to matthew rectenwald: welcome! sorry to hear that you didn't have success your first time around. i'm currently doing the same thing at UW-Eau Claire, but it's my first time around and i've already settled on doing the struggling writer bit. after all, you can't lose as a writer, can you? ;) about the seymour/dying of the light thing: i like what someone said (sorry, i can't place a name right now, it's all spinning around, confused and the like) about Seymour not being apathetic about life, etc. i'll accept what was said a few days ago, that the "dying of the light" only occurs once apathy takes over. therefore, seymour must have raged. tell me to shut up if i'm just driving this point to death like i'm certain that i must be. i swear i've written about this 20+ times since i stumbled on it. jessica :)