Welcome to my laboratory, where the word is becoming. Write along as I conduct my literary service.
‘24 M.A. English Literature and Culture – Universitat de Barcelona
‘23 Columbia Publishing Course – University of Oxford
‘20 B.A. English with Creative Writing, cum laude – UC Irvine
A professor once called me a nut case on a note attached to the paper I wrote for her course, The Early Modern Self, Medieval and Renaissance Literature, congratulating me as it was returned.
She concurred that, judging by the way I write, I must be a bit off my rocker, and sealed her assertion with a sly but sweet smile.
Another morning, I remember, before embarking on a lecture of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, this professor invited anyone present to raise a hand if they firmly believed to truly know themselves.
Very few students raised an arm. I was among those few.
She looked at me incredulously, “Really?”
Her amazement stunned me so I shrugged, no longer sure.
“I surprise myself every day.”
The Smorgasburg Self
I replay the confidence I felt when I raised my hand in class, and see that my professor made an excellent point by calling me to question whether there are aspects of my persona I fail to recognize.
It seems naive, now, to assert absolute self-knowledge.
When I wonder, “Who am I?” I get a feeling as though I am standing before an expansive charcuterie spread, a smorgasbord of delectable, decadent foods.
The way wines are mulled, smoothies blended, ceviches mixed, or spices ground.
A library stocked with encyclopedias, endless shelves, history repeating itself; a beautiful past that hurts to reckon with, a future that can be neither predicted nor resisted, a present that glows.
Sea foam bubbling and pulling back, just after the swell and crash.
People mingling. Molten wax dancing inside a lava lamp. Jazz.
Becoming Love
bell hooks introduced me to a definition of love as “the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth.”
I have suffered and seen suffering, mourned alone and with others, yet my daily dedication to the art of love keeps me going. Embracing the funk helps me see myself as one lively, capable person with an array of gifts to offer. I believe in creative connection, communities of care, respect, and dignity towards all matter — all matters.
The Word & The World
Matters of writing and readership are, in my perspective, outstanding subjects of interest. I strongly believe in the power of remarkable writing and of an excellent book’s ability to expand people’s imaginations so that they can bravely engage with world.
As a student, every idea, call to create, invitation to help, or stirring of something new is a call to service. The Word Becoming allows me to share these ideas with others.
Wish Upon a Rockstar
I want to work alongside groundbreaking scholars and authors who are helping shape the future of literature, ushering in a new era of consciousness and artistic expression. The act of writing, the art of becoming, the mystery of language fuels my belief in the power of literature to propel us toward peace.
Much More Meche
My fascination lies in the interconnectedness of all aspects of life. I desire to disseminate thought-provoking ideas, enhancing my understanding of music history and literature through writing and community. For these reasons, I created the Becoming Badass Blog in 2022, later renamed The Word Becoming in 2024 – a platform where we unlock our creative potential through language.
A musician myself, I turn on the grooves, luring readers down record bins and rabbit holes as I dig up the juicy deets behind my favorite bands and their origins. On the flip side, I invite literature lovers to relax into my book nook, where I connect my recent reads to larger themes, taking breaks now and then to daydream.
A space where I can freely explore my interests, The Word Becoming is a project I look forward to developing for many years to come.
Whether or not I can ever know myself fully, I acknowledge the complexity of self-knowledge and embrace the multifaceted nature of my being. Perhaps I am a tie-dye sky, a movie montage, a nut case, a bilingual rockstar bookworm.
Ultimately, writing and assisting others in writing is how I want to live and give back to the world. This is the word becoming.
Here and now, welcome!
Comment under any post to join the fun and be the word becoming!
