Personal Values And Beliefs Theology Religion Essay

Individual Values And Beliefs Theology Religion Essay Qualities: Values depicts, significant faith in life shared by the part in a similar culture about what is acceptable and what isn't. Qualities additionally make effect on a specific people life and goes about as a rule. Contrasted and the extraordinary pioneers, I additionally have some shared qualities, for example, peacefulness, truth, do great and helping poor people, battle against viciousness against ladies, medications and others at the same time, I adhere to my own way of life. It is an alternate worth contrasted and the two heads. Convictions: Beliefs are the standards, propensity, and truth in our brains which are followed in our life for the endurance. Individuals have various convictions in life that are typically passed by our folks and ages. The data source is the degree of conviction. It is additionally set apart as presumptions, which made without anyone else. Contrasted with the incredible pioneers, I included my way of life as my conviction and I am accommodating man and I acknowledge what is given to me by my folks. In any case, Mother Teresa and Gandhi have various convictions. Be that as it may, their perspectives are acceptable. Perspectives: Attitudes are the blend of specific subjects from worth and convictions. Each individuals have various perspectives because of a few reasons. Individual mentalities and qualities are practically comparative and perspectives might be either positive or negative. Contrasting my mentality and pioneers, a portion of the perspectives are normal and some varies. METAPROGRAMS: Metaprograms are channels to recognition. There is a few metaprograms. While contrasting and the metaprogams of the great chiefs referenced previously. My answers are distinctive when contrasting all the metaprogram and the Mother Teresa and Gandhi. Attributes: Traits implies how they connect with the individuals. It additionally implies characteristics or attributes of an individual. There is sure close to home attributes and adverse individual qualities too. Great pioneers have qualities, for example, legitimate, forward looking, smart, etc. Like that I referenced some close to home attributes of the extraordinary pioneers. While contrasting, I have an individual attribute that is thinking before doing. Contrasting and them the main attribute which I have not the same as them. Well the thing that matters is a result of the time this pioneers were available that remains as history. Techniques: Strategies permits us to take a shot at accomplishing our objectives. It is likewise a game plan for the ideal objectives, additionally could be accomplishment of objectives or answer for an issue. The individual methodology shifts as indicated by their tendency. Here the two chiefs have various techniques and my systems are likewise not the same as them. However, some great chiefs have some basic individual systems moreover. End: To close, that above I analyzed my qualities, convictions, etc with the pioneers. I examinations the each piece of the two heads are diverse as indicated by their character and those pioneer have realized changes in numerous people groups life and battled for them. PART B : Personal Development Plan (PDP) 1) What is My Current State I. What are my qualities that may impact my way to deal with administration? Persistence Dedicated Humankind I dont surrender I know my privilege and will battle for dig and for the individuals ii. What are my shortcomings that may impact my way to deal with authority? not well oversee Brisk appointed authority not forceful now and then dont shout out considerate iii. What are the regular inputs (positive or negative) that I get from others that may impact my way to deal with authority? POSITIVE FEEDBACK: I mingle and make companions and appreciate Persistence Ready to work Kind NEGATIVE FEEDBACK: Not well oversee Not forceful Absence of abilities Absence of experience iv. What other execution markers would i be able to see that may impact my way to deal with administration? Quantitative marker Directional marker Monetary marker v. Taking everything into account I will say that I need to improve/center around my administration abilities and individual shortcomings like: Time the board Feelings control Interior Communication Uncover myself and make some noise more 2) What is my Desired State? Is to turn into a fruitful innovator in any field of work either in a business field or political, brandishing or any sort of pioneer, would lead the association to its objective. What do I need to improve/accomplish? Enhance my administration aptitudes realize development in the perspective for a specific association I might want to accomplish my ideal state by improving my administration abilities For what reason would I like to accomplish that? What does it give me? Joy Inspiration Great fulfillment Fulfillment throughout everyday life Accomplishment iii. What are my transient results? My momentary result its assistance me in managing people groups and furthermore help in work spot to convey and expand my exhibition and furthermore makes better understanding and assembles duty. iv. What are my drawn out results? My drawn out results are it assists with expanding my efficiency and improve the standard of life How Do I Get There-What is required? Through difficult work and devotion what must I improve/learn/understanding to accomplish that ideal state? improve my comprehension and socalise coordinate with individuals to know their necessities support ii) What are the potential assets to learn/understanding/improve? Papers Presents Web 4) Timeline? I) When do I need or need to accomplish the ideal state? For present moment 12 august to 24 December For long haul 1 august 2012 to 13 December 2016 ii) What is my calendar to deal with these center region? Regular day to day existence we experience various individuals and gain from their encounters and we set objectives and work on them second feb to 23th of dec go through 4-5 hours per week. Character Type Report Your Personality Preferences Outgoing individual You are social and active. You are most agreeable when with others and encountering the world direct. Association with others and direct encounters stimulate you. It isn't not normal for you to begin discussions with outsiders. You have an inclination for the external world: individuals, exercises, and things. Others furnish you with a mirror, sounding board to assist you with creating thoughts and plans. Being distant from everyone else may sap your energies. Your idea of the world is gotten from encountering it firsthand and afterward reaching determinations. Tactile/INTUITIVE You give off an impression of being an equivalent blend of both tangible and natural sorts. This may cause you some contention now and again. Then again the equalization of the two may work fine and dandy for you. There is surely nothing amiss with having a decent amount of the two kinds in the event that you are upbeat. Underneath you will discover portrayals of both types.â SENSORY You as a rule accumulate data with your faculties: what you can see, hear, taste, contact and smell in the physical world. The realities assembled from the tangible information you process are the structure squares of your model of our reality. You focus your energies on what really exists and don't consider what may exist excessively. You are normally useful and depend on your presence of mind to control you through the world. You consider things to be they are and have practically zero need to look for fundamental meanings.â INTUITIVE While you do process data through your faculties you add a turn to your handling by depending on instinct and good fortune. You search for inclinations of importance and deliberations in what you experience genuinely. You don't simply observe things similarly as they seem to be, however as what they could be. While you may depend on sound judgment on occasion, you confide in motivation undeniably more. Seeing You like to have however much data as could be expected before settling on a choice. Postponing a ultimate choice until the last second doesn't make you awkward. For sure once a choice is made, a course plotted, you may feel somewhat uncomfortable, on the grounds that you feel bound to a specific strategy. You would very much want to watch out for what comes next. You appreciate the chance to ad lib. Responsibilities are not scratched in stone to you, and are alterable. FEELING You settle on choices abstractly dependent on your qualities and what is essential to you. How individuals will be influenced by your choices is essential to you. You are probably going to settle on choices dependent on what you feel is adequate and pleasing as opposed to what is legitimate. Your realities are established in your qualities and those of the general public you live in. Remember that we are talking about how you assess information and decide, and that you depend on your sentiments to do as such not the slightest bit suggests you are excessively passionate. Your Personality Type Your character inclinations recommend you might be one of two character types, so both these sorts are recorded underneath. Outgoing individual/Sensing/Feeling/Perceiving Your mindful and liberal nature makes helping other people a delight for you. You are so brimming with vitality, inviting and enchanting that some may depict you as the life of the gathering. You are not excessively critical and acknowledge others as they may be. You steer your course through life by depending on your good judgment. You are a confident person. New encounters are nourishment for your soul.â Seeing someone you are the one that can carry light to the gloomiest circumstance. You are agreeable and extremely tolerating of others. You are brimming with vitality and need to impart undertakings to your companions and friends and family. You need consideration and endorsement. You may not require a profound enthusiastic bond, yet you do require your connections to be enjoyable. You have a veritable worry for the predicament of others. Famous People of Your Type: St Mark, Dale Evans, Gracie Allen, Bob Hope, Eva Gabor, Willard Scott, Goldie Hawn, Kyle Petty, Arsenio Hall, Mary Lou Retton, Kathy Lee Gifford, Woody Harrelson.â Occupations Suited to Your Type Include: Creature handler, mentor, architect, health specialist, airline steward, finance raiser, merchandiser, artist, nurture, entertainer, law official, competitor, pr expert, realtor, salesman, instructor, trip specialist, and veterinarian. Outgoing person/Intuitive/Feeling/Perceiving You are an innovative self assured person who never has a deficiency of new thoughts. Yo

Definition and Examples of Epimone in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Epimone in Rhetoric Epimone (articulated eh-PIM-o-nee) is aâ rhetorical term for the incessant redundancy of an expression or question; harping on a point. Likewise known asâ perseverantia, leitmotif, and refrain.In Shakespeares Use of the Arts of Language (1947), Sister Miriam Joseph watches thatâ epimone is a successful figure in influencing the assessments of a group on account of its obstinate reiteration of a thought in similar words. In his Arte of English Poesie (1589), George Puttenham called epimone the long rehash and the adoration trouble. See Examples and Observations underneath. Likewise observe: CommoratioEpizeuxisSemantic SatiationSymploce EtymologyFrom the Greek, hesitating, delay Models Every one of his cerebrums are in the scruff of his neck, Simon Dedalus says. Welts of substance behind on him. Fat folds of neck, fat, neck, fat, neck.(James Joyce, Ulysses, 1922)Mr. Dick shook his head, as completely disavowing the recommendation; and having answered a large number occasions, and with extraordinary certainty, No poor person, no hobo, no bum, sir!(Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, 1850)We overlook very soonâ theâ things we figured we would never forget. We forgetâ theâ lovesâ and theâ betrayals alike,â forgetâ whatâ we whisperedâ and whatâ we screamed,â forgetâ whoâ we were.(Joan Didion, Keeping a Notebook, 1968)Epimone in Shakespeares OthelloPut cash in thy handbag; follow thou the wars; rout thy favor withan usurped facial hair; I state, put cash in thy satchel. Itcannot be that Desdemona should long proceed herlove to the Moorput cash in thy pursenor hehis to her: it was a fierce initiation, and thoushalt see a liable sequestration: put butmoney in thy purse.(Iago in William Shakespeares Othello, Act 1, scene 3) Epimone in Shakespeares Julius CaesarWho is here so base that would be a bondman? Assuming any, talk; for him I have annoyed. Who is here so impolite that would not be a Roman? On the off chance that any talk; for him have I offended.(Brutus in William Shakespeares Julius Caesar, Act 3, scene 2)Here, under leave of Brutus and the restFor Brutus is a respectable man;So are they all, all noteworthy menCome I to talk in Caesars funeral.He was my companion, steadfast and just to me;But Brutus says he was ambitious;And Brutus is a good man.He hath brought numerous hostages home to RomeWhose ransoms did the general coffers fill;Did this in Caesar appear ambitious?When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:Ambition ought to be made of sterner stuff:Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;And Brutus is a fair man.You all saw that on the LupercalI threefold introduced him a royal crown,Which he did threefold cannot. Was this ambition?Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;And, certain, he is a good m an. . . .(Imprint Antony in William Shakespeares Julius Caesar, Act 3, scene 2) Epimone as a FallacyThere is an interesting expression named epimone . . . , the reason for which is to render some word or thought absurd by its successive redundancy, and demonstrating its peculiar character as a component of contention. However, in some cases from the incessant reiteration of an idea, is reasoned one of the most unpretentious misrepresentations known to language. This deception is regularly depended on by corrupt men during the fervor of political challenges, when some thought or point is accepted without confirmation to the burden and preference of a man or party; and however it might have no only establishment for help, yet is harped upon and remarked on so every now and again, that the oblivious expect that the charge must be valid, else it would not get so much thought; they apply to the issue viable the familiar aphorism: That where there is such a great amount of smoke there must be some fire.(Daniel F. Mill operator, Rhetoric as an Art of Persuasion: From t he Standpoint of a Lawyer. Plants, 1880)Calvinos EpimoneYou are going to start perusing Italo Calvinos new novel, If on a winters night an explorer. Unwind. Concentrate. Scatter each other idea. Let your general surroundings blur. Best to close the entryway; the TV is consistently on in the following room. Tell the others immediately, No, I dont need to stare at the TV! Raise your voicethey wont hear you otherwiseIm perusing! I dont need to be upset! Perhaps they havent heard you, with such racket; talk stronger, holler; Im starting to peruse Italo Calvinos new novel! . . .Locate the most agreeable position: situated, loosened up, nestled into, lying level. Level on your back, on your side, on your stomach. In an armchair, on the couch, in the rocker, the patio seat, on the ottoman. In the lounger, in the event that you have a lounger. On your bed, obviously, or in the bed. You can even remain on your hands, head down, in the yoga position. With the book topsy turvy, naturally.Of co urse, the perfect situation for perusing is something you can never discover. In the days of yore they used to peruse standing up, at a platform. Individuals were acquainted with remaining on their feet, without moving. They rested like that when they were burnt out riding a horse riding. No one at any point thought of perusing riding a horse; but then now, sitting in the seat, the book propped against the ponies mane, or possibly attached to the ponies ear with an exceptional outfit, appears to be appealing to you.(Italo Calvino, If on a winters night a voyager, 1979/1981)

Verb Tenses in English - ESL Overview

Action word Tenses in English - ESL Overview In English punctuation, action word tenses or structures show the second when something occurs, for example, the past, present, or future. These three essential structures can be partitioned further to include detail and particularity, for example, regardless of whether the activity is continuous or to depict the request wherein occasions happened. For instance, the current basic action word tense concerns activities that happen each day, while the past straightforward action word tense alludes to something that occurs previously. On the whole, there are 13 tenses. Action word Tense Chart Here are straightforward clarifications of the tenses in English that give the most widely recognized utilization of each strained in English. There are various exemptions to the standards, different uses for specific tenses in English, etc. Each strained has models, a connect to a page that really expounds for each strained in English, just as a visual tense graph and a test to check your comprehension. Straightforward present: things that happen each day. He for the most part takes a walk each evening. Petra doesnt work in the city. Where do you live? Basic past:â something that occurred previously. Jeff purchased another vehicle a week ago. Dwindle didnt go to the gathering yesterday. When did you leave for work? Straightforward future: combined with willâ to express a future demonstration. She will go to the gathering tomorrow. They wont support you. Will you go to the gathering? Straightforward future: matched with going to demonstrate likely arrangements. Im going to visit my folks in Chicago one week from now. Alice isnt going to go to the meeting. When are you going to leave? Present great: something that started before and proceeds into the present. Tim has lived in that house for 10â years. She hasnt played golf for long. To what extent have you been hitched? Past great: what occurred before something different previously. Jack had just eaten when he showed up. I hadnt completed the report when my manager requested it. Had you gone through the entirety of your cash? Future great: what will have occurred to a certain degree later on. Brian will have completed the report by five oclock. Susan wont have driven far before the finish of the night. How long will you have concentrated when you get your degree? Present continuous:â what is going on right now. Im working at the PC right now. He isnt resting now. It is safe to say that you are working? Past persistent: what was going on at a particular second previously. I was playing tennis at 7 p.m. She wasnt sitting in front of the TV when he called. What were you doing around then? Future nonstop: what will occur at a particular second later. I will lie on the sea shore this time one week from now. She wont have a ton of fun this time tomorrow. Will you be working this time tomorrow? Present impeccable consistent: what has been going on up to the current second in time. Ive been laboring for three hours. She hasnt been working in the nursery for long. To what extent have you been cooking? Past flawless consistent: what had been occurring up to a particular second previously. They had been laboring for three hours when he showed up. We hadnt been playing golf for long. Had you been trying sincerely when he requested it? Future flawless persistent: what will occur up to a particular second later. They will have been laboring for eight hours before the day's over. She wont have been reading for long when she steps through the exam. To what extent will you have been playing that game when you finish? More Resources On the off chance that you need to proceed with your examinations, thisâ tense tableâ will assist you with getting familiar with action word tenses. Instructors can discover exercises and exercise designs in this manual for educating tenses.

The representation of the history of American slavery in the themes of literary works of the African American literary tradition essayEssay Writing Service

The portrayal of the historical backdrop of American subjugation in the topics of artistic works of the African American abstract custom essayEssay Writing Service The portrayal of the historical backdrop of American subjugation in the topics of artistic works of the African American abstract custom article The portrayal of the historical backdrop of American subjugation in the topics of artistic works of the African American abstract custom essayIt is certainly not a mystery that writing mirrors the historical backdrop of national culture, setting accentuation on the different parts of the advancement of human culture. The investigation of the African American abstract custom has risen and created from the slave account kind. The most critical binding together topics, tropes, and themes shared by abstract works help to recount to an anecdote about the historical backdrop of American servitude and the longstanding battle against its inheritances of bigotry and treachery. The two abstract messages that will be talked about in this paper are Frederick Douglass’s Narrative (1845) and James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (1912). Both abstract works add to the general comprehension of the key reasons of the battle against the heritages of bigotry and foul p lay in American culture of the 19-th century through the subjects that mirror the historical backdrop of American slavery.In Frederick Douglass’s Narrative (1845), there are numerous noteworthy topics that mirror the author’s disposition toward the chronicled occasions focused on the battle against the inheritances of prejudice and bad form. As indicated by abstract pundits, â€Å"Frederick Douglass dedicated his life and compositions to the reason for dark liberation, emancipation, and equivalent rights†(Chander 101). Through his Narrative, the creator put forth attempts planned for battling against prejudice, savagery, mistreatment, misuse and bondage. The complete name of the scholarly work is Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845). As a matter of fact, this work is viewed as â€Å"an American criminal slave classic† abstract work that recounts to an account of a slave from the author’s own perspective. The signifi cant topics talked about by Frederick Douglass in his Narrative are the topic of detestations of subjugation and the topic of the effect of bondage on both the slave and the slaveholder. As indicated by Douglass, â€Å"killing a slave or any minority individual, in Talbot County, Maryland, isn't treated as a wrongdoing either by the courts or the community†(102). The creator gives numerous models that exhibit viciousness and mistreatment of slaveholders toward their slaves. He recounts to the tale of Thomas Lanman, who executed two slaves, the narrative of Colonel Lloyds’s ruthlessness, and numerous different cases that show persecution and brutality, disparity and shamefulness introduced in various structures. The account of Sophia Auld shows the effect of subjugation of the slave owner.Besides, the creator shows how servitude may have antagonistic effect on the family, obliterating singular characters. Frederick Douglass himself never knew his dad and his mom. He com poses, â€Å"I don't recall of regularly observing my mom by the light of the day† (48). The tunes of the slaves made the creator consider social and racial disparities and look for the best possible approaches to battle against subjection. He composes, â€Å"They inhaled the petition and objection of spirits bubbling over with the bitterest anguish† (57). As a rule, the topics uncovered by Frederic Douglass in his Narrative make it a significant political archive, which informs a great deal regarding the imbalances and treacheries done to slaves, just as speaks to a notice to the American country that â€Å"there will be a general uprising of slaves if subjection isn't soon abolished† (Chander 104).In James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (1912), there are likewise numerous significant subjects that cause the peruser to understand the need to begin the war against subjugation. In this artistic work, the creator investigates in anecdot al structure a few parts of African American personality or feeling of self. The significant subjects incorporate the topic of dissent, the topic of shading line or race separation and the topic of African American character. As indicated by Mar Gallego and Marã ­a del Mar Gallego Durn, James Weldon Johnson â€Å"anticipates a large number of the focal subjects and themes that worry Harlem erudite people, primarily the reevaluation of the key ideas of race and personality through a correction and refreshing of self-portraying legacies† (45). The artistic work is centered around the set up African American scholarly custom, consolidating both the slave story inclination and the new abuse of the purported â€Å"tragic mulatto† pictures reflected in the author’s principle character who â€Å"becomes the passing character standard excellence† (Gallego Del Mar Gallego Durn 46).The creator depicts prejudice that makes the lives of African American individuals horrendous.  Johnson tells about his first experience of racial segregation, when he was taking the train to Atlanta University. One of the significant topics uncovered by Johnson in his artistic work is the topic of lynching that reflects brutality and abuse in American culture. As a matter of fact, the storyteller had individual encounters that could give him numerous motivations to get white, however in the celebrated shutting sections he questions of the battle for equity in America. He says, â€Å"I can't curb the idea that I have picked the lesser part [personal comfort, private happiness], that I have sold my bequest for a wreck of pottage† (Johnson 93). The subject of lynching shows not just the negative impacts and forceful character of southern racial domination, yet additionally it exhibits the significance of change of the nation’s life and personality. The creator reviews the subject of racial brutality that assists with surveying the idea of the social world. As per abstract critics,Under these conditions lynching’s prominence and steadiness, its mass intrigue comes from its capacity to determine not where life and demise start and end, however how the â€Å"realm† of the genuine could be stretched out unbounded or worry for the individuals, networks and life universes it expended afterward (Goldsby 170).In general, James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is worried about the issue of racial passing and the significance of racial character. This abstract work can be viewed as a Modernist fiction as the principle character’s personality, the personality of an ex-shaded man, is â€Å"forced upon him through a scene of horde brutality, or lynching† (West 43).  James Weldon Johnson has added to the general comprehension of the negative impacts of racial disparity and injustice.Conclusion  â â â â â â â â â â Thus, it is important to infer that the topics uncovered by Frederick Douglass in his Narrative and by James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man recount to an anecdote about the historical backdrop of American subjection and the longstanding battle against its heritages of bigotry and unfairness in American culture. Both scholarly works are collections of memoirs and can be seen as huge memorable and political archives that fill in as viable instruments to caution the country of the enormous uprising of slaves planned for canceling subjection. The two collections of memoirs mirror the development of the primary characters from subjection to opportunity. The peruser has a chance to assess the lavishness of African American culture and the significant job of African American personality.

An Interview with Maggie Shipstead

An Interview with Maggie Shipstead Maggie Shipstead’s smart, finely wrought, and thoroughly entertaining debut novel, Seating Arrangements, centers on the well-bred Van Meter clanâ€"patriarch Winn, wife Biddy, daughters Daphne and Liviaâ€"as they plan for Daphne’s classic New England wedding against a backdrop of family rivalries, infidelity, scandal, country club politics, and late-night misbehavior. Seating Arrangements was one of my favorite books of the year and I was thrilled (and a bit starstruck!) to have the opportunity to speak with Maggie on the occasion of the paperback’s release this month. *          *          * Marisa Atkinson:  I love what youve said in the past about not writing what you know, but writing what you wonder about. What was it about a family like the Van Meters and their lifestyle that you found compelling, and that sparked what would become Seating Arrangements? Maggie Shipstead:  I grew up in Southern California, and before I went to college, I had no idea that families like the Van Meters even existed. I don’t think I knew what a WASP was, and I definitely did not understand the subtle significance of a bowtie. But at Harvard suddenly I encountered kids my age who seemed to live by a codeâ€"sartorial and otherwiseâ€"that was completely inscrutable to me but made them appear perfectly at home in this intimidating new world. So at first I think I was just intrigued and wanted to know what all these little signifiers (like whale pants) meant. Then, mostly through happenstance and also because I was on the equestrian team, I ended up with some close friends who came from upper crust New England backgrounds but had never fully drunk the Kool-Aid. We talked a lot about the way their families worked, and which traditions they loved and which they were ambivalent about. Where I grew up, I always felt a little out of place, and I think I started wondering about the feeling of belonging and where that comes from and what happens when you can’t find it. Winn Van Meter has observed a particular code as scrupulously as he knows how, but he’s still chasing this feeling of belonging, or what he imagines true belonging would feel like. He’s played by the rules, and he’s baffled by the ways the rules have failed him. That characterâ€"Winnâ€"is the reason I wrote the book. His predicament was what interested me most. MA:  Which five adjectives would you use to describe Seating Arrangements? MS:  Barbed, wistful, insular, old-school, crepuscular. MA:  I read another interview where you said that the scene in which Winn gets hit by a golf cart while riding his bike was loosely based on a friend’s similar experience. Are any of the other characters or their experiences inspired by people or events from your own life? MS:  Only in little bits and pieces. None of what happens, plot-wise, comes from anything real, but inevitably you appropriate physical descriptions and personality traits from people you’ve encountered. I have three friends whose mothers all thought they were Biddy, but all that says is that I have three friends with WASPy mothers who have amazing skin. Certain lines of dialogue are things I’ve actually heard people say, like when Winn asks about someone “Where did he prep?” But that’s a line that strikes some people as cartoonishâ€"often when you pull stuff directly from real life, it feels false on the page. It’s a weird phenomenon. Everything has to be adjusted. At the same time, I try to be accurate, especially with anything historical. The Vietnam draft numbers in the book are all matched with the right birthdays, that sort of thing. The exploding whale came from a newspaper article I read in high school about a scientist who was performing a necropsy on a dead whal e, and it exploded and killed him. Apparently this happens from time to time. Here is the big takeaway from this interview: if you ever come across a decomposing whale that appears to be ballooned up with gases, don’t jab it with anything sharp. MA:  Have you have a chance to meet with any book clubs that were reading Seating Arrangements? There are so many great points of discussion in the bookâ€"which themes/characters/plot lines did the groups that you met with want to dig into the most? MS:  I have, yeah! I’ve been to several book clubs. It’s always a little awkward because, out of politeness, they can’t really tear into a book the way they might ordinarily. I’ve been surprised how deeply book clubbers sometimes psychoanalyze the characters. They’ll talk through the root causes of characters’ actions in a puzzle-solving way that’s very different from how I conceived of the book’s various mechanisms. I tend to get a sort of instinctive feel for a character that then drives his or her actions, but I don’t articulate to myself, you know, “Now Winn does X because he feels Y about himself.” So sometimes a book club discussion illuminates causes and effects I’d never connected. I shouldn’t have been, but I was surprised, too, by the range of responses the characters provoke. At one club, a woman was so frustrated with Biddy because she saw Biddy as lazy. Biddy doesn’t cook dinner; she doesn’t do the dishes; she has a wedding planner. I’d ne ver thought of Biddy that way, but what this woman was saying was all factual. To readers who haven’t spent much time in New England, the characters can seem really alien, and so there’s often some conversation about this WASPy subculture and if people like this really exist. There tends to be some discussion of the likeability or lack thereof of the characters, too, which is understandable butâ€"as Claire Messud has recently said so persuasivelyâ€"beside the point. MA:  Of all the characters in Seating Arrangements, who could you see yourself being friends with in real life? MS:  Dominique is probably the obvious choice for a friend, somewhat intentionally. She’s made an interesting life for herself outside the stifling Van Meter world. None of the characters are like me, really, but I experienced the WASP world from a vantage point similar to hers: close but still outside. And she’s no-nonsense but still compassionate, which are qualities I value in my friends. I would probably be “friends” with Sterling, too, but only because I have a soft spot for troubled, douchey men. MA:  How would you cast a Seating Arrangements movie? (I feel like there has to be a role for Bradley Cooper somewhere, for one!) MS:  This is such a hard one! The book has been optioned for film, but it’s an impossibly long way from an option to an actual movie, so who knows what’ll happen. I can’t get attached to the idea. But as long as we’re playing this game . . . I kind of see Kristen Stewart as Liviaâ€"she projects such an interesting discomfort. Romola Garai as Daphne? Pretty much anyone who’s on Mad Men could be Sterling. I’ve never been able to come up with the perfect Winn. I seriously just Googled “actors in their 50s” to get ideas. Gary Oldman? I don’t know. Maybe Bradley Cooper could just play all the characters, Eddie Murphy-style. MA:  I follow you on Twitter and Instagram, so I know youve been traveling all over the world, most recently to Ireland. Can you talk a bit about what youve been up to there? MS:  I went to Ireland to spend time at an artists’ retreat in County Kerry called Cill Rialaig. I applied two years ago and was given this slot, and it ended up being slightly odd timing with my workâ€"I had just sent back a big revision of my second novel to my editor right before I left, so I felt a little at loose ends. At first I just read a lotâ€"mostly random paperback mysteries left behind by past residentsâ€"but I was there for three weeks and eventually, out of boredom, drafted two partial stories. Boredom is a big motivator for me; I put myself in situations where I’ll run out of other options for entertainment and will be forced to write something out of desperation. After I left Cill Rialaig, I went to Dublin and then on to Belfast, which I thought was a fascinating place. It’s a pleasant, modern cityâ€"by all accounts, it’s been rejuvenated to an incredible degree since the Troubles ended (for the most part) fifteen years ago. But there’s still an edge there. I walked around the divided neighborhoods to see the peace line and the sectarian murals put up by various paramilitaries, which were striking and interesting and sometimes scary. Conflict tourism is an controversial thing, especially for such a recent conflict, but I was glad I got to see the murals. I think they’ll eventually be covered up. At the moment, I’m in Inverness, making my way to Edinburgh, then London, and then the Hay Festival in Wales. MA:  What are you “wondering about” at the moment, and how is that influencing what you’re working on now? MS:  As you mentioned, I’ve been traveling a lot by myself over the past two years. My parents are generous enough to dogsit for me for months at a time, so I’ve spent, um, a month in Bali, three months in Paris, a month in Edinburgh, a month in New Zealand, a month in Aspen, this month in Ireland. It’s a ridiculous litany, I know. But I’m not an outgoing travelerâ€"like I don’t belly up to the bar wherever I go and make friendsâ€"so most of that time is very solitary. I’m interested in the sensation of being in transit and also how, by traveling, we try to make sense out of the fact that we live on a planet. Like how the earth is an actual physical object flying through space and not some sort of magical dimension specially designed for us to putter around in. I just wrote an essay for Lapham’s Quarterly about solo circumnavigation by sailboat, which sounds incredibly terrifying but also strikes me as an undertaking that shows the great lengths people will go to in see king to witness and understand the dimensions of the world. Of course, physical exploration tends to really be about testing the capabilities and confines of the self. Anyway, my third novel, which is barely an embryo, seems like it’s going to come from that stuff. MA:  You’re also an accomplished short story writer. Do you find that your writing process is different for a short story vs. a novel? Do you set out knowing the piece you’re working on is one or the other, or does it develop organically as you’re writing? MS:  I’m working on a couple stories now, but before that I took a long, semi-accidental hiatus from writing themâ€"about two years. When I was in workshopâ€"in college, at Iowa, and at Stanfordâ€"stories seemed like the best way for me to take advantage of the feedback and deadlines. Every time I turned one in, I had to be responsible for a beginning, middle, and end, and stories were a useful way to experiment with different voices and structures without making a huge commitment. My two novels both started as short stories, but neither worked. They felt sort of pointless or something. I find stories very difficult to write; that form doesn’t come naturally to me at all. I wouldn’t have written nearly as many as I have (i.e., a not-staggering fifteen or so) except I was in workshops for so long. I want to keep writing themâ€"I think they help me learn and improveâ€"but I find the novel to be a much more forgiving form, like living in a big house with a yard versus on a boat, w here everything has to be in the right place. The downside to novels, obviously, is that they take forever to write, and then you have to read them over and over again, and revisions sometimes feel insurmountably complicated, and the whole process can be really punishing. I mean, writing is generally just really hard. MA:  I’m thrilled to hear that you have a new novel on the way, titled Astonish Me. Can you tell me a bit more about it? I understand it’s about a ballet dancer and spans from the 1970s to the present day. Very different from Seating Arrangements! MS:  It is very different from Seating Arrangements. Astonish Me is about a dancer, Joan, in the corps of a ballet in New York (sort of a composite of New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre) who helps a Soviet star defect in 1975. They have an affair. It ends, partly because of their very different levels of talent, and she stops dancing and has a son with a man who’s been in love with her since high school. They move to Southern California, and their son ends up having a serious gift for dance. So Joan gets tangentially sucked back into the dance world and has to confront her ambivalence about her past and about what she wanted from ballet versus what she ultimately took from it. The tone is what’s the most different from Seating Arrangements, I think. It’s earnest and intense and a little melodramaticâ€"it’s meant to have a similar feeling to a ballet. MA:  Finally, I’m sure the readers of Book Riot will be curious to know: what are you reading at the moment? MS:  I always have a few things going. I’ve been working my way through the shockingly brilliant, sometimes savage Patrick Melrose novels by Edward St. Aubyn and am on the fourth one, Mother’s Milk. I’m also reading a couple nonfiction books about very specific corners of World War IIâ€"Frozen in Time by Mitchell Zuckoff and The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel. *          *          * Seating Arrangements  is now available in paperback at your favorite bookstore, and Maggie herself may be coming to your hometown soon! Be sure to keep up with Maggie on her blog, like her on  Facebook, follow her on  Twitter, and check out her photos from around the world on Instagram. ____________________________ Sign up for our newsletter to have the best of Book Riot delivered straight to your inbox every two weeks. No spam. We promise. To keep up with Book Riot on a daily basis, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, , and subscribe to the Book Riot podcast in iTunes or via RSS. So much bookish goodnessall day, every day. 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