On House Of The Future

This section in the Maps To Anywhere book by Bernard Cooper is much more solemn and somber than previous sections. Cooper seems to be writing explicitly about the time in his life when his brother was dying. Obviously, this would have had a big impact on his life and it is probably something that is very painful for him to talk or write about. I think this section is a way for Cooper to help deal with this pain. Writing this House of the Future section may have helped him cope with the grief that he still feels.

The first essay in this section is titled House of the Future and it tells the story of the day his brother died. It also explains the origin of Cooper's obsession with futuristic architecture. In class we discussed that he may have been looking to the future for hope. He wanted to believe that in the future, medical science could be advanced enough so that his brother could live, and that homes in the future would have everything that would make him and his family happy. He describes the kind of futuristic kitchen his mother would want, and the garage his dad might dream of in the other essays in this section. I think Cooper was obsessed with imagining a better life for his family.

This section really focuses in on the relationship that Cooper had with his brother. Although, his brother was sick, Cooper describes all the fond memories he had with him. He seemed to have spent a lot of time with his brother, and it is obvious that he loved his brother, but I think that because he had to deal with the idea and the reality of his brother dying his writing is still very dreary. But it wasn't dreary to read. The language is very unique and Cooper controls it in a way that made me feel like I was nostalgically looking back on the sad memories of my own childhood.

On Maps To Anywhere by Bernard Cooper

It seems to me that creative essays are a very specific category of writing whose boundaries are fuzzy and questionable. Many of these essays, I feel, could also be called short stories.

Regardless, I really enjoy reading this collection of essays. Cooper writes in a way that is funny and beautiful. The essays are separate but connect through the presence of Cooper. They are like snapshots of his life. Many include his father and he seems to really value the relationship he has with his father.

I personally really liked the one he wrote called How To Draw. I thought that his thoughts on art were really important because many things he said hold a lot of truth. For example, he says that he looked to art when his brother began to fall ill. It is true that art has always been a good way for people to cope with something traumatic. Much contemporary art, which he said he had focused his studies on, has this theme of a therapeutic relationship between the art and the artist, or art and society. However, I can't say I completely agree that all of those crafts and little drawings that he said he loved most are also my favorite kind of art. I see art a bit differently than him, it seems, but I can certainly appreciate that kind of art. I know the importance so I don't discount any type of art. I just have my own preferences.