So, I realized today that I somehow spaced creating a blog last week, so I am just going to make this a double blog and comment on all the group presentations here.
Group 2: "The Postcard Killers"
I have yet to read this book, but this group seems to have had a particularly interesting text to work with. I really enjoyed the fact that they chose a James Patterson novel. I thought that the idea of exploring this idea of "art as murder" was pretty cool. It's really creepy that these killers posed their victims as actual paintings! This theme sounded to be rather popular among group 2 but I also really enjoyed this idea of looking at the characters and their nationality and the way that this plays into both the setting and plot of the novel. It is always interesting to compare and contrast stereotypes as well as theorize why a book was written to portray characters in a certain light. This idea of ethics in the novel was another interesting take on the book. It must have been hard to work with a bunch of news reporters who were basically giving the killers what they wanted: to be publicized. We really do glorify serial killers, at least in this country! I also felt that the exploration of "popular formula" was another intriguing subject. It was something I wish had been a little bit further explained, but it sounded rather compelling! It is amazing that James Patterson is such a popular author, who apparently (I have not read any of his books) writes stories using rather similar formulas that cater to the needs of the public eye. How can someone not be bored after reading x-amount of books by the same author that uses the same formulas over and over again! Perhaps I am just generalizing based on a lack of information, however if this is the case and Patterson is able to sell that many books based off a similar formula every time--hats off to him!
Group 3: "19 Minutes"
While I do own this book, I have yet to find the time to read it, however after listening to Group 3 presentations, I feel like I am missing out. Thus far, I have heard many great things about Jodi Piccoult and from the looks of it 19 minutes is a great read. While their text was not particularly related to the book that our group read, there seemed to be some similar themes of not fitting in, social expectations, etc. and I really enjoyed hearing what this group had to say about their papers. There seemed to be a common theme of exploring roles that people take on in high school based on social expectations, as well as the results of what these pressures are capable of doing (inevitably in this novel, the school shooting). However, the two topics that particularly intrigued me were the ones about Peter's sexuality and the one about the characters' understanding of death in high school. Both of these are rather striking as topics and I really enjoyed their observations on these particular topics, especially this idea of bullying coinciding with this idea of homosexuality, the masculine and the feminine. It hits home even now...
Group 4: "Then We Came To The End"
While this is not a text that I will most likely purchase, I really enjoyed what Group 4 had to say in regards to the novel. Something that particularly peeked my interest about the text, as it did for so many others, was this 1st person plural point of view for the majority of the novel. I loved the group's observations about community and unity within the work space, which kind of seems...funny to me, when I think about the fact that it's an advertising firm that is basically aimed at making people feel inadequate or in need of something in some way. However, I suppose it is ignorant to assume that every person that works for an advertisement firm is viciously out to seduce people all the time. This text is particularly relevant with the way that our economy within this country has plummeted. They had very keen observations about depression and how lack of job security can cause instability in other aspects of one's life. I thought it was a little bizarre for some reason, that the character with breast cancer seemed to be the most central point of the book. I have not read this book before, so I would not know about the claimed profound affect, however it seems a odd to me that this could be such a sharp focus for people in the office through which the author could play off with gossip among other interrelations between co-workers. I would really be interested in hearing what Emmy comes up with in this regard. I know that she is focusing more on the aspect of breast cancer's affect on ones life, but perhaps she might comment on the workplace itself as well.
Group 5: "Trans Sister Radio"
In terms of plot, this book was rather different from all the others that were presented in class. It is nice to see that transgender literature is slowly making itself known to the world and I really enjoyed Group 5's insight to this particular text. I admire them for pushing their own ideas of gender and sex through reading this novel as well as the willingness to do outside research and discuss a topic which is still on the rise. It's awesome and I think they are doing a wonderful job! Of course, it is no surprise that this idea of gender is a topic of focus for a majority of the papers and I really like the observations that people are making about these social expectations and how it correlates to one's own identity. The one presentation that I was particularly blown away by was the one about the archetypes. I thought that this was absolutely phenomenal and it is not something that I would have thought to do myself! Her arguments were clear and also thought it was cool that the author manages to follow these archetypes of the feminine even when the character had yet to transition. It was awesome. I also really enjoyed the fact that someone stepped out of the lines of gender and focused on the structure of the text itself, exploring the ways in which these multiple points of view affected the story that was being told. Overall, great job Group 5!
Group 6: "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim"
I absolutely LOVE David Sedaris and I am really happy that a group in our class chose his book as their primary text! It made for a very interesting last class and I really enjoyed the discussion. I love that nearly everyone had something different to say about the book. While there were cross-themes in the presentations, no one person seemed to be focusing on the exact same theme as someone else and I thought that was really cool. I loved that one person was taking a look at literature based relationships within family and that another person was looking at humor in terms of lightening up heavier messages and to switch that up a little bit, another person had a thesis about humor and David as the outsider. Then someone else decided to focus on gender and sexuality as well as socio-economical status and in turn also used this idea of humor to dictate Serdaris' experiences growing up which I thought was really intriguing. And then (finally!) someone else was focusing on this idea of memoir, which I personally love. Owen's topic about fiction and memoir and the discussion of differences and similarities and the fact that twisting the facts can make for a better story was great. It's going to be an awesome paper, I'm sure. It's a debate that is still on the rise.
I really enjoyed listening to everyone's ideas, including my other group-mates. It's been a wonderful semester with you all. Thanks for the awesome literary experience. I hope you all have a wonderful break and best of luck in future endeavors. Oh, and good luck on those papers too!! :)
-Jake
Friday, December 10, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Perfect Peace
"I gotta go now."
"Why?"
"'Cause Momma gon' be lookin' for me soon. And if your folks catch us, they ain't gon' let us play together no more."
"I know."
(161).
At this point in the text, Perfect has discovered that she is actually Paul. He is hanging it out with Eva Mae for the first time since his family went back to church and everyone found out the truth. During this particular scene, Eva Mae and Paul are hanging out like they usually do, however since Paul's new identity has come to public knowledge, things are a bit different now and both Eva Mae and Paul recognize this. They are both still close to one another despite the sudden change however, it is no longer appropriate for them to play together because boys and girls are not allowed. Eva Mae is the only friend Paul has felt close to; she is his only community that he has left and in order for them both to preserve their friendship, they have to be secretive about it, otherwise they will be unable to see one another again. As the story continues to unfold from this point forward, the reader is able to see that community plays a large role in people's lives. Without community we are left to feel alone, ashamed, scared and silenced. As an outsider, anything we do wrong can be held against us and further ostracize us from community, family and friends. Community is one of the biggest building blocks for a society and if one person is left out of that community, there seems to be nothing left for that individual. We don't know what community really means until we have lost it.
"Why?"
"'Cause Momma gon' be lookin' for me soon. And if your folks catch us, they ain't gon' let us play together no more."
"I know."
(161).
At this point in the text, Perfect has discovered that she is actually Paul. He is hanging it out with Eva Mae for the first time since his family went back to church and everyone found out the truth. During this particular scene, Eva Mae and Paul are hanging out like they usually do, however since Paul's new identity has come to public knowledge, things are a bit different now and both Eva Mae and Paul recognize this. They are both still close to one another despite the sudden change however, it is no longer appropriate for them to play together because boys and girls are not allowed. Eva Mae is the only friend Paul has felt close to; she is his only community that he has left and in order for them both to preserve their friendship, they have to be secretive about it, otherwise they will be unable to see one another again. As the story continues to unfold from this point forward, the reader is able to see that community plays a large role in people's lives. Without community we are left to feel alone, ashamed, scared and silenced. As an outsider, anything we do wrong can be held against us and further ostracize us from community, family and friends. Community is one of the biggest building blocks for a society and if one person is left out of that community, there seems to be nothing left for that individual. We don't know what community really means until we have lost it.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Annotated Bibliography and New Proposal
New Proposal:
Within the genre of memoir, truth is a theme that is constantly being challenged. Memoirists narrate their lives through memory, while simultaneously referencing metaphor, myth and other mediums outside the “factual” truth of the author’s story, to create a relatable narration of a life or part of a life. In Without a Map, Meredith Hall creates a comprehensible, intimate narration of the past in relation to the present. In telling her story, she informs the reader, “I believe we are accountable, that what we do stays in the world” (200). She believes that as individuals, we are responsible for our own actions and our own lives. For Hall, it is her responsibility to remember the past; it’s not a choice. Without a Map is her way of holding herself accountable. In writing her life, she begins to answer the “why” and the “how” of not only her parent’s actions, but her own. Even though several moments in the text utilize metaphor, these metaphors reinforce Hall’s truth. Tom Larson, author of The Memoir and the Memoirist, believes “that any writer must hold himself accountable for his memoir. And where else should he do this but in the writing. It seems so obvious. But still, few memoirists understand how co-creative accountability and remembrance can be" (107). Hall is one of those few memoirists who understand this relationship.
Annotated Bibliography:
Laron, Tom. The memoir and the memoirist. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2007. Print.
Taking a personal approach to the genre of memoir, Larson's book is comprised of multiple chapters which explore memoir in terms of literature, recollection of memory, personal narration, history and culture. While referencing published memoirs as well as published journals of psychology, he speaks to the heart of what he believes memoir is and how it should be critiqued. Specifically, there are a few chapters in this text which focus on the idea of myth-making, truth, and authenticity within memoir. I plan on using these particular chapters and relating them to Hall's memoir, showing how Larson's ideas of truth support Meredith's views on truth.
Eire, Carlos. "Where Falsehoods Dissolve: Memory as History." Tell me True: Memoir, History, and Writing a Life. Eds. Hampl, Patricia and May, Elaine Tyler. Borealis Books, 2008. p. 163-178. Print.
Carlos Eire's essay discusses the reason behind his publishing his memoir. As a native Cuban who now lives in the United States, he is prompted by the controversy over Elian Gonzalez' deportation to write his story, one he feels that very often goes untold. Frustrated with the ways that history portrays Fidel Castro as a hero, he feels the need to set the record straight by bringing forth the horrors of the Cuban Revolution. He believes the memory best serves in terms of history, bringing the big lies into the light and making people realize the truth. While perhaps, on the surface Eire's story may seem unrelated, his belief in the important relationship between truth, history, and memory coincide with Hall's view of the importance of their interrelationship.
Pals, Jennifer L. "Constructing The "Springboard Effect": Casual Connections, Self-Making, and Growth Within the Life Story." Identity and Story: Creating Self in Narrative. Eds. Mcadams, Dan, et al. p. 175-199. Print.
Throughout this essay, Pals explores the psychology behind personal identity and self-making through "casual connections" which is a strategy people use to create a coherent life story, emphasizing that the life is story is a process of interpretation of past events, relationships, etc. and is always in the making. According to Pals, there tend to be three different ways in which people use this idea of "casual connections" to promote or demote personal growth, the most healthy of which is called "The Springboard Effect." "The Springboard Effect" is a process through which an individual willfully allows himself to open his mind to new ways of thinking about past events, so as to productively change his interpretations of his life story and come to a more positive understanding of his life. I will use this essay to show how Hall uses this precise way of thinking in order to come to a more personal understanding of her past in relation to the present, further supporting her idea of truth.
Smith Sidonie and Watson, Julia. Reading Autobiography: A Guide for Interpreting Life Narratives." Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2001. Print.
In this book, both Smith and Watson explore the history of memoir in terms of autobiography criticism, theorizing, historical perspective, and the various types of life narratives that have existed throughout history. They also spend some time analyzing why memoirists utilize certain narrative tools: how and why they use certain types of memory, identity, etc. and what it means. I plan on using this text to explore the ways in which Hall utilizes these tools in her memoir and how they allow her to narrate as story that she believes is truthful.
Rainer, Tristine. "Your Life as Story: Discovering the "New Autobiography" and Writing Memoir as Literature." New York, NY: Penguin Putnam, Inc. 1998. Print.
Rainer's book presents a practical guide through which to learn how to write memoir, exploring ways in which a writer can delve into and sift through past memories. While exploring the structure of story telling, as well as her own personal understanding of what a story is, she also examines the idea of truth within the genre. I will use this text to explore who Rainer's idea that there is no one right answer in regards to truth within memoir, further supports Hall's personal narrative as truth.
Within the genre of memoir, truth is a theme that is constantly being challenged. Memoirists narrate their lives through memory, while simultaneously referencing metaphor, myth and other mediums outside the “factual” truth of the author’s story, to create a relatable narration of a life or part of a life. In Without a Map, Meredith Hall creates a comprehensible, intimate narration of the past in relation to the present. In telling her story, she informs the reader, “I believe we are accountable, that what we do stays in the world” (200). She believes that as individuals, we are responsible for our own actions and our own lives. For Hall, it is her responsibility to remember the past; it’s not a choice. Without a Map is her way of holding herself accountable. In writing her life, she begins to answer the “why” and the “how” of not only her parent’s actions, but her own. Even though several moments in the text utilize metaphor, these metaphors reinforce Hall’s truth. Tom Larson, author of The Memoir and the Memoirist, believes “that any writer must hold himself accountable for his memoir. And where else should he do this but in the writing. It seems so obvious. But still, few memoirists understand how co-creative accountability and remembrance can be" (107). Hall is one of those few memoirists who understand this relationship.
Annotated Bibliography:
Laron, Tom. The memoir and the memoirist. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2007. Print.
Taking a personal approach to the genre of memoir, Larson's book is comprised of multiple chapters which explore memoir in terms of literature, recollection of memory, personal narration, history and culture. While referencing published memoirs as well as published journals of psychology, he speaks to the heart of what he believes memoir is and how it should be critiqued. Specifically, there are a few chapters in this text which focus on the idea of myth-making, truth, and authenticity within memoir. I plan on using these particular chapters and relating them to Hall's memoir, showing how Larson's ideas of truth support Meredith's views on truth.
Eire, Carlos. "Where Falsehoods Dissolve: Memory as History." Tell me True: Memoir, History, and Writing a Life. Eds. Hampl, Patricia and May, Elaine Tyler. Borealis Books, 2008. p. 163-178. Print.
Carlos Eire's essay discusses the reason behind his publishing his memoir. As a native Cuban who now lives in the United States, he is prompted by the controversy over Elian Gonzalez' deportation to write his story, one he feels that very often goes untold. Frustrated with the ways that history portrays Fidel Castro as a hero, he feels the need to set the record straight by bringing forth the horrors of the Cuban Revolution. He believes the memory best serves in terms of history, bringing the big lies into the light and making people realize the truth. While perhaps, on the surface Eire's story may seem unrelated, his belief in the important relationship between truth, history, and memory coincide with Hall's view of the importance of their interrelationship.
Pals, Jennifer L. "Constructing The "Springboard Effect": Casual Connections, Self-Making, and Growth Within the Life Story." Identity and Story: Creating Self in Narrative. Eds. Mcadams, Dan, et al. p. 175-199. Print.
Throughout this essay, Pals explores the psychology behind personal identity and self-making through "casual connections" which is a strategy people use to create a coherent life story, emphasizing that the life is story is a process of interpretation of past events, relationships, etc. and is always in the making. According to Pals, there tend to be three different ways in which people use this idea of "casual connections" to promote or demote personal growth, the most healthy of which is called "The Springboard Effect." "The Springboard Effect" is a process through which an individual willfully allows himself to open his mind to new ways of thinking about past events, so as to productively change his interpretations of his life story and come to a more positive understanding of his life. I will use this essay to show how Hall uses this precise way of thinking in order to come to a more personal understanding of her past in relation to the present, further supporting her idea of truth.
Smith Sidonie and Watson, Julia. Reading Autobiography: A Guide for Interpreting Life Narratives." Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2001. Print.
In this book, both Smith and Watson explore the history of memoir in terms of autobiography criticism, theorizing, historical perspective, and the various types of life narratives that have existed throughout history. They also spend some time analyzing why memoirists utilize certain narrative tools: how and why they use certain types of memory, identity, etc. and what it means. I plan on using this text to explore the ways in which Hall utilizes these tools in her memoir and how they allow her to narrate as story that she believes is truthful.
Rainer, Tristine. "Your Life as Story: Discovering the "New Autobiography" and Writing Memoir as Literature." New York, NY: Penguin Putnam, Inc. 1998. Print.
Rainer's book presents a practical guide through which to learn how to write memoir, exploring ways in which a writer can delve into and sift through past memories. While exploring the structure of story telling, as well as her own personal understanding of what a story is, she also examines the idea of truth within the genre. I will use this text to explore who Rainer's idea that there is no one right answer in regards to truth within memoir, further supports Hall's personal narrative as truth.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Blog Holiday
Hey All,
Taking a Blog Holiday this week...see you all on Tuesday! Hope you have a great weekend!
-Jake
Taking a Blog Holiday this week...see you all on Tuesday! Hope you have a great weekend!
-Jake
Friday, November 5, 2010
The Good News (p. 147-148)--Matt Mason
This poem is all about the speaker. It is one that I cannot imagine being performed at home, alone in the living room. This is meant for an audience. It is meant to be spoken with humor and vulnerability. It's meant to be spoken with a human voice. It is not meant to be spoken, necessarily, by an avid believer in Jesus, in the strictly conservative religious sense, as this poem could possibly be seen as offensive, as if Jesus were being made into a joke or spectacle.
I think the poem speaks to religion and the many ways in which Jesus can be viewed. I find this poem to be hilarious, honest, frank, tasteful, and beautiful. It's the voice of a man who believes that all in all, Jesus is a good man. He's cool and a great role model: "he's no/show off/That's what I like about Jesus, (stanza 1)." He is someone to admire, to follow. The speaker makes the listener and reader relate to Jesus by using common cultural references. And, isn't that the intention: for Jesus to be someone we can relate to now matter how much time has passed? What would Jesus do, right?
Well, according to Mason he "makes a kickass mix tape" and "loves cows" and "likes blue jeans" like the rest of us. He's a regular person like you and me who has likes and dislikes. But at the same time he's the Son of God. The speaker cannot deny that he is not merely a human. He is omniscient: "Jesus pisses me off with his honesty sometimes. But it's not like he's ever wrong." He uses humor in wanting Jesus to make Diet Coke instead of Wine, making the point that for Jesus, there is no difference between the two, implying perhaps, something bigger in the sense that everything and everyone should be equal. He also narrates the ridiculous antics through which humans endeavor to get into Heaven, which Jesus finds to often times be self-centered and not genuine.
All in all this is a very spiritually rooted poem with an "unorthodox" approach: "Jesus wanted me to tell you he loves you/Jesus also wants you to stop doing that thing." I nearly burst into a fit of laughter with this line because even though Jesus loves you no matter what, he doesn't always agree with the way you live your life and we should all strive to be closer to Jesus. At the same time there is still a hint of human uncertainty and we see that Jesus is still above us: "Jesus tells me I'm saved/Then he laughs real loud/Jesus makes me nervous when he does that." It leaves the audience with a particular uncertainty. I felt a knot in my stomach in the last line. It makes one question the implications. Only a strong voice that believes in the integrity of this poem can perform this piece properly.
I think the poem speaks to religion and the many ways in which Jesus can be viewed. I find this poem to be hilarious, honest, frank, tasteful, and beautiful. It's the voice of a man who believes that all in all, Jesus is a good man. He's cool and a great role model: "he's no/show off/That's what I like about Jesus, (stanza 1)." He is someone to admire, to follow. The speaker makes the listener and reader relate to Jesus by using common cultural references. And, isn't that the intention: for Jesus to be someone we can relate to now matter how much time has passed? What would Jesus do, right?
Well, according to Mason he "makes a kickass mix tape" and "loves cows" and "likes blue jeans" like the rest of us. He's a regular person like you and me who has likes and dislikes. But at the same time he's the Son of God. The speaker cannot deny that he is not merely a human. He is omniscient: "Jesus pisses me off with his honesty sometimes. But it's not like he's ever wrong." He uses humor in wanting Jesus to make Diet Coke instead of Wine, making the point that for Jesus, there is no difference between the two, implying perhaps, something bigger in the sense that everything and everyone should be equal. He also narrates the ridiculous antics through which humans endeavor to get into Heaven, which Jesus finds to often times be self-centered and not genuine.
All in all this is a very spiritually rooted poem with an "unorthodox" approach: "Jesus wanted me to tell you he loves you/Jesus also wants you to stop doing that thing." I nearly burst into a fit of laughter with this line because even though Jesus loves you no matter what, he doesn't always agree with the way you live your life and we should all strive to be closer to Jesus. At the same time there is still a hint of human uncertainty and we see that Jesus is still above us: "Jesus tells me I'm saved/Then he laughs real loud/Jesus makes me nervous when he does that." It leaves the audience with a particular uncertainty. I felt a knot in my stomach in the last line. It makes one question the implications. Only a strong voice that believes in the integrity of this poem can perform this piece properly.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Without A Map: An Abandoned Woman's Search For Truth
Meredith Hall's memoir Without a Map is the story of a woman who as a young girl, was shunned by her family, church, school and the rest of her community after becoming pregnant at the age of 16. Having been exiled and abandoned over the course of her pregnancy, she works her way into the world alone, without family and without her child, to live a life full of sorrow as well as great strength.
Throughout her story, Hall focuses on the idea of shunning and abandonment, both within her family and her community in Hampton, NH. In her introduction, she explores the position of her 16 year old self in the midst of both familial and social disapproval, within a town full of tolerated imperfection; "They were the Community" (Hall xi). It is obvious that in writing Without a Map, Hall has given herself the opportunity to explore her life and the incidences which have made her who she is today, stating "Shunning is as precise as a scalpel, an absolute excision leaving, miraculously, not a trace of a scar on the community body. The scarring is left for the girl, an intense, debilitating wound that weeps for the rest of her life" (Hall xxvii).
Using Without a Map as my primary text, I will explore how Meredith Hall utilizes the genre of memoir to find her own answers. I will examine the psychology behind Hall's abandonment and how she uses her personal truth as a catalyst to find a greater truth: an understanding of past events.
Throughout her story, Hall focuses on the idea of shunning and abandonment, both within her family and her community in Hampton, NH. In her introduction, she explores the position of her 16 year old self in the midst of both familial and social disapproval, within a town full of tolerated imperfection; "They were the Community" (Hall xi). It is obvious that in writing Without a Map, Hall has given herself the opportunity to explore her life and the incidences which have made her who she is today, stating "Shunning is as precise as a scalpel, an absolute excision leaving, miraculously, not a trace of a scar on the community body. The scarring is left for the girl, an intense, debilitating wound that weeps for the rest of her life" (Hall xxvii).
Using Without a Map as my primary text, I will explore how Meredith Hall utilizes the genre of memoir to find her own answers. I will examine the psychology behind Hall's abandonment and how she uses her personal truth as a catalyst to find a greater truth: an understanding of past events.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Observing Myself
One of the first things I can say about my previous posts is that they are LONG. Really long. Ugh, I'm honestly surprised that the people in my group have "suffered" through reading all my jargon! Thank you all!
I spoke to fiance (an avid blogger) a week ago about how if I were writing an actual blog for personal purposes or what-have-you, most people would probably skip over my blog posts because no one has the patience to read through anything more than 500 words. I'm pretty sure my posts run a bit over that maximum. It's a problem I suppose I have always had as a writer. I am very into stream-of-consciousness type things. Often times when I sit to write my blog I find myself thinking about A LOT and cannot decide what to write about specifically and I feel like that clearly comes across...that I just couldn't decide on a topic. And I suppose that's something I can work on. I find that when I was given something specific to write about, for example, my first entry about Hurricane Katrina, I was a lot more reserved and precise. After that, I went a little haywire. The only other short, blunt post I have is a letter to Don Dellilo about his book Falling Man.
On average, my posts are around 7 paragraphs long, aside from the 9 paragraphs in the entry about 9/11. The entries get notably longer and the paragraphs get notably thicker as time goes on. I think this is because most of them, I make into a personal thing. I find that as a writer, I feel more secure when adding ideas and thoughts from my own point of view, whereas when I write something critical or something that I have to do research for, I feel a lot less confident about my work. When I write an analysis of a work I always find myself cringing as I edit because I can't help but feel that I write best when it's non-fiction or a personal narrative of some sort. I've always felt that this is my forte.
For example, in my post about the Falling Man...it was not necessary for me to write about where I was on Sept. 11 and what I felt on that day. In my post regarding torture, I didn't have to go off on a rant of what I think torture is and how I feel we live in a violent culture. I could have easily gone directly into the topic at hand, yet I found the need for some personal background information that wasn't required/necessary. No one asked me to write about it--I just did. It's an impulse. I've always felt that reader responses should be personal rather than strictly analytical. In this way, I am okay with the way I write because I feel like it allows me to grow as a person and as a writer. I love responding to texts in a way that not only makes me think, but makes me analyze the way I live my life, how I identifiy, how I interact with other people, etc.
I spoke to fiance (an avid blogger) a week ago about how if I were writing an actual blog for personal purposes or what-have-you, most people would probably skip over my blog posts because no one has the patience to read through anything more than 500 words. I'm pretty sure my posts run a bit over that maximum. It's a problem I suppose I have always had as a writer. I am very into stream-of-consciousness type things. Often times when I sit to write my blog I find myself thinking about A LOT and cannot decide what to write about specifically and I feel like that clearly comes across...that I just couldn't decide on a topic. And I suppose that's something I can work on. I find that when I was given something specific to write about, for example, my first entry about Hurricane Katrina, I was a lot more reserved and precise. After that, I went a little haywire. The only other short, blunt post I have is a letter to Don Dellilo about his book Falling Man.
On average, my posts are around 7 paragraphs long, aside from the 9 paragraphs in the entry about 9/11. The entries get notably longer and the paragraphs get notably thicker as time goes on. I think this is because most of them, I make into a personal thing. I find that as a writer, I feel more secure when adding ideas and thoughts from my own point of view, whereas when I write something critical or something that I have to do research for, I feel a lot less confident about my work. When I write an analysis of a work I always find myself cringing as I edit because I can't help but feel that I write best when it's non-fiction or a personal narrative of some sort. I've always felt that this is my forte.
For example, in my post about the Falling Man...it was not necessary for me to write about where I was on Sept. 11 and what I felt on that day. In my post regarding torture, I didn't have to go off on a rant of what I think torture is and how I feel we live in a violent culture. I could have easily gone directly into the topic at hand, yet I found the need for some personal background information that wasn't required/necessary. No one asked me to write about it--I just did. It's an impulse. I've always felt that reader responses should be personal rather than strictly analytical. In this way, I am okay with the way I write because I feel like it allows me to grow as a person and as a writer. I love responding to texts in a way that not only makes me think, but makes me analyze the way I live my life, how I identifiy, how I interact with other people, etc.
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