Category Archives: Week 1: Introductions

Introduction

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Hey everyone! I apologize for the late post, but it’s finally being written. My name is Alvaro Mario Escamilla, but you can call me Mario! I am in my final semester here at SDSU and I won’t lie, I am nervous about graduating, but also excited! I am currently majoring in Single Subject English with a teaching credential in hope of teaching some grade between 10th and 12th for high school. I don’t really do anything interesting or rather crazy outside of my school life. I mostly exercise, read almost everything, watch movies, play video games or just hang out with my friends, family or girlfriend. I am currently watching The Amazing World of Gumball with my girlfriend as I have not seen it (please don’t roast me, I know I’m 3000 years late) and it is honestly so much fun and such a genius show. As for video games, I am just waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong which releases this Thursday, September 4th and I couldn’t be more excited.

I am currently reading The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole as a fun read and after that I plan to tackle a Japanese manga called “Jagaaaaaann” written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Kensuke Nishida. I am always looking for recommendations when it comes to books, stories, short shorts, novels, etc. I am a person who enjoys mostly every genre and isn’t really picky with what I pick up. I have always been a firm believer of being open to all genre’s because they all have some sort of insight or view to offer that you couldn’t get with another genre. Being able to read from vast works that come from different pens and brains is so fascinating and something that will never bore me, even till the day I die.

As for why I am taking this course, well, I enjoy reading and I am very interested in the history and concept as to what books are, how they are used and for what purpose do we ultimately use them for. I believe that books are an extremely powerful object and that is something that the world has slowly stopped noticing in my opinion.

Class Introduction

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Hello everyone! Although a little late, I find it no better time than to properly introduce myself. My name is Samuel Peters, a third-year English major here at SDSU. I guess the first thing I’d like to address before I comment on anything else, is my innate love for stream of consciousness. The zen of writingā€“my mother used to call it, who her father taught herā€“has always been my preferred choice of giving meaning to this otherwise hollow world we live in. In effect, I trip over my words, but Iā€™m working on becoming more carefree about tiny errors. This is why I prefer my writing unedited and raw, so thatā€™s what it isā€“a raw reflection of not what I wanted, but could say in that moment.


I grew up in a comfortable household with two loving parents, a younger sister, and an even younger brother. With that comfort, my parents were able to put me through a good education, which is where I discovered my love for all things English. My teachers all the way through high school encouraged me to explore this love, which came in the form of journalism, short stories, collections of poetry, and a complete novel my senior year (which I can share more about if anyone’s curious.) Despite my disregard for editing, I had an editor work on my novel in my ongoing attempt to publish (probably self-publish). Though currently, I am working on a couple of other ideasā€“a screenplay, a novel or two, and my poem-a-day promise to myself. I guess what I’m trying to say is I am seeking further application of my passions into production.


Iā€™m looking forward to this class as a way to dissect the very entity I love to create, as well as others. Iā€™ve always been intrigued with the prospect of passing on my ā€œknowledge,ā€ if I can call it that, rather passing on my love for the art, and I think it’s important to understand exactly what I’m involved in before I can share my ideas. I think human expression is essential, especially in modern times when AI threatens that very thing. Though to say AI is an enemy is ignorance and completely disregards the welfare of societies to come.


I see an inevitable day where AI integrates into our educational system, so currently I am working on passion projects supporting our eventual transition. I see AI as a tool to enhance writing, not a detriment to free thought, and Iā€™ve been working with it in depth in preparation for our future. Though enough of my droning, Iā€™m here to write exactly and only what needs to be said. I am much more here to listen and take in what everyone cares to share! As is, thank you for this opportunity to deepen my love, and I hope you enjoy a couple of things I write and share throughout!

Here’s a photo below by the wayā€“an off-putting glare taken on my rather lovely Canon that I cherish more and more with each photo.

Intro: Sierra Beggs

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Hi everyone, my name is Sierra Beggs, and I look forward to taking this class with all of you! I’m a recent transfer from Palomar. I’ve been in San Diego all of my lifeā€”mainly in a small town called Ramona. It’s both a blessing and a curse, because I don’t know if I could live anywhere else, but it is also a pretty expensive place to live (as probably all of you know). I love being so close to the beach, mountains, and desert all at once. My mom even used to call me a fish, because I love being in the water. When I was younger, I would be in the ocean for six hours straight without coming to shore, which also lead to some pretty nasty sunburns because I’m so pale. And I can’t forget to mention the sheer biodiversity we have, not just with plants, but also animals and insects.

Oh, and I also have a 16 1/2 year old dog named Ruby, who I can’t even begin to explain how much I love (she’s shown in the first picture at the bottomā€”isn’t she just the cutest). She’s like a little toddler. She’s a little blind and a little deaf now, which causes her to cause a lot of chaosā€”like getting into places where she thinks she’s stuck, but isn’t really stuck. She also told me she’s going to live at least until 19, so no worries there.

There’s honestly not much to say about my life, although, I do work at Barnes and Noble, so at least my book addiction can be supplied at a reasonable price thanks to a discount. I like reading in any format, but physical books have a special place in my heart. I wasn’t that into reading until 4th grade. My mom was in a PTA meeting afterschool, and told me to stay put…but I can’t sit still for the life of me. So in my boredom I snuck into the library, with the totally legit spy skills I learned from a friend. While wondering around in the library, I picked up a copy of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. I read the first page and was enamored. From that moment on, the smell of books was ingrained in my brain, and reading became one of my favorite things. And writing also became something I loved. Other than that, I enjoy acting and singing. I’m also trying to get myself to have more hobbies. Currently, I’m trying to learn some music theory and hopefully compose some music.

(The last two photos are from when I was lucky enough to travel to a few places I’ve always wanted to visit. The first one is the Temple of Poseidon in Greece, and the second was in Amsterdam at the Van Gogh Museum. As you can tell, I was extremely excited to see Van Gogh’s paintings in person because he is one of my favorite artists. [Along with Caravaggio who I also got to see some of his works in person.])

Alexis Curtis: The Pilot Episode

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Hello all!

My name is Alexis. I’m a senior here at State, and a transfer student who attended Palomar College. I’m a fellow English major, with a minor in digital and social media studies. I’m looking forward to working with and getting to know you all this semester! I love books, and I think I love books because the represent opportunity. The opportunity of literacy & education, as well as the opportunity to dream.

I am a native to San Diego County, but I lived in Berkeley for a year. I’ll be back someday. I am a nerd, and am very into video games (HZD:FW & FFXV are my #1s), comics (Damian Wayne is the best Robin), YouTube (My favorite Youtuber ChilledChaos streamed Undertale once and I ditched my final to go watch, yes I failed the class, yes I was already failing at that point.), and anime (Fairy Tail and Yu Yu Hakusho are the best!). I’m thinking about trying out for SDSU’s Marvel Rivals team! I used to be obsessed with the game, but I have poor internet at my parents’ house which made it so I didn’t play over the summer. I tried to play a round when I moved back to campus, but I am, in fact, washed. I don’t think I’ll make the team, but that doesn’t mean that the experience wouldn’t be worth it. In rapidfire mode, I love movies, cooking, the color green, and the ocean. I hate the Joker, weather below 75 degrees, raw meat, and I am terrified of tomorrows.

Here’s a picture of me at Griffith Observatory in July. It’s blurry, as I had to screenshot the original photo as the file was too big šŸ™ . It was a hike to get there, so the flats and sweater combo in the Los Angeles heat was absolutely not the vibe. I liked the outfit though, so that’s all that matters. šŸ˜˜

Introduction Kaan

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Hi Iā€™m Kaan!

Iā€™m an international student in my 6th semester as an education major in Germany. After my stay abroad, I will (hopefully) have finished my bachelorā€™s degree and can finally start my masterā€™s.Ā 

I am really, really passionate about videography and photography (as briefly mentioned in class) and enjoy producing short skits, short movies, and more recently, vlogs in my own unique style. My passion actually developed very early, as I loved experimenting with our camcorder as a child, producing short skits which were in no way even close to professional (or even watchable nowadays). One beautiful day, child-me discovered a way to actually edit my videos by selecting multiple clips and creating one big ā€œmovieā€ instead of covering the lens with my hand and quickly changing the scenery. Thatā€™s when I saw a whole new world of opportunities unfold in front of my very eyes. All of a sudden, almost everything I could imagine was possible. From there on, my passion stayed and only grew bigger as I increasingly became more knowledgeable about my craft.Ā 

Today I love spending time filming and especially editing my videos, sometimes putting hours into creating and perfecting my work. But no matter how long it may take, putting the finishing touch on a video or short movie and finally watching and experiencing it in its full glory for the first time is such an amazing feeling. Even better is the reward of seeing people being immersed in, or simply enjoying, my work after having spent hours upon hours finishing it. Whether it is the impact or the message I share through one of my short films, or one of my more lighthearted and entertaining skits to brighten someone’s day. I love making people smile. not only with my videos and skits, but in everyday life as well. With how much is going on in everyoneā€™s lives and how much each and every person has to deal with, be it because of work, university, etc., I think it is important to have a few moments of positivity, even if only for a few seconds.

That’s all I have to say. Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I am really looking forward to this class and this whole semester in general!

Week 1: šŸ‘‹šŸ™‚

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Hi! Iā€™m Raine Porath (he/him), a grad student starting my second year of the MALAS program. I did my undergrad in English & Comparative Literature here at SDSU, and am now researching digital and popular cultures through a disability studies framework. In my downtime, I make comics and read/watch/play everything horror.

Iā€™m lucky to work as Writing Fellow for the ECL Department, which gives me the opportunity to liaison between students and faculty. If youā€™re interested in sharing your ideas for department events and letting us know what you need to succeed as an ECL student, thereā€™s a new Student Outreach Survey you can complete here!

Iā€™m also working on CAPTION, the new e-lit imprint of SDSU Press. If youā€™re a digital creative of any medium, Iā€™d love to chat about your work and opportunities for publication or collaboration.

Iā€™m psyched to be learning alongside you all, and I hope we find joy in caring about books, the world, and each other. šŸ•®

Introduction

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Hi guys, I’m Janesa!

I’m a junior who just transferred to sdsu from Glendale Community College with an AA in Liberal Arts. I’m finishing a bachelors in English and Comparative Lit here for the next two years. I love writing, reading, and hope to be an editor.

I’m from Santa Clarita, where Magic Mountain is, about 45 minutes from Downtown La. I don’t think there’s much else to the town, but there is some filming done and gold was first found in California in our town. I do like our proximity to La though and love the places I’ve been able to go because of it. I loved my time going to Glendale, which has amazing Armenian food, and near is Pasadena which is really cute.

My hobbies are dancing, baking, and going to coffee shops. My two home away from homes are my old dance studio and any cafe because of how much time I do or used to spend there. I will immediately say yes if anyone wants to go to a coffee shop or ballet, which my favorites are Romeo and Juliet and The Rite of Spring(the music is crazy, it was actually so badly received, the audience started a riot). I also really love fashion and music, my favorites being 60’s and 90’s for both. My favorites are The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Sam Cook, and currently Laufey.

The photo upload keeps not working so I canā€™t put one here, but it was a photo of me in a bookshop in Pike Place in Seattle. For reference to point me out, Iā€™m 5 foot and have brown hair.

Introduction: Dakota Goodman

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Hello, I am Dakota, and I am a senior who is graduating in the spring and also pursuing the editing and publishing certificate. This is my second year here at SDSU since I transferred from Grossmont College. I hope to join the MFA program after I graduate.Ā 

I grew up here in San Diego and have no plans of moving since I love this city. When I am not in class, I am working at an elementary school as a student helper, trying my best to convince fourth and fifth-graders to read more books. While I donā€™t want to become a teacher, I surprisingly love this job and the kids that I work with. I am always having the best conversations with ten-year-olds. They are the weirdest and funniest people that I know. In the future, I hope to be an editor working with a publishing house and help authors achieve their hopes and dreams.Ā 

I have always been passionate about books since I was a child. I grew up reading Harry Potter with my parents and having long discussions about it during breakfast on the weekends. Even now, my parents will still listen to me rant about books. Books were what got me through my elementary and middle school years as a form of escapism. I was able to slip through the cracks and sink into whatever fantasy world I found comforting. Now the tables have turned, and I am the one who is creating worlds at my fingertips. I am currently writing the first book in a fantasy trilogy. It has been a passion project of mine for the past few years, which I hope to publish soon.Ā 

To me, books are extremely precious and something to be cherished, which is why I am taking this class. I loved the idea of learning about the history of the book as a physical being and as an art medium. I think that it is easy to forget that books are an art form. It’s easy to boil them down to words on a page, so I have never really taken much thought into what makes a book a book. I hope that this class helps me reimagine books in a new way that reignites the love that I have for them.Ā 

I look forward to working with you all in this class!

Introduction-Demree McGhee

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Hello, my name is Demree. I’m a third year MFA (fiction) student. This is my last year at San Diego State. I’ve taught RWS 100/200 courses before, in addition to teaching my first creative writing course last semester. A few months ago my first book, Sympathy for Wild Girls, was published by Feminist Press. I am very proud of this.

I was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, but I’ve lived in San Diego since I was six. These two places influence a lot of my writing. I like reading, but I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed with books themselves, unless they have some kind of particular meaning to me. I have a copy of James and the Giant Peach illustrated by the illustrator Lane Smith, which has a very special place in my heart.

I first became interested in books as object by listening to a podcast I like called Material Girls (formerly Witch Please) which analyzes pop culture through a materialist lens. It was formerly a Harry Potter recap/critique podcast. The hosts are two Canadian professors and they’ve frequently discussed books as an object of fetishization and an exclusionary capitalist tool. I’m very excited to expand upon the casual knowledge I have in this subject.

I find certain things visually and artistically appealing and inspiring: dogs, coyotes, the southwest, light, valley girls, bugs/parasites, satin/ribbon/bunches of fabric, grids, the virgin mary, megachurches, teeth, the ocean, mirrors.

Introduction – Aron Abellera

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Hi everyone, I am Aron. I am in my fourth year of undergrad for my BA in English at SDSU, although this is only my second year as I transferred from Southwestern Community College. I was born here in San Diego and it has been my home for most of my life. I truly think it is America’s Finest City.

After I graduated high school, I chose to enlist in the U.S. Army as a medic. I was borrowed and lived a few years in the south, mainly between the Kentucky and Tennessee border, before returning back home to San Diego. A really cool moment in my life came when I lived in Africa for nine months and got to work with a group of children at an orphanage. They were incredibly energetic and smart kids which I had the pleasure of seeing on a near daily basis. They asked to read to me and I with them in our free time together.

I have really struggled with a lot of different aspects of my life since going back to school, including picking the right career path or major. I tried my hand at engineering, nursing, etc, and failed tremendously. I do love reading and writing though, and being able to choose what to think about or why something is important. So, my hope is to one day teach English and reinforce that same thinking, especially in these trying times. Because it is absolutely necessary. I look forward to learning so much from Professor Pressman and everyone this semester!