Brooklyn Prom Queen

Last seen at some time and a place

2009-02-02T16:33:00.001-08:00

Am willing to surrender incredibly rare Fleet Foxes 7" I just made inside my head.

--MGMT (BPQ and, sure, Andrew VanWyngarden, who's worried sick)

R.I.P.

2009-01-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

We saw this one coming.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/magazines-newspapers/e3ieb36f849687dcd179eca9bc2b3ff923a

Things Are Growing More Dire By The Day, My Dear

2009-01-22T14:30:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that our once revered 8.5 x 11" bible of a magazine isn't much too look at or care about anymore. The website is "meh" (read: it makes me want to roll my eyes so hard I appear to have suffered an epilepsy) as well. And since that website was the homepage on my laptop, I knew I had to take the Oregon Trail to brighter, smarter, and just plan better pastures. You know, so my horses could eat better hay and I could churn tastier butter (mmmm, buttteerrrr).

So I went to a certain website that happens to rhyme with Lezebel. Okay, it's obvious. Jezebel. For the longest time (forever), I loved Jez because the writers were intelligent and well-referenced and the commenters were some feisty, empowered feminists who could talk freely about anything from pussy to politics, from condoms to computers, from fucking to foreign diplomacy...you get it.

And so it is a sad day in the world when even Jezbel begins to unfold. It perhaps started a long time ago, or maybe more recently - who knows. What I do know is that we have to act fast and act now because in a very short time there isn't going to be anything left for us. We're going to have to make it ourselves.

So let's get to it guys. The power is yours!

Ya'll like that Captain Planet reference?

E

I Was There!

2009-01-21T12:59:00.000-08:00

*Please excuse my shitty pictures. The big fancy pretty camera you see about is NOT digital, its my 35mm SLR. Everything else was taken with my Nikon Coolpix and the dawn lighting was effing with my flash. Plus my hands were cold so taking the actual pictures was sort of lethal.

The population of DC is roughly 600,000. The DC metro area (consisting of southern Maryland and Northern Virginia) is home to about 5.3 million people. Imagine DC filled with ALL of these people, plus tourists from all up and down the eastern seaboard, the midwest, the west coast, the southern states- all in one area, all at one time. Pretty fucking crazy, right? I don't care what numbers The Washington Post or CNN or MSNBC posted in terms of crowd attendance. To truly understand the intense MOBS of people that showed up, you just had to be there. And I was!

The night before the big day, I went to Silver Spring, MD (right outside of DC) and spent the night with my cousin and her friend. We got up at 300am, and left around 4 to head into DC. By the time we got downtown, the trains were PACKED, people were everywhere; American flags and red/white/blue hats, poms, blankets, face paint, ALL OVER THE PLACE. It was like Halloween except everybody matched. While we were riding the train, these women in the back of the car kept yelling "OBAMAAAAAAAAA!" every single time the doors opened. At 4 in the morning. They were quite the patriotic bunch.

I wore my track leggings underneath my jeans, 2 pairs of socks (with these feet warmer a la the camping aisle at Wal-Mart), 3 long sleeve shirts, a heavy GAP sweater, the thickest hoodie I own + one of my (lighter, I left my North Face in NY. Genius, I know.) winter coats. I wore 2 pairs of gloves (with hand warmer things, that worked but turned my hands AND gloves black), a scarf, a headband around my lower face area and ear muffs. Was I warm, you ask? Um, FUCK no. It was the coldest I think it's ever been in the history of Washington D.C. (founded 1790). I expected it to be really cold during the early morning hours, before the sun came up but even after it rose, the temperature just kept dropping. My feet were so cold I couldn't move them/feel them. My entire body shook pretty much the entire day (I was outside from 430am-300pm) and my joints hurt so badly, and got so stiff from lack of movement. It was pretty hardcore. Army Ranger type shit.

I got off the train at Metro Center and discovered that the city had essentially blocked off every single road in the city to everyone except select buses and law enforcement/military vehicles. They set up gates at the entrances to the National Mall and along the Parade route (followin the ceremony), and at 430, people had already decided to forgo the N.M. madness and get ggood seats for the parade, which wasn't scheduled to begin until at least 230pm (Um, crazy?). I made a quick stop at Au Bon Pair, stood in (the wrong) line for about 30 minutes helped my Mom find her bank card (she lost it temporarily), and was mis-directed three times by DC cops (incompetent much?). We finally made it to the 3rd St tunnel @ Indiana Ave where a couple thousand people had conviened to wait for the tunnel (and thus, entrance to the Mall, or so we thought) to open at 730. The cold was bitter, but people were literally singing in the street, taking pictures, sleeping on the curb, and just having as best a time as possible at 6am in 12 degree (plus wind chill) weather. Even the Canadians were there to support! Time was seriously CREEPING, and more and more people kept showing up, to the point where I couldn't see down the block anymore, all I could see were flags and the heads of people. Some irritating lady cop got on a megaphone every 30minutes and announced that the opening of the tunnel would be pushed back. I halfway expected the crown to start rioting, which would have made for some pretty interesting videos, assuming I made it out, but we only erupted into sporatic chants: "OPEN THE GATE! OPEN THE GATE!" ect. A guy got up on a barrier and started telling jokes to the crowd (an aspiring comedians heaven) and by 9am, they STILL hadn't let us through. A lot of people started to leave and look for other entrances, especially when we found out that they weren't going to allow us to cross the street into the mall because they were bringing Obama and Biden and other super important people in to the Capitol. But we stood our ground and eventually made it through the gate at around 11. It was sucky that they wouldn't let us onto the PACKED Mall (they shut it down due to the mass volumes of people) but I was across the street, near the Dept. of Labor and had a pretty decent view considering, and could hear the performers/speakers, though we got a bit of a delay due to echo. Before the ceremony started, a motorcade came through and my sister (who is four inches taller than me) says that Michelle looked and waved at her! She also swears Joe Biden was in one of the cars. The vibe of DC and everyone that was there yesterday was so amazing; everyone was happy and celebrating, the street vendors were selling everything from tshirts and buttons to "official" Inagural programs and, yes, HOT SAUCE.

They had scarves, hats, shrink-wrapped newspapers from Nov. 4th and Jan. 20th, posters, calenders with Malia and Sasha's faces splashed across it, flashing rings, bobble head figures of the entire First Family, caricature drawings of Obama- it was like one giant Obama merchandise store. After the ceremony, I got lost for a little bit (this is when I found Mr. Obama hot sauce) and everywhere I went, it was like a huge block party. Vendors had their cars parked along the streets with all the doors open, windows down and music BLARING; add the noise of the crowd, plus music from inside the stores and you begin to understand the hearing aid I will inevitably require in 4 years, just in time for his re-election. Ha.

What I'm looking forward to most is telling my kids that when a Black man became prez, not only did I vote for him but I was in attendance at the shit show that was his Inauguration. Holla!

I totally screwed up the alignment of the pictures and I don't feel like doing it all over again, so bear with me!

P.S.- Erika, I didn't see ANY blatant racists! I even listened in on a ton of conversations and nobody had anything bad to say! I was thoroughly disappointed. Although there was this one Black kid (really obnoxious, but funny) who was counting down the minutes to 12pm (when the current President loses his title, regardless of the status of the President-elect's oath) and kept announcing how many minutes he had left. This old white guy standing behind him looked kind of irritated when the Black kid starting talking about how shitty good 'ol W. is. Then he said, "Well, he was still our President. We can at least be nice to him in his last minutes". LOL. Then the Black guy said: "Yeah you're right. We can't let him go out like those Iraqis did" (Shoe reference). That was about as close to anti-Obama as it got. Sort of surreal. Maybe we should take a trip through rural South Carolina or Wyoming and see what they think.

Hey All,

2009-01-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving VA tomorrow afternoon (finally) to head back up to NYC (after the Inauguration! Wish me luck!) and I start class on Wednesday, so I may not be back online until Thursday. Sarah- I decieded to keep the Book a few days longer so that I can throw in some prints from the Inaguration. Digital pictures are cool but prints are better, I think, so I should have it in the mail by Wednesday. Definitely look out for that because the U.S. postal system is shaky. I'm guessing everyone will be starting school again this week so, good luck! I'm going to take 10,000 pictures tomorrow and hopefully my camera won't get jacked. Look for me on TV! Ha, like I'll be anywhere near the cameras. It's all in the experience, people.

The Worst Song in the World

2009-01-17T17:40:00.000-08:00

After much deliberation and intensive research, I have officially decided that Summer Girls is the WORST song in the world. Besides the inane and ridiculous lyrics name dropping everything from Abercrombie & Fitch to William Shakespeare the beat is pretty damn awful. But the video tops it all. For some reason this song just sounds like Long Island to me. Oh and LFO stands for Lyte Funky Ones. LOVE.

But there stands a small chance that there could be an even worse song out there. What do you guys think? Obviously anything by Fannypack is fair game.

Let's kick this shit.

2009-01-14T19:05:00.000-08:00

Be the change you want to see in the world... right?

All is not well in the land of communications. Thanks to this long-overdrawn recession, so many respectable publications have folded, laid off talented employees, or just have full-on collapsed in general (you know who you are).
A lot of people would say that this is, hands down, a time to get discouraged. However, I have so much more courage in 2009 than in '08 than I could have ever foreseen. I now believe that this year is my year.
And it's yours, too. How do you insure that shit goes smoothly? Of course, you can't. It is inevitable. You just have to grab everything you can by the balls and hope everything works out all right. As Benjamin Franklin said, hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Most would say our distance is an issue. Gawd, Brooklyn Prom Queen LITERALLY covers the whole country (which is badass, no? I'm proud, for one). If we want to get something, like a publication, up and running, we've got to meet, share ideas-- but can't we do that anyway? It's not like if we work, we'll be doing it alone. At all. If we want to get this going, let's do it. I think that no matter how far away we are from each other, we can still make a difference together. We could have video meetings on Skype! (I think I figured out what we did wrong, anyway!)

2009 will be a year where I no longer want the word "eventually" in my vocabulary. Let's it make happen.

"Life is a question of disillusionment. You are meant to become cynical. But I cannot accept this destiny! I still believe we can change the world."
--Marjane Satrapi
I do. And I hope you do, too.

P.S. Alex, are you writing in the journal right now? I'm so anxious to see!

I thought Ann Coulter hated...everybody?

2009-01-13T15:25:00.000-08:00

I saw the Ann Coulter clip from The View. I really, really dislike Ann Coulter. She's so unecessary. And seriously, they need some sort of system on The View. BUZZ and wait until given permission to speak. Or raise your hand. Or SOMETHING. Basic kindergarten principals, ya know?

The Boondocks is the greatest show EVER.

"All I know, is they better not stop this war in Iraq. Or I might have to start STRIPPING."

Throwback: Meredith Brooks "Bitch"

2009-01-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

This song is way fun in every way. I miss it. I hear it and just want to shout to it with the windows down with my ladies, just like Crossroads!

OMFG CROSSROADS

I want to watch this now.

Spectacular! Amazing! Brilliant!

2009-01-06T23:18:00.000-08:00

George Michael - Too Funky
by zocomoro

I need to see some art

2009-01-06T14:29:00.000-08:00

"A painter paints the appearance of things, not their objective correctness, in fact he creates new appearances of things."
-Cy Twombly

Chinese artist Liu Jianhua created this cityscape of Shanghai using poker chips and dice. See it at a solo exhibition in San Gimignano, Italy. Neatorama suggests a bold metaphor about a city's growth and economic development to risk taking, gambling and chance, which not surprisingly, makes perfect sense. Read more about Liu Jianhua here.

Liz Hickok created an amazing model of San Francisco's Bay Bridge using JELLO! How awesome is that? (I wonder if she ate the model afterward?) Check out the bridge and another cityscape of San Fransisco below. See more of the Bay Area in Jello, and more art at her website.

This one is fucking brilliant! Made entirely of eggs, feast your eyes on an RMB $50 bill (Chinese currency) that doubles as a cityscape! No info on the artist, but check out more art involving biscuits, plastic bottles, colored tiles and other unusual mediums at Neatorama. The world needs more art like this!

We're Here To Help You

2009-01-03T15:02:00.000-08:00

To help facilitate the awesomeness that will be us Skype-ing very very soon, I thought we could go ahead and share all of our info now, to get it over with. The important and private stuff can be shared through email, obvi, and as soon as I finish writing this post I'm going to send around a group email for that.

But basically, I'll start. I went through Sarah's instructions with my Skype and it really is that simple. We all need to add each other as contacts and then we can group chat as simply as that. Yay!

My Skype, um, username (I guess?) is miss_america_erika. I just did it because it rhymes and I'm all about rhyming in'09
As you know, my email is emp62790@yahoo.com
And we all have each other's address.
I'll send an email around for anything else, and our phone numbers, so that shit can remain private.

So just tell everyone what your Skype user name is! And we can kick this shit off! Por serio, if my 2009 goes as awesome as this, I'm going to have a good fucking year. If we do this really fast, we can all Skype tomorrow, at V's well suggested 9 pm. Sarah, Tulsa is two hours behind CA right? Or are you guys EST? I'm bad with time zones, ie never bothered to learn them until I started jet setting across the country, so all I know is it'll be 9 pm for Alex and I, 6 pm for V, and 7 for Sarah? I think?

E

Skype It!

2009-01-02T22:09:00.000-08:00

Talking through blog posts and e-mails takes too long.

When are we Skypin' it? If we're not gonna do it soon, we totes need to IM. For example, every Sunday after Secret Diary of a Call Girl for discussion of what happened. Chats could be useful for many things in our lives. Y/y?

Life Lessons: A Year In Review

2008-12-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

2008 was a crazy year. That's the only way to describe it. It was the best and worst year of my life so far. Let's see what happened to me...I got legal, ditched all my HS friends, moved to LA, went to my first strip club, lived in my first apt, got extremely depressed, worked at a dry cleaner's, started blogging for Missbehave, broke up with my bf twice, had my first drink at a bar, bought really cute clothes, went to my first LA party, got on Shadowscene twice, and stayed out till 6 am.

It was b-a-n-a-n-a-s.

But like they always say, hindsight is 20/20, and now that 2008 is one day from drawing to a close, I find myself more easily putting things into perspective. So, with that, these are my takeaways from '08:

1. Never bite the hand that feeds you unless you can feed yourself.
2. You really, really, really can do anything you set your mind to.
3. Nothing that you don't have a passion or even interest for is worth doing.
4. The world is only open to give you everything if you are open to receiving it.
5. Everything happens for a reason.
6. Setbacks and disappointments are actually opportunities in disguise.
7. Be cool. Be confident. Be humble. Be ready. Be you. (Actually I think I might write that on something)

What happened to you? What did you guys learn? We've all done some pretty noteworthy things this year. Share!

The Premiere!

2008-12-27T09:12:00.000-08:00

Ladies! I picked this up at Border's the other day. I thought it was a good choice because:
A. It has a little strappy thing to keep loose objects intact (the American postal system is a little outrageous)
B. It has lined paper, graph paper, AND blank paper on the inside
C. It has a bunch of pockets...cardboard AND plastic scattered throughout the notebook (like the kind you put pictures and other odds & ends in) so we can put pretty much whatever we want inside of it. Oh and there's a zipper pouch in the back, too.
D. It's covered in Russian dolls!
E. It was on sale!

So, what do you guys think?!

Happy Holidays from all the single ladies (all the single ladies) at Brooklyn Prom Queen!

2008-12-25T11:21:00.001-08:00

So now that we're acquainted, will you save me the last dance? My friends will think I'm cool if they see me with you.

Love, your friends to the end:

--Erika,

--Valentina,

--the Mackinest,

--and Sarah!

P.S. Everybody got each other's addresses yet?

Alex, You're A Genius!

2008-12-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

I mean you'd have to be for the idea you just came up with! Ladies, Alex is proposing we get a notebook and pass it around between the four of us. While each of us has the notebook, we can fill it with drawings and writing and anything we happen to collect while in possession of the notebook.

That's completely the best idea ever! Ever. Evvvverrrr.

I also have a fantastic follow-up idea. What if we used the pages in that notebook for a zine? And instead of doing White Rice, we'll just call the zine Brooklyn Prom Queen! It'll be just like publishing, only we can also add our superb writing skillz and harness our mad journalistic steez!

As per V's suggestion, Alex would totally start the notebook off in Queens (you live in Queens right? Er, you live in Jamaica, but that's in Queens?), and then it could move from East Coast to West Coast...so to Sarah in Tulsa, then me in the Valley, and end with V in Pomona, who could keep it for a bit then start it all over?

What do you guys think? My mind is literally moving faster than my fingers so I doubt I'll be able to get all my ideas down about this fantasticness.

Open forum!

E

Has anyone read the new Missbehave yet?

2008-12-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

I would SO have it right now if I could drive. However, do you? How is it? Super Mega Ultra Awesome, or not so much without Mary H.K. Choi? Tell me about it if you have it!

Oh, and um, PLEASE look at what I found on Google, right here.
I... think I need it... HOOK ME UP, EBAY!

Greyhound Buses are Prime Reading Locations

2008-12-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

So, I made it through the storm (the BLIZZARD) and into New York yesterday. Only it took me almost 8 hours for a trip that normally takes 4. Hmph. Anyways, I was freaking out right before I left because I've been looking for my copy of Angels & Demons, by Dan Brown (the book he wrote prior to The DaVinci Code) and couldn't find it ANYWHERE. I recently watched the movie version of The Davinci Code (the book was way better) and was in the mood for some Vatican conspiracy theories. I was running late for my bus, the weather sucked, and I needed a book to travel with. I can't travel without a book. So, surprisingly, my Mom appears with two books. One of them entitled, Bass Ackwards & Belly Up, by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain.

My first bit of news is that I managed to finish the entire thing by the time I got to NY. The second, is that I actually really liked it! The novel follows four girls, all best friends, from Boulder, Colorado in the ending days of the summer following their high school graduation. It's all very Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants-esque (perhaps a tad more mature), filled with scenarios that are precious and tragic and funny and so cute, but rare to occur in real life. The difference with this book though, is that it's also filled with unhappy endings. And disaster. And quirks. And cliffhangers. All the things that not only make a great teen fiction novel, but that add just the right amount of humanity to the story to make the reader, well, keep reading. It's the perfect balance between fairy tale (best-case scenario), nightmare (absolute worst-case scenario), and reality (duh, real life). And isn't that the whole point?

Meet Sophie, Harper, Becca and Kate. All have a plan. A post-high school plan. Except, a few days before said plan is set to be executed, EVERYTHING changes. Deceit, lies, adventure, love, heartbreak, soul-searching, friendship and some pretty crappy hostels in Europe follow. I don't really want to start talking about the plot in detail, because then I'll give the entire story away. And that would ruin all the fun.

So, instead, I'll link you to the Barnes & Noble synopsis, which is vague enough to not give the story away, but detailed enough to give you an idea of what's going on.

My favorite character is Becca. Becca is talented, slightly insecure, a bit of an emotional wreck, but she loves her friends fiercely, and to no limits. Even when infidelity (sort of) and betrayal threatens to rip them apart. Plus, prior to certain events in the book, she is practically unable to love (or so she thinks--a revelation I've recently found floating around in my own head). She makes snap judgments (and really bad ones) sometimes and overall, she's just a work in progress. She has a shitty home situation, but she deals with it in a passive way, something I would do. She runs from her problems, and channels the energy into things that she feels in control of. Things that the drama can't touch. Then, she solves it all in a totally cliche scene in a restaurant but, thats just a minor detail.

...

Now, scram! Get to reading!

(There's a sequel, but I don't own it yet. But soon, my friends. SOON!)

This is MY musical dedication to Valentina...

2008-12-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

It was too tempting.
I really could not resist.

Leather is tough, but Hannah's heart is tougher

2008-12-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

A few days ago my friend decided that the song that best personifies my life is Hard Hearted Hannah. Very funny obvi since the lyrics describe the vamp of savannah who's the "meanest gal in town." However, it's a pretty rad song. I can't find the Ray Charles version online (which is superior), but here is the Ella Fitzgerald version.
It's pretty much agreed upon that I'm the bitch of the group, so I guess this song kind of fits. Other songs attributed to me over the years have been The Bitch is Back by Elton John (theme much?), Bad Kids by Black Lips, and Better Things by Passion Pit. Do you guys know any songs you just automatically associate with people?

In keeping with the musical theme of this post, this past week my dearest friend Adrienne and I made our ultimate hookup playlist featuring songs from the 60's and 70's. Don't ask how this came about. I can't post the full playlist yet, because I don't have it, but here are some highlights that I can remember:
Back to the U.S.S.R.- The Beatles
Gimme Shelter- The Rolling Stones
Spoonful- Cream
Light My Fire- The Doors
California Dreamin- The Mama's and the Papa's
Purple Haze- Jimi Hendrix
These Eyes- The Guess Who
and many many others. Eventually I will get the whole playlist, but oh god it is so now my ultimate goal in life to hook up to Gimme Shelter.

I don't know what else to say but I have to go pack now.

Peace,
V

Best. Holiday chickflick. Ever.

2008-12-19T14:47:00.001-08:00

Since winter break has FINALLY arrived...

I never fail to squee when I watch The Holiday, nor have I EVER met a girl who didn't totally love this movie.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet are both super-sad with their lives and decide to switch houses for the holidays. In England, Cameron Diaz meets Jude Law, and in LA, Kate Winslet meets Jack Black and an adorable old man whose best friend I'd like to be. Shenanigans ensue, and it's all so predictable in the best way possible.
This movie is not only awesome-- it also sparks a girly debate. Jack Black, or Jude Law? I'm a Jack Black girl all the way. Jude Law bores me (even if he IS cute in this movie) and is possibly a megalomaniac.

BUUUT seriously, get a bunch of girls together and WATCH IT. Like, NOW. Even if you've already seen it.
If you've never seen the movie or trailer, watch the latter here, as it will most likely persuade you to watch the former.

P.S. Supporting Point for Team Jack #1: You know you want to press play, if not only so you don't have to look at that unattractive shot of Jude Law.

1-Love, you serve!

The Joy Of Daily Life

2008-12-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

Since we were already talking about books, and since the holiday season is coming up (which can ultimately only mean hours on hours of sporadic stints of boredom we will no doubt incur while attempting to enjoy "family time" or lack thereof), I thought I would throw out a book that I have found to help pass time pretty quickly. In some cases, faster than watching TV. Yeah, I know.

Anyways, I guess I'm going to tell you all about this amazing book. My first encounter with The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing, was fateful at best, a lucky choice at worst. I found it - actually, it is safer to say it found me - face up, at the top of the 99 cent bin outside Berda Paradise, this tiny secondhand thrift store in Silverlake, staring at me. I picked it up because I liked the cover, because it was 99 cents, because I was feeling adventurous today, and because books have had a long history of never doing me wrong. While I may occasionally regret the large amounts of teen fiction fluff I have accumulated over my cheap, sex deprived high school years, I've never regretted the light, thrilling - dare I say zesty - feelings I got while reading them.

I ended up spending far too much money at Berda Paradise that day...my purchases included a tweed micro-mini skirt (that I can only wear with tights to even attempt to undermine the supreme Lolita schoolgirl effect its hem length - or supreme lack thereof - gives me), an original Billie Holiday record, and a yellow sweater, but by far the cheapest purchase was The Girl's Guide.

That night I found myself at Pizza Hut, knee deep in that fifteen to twenty minute time slot they give you for your pizza to be made. In my desperation, I opened The Girl's Guide and began reading. Suddenly I found myself wrapped up in someone else's reality. The book is about Jane Rosenal, a feisty, intelligent, and humorous woman in the 21st century, and chronicles different periods of her life. It begins with her at fourteen, already smoking, trying to make sense of her brother's new girlfriend and the world around her through careful observance and attention to detail.

The frankness with which Melissa Banks (the beloved author) can shape a completely fictional character's life is perhaps the best indicator of a woman who has seen it all, or perhaps even lived some of it. Before I read this book, I believed the qualifications for a "good read" included a love triangle, teen sex and/or premature drug use, a few lies, a complicated plot, and at least ten different characters to weave in and out of the tale. But this book changed that. It highlights the subtle and often looked-over little nuances in daily life that sort of build up and create the way our life is as a whole. The look you give someone, the lilt in someone's voice, the way she holds her pen, or how he gets his coffee; all of these little idiosyncrasies play a much bigger role in what makes a story brilliant and relatable, and this book taught me that.

For a month straight all I did was read this book. In between classes, during my 15 and 30 minute lunch breaks at work, while waiting in the car at drive-thrus, basically anywhere. I found a joy in reading this book that I had never had before. It was as if Jane Rosenal was real, and I was solely privy to her life. I had to know what would happen next and I tried to make sense of a book about making sense of yourself.

Girls, this book changed my life. It changed my outlook on things. It changed the way I think. I guarantee your boredom will fly by if you read this. But it's more than a boredom buster for me. It's a guide to hunting and fishing in every sense of the word.

The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing
By Melissa Banks
at Barnes and Noble
at Amazon
at Borders

E

A Choose Your Destiny Novel

2008-12-18T16:51:00.000-08:00

Every time I pick up a book (either at home, the library or a bookstore), I think about how old the usual readers of said book are. Sometimes, they are significantly younger in age than I am. This usually makes me feel guilty, like I'm wasting money and knowledge on an education I sometimes refuse to make use of. Of course, I've read ton's of books, for leisure and for school, and love them. I LOVE reading. Novels, classics, magazines, newspapers--you name it. I talk about books almost as much as I talk about music; most of my friends find this annoying (The only books of substance they can talk about with me are the ones they were forced to read in H.S. and didn't really enjoy, which makes for pretty lame conversation) But sometimes, I just like to go straight to the teen fiction section and pick out the cheesiest, corniest, most typical teen drama that is so diametrically opposed to my own teenage/high school experience it's sickening [book], get cozy on the couch, and read the entire thing in one night. Recently, I've re-discovered the awesomeness of 'Choose your own destiny' books. You know, those books where you start out reading some superficial story about some chick who moves to New Jersey from Northern California and gets to redefine her image to a bunch of suburban yuppies whose lungs are probably slightly blackened from smokestack inhalation? Oh. That's the story I'm reading! Basically, these books don't do anything for you. They don't teach you anything. In fact, they might decrease your literacy. But they're perfect companions for lazy nights on the couch. Or when you can't sleep at night and carpel tunnel/arthritis/fried eyes is preventing you from creepin' on the Internet (everybody's favorite hobby). You get to curl up, read, and decide how your character's life will turn out; laugh when it sucks, smile like a giddy twelve year old when the guy gets the girl, or put post-it notes on all the "What's the next move?" pages and go back and change your decision when the outcome isn't what you wanted it to be. That's technically cheating, right?

Right now, I'm reading What if...Everyone Knew Your Name, by Liz Ruckdeschel and Sara James. I'm not sure where I actually got the book from, but somehow I've collected a few written by the same two authors. It's superficial reading at its finest, try it out ladies (and men? If they read this?).

I also recommend the Clique series. They use Internet slang like "LOL" and "OMG" in real life. They also think life is "ah-mazing" and have drivers, movie deals and Westchester Co. mansions. Oh and the best part? They attend a "Day School". What the heck is a "Day School" ? Sounds ritzy.

Maybe we should start our own "Pick your fate" novel?

Alex

Welcome To The Formal!

2008-12-17T22:48:00.000-08:00

I thought I would create this special blog just for us awesomesauce Peach Pitters so we could discuss music, movies, and zines of importance along with, of course, what's going on with White Rice. I also really just wanted a blog called Brooklyn Prom Queen. The name really rolls off my tongue.

So get excited! Get ready for pure hawtness! Shit is gonna blow up! Plus it's set up for any one of us to put whatever's interesting to us. Just make sure it's pertinent. Obvi we all have our own blogs for random personal retardation, right?

Keep it clean, keep it legal.

Just kidding.

E