Welcome!

Hello everyone, my name is Freda V. Raitelu and I am a sophomore studying Liberal Arts Social Science and Humanities. I expect to graduate by the end of Spring 2013 and am currently undecided as to what major to pursue although I have always found history intriguing and have seriously entertained the thought of teaching it at the college-level. It has been my experience that utter confusion and uncertainty is the natural consequence of a Liberal Arts education but have deep faith that my destiny will reveal itself in due time and in fabulous fashion!

As this will be my first time taking such a course I look forward to sharing the experience of non-fiction creative writing with you. I own journals in which I have written poems and recorded some significant moments in my life but do not consider myself a writer in the truest sense of the word nor do I make a point to write everyday, although, as I mature I get the sense that it would probably be something that I might want to get into the habit of doing. Time really does fly whether you are having or not.

As a young child I absolutely loved to read. Beverly Clearly, Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstein, Bernstein Bears and so many others. The Scholastic News was a periodical that I eagerly awaited all the time and often fantasized about which books I would get because I never actually got any!

As an adult, I am one of those people who devours self-help books and non-fiction material but do love to indulge in tabloid fodder. And although I hate to admit it, every now and again I do not mind getting lost in the shallow web that is reality t.v too.

The most interesting reads I have come across lately and that stick out in my mind are the screenplay of Inception and a memoir called "Whip Smart." The screenplay of Inception was included with the purchase of its blue-ray dvd and I must say it was quite intriguing to read and as a result was very easy to immerse myself in the story. I found the movie to be excellent and with the reading of the screenplay it all came together and became so much more alive.

"Whip Smart" was written by Melissa Febos and is her memoir of  living a double life as a grad student, heroin addict and dominatrix. It is filled with raw detail and beautiful language. She eventually triumphed her addiction and went on to graduate with an MFA from Sarah Lawrence and teaches creative-non fiction writing at SUNY Purchase. I was very inspired by her story and learned some pretty unique insight into the power of lucidity. "Whip Smart" is definitely on my list of must -reads.

I have never owned a blog before which is real exciting and I am hopeful that time spent in this course will allow my writing capabilities to flourish and the sharing some of my experience might even be therapeutic. My exposure to new literature is an added bonus and I am sure that this journey will be one I will not soon forget.


-Fre