Sunday, November 18, 2007

BB "Letters"

This chapter, even though it's very short, will be really helpful when I'm revising my paper. Since our genealogy focuses primarily on our own personal stories, this chapter by Lamott really relates. I have to give more detail to most of my personal events, so using her method of writing to someone I know will work well I think. If I act as if I'm writing to someone personally, more of the story will come out truthfully and emotionally. It will allow me to better explain my story from my own perspective and what I truly felt during that event.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Nietzsche - Genealogy of Morals

Before I started, I thought that this would take me forever to get through and that it would be a very tough read. Luckily, I was quite wrong. I really liked reading this genealogy; I may actually finish the rest of it this weekend. I found it highly intriguing. Tracing the origins "good" and "evil" is a surprisingly interesting topic! After reading this six sections, I think that one of Nietzsche's main ideas is that historically "good" has always been tied to words that were associated with the nobility, aristocracy, and high-level people. Consequently, "bad" comes from the association with commonality, plainness, and vulgarity. It's so remarkable to see how our current language and prejudices have been defined and shaped by the past. It's absolutely fascinating in my opinion.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

MS - Scott McCloud

I found this "essay" both interesting and entertaining. Before reading this, I had been stereotyping comics like most other people. I thought that they were just for kids and only dealt with superheroes and such. McCloud really opened my eyes on that big mistake. Before, I would have looked at a picture of a wall of heiroglyphics in my history book as just that, heiroglyphics; but now I'll see them as a sort of comic strip.

Although his eventual definition of comics is a bit lengthy, he seems to cover all the bases without making it too broad or too narrow. That's a bit tough to accomplish, but I think that we can apply it to our own definition of the term we've chosen for our essay. A precise definition isn't the main goal of our essay but I think it creating one will play some sort of role, at least in forming our ideas and structure within our drafts.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

MS - Thomas Kuhn

This essay definitely made me look at all of my old science textbooks differently. I had never really questioned the information that science textbooks gave me; I always accepted the fact that so-and-so discovered whatever at this time and place. I'm a bit surprised that I had never been curious about those specific dates and places before. It makes sense after reading this essay that discovery doesn't just suddenly happen. There's not typically an "aha!" moment. It takes weeks, months, or years to fully understand what was "discovered." Whenever I hear or read something that claims that someone discovered some scientific idea or object I will think back to this essay and Kuhn's examples.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

MS "The Loss of the Creature"

This was a bit difficult to get through at times but I did find it pretty interesting. Walker Percy's focus is what true and actual discovery really is. I could easily relate to his passage about trying to get "it" from a vacation. When I was in Yellowstone National Park I often felt the same way. It seemed like my experience was already laid out by the travel books and guides that my mom brought along. I tried to find "it" by travelling off the path by myself to discover what Yellowstone was supposed to really mean. I thought I was successful but after finishing this essay I'm not so sure I was. I never tried to find an "expert" so that they could say my experience was genuine and truly "it," but Percy's words make me think that I was still missing out on something. On a different note, I had never really viewed education as a "package." I think that's quite an intriguing way to look at things. It really makes you think and question.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

BB "Radio Station, Jealousy, & Writer's Block"

I found the chapter about KFKD really helpful. I tend to fall prey to the voices in my head, especially the negative ones. It really can kill your self-esteem if you let that happen to often. I always try to shout out those voices but it truly is easier said than done. I do plan to try her technique about following your breathing though. Hopefully it will be of some use to me.

I could relate to the section on jealousy as well. Although it doesn't really apply all that much to this class, her tips are useful for life in general. That's what I love about this book; its main focus is on writing but she gives you all of this advice about life at the same time. I'm trying to take all of her messages to heart.

I liked the chapter on writer's block the most. The best advice that she gives is "to live as if I am dying." I think that is definitely one of the best ways to go through life. Viewing your life like that gives you the opportunity to truly appreciate everything and everyone around you. You really come to value everything that life has to offer. I really wish that I could put this idea into practice; I always seem to get too caught up in the small, pointless things of life.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Web Articles

First of all, let me just say that I honestly have no idea what's going on in Lyotard's article. I read it through twice and still can't really grasp what exactly he's getting at. Luckily, I did fare better with the O'Hara article. Firstly, I liked his way of writing and word choice. It is common language but it still flows well and sounds intelligent. I also liked his message regarding poetry. You write poetry for yourself or maybe for that "special someone" or whoever. You don't write it for the general public or to try to send a message to society or something. That's not the purpose of poetry: it's supposed to be personal. When it comes to "personism" I was a bit confused about what exactly he meant but I think he was trying to get at the idea that poetry should avoid the abstract. Personism allows you to write specifically to someone rather than an abstract concept or idea. At least, that's what I got out of his manifesto.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

MS - "keeping close to home"

I found this essay a bit long-winded at times. Some of her sentences are so long that you have to refer back to the first part in order to remember what she's discussing. Besides that issue, I thought this piece was a bit interesting. It was intriguing to see life, especially college life, from the perspective of a black woman. Varying points of view on topics such as assimilation and the perpetuation of racism aren't typically shown in high school classrooms. I've always liked discussing various topics and issues from several viewpoints. It expands your own way of thinking and helps define who you are and where you're coming from. For instance, I had never consciously realized how tiny items, like footnotes, can radically change the apparent audience and tone of one's writing. The idea that footnotes makes a piece of writing more "academic" has always been there in my mind but I never actually thought about how that idea affects my viewpoint. I guess, in the end, I like the semi-philosophical message of her essay.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

MS (537-544) - "From a Native Daughter"

This was a very intriguing essay especially since I'm such a lover of history. This may sound somewhat odd but I actually felt a bit ashamed after reading it. I'd never realized how ignorant historians can be. I know that their goal isn't to neglect a group of people, but seeing Trask's story is heartbreaking at least from a historical perspective. To blatantly avoid capturing the true nature of the Hawaiians is horrible and inexcusable. I'm sure her story isn't limited only to Hawaii. I'm willing to guarantee that people from other colonized nations have similar stories to tell. Although most of the blame in Trask's case can be placed on the white Western historians, I think that her criticisms of historians in general can refer to all oppressor nations and cultures. History is always told by the conquerors and winners. Thus, the "real" story and history may never be told. Her essay really shed light on the issues that I may have to deal with and overcome later on in my career. Her story has definitely made a lasting impact on me.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

MS - Rodriguez

I actually found this essay really fascinating. Plus, I believe it's really important to understand his ideas right now with all of the problems with immigration from Mexico and such. I think the main reason why I like his essay so much is that I have a quite a few friends who are multi-racial. They've told me about how they struggle to find a term or name for themselves. I also totally agree with Rodriguez's statement about how America is no longer simply a black and white situation. We have so many different races and ethnicities but no one seems to want to realize that or deal with the situation. I'm one of the people that he mentioned who say that immigrants represent "true" Americans who really demonstrate what being American actually means. I guess I'm one of the romantics when it comes to America and its history of immigration. In the end, I think all Americans should learn and discuss the ideas that Rodriguez talks about in this essay. It's important for all of us to understand how our nation is changing and how we can accept that change.

Monday, October 8, 2007

BB (97-109)

"Looking Around"

Lamott states that in order to be a good writer you need to be able to view the world around you as if you were an outsider looking in. I think that's the best way to be objective and really grasp and understand what's happening around you. I sometimes find myself doing just that while I'm doing something monotonous. I look around and try to see myself and those near me through someone else's eyes. It's kind of a trippy sort of experience. It gives you a completely different perspective on people and the world and can easily be the jumping off point for writing.

"Moral Point of View"

In this chapter Lamott discusses how you really need to be passionate about what you're writing in order to get any "truth" or moral idea across to the reader. This relates to my previous post about the quote in Sommers' essay. Lamott states how "truth doesn't come out in bumper stickers." It takes much more than a few words or sentences to fully capture the truth. That's very similar to what I was talking about in that blog. I also thought it was interesting when she brought up how people tend to find the "bad guys" much more fascinating than the typical good guy. I totally agree. I'd much prefer to analyze a bad guy's actions than a good guy's.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

A Selection from the Sommers Essay

"And the answers they do reveal themselves to me at the most unexpected times. I have been led astray more than once while searching books for the truth."

This short passage caught my attention when I first read it but I was totally unsure as to why I found it so interesting at first glance. Then I began to realize that I can relate to these two statements. I, like Sommers, had once held the belief that books always contain the truth; it just takes time for you to find it. Now I understand that books are only the gateway to truth. The author may state their own personal idea of the truth, in a sense their truth, but finding the real truth means creating your own. Now I'm not talking about basic facts in an encyclopedia or something. I'm talking about the truth regarding reality and the beliefs and convictions we hold dear. I think that's what Sommers is getting at as well. There's not going to be a book out there that has all of the answers laid out right at your fingertips. It takes some serious thinking and analyzing to get to your own personal truth. The book may have little bits of "the truth" scattered here and there but it's your job to connect them and make sense of it all. And it's not as if you suddenly have an eureka moment after pondering your truth for a little while. Your answer, aka your truth, will come when you least expect it. You'll be doing something completely random some day and then it will slowly dawn on you. And I don't think it will come all at once either. Slowly over time you'll discover little tidbits and pieces about what you truly believe deep in your soul and how you actually view and judge your world. That is the truth that Sommers refers to. The only way you can achieve that personal truth is by using books as a starting point, not an endpoint.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

MS (453-462) "I Stand Here Writing"

"Being academic does not mean being remote, distant, imponderable." This is the best quote from Sommers' essay. I think that it's a very important idea that every student should thoroughly understand. It seems that I've always been taught to keep myself completely out of my paper. My "voice" should appear but my opinions and thoughts regarding the topic should be totally invisible. It's refreshing to hear that being academic in a paper doesn't mean you have to be 100% distant. I also like how she states that you should become your own personal source. You don't have to take every single one of your ideas from someone else's mouth. I've never looked at myself in that way while I'm writing.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Informing Myself

The tip that I can apply to my paper is the idea of getting more informed about contemporary art. I only have a limited background on that subject. Since I am writing a critical essay, I should have a substantial amount of knowledge about the type of art I do not like and what precisely I would like to see changed. Otherwise, my statements are unfounded and may not be credible or truthful. Plus, expanding my knowledge base allows me to go into more detail within my essay. It will also give me more confidence in my statements and opinions regarding art and its true definition.

Monday, September 24, 2007

My Essay vs. "The Owl Has Flown"

I attempted to emulate Birkerts’ essay in at least some respects although there are numerous differences between mine and his. I like the way he used oppositions throughout his piece in order to get his point across. It also set up an easy organizational scheme. I would like to carry that organization over into my own essay. I don’t think I have that quite figured out in my own essay yet but I plan to work on that this week.

In many ways, Sven Birkerts’ essay is quite different from mine. First of all, “The Owl Has Flown” flows very smoothly and transitions easily from one topic to the next. My essay, on the other hand, lacks smooth transition. I change topics rather choppily. Furthermore, my essay doesn’t have a lot of varied sentence length. The majority of my sentences are pretty long although they don’t really seem to ramble. Birkerts also uses extensive examples and historical evidence to justify his argument and persuade the reader. My essay doesn’t have much evidence as support; I only use the references to the two articles in Making Sense.

These two essays have two main similarities. Firstly, both use a critical structure. Birkerts pushes for a change in the way we currently read and take in information. I would like to alter art’s current trend when it comes to style and subject matter. We both have a specific goal in mind. The other similarity is the perspective of the essay. Both are personal opinion and are subjective.

BB (195-201)

Past teachers have always stressed the importance of voice in an essay. In the days of the district-wide essay rubric, voice was always the easiest points to score. Today, when I think about this essay on art, I struggle with finding my “voice.” I never really know whether it’s there in my paper or not. Lamott made me realize that voice is truly the key to your story, or in our case, essay. Although, I think that voice is harder to grasp in an essay than in creative writing.

I also don’t want to get stuck in the mode of using another person’s essay as the precise model for mine. The problem is that it’s just so easy to use another person’s structure and organization. It takes the stress out of creating your personal structure. I’ll just have to focus on getting some ideas and tips from the Making Sense essays rather than completely borrowing the set-up.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

BB (151-171, 80-84)

The idea of criticism is rather frightening. I know that I’m usually afraid to let anyone else read my work. I have this immense fear that they’re going to say that I’m the worst writer they’ve ever seen and that I shouldn’t even consider picking up a pen again. I know it’s dumb to think that but I do nonetheless. I can totally relate to that section in the reading. I’ll definitely be scared to get my rough draft back from everyone who reads it. It’ll be completely covered in comments and cross-outs. I’m not looking forward to that moment.

I can also relate to the concept of false starts. I always have this concrete idea of what exactly I’m writing about but then by the end of it I have some completely unexpected result. I don’t think that’s a bad thing but it’s sometimes rather surprising to see how you really had no idea what you were going to end up with.

Monday, September 17, 2007

"The Wall, the Screen, and the Image" by Marita Sturken

I visited the Vietnam War Memorial over a year ago with my AP Government and Politics class. It was an extremely moving experience. Seeing all of the personal momentos and pictures that people left there was so touching. I specifically remember there was a box of Dots (the candy) left by one of the engraved names and there was a note about how it was the soldier's favorite candy before he was killed. For some reason that specific memory sticks out in my mind.

I had heard about the controversy over the designer and the additional statues but I had never realized how many different sides there were to the issue. I guess I just never imagined that Vietnman veterans would heatedly argue over a memorial dedicated to them and their lost friends and comrades. That kind of shocked me.

I also never thought to analyze the precise design of the wall. While I was there I did pick up on the symbolism of the reflection the wall creates, but I hadn't even thought about the way it cuts into the earth and the color of the actual wall. I think it's a bit sad that people were so divided over the creation of this memorial. I would think, or at least hope, that people would unite to create a meaningful remembrance of a finished war, but apparently I was wrong.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

BB (21-32) & Web Articles

“Shitty First Drafts”

I can completely relate to the problem of shitty first drafts. I had always feared that I was the only one who suffered from this issue. It’s so nice to know that everyone, even professionals, create almost worthless first drafts. I just hope that I can get to those third drafts where everything is perfected and neat.

“Perfectionism”

Before I even began this chapter, I knew that I could definitely learn something from it. I definitely consider myself a perfectionist to the fullest extent. This semester I’m going to work on reducing the constant voice that perfectionism puts inside my head. It will be tough but I’ll do my best to put these thoughts behind me.

“How to Say Nothing in 500 Words”

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of simply restating the general arguments that everyone will have in their essay; I know I have many times. It seems that writing about something unusual will be a bit more difficult but I think that the actual writing will be easier. If you’re writing about something from a different perspective, then it will become more interesting to you and therefore easier and more enjoyable to write about. I will attempt to take a less obvious side from now on.

“Freewriting”

Freewriting is one of the best ways to get your ideas out. You focus only on the task at hand and just keep going till it no longer comes. I’ve already used the practice of freewriting when I was creating my own personal definition of art. I just kept writing all of my thoughts about art until I couldn’t think of anymore. This practice is my favorite way to “get the ball rolling” as they say.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

"The Owl Has Flown" by Sven Birkerts

I think it's pretty true when Birkerts says that "The old growth forests of philosophy have been logged and the owl of Minerva has fled." I'm pretty sure that true wisdom is rather rare these days. People always get so caught up in life that they don't allow themselves to see the "complete picture." The majority don't want to take the time to see beyond the obvious facts and make connections between them. They simply want to finish what they're currently reading and quickly move onto the next thing on their list. I admit that I've fallen into this mode as well, especially when I'm trying to decide on something new to read. There's just so much to choose from, even within a single topic, that it's completely overwhelming and I have no clue where to start. Then once I finish one book I want to start another so that I can cover as much ground as possible.

When it comes to serious reading, I'm definitely one of those people who will "crack the covers and slip into an alternate world." That's why I love reading so much. It's my escape from reality; I get to immerse myself and my thoughts in some totally different world, even if only for a short time. I don't think I'll ever abandon my skill of reading seriously.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

"Imagination & Reality" by Jeanette Winterson

Although Winterson made some valid points in her essay there are a few statements that I disagree with. For instance, her belief that"the education system is not designed to turn out thoughtful individualists, it is there to get us to work," is nonsense to me. Although that statement may be true for some students I think that the majority of students, especially those in college, use their education to become unique individuals with their own thoughts and opinions. I personally think that she went a little too much on the offensive against American society and culture. I understand that our society isn't perfect and that all of us are materialistic, at least to some extent, but it's not as if our entire population are a bunch of machines that only view things from a completely materialistic point of view. I just think she was a bit harsh in her criticism. She also seems to think most people who claim to like art are frauds and cannot truly appreciate art: "To recognise the worth of a thing is more than recognising its worth to you." I think most people do truly try to appreciate art in every way that they can. They're not just parading around claiming to like art so that they seem tasteful or classy. Although I don't agree with all of her points, she does still make some compelling observations.

Monday, September 10, 2007

"In Plato's Cave" by Susan Sontag

The semi-history of photography: I never thought I'd find it all that interesting but reading about all the different aspects that Sontag presents was more exciting than I thought it'd be. I had never truly realized how many different views there could be for only one photograph. Now that I think about it, it does make sense. You take your own idea out of a photo; everyone can have their own individual interpretation, just like our descriptions of the painting in the coffee shop. Since I love history I do know that photos have played a very important role in America but I never knew how many other purposes photographs can serve. The possibilities are basically unlimited. I like Sontag's statement that taking a photo makes an event or object immortal in some ways. It's an interesting concept that I'd never really considered. By taking a picture you're capturing the world at that precise moment and it will always live on in the moment once the picture is developed. On a different note, I have to admit that I'm definitely one of those people that always takes a camera on a vacation, but I never realized how obsessed we Americans are with our photos. I must say that this piece pretty much opened my eyes to the wide world of photography.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

BB (33-43)

"School Lunches"

I never really thought about it, but back in the public school days, the contents of your sandwich really did say something about you and your parents. Everyone around you would make unspoken judgments based solely on what your sandwich was made of. Anything other than plain old Wonderbread registered on the "weird factor," at least when it came to the outer shell of your sandwich. Luckily those types of judgments are no longer made; at least I believe they're no longer being made. I honestly hope that adults have risen above that level.

"Polaroids"

You never know where your writing may take you. That's the lesson of this chapter and I love it. Your thoughts and ideas will take shape as you go along. Don't stress over your final destination. You should just go with flow and see what happens. It's as simple as that; man, do I love simplicity!

Thursday, September 6, 2007

The Coffee Shop Painting

At first glance, one’s eyes are not quite sure what to focus on first. Should they find the birch trees in the background? Or the bush with berries on the right? Or the spot of sunlight coming down right through the tops of the trees? After taking the entire painting in, the intense variety of greens will register. They range from a dark olive hue to a light, almost-white shade. When looking more closely at the painting one will see the small, but noticeable flowers on the tips of some of the blades of grass and the red berries attached to the leaves on the bush. After examining the ferns, grasses, and other assorted plants, the viewer may see the painting as if it were a photograph; possibly one that a hiker may have taken while on a trek through the forest. The hiker may have stopped to rest for a minute and suddenly realized the natural beauty of the calm, undisturbed forest with the morning sun showing itself through the trees. The painting fully captures that splendor.

Reading Reflection (BB 3-20)

First let me say that I was originally expecting Bird by Bird to be a pretty dull book. Boy was I wrong! Any book that has “Shitty First Drafts” as a chapter title cannot possibly be qualified as dull! I love her style because it seems as if she’s simply speaking with you face to face. It’s undeniably a nice change from the books for my other classes. Anyways, onto the rest of the assignment.

For me the concept of the one-inch picture frame is absolutely brilliant! Who wouldn’t want to make the task of writing less daunting? The answer: no one! Taking things step by step rather than obsessing over the overwhelming “big picture” is truly the way to go. It’ll save time, frustration, and tons of stress. Sign me up! I definitely plan on using Lamott’s philosophy as I work through all of my assignments and papers in every single one of my classes. If only I could have discovered this earlier and saved some hectic times in high school.

I also really like the fact that Lamott is completely honest with you when it comes to writing. She tells you straight out that it’s difficult and it’s going to feel excruciatingly painful at times. Realizing this will only make it easier to deal with the hell that one will often runs into as a writer. Once again, I believe this idea can be applied to daily life. Nothing comes easy, and the sooner that we all realize that, the sooner we can move on and actually begin enjoying life. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this book so I can not only improve my writing skills but improve my overall life as well. Thank you English 170 also known as the Writing Seminar!