Blog topic... a day late!

Better late than never, right?

This week's topic is the VMA's.

Submissions due by Friday! Thanks for reading and writing!

Taboo

“There’s no greater pain than the loss of one’s own country”

It’s my saddest part that I have never been to Tibet; I was born in northern part of India and my parents were forced to flee Tibet, my father was a very brave person but alas! when I was in 7th grade, my father passed away like a blowing wind without leaving any further address.

In India, we live in a very small house and we are eight children and I know how hard it was for my mother to look after us but I guess she is a strong women as she faced many obstacles on her way from Tibet to India….but I used to imagine myself in Tibet with green grass, high mountains and yaks….and I was happy in that world of mine but as I grew up I faced the real world and the real Tibet, that makes my heart break into pieces…

I have lived a life of a refugee and we have to renew our passport every year in the Indian registration office with a smile….I know how hard it is for us to go through that situation and I have my father’s family in Tibet whom we have never seen and I remember many years back that we were told that our father’s sister’s son died…but its sad for us, at least for me to react on that situation, of course there is a feeling of sadness but it hurts more knowing that we had not met each other….and what is left for us to do is except some prayers….and the worst part is that you’ve never met your relatives.

Honestly speaking, even though I was born in India and we have no country I' m still proud to be a Tibetan, proud to be a follower of H.H.THE DALAI LAMA, MAY HE LIVE LONG.

Now, the situation in Tibet is getting worse every second. In Tibet the Tibetans are not allowed to speak our language and most of the teenage girls are working as prostitutes…..they are forced to do this to survive and to feed their families….how could we blame them? In Tibet they are living a life of threat under Chinese regime….and I want to make it clear that when I say Chinese I don't mean the chinese people, it is the government and we are not against Chinese people.

Now, what I am afraid of is Tibet becoming a taboo….and gradually Tibet will remain as just a name….I'm afraid of losing myself and the rich culture of Tibet.

Sonam tsomo (chashutsang)

Low-maintenance health insurance

Richard D. Erlich

I was only half-listening each time, but I heard a couple times on the radio the assertion that what Americans want for health insurance is choice.

Well, here's one American who doesn't particularly want choice, or, more exactly, choice isn't something I want to need. What I want is what I had for my adult life up to retirement: decent coverage I didn't have to worry about.

As a student, I had access to student health services. I was convinced the student health service at the University of Illinois, Urbana — as opposed to the excellent veterinary-care clinic — was part of an AMA plot to turn young Americans against socialized medicine. Still, the health service was good enough for my undergraduate needs, and when I got older and started earning a bit of money, I supplemented the health service with Carle Clinic, at the time, a real HMO: a low-cost health-maintenance organization.

As a university faculty member and indirect employee of first the State of Illinois and then the State of Ohio, I participated in university health plans. I got insurance automatically, as part of my compensation package. The coverage was good; the co-pays reasonable — and when an insurance company bureaucrat got between me and my physician, I had the phone number of a university bureaucrat whose primary job was running interference for university employees trying to get payments from our insurance company.

The system was imperfect, but pretty efficient.

Shopping, period, is not my idea of a good time — yeah, I'm a guy — and high-risk shopping for something complicated and important is my idea of a very bad time. Shopping was also not part of my job; nor was arguing with 20-something punk insurance company flunkies. Time spent on health insurance would have been time I wasn't doing my job; as far as my employer and I were concerned, it would have been nonproductive, wasted time.

Now I'm retired, and my time is my own; but I'm close enough to death to really value that time, and I'm more anxious than ever to avoid shopping for insurance, reading policies, and/or fighting with corporate "minicrats" professionally obligated to try to deny coverage.

Fortunately, I've got Medicare — or, I think I do (I forgot to make quarterly payments automatic). And I have a pension and a secondary policy through my pension plan.

All Americans should have it as good, or better. Ideally, from this point of view, we'd have a National Health Service, or at least single-payer health coverage. In any event, what I want and what I think we all need isn't particularly choice but one system that is flexible, simple, automatic, and — including considerations of nonwasted time — efficient.



Richard D. Erlich is professor emeritus at Miami University, currently living in Ventura County, California.

This is currently posted on a site called SEDHE, run by a Miami Alum, and is tentatively scheduled for publication in the Cleveland Plain Dealer (it’s also on my myBarackObama page; but it looks like that is now invisible to search engines).
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Blog Topic Monday!

Respond with a story, an essay, a cartoon, or a work of art. If we can post it on the blog, we will try.
This Monday's topic is Healthcare.
This country? Others? What's wrong? What's right? You decide.

Please email submissions to prismmu@gmail.com by Friday, and look for blog posts starting on Saturday.

Blog Submissions

In addition to the magazine, published once a semester, once a week we will be posting a topic of thought and discussion to write about for publication on the blog. Ideally these will be short responses, but we will not turn anything away for length. If it's wildly inappropriate with no redeeming social value, we may be forced to reject your submission, and we do reserve final say over what is posted here, however, we hope that it will be a rare occasion when something does not get published in this space.
Topics will be posted here and listserved to the English listserv every Monday. Entries will be due by 5pm on Friday, and entries will be posted by noon on Monday. These entries will not go into the magazine, however, you may submit them to the blog and the magazine (where they would go through the regular editing process).
We will also accept for the blog relevant art work, political cartoons, or anything else that we can post on a blog (if you think of it, email me at prismmu@gmail.com, and I will try to find a way).
Happy writing!

Staff Bios-- Kali

Kali Amos

My majors include English Literature and Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies. I plan on applying for Teach for America. I am going to graduate school and will possibly go on to get my Ph. D. I am still deciding whether I want to teach at the high school or college level.

Besides PRiSM, I am also involved in the Art Museum Student Organization, Sigma Tau Delta, and the Association for Women Students. You can also find me serving up unfathomable amounts of bacon to the masses at Alexander Dining Hall.

Best things about Miami: hazelnut cocoa in the vending machine at Bachelor, the comfy chairs in front of the large windows at Wertz library, all of the Russian program professors/classes, and getting lost in the nature trails behind East Quad.

Best things about Oxford: the fact that you can walk from one end to the other in about twenty minutes, the Kulfi (and pretty much everything else) at Rohan India, Kofenya, Kona Bistro on my birthday, The Bird House Antique Store, watching movies in the tiny theaters of the Princess...

I don't really have a favorite genre-I am willing to try anything that wasn't mass produced to the point where merchandise became involved...although I do have a very strange fondness for dystopian novels.

Barbara Kingsolver, Jack Kerouac, Leslie Mormon Silko, James Baldwin, Ray Bradbury, Aldous Huxley, Emily Dickinson, Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Svetlana Vasilenko, Anna Akhmatova, Franz Kafka, Margaret Atwood, and yes sometimes even Ayn Rand.

I think that spelling favorite the British way should be allowed only when one says it aloud with a halfway decent fake British accent.

The main thing that I look for in good writing is that feeling you get when you have finished the very last word and you can set the piece down and just say to yourself "Oh". I consider something good if it lingers in my thoughts after I have put the book down. That is what good literature is--it is something that takes hold of you and refuses to let go no matter how hard you try. It becomes a part of you and it changes the way you think, even if the change is so small that you fail to recognize it.

I love to use ellipses…but have a very violent relationship with commas (I am a big contender for allowing thoughts to wander). Despite my wandering thoughts I am a very organized person as can be seen by the fact that I have a separate container for my socks within my dresser drawer. I have a permanent attachment to my iPod, and am a firm believer that hot chocolate can cure all ailments.

"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested."
-Francis Bacon

Staff Bios-- Kaitlyn

Name: Kaitlyn Rowsey

Major and/or career goals?: English Creative Writing Major, Political Science Minor

What are you involved in outside of PRiSM? Miami Misfitz

What do you think is the best thing about Miami or the Oxford Community? That everyone is so friendly and always so willing to lend a helping hand. Our community is so close that it doesn't even come close to comparing to any other campus I've visited. The friend I've made and the relationships I've established are life-long and I wouldn't change going here for anything.

Favourite genre? Mystery/Thriller

Favourite author? James Patterson and Lev Grossman

Annoyed by spelling favourite the British way? sometimes... more so by the spelling of colour.

What do you look for in a good story (poem, essay, etc)? Intriguing material... compelling language... a sense of mystery.

What else do you want people to know about you? I'm a hippie at heart, I love my family and my sister and my three brothers are my best friends, I love being barefoot and love going on adventures... oh and I can ride a unicycle. It's fun, you should try it.

Any other words of wisdom? Be kinder than necessary, everyone you meet is fighting some sort of battle.

Staff Bios--Lorraine

Name: Lorraine Boissoneault

Major and/or career goals? International Studies and Journalism, and I would love to be a professional explorer/writer ... but I'm not sure that's actually a job.

What are you involved in outside of PRiSM? The Chinese American Cultural Association, International Students Organization, the Howe Writing Center, the Petting Zoo Goats and whatever else I can make time in my schedule for

What do you think is the best thing about Miami or the Oxford Community? As many have already said, I love the beauty of our campus (when it's not the middle of winter). I can find inspiration in a walk through the paths on Western and the community is still big enough that I never run out of things to do.

Favourite genre? Literary fiction, fantasy, just about anything that is well written.

Favourite author? Charles de Lint

Annoyed by spelling favourite the British way? Not particularly

What do you look for in a good story (poem, essay, etc)? I want to be drawn in, and I also want to have a connection with the characters. If they don't feel real, then the story isn't worth reading. I also like to see experimentation with the English language and the structure of poems or stories.

What else do you want people to know about you? I'm always up for discussions on favorite books or authors or anything that has to do with writing. Buy me a cup of Jasmine green tea, and I'll be your personal editor for a day.

Any other words of wisdom? When you think you've written something that's good, read it again and make it better. I don't believe any piece of writing is ever truly finished. It just comes to the point where you can't think of anything else to change.

Staff Bios-- Natalie

Name:
Natalie Dillon

Major and/or career goals?

Journalism and Creative Writing. I’m one of those people who wants to do everything: I see myself working for a magazine for a bit then making music then maybe ending up on Food Network or the History Channel. Wish me luck.

What are you involved in outside of PRiSM?

The Miami Quarterly, Pi Beta Phi sorority, and intramural hockey. I’ll also be working at Goggin.

What do you think is the best thing about Miami or the Oxford Community?

Besides the community feel, I really like that it’s small enough to walk everywhere.

Favourite genre?
I like novels that have a lot of passion—stories that you can really feel. That, and magic.

Favourite author?
Coelho, Salinger, Foer, Fitzgerald.

Annoyed by spelling favourite the British way?

Not if you’re British.

What do you look for in a good story (poem, essay, etc)?

I like stories that really make me think in new ways. I’m also sucker for romance and tragedy.

What else do you want people to know about you?

I’ve learned it’s easier not attempt this question.

Any other words of wisdom?

All you need is love? (I just wrote that one myself.)

Staff Bios-- Kate

Name
Kate Segraves

Major and/or career goals?

English Literature and Creative Writing, I hope to one day be an English professor and maybe make enough money so that I won't need to live in a box somewhere :)

What are you involved in outside of PRiSM?

Alpha Omicron Pi and working at the Glos Center

What do you think is the best thing about Miami or the Oxford Community?

Umm... Skip's on a Friday afternoon.

Favourite genre?
Realistic Fiction :)

Favourite author?
Milan Kundera

Annoyed by spelling favourite the British way?

Nahhh.

What do you look for in a good story (poem, essay, etc)?

Something that makes me think, or makes me take a step back and breathe for a minute.

What else do you want people to know about you?

I'm obsessed with water (not drinking water, bodies of water) and my friends tease me about being a hippie. Hmm.

Any other words of wisdom?

Don't step on the cracks or you'll break your mother's back.

Staff Bios-- Jessica

Name: Jessica Tedrick

Major and/or career goals? English/ Creative Writing major. I think that it would be fantastic to eventually have the patience to write books. Writing for a magazine or newspaper would be very nice also.

What are you involved in outside of PRiSM? Nothing as of this moment. Work, school and reading.

What do you think is the best thing about Miami or the Oxford Community? How condensed it is and the almost hidden Fine Art population. the budding artists, writers, and theater students are what makes Miami pop.

Favourite genre? Have to say Young Adult here. YA books have so much more license to be creative. Other than that anything that makes me go "hmm" or has a eerie ring to it.

Favourite author? So many. Anne Rice, JK Rowling, Libba Bray, Holly Black, William Faulkner, JD Salinger, and I am sure that I have missed a ton of them.

Annoyed by spelling favourite the British way? No. Isn't that the real English way to spell it since they made it up in the first place?

What do you look for in a good story (poem, essay, etc)? Anything that catches my interest quickly and is original. Risk takers are a good thing also.

What else do you want people to know about you? I enjoy reading (obviously), Writing (of course), and travel. I like anything spooky and go to "haunted" places any time I get the chance. My favorite place in the world so far is New Orleans. I have an obsessive love of macaroni and cheese.

Any other words of wisdom? Try to change the world if your unhappy with it but live life like you're in love with it.

Staff Bios-- Hannah

Name

Hannah Ledford

Major and/or career goals?

I would love to work for a publishing company, and I also want to get my Ph.D in literature. And maybe a best-selling novel? That would be really nice.

What are you involved in outside of PRiSM?

CAC, Circle K, Amnesty International, and I work in Advancement Services

What do you think is the best thing about Miami or the Oxford Community?

I love walking around campus and running into people that I know. There is just something exciting about seeing my friends by accident. And it's beautiful here.
Favourite genre?
I'll pretty much read anything you put in front of me...as long as it keeps me interested, it doesn't matter.

Favourite author?
That's a hard one. I love J.D. Salinger, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Jane Austen. And as far as someone contemporary, Markus Zusak is wonderful.

Annoyed by spelling favourite the British way?

Not at all, especially because I was recently in London.

What do you look for in a good story (poem, essay, etc)?

Well, it has to have intelligent writing and a good voice. And the best stories are the ones that never leave you. When I'm brushing my teeth and a story suddenly pops into my head that I read years ago, I know that it's had an impact on me. The same goes for a poem or any other work.

What else do you want people to know about you?

I am ridiculously obsessed with movies and pop culture. Don't hold any obscure references I will probably make to you in the future against me.

Any other words of wisdom?

Don't be afraid to put yourself into your work. In my opinion, the best pieces are those that hold a large part of the author on every page.

Staff Bios-- Andrea

Name
Andrea Wilhelm

Major and/or career goals?

English Major, music minor-> going to school to write musicals

What are you involved in outside of PRiSM?

∆O, Steel Band, Flute Lessons

What do you think is the best thing about Miami or the Oxford Community?

I love the gentle atmosphere that gives Miami a sense of security and beauty that allows creativity to flow so much easier than a city would.

Favourite genre?
Romance, musicals, serious (thinking) books.

Annoyed by spelling favourite the British way?

Eh, more annoyed by the red lines underneath the word, haha.

What do you look for in a good story (poem, essay, etc)?

I look for a realness. I don't want to know I'm reading. I want to feel like I'm observing someone's life, and I want to connect to it.

Any other words of wisdom?

Not all writing has to be about the big issues. Sometimes writing about everyday life can change someone's life forever.

To apply...

To be a part of PRiSM, please email prismmu@gmail.com.
Our only requirements are open-mindedness, willingness to read and discuss, and attendence whenever possible (because life happens).
Freshman and non-english majors encouraged to join!

Staff Bios-- Erin

Name: Erin Birmingham

Major and/or career goals?- English Literature. Honestly, I would love to work in a publishing house.

What are you involved in outside of PRiSM?- I have dance parties and watch really girly movies with my friends. Other than that I am kind of a bum!

What do you think is the best thing about Miami or the Oxford Community?- Oh, that is easy. I love that the Oxford community has the most amazing choices of food! You can get just about anythiing you want and they deliver!

Favourite genre? -Comedy and Satire

Favourite author? -Kurt Vonnegut and Jane Austen. I can't pick just one.

Annoyed by spelling favourite the British way? -Yes

What do you look for in a good story (poem, essay, etc)?- I think that the best stories out there are ones that people can relate to. I know that may sound cheesy, but if you read something and cannot connect to it, it falls flat.

What else do you want people to know about you?- I love mac & cheese, and I can be slightly sarcastic.

Any other words of wisdom?- Always say please and thank you. It may be a cliche but those words can get you far

Staff Bios-- Christine

Name
Christine Montelione

Major and/or career goals?
Creative writing and exercise science

What are you involved in outside of PRiSM?
Running club, Alpha Phi Omega, IDEA, Outdoor Adventure Club

What do you think is the best thing about Miami or the Oxford Community?
Campus

Favourite genre?
Contemporary Fiction?

Favourite author?
Sarah Dessen? No clue... I'm the worst english major ever

Annoyed by spelling favourite the British way?
yes

Any other words of wisdom?
"It's all about soul" (na na na naaaaaa)

Staff Bios-- Lilly

Name: - Lillian Bales

Major and/or career goals? - English Literature with the hopes of one day becoming a famous and well known editor. (Well, not the famous part, but successful yes.)

What are you involved in outside of PRiSM? - The Leadershape Institute, Miami Telehawks, Honor's Mentor Program (I'm a mentor.),

What do you think is the best thing about Miami or the Oxford Community? Hmmm.... I think the best part of the cimmunity is the community. All the friends I've made at Miami and with the local community make it a place wher I enjoy being and can never wait to get back to.

Favourite genre? - Oh, complicated question. Probably Romance, of any kind and that includes everything from a Harlequin novel to Anna Karenina.

Favourite author? Also a hard question. One that I find I am incapable of coming up with an answer for. Just give me a book and I'll be happy.

Annoyed by spelling favourite the British way? - What, what, not at all! Especially because then you can say it like "fave-oer-ite"

What do you look for in a good story (poem, essay, etc)? - I am always searching for an author who has the ability to write with sentences that string together words in combinations you had never dreamed of, yet just knew were lurking around the literary world somewhere. Words that were wating to be found and put into their place within the pages of a novel, meant to send shivers down the spine's of the readers who are in awe of their wonder. (And that about sums it up.)

What else do you want people to know about you? Ah, the question that is the bane of all Facebook and Myspace users. Who am I really and How do I tell you about it? My answer: What do you want to know?

Any other words of wisdom?

Drink Coffee. Read Books.

Staff Bios-- Laura

Name: Laura Crosby

Major and/or career goals?

English/Creative Writing

I'd love to work in Editorial for a publishing house or any sort of print/online media publishing/editing role.

What are you involved in outside of PRiSM?

IDEA, Circle K, AWS. I also work at the Shriver Information Center.

What do you think is the best thing about Miami or the Oxford Community?

I very much value the way our beautiful campus spawns inspiration and creativity within myself.

Favourite genre?

I don't believe I play favorites towards any particular genre. I'll admit I am not a fan of thrillers, murder mysteries, or any sort of science fiction. Also, I'll fess up: I am such a sucker for Chick Lit (i.e. Sophie Kinsella, Meg Cabot, Lauren Weisberger, etc) and (ironically) angry, feminist manifestos.

Favourite author?

DeLillo, Salinger, or Hemingway, I can't decide.

Annoyed by spelling favourite the British way?

My spell checker says it's spelled wrong - and words that annoy my spell checker generally annoy me!

What do you look for in a good story (poem, essay, etc)?

I'm picky. I want to be blown away. But, at a basic level - (a) I do not want to see spelling or grammar mistakes (b) I want to see a significant amount of time and thought behind the piece (c) I want a piece that will force me to keep thinking about it, even after I've finished reading.

What else do you want people to know about you?

I'm very excited to meet and get to know everyone new to PRiSM - so, if you have questions for me, just ask and I'd be happy to chat! Feel free to shoot me an email at crosbylm@muohio.edu!

Any other words of wisdom?

As a number of my English professors here at Miami have told me, "We can't all be Emily Dickensons." In other words, we can't all have our writings published and widely praised posthumously, as Dickenson has - instead, most great writers become great because of their perseverance and eventual success in the submission process! Don't be afraid to put yourself out there - give submitting to PRiSM a try!

Staff Bios-- Tabby

Hi everyone. I'm going to be putting staff bio's up this month into next. Here's mine:

Name
Tabby

Major and/or career goals?
English Lit. Then I'm probably going to work in social work for a few years before ultimately pursuing a PhD. Then I guess I'll have to grow up and pick a field.

What are you involved in outside of PRiSM?
I volunteer for the Crisis Hotline in Oxford, and am president of the Crisis Hotline Student Outreach. I am involved in the English Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta (bringing you fantastic spelling bees, check the walls of Bachelor for local listings), and America Reads.

What do you think is the best thing about Miami or the Oxford Community?
La Bodega. Dr. Dunning and Dr. Jay.

Favourite genre?
Fantasy

Favourite author?
Katherine Kerr

Annoyed by spelling favourite the British way?
I prefer it.

What do you look for in a good story (poem, essay, etc)?
I want it to provoke me enough that I say something out loud. Even if it's just a little hm sound. Literature has it's power in reverberations, and I think if literature can cause sound, then it's done a large part of it's job.

What else do you want people to know about you?
I talk a lot, and I feel like people think that means I won't listen. I like listening too!
I like cats, and I have a cat named Stormy, and a mouse named Mitsy. I like video games, and I play an online strategy game called Travian, where I'm a defense coordinator for a top ranked alliance (I am a geek.) I love to cook, almost as much as I love to eat, and can usually be easily persuaded to make just about anyone dinner. Also, I like Bumblebees. They're fuzzy.

Any other words of wisdom?
I'll cop out here and quote someone else's:
"Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right."
-- Henry Ford

Submissions

Feel free to post questions as comments - someone else might have the same one!

We accept poetry, short fiction, plays, essays, and black and white political cartoons. Please send double spaced, size twelve font word/notepad documents with your name and email on the document (it gets taken off before it goes to the editing staff) to prismmu@gmail.com. The limit for submissions is ten pages, double spaced per submission, and five submissions per person.

The deadline for Fall semester is October 25 - The advantage to getting it in early, however, is that we will review your work, give you suggestions, and give you a chance to resubmit it up until midnight on October 25. Why not take the chance to make a good thing better? Submissions are being accepted now!

Literature across cultures

I installed a gadget on the side that tells about arabic literature. Every month (or in this case, after two months, since I'm leaving it until September) it will change to a new culture or genre. Learn something new!
-Tabby

A New Beginning

Welcome to PRiSM. We think, and we like thinkers. We like ideas -even the ones we don't like - because without them, how would we understand the ones we do?

This is our blog. It's about ideas, big, small, red, orange, yellow, and so on. It's thoughts on editing, thoughts on our magazine, on the Miami community, and the world. No idea is one sided: all of it's a PRiSM. We want to show you some facets.