Where the Sound of the Photocopying Machine May Make Me Weep

So, the first class is a week from now and I still haven't received any word whether I was approved or not. I'm going to assume I was because I have done way too much work by now to not be. That was a sort of convoluted sentence, was it?

I've been making the course pack and let me tell you, I am in awe of people who do this regularly because you don't understand how much work it is until you do it. I apologise in advance for how horrible some of the photocopies are but I figure as long as you can read it, there shouldn't be too much cause for complaint. And if there is, you can complain to each but not to me.

Two people have dropped the class and I am sad about that as I had had huge hopes of starting with a full class. Oh well. Anyway, the purpose of this post was to keep my invisible readers updated with the progress. I keep being concerned about the thickness of the course packs (there are two, one for the stories and one for the critical readings) but there really is no other way than a course pack. Sorry.

The Boxing Day Post

Hello future participants of ASTU 400c 002 which is also fondly known as Fairy Tales Retold. This is the first post on a blog that I am hoping will buzz with life in the next four months and give us a medium through which to connect to each other outside of the classroom. At the time of writing this, however, I still haven't received the final approval from Dr. Brown so this all just might remain pipe dreams.

However! (Yes, my grammar is seriously flawed but work with me here.) I am an optimistic sort and I hope (more like close my eyes tightly and pray) that I will be granted approval because after all the work I have put into making this seminar a reality, anything else will be a tragedy (I am also a melodramatic sort, in case you haven't noticed yet). Anyway, here's hoping that the Academic Admins will be nice and give this a pass so we (the collective) can you know, get down to serious business: Having Fun.

Is this layout too pink for you? Too girly and happy? I must confess that I was in a princess-ey mood when I made this but if anyone wants to volunteer to, I don't know, recreate this in some cooler way, you are more than welcome to.

That said, let's go back to our original business. That is, having fun. I am seriously committed to making this the most fun seminar so that you actually look forward to coming to class. As such, your suggestions, ideas, wacky dances mid class are all welcome. I am amenable to all suggestions as long as they are not illegal. Anyway, at this moment, I still feel as though none of you are real and if my approval doesn't come through, you guys will all remain unreal. But I am quite good at creating people in my imagination.

This blog will hopefully become a depository for all things Fairy-Tale-ey, retold or otherwise. I have other fun ideas that I want to implement once the semester gets underway. Until then, let's close our eyes and make offers to Evil Witches and other Godmothers everywhere that the seminar gets approved!