Friday, March 23, 2007

"Met" Minutes

Well, we have now scored all art submssions for the upcoming edition of Metamorphoses and are at the beginnig of the Great Debate-- that is, deciding which pieces will make it into the publication. We have some great work for review. Dani has set up some discussion forums and I think we are all anxious to jump in.

Or main problem still remains: funding. We were given a smaller amount of funding this year than in years past, and from a different source. While we appreciate the funding we have, there are several strict limitations it brings with it.

While we have been accepting submissions from anyone interested, as it stands, we are limited to publishing only those submitted by students and alumni. There are some great student pieces; definitely enough to make a great edition, but we have recieved worldwide attention from some amazing artists and it would be a shame not to be able to publish the stuff we have recieved.
Last year, we were able to publish with a perfect binding and a color cover. With the funding we currently have, however, we will be limited to a staple binding and probably no color. This is such a huge step back from the last edition. The 2006 edition was a beautiful, proffessional, well-recieved publication. We had hopes of making at least one small improvement to each edition, but it looks like we will be taking two steps back instead.

So, the only thing we can think to do at this point is fundraise. We have turned to local businesses, friends, and family, in the hopes that they will see the worthiness of supporting a Kern River Valley Cerro Coso project that has come this far. If we can raise the difference between our current funding and last years, we can at least get the perfect binding and perhaps some color. We have been unable to sell the edition in previous years due to funding stipulations, but if we can raise the entire amount and be a self-supported project, we can not only publish the submissions we have recieved from non-students but also sell the publication, which would feed into next years funding.
So, if you or anyone you know is interested in seeing this project succeed, contact one of the editors at Cerro Coso or email Gary or I at met.editor@yahoo.com

Remember, our goal is $3500, and we may not have time to raise the entire amount, but every dollar helps and if it doesnt go toward the 2007 edition of Metamorphoses, it will go to the 2008 edition.
Thank you all for you support! Hope you have a great week!

Friday, March 16, 2007

Eurydice: The Unmourned Mother

One of the most compelling characters in the play, Antigone, is unfortunately the least mentioned. Eurydice, the wife of Creon and mother of Haemon, suffers this fate. Upon learning of her sons’ death, Eurydice, despairing and struck with grief, takes her own life. This is the only mention of her throughout the entire play! As a direct result of her insignificant role in the play, the reader is left with no remorse for a mother who deserves no less. It seems to be a transgression against the soul to allow one’s mother to go unmourned, yet this is the effect that the author has created. The reader is left to ponder and expand upon the life of Eurydice in the story of Antigone. One may even inquire as to what impact her death can have on the reader and how this can transform the story if her character is further defined. Step into the world of Antigone to perceive for yourself the true essence of Eurydice and why it is imperative for her character to be extraneous.

One could argue that Sophocles intentionally down-plays Eurydice’s character as a result of the fact that women possess little to no influence in Greece at this time. However, if chauvinism is the rationale, then the play itself would not be named after Antigone either. Taking a second look, the reader can plainly see that Antigone, a woman, is pivotal to this play, thereby ruling out the approach of sexism as a line of reasoning. The truth may lie closer to the reality that a central character already exists, and that Eurydice is a character with the potential to steal the spotlight away from that main character.

If the reader looks carefully, he or she might see that although Antigone is a chief character, that Creon is a main character of this play as well. When taking this into consideration, one can see that Eurydice’s role should in-fact remain small. If Eurydice’s part is magnified, perhaps Creon and Antigone would no longer be the two main characters. If truth be told, some readers begin to get frustrated with Antigone and Creon because of their blatant stubbornness. This frustration may entice a reader to relate better with Eurydice in her position as the loving mother. Consequently, this switch in central character(s) could completely jeopardize the entire story line of the play.

When Eurydice says, “sorrow and I are hardly strangers,” the reader very nearly begins to pity and bond with the character of Eurydice (l. 1312). For a mother to listen to the story of her own son’s demise must have been horrible! One can only sympathize with poor, unknown Eurydice at this time. However, in the very next moment, she is gone, providing no time for the reader to become too attached. This was a bold stroke of the pen by Sophocles who could have just as easily left Eurydice out of the play entirely. Instead, Sophocles chooses to give the reader just a taste of compassion for a woman we can never know. What little we do know about Eurydice resonates in this reader long after the play is done.

So, why did Sophocles choose not to tell us more about Eurydice and why is that so important? He chooses not to tell us more about her because Eurydice needs a story of her own. Eurydice is a character that is not easily described or summed up in just a few sentences; therefore, it would be impossible to get too involved in her character in this play. Her character is one with honor, love and commitment to her family—what more could a reader ask for in a heroine? However, in Antigone, we already have a main character or “heroine” if you will. Eurydice’s story is best left to her own tragic play.

Again I say—it seems to be a transgression against the soul to allow one’s mother to go unmourned—yet in this instance, one must see that it is essential. Just imagine a play solely about Eurydice; about her struggle with Creon through all of this; about the mother in her, aching to help her son. Then see her “loosing the bolts, [and] opening the doors / to appeal to queen Athena” in prayer (ll. 1306-1307). She hears commotion outside and runs to see what has happened. She asks her people to “[t]ell me the news, again… [for] sorrow and I are hardly strangers” (ll. 1311-1312). Then, just as one falls in love with her character, she takes her life. Would any reader not feel overwhelming compassion for her now? Now, of course, I must ask: would this not steal the main character positions away from Creon and Antigone? Of course it would and that is why it is absolutely necessary for Eurydice’s part to remain insignificant.
Works Cited

Sophocles. Antigone. Trans. Robert Fagles. Schilb and Clifford. 733-771.
Schilb, John and John Clifford, eds. Making Arguments about Literature: A Compact Guide and Anthology. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

"Met" Minutes

Good evening!!

I haven't had time to post this week, but we have some very important updates.

We have reached that time of year when we will begin reviewing submissions for the 2007 edition of Metamorphoses. As of midnight last night (February 28, 2007) We are no longer accepting submissions for this particular issue, and hopefully this coming Tuesday we will have them edited to a workable format to begin reviewing.

As with all growing and developing projects, we generally hope to make at least one improvement to this publication every issue. Unfortunately, due to some funding conflicts, it looks like not only are we not going to be able to improve, but me may very possibly have to take a step back. We are, as a group, very dissapointed, but are not discouraged. It looks like we are, in fact, funded, so that's one issue down. We hope to have these conflicts settled in time to make some improvements to the next issue. We may have to print in house this year, which means the binding will be of a lesser quality than was last year's, and we are also being limited to student, faculty, and alumn submissions.

However, so far this year, we have had a lot of online activity and support and are considering online publication of the some of the great art and literary work that we have recieved from all over the world. Hopefully we will have some more good news to share once we begin reviewing the work.

I have gotten the Myspace page up and running. I am still making changes to the general page setup and everything but you can go check it out. I posted one of my submissions as the photo, just to have something there, but if anyone has any pictures thay would like to have displayed on the page, email them to me or talk to me.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!