Home is Wherever I'm With You

On a whim I bought a plane ticket home. Turns out, they are non-refundable, expensive, and quickly taken from your bank account. Like, immediately. It ALSO turns out that my next paycheck was skipped in last week's rotation and now I have to wait a week for it. So, money issues. Yay adulthood! But I digress...

I'm going home. In September. For 18 days. Number one priority is to hang out with my mom and dad, recharge that family support thing, and remind them why I'm their favorite child. Second priority, though is graduate school. I have plans to visit at least five schools while I'm out there. VT, UVA, and ODU all have MFA programs in creative writing that I would love to be a part of (well, I dont know about loving ODU's program, but that is why I'm going to visit), and they are close to home which would be nice after five years of living in Utah.

What I'm really excited about, though, is the New England leg of the trip. I'm going to visit Boston University and Brown! Boston has one of the top MFA programs in screenwriting and Brown has this really interesting "electronic writing" emphasis to their creative writing MFA that sounds pretty enticing.

Schools that would be nice to hit but are not on the mandatory level are: Johns Hopkins, VCU, Hollins (I know what you're thinking, "A women's college, Amy? Really? That's ludicrous." Yes, but it has a screenwriting program. Also, if you'll notice, it is on the 'non-mandatory' level so quit your judging, you snobby reader, and let me be!)

While there I'd also love to visit some old friends. Namely Kelsey, Addie, Margot, Melanie, Jessica, and Ginny. So, call me!

And to be completely honest with you (although I don't know why I should because you're already judging me for looking at an all female school), I plan on making a trip in November to visit California schools. Specifically USC which has the top screenwriting program in the world. But, naturally, number one priority on that trip is Disneyland. I'm not dumb.

Harry Potter and the End of an Era

I just came from my third (yes, you read that right) time watching Harry Potter 7.2. Instead of doing a film review (A+-five stars-two thumbs up, by the way) I decided to write a letter to J.K. Rowling. I'm sure she reads my blog, so I'll just let her get to it when she has time...

Dear Ms. Rowling,

I’d like to be just one of many to thank you for Harry Potter. I, like millions with me, saw the final installment of the Warner Brother’s film adaptation last night. I, like millions with me, cried longer and harder than was decent. And I, like millions with me, am not quite sure what to do with myself now.

Comments like, “my childhood is ending” weren’t few and far between coming from those waiting in line with me. We’ve grown up right alongside Harry, Ron and Hermione. From Harry’s first Hogwarts letter to Albus Severus Potter’s concern about house placement we’ve hung on your every word. Everything the Golden Trio went through, I was going through as well (just without the magic and the constant threat of death). Harry had angst, I had angst. Harry fell in love, I fell in love. Harry defeated Voldemort and saved the entire Wizarding world, I survived high school.

Of course you had naysayers and, dare I say it, haters along the way. You knew that you would never make everyone happy with the way the stories ended or the casualties you left behind, but you trudged ahead regardless. You’ve made millions of dollars (pounds, really) with the books, movies, and new amusement park. From your humble beginnings in a café writing on napkins to working with some of the most influential people in the world you are truly an inspiration.

Harry Potter gave me something to look forward to for the last thirteen years. Even when the books were done (and trust me, that wasn’t easy either) we still had the films to rely on. Now that it’s all over, I feel a sort of emptiness. My life doesn’t revolve around a fictional character and his fictional world, but a large part of my childhood did and I'm a little lost without it.

So, where do we go from here? I think we’ll be ok. Some will find refuge in new books, new worlds to discover. Some will move on, grow up, make lots of money. Some may stay at Hogwarts, thriving on Pottermore and the countless special editions of the films sure to come out. Whatever it is, the Harry Potter-shaped holes in our hearts will get smaller or even disappear altogether and we will go on to live perfectly wonderful lives.

What will I do? Harry Potter meant a lot to me. But it wasn’t just Harry and his friends who inspire me, you do. Out of nothing you created a story so interesting, so powerful, so relatable that millions of people from all over the world, of every age, lined up at midnight and read until they fell asleep. Instead of whining about the end of something I love so much, I’ve decided to create something new to love. You had a great idea and you made it happen. With everything I’ve learned from Harry and you, I plan on doing the same.

So thank you for the stories, the characters, the world. Thank you for the morals, the flaws, and the inspiration. I hope to read more of your work someday and I hope you read mine.

Sincerely,

Amy Roskelley

Where is the love?

I've been watching an awful lot of movies recently. I watched all 7 Harry Potters to gear up for the release next week. And I've been trying to watch every episode of "Hey, Arnold" because, why not? Desiree made me watch My Girl last night which was not my idea of a good time, and every now and then you just have to watch Maid in Manhattan because, you do. You just do.

Through my overload of media (not involving the study of camera movements, writing skill, or film theory, thankfully) I've been asking myself one question: Why didn't they hug?

There is a serious lack of human contact in today's movies. Oh there's sex of course (except in Harry Potter and "Hey, Arnold") which involves a lot of touching. Maybe a little too much touching. But the amount of innocent hugging is alarmingly low. I assume that directors think it's better to express thanks, love, or appreciation with a powerful look, a sweeping camera movement, or an orchestrated swell of violins. WRONG! In the real world, we hug.

Example: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
I'll set the scene for you: Harry, Ron, and Hermione are visiting Hagrid's hut. Ron is throwing up slugs after his faulty wand backfired while attempting to hex Draco for calling Hermione a "mudblood."
Incident: Hermione tells Hagrid what Draco called her. Hagrid is shocked and comforts her by insisting that she is the best witch in her year. The music is lovely, Hermione's tears stop, and everyone smiles. Really great time for a hug, yes? Yes. But did they hug? No. She doesn't even say "thank you!" Hagrid is a giant teddy bear!! If the director doesn't feel comfortable having characters hug him, I don't know what's wrong with the world.
What would fix this scene: A hug. duh.

I'm not going to put any more examples because that one was kind of long. Don't mistake my lack of examples with a lack of proof, though. The proof is there, all around, in every movie. Go watch one and you'll agree with me. Characters need to hug more.

Just another reason I need to be a screenwriter: I will fix the sad, sorry state of the classic embrace.