For Those Who Are Just Starting Out...

This poem advises aspiring writers to abandon conventional notions of "how" one is supposed to write, and advises them to go out and experience the world. This is solid advice. I always find the most inspiration in the things I see and hear around me, and sitting in a quiet room doesn't lend itself to creative inspiration. Writing can happen anywhere at any time. I think that beginning writers often think of writing as a strictly structured, organized, disciplined task, and that couldn't be farther from the truth in reality.

To beginning writers, I'd say to abandon your inhibitions. If there is one thing I will take from this class, it's that writing is not a pretty process. It is messy and disorganized and sometimes it's best to throw everything onto the wall and see what sticks. This is OKAY! Pre-writing doesn't have to be structured! You can word-vomit your ideas onto the screen and then try to make sense of them from there. Writing is a process, and it's much easier if you don't try to do it all at once. Even more, if the piece you're writing doesn't HAVE to be strictly linear, there's no reason to force your mind to think that way. Don't be afraid to branch out!

Write about what interests you. Even if a piece was boring, you can write about what you didn't like, or write about what parts caught your attention, for better or for worse. Tailor whatever piece you're developing into something that best suits your interests, and it will make all the difference. Passion (or lack thereof) comes through in writing. Plus, if you find your subject interesting, writing is much less painful. Push through and force yourself to think carefully about your topic, and you can find something interesting to latch on to.

Blog post 11/12

It's against my better judgement to say that these four letter word projects are writing, but I think in reality they are. I want to say, "no! writing is only words, duh!" but if I had to define writing, I would give it a much more broad definition than that- simply a visual representation constructed deliberately to convey a message. So these projects are writing, just in the broadest sense of the term. They are the clumsy digital cave paintings of digital writing, but they do fit the definition nonetheless. They lack the precision and grace of writing in words, but they are effective enough to communicate, and in the general medium of writing, that is what counts the most. I think it's interesting how much difficulty we (or at least I) find in writing in this fashion. I am too accustomed to the dexterity of words and pliancy of language to work within the confines of image.  

Rodney Jones (10/12)

I think Rodney Jones is making the argument that words are more powerful than images. The poem says, "no image like the image of language." Jones means that an image cannot achieve the same things that language can. In the last stanza, he talks about reaching out for an idea that is lost- perhaps lost through the medium of image. Image cannot achieve the nuances in an an argument that language can. The metaphorical aspect of dumping a coconut full of alcohol into the ocean down a ways from the beach would simply look two dimensional and the symbolism would be lost.

When I Put On Text.... (9/12)

I do anticipate readers when I put on text. I don't put on clothing without thinking about what I'm wearing, and I wouldn't put on text without considering who my audience might be, either. Certain text might be inappropriate for certain situations, and it's important to consider what you're doing when you're wearing text.  For instance, I have a ring that says "HELL" which I would happily wear to class but would avoid wearing to work or to Temple, for instance. But when I wear it to class, someone might notice it and tell me they find it funny, like I do. Wearable text is used as a vehicle for self expression and for communicating with others about yourself, so it must be worn carefully and deliberately.

Twouble with Twitter (6/12)

When we tweet, who are we talking to? I think the answer given in the video ("no one and everyone") is quite apt. Twitter is one of the more narcissistic forms of blogging- sending thoughts out into an audience in hopes that someone will take the bait and respond, or retweet, or what have you. It's the "overshare" experience personified, and you are offering information to anyone who will listen, which is sometimes no one at all. When I tweet, I am in some regards talking to myself, but I also have a loyal contingent of actual friends who follow me and will respond when they see fit. Twitter, for me, is silly and for fun- not something serious to dedicate a lot of time to. It is a relaxed, informal writing space where I write in the manner that I would talk to my friends.

I think Twitter can be a valuable tool for marketing as in businesses or celebrities, but on a personal level it's just for fun- perhaps to get attention or share information or just to look back on later. I thought the attitude of this video was beyond pretentious, to be honest. If a person thinks Twitter is stupid, I'd be really surprised if there was someone else holding a gun to his head, forcing him to Tweet for his life. The bottom line is that I don't take Twitter too seriously, and neither should the creators of that video. 

Poets vs. Presidents (5/12)

To conclude her essay, Zadie Smith discloses: “In this lecture I have been seeking to tentatively suggest that the voice that speaks with such freedom, thus unburdened by dogma and personal bias, thus flooded with empathy, might make a good president” (192).  However, she rejects this claim by advocating for the many-voiced role of the poet.  What is the difference between the rhetoric of a president and that of a poet?  Does Smith suggest there should be a difference?


Smith advocates that the president should be a "trimmer" in the positive sense- neither entirely here nor there, but skating in the middle and delving into multiple voices at once. Therefore I disagree with the assertion that Smith suggests a distinct difference between the voice of a president and the voice of a poet. From the text, I understood it that she believed a flexibility in voice was beneficial to both of them.  She praised Obama's ability to speak candidly, professionally, and to address each region in a way that would suit them best- she calls him the man from the City of Dreams, and suggests that poetry comes from the Dreamland itself. I believe that Smith thinks a poet should be able to use each voice more distinctly while a president should be able to move between them with careful, precise fluidity; but that the ability to float between voices is a positive trait entirely. 

Speaking in Tongues (4/12) (out of order, whoops)

1. "It's the fear of being mistaken for Joyce that has always ensured that I ignore the box marked 'biracial' and tick the box marked 'black' on any questionnaire I fill out." (p. 187) Why is acknowledging one's multiracial heritage so dangerous, in Smith's opinion? Must the inclusion of all cultures always imply shame of at least one of them? Is that a fair assertion for Smith to make, in light of the idea that race might be a spectrum rather than so clearly divided?

2. "There was a popular school of thought that maintained the voice was at the very heart of the thing; fail to keep it real there and you'd never see your Blackness again." (p. 188) Is maintaining a cultural identity more important than maintaining a personal identity? Is a cultural identity necessary to having a personal identity?

3. "He's talking down to white people-- how curious it sounds the other way around!" (p. 189) Is Smith suggesting that black people unify themselves in this absurd fashion, or that white people do it? Perhaps both? What purpose does Smith this unification serves?

4. "For reasons that are obscure to me, those qualities we cherish in our artists we condemn in our politicians." (p. 189) Is Smith proposing that flexibility in voice is an art form?

5. Smith identifies as Black, and speaks in a singular voice- yet she proposes, "It is my audacious hope that a man born and raised between opposing dogmas, between cultures, between voices, could not help but be aware of the extreme contingency of culture." (p. 194) Why does Smith feel that a person with flexibility in voice is an ideal president, when she chooses a singular voice for herself?

6. "It's amazing how many of our cross-cultural and cross-class encounters are limited not by hate or pride or shame, but by [...] embarrassment." (p. 194) Why does Smith choose to introduce this new element at the end of her essay? Does flexibility in voice help one avoid the embarrassment of seeming out of place?

Transcribing the Crayon Sample (8/12)

Yes. Yes! YES. Yes. YES. YES. Smith Whispers: "I believe that flexibility of a voice leads to a flexibility in all things" (194).


I believe this is true. I think being able to speak in many voices makes the situation one is speaking in, more flexible. There is a reason why you are speaking in that specific voice, whether it is to persuade yourself or others what you are saying, or if you feel that this particular voice helps get your point across. The voice you choose to speak with is the only other way for your audience to try and figure out who you are and what you're saying and maybe why you're saying it. Without a voice, there are only words.

Writing in Crayon? (Blog post 7/12)

The writer of the piece I'm reviewing is definitely influenced by her medium. She's used the space more creatively than, I assume, she would've in a conventional writing space, and she's used colors to emphasis the important parts of what she is saying. I do not think she was limited by the medium she used. In fact, I think the colors made her more expressive- she might have said the same thing in just pen, but it wouldn't have stood out quite so well. This is a good piece of writing, and I know it because I understand what she is trying to say. More than that, I believe her- the composition is convincing and well phrased. In particular, I like when she says, "Without a voice, there are only words." This is the profound  conclusion to her short composition that sums up both her argument and Zadie Smith's quite effectively.

Twitter as a Writing Space (3/12)

What I really think of Twitter as a writing space is that it promotes brevity above all else, which can be a very useful tool. Whether you're making a joke or asking a question or aimlessly sharing inane thoughts, Twitter forces  the author's hand in terms of making him "get on with it" and make a point. Twitter is an extremely informal and narcissistic writing space. It's personal and unmoderated, which is beneficial in terms of self-expression but does not lend itself to the most technically skilled or conventionally insightful writings. I can't imagine Tweeting a formal essay or reading something life changing in 140 characters or less (although I won't deny it's possible. Hemingway's 6 word story comes to mind. But I digress...). As I mentioned before, Twitter is narcissistic, and indulgently so. There is no room to expound upon the mysteries of life or delve into the thoughts of others: it is a singular moment, a lone thought, and that can be nothing but personal.

#PuttingOnText (2/12)

I'm not sure why so many people wear texts on their clothing and on their skin.  Perhaps they feel that such portable writing serves to make them seem interesting and intriguing. It's like offering a little taste of their personalities or interests to the world and inviting them to want to find out more. No matter what a text tattoo actually reads, what it says is "ask me about this." A backpack with a handwritten phrase on it is a glimpse into personality: maybe it says "I'm fun, I'm easy-going, I'm not afraid to write on my things and declare who I am." Wearing text is like waving a flag, only instead of "American" it boasts "Hofstra student" or "Lacrosse player" or "I shop at Victoria's Secret." Wearing text can say "I want you to know this about me" or even quite the opposite, "I don't care enough to think about the words I'm wearing" which says a lot about a personality in and of itself. 

The Problem of Describing Trees (1/12)

The argument of this poem by Robert Hass is that words can't always do what images can. Hass offers some rather pleasant descriptions of trees, but is unsatisfied with them. He says this explicitly: "There are limits to saying, in language, what the tree did," as well as implicitly, "And the tree danced. No. The tree capitalized. No." Here, the speaker of the poem is showing his struggles with finding the correct word to match the image he is trying to describe. However, he does not seem to think this is a bad thing. Though he struggles and ultimately fails to adequately describe the tree in question, he proposes that "it is good sometimes for poetry to disenchant us." Hass means that the failure of language to be adequate in description can in itself serve as an illustration, and remind us that not everything can be put into words- whether it's too beautiful or too horrible or simply indescribable.

"Dance with me, dancer. Oh, I will."

In this line, Hass meant to make an aside to the reader- a sort of wink and nudge to "play along." This relationship is usually implied in a poem- the poet makes a description in flowery language, and the reader nods her head and pretends to see exactly in her mind's eye what the poet is describing. Here, instead, Hass addresses his reader, imploring, "work with me here!" He can't describe the trees in quite the way he wants to, so he abandons the middle man of the language and just asks the reader for her understanding, anyway.

4 letter word video, final (?) draft

I edited my video in hopes of more clearly defining a path through the images. I think I succeeded and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out but I am open to suggestions!

4 letter word video, first draft

RIOT

4 letter word

My four-letter word is RIOT.
I find my word fascinating because of the political and social weight it carries. Riots are both historical and modern, and in a sense, universal. They can occur throughout the world and throughout history for countless different reasons. I like the idea that they can bring social justice.
I am arguing that this word is modern and relevant, and above all, effective. I don't think people necessarily associate riots with something that is happening presently in our own country, but it is important to understand that they are and why.

Responding to a Video

Responding to this video suggested by another student.

This video is a metaphor for society's relationship to technology! The more we progress, the more dependent we become on technology, almost to the point that something non-electronic, like a magazine, is a mystery to us. Children will grow up in a world wear they learn to use an iPad before they learn to turn the pages of a book.

Boys and Girls

BOYS
man
bro
guy
he
they
dude
lad
son
father
grandfather
uncle
dad
sir

girls
lady
woman
she
chick
bird
fox
bitch
lassie
mother
mom
aunt
grandmother
ma'am
madame
goodie

Is a picture worth a thousand words?

I think that whether a picture can make an argument as well as writing can is entirely dependent on what the argument is. I think, undoubtedly, making an argument visually has to be more difficult than making it in writing, but it can be that much more powerful, as well.

First Thoughts

I keep thinking about my project 3, and I'm pretty sure my next movie will be to restructure my paper so that the personal narrative I used is still subtle but is able to stand out and affect the reader. I think I have some good ideas for my paper, but I'm having trouble communicating them cohesively, since I am more accustomed to writing thesis driven papers or following a clear story arc. I have to establish my argument about how I feel about "my place" so that I can support it and make my paper effective.

If these wall could talk....

Wesch argues that if the walls in a classroom could talk, they would groan about the flaws in the educational system. Conventional chalkboard teaching does not give students the life experiences they need to make their education both effective and beneficial to themselves in their lives and out in the "real world" post-college. Teachers don't always teach effectively and students don't always try to learn effectively, either. Technology can be helpful since it gives some life to teaching but it can also serve as a tool of distraction and wasted time for students.

Writers and Readers

My reader is like a fussy child that needs to be appeased. All activity must be conducted with the reader in mind- is this catering to his needs? Will he understand what I'm trying to say? And if I write something unclear or poorly phrase- "Oh, he won't like that very much." And I really don't want to make my reader unhappy. The reader cries out for attention and cannot be ignored, though sometimes I wish he would. I write in fear of the tantrum he may through and I write to please him, too, because I care.

What Is Happening To Writing? WORDLE

The Bluff in Metaphor

The Bluff is not a Hawaiian beach paradise.

It is not a breezy Grecian shore,

or a hot Floridian vacation spot. 

It is not an ideal secret fishing spot

or a mountain you climb just for the bragging rights.

It is not the kind of place you'd send your child unsupervised. 

The Bluff is not a Hawaiian beach paradise.

The sand isn't fine and warm,

the sky isn't blue and sunny,

and it certainly is not a tourist destination

(or anyone's destination, for that matter).

It is not somewhere you brag about going

or dream of in the dead of winter.

There are no postcards to send from The Bluff

(not that you would want to, anyway).

The Bluff might be like a secret fishing spot,
where no one goes because they don't know about it
or because they wouldn't want to eat anything that comes out of the water there.
It might be the kind of serene, peaceful place where you'd see a man in rubber pants
standing waist-deep in the water, very still.

Quick Write: Home Is...

Home is where you feel the most comfortable. It's the place where you don't have to worry about looking nice, like you can sit around in sweatpants and have ugly hair and the people there will love you anyway. It is also where I keep my cat. Home can be anywhere the people you love are. Home is family and comfort and sometimes discomfort too because that's what family is like, after all. Home is that feeling after you come in from the snow and put on dry socks and drink hot chocolate.

Index Card: Revisited

Bolter writes of the balance between acknowledging your medium and not allowing yourself to be limited by it. It is important to accept that the medium used will affect the reader, but also to not allow it to dictate the quality of writing. For instance, a writer should use the ability to collaborate in a productive manner. For example, when using Prezis, a writer is given a medium with the option of being extremely direct with the information being presented or using the aide of other media like pictures and video clips. While this can help enhance one's writing, it is important to not fully rely on the form of presenting to portray his or her ideas. Rather, the writer should use the text and appearance to eliminate the transparency and create a piece that will portray hypermediacy.

Diction

I think I am definitely guilty of using phrases without fully thinking about their meanings. Although I don't tend towards being terribly long winded in my writing, I definitely utilize phrases without examining other possible ways to convey my point. I like his advice to choose words carefully and think hard about what you're actually putting down on paper. I almost never consciously acknowledge my use of active-versus-passive voice, and I think that my writing would benefit if I did so more often. It's interesting to think that active voice is such an important vehicle in moving a text forward.

Prezi

I thought Prezi was a better alternative to Power Point since it is more engaging, although it was a bit more difficult because I'd never used it before. The Prezi was supposed to be a summary of chapter 5 of Trimble's Writing With Style. While we were making our Prezi, I found that it did help enhance my understanding of Trimble's meaning.

Ikea

This Ikea commercial suggests that Ikea's prices are so low it seems like it was accidental. After she pays and looks at her receipt, the woman in the commercial begins to behave suspiciously (shifty eyes, running to her car) and it's clear to the viewer that she thinks she's getting away with something.

Ikea wants to lure customers in with their "criminally" low prices.The viewer sees that the subject of the commercial paid a price so low that she can't believe it. This leads them to believe that they can have those prices, too.

Funny Ikea Commercial

Watch it here.

AT&T

What would be scarier to a parent than sending off young children into the big city by themselves? AT&T's commercial plays off the fears of parents to sell their phones. "Hansel" and "Gretel" are the picture of rosy-cheeked, bright-eyed, childlike innocence. They're holding hands and skipping through the big city, leaving a trail of bread crumbs in their wake. However, the bread crumbs don't turn out to be such a foolproof plan, and the children are lost when the sun finally sets. Luckily, AT&T swoops in to save the day with the GPS feature on Gretel's cell phone.

The maternal or paternal instincts of the commercial's audience makes them want to protect the children. In the viewers' eyes, the children in the commercial could easy by substituted for any child  in his or her life. Although the commercial is cute and lighthearted, there is the dark undercurrent that leaves the viewer wondering, "what if this happened to someone I love?" This pitches the cell phone, not as a luxury for games and frivolous phone calls, but a necessity for an emergency situation.

Heineken

This Heineken commerical uses gender stereotypes and the idea of wish fulfillment to sell beer. It begins by showing a group of well dressed women beside themselves with joy over a walk-in closet filled to the brim with clothing, shoes, and jewelry. After all, what else would a woman do if she came upon a large amount of money?  This is an easy and memorable association for most commercial viewers: clothing makes women happy. This suggests, of course, that a closet like that would be any woman's dream come true.

The behavior of the men in the commercial is directly paralleled with that of the women: they are screaming and jumping in delight over a walk-in fridge full of beer. By association, this leads the viewer to believe that this is a man's dream come true. Just in the way that women would nearly pass out in ecstasy over clothing, men would behave identically over Heineken.

Pantene

In the commercial we viewed, Pantene attempts to sell its product through a typical triumph-over-adversity story. Presented more like a short film than an advertisement, Pantene pulls a "bait and switch" on its audience. This serves to draw the viewer in, get them emotionally involved, and then hit them with the product pitch at the story's climax; rendering it extremely memorable.

This commercial shows a young deaf girl being bullied by her peers. It seems that in her daily life, she experiences a lot of pain. However, despite being deaf, the girl begins to learn to play the violin. She imagines herself in a wheat field while she practices,  giving the impression that music is a release for her, allowing her to feel happy and free. The audience, of course, is rooting for her; we want her to defy the odds and overcome her obstacles and not let her bully bring her down. We are touched by her success: just as she enters a playing competition and stuns the audience (her bully included), Pantene throws their slogan up on the screen: "You  can shine." All the feelings of happiness and pride we have on her behalf are immediately associated with Pantene and having beautiful, shiny hair.

Focused Free Write

John Trimble makes the case that all writers are like warriors, defending claims and fortifying arguments. How do you respond to this trope, this figurative turn?

Generally, I agree with Trimble's assertion. I believe that all writing should have a point to it and that writers should try diligently to ensure that they are writing effectively to support their claims. I would also agree that in certain types of writing (for instance, in the composition of an essay) it is imperative to make strong, clearly stated arguments as evidence to support one's thesis. However, I find Trimble's metaphor of writers as warriors slightly troubling. It has a very bold, if not confrontational, connotation. Trimble seems to suggest that all writing should be approached the way one might approach an essay: with a strong argument and rigidly outlined supporting details. I think it would be a mistake for a writer to approach every project this way. A poem or a novel, for instance, should both have a point, but the writing would suffer tremendously if the writer abandoned all delicacy and subtlety in their efforts.

12 Minute Free Write

So here I am at Hofstra and I am blogging.  Writing online makes me feel weird. Well, it's not so much the writing online part that worries me- I'm actually really not looking forward to not being able to edit myself. I edit everything- well, pretty much everything I write, even if it's going on Facebook or somewhere equally inconsequential. I don't think I'm going to be able to stick to a a consistent train of thought without reading over what I'm writing, but I guess that's not really the point of this assignment. I'm actually not yet sure what the point of this assignment is and I can't remember if I'm supposed to know or not. My guess is it's some exercise in editing? Or that it will be eventually, anyway. I really do like the idea of using a blog and Twitter for a class. I've taken writing classes before and never felt like I gained much from them, but this course seems like it's really going to be different and I'm actually looking forward to it. It's fascinating to be starting out with such inconventional (I meant unconventional but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to backspace for typos) mediums. Not sure if that's the word I wanted to use, but so be it. I'm really unenthusiastic about being unable to edit myself, I don't mind saying that again. I may have to cheat a teeny tiny bit on that part. I'll try not to.

I'm wondering how much the other students will write in 12 minutes. I guess those of us who type quickly and have a lot to say will end up with much more here than others. I'm actually in the library right now because I broke my laptop. I'm pretty bummed about having no laptop to use but I came here with a friend to do some work and it's kindof fun. Perhaps this is a silver lining? I guess it's pretty embarrassing that I'm excited about doing homework in the library, but I already knew that I'm a nerd so I'm just going to have to accept it. Oh man, I really don't want my fellow classmates reading this. I hate that I can't delete/edit! BOO. I hope that the papers we write don't make me want to pull my hair out. I still have a good 5 minutes left of this and I am thoroughly running out of things to say. This is the longest blog post I have ever made.

I like the twitter thing we're doing and I'm really interested to see where that goes and what kind of paper we have to write. I just made my new twitter account but I couldn't remember what the hashtag was so I'm waiting to make my first tweet until Kat texts me back with that information. I'm going to tweet about my friend's "Justice League" shirt.

Hofstra has been good so far. I already have a job and I like it... It doesn't seem like it will be too overwhelming and I'll be able to work on homework while I'm there which is really nice. It is already a huge improvement from the other job I had for the last 2 years that I don't want to discuss. .. That makes it sound like it was something illegal but it wasn't at all. It was just a stupid job for a stupid corporation that I hate and may have given me PTSD (but not really). Welp. I'm almost down now. I backspaced a little and my friend who is here at the library totally called me out on it but I DON'T CARE I CAN'T STOP. I make too many typos! I don't even know if that counts or not. Ummmm so this has been an interesting experience. I thought it would be kindof fun and I guess it was but also somewhat torturous. And now I'm running out of time. Okay then. Can't wait to rip this apart. BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE OH man I want to delete that.