Annie Dillard's "Total Eclipse", is a first person account on the unnaturally natural phenomena known as a total eclipse. As she details her experience, Dillard comes out of the other side of this celestial event changed and effected in a deep and personal way. Through brilliant imagery and simple, but effective word choice, Dillard creates an atmosphere of unnaturalness and organised confusion. She makes you feel as if when she was on that mountain with the other stargazers, the happening of the total eclipse signified the world making a mistake. The first example of this was when Dillard stated " I turned back to the sun. It was going. The sun was going, and the world was wrong". The brilliance in those lines didn't shine through in the use a elegant wordplay or astrological jargon. What made these lines jump out to me was the blunt, no nonsense way in which she described the total eclipse. Nothing fancy was used because nothing fancy was needed. She described her experience as if she was writing for that exact moment, with no time for reflection. what came to her mind at that moment in time simply was that "the world was wrong".
Friday, December 11, 2015
Blog Assignment # 7 Final Blog Post
I Hate Goodbyes...
This semester of creative nonfiction afforded me a confirmation on what I had already believed. Creative writing is truly an art form. As an English major, I've written hundreds of essays and papers, all following the time tested guideline of thesis, body, conclusion. And while I was good at them, I never felt anything for them. It was all too uniform, too impersonal. This class offered me a space to break that convention and truly make and witness art. Witness the writing styles of my fellow classmates made me feel as if we bonded in a way that was much personal. To view someones writing is like a peek into their soul, a peek into who they are and what they feel, and while it is scary to give someone that type of access, I truly believe we are all the better for it.
As for my own writing, it was exhilarating to create a world out of real life experiences. That is an aspect that you might not fully appreciate when writing works of fiction. One expects it to be grandiose and whimsical. But to make magic out of the real world, is a gift and has made me look back at all of the individual spaces of time in my past and seeing how a story can be made. Ive never felt such freedom before, and to be honest... I don't know if i can go back to strict academia style writing. Every thing that I have written in this class had a small piece of "me" in it. a style that can't be replicated and mass produced. Everything meant something here. And it all becomes so much more real when it is put out in the real, or digital world. to have world fly out of your head endlessly at one moment, only to spent up to 15 minutes trying to make a sentence work perfectly... I felt like a director. And whose to say I'm not? That we all aren't? This is a class that lets one make fantasy out of reality. And I hate to see it go. As i'm writing this last piece for the class, it's bittersweet. But i've gained something amazing here. Something that I'll keep forever. Thank you.
I Hate Goodbyes...
This semester of creative nonfiction afforded me a confirmation on what I had already believed. Creative writing is truly an art form. As an English major, I've written hundreds of essays and papers, all following the time tested guideline of thesis, body, conclusion. And while I was good at them, I never felt anything for them. It was all too uniform, too impersonal. This class offered me a space to break that convention and truly make and witness art. Witness the writing styles of my fellow classmates made me feel as if we bonded in a way that was much personal. To view someones writing is like a peek into their soul, a peek into who they are and what they feel, and while it is scary to give someone that type of access, I truly believe we are all the better for it.
As for my own writing, it was exhilarating to create a world out of real life experiences. That is an aspect that you might not fully appreciate when writing works of fiction. One expects it to be grandiose and whimsical. But to make magic out of the real world, is a gift and has made me look back at all of the individual spaces of time in my past and seeing how a story can be made. Ive never felt such freedom before, and to be honest... I don't know if i can go back to strict academia style writing. Every thing that I have written in this class had a small piece of "me" in it. a style that can't be replicated and mass produced. Everything meant something here. And it all becomes so much more real when it is put out in the real, or digital world. to have world fly out of your head endlessly at one moment, only to spent up to 15 minutes trying to make a sentence work perfectly... I felt like a director. And whose to say I'm not? That we all aren't? This is a class that lets one make fantasy out of reality. And I hate to see it go. As i'm writing this last piece for the class, it's bittersweet. But i've gained something amazing here. Something that I'll keep forever. Thank you.
Blog Assignment # 6:responding to a piece of Literary Journalism
A Felons Last Days Of Freedom
http://www.narrative.ly/family-style/a-felons-last-days-of-freedom/
"Deemed a kingpin, the judge set his bail at $250,000 and offered him a sentence of 25-to-life, to which he responded, “Who’d I kill?”"
This Literary Profile, told by Ben Cleeton follows the story of Louis Charleman, AKA "Green Eyes" as he prepares to for his impending seven year incarceration. Green eyes grew up in Puerto Rico Stealing cars and selling them at local chop shops to make quick cash, As a result, he has been in and out of prison his entire life. When he moved to Brooklyn in the late 80's, one of his occupations besides working as a mechanic, was selling drugs to which he used the money to support his brother and mother. After twenty years living in the city, the law eventually caught up with him as he was believed to be connected in a major drug operation stretching from Puerto Rico to the states. Originally sentenced 25 years to life, he was able to work out a plea deal for seven years. and this profile is his preparation for his sentence.
What's so intriguing about this story was the fact that most stories about jail time come after the sentence has been given. This is th first time I've been able to experience the "before" of it. To see what it does to family and ones own mental state. The line "At Cayuga Correctional Facility, the 47-year-old is known as “Viejo,” the old man." this line was significant to me because this goes to show how deeply embedded Green Eyes was in the correctional system. He is a prison veteran. Another line that struck a cord with me was "Ellissia Maisonet now refers to herself as Green Eyes’ “ex-stepdaughter,” ever since he cheated on her mom." this was powerful because it show how this upcoming incarceration lead Green Eyes to be unfaithful, and that decision caused the family to break down and drift apart.
This was a piece that didnt need fancy storytelling or larger than life set pieces to work. This was a story about real life, where the experience did all the storytelling for us. The real life struggles of Green Eyes and his family that he is to leave behind made this truly compelling.
A Felons Last Days Of Freedom
http://www.narrative.ly/family-style/a-felons-last-days-of-freedom/
"Deemed a kingpin, the judge set his bail at $250,000 and offered him a sentence of 25-to-life, to which he responded, “Who’d I kill?”"
This Literary Profile, told by Ben Cleeton follows the story of Louis Charleman, AKA "Green Eyes" as he prepares to for his impending seven year incarceration. Green eyes grew up in Puerto Rico Stealing cars and selling them at local chop shops to make quick cash, As a result, he has been in and out of prison his entire life. When he moved to Brooklyn in the late 80's, one of his occupations besides working as a mechanic, was selling drugs to which he used the money to support his brother and mother. After twenty years living in the city, the law eventually caught up with him as he was believed to be connected in a major drug operation stretching from Puerto Rico to the states. Originally sentenced 25 years to life, he was able to work out a plea deal for seven years. and this profile is his preparation for his sentence.
What's so intriguing about this story was the fact that most stories about jail time come after the sentence has been given. This is th first time I've been able to experience the "before" of it. To see what it does to family and ones own mental state. The line "At Cayuga Correctional Facility, the 47-year-old is known as “Viejo,” the old man." this line was significant to me because this goes to show how deeply embedded Green Eyes was in the correctional system. He is a prison veteran. Another line that struck a cord with me was "Ellissia Maisonet now refers to herself as Green Eyes’ “ex-stepdaughter,” ever since he cheated on her mom." this was powerful because it show how this upcoming incarceration lead Green Eyes to be unfaithful, and that decision caused the family to break down and drift apart.
This was a piece that didnt need fancy storytelling or larger than life set pieces to work. This was a story about real life, where the experience did all the storytelling for us. The real life struggles of Green Eyes and his family that he is to leave behind made this truly compelling.
Blog Assignment # 5 Planning an Interview for a Personal Profile
A Star Is Molded
For my literary profile, I've chosen to interview my good friend Khari . Khari is a 20
year old aspiring actor who currently has played lead roles in three college productions with a
fourth on the horizon. I've watched time mold Mr. Constantine from an awkward and odd looking
freshman in high school, to a strapping young gentleman with a raucous and dramatic personally, A
trait I've been told is a necessity if one wishes to pursue a career in theater. My interview
questions are as follows...
- Being that you are of Caribbean descent and household, was there any opposition to you
pursuing an acting career?
2. What was the experience of playing lead role to your first theater production?
3. What sort of preparation goes into a production on your part?
4. Have you ever had to deal with difficult individuals on set?
5. What production have enjoyed the most/least?
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