a chance to see ‘The Strange Love of Martha Ivers’? It is one of my alltime favourite films in the film noir category.
I did take Film Noir. It was a lot of fun! And, no, we didn’t watch ‘The Strange Love of Martha lovers,’ but maybe I’ll check it out, and let you know what I think.
~SAT
Hope you get to watch ‘The Strange Love of Martha Ivers’ and like it. Will look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.
Ahh… lucky you. I won’t be done until 25th of January and my clinical work is killing me, but at least it’s my last semester.
I’m sorry about your roommate.
I have been leaning towards older movies, they are better because unlike now they didn’t have effects, so they depend on their brains and acting to make their stories better, today most directors get cocky with effects that they neglect the story and the dialogue.
Enjoy your holiday.
Those are some of the same reasons that older movies are my favorite.
Good luck on your finals !
~SAT
Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky 🙂 Darkly fascinating short novel depicts the struggles of a doubting, supremely alienated protagonist {Reader Insert Your Name Here} in a world of relative values. Seminal work introduced moral, religious, political and social themes that dominated Dostoyevsky’s later masterworks….Never let school interfere with your education!
Yayy you’re so gorgeous!!!
Have a happy Christmas!
Oh my Gosh…what happened to your roommate if you don’t mind my asking? It IS amazing that you got through!
I’d rather not talk about the details of her death as her family didn’t release it, and I’d like to respect their wishes.
But thank you,
~SAT
Enjoy your break Shannon sounds like it was well earned…thanks for the list perhaps I will look into a few of the titles above sometime..cya
Dear Shannon,
Thank you for subscribing to my blog. I have been reading through your posts and I love how committed you are to writing. Although I wrote in college, it took me until my late thirties to fully commit, get support, sign up for workshops,banish inner critics and prioritize my writing.. I am also a professor, so I also commend you for working so hard in your classes. Keep up the great work. You can also find me on Twitter (MicheleTBerger), unfortunately I’m at the limit of people I can follow–but I’ll do so once my ban is lifted!
Enjoy your break and keep up your writing practice.
Best,
Michele
Congrats, and sorry about your friend. =/ Seems like we have a bit in common, though, and I’m looking forward to reading your blog! =)
Dan
P.S. Thanks for following me! Hope you’re enjoying it!
Some great films and books! Spiral Staircase is a terrific movie. I liked Notes from the Underground fine, but if you’re ever looking for a lesser known gem, Dostoyevky’s House of the Dead is excellent.
Are you looking at any grad schools after you finish your BA? Just curious. That consideration and decision-making process — to go or not to go, where to go, etc — would make a great blog post.
If I decide to go to grad school, I won’t go the minute I graduate, but I will post about it if I decide to !
Thanks for the suggestions too. I’ll be sure to check that out, since I haven’t read it.
~SAT