:)

Dear Daniel Borzutzky,

I would like to begin by thanking you for coming in and speaking with us yesterday. Like others, I was skeptical about having a guest speaker and I was very impressed with your ability to have a personal life outside of your work. Regardless of if I am working on school related things or waitressing back home, I feel like I am completely unable to balance a personal life and a work life. I alway am the girl that completely forgets about a social life and is completely consumed by work. However, I don't feel that this is entirely my own fault.... I feel like professors/bosses are completely insensitive and cold-hearted when it comes to matters regarding work. I've just come back from a hardcore case of mono and tonsillitis and I feel like no one is willing to give me the time of day regarding making up work and whatnot. While I do understand that they need to maintain a professional demeanor, however they are people as well and I think they forget that. I was also impressed that you were not pretentious and arrogant, like other writers we have been exposed to. You were very down to earth (a metaphor for you, Gabe) and realistic, and I appreciated that a lot. 

I was very intrigued by your interest in Chilean culture and your fluency in Spanish. I have been considering a minor in Spanish, and I found it interesting that the language barrier when you were overseas helped you write.  It also was interesting that you write better when you are uncomfortable, which I can't really relate to. Mainly because I can't write at all. 

I thought it was very good advice to write through criticism. I never had thought about the fact that even if your readers criticize your work, they took the time to read it and write down their criticism, and that truly is a generous act.  Similarly, writing through doubt and having faith that it will lead to something is an amazing ability. When I get frustrated, I get a "forget this" attitude and just completely resent the assignment and/or teacher who assigned it. I also find it interesting that you don't organize your thoughts. I'm kind of the exact opposite with that - I'm disgustingly organized and I honestly am incapable of writing anything without outlines and brainstorming. It's extremely inconvenient and a pain! I am so jealous.

My stay here at ISU has been... interesting, to say the least. I feel like I came here to get away from highschool bullshit and it followed me here. I feel like everyone I have met has either been pretentious or completely moronic. All anyone here cares about is partying and alcohol, and nothing else. I have an unbearable amount of work, so I sit in all weekend doing homework or sleeping, but somehow I am the one that fell ill and had to go home for two weeks.. to come back to ISU, falling behind in all of my classes, dealing with a bunch more bullshit from crazy roommates, not to mention my impending court dates. Overall I do like it here, but I feel like I don't connect with any of the people here.  

Once again, I'd like to thank you for coming in, and especially for sharing your poetry with us. It means a lot that you took the time out of your busy schedule and family time to spend time talking to us! Thanks!

-Mia Burke