Tag: university of utah

Currently Reading: Postmodernism, 1920s, and Fiction

Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet2 Comments

This semester is pretty crazy for me as I am sure some of you have noticed I have not been posting as much because I have no time! My last semester is jam-packed and I’ve been reading a book a week alongside 200 pages of required reading for classes and writing up articles for my job at The Chrony.

Just to keep in touch,

Here is my current reading list (NOT including required reading for class)

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“Beyond Gatsby: How Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Writers of the 1920’s shaped American Culture” 

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“The 42nd Parallel by John Dos Passos”

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“Explaining Postmodernism by Stephen R.C. Hicks” 

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“Cinderella’s Big Score by Maria Raha” 

and still reading

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“Gotham Writers’ Workshop: Writing Fiction”

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“Dracula by Bram Stoker” (a regular ‘re-read’ of mine)

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“Frankenstein by Mary Shelley” (another regular ‘re-read’ of mine)

 

This is just a quick cap of what I am currently reading the real list is about 18 books.

I hope to have review posts finished within the next few weeks. The review posts will be on “Gotham Writers’ Workshop: Writing Fiction” and

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“Hemingway’s Paris: A User’s Guide by John Baxter” 

I read “Hemingway’s Paris” recently and found it to be extremely fascinating for its content and concise writing style.

 

Thank you to all my regular readers and followers for sticking with me! 

-Alina

My Response to Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument Controversy

Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

Everything’s been a blur lately as the semester has been winding down and I have had to dedicate all of my time to studying and writing up final essays for my rhetoric classes.

During all this, last weekend specifically, the Bears Ears issue came alive in SLC. There was protesting, marches, and a grim succession of photos taken of POTUS Trump smiling after signing presidential proclamations to reduce the original 2 Million Acres of National Monument areas to a mere 250,000 acres (approx.).

How does it feel to have these events taking place in my hometown?

How does it feel to know that the POTUS and U.S. Government is now continuing the long and disgraceful tradition of taking away protections and rights to lands and peoples that rightly deserve them?

It feels like shit.

I did not get to participate in the Protests but yes, yes, yes, do I protest this action.

Makes my skin crawl to know that Trump was only a few minutes away. It was a shameful and disgraceful action for the presidential proclamations to be signed and celebrated with such glee from a POTUS that continues to make America what he thinks it should be…

Here is an article from one of Salt Lake City’s local Newspapers on the event. Photos are included and were taken by Francisco Kjolseth.

Salt Lake Tribune Article on Bears Ears and Trump

I hope this event does not disappear into the previous incidents in 2017 where Trump has successfully made his mark on the U.S. and its peoples in horrendous ways. I want this to go on the ever-increasing list of acts that Trump has committed during his presidency so that we can keep in mind how to combat these actions and policies. They do not reflect, to me, what the people believe in or want for this nation. We must do something to change the future of this nation because so far it is looking grim for everyone who is not considered an intelligible person in Trump’s eyes.

Thank you for reading my writing, I hope you will return in the future!

Again, thank you to all my regular readers and followers that have continued to read my work, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

-Alina

Coming Soon: My Personal Response on ‘Surviving 2017 in the Trump Era’ and ‘Combating the quote-unquote brainwashed College Student Theory’

Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet2 Comments

I have been thinking about two topics recently in light of personal experiences and conversations I have had with numerous people such as family, friends, and fellow students.

These two topics I plan on writing MY OWN PERSONAL RESPONSES to:

“Surviving 2017 in the Trump Era”….did anyone really survive? and how do I feel now that 2017 is coming to an end. This will be my own little synopsis of how my year has gone including my reflections on the insanely horrifying events that have happened this year…so far… in American.

“Combating the quote-unquote Brainwashed College Student Theory” this has been a reoccurring conversation that has been happening between me and my family. I found this theory (as I am going to call it) to be more laughable than a serious issue to address. But after talking to other students in my Major (English, the Humanities) and doing a bit of research on my own, it appears that this little theory is a persistent issue that conservative parents and families have been “dealing with” for a very long time in America.

My responses will be posted by the end of this year so keep a lookout. I would also love to hear about any experiences that college students have had dealing with this “brainwashed liberal” thing. I find it an interesting little concept that now aides in dividing families and the nation even more than it has been this year.

This is also me lighting a candle in my own little lighthouse in this continuous storm, is there anybody out there with similar thoughts?

I want to thank my faithful and regular readers and followers that take time out of their day to read my work on my blog. Thank you so much for the support you give to me and my writing! I hope you will (and others) return in the future! 

-Alina 

University of Utah Student Dead After Carjacking

Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

Today classes are canceled at the University of Utah due to the death of student ChenWei Guo last night during a carjacking in the Red Butte Canyon.

ChenWei Guo (Photo courtesy University of Utah)
ChenWei Guo (photo source: sltrib.com)

The suspect, Austin J. Boutain, is still at large and police are searching.

Austin J. Boutain (Photo courtesy Marion County, Ohio, jail)
Austin J. Boutain (photo source: sltrib.com)

The University of Utah’s President released a message in response to the event. More information is provided by The Salt Lake Tribune in the following article,  http://www.sltrib.com/news/2017/10/31/shots-fired-near-university-of-utah/ as well as The Daily Utah Chronicle http://dailyutahchronicle.com/2017/10/30/shooting-red-butte-canyon-puts-u-housing-lockdown/

This a tragic day for the Salt Lake City community and the University of Utah. Support for students is provided in counseling centers all over the UofU. Everyone is impacted by this senseless act of violence. My deepest condolences to the family and friends of ChenWei Guo.

-Alina

UPDATE: Austin J. Boutain was found and taken into custody yesterday.

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Launch Party for The Canticle: Publication of My Poem

Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

Today I attended the Launch Party for the University of Utah’s Literary Journal The Canticle. I read my poem, ‘Ready to Eat’, and enjoyed listening to the other contributors readings.

I want to thank the Head Editor, Sally G., for putting together and publishing this years journal as well as my boyfriend, Dallas, who took photos of my reading.

Photos courtesy of Dallas Basta (2017)