There are many things I am interested in researching.  One of them is the connection between John Steinbeck and the Mexican community and what significance it has in his writing or in the American Lit cannon as a whole and does anyone besides me care.  Doubtful but I hope to find out. In his writing, especially in The Pearl, the racism and the hardships of the indigenous population are explored often with tragic consequences.  I understand that usually his characters are divided into the haves and have nots but I would really like to explore this idea of class and race a bit deeper. 

 The love of literature came in the tenth grade when my honors English teacher, Ms. Agard, did a lesson on e.e cummings.  I had never experienced poetry like that before it was usually Poe or ryhming or something that sounded nice but meant nothing.  At that point words began to gain power and by eleventh grade after we had read Of Mice and Men I was hooked.  The stars had spoken and my life would make sense only in print.  The imagery in Steinbeck is what first hooked me with him; it was beautiful, it made sense, it was California.  I began reading whatever I could get my hands on that Steinbeck had written and found East of Eden.  It is by far my favorite Steinbeck novel. 

 In a nutshell that is me a Steinbeck-loving-Plath-adoring-cummings-idolizing-trying-to-write-and-work-and-go-to-school-and-not-go-crazy-or-get-divorced type of woman.