The Lives of Literary Wives

The Lives of Literary Wives Twenty years ago, when we first lived together, the thought of typing my now-husbands stories was so romantic to me that I almost couldn’t bear it. I even bought him a tape recorder so that he could dictate stories and ideas for me to later type up. This plan did not go well, as he is perfectly capable of typing and in fact does so faster than he can speak and only slightly slower than he can think. We abandoned it quickly, and I was devoted enough to be disappointed. The thing is, I was a writer too. So why did I want to prioritize his work? I still don’t know the answer, but I have discovered that A) this is common behavior among literary wives, and B) I am totally fucking over it and over literary husbands in general. Vera Nabokov I had not, at the time, heard of Vera Nabokov (though I had read Lolita after my high school crush said it made her think of me, a comment that I have never figured out or gotten over), but if I had, that’s who I would have been trying to emulate. Vera met her husband Vladimir through her publisher father. According to a single clause in a single sentence on her Wikipedia page, she had a budding writing career at the time, which never went any further. (It doesnt even merit a full sentence!) She worked as a secretary and translator to pay the bills, and did the same for Vlad (for no money), while raising their son (presumably with no help from him) and keeping house (she said badly, I say who gives a damn). She also learned to drive so she could be his chauffeur, and carried a handgun as his acting bodyguard. I infer from everything I’ve read that she also performed extensive emotional labor, preventing him repeatedly from burning his drafts of Lolita (which was, in hindsight, a mistake). People in relationships make choices that sometimes do not look equitable or reasonable from the outside. I try very hard not to judge, but it is difficult when a marriage is, to my eyes, so dreadfully unbalanced. What on earth did Vlad do for Vera? I can find no evidence of anything whatsoever. I can also find no evidence of her writing, or of her aspirations prior to meeting Vlad. I am very tired when I think about Vera. Sylvia Plath There is a passage in The Bell Jar that absolutely knocked me on the floor when I first read it: But an English major who knew shorthand was something else again. Everybody would want her. She would be in demand among all the up-and-coming young men and she would transcribe thrilling letter after thrilling letter. The trouble was, I hated the idea of serving men in any way. I wanted to dictate my own thrilling letters. There is no question that The Bell Jar is fairly autobiographical, and there is no question that Sylvia Plath died by suicide a few years into an attempt at being a writer and a mother and the wife of a writer. It has, somewhat recently, come to light via Sylvias letters that Ted Hughes was abusive, which I personally think should have been obvious already but I suppose it’s helpful in some abstract way to know it for sure. I am a writer and a mother and the wife of a writer, and I want to dictate my own thrilling letters. I don’t want to be Vera, I want to have a Vera. But it turns out that Veras are still by and large only available to men. This phenomenon is evident particularly in the way that (male) writers thank their spouses in the acknowledgments of their books. #ThanksForTyping A few years ago, Alexis Coe wrote in Lenny Letter about the disconnect she had noticed, where male writers thank their wives for support (i.e. doing everything so they can write) and female writers rarely do the same (most likely because they are writing and caring for the children and doing the laundry and cooking and cleaning and cetera.) Where can I get a research assistant slash editor slash (I assume) sex goddess, please? Nearly a year later, Bruce Holziger tweeted about a verrrry similar discoveryâ€"specifically, that men are thanking wives for typing their manuscripts, something that apparently these male writers are too important and/or inept to doâ€"and got a lot more attention, spawning a hashtag (#ThanksForTyping) and a Buzzfeed article that featured a depressing assortment of tweets using the hashtag. (I could go on for several paragraphs here about how a woman wrote it first but when a man said something it got widespread attention, but, well. Those paragraphs would be better summed up by an emoji of a trash can or possibly a smiling poop.) Jodi FUCKING Picoult, Shirley Jackson, and Anita Loos What I want to know is: who would I thank in my acknowledgments? Without a Vera, how will I ever write enough to be worth anything? To even have acknowledgments? Where will I dictate my thrilling letters? Is there even any point in trying? I guess I want to be the imaginary male author described by Rufi Thorpe in her devastating essay Mother, Writer, Monster, Maid: “Your father is Jodi FUCKING Picoult.” (If you click only one link in this essay, let it be that one.) But Jodi Picoult manages to have a writing career without a Vera (or, put another way, acting as her own Vera), and so have many other literary wives, including Shirley Jackson, whose husband Stanley Hyman was The Worst. Stanley, who somehow was better-known during their lifetimes than she was, took great pride in never having changed a diaper (they had four children), and while that was de rigueur for the time, he also could not boil an egg, make toast, or even pour his own coffee. (Source: Ruth Franklins biography A Rather Haunted Life and Shirleys “fictional” family stories, Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons). Shirley did everything for him and the children, kept house, entertained, and wrote nonstop, while Stanley occasionally wrote for The New Yorker, having affairs in the New York literary scene. Later, he taught at a womens college, having affairs with his students (he did not believe in monogamy or care that his wife wanted it). Stanley, at least (and I do mean least), did not make any effort to stop Shirleys writing career; in fact, they met because he read a story of hers and declared that he was going to marry the author. Compare him to Ted Hughes, or perhaps to John Emerson, who went so far to discourage his wife Anita Loos from having a career as to fake an illness in an attempt to prevent her traveling. Like Hughes and Hyman, he was also unfaithful to his wife. #MeToo In the last few years, we have seen a landslide of mens careers being put on pause (though most of them have quickly resurfaced) due to the way theyve treated women and young boys as sex toys instead of people. Inevitably, a backlash has begun of people crying, “But what of their talent?!” as though somehow the world needs the art of abusers more than it needs that of the abused. Shirley died and Stanley immediately remarried. Sylvia died and Ted went on to publish poems for 35 years, both his own and Sylvias (taking the profits, of course, and edited as he saw fit). Anita suffered for decades, lost most of her money to Emerson, attempted multiple times to divorce him (he refused), and finally went off and enjoyed a successful Hollywood career as a screenwriter in spite of him (she managed, at least, to outlive him by 25 years). I still like my husband. He works a full-time job and comes home and does half the housework. Well, more than half. Most of the housework. Hes an equal parent and does not expect me to be his typist. And yet I find it difficult to not resent the fact that I once wanted to be his goddamn secretary.

Ants Go Marching Fun Facts About How Ants Navigate

Desert ants don’t need to emulate Hansel and Gretel’s breadcrumbs to get out of the forest; they can just count their steps! Ants who live in dense forests create scented trails home by squeezing glands covering their bodies on the floor. But the intense heat of the Sahara destroys these scents and there are few environmental markers to help the ant navigate back to the nest after foraging for food. Scientists from the University of Ulm discovered that some ants have an internal â€Å"pedometer† that helps them evaluate how far they have walked. Specifically, they use a strategy called path integration that uses vector math. Remember thinking vector addition had no real life applications? Try telling that to an ant! Unlike weight or temperature that only has a single magnitude, a vector is a mathematical object that is made up of both direction and magnitude. Usually written as an arrow with head, the length of the line gives its magnitude and the arrowhead points in a direction. You can simply add two vectors by just joining them head-to-tail. After an ant finds some delicious decaying arthropods, it simply competes its magnitude and direction from the vectors it created along the route. This enables the ant to scamper directly back to its home, without having to retrace its steps. The few neurons in the ant’s brain are able to create an internal map of the nest’s position in relation to the ant’s location. The researchers were able to deduce that ant’s count their steps by altering the length of their legs. They glued on tiny bristles to their legs, giving them stilts so their gait would increase. Reversely, they removed parts of the legs on other ants so their steps would be smaller. They hypothesized that if ants count their steps, the ones with longer legs would overestimate the distance back to the nest while ones with shorter legs would underestimate. These super smart scientists were exactly right—if the ants were manipulated on their return journey, they were not able to find the nest. Furthermore, if the ants were given stilts before they began their journey, they had no problem returning because the length of their legs were the same for both the outbound the return sections of their walk. Next time you’re stumped doing your Trigonometry homework, enlist an ant for help! Interested in biology tutoring? ;

Abortion Murder or Necessity - 766 Words

Abortion: Murder or Necessity Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo before it is viable. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced. Abortion, when induced in accordance with the local law, is among the safest procedures in medicine. However, unsafe abortions (those performed by persons without proper training or outside of a medical environment) result in approximately 70 thousand deaths and 5 million disabilities per year globally each year, with 20 million of those performed unsafely. Life begins at conception which forms an unborn child (or fetus). Abortion is an intentional†¦show more content†¦When the cervix is open wide enough, he will put a hollow plastic tube, with a knife-like edge on its tip, through your cervix up into your uterus. The suction it creates is 29 times more powerful than a vacuum cleaner. It tears the baby’s body into pieces, and sucks it through the tube into a canister. The knife edge is used to cut the deeply rooted placenta from the uterine wall. The remains of the now-dead infant are then pulled out. Abortion is a tragedy not only for the unborn who will never experience life but for the mother also. What motivates an abortionist? What must they think as they slash and tear a baby apart or plunge a knife into its neck? Somehow, abortionists have become callused to the reality of their actions. Like Shakespeare’s Macbeth, they have blood on their hands, and it cannot be washed off. Many people have become apathetic about abortion. Since they have already been born, abortion is no threat to them personally. Why should they care about someone else’s baby? If there is any lesson to be learnt, it is that we should value and protect innocent human life even if it is not our own. Abortion is an intentional violent act that kills an unborn baby, without any anesthesia, the baby is dism embered, torn apart, and vacuumed out of the mother. Life begins at conception which forms an unborn child (or fetus). The unbornShow MoreRelatedAbortion Essay796 Words   |  4 PagesAn abortion is seen by millions as murder to an innocent child, death to innocent unborn fetuses, whilst others see an escape from panic, shame, poverty, dread, fear, and anxiety. Over 58 million abortions have been made since 1973 according to texasrighttolife.com, making abortions a giant of a topic. In more detail, an abortion is the surgical termination of an embryo or usually a fetus. This surgery has sparked many arguments over the years and one of the most significant was the debate or RoeRead MoreThe Issue Of Abortion : Comparative Views1393 Words   |  6 PagesThe Issue of Abortion: Comparative Views in Judaism and Islam In our present day, physicians and patients alike have concentrated on establishing a set of universal standards to guide clinical decision making. However, these standards ignore the critical role of religion in dealing with such bioethical issues. As abortion continues to turn into a more prominent topic of discussion and debate, it is critical for us to understand these religious belief systems in order to cross over value conflictsRead More The Issue of Abortion Essay1402 Words   |  6 PagesThe Issue of Abortion Medical abortion exists as the most controversial issue in modern society. Abortion is a surgical or medical procedure that puts an end to a pregnancy. Abortion, to say the least, is a controversial topic in today’s society and has been for the last two decades. Two opposing sides emerge from this problem: Those opposed to abortion, â€Å"Pro-life†, have concerns about protecting human life. On the other hand, those in favor of abortion, â€Å"Pro-choice†Read MoreAbortion : Is It Morally Acceptable?1640 Words   |  7 Pagesmain questions of the abortion debate that provides the basis for each side’s argument. On one end of the debate are the pro-choice arguers who believe life begins at birth and that women should have the right to choose what they do with their pregnancy. On the other end are the pro-life arguers who go against pro-choice believers. The pro-life side seeks to abolish abortion due to their belief that life begins at conception and that terminating a pregnancy is considered murder. Because of the moralityRead MoreThe Defence of Duress or The Defense of Necessity1670 Words   |  7 Pageshimself or another threatened by a third party. On the other hand, the defense of necessity refers to circumstances where a person chooses to commit an offence to avoid a greater evil to them or another which would result from objective dangers arising from the circumstances in wh ich they are placed . The difference between these two similar defenses is that duress is regarded as an excuse in English Law, whereas necessity is regarded as a justificatory defense. For example, in the case ofRead MorePersuasive Essay On Abortion744 Words   |  3 PagesAbortions are a huge controversial issue. While some are completely against abortions, others believe women have the right to choose what to do with their bodies. I believe women should have the opportunity to terminate a pregnancy for several reasons. The reasons being: women sometimes get caught into situations that’s hard to get out of and with the consequence of conceiving a child, abortion seems to be the only option. Another reason, would be the age factor; young women having unprotected sexRead MoreThe Issue of Abortion Essay670 Words   |  3 PagesThe Issue of Abortion People all over the world, especially those in American society, do not take the issue of abortion lightly. Dealing with ethics, religious beliefs and the law, it is one of the most controversial subjects of this time. Abortion poses a moral, social and medical dilemma that forces many individuals to react in very strong and unfortunately, opposing ways. Forty percent of the American people believe that the decision to abort a pregnancy is that of the woman who is pregnantRead MoreControversy of Abortions Essay example547 Words   |  3 PagesControversy of Abortions The topic of abortion is one of the most controversial and sensitive for the society and myself. The debates and confrontations between two opposite groups of opinion are long and sometimes even brutal. Both sides have strong supporting arguments: pro-lifers base on moral principals, which is life before birth, while pro-choicers defend political and social rights, such as right to privacy and right of choice. Neither side can be absolutely right or wrong; basicallyRead MoreAbortion Essay881 Words   |  4 Pages Abortion is wrong, babies are living human beings with a right to live, there are many people out there willing to adopt a baby, unable to have their own, and allowing abortion goes against the Right to life, intended for all by the Founding fathers of our country. Abortion is defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary as â€Å"the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus.† Now according to Rick Lewis, PHD in his articleRead MoreThe Controversial Issue Of Abortion1088 Words   |  5 PagesAbortion is one of the most controversial topics in today’s world. With the evolving moral standards of society, abortion is becoming more and more justified. Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first twenty-eight weeks of pregnancy. People don’t seem to realize that abortion can ultimately have the best overall consequences. This topic should be viewed from a consequentialist view, or from the moral worth depending on the positive or negative

Analysis Of The Book The Catcher Of The Rye - 1080 Words

Reaching adulthood for many individuals leaves them instilled with curiosity and unaware of what to come. Characters like Iggy Slocomb and Holden Caulfield are lead through a journey of self-driven motifs to better understanding there true place in life and adjusting accordingly. Nonetheless there view on society has left them believing hypocrisy is a trait carried through many, and thus falsely believing they are exempt from it. Hypocrisy is viewed as the process of stating moral standards or beliefs in which one self does not follow. Although both characters are seen with this theme, it’s not the only one present. In the book The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and the movie Igby Goes Down by Burr Steers hypocrisy, self-Isolation and the deception of adult-hood are themes that re-illiterate the coming of age for young-adults like Holden Caulfield and Igby Slocumb. At times, we as people forget the standards we claim set upon ourselves to embrace yet forgetting to act upon it. This entitlement of hypocrisy carries out commonly amongst The Catcher in The Rye and Igby Goes Down. It is portrayed through the ideals of Holden, while Igby represents them with his values and beliefs. The novel showcases Holden’s deep despise towards individuals known as â€Å"Phony’s†. â€Å"Phonies†, for Holden, are lead to be adults, as they are fake and knowingly contributing to â€Å"Phoniness†. Although in reality Holden views â€Å"Phoniness† as a means of explaining everything wrong in the world aroundShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book The Catcher Of The Rye 1131 Words   |  5 PagesAckley is a minor character in the novel â€Å"the Catcher in the Rye† by J.D. Salinger. One of Ackley’s main attributes is his rudeness because â€Å"He was exactly the kind of a guy that wouldn’t get out of your light when you asked him to,† (Salinger, 21). He (Ackley) is also nosy; â€Å"He always picked up your stuff and looked at it,† (Salinger, 20). A few other attributes of Ackley’s are his unhygienic persona that has â€Å"†¦ a lot of pimples. Not just on his forehead†¦ but all over his whole face. And not onlyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Catcher Of The Rye 1452 Words   |  6 PagesTitle: The Catcher in the Rye 1. Significance of the title: Throughout the book we see Holden retreat into his head and imagination multiple times instead of dealing with the real world. When asked what he wants to do with his life he gives the title of a job he had wanted as a kid, to catch the people running through a rye field before they fell off the weird cliff it was on. He used to have dreams about doing this and protecting people. He has a very naà ¯ve view on the world and it shows thoughRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Catcher Rye 880 Words   |  4 Pages Risi Amadi Mr. Webb The Catcher in the Rye Part I: Reading Logs Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger Entry #1 220 Pages Pages 1-40 This book started very different compared to most other book, its different because throughout the beginning gives a lot of information is given to the reader that you would not expect until later on in the story. The beginning also gives us a back story of most of the characters but they go into most depth with Holden. Holden Caulfield is the main characterRead MoreBook Analysis: Catcher in the Rye2386 Words   |  10 PagesThe Catcher in the Rye: ISU Questions Graham Eby Thursday, July 10, 2008 Chapters 1-8: 1. Holden’s attitude towards his parents seems negative because judging by the way he describes them, they sound touchy and overbearing with very high expectations. Pencey is a private school and his parents wanted him there, which gives us the impression that they expect a lot from him, and he can’t, or chooses not to give it to them. 2. Holden is isolated at Pencey by; Pencey is an all boys school, andRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Catcher Of The Rye By Quot. Salinger1240 Words   |  5 Pages The Catcher in the Rye, a novel written by J.D. Salinger, follows the short journey in which a teenage boy is coming to terms with his encroaching adulthood. Holden, the main character, has been kicked out of a private school for the third time. In New York, he is on the verge of a mental breakdown. Holden is reluctant to act on the obvious solution of returning home and feels discombobulation towards the consequences he might have to face. He reflects on the death of his brother and strugglesRead MoreTheme Analysis of Alienation in Books the Catcher in the Rye and 19841390 Words   |  6 PagesConcept, which originates in its modern form with Marx. For Marx Alienation is a Condition occurring in pre-Socialist societies, where the human Nature of man is made other than; alienate what man is really capable of being? The novels the Catcher in the Rye and 1984 Present Characters who’s Inability To conform to the norms of their Society Results in their Alienation. Alienation is a feeling of not belonging. This feeling can be physical, mental, Religious, spiritual, psychologicalRead MoreAnalysis Of Characters And Themes Of The Catcher Rye 1537 Words   |  7 Pages Analysis of Characters and Themes in The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger was born in 1919 to a wealthy Manhattan family. He grew up in the same social conditions as Holden Caulfield does in The Catcher in the Rye. The last thing Salinger cared about was being a successful student because he was very lazy, without care for his responsibilities and tasks. Salinger flunked out of many prep schools, and his parents sent him to a military academy named Valley Forge in Pennsylvania, where he graduatedRead MoreTheme Of The Catcher In The Rye976 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger there are several different themes portrayed that widely relate to current issues of teenagers and adults alike. While reading the novel several different themes were revealed creating a deep and meaningful story line. Three themes viewed within the novel are; the phoniness of the adult world, alienation as a form of self-protection, and the painfulness of growing up. Each of these themes have large significance in character a nd plot developmentRead MoreShould Banned Be Banned? A High School Curriculum?1603 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to the American Library Association, more than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982. This staggering number reflects thousands of students being denied the rewarding benefits associated with reading complex forms of literature that convey important messages about life and its various problematic, profane, and distasteful aspects. Specifically, the inclusion of banned books in a high school curriculum containing obscene aspects would not only strengthen comprehensive reading skillsRead MoreJ.b. Salinger s The Catcher s The Rye 1319 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger is well known for his works. His most famous being The Catcher in the Rye. Two other of his famous works include Nine stories and Franny and Zooey. J.D Salinger is also well known for his sense of humor that he includes inside of his books. The Catcher in the Rye has become an essential work to be studied in academic literature and its course of study. This book entails many uses of symbolism throughout the book. Symbolism is used

Anabolic Androgenic Steroids The Miracle Working...

Ergogenic aids are believed to be the miracle working products that help athletes or any physically active person, to enhance their performance (Powers, p. 569). An example of an ergogenic aid is anabolic-androgenic steroids, which are known to build and strengthen the muscle. Athletes who chose to take anabolic-androgenic steroids can choose to either take it orally or inject it within their muscle, to try to enhance their performance within their respective sport. The type of performance that the anabolic-androgenic steroids would likely show improvement in are by increased muscle mass and striated muscle speed associated (Hassan et al. p.273). Also, it can be used to increase the strength of the tendons, ligaments and joints, which could help prevent injuries from occurring within athletes. Although anabolic-androgenic steroids sound like a positive steroid to take, it can have a negative effect on athletes’ heart, such as cardiovascular disease, as well as other serious he alth risk factors, if it is being overused. Researchers Hassan, Salem and Sayed have conducted a research on anabolic-androgenic steroids. The purpose of their study was to examine the cardiovascular effects that could damage the heart of athletes that use it excessively. Results such as an increase in blood pressure, decrease in high density lipoproteins and sudden cardiac death, were observed with the usage of echocardiography, Conventional Doppler and SRI (p. 273-247). They hypothesized that

Analysis Of Anton Chekhov s The Cherry Orchard

The Ties that Bind In Russian writer Anton Chekhov’s play, The Cherry Orchard, Chekhov tells the story of a family in crisis and instability at the beginning of the 20th century. He also shows us that there are many forms of slavery. The family is about to lose their beloved cherry tree orchard estate because they cannot pay the mortgage. The play, written in 1904, only one year before the first Russian Revolution (1905-1907), is a rendering of the social changes and reform that Russia was experiencing. Chekhov died in 1904 just months before the uprising called Bloody Sunday and was himself the grandson of an emancipated serf (Marks, n.d.) In The Cherry Orchard, there are no riots or raised and clenched fists, but it is a subtler reflection of the times, and the death and demise of the Russian aristocracy and the making of a middle class. However, post slavery or serfdom the chains that bind humans are not always visible. The way Chekhov portrayed the former serfs in his pla y seem to whitewash reality and allowed the audience to conveniently forget the past. In American film and literature, we took the same tack until the latter part of the 20th century. In Chekhov’s play and in America â€Å"the help† comes across as one of the family, free of the emotional pain of the past and are portrayed as happy and willing to serve. The emotional slavery represented in The Cherry Orchard is not limited to the former serfs but to aristocratic and middle class as well. In modern times,Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Anton Chekhov s The Cherry Orchard 2328 Words   |  10 PagesTies that Bind In Russian writer Anton Chekhov’s play, The Cherry Orchard, Chekhov tells the story of a family in crisis and instability at the beginning of the 20th century. The family is about to lose their beloved cherry tree orchard estate because they cannot pay the mortgage. The play, written in 1904, only one year before the first Russian Revolution (1905-1907), is a rendering of the social changes and reform that Russia was experiencing. Chekhov died in 1904 just months before the uprisingRead MoreAn Analysis Of Anton Chekhov s A Play The Cherry Orchard 1675 Words   |  7 Pagestragedy seems more devastating (Tragicomedy). In a play The Cherry Orchard, Anton Chekhov demonstrates many themes including childishness, clinging to the past, and hypocrisy of humans. Chekhov depicts the conflict between the necessity for change and the nostalgia for the past, which establish controversial emotions throughout the play; the internal drama of everyone appears more important than external events. In comparison with Chekhov, Athol Fugard in his play â€Å"Master Harold†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and the boys demonstratesRead MoreAN ANALYSIS PAPER ON ANTON CHEKHOV’S THE SEAGULL AND THE CHERRY ORCHARD12092 Words   |  49 PagesEnglish IV AN ANALYSIS PAPER ON ANTON CHEKHOV’S THE SEAGULL AND THE CHERRY ORCHARD Submitted to: Mrs. Joneth D. Vibar Submitted by: Vincent del Castillo IV-St.Francis of Assisi Outline of Analysis 1 Author’s Style 1.1 Anton Chekhov as a Playwright and Author of Short Stories 1.1.1 Russia’s best known Modern Playwright 1.1.1 Master of the Modern Short Story 1.2 Anton Chekhov and his Influences Read MoreAnton Chekhovs The Cherry Orchard1933 Words   |  8 PagesAnton Chekhov s The Cherry Orchard – Analysis of Comedic Characters Anton Chekhov s The Cherry Orchard is one of his most famous plays, despite the fact that the comedic aspect is often questioned. The Cherry Orchard records the tale of a wealthy Russian family who are faced with the loss of their estate due to bankruptcy, while also facing the reality of losing their beloved cherry orchard. Titled as a â€Å"comedy,† it seeks to disclose the family and household dynamics during this brief period.Read MoreThe Cherry Orchard2124 Words   |  9 PagesThe Cherry Orchard: Critical Analysis The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov is about a Russian family that is unable to prevent its beloved estate from being sold in an auction due to financial problems. The play has been dubbed a tragedy by many of its latter producers. However, Chekhov labeled his play a farce, or more of a comedy. Although this play has a very tragic backdrop of Russia#8217;s casualty-ridden involvement in both World Wars and the Communist Revolution, the characters andRead Morewisdom,humor and faith19596 Words   |  79 PagesWalter G. Moss 1 Table of Contents (with links) 1 Wisdom, Perspective, and Values 2 Humor’s Contribution to Wisdom 4 Humor and Wisdom in Europe: Some Highlights 5 Renaissance Humor: Erasmus, Rabelais, Cervantes, Shakespeare 5 Two European Russians: Anton Chekhov and Vladimir Soloviev 9 Reflections on Humor from Nietzsche to the Theatre of the Absurd 12 Humor and Wisdom in the United States: Lincoln, Beecher, Twain, Sandburg, and Buchwald 17 From The Times (of London) obituary on him (January 19, 2007)

Bank Internship National City Corporation Free Essays

string(108) " secretary who would put it on the stack of other CACs to go down to the printing room for multiple copies\." This past summer (2002), I was an intern in the Credit Department at the corporate headquarters of National City Bank located in downtown Cleveland. During my time as an intern I was able to put my classrooms knowledge and experience into practice dealing with real world situations. Let me give you an overview of what our department basically did on a day to day basis. We will write a custom essay sample on Bank Internship: National City Corporation or any similar topic only for you Order Now We were what you would call the â€Å"number crunchers† of the building. Senior Credit Officers, Loan Officers, and Secured Credit Analysts would send numerous financial statements for various companies to our floor. These financials, with the attached project (I will explain the projects/assignment later) would then be assigned by our department head to specific analysts. We were then responsible for completing the desired task that the Officer had requested by a certain date and time. Analysts would gather as much information about the company as needed and perform the various tasks in order to get the Officer’s approval of the completed product. All in all, that is basically what the Credit Department did on a day to day basis, but this is just a brief overview. I will go into further detail throughout the remainder of the paper. On my first day at the internship, I was introduced to my supervisor and Assistant Vice President of Credit, Anita Swoboda (she interviewed me and gave me the job over the phone, so we had never met) and the rest of my coworkers on the 9th floor. After the introductions were made and I was situated in my new desk, I was instructed to go to a computer in the back of the office to learn the system that the department worked off of. The instructional tour took me through the database that I would be using on an everyday basis and showed me what everything the specifics of the system. The database was constructed like an Excel spreadsheet, but it was specifically made with equations for the different data entries. After I was fully acquainted with the database (it is called FAMAS), I was given my first assignment to complete. The slang term used around the office for these financial tables was â€Å"spreads†. The spreads were the end result of the data entered into FAMAS. I was given a set of financial statements from a specific company and my job was to enter the relevant data into the necessary categories and subcategories in the system. After all of the data was entered, I had to check to make sure that the balance sheet was in balance, the income statement provided the correct net income for the period ending, and the cash flow statement was in accordance to the company’s given data. If everything was in place and all of the data was correct, I then would print off the â€Å"output†. The output gave six pages of the summarized data that I had entered. Three pages were the replicas of the balance sheet, the income statement, and the statement of cash flows. The other three pages gave concise ratios and detailed reconciliations pertaining to the data. This, inevitably, was used by the Officer to make an accurate assumption about the stability of the company’s cash/asset/liability position. This was the most basic and most assigned project for the analysts in general. The next type of responsibility that I had was in the contents of what was called a Criticized Asset Sheet or CAC for short. These CACs were used by Officers when a company was underperforming according to National City’s standards for loan payments. These companies often times would have negative net income levels for more than one year, poor repayment practices in the past, and overall bad quality dealings with National City in general, just to name a few. The CAC required the analyst to do the assigned company’s spreads as well as a number of other pieces of financial analysis in order to give the Officer and the committee a better idea of where exactly this company stood and if it was beneficial to keep doing business with them. I was responsible for going through another database (I was taken through another step by step training session, this time with an individual) to get all of the pertinent information needed for the assessment. This new database allowed me to get detailed information on all of a company’s outstanding loans (i. e. what type of loan, when it matures, how much is outstanding, etc. ), the list of beneficiaries/individual signers on the loans as well as their financial commitment in the company, and the company’s past status on its old loans. After gathering the necessary information, it was my duty to input the data into a pre-designed word document and add verbiage to tell what each number represented (this is difficult to explain without showing you exactly what the sheet looked like). I would then send an updated copy of the CAC to the Officer (whoever it was that I was working with) and he would look over it to see if there should be anything else added and also to see if there were any mistakes that I had made. After looking over the sheet, the Officer would then send me a new copy of the CAC via interoffice email with his/her pdated section. Their section dealt mostly with notes from the last meeting, recommendations, developments, etc. which were relevant for the next meeting with the committee. I would then take this new copy and send it over to Secured Credit, where someone would derive an analysis on collateral determinants, cash flows summaries, etc. and that would then go into the CAC at the end. After I had collected all of the necessary items, I would put the CAC together with my section, the Officer’s section, the Secured Credit comments, and the spreads. I would then print out a copy and give it to the CAC secretary who would put it on the stack of other CACs to go down to the printing room for multiple copies. You read "Bank Internship: National City Corporation" in category "Papers" These copies would then be distributed to the various committee members when the CAC was due to be discussed. It was the committee’s duty to discuss the company’s situation with the Officer (the Officer was closely related with the company, meaning that he had gone to the location, spoken with the executives on several occasions, etc. to see if it was feasible or not to continue funding their outstanding loans or if they should be ended. The last responsibility I had as an intern at National City was the most detailed and the most important assignment that permanent analysts completed. Toward the end of my internship, it was noticed by my superiors that I could handle large workloads and put out excellent results. So, my supervisor decided that I should be taught how to do the main thing that permanent analysts did on a regular basis. These assignments were called Credit Sheets. The Credit Sheet incorporated all of the things that dealt with the CACs and the spreads, but required an extreme amount of financial information and overall analysis. This sheet dealt with the loan structure, financial position of the company, statements from the CEO, industry and company analysis, future implications that may hinder the business’s performance and various other aspects of the overall picture company and its industry in general. These sheets were usually between 30 and 100 page reports and were done because a company was seeking new loans, extensions on old loans, or more borrowings. My duties were to gather all of the information that I could about the company and its industry. I would be in constant contact with the Officer so that he/she could give me any updated financial or company news in general and also so that I could let them know how my progress was coming along. I would then construct a broad industry analysis as well as a very detailed company analysis. It was also my job to provide a detailed financial analysis of the company including collateral trends, borrowing base, future commitments, 1, 3, and 5 year cash flow analysis, and projected future position. The sheet, again just like the CAC, would be passed between the Officer and myself, with him/her adding necessary information as necessary, until we were both confident with the content. The sheet would then be presented to the committee and it would be determined through discussion, whether or not the company’s request was valid according to the information presented and the committee’s feeling about the future of the company. I did also have other various responsibilities such as side projects for different people and whatnot, but basically, the things that I described above were my most important responsibilities. These duties, no matter how large or small, were an integral part of the corporation’s functioning as a whole. During my time as at National City, I, along with the two other interns and the new permanent employees, was required to take a Commercial Credit class. We would meet as a group one or two times a week with Anita, in a classroom setting, and go over the different topics we were assigned to read. There were five parts in all: Qualitative Company Analysis, Credit Risk Analysis, Cash Flow Analysis, Balance Sheet Analysis, and Case Studies. These areas were integral in the learning process of dealing with Commercial Credit in that it taught us what to look for when dealing with companies’ financial statements and allowed us to take a more in depth look at the financial process. It was an incredible learning tool because it allowed all of us to take what we were learning in the classroom and use it in a real world situation. I thought that that aspect was the best part of the internship in that it expanded on my current skills and enabled me to experience situations that cannot be taught merely in a college setting. The purpose of an internship, as I see it, is to make a person aware of the world that waiting for them after college and to give them a better understanding of what is out there in corporate America. Not only did this internship show me what could be waiting for me after college, but it also taught me a great deal about how a corporation works as a single unit. My job and status in the corporation was not looked down upon and I was not handed filing work or other types of â€Å"busy work†. I was being taught and molded in a way that was in accordance to how they train their ermanent employees. It was truly an incredible learning experience for me. The internship was very beneficial to my future professional career. I speak with employers now and they are thoroughly impressed with my experiences at National City. I have a superior knowledge of certain aspects of the financial world that has given me a leg up against the competition during the interviewing process as well as in conversations with professionals in the field. I feel more comfortable and confident with my skills and abilities than I have ever felt before. National City made me feel important and now that is the attitude that I carry around with myself. The thing that I enjoyed the most about my internship at National City was the fact that I was treated as an equal and important member of the corporation. Aside from the learning aspect of the job, I gained a sense of what it would be like to be an employee of a large company, such as a bank. I was given work that the permanent employees were doing and I was expected to perform within the same parameters. I also enjoyed the work setting in general. We worked hard, but it was a laid back atmosphere where you could really get to know the other people in the office. Plus, most of the people that I worked with were either fresh out of college or had graduated just a few short years back. There were also a few Ohio University College of Business alumni in my department which made for interesting and resourceful conversations. With all of things in mind, I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed the fact that this job really taught me a lot. I know that I have already mentioned this, but the knowledge that I gained from my time at National City was priceless. I never thought that an internship could be so beneficial to me in the long run, but I was proven wrong in this case with flying colors. The internship, overall, was just an incredible experience for me and I am truly grateful that I was given the opportunity to prove my self while expanding on my skills at the same time. The College of Business has done a fantastic job in preparing me for my professional career in many ways. Many of the classes I have been required to take have given me a strong base of knowledge in particular areas of finance. I felt extremely prepared for this job when I first started just because of the fact that the finance and accounting classes that I have taken so far have taught me a great deal about the raw material in dealing with income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, etc. The course I took at National City was mostly a method of fine tuning my already present skills and also a means of allowing me to put my entire classroom learning to work in real world situations. The course that really prepared me the best for this position was the second business cluster (301i). In the cluster, I learned how to better my time management skills, work through tough situations, and gain more experience with interacting with other individuals (group work). I thought it was amusing that the permanent analysts were working on industry analyses for their projects and I was able to help them because of the fact that I had done so many of them in the cluster. I guess I really didn’t realize just how much I have truly learned until I experienced it first hand in a situation like the one I just mentioned. The introductory finance class given in the cluster (FIN 325) was also an important class that helped to prepare me for this job. I was introduced to the stock market on a more specific level and was taught about how to â€Å"analyze† the numbers (basically, what everything means). But, like I said, the overall knowledge that I gained from all of the classes I have taken here at Ohio University have been a huge benefit to my professional career. When I began my internship, I knew that I was prepared, but I didn’t know that I could be fully prepared for the task that was laid before me. To my relief, everyone around me was extremely helpful if I had any problems with anything and the Credit class also refreshed my memory about some of things that I may have forgotten over time. All in all, I was prepared enough to perform to the best of my ability and to add value back to National City. My overall outlook on my career and future has always been a concern of mine. I would always ask myself what kind of job of do I want to have when I graduate, where do I want to work, what will make me happy, etc. and it has always been hard for me to answer. To be honest with you, I never thought that I would want to work at a bank, to become a â€Å"banker†. But after experiencing a banking job first hand, I feel that it is something that I truly enjoy. I feel that banking is a great place for a finance major to start off in a career because it allows one to gain an understanding about the â€Å"meat and potatoes† of the financial world. Banking is a broad field to get into because there are so many aspects of it and so many different career paths to follow. I have interviewed with a number of companies to get a feel for what is out there for finance majors coming out f college and have found that it is mostly banking or sales. I know for a fact that I do not picture myself in a sales type position (life insurance, broker, etc. ) and that banking just seems to be the right fit for me. I have had the benefit of being able to take an in depth look at what the banking industry is all about and what it has to offer to myself i n regards to developing my professional career. I am happy to say that I am currently in the second round of interviews with National City for a Commercial Banking position. This is a position that I feel will be the most beneficial for me to begin at directly out of college. I feel that this position will give me the sound financial background that I need in order to advance in my career and develop into the professional that I have always strived to become. This internship was a great experience for me, one that gave me something more than just a paycheck. National City is an excellent corporation and deserves praise for its efforts in the internship arena. Please let me know if there are any other questions that you would like answered, for I may be able to explain myself better in spoken words (592-6294). Thank you. How to cite Bank Internship: National City Corporation, Papers