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The Pen Master ©

There is a fine balance between expression and control. Poetry in an excellent way to find that balance. Mastered meter and possibly rhyme, to avant-garde free verse is bent and willed as the poet's great message finds freedom on the page. My goal, to find this balance... Everything on this blog is copyright © by P. Allan Frederick and permission must be granted in order to copy or use any content!

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Location: Eastern Kentucky, United States

I am a passionate and compassionate Biblican who is also deeply into the arts. I can defend doctrines and bring people to God, but I also am a fine art painter and creator and have published poetry in several magazines including Pegasus, Envoi, and a hand full of times in the local paper. I also have a POD Poetry Book which can be bought on Amazon.com called "September Blue" by P. Allan Frederick.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

TOO EXCITING!

I have made some minor decisions that will lead to major changes. I’ve been working on this bookstore business plan for months, since summer actually, and the more I research, the more I realize that I am not ready for the task. At the same time that I was coming to this conclusion, I also decided that my ultimate dream is to get my education.

On that note, recently I have had contact with one of my best friends from High School (and the few short years after that, of which we became roommates), and his life has inspired me to go back to school.

All this was decided as of last week. Since then, I have applied to Ohio University Southern (an extension of the famous OU of the sixties’ riots, in Athens OH), and things are moving. I have applied for financial aid, and am waiting my response, I have taken my placement testing, I have talked to a counselor, and I have had my college transcripts sent. Well, I didn’t get enough college in (in the late 80’s early 90’s) to be considered a transfer student, so I also need to get my high school transcripts. This is turning out to be a obstacle. I wanted to get them to OUS by this Friday, but the woman who does transcripts at Tempe High is on vacation this week. I wanted to register for classes next week, but that looks like it will have to wait another week.

Anyway, I am completely jazzed, I mean really, really joyful and feeling a sense of contentment and resolution. I hadn’t realized how heavily this weighed on my heart. When I took the placement testing, I did better in math than I thought, and worse on writing than I would have thought. I placed in Math 102, which is awesome. I thought for sure that I was going to test at Math 065. Math 102 is elementary Algebra (which is a major challenge for me), but is also a credited class, which means it is the only Math that I will have to take for my degree (I’ll get to that in a second). So, I am excited, very much. In fact, I thought that the only thing that would stop me from getting my degree would be the math credit.

On my reading score, I placed in the top range with a 94. That’s too cool, which means I go straight in at Level 3. But, with writing, my chosen profession, I scored a 61 and placed at ENG 150. However, that is also totally cool, just a little surprising. I really thought I had a decent grip on my grammar…guess not. But I have been wanted to take this course for a while anyway, a pre-primer type of thing, as it were.

Okay, my major for my BA is Creative Writing with emphasis on Poetry, and my minor is in Art. Too cool huh? After talking to my counselor, I decided that although I am declaring a major (mainly for financial aid purposes), my class schedule will reflect the AA that I am shooting for. I think that I would be seriously dangerous with a college education (for Jesus of course). I am excited most of all to learn, but just to think that I, of all people, could have a college degree in three or four years, is AWESOME!

I can only hope that my writing will vastly improve, as well as my poetry. I think that one day, each word and its placement will have an intent on it. Although I still mostly write poetry from inspiration, I still know that I can exponentially improve; which will increase my chances for publication, and so forth. Too exciting!

Edit: I correct myself, I will still need to take another Math in order to meet the tier 1 major requirments, but there is something called Math 109; Consumer Math. I don't know if that is easier than Algebra, but I hope so.

3 Comments:

Blogger P. Allan Frederick said...

Well, I got my transcripts from High School sent out, but the college hasn't received them yet. It'll be soon now, and College Education, here I come.

Now, over the next few years, you should see my writing and poetry get substantially better. I'm psyched! Completely. The second cool thing about going to school is getting a degree! That is cool, but at this point, it is not what is most important.

It does help the 'ol mini-bio that goes with submissions if you have that degree. One constant thing I see when submitting, is that the people who get selected for publication are the educated ones. I can only hope that I will improve so vastly, that I will look back at what I have already written and be embarrassed by its lack of blah blah blablay, or whatever...Or its highly neglected this that or the other. I should be so fortunate. I also read articles and blog’s about how the MFA programs in today’s colleges are reproducing poetry automatons that all resemble each other. I think that there is some degree of truth to this, because most of the crap that is gatting published in the poetry journals have the same tel-tell tale of being well written un-passionate egocentric drippings with no real depth of character or ethical responsibility; much like all modern and cotemporary media.

It never ceases to amaze me how so many of the “great” American (and English) poets have so much material discussing God. Even Whitman mentions Him from time to time. Two of my absolute favorites, Emily Dickenson and Elizabeth Browning, where both heavy into the workings of creation and what role God play’s there; as do so many others…

9:20 AM  
Blogger P. Allan Frederick said...

...but yet, HE is so neglected in contemporary poetry. It's like being an atheist who can put the "f" word in a poem is a prerequisite for getting published. Ahhh, what happened to good solid spiritual poetry? I am going to find a Dickenson or a Browning (maybe even Robert!) and post it later, just because.

9:29 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Paul,

That is fantastic. I am so excited for you. Maybe I can help with math sometime! :) I'm guessing Consumers math will deal with interest rates, loans, etc. When I took something like that it was very boring but as it turns out one of the most useful classes I took and has saved me gobs of money.

Anyway, very excited for you.

9:32 AM  

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