March 29, 2024

English teacher Cabrera composes a book

Costa English teacher Stacy Cabrera works on the outlines for the planning stages of her book, "The Cosmic Explorer," in her classroom during lunch. Cabrera has worked on her book whenever she has had time, such as weekends and summer break.

By Maysen Marolda

Staff Writer

A fascination   for   philosophy   has   stimulated  Mira  Costa  English teacher Stacy Cabrera’s inner author, as she has begun planning her  own philosophy book, “The Cosmic Explorer.”

Throughout  “The Cosmic  Explorer,”  which  will be both a philosophical and  literary  book,  Cabrera plans to  share  philosophical  views,  the  limitations of those views and how the various  branches  of  English  study  interact.  At  the moment,  Cabrera  does  not know how many pages the book  will  be,  but  she  has developed  several  chapter overviews  and  has  begun research and basic outlines for her book.

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“It  seems  inherently  futile to write  this compilation  because,  ultimately,  I can’t  do  everything,”  Cabrera  said. “There  is  not near  enough  time,  as  we are  limited  in  a  variety  of ways,  so  it  seems kind of pointless   to   write   on   so many views, and I think there is  something  noble  in  that  inability  to  achieve  it.  I  am really   trying   to   be   optimistic and learn that it’s all about the journey.”

Cabrera ultimately hopes to conclude  in  her  book  that life  is  a  narrative  in  the  same way that a book is a narrative, she  said.  Additionally,  one’s job  in  trying  to  uncover  the deeper  meaning  and  significance behind one’s own life should be a product of trying to interpret it from multiple viewpoints.

Photos: Mrs. Cabrera plans her philosophy book

“The thing I hope people take away from my book is to be aware,” Cabrera said. “To be aware of people, yourself and the world around you is all I want.”

While  Cabrera  was  a  senior in her undergraduate program  and  when  she  was acquiring   her   Master’s   degree in philosophy at Loyola Marymount  University,  she spent  both  years  reading  a lot of philosophy and doing  research.  In  the  research process,   she   came   across philosopher Aldous Huxley’s book,   “Island,”   which   has greatly  inspired  her  writing ever since.

Video: Costa English teacher Stacy Cabrera uses her outlines in order to draft her book, since she has already collected a majority of the information throughout courses she has taken. Her outlines ranged from final papers to bullet points of quotes from famous philosophers. 

“I do not know what I would do without philosophy,” Cabrera  said. “It  has  become such  a  part  of  who  I  am  and how I have lived every moment of my existence. I love the idea that there is not an answer, and I could see how people would find that uncomfortable, but I find it inherently beautiful.”

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The  biggest  challenge  thus far   has   been   time,   Cabrera said.   Cabrera   works   on   her book mostly in the summer, in addition  to  school  breaks  and weekends.  When  the  book  is completed,  she  plans  to  publish  it.  In  the  future,  Cabrera does not know if she will write another   novel   because   “The Cosmic  Explorer”  will be  a lengthy process, she said.

“It is my job as a good steward of experience to be a ‘cosmic explorer,’ in the sense that I  am  aiming  to  make  an  empathetic  link  to  all  of  the  possibilities  that  exist  beyond  my own,” Cabrera said.  “To inform and live to the fullest my own experience  and  existence,  it  is an  impossible  task,  but  I  think the most important one, in that it helps me ‘squeeze’ the  most out of life which I must be consciously aware of at all moments throughout my life.”

 

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