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?
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Blog Assignment #4 reading Demetria Martinez "Inherit the Earth; The Things They Carried
Blog Assignment #4 reading Demetria Martinez "Inherit the Earth; The Things They Carried
Of all the persuasive pieces i've read, “the Things they carried” holds a special place in my memory banks due to the fact that it didn't seem to ask anything of me upfront. While it would have been infinitely easier to bombard the reader with heart wrenching sentence after sentence, Martinez decides to instead let the reader figure out how they want to tackle this piece emotionally by simply telling the cold, raw, unedited truth of what is left behind from these immigrants who are trying to get to a new life. She uses the lists technique to bring a sort of arithmetic feel to the plights of these people. She notes thing such as “empty plastic water jugs, a backpack, a baby bottle, soap, Colgate toothpaste, a hairbrush…” and other thing that were found on the desolate sands of the Arizona. While this isn't inherently emotional, it is real. This is the type of writing that doesn't need to rely on manipulative tactics; rather its strength comes from the fact that it seems almost robotic in its explanation. It's not cheerful nor sad, it just is. Another example of her call-it-as-i-see-it-style comes when she recollects a border patrol worker describing that he one found an abandoned baby stroller to which he adds “We’ve even found a baby’s cowboy boots with silver tips”. This quote leaves the reader with that familiar warm feeling whenever a child is involved. It is then added that “he doesn't know what fate the owner of the stroller or the babies met”. Again Martinez isn't shouting to the reader “isn't this horrible!?”. She simply says “this is what happened”.
One of the hardships that persuasive pieces go through is the sense that the work is always filled with heavy debilitating emotion. And while this is a time tested and proven tactic, I’ve always considered the move as cheap and easy. Too forced if the prior seems too harsh. That's not to say that this pathos driven style is a bad one. It just seems that when all of that emotion is shoved down your throat, it is entirely possible the reader might make a conscious decision to reject whatever the author was trying to persuade to them. Because no matter what, no one likes to feel manipulated. Demetria Martinez and her piece “The Things They Carried” brilliantly finds a way to convey the struggles of Individuals who are trying to cross the border through acute subtlety rather than blaring in your face emotion.
Of all the persuasive pieces i've read, “the Things they carried” holds a special place in my memory banks due to the fact that it didn't seem to ask anything of me upfront. While it would have been infinitely easier to bombard the reader with heart wrenching sentence after sentence, Martinez decides to instead let the reader figure out how they want to tackle this piece emotionally by simply telling the cold, raw, unedited truth of what is left behind from these immigrants who are trying to get to a new life. She uses the lists technique to bring a sort of arithmetic feel to the plights of these people. She notes thing such as “empty plastic water jugs, a backpack, a baby bottle, soap, Colgate toothpaste, a hairbrush…” and other thing that were found on the desolate sands of the Arizona. While this isn't inherently emotional, it is real. This is the type of writing that doesn't need to rely on manipulative tactics; rather its strength comes from the fact that it seems almost robotic in its explanation. It's not cheerful nor sad, it just is. Another example of her call-it-as-i-see-it-style comes when she recollects a border patrol worker describing that he one found an abandoned baby stroller to which he adds “We’ve even found a baby’s cowboy boots with silver tips”. This quote leaves the reader with that familiar warm feeling whenever a child is involved. It is then added that “he doesn't know what fate the owner of the stroller or the babies met”. Again Martinez isn't shouting to the reader “isn't this horrible!?”. She simply says “this is what happened”.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Blog Assignment # 3 Sebastio Salgado eng 274
Their eyes told me everything I didn't want to know. I didn't want to know that they were hungry. I didn't want to know that they were scared. I didn't want to know that these 3 infant boys have seen more hell in their tiny lifespans than I have experienced in my entire twenty one years of "struggle". I stumble upon these innocents wrapped in what I can say appeared to be the warmest and most comfortable looking quilt i had ever layed eyes on. Although my admiration might have come from low expectations, since the blanket was held centerpiece to a hut comprised of mud, twigs, and the sense that the home of these children would exist as long as there wasn't a heavy rainfall or an abnormal gust of wind. To say it was the best of a bad situation would be to discredit the efforts of the individual who so tenderly wrapped them up in the blanket, and to even be able to make that statement just shows how "fine" Ive always been.
The child on the left stared back at me with a mix of lazy indifference and mild interest, as if to say "I cant stop you from hurting me. But if at all possible, please don't." The child on the left was the most upsetting of the three. The first thought that came after gazing upon his dulled face was that he was too young to have to know what the concept of giving up is. "Do what you will, it's all I know", that was the message he was telling me through his glazed over pupils. The middle child saved me from breaking, for he was defiant. Eyes alert and haunting, he had to be the oldest of the trio, and he will protect them by god he will.And his eyes screamed at me" disturb me or my brothers and I will let out such a scream it will follow you for the rest of your life!" To understand the the concept of protection before you're able to even babble... What have they seen? I ask, but then, I didn't want to know.
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