Hey there! My name is Neko Smart and I am a third year Creative Writing Major from the traditional territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən People (Victoria BC). I live in East Van with my roommate and cat, Gremlin. I am a spoken word poet trying my hand at playwriting for the first time. I am also an avid music lover—myself, my guitar, and my ukulele can often be found procrastinating in one another’s company. It is my first year in the Creative Writing program and I’m loving it so far; It’s been really cool exploring different genres of writing. Even so, I’m glad to be taking a class that isn’t strictly writing related because, well, my brain hurts and I have too many tabs open on my laptop.
I took RMST 202 last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think contract grading is an excellent mode of assessment, and being graded for reading books is kind of my dream. I don’t often have time during the school year to read for pleasure, so I jump at the opportunity to delve into interesting reads for class. I was also enrolled in SPAN 280 in my second year; It educated me on aspects of Latin American culture and literature, so I am looking forward to the array of novels and knowledge available to us in SPAN 312. Moreover, RMST 202 introduced me to beautiful novels and talented writers I’d never even heard of, and I expect no less this semester. I also appreciate the poetic elements of Romance languages, their translations, and the manners in which they influence my own writing. I am especially eager to explore Pablo Neruda’s work.
Anticipating my capacity and holding myself accountable is an important practice, another bonus of contract grading. It is pretty daunting at the beginning of the semester, but as long as I plan my time accordingly and trust myself in the process, I am optimistic and confident I’ll be successful this term.
Anyway, that’s me. Can’t wait to get to know you all this semester!
Question: Did relaxation over the break render you more prepared for the new semester?
Hi Neko!
I really liked reading your blog post. It is really cool you’re doing Creative Writing! I took CRWR200 and enjoyed it a lot, especially getting to write my own short story. I love your cat’s name too. Having two cats at my family home, Gremlin seems like a fitting name for a furry friend. Music is such a beautiful thing! I also enjoy playing guitar. However, I am self-taught, so I probably don’t play with the proper techniques, but it is so fun! The break helped me refresh and set myself up for the new term. I hope it did the same for you.
Hi Neko! Your post was great! Creative writing sounds like such a fun major — I took introduction to screenwriting and it was so much fun to be creative for a class.
I really related to your comment about holding yourself accountable, because I also feel so overwhelmed by my ambitions versus my true capabilities. This break was really relaxing for me in terms of decompression, but I think I got a little too relaxed as I was completely caught off guard by the amount of work my courses this term have presented me with! I do hope reading some of these texts for this class will offer me a nice reprieve from my other chaos.
(also Gremlin is *the* cutest cat name !)
Hi Neko!!
I think we both know Harman! (:
I also took RMST202, and that’s largely why I’m taking this course even though my literature req is fulfilled – I love hearing typically unheard voices and perspectives, and I’m excited to read more this term! In regards to your question: I spent my break backpacking Europe and meeting new people, so I feel like that’s really energized me and set me up to tackle the term with renewed energy and force!
Hi Neko
Lovely post! It makes me joyed to hear that so many people enjoyed Jon’s class last year and thus decided to take another class with him. I am also very excited about the contract grading, as I have never experienced this before. It is all new to me but with everyone’s good comments about it i feel as though I dont have to worry much and can genuinely enjoy reading these books.
Hi Neko,
Thanks for your post! I loved reading about your experience and background in Latin American literature. I can definitely relate to your point about having a hard time finding time to read for pleasure during the school year, which is why I’m excited to get to read a bunch of awesome stories as a part of this course! Regarding your question, I spent most of my break around family and friends, which was a great way for me to rest up and regain my momentum to begin a new semester!