I definitely enjoy fiction much more than poetry. Although, some of these short shorts feel like poems anyway, like the Mystery stories. However, I can appreciate this kind of writing much more than poetry.
The first short story of the packet was called Survivors. I hated this story, because it reflected reality. I am really saddened by the fact that people with different sexual orientations are still so unaccepted in society. It is not fair that they have to survive while straight people live normally, for the most part. Adding the fact that the two men in this story are ill and going to die just makes it that much more heartbreaking. Also, all the personal details and bits and pieces the narrator reveals about their life makes it even more sad, and the fact that he refers to his boyfriend as his lover. It was just so sad and it made me very angry. It is incredible how much feeling and sadness the author packed into that tiny story.
I also read the Ungulated story about the woman and the deer that kept eating the plants in her garden. I really liked this story mostly because the language was so beautiful. The author was very descriptive and the garden I came to picture in my head while reading was very detailed and pretty. Aside from the language, I enjoyed the fact that the story became a metaphor for possibly thousands of different situations. So many possibilities to apply this message of determination to. Again, I find it really amazing that an author could put that much meaning into such a short story. It seems like it would be very difficult.
Thursday, 19 February 2015
Thursday, 12 February 2015
More Thoughts On More Goldberg
I find that I really enjoy the Goldberg book. I think the author is kind of funny and she keeps everything short and to the point which I appreciate in this kind of book. I mean the kind of book that is instructive. It'd be very tedious to have to read long chapters on her writing process. This second portion that we have been instructed to read was every bit as informative and entertaining as the first part. I really enjoy the flow of this book. Every chapter is connected but you could also open it up to any chapter, read it, and understand completely.
The chapter I spoke about in class was titled "What Are Your Deep Dreams?" and I said that I was intrigued by the fact that we have "periphery wishes" that we pay no attention to. It seems very silly to me to have wishes that we do not know about, but after thinking about it I think it is quite normal and actually I have a lot of periphery wishes. I feel like I should thank Goldberg for bringing them to my attention. Anyway, she says that writing without thinking too hard will bring out those subconscious dreams and you will make them real by putting them down on paper. She also said that by writing them down it makes them less avoidable, and maybe we will get around to achieving our deep dreams because of it. I absolutely agree.
Another chapter I enjoyed was the "Action of a Sentence" chapter. This chapter was fun to read and was actually very good advice, I think. I read often, and when I do I often wonder how authors come up with such unique descriptive ways of saying things. I'm convinced this must be how, and I plan to try it. Mainly, it seems like it would be very fun and also beneficial to my writing skills. Win/win.
Finally, I also loved the chapter on "Writing in Restaurants." Goldberg frequently talks about writing in cafes and public places throughout this entire book. I think it's a great idea, although, I don't think I've ever done it. It seems like it would be easier to write for a long period of time if I was somewhere quiet, but not too quiet. Somewhere with background noise, like a restaurant or cafe. For some reason trying to write in complete silence is really difficult. I find it curious though, that, in my opinion, it is much easier to read in complete silence than somewhere with background noise. Although, I could read almost anywhere, but it's true I'd much rather read in total silence and write with noise.
The chapter I spoke about in class was titled "What Are Your Deep Dreams?" and I said that I was intrigued by the fact that we have "periphery wishes" that we pay no attention to. It seems very silly to me to have wishes that we do not know about, but after thinking about it I think it is quite normal and actually I have a lot of periphery wishes. I feel like I should thank Goldberg for bringing them to my attention. Anyway, she says that writing without thinking too hard will bring out those subconscious dreams and you will make them real by putting them down on paper. She also said that by writing them down it makes them less avoidable, and maybe we will get around to achieving our deep dreams because of it. I absolutely agree.
Another chapter I enjoyed was the "Action of a Sentence" chapter. This chapter was fun to read and was actually very good advice, I think. I read often, and when I do I often wonder how authors come up with such unique descriptive ways of saying things. I'm convinced this must be how, and I plan to try it. Mainly, it seems like it would be very fun and also beneficial to my writing skills. Win/win.
Finally, I also loved the chapter on "Writing in Restaurants." Goldberg frequently talks about writing in cafes and public places throughout this entire book. I think it's a great idea, although, I don't think I've ever done it. It seems like it would be easier to write for a long period of time if I was somewhere quiet, but not too quiet. Somewhere with background noise, like a restaurant or cafe. For some reason trying to write in complete silence is really difficult. I find it curious though, that, in my opinion, it is much easier to read in complete silence than somewhere with background noise. Although, I could read almost anywhere, but it's true I'd much rather read in total silence and write with noise.
Wednesday, 4 February 2015
I Don't Understand Anything: Thoughts on Tocqueville from Tocqueville
I found it really frustrating that I could not figure out what even a small portion of this poem means. I don't understand how to read and decipher poetry. If I did I think I still would have no idea what's going on with this 20+ page poem.
The biggest issue I have with it is the format. It's super disjointed and there's no continuous flow. It's hard to read and understand when the narrative jumps around so much. I like the concept of including real people's stories but not when I don't know how to follow them. Some parts of the poem I can make some pretty good, I think, guesses about what he's trying to say but then the next part will be seemingly on a completely different train of thought. It is exhausting to try to string everything together.
I'm pretty sure, based on the other poems in the book and some of the discussion we have had in class, that basically the poem is supposed to be about global issues dealing with race and religion. Specifically, commenting on Middle Eastern relations and culture juxtaposed with and influenced by American culture. However, I can't really get any more specific because I'm just not sure. Every guess I make about the poem will have evidence supporting it and evidencing contradicting it so I don't think I can narrow it down much more. Maybe that is how it is supposed to be. I don't know.
I do like some things about Tocqueville. I like the language because it varies so much. In some parts it is casual dialogue, some parts are descriptive narratives, some parts are blunt criticisms; all of that together makes it an interesting experience to read. I also like that it is trying to convey an important and relevant message about American culture. I just wish I knew exactly what that message was.
Basically, my reaction to this poem is that I want someone to tell me exactly what the author is trying to say and how he's saying it so that I can go back to the beginning and reread it with that in mind so that hopefully it will all click into place and I can move on from this poem with something more than awful feelings of confusion and inadequacy.
The biggest issue I have with it is the format. It's super disjointed and there's no continuous flow. It's hard to read and understand when the narrative jumps around so much. I like the concept of including real people's stories but not when I don't know how to follow them. Some parts of the poem I can make some pretty good, I think, guesses about what he's trying to say but then the next part will be seemingly on a completely different train of thought. It is exhausting to try to string everything together.
I'm pretty sure, based on the other poems in the book and some of the discussion we have had in class, that basically the poem is supposed to be about global issues dealing with race and religion. Specifically, commenting on Middle Eastern relations and culture juxtaposed with and influenced by American culture. However, I can't really get any more specific because I'm just not sure. Every guess I make about the poem will have evidence supporting it and evidencing contradicting it so I don't think I can narrow it down much more. Maybe that is how it is supposed to be. I don't know.
I do like some things about Tocqueville. I like the language because it varies so much. In some parts it is casual dialogue, some parts are descriptive narratives, some parts are blunt criticisms; all of that together makes it an interesting experience to read. I also like that it is trying to convey an important and relevant message about American culture. I just wish I knew exactly what that message was.
Basically, my reaction to this poem is that I want someone to tell me exactly what the author is trying to say and how he's saying it so that I can go back to the beginning and reread it with that in mind so that hopefully it will all click into place and I can move on from this poem with something more than awful feelings of confusion and inadequacy.
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