John Ashbery

If there’s an award for worst blogger of all time, I would win it. I’m so sorry, everyone. Karma hasn’t been smiling on me and mine these days, and amidst the chaos the Mo-logue has been shoved into the margin. The good news is that the smoke is clearing, so hopefully I won’t go missing again.

The chaos of John Ashbery’s poetry, along with the frantic pacing of Girls on the Run has really summed up my feelings the last few weeks. The presence of order and logic in my life (finally) does feel pretty bedazzling.

What else have I been up to in my quest to regain order?

Reading Anne Carson’s Autobiography of Red. It is darling, features the sweetest little boy-dragon ever written, and has some of the most beautiful lines (some of which will be making an appearance here soon!).

Following lots of fun bookish types on Twitter.

Listening to my good friends at Ladies Who Dish chatting about the Grammys, the Oscar Nominations, and just all around entertaining me.

Watching Food Inc. and being amazed at how much corn is in everything.

Other than that, catching up on sleep! I’ve missed you all – how are you coping with February so far?

John Finley

So, I’m coming out as a worrywart. Not that you guys couldn’t have guessed. After all the stress last semester with the magazine (almost more than anything else) I’m really trying to be more relaxed about everything. As long as my section is put together and handled on time, I’ve done my job. Anything I do beyond that is above and beyond my job, but should not go above and beyond my real schoolwork. The world will continue to turn if the paper is late, even if my worrying says otherwise.

Yesterday was the first day of classes for winter term. It’s terrifying to think this could be my last semester of school ever.  I know nothing else! Change is always a little scary, so I’m trying to just think about things I need to do now (fix my resume. cook the sweet potatoes. buy textbooks. go to the gym. read Chicago.) rather than thinking about things I don’t even need to think about now. (what if there are no apartments to rent? what if I get a job and they don’t tell me what the office dresscode is and I embarrass myself? what if I have to take the subway to work and there’s a delay and I’m late one day? what if I end up a spinster with no job and a horde of cats at 22?) It’s hard to function when worrying about such useless things.

It’s much easier to cook the sweet potatoes: cut into wedges. dip in flour, then egg whites. roll through crushed rice krispies seasoned with cayenne, paprika and whatever else tickles your fancy. Bake until crispy. Mmm….

Do you worry about any strange things?

Dan Mangan

For a Christmas Gift, I promised my mom I’d re-load her mp3 player with a whole ton of new tunes for her morning walks! She’s not tech-savvy, so I do it for her while I’m home on holidays!

It’s so difficult to choose music for someone else, but I’m trying to come up with the perfect playlist. In the meantime, I’ve been falling in love with some music – I thought I’d share some with you!

This is the sweetest, loveliest summer song – it reminds me of road trips! (Also, check out their song “Butterfly to Wasp”. Goosebumps, people.)

Heartbreak can still be beautiful!

I can just imagine this song playing while some femme fatale seduces a do-good film hero!

Need a rousing chorus? Found one!

Looking for the soundtrack for your next bubble bath + merlot? Look no further.

Need some positive vibes for the new year? Will and Amos have you covered.

Motivation to get a life? These ruffians might help!

I have to say, my favourite discovery thusfar has been a cheery little number with a chorus about robots! I’m a little bit in love with Dan Mangan right now. Do check him out!

What have you been listening to in the first week of 2010?

Robert Orben

I am the worst blogger ever! I’m so sorry for the hiatus, everyone. With the holidays, a ton of guests, and tons of extra work shifts, I have been AWOL for too long! I’ll be accepting floggings as punishment for the next four days as a result.

Yesterday was my one-year blogaversary! (And of course, I missed it. Typical Mo.) I also got my driver’s license this week (finally!) so, to celebrate, I decided to photograph in the garage.

I did manage to drag my butt out of bed early enough to see the Olympic Torch Relay!

(Yes. I may have darted out into the street to snap photos, despite the Torch Bodyguards. I’m badass like that.)

Now, I’m aware there is a lot of anti-Olympic sentiment out there, but heck. It’s not often a crowd shows up to see a flame  go by at 7am in the freezing cold – it’s always nice to see people come together for something. Anything.

What have you been up to over the last few weeks? I miss you all!

George Eliot

I’ve been reading Middlemarch for school over the break and this line totally summed up how I feel, at times! As an aspiring editor my Christmas list includes The Chicago Manual of Style, among other word-nerd type books.

What’s been on your holiday wishlist?

The holidays have been a busy time since I got home to visit my parents, with tons of baking, wrapping, cleaning and shopping to be done, as well as a few shifts at work, as well as visiting with friends! It always seems like there is so much to do, and I apologize that the blog has, I admit, come last. But it’s almost been a full year of Mo-logue and there will be more to come, I promise! You’re all stupendous and wonderful for visiting my little corner of the blogosphere, and I wish you all the very best of the season and the tail end of 2009!

(In Background: Preview of my Christmas outfit: Floral(ish?) print dress: Kimchi Blue, Black Cardigan (Not pictured): Mystery shop, Sweater Tights: Gap, Grey Infinity Scarf: Self-made, weird fleecy jersey, Copy of Middlemarch: Amazon.com and my omnipresent companion for all of winter break. )

Taylor Mali

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

I wanted to try and find an excerpt to use in a photo for this, but honestly, there’s nothing that does more justice than the poet’s own voice.

I love this – it speaks so much to something I need to do -  speak declaratively. I’m the person Mali wrote this for – a girl whose phrases are peppered with ‘likes’ and ‘right?’ and ‘you know’, a girl who starts off a response in class by saying ‘maybe I haven’t slept enough, but maybe…’ or ‘this might not be right, but…’.

At a Leadership workshop I went to in May we had to do a lot of public speaking – something I don’t do well or often, and we were critiqued.  Tess, bless your heart for having the guts to be honest with me about how stupid I sound when I say like every two seconds, and being the only person who noticed that I scattered likes through my speech while on the same breath I was lamenting adverbs (as I am apt to do).

Adverbs are to writing (in many cases) as ‘likes’ and ‘right?s’ and statements ending as questions are to speech. If I can’t find the confidence and willpower to speak declaratives as though I believe in myself, why should any employer believe in me enough to give me a job?

Things to do in preparation for having a real life:

1. Stop biting nails.

2. Speak declaratively*.

3. Get a suit.

4. Get a job!

*Oh, I am 100% aware of the hypocrisy of using an adverb here. I hate them, but at times, they are unavoidable.

Henry James

I’d certainly rather have some snow, rather than rain, on this cloud-dappled Sunday!

While I’m off studying for finals, why don’t you try…

Entering the humongous Two Year Blogaversary Giveaway at Style Symmetry?

Getting caught up on a show you’ve missed, without getting overcharged for bandwidth? Ever since my internet provider’s been dinging my housemates and I for streaming far too many videos, I’ve gotten hooked on the Television Without Pity recaps for all those shows I’ve been missing – it’s not quite the same, but it’s enough to tide me over until I can catch them on my parents’ PVR over the holidays!

Tweeting with me! (Beware: Twitter is like crack.)

Building up your bevy of  Cocktail Party Fun Facts to wow your friends and family over the holidays! Peruse the expansive archives of How Stuff Works. (I’m a big fan of their “Stuff you should Know” podcast – Josh and Chuck keep me giggling on long bus and train trips!)

Entering to win some very fancy pants in Cafe Fashionista’s Sparkling Sophisticate Giveaway!

Studying for your lit final (Or just butchering some classics) by playing some Mad Libs for Great Expectations , The Raven, or Hamlet’s Soliloquy! Or, come up with a new version of The Night Before Christmas to tell before bedtime on Christmas Eve!

Falling in love with winter! I’m head over heels! Why not bring some snow inside! Paper snowflakes are fun and won’t melt all over your floor! Get started with some basic templates and then get going with some of your own!

Happy Sunday!

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

I put paper snowflakes up all over the house, thinking we weren’t going to get any real snow before finals ended.

Today is the day! We have snow, and it’s sticking around!

What is your favourite season? (Mine is winter, obviously!)

Robertston Davies

Life has been on overdrive these past few weeks – essays, tests, mag production weekend, and of course all the usual melodrama that comes with everyone on campus wrapped up in the throes of finals. I still have another exam coming up, but the pace of life has slowed significantly, which can only mean one thing…

Holiday decorating!

I went out for dinner with my housemates, at which we previewed our sassy Christmas party dresses. (Lots of florals and sequins!) Afterwards, we all came home and made some cookies (Kelvin was cooperating). All of the girls have tons of exams coming up, and I only have one (lucky me!) so I took some time to clean the squalor that is our apartment and put up some lights and a litany of snowflakes! With everyone so stressed, having a messy, dirty house with none of the comforts of home won’t do!

As much as I’ve been frustrated with the girls, it’s a little sad knowing this is our last winter living together.  There’s been drama, sure, but I’ll miss always having at least one of my three roomies around.

Have you ever lived with roommates? Did you have any traditions?

Martin Buber

When I was out and about on an essay writing break, I meant to take today’s photo on campus. The campus cafe is moving and I thought I might be able to sneak in and take a few pictures of the eerie desertion, but forgot! Oops!

What’s in my bag? Well, my phone and the super-spiffy new case I have that attaches it to my keys to prevent any possible losses, my poor, beat-up leather hinge wallet from Winners, water bottle, assorted writing utensils, and hairclip! Not pictured, my iPod and the tacky rhinestone headphones.  (The regular ones broke, and I haven’t gotten around to replacing them!)

I went to my first ever real yoga classes Friday afternoon and Saturday. I’m a big yoga/pilates DVD person (I like fitting things into my own schedule) but it was nice to go to a real class, with a real instructor to help when things got confusing! It didn’t hurt that I know the instructor – she and I were published in the same anthology last year.  The classes I went to were all about stressbusting, which was perfect for my poor, entrenched-in-essays brain.

Better get on with the 10+pages still to be written…

Do you have a favourite form of exercise?