prairie girl musings

Tag: F. Scott Fitzgerald

  • Putting on the Fitz

    Putting on the Fitz

    “I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”

    -F. Scott Fitzgerald

    Thursday marked the end of my editorial internship with Weddingbells magazine. It was a bittersweet last day at the office, the place where I’ve spent the past four months; the place where I thought I’d figure it all out. As it turns out, life isn’t that simple or straightforward. I was sent on my merry way with a big bag of luxury beauty products (including a gorgeous Chanel lipstick that I didn’t know how to open due to my inexperience with Chanel products.) So, regardless of my mixed emotions about my future, I will be temporarily distracted testing out some of these fabulous new products. And despite my confusion, I am thankful for this wonderfully positive experience in such a fun, lighthearted office.

    While I don’t want (read: can’t afford) to waste any time jumping into a new job, I also need to find something that relates to my strengths and passions. And with today’s ever-depressing job market, I know finding ANY job with an English degree won’t exactly be a walk in the park. I know I’m a strong writer, but I’m a better editor. I love putting words on paper in an attempt to express my mind’s innermost workings. However, what I enjoy even more is improving a piece of writing that has the potential to be amazing. This leads me to my next endeavour, which will be editing and (hopefully) publishing Nick’s mother’s first novel on Amazon! Admittedly, I have only read the first two chapters, but I already have no doubt it will be a fascinating, gripping read. It’s a piece of historical fiction and like any great novel, the first chapter will have you hooked. I won’t reveal anything else at this point, but it’s going to be GOOD.

    IN OTHER NEWS: Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” was released in Toronto last night! And there was no way I was waiting one more day to see my favourite American novel being put to the Hollywood test. I was introduced to Fitzgerald’s third novel in high school by my favourite English teacher. She absolutely abhorred the character of Daisy Buchanan, and could not understand my fascination with this seemingly banal and evidently careless, heartless woman. But back to Luhrmann’s film. Yes, it was gaudy and at times, tacky. Yes, it was drawn out and exhausting. And no, I wasn’t sure whether Luhrmann (who directed Romeo & Juliet and Moulin Rouge) was criticizing 1920s American consumerism or fetishing it. But I think that’s what made it such a rollercoaster ride. Regardless of its imperfections, I held my breath as Daisy and Gatsby were reunited for the first time in five years, I grimaced during every single scene that featured Myrtle, and scowled whenever Tom Buchanan spoke. And you’d better believe I cried like a little baby at the end. DiCaprio was BRILLIANT (as always) and Mulligan was just dysfunctional and vapid enough to be believable as Daisy Buchanan. Tobey Maguire, as Nick Carraway, was absolutely phenomenal, and if I wasn’t a fan of his work before, I am now. I could ramble on and dilute this post that is SUPPOSED to be about the end of my internship, however, I’ll stop and tell you to  STAY TUNED for my actual review, which I will post tomorrow!

    For now, I’ll leave you with this quote from a review by The Independent: “Leonardo DiCaprio segues with utter conviction in the title role, from the suave, semi-mythical party host to his neurotic, lovelorn alter ego and back again.”

  • New Zealand: My Spiritual Homeland

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    “I want to go places and see people. I want my mind to grow. I want to live where things happen on a big scale.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Ice Palace

    There are endless reasons why I consider New Zealand my spiritual homeland, many of which I’ve overzealously documented in this very blog. And lately, especially in the depths of winter, these reasons have been amplified. It’s gone so far that I’ve had repeated dreams about Auckland. Attending outdoor concerts with my Converse-clad mates, going for hilly, trail runs with my energetic besties, reading and drinking ciders on the North Shore’s beautiful, sandy beaches, and hosting barbecues and bonfires every other night.  What’s truly been lacking from my life, as of late, is the quirky, somewhat off-beat, sense of style I’ve seen throughout the South Pacific – but particularly New Zealand. While Melbourne and Sydney are considered “style capitals,” I’m partial to New Zealand fashion scene. I find the designers more wearable and relatable to my own style ethos.

  • American Literary Greats

    American Literary Greats

    After my first week back at work, I decided to pick up a novel I’d been yearning to read for quite some time; F. Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise. Published when Fitzgerald was only twenty-three years old, I was eager to read this novel based on his own experience as an undergraduate student at Princeton. Given that I’m twenty-three years old and nowhere near completing my first novel, the novel Fitzgerald penned at the start of his career inspires me in a myriad of ways.

    My ongoing obsession with the Roaring Twenties goes all the way back to my high school days when I was first introduced to the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Fitzgerald. My first Jazz Age novel? The Great Gatsby, of course. English had always been my favourite and strongest subject, I adored tucking away to read and re-read our course list while diligently neglecting my math and science homework. A few chapters in, I was ready to declare the 1920s as my favourite decade, a statement I can still attest to. These characters, despite their multitude of flaws, represented glamour, intrigue and a je ne sais quoi, that we can’t help admire. Luckily, with a Bachelor of Arts in English, I’ve been able to venture further into these works. I’ve seriously enjoyed discussing the 1920s and, whenever possible, throwing in some Gertrude Stein for good measure. Woody Allen’s film, Midnight in Paris, continued the trend, featuring an array of characters we were all familiar with, in one way or another. It’s one of those films you can watch again and again, laughing and wishing you, like Owen Wilson’s character, could transport back in time to this decade of boozing and canoodling.

    I am clearly anticipating The Great Gatsby in its new film-format, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby and Carey Mulligan (my favourite) as Daisy Buchanan! The music, the costumes and the sets will be oh-so-fabulous! I’m already devising a plan to score tickets to the premiere! I can’t help but explore my favourite authors previous works. After This Side of Paradise, I’ll be diving into Ernest Hemingway’s The Garden of Eden. I’m looking forward to it already!

    Furthermore, who can’t resist 1920s fashion? Short hemlines, sequins, shift dresses and drop-waisted skirts are accentuated with elaborate headbands and feathers galore! Anyone who knows me is aware of my fascination with sequins and shift dresses. As much as I try to shop and dress practically, my closet is brimming with impractical and fantastic ensembles. My favourite dress is a Topshop 1920s-inspired number that suits any occasion, from New Years Eve celebration to a cocktail soirée with your girlfriends. Here are some of my favourite 1920s-inspired images:

    What’s your favourite decade?

    Love, Vanessa