I praise the breaded chicken in honor of my mother,
Who slaved over the milk based gravy
Careful not to let it boil—though never sure why
Because it boiled once put in the oven,
Who careful placed the chicken in the pan,
Poured the gravy over the meat,
Blanketed it with swiss cheese,
Sprinkled it with bread crumbs,
And slid the whole mess into the oven to bake.

While the chicken sizzled in its goop,
The family celebrated in its unique and grandiose way,
For Mom only makes the chicken for special occasions.
The food covered the house with a smell
Of childhood my sister and I have tried to replicate
With marginal success—her for her own family
And me for my friends.

Gail White "My Personal Recollections of Not Being Asked to the Prom"

In her poem, she explores her high school self and her mother's expectations. The poem relays how she did not feel like she could be pretty and smart, and Gail continues to infer how she chose her mind over her body in the second stanza. She says her mom never had to buy her a dress for the prom and explains that because she chose her wits she came off as "stuffy". This heedlessness for expectations reflects archetypes for a rebellious teenager that broaden the scope of the poem. She tells her own story as an example and adds significance to the story with the last line "But I got married, Mother, all the same." With the direct address to her mother, it adds a sense of attitude or resentment for the expectations. It says that the author did not have to live her life as her mother saw fit, yet she still managed to get married which the audience is to assume was of up most importance to the mother. The poem makes a statement about family dynamics.

My favorite childhood toy was . . .my American girl doll
My favorite childhood game was . . .horses
The best movie I ever saw as a kid was . . .Beauty and the Beast
I don’t do it much but I enjoy . . .sketching
If I could lighten up a little, I’d let myself . . .stop planning and making lists
If it weren’t too late, I’d . . .have made my ex face me when he got back from deployment
My favorite musical instrument is . . .my guitar
The amount of money I spend on treating myself to entertainment each month is . . .probably about $100
If I weren’t so stingy with my artistic self, I’d buy him/her . . .a polar bear who eats only marshmallows? I don’t follow this one.
Taking time out for myself is . . .running and stretching, playing my guitar, or working with pictures.
I am afraid that if I start dreaming . . .I’ll forget the reasons why I walked away
I secretly enjoy reading . . .the new books in series I started when I was in middle school
If I had had a perfect childhood I’d have grown up to be . . .happy with imperfections because there’s beauty there too
If it didn’t sound so crazy, I’d write or make a . . .book explaining the time between March my sophomore year and about a month ago
My parents think artists are . . .talented
My God thinks artists are . . .full of potential
What makes me feel weird about this creative writing class is . . .the last question about God
Learning to trust myself is probably . . .a work in progress
My most cheer-me-up music is . . .avenged sevenfold
My favorite way to dress is . . .jeans, boots, and layered shirts

List five hobbies that sound fun: dancing, kickboxing, painting, cooking and baking, horseback riding
List five classes that sound fun: pottery throwing, interior design, belly dancing, the robin hood etc. special study class, simulated skydiving
List five things you personally would never do that sound fun: deep sea fishing (I hate boats), cliff diving, robbing a bank successfully, being part of the prank team that busts a bad guy (covert operation of some kind), flying a plane
List five things you used to enjoy doing: color guard, choir, band, dance, horseback riding
List five silly things you would like to try once: dirt biking, dying my hair black with purple highlights, going on a spring break trip even though I don’t drink or road tripping without planning, renovating a house even though I know nothing about construction, bungee jumping

Would you be more likely to integrate yourself into the culture of your host country, or to remain separate from it? Why?

I think there can and should be a middle ground where this is concerned.  The beauty of diversity among people adds interest to our interactions, but for that delicate balance to survive these interactions need to be made possible by a common ground.  I feel like if I am living in a host country I am expected to know something of their language so that I can communicate my own personality, opinions, and beliefs while acknowledging the culture generous enough to host me.  There needs to be a respect for the culture within which I have chosen to live, and part of the experience is trying new things such as food, activities, and other aspects of living.  There is a fine line between resigning myself as a minority and expecting my host country to change itself to accommodate little old me.

Nothing but dirt composed the path that lead into the knot of trees while grass began to encroach upon the trail.  Trees framed the view as they filtered the sun into spot lights.  Boughs reach towards hikers as they take in the nature.  As the branches bow over the road, their leaves add dimension to the canopy above the visitors' heads.  When the path bends, it weaves through the collection of trees and carefully avoids the valleys and creeks while slowly climbing the hill to Winterset's Tower.

Biography for guy #1 (The one convincing his friend to go to Mug Night)

My name is Brett and I’m a twenty one year old business major from Kansas City. I’m tall, dark, and definitely handsome. I work out every day because I am always trying to look good for the ladies. I would have a girlfriend but I can never choose which girl I want to be with. I come from a well off family and drive a really nice car that my parents bought for me as a graduation present. When I'm not working out, I like to party with my boys and pick up the ladies on the weekends. I like to play sports, especially football and basketball with my roommates. I like to have fun and am up for anything

--Emily's Blog

This blog reminded me about the jock in young adult fiction.  We read about him all the time, but it was kinda fun to see it in first person.  When I was in high school, my friend did a murder mystery party where we were each assigned a character, and one of them was the "good for nothing play boy".  This biography reminded me of the costume that person created for the character.