poem

                                                               Rwanda Rwanda


Rwanda Rwanda
A country set in the center of Africa
A country home to so many

Her people lived together as one
The wealthy and tall as Tutsi
The poor and short as Hutu
At least that what they were labeled as
Strong together they lived
Happy together they played

Until in the year 1994
A year to be the year of celebration
A year to be independent
Became the year of fear
The year of disappointment
The year of death

The Hutu got hungry
So hungry for power
The Tutsi got full
So full of fear
Her people got lost
They got so lost it blinded them

next came violence
thousands of people murdered
Mostly the people of the Tutsi tribe

Women got killed
Men got killed
Even children got killed
Some fled in fear

Hutu full of energy
Ready to fight
The Tutsi murdered
Not by strangers
But by friends and neighbors
Two people the same but so different

Rwanda Rwanda
Her people had never been so divided
her children had never been so frightened
Her women had never been so scared
Her men had never been so afraid
But yet they were

Rape Culture Workshop

This is a reaction essay I wrote for the workshop.

          The workshop was about rape culture. This topic is huge, complex and sensitive because every individual has their meanings and experiences of sex and rape. Rape can be in many forms, not just intercourse. It is a force upon of one to the other. It can affect anyone of all ages including homosexual and even men but it is mostly women. Most people are ignorant about this issue due to many reasons, one of the sadly but true reason is the refusing to acknowledge. Students shared their experiences that they were taught by their parents that (they say) were wrong and disgusting. One student stated what his father told him “when a girl says no, it means yes ... you have a dick, use it like you supposed to" and how a man has to go for it and show her his strength. Another student told us that when he was experiencing sex the first time, he did not know what to do. He wanted to make it right but he did not know whatsoever about it. He got home and had an adult discussing with his parents, none of them were educating the way he expected but only to ask his action and pleasure of it. These are the examples of an individual trying to learn sex but not getting the right knowledge from the source that they rely on the most. As a result, this led to confusion for him and everyone else.
           Misunderstanding is also a huge problem. Many adolescents believe that sex is cool. They think sex is an opportunity that should not be wasted, not understanding that sex is natural and it will happen eventually. Additionally, they don’t want to be left out of the group if their friends already experience sex. Society has definitely influenced the way people think about sexual assault. Each gender was taught differently, society always warns and mentions sexual assault to women not to men, teaching women to avoid getting raped instead of teaching men not to rape. Sexual assault is not a wild spread topic. Fewer people talk about it, thus led to unintentional ignorance and misunderstanding about. Ms. Megan Kordenbrock, a representative from Safe Horizon, concluded that actions for safe sex activities for both parties should always be aware of the situation about the topic of rape and both sides must have a clear consent for both physical and body language if they would like the topic of sex, and should verbally say yes or no when having sex.

Readings

Since this week isn't a complete seven days, any entries you do on the blog will be extra credit. Feel free to respond to Tuesday's readings. Give a shout out to any of your classmates if you enjoyed their work. Or share what it was like to read your own work out loud. You may also discuss your reaction to seeing She Eats Apples at QCC. What did you think of the school's interpretation of the play? Accurate? What would you have done differently?

Is Ben Guilty?

After seeing She Eats Apples, after our courtroom exercise in class, what is your final opinion about Ben's guilt. Did he rape Ashley? Is he innocent? Tell us how you reached your conclusion. (And feel free to disagree and/or debate w/ your classmates' arguments.)

Also, this is the last artwork in the show:

Why? How is this different than the other artworks, if at all? Pablo Picasso painted this paining. In fact, all the artworks were painted by men. Is this significant or not?

She Eats Apples and finishing up

In addition to previous questions (which I think we can further explore), I'd like us to consider a few others:

• Why does Ashley become friends w/ She and why do her other friends, esp. Lily, have a problem w/ this? 
• Why does no one seem to know She's real name is Evelyn. Even Ashley calls her by the wrong name long after they're hanging out.
• What do you make of that rape scene w/ the apples (pp 107-109)?
• This is what we would call an experimental play. It is told non-chronologically, it's got actors playing multiple characters, scenes shift out and into other scenes, the play goes from realism to fantasy and back again, etc. Can you make connections between this play and other "difficult," experimental, or weird literature that we've read this term? (Some examples: "The Mushroom Queen," "Scream (Or Never Minding)," "The Antique Blacks." Can you name others?) 
• When you can tell a story or write a poem or essay any way you want, why would you choose to write it in a way that might be so weird that it's difficult for your readers to understand your point? Another way to ask this question: If your message is so important (in this case, rape culture), then why would you risk having people misunderstand that message by writing something complicated?

As we finish up the semester, I would also like you to make some final comments about the term. Which activities did you like best? Which were more useful and which less so? Which readings did you like and which would you have rather not had to read? Can you make any final statements about the value of reading literature? How about the value of writing it? (Because you have been writing it all term.)

She Eats Apples

For this week and next, we'll be discussing Stephanie K. Brownwell's play She Eats Apples. Some questions I have:

• This play is supposed to be about "rape culture." What is rape culture? How does the play explore this issue?
• Why is it important that Ben and Ashley have the perfect Halloween costumes? Why do they need to dress up as a pair?
• What is the importance of the prom (in the play and/or just generally in US culture)?
• Why are there only six parts although there are many more characters? 
• Why is there only one part for a man and all the rest women's roles?
• Why is there a character named "She"? Why are the other two called "Girl 1" and "Girl 2"? How is "She" different from "Girl 1" and "Girl 2"?
• What is the significance of apples?
• What is the significance of fairy tales? Video games? Classic art? Pop culture? 
• Why isn't the story told chronologically?
• What questions do you have as you read the play?

A-Z flash fiction

  As I sit on the bench with my best friend. Boys get drunk on the table beside us. Carelessly they talk loudly disturbing the peace and quietness of the atmosphere. During my stressful times I like to come here and relax but my relaxation time is being disturbed right now.

 “Edward is my name; I am from Italy” said a voice. “For your information you are really cute” said the same voice. Generally, I don’t do long distance relationships but for you I will he said, while turning to face me. He looked directly at me and smiled. I waved my hands at him too but only because he was good looking.

 “Jacket is on the floor” he said pointing at the floor. Knowing that the situation just got kind of awkward I waved at him and said thanks. “Luckily for you I saw that, you would have lost it”, he said.

            “My name is Elena” and this is my best friend I said to him.

 Nice name you have there, what does it mean?. Oh these are my friends they are not from Italy they live here in the USA, he said. People in this country are generally not nice but you are an exception he said “again” and, I started to wonder why he was talking too much. Quietness finally came from his table.

            Remembering all those moments make me happy. Special moments like these are hard to forget. That is the day I met my long distance lover who is now my husband. Usually people say long distance relationships fail but, not in our case. Valentines day is our favorite time of the year. We met on Valentines Day. Xylophone is our favorite musical instrument or mine rather. Years go by and time passes by but he still remains by my side.

            Zapped with love, I fell for the half drunk guy from another county who swept me off my feet with just a smile.

Thanksgiving Week

Since we're not meeting this week, there is no blog required. If you neglected to make entries last week, I will accept them up until the end of this week. Don't forget to read at least the first half of She Eats Apples. You'll be required to make entries on it next week. Happy Thanksgiving!

The Fantastic in Fiction

There is a long history of "the fantastic" in literature that goes back to some of our earliest myths and religions and folktales. Often, these stories of the fantastic are ways to help us understand the world we live in, they're creation stories or stories that help us know why we're here or why we are they way we are.

I would consider both of the stories we read for this week fantastic stories (in both senses of the word--they're magic and they're also just really good). They also both use real elements of the natural world. In "The Mushroom Queen," we have a mushroom who takes on the shape of a woman and makes the woman a mushroom. But this is not just fantasy, it relies on real science. Look, for instance at the first full par. on p. 170: Beetles really do interact w/ mushrooms this way. Ziemska is just imagining what that would feel like if the mushrooms were part of a sentient individual. Likewise, no human child has ever been kidnapped by a raptor. But what if it had? And what if, instead of eating it, it adopted the child? It would probably feed it in the way described on p. 424.

This week, I'd like you to respond to the fantastic elements in both of these stories. Did you believe in them? Did they remind you of other stories, TV shows, films? Which ones and why? What do these stories have to do w/ contemporary life? With the environment?

Since we're finishing up the fiction section of the course, you might make some general comments on what makes fiction different than other genres? Which story, or stories, that we read did you connect to best and why? Which stories did you struggle w/?

Who’s the antagonist?

During our group sessions on Tuesday an idea of the reading “The Story Of A True Artist” arose. Is Cam really the antagonist? In my opinion, Cam though he did leave the YouTube channel which would be considered an evil move, it’s really not. Cam was simply doing what Lo wanted to do which is be famous. People don’t start YouTube channels without that intentions and although he is wealthier than Lo, it doesn’t really mean he can’t go and fulfill his dreams. Another argument I can make is that he was technically doing all the work. This story was told in the eyes of Lo and she even said all she did was have her own little box in the corner. All she did was do facial reactions while Cam did the commentary, jokes, etc. Finally, we must be realistic in identifying antagonists. All our life we’ve been taught that we must work harder than the person next to us. We were planted this mentality of constant competition theroefore, just because the protagonist didn’t get what they wanted are we gonna blame someone who is working hard for what he wants. What do you guys think?

ABC FLASH FICTION

Flash Fiction

Postpartum depression

Almost every day, i wake up with drops of sweat running down my cheeks and neck. Bright days come and I’m sitting by myself talking to the doll that’s underneath my bed. Constantly shaking like a blender, i then decide to open up the curtains.

Days like these make me want to rip my heart off my chest and then fix all the darkness that it has consumed. Entering the room, I opened my eyes and closed my mind, not wanting to overthink but I wanted to see every soul. Furiously closing my hands; feeling the nails cut right through my skin. Grinding my teeth while they break piece by piece, I then rolled my eyes without even noticing. “Hurray!” I spoke to myself, “I can actually be tough too”.

Irritating, scandalous and pathetic; that’s what I should be thinking about them, but they overpower me, they want to kill me with their harsh words. Just in case I die, I want to be remembered as a friendly, tough, honest and hardworking person. Killing myself right now I will only be remembered as a “hoe,” “easy,”and “weak”. Lack of love, lack of money and lack of spirit are not things you actually desire.

Melancholia creeps when I think about my little angel. Negativity also takes over my mind while I get all of these flashbacks; I was 14 and pregnant. Obsessed with her tiny feet, tiny hands,  the throaty and growling noise of her cry, and her beautiful big brown eyes. Panicking over how to become a dad and a mom, all in one, made me anxious and preoccupied of my baby’s future. Questions that I asked myself were the type of questions that I had to answer to my kid; “how can I raise a child when I’m still a child” I frequently ask myself. Reality then hits me like a ton of bricks; I have to now learn how to cook, find a job that pays me good enough to pay a babysitter  in order for me to keep up with my education, and wake up an hour earlier to get my bag ready.

Staying on this bed by myself after two days of giving birth have reduced my appetite and concentration, also, I’ve been having problems sleeping; all i think about is how to succeed as a single mother. Terrific moments must come before i grab that syringe and just stab my throat off my neck. Unforgettable experiences hunt me down when i look at the scars and bruises, through them I see the reflection of her father. Victim to my own love and desires. Worthless is the word that I imagine when I see that man whore son of a bitch !!! talking about getting me back. X are the amount of chances that I gave him. Yes, I may sound weak and pathetic but I feel like I want to drown in my own tears; images of this innocent ball of energy that i call my daughter appear every time. Zero is the number of men that are ever going to hurt my fragile heart, ever again.

She Eats Apples

You're required to see She Eats Apples. You can find the schedule on the Theatre Dept.'s website. The price is $3 w/ a QCC ID (there is one $1 matinee performance). The play is in the Shadowbox Theatre in Bldg Z. You will write a 1-p response which is due on the last day of class, 12/12 (please attach your ticket stub as proof of your attendance).

"The Story of a True Artist" and "Avarice"

I'd like us to try and make connections between the stories this week. Some questions to consider:

• "Avarice" explores three different generations living together in a household. "True Artist" is very much about one generation. How does this difference limit (or not) ea. story?
• Corine, the narrator's former daughter-in-law in "Avarice" is insane. You could argue that "True Artist" is also about seeing the world in a different way. The narrator can't explain why Cam&Lo is popular to her parents, she expresses her emotions and physical rxns verbally ("exasperated sigh," "shakes head"). What do these stories say about the way we perceive reality? 
• The word "avarice" means greed. How are both stories about greed?

ABC story

All colors of skin matter. Because we are all special in our own way. Can’t imagine not being me. Don’t try to convince me of anything else. Equality should be granted to everyone. Freedom from discrimination is key. Generations of racism are installed in families. How can we stop this cycle. I would like for all forms of racism and discrimination to end now. Just myself alone will not be able to make such a change throughout the world. Keep in mind that everyone has a part to play in making this change of creating a better word. Lots of people are still victims of racism. Most try to ignore the existence of racism. Not everyone believes that racism is still a problem. Only those who have their eyes open seem to realize the true issues at hand. People of all creeds must come together to end this. Quick action needs to be taken. Real changes need to be implemented. Silence is not the answer. Together we must take a stand. United we will stand to overcome. Victory over racism is the only answer. With us all together there can only be one outcome. Your voice matters.

Alphabet poem

Apple Zone

An apple falls down from its tree beside me, why does not it falls up?

Bumblebees, butterflies and hummingbirds sucking the life out of the flowers while pollinating and reproducing as the flower knows without this sacrifice its kin have no future.

Chocolate croissant the sweet buttery and flaky one, I can smell its warm aroma escaping from my picnic basket.

Digging deep into the basket to taste that croissant, why is the best piece always the hardest to reach?

Every early morning I am always here, sitting under this apple tree until the moonlight shines.

Fireflies flow with the gentle wind at the darkest night in a chaotic pattern.

Golden glow spots reflect each other around, like a switch off and on at their will, is that how they communicate?

Horror happens in the shadow; no one should be out outside.

Icy island in the north is cold and mystery, I think there must be more than a plain white stormy island.

Jingling jewellery stars sparks and bright up the high sky, lights down the low ground take over the darkness, can you see me now?

Keep kneeling down in the corner hiding from everyone, and they must not know.

Lakes, lagoon and ocean are formed from the tears of the goddesses.

Many more tears are pouring in droplets from the sky as the goddesses watch over me, after all this, will you see me now?

Naively narcissus myself, when I was younger, was my first mistake.

Obediently oath to protect and lead my people is a curse and blessing in my bloodline.

Palatial palisade separates and traps me from reality; this might be my punishment for all my crime and sin, what else do I need to do for you to notice me?

Quaintly question my existence; I know I am not the chosen one.

Rhapsodize randomly when dreaming of you, holding my hands and look at me.

Sudden stop, falling hard and I am wild awake, bruises by the impact and heartbroken from false hope, why does this happen to me - is it because I do not know how to communicate?

“Tick-tock tick-tocks,” said Death, the clouds moving and the breeze blowing, nothing stops no turning back; we are running out of time.

Ultimate ultimatum is to keep everyone safe and guide them to prosperity that my duty as their leader.

Vaguely vacillating different places in my mind, unable to connect and stay still, perhaps I am the hardest piece to reach?

Wearilessly working to accomplish my labour duty as their King even though it is killing me alive.

Xerophilous Xanadu is where I live, everyone wants to be and live like me but they do not know how dry and lifeless my paradise lost is.

Yellow yolk sunrise in the early morning, here I am walking to the tree with my same picnic basket, do I need to fell up to get to you?

Zillion zwitterions* in my chromosomes** that created me, maybe that is why I am neither good nor evil; a neutral mediocre. I know I am not special but I will still be waiting here by the apple tree until you notice me.

*neutral molecule with equally positive and negative charge

**zwitterions are in amino acid, which is essential for protein to promote DNA molecule (packed DNA into thread-like structures are chromosomes)

This is the alphabetical order short story we wrote in class (10/31/17). I decided to write a poem instead and I will use it in my collection. The speaker is the protagonist in my story, she the ruler of her kingdom and she is suffering from dissociative identity disorder.

Thanks for the help! Runako Callender and Ivan Mangones

Long and short stories

The two stories we're reading this week are like mirror opposites of ea. other structurally (though I bet you can find thematic links ). "A Local's Guide to Dating in Slocomb County" is one of the longest stories we've read and "Cross Your Fingers God Bless" is the shortest. What does the length of a story have to do w/ its affect on you as a reader? Both of these stories deal w/ someone living with a catastrophic injury. How do they deal w/ that situation? Why is "Cross Your Fingers" labeled a story anyway? Why isn't it a poem?

"Cross Your Fingers" is actually what we call a flash fiction, a short story that is under 1000 words. Flash fictions often blur the lines between fiction and poem. Do you notice other ways, in addition to its brevity, that make this story like a poem? The shortest paragraph is the penultimate (second to last) and the longest is the last par. What kind of effect does that create? In the last paragraph, Currie writes that all of Annie's friends abandoned her after the bear attack. Why? He writes of these friends: "The only invisible thing they believed in was the air in their lungs, and so what cleaved them from Annie was, in fact, her new credulousness, her good cheer, her refusal to be saddened by the illusion of this new, teeth-grinding circumstance." What is he talking about? And what do you make of the last line of the story?

Stress

Isaac brings up an important issue this week. He expresses himself very honestly and even poetically about the stress he is experiencing. He brings up the good point that often one's friends don't say that best things when you're feeling stressed. (Though yoga is pretty good...) Our friends aren't really qualified to help us if we're having psychological issues and friends just want you to feel better even if you're not ready to feel that way yet. I would like to reprint something from the syllabus for all of you:
 

If you’re depressed, feeling hopeless, or just can’t figure out how to organize your life, you should take advantage of the Counseling Center (Lib 422) which is free to all QCC students: http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/counseling/index.html. 

You don't have to be depressed to see a counselor at the counseling center. You might just need someone to talk to. It's free (in fact, you've already paid for it w/ your student activity fees) and you can just walk in if you're on campus and think about it. I've gone to therapy on and off for over twenty years. When I'm stressed or depressed it's one of the best things that have helped. (Exercise, eating right, and the proper amount of sleep aren't bad either.) If you're stressed, it's probably b/c you're busy and if you're busy you'll say "I don't have time to see a counselor." But if you make the time, just fifty minutes, the act of making the appointment or going up to the fourth floor of the library will make you feel better.

Essays

This is the last week on essays. Next week we're going to start reading fiction and at the end of Nov. we'll start the play. Some questions:

• The major difference between memoir and fiction is that one is true and the other is made up. Why is it necessary to notice this difference? (In the Pushcart anthology, the stories are marked "fiction.")
• We've spent some time talking about rhetorical questions in the recent past. What do you make of Lia Purpura's questions from p. 89 of her essay: "Am I alone in wanting to turn and adjust faucet handles? Repair fixtures with a wrench and a smear of putty? Yank a towel on a roller to produce a clean spot?"
• Purpura discusses several famous artworks. Like Edvard Munch's The Scream from 1893:

 

Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night (1889):

 

 

da Vinci's Mona Lisa (1503-06)

 

And I couldn't find the photograph that she's talking about, but this is what I imagine it looks like:

What do these images have in common?

• She also quotes from several outside texts, a poem by William Carlos Williams and Edvard Munch's journal (w/ the crossed out words still intact). What is she doing w/ these outside texts?

In case you've never heard of William Carlos Williams before, here's his most famous poem, in fact, one of the most famous 20th century poems:

The Red Wheelbarrow

William Carlos Williams, 1883 - 1963

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

Yes, that's the complete poem. What do you make of it?

So what if you're stressed?

I know this is not what we are talking about in the blog, but it is something I feel should be discussed. Stress is something that as college students, we face on a daily basis. Just a couple weeks ago I was stressing to get all the components of the midterm done. Eustress or good stress is essential. It gives you that boost to get over the lump. I wanna talk about Distress, bad stress. Today is my first day off from either school or work since September 18th. I have been working and going to school this entire time and my distress has hit a critical point. All of this on my plate has me really thinking about this issue

I feel that in this day in age we promote stress. Whenever you have something going on and you tell someone about it, they either compare themselves to you or they give you a cheap resolution/pep talk. And if another person recommends me to do yoga I am going to explode!!! Some college students resort to drugs to either stay up or relax. And once we graduate and get that job we dreamed of, we will continue to recognize distress as eustress.

This would be ok but stress is a silent killer. People like myself who are in a constant state of stress commonly experience headaches, lack of energy, upset stomach or lack of appetite, lower immune system even lack of sexual desire. Their are even doctors who link artery clogging, vein thinning, even heart pain to stress. It is something we should all consider when it comes to our health.

Memoir

Both of the essays we're reading this week are memoirs, they're brief true story moments in the authors' lives told like a short story. Some questions I'm interested in:

• Were you moved by either of these stories? (Did you feel sad? Did you laugh? etc.) When and where?
• Why do so many stories deal w/ trauma? (Death in the case of "Winter Wheat" and birth defect for "Voltaire Night") Both stories also deal w/ class, with the speakers struggling to make ends meet. I suppose there are essays about being rich and having everything you want , but there seem to be more about not having enough. Why is that?
• I wonder about Unferth's use of her students' stories, esp. the last one. Are these "hers" to use in her writing?

Hidden identity (gay)

Even though everyday society is more accepting  of LGBT people or atleast pretend to be, there are a lot of people that still feel they have to hide who and what they are. Even though people’s say they are accepting Or don’t care but really mean long as it doesn’t affect them. I have a male friend that came out and a lot of his male friends became distant. It was as if they were afraid gay was contagious. Sometimes I wonder if it’s that they have some doubts about there sexuality that there afraid others might too? The same guy that came out was the same guy a few months ago was acting homophobic.

Isaac Franco

In the movie "Moonlight", the story confronts the hardships of a homosexual man in a poor, black community of Miami. The film shows the protagonist, Chiron in three individual points in his life. During his childhood and teenage years, you seem him get bullied because people knew he was gay. He would be ganged up by the other kids and they would call him names and at one point he was even jumped. I believe violence is a response because as humans, whether we know it or not, we like to isolate things that we believe are not socially normal and rally ourselves together to remind ourselves.  A positive example is when we here on the news that a crime occur. We as a society indirectly tell ourselves that this is wrong by exposing the person who is different. Unfortunately this can become a negative way, forcing others to feel like being themselves is not socially acceptable.

Ying Zheng

The Young Chiron has a coward, self-abasement, and a self-denial personality, it is his side of "soft". Everyone around him view him as "little" the boy that won't fight back. Until in his high school year, his only "best" friend Kevin bullied him because he want to prove is strong and not a gay. Kevin also wanted to get along well with the other classmate. It is the point for Chiron to collapse due to everything he had been through, it is the turning point for himself to stand up for himself and be tough. this is his side of "hard"

"The G.R.I.E.F" and Moonlight

This week we're going to discuss the story "The G.R.I.E.F." and the film Moonlight. Both texts deal with homosexuality and homophobia in the African American community. Some questions to consider:

• When homosexuality is suspected of a man, why is violence--from either side--so often the answer?
• What connections can you make between rap and homosexuality?
• What does it mean to be "soft" or "hard"?
• Why is homosexuality viewed as a threat in both of these dramatized communities? 

Last week, Rachael shared an article w/ us about a boy in the Bronx who killed one of his classmates who had apparently been bullying him. It seems that homosexuality is a part of this story too. Can we make connections between these texts and this recent real-life experience? Like Rachael asks, what can be done? Here is another article rounding out the one that she links to:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/nyregion/high-school-stabbing-bronx.html?action=click&contentCollection=N.Y.%20%2F%20Region&module=RelatedCoverage&region=EndOfArticle&pgtype=article

What strategies can we use to reduce or even end bullying !????

bullying seems to be a very big problem that society deals with and I feel like its not being spoken enough about nor do people take this subject seriously. Recently on the news a student in the Bronx was charged for fatally stabbing another classmate to death and seriously injuring another peer, he has had a history of being bullied and I guess he had enough. I'm not saying that what he did was justifiable but this comes to show that everyone has a breaking point. being bullied is a serious problem that leads to suicide and committing heinous crimes like this one. what can we do to end bullying ?! ill list down the article on more information about this

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/nyregion/bronx-school-stabbing-abel-cedeno-bullying.html

The Antique Blacks

The first thought that pops up in my mind for this "The Antique Blacks" title was discrimination. Not
 surprisingly, this is a poem about Blacks that want to go on the space ship. My part that is giving is on pages 135 that last stanza, the author uses "black-masked" and "scrambling burglars" to show that it is a label that has been tag on the Blacks for ever. The author has mentioned "before Guion S. Bluford confirmed space sounds the same as Indiana at night only without the black-masked and scrambling burglars." From my opinion the author is comparing the Blacks to the Indians, he is telling us that they're the same but the difference between them is the skin color and the "label" that has been tag on forever.

In the poem " the Antique Black" [Pryor p.137] poet introduce the new technologies and ways of music which explore the world and space as their great and famous music strategy. They want to show new and classic musical singers which give a new trend in this industry instead of Davis & Parker. Their theme is to bring a change and revival of their affections in new rythum. They want to create an imaginary musical voice of space which conquer this world as rockets send to space.

One-Star Review

In class this week, we're going to spend some time talking about "The Hornet Among Us." Feel free to continue that conversation here.

Also, I'm curious about your reactions to "If You Can't Say Anything Nice, Write a One-Star Review." Which of these texts w/ one-star reviews are you familiar w/? What do you think about these reviews? (Here is another article about the same topic on Salon: https://www.salon.com/2010/04/03/mean_amazon_reviews_open2010/ w/ longer reviews). Is reviewing literature the same as reviewing any other product (packing tape, wigs)? Why or why not?

The Antique Blacks

My section of the poem "The Antique Blacks" is from the beginning of the poem (pg131) all the way till the first asterisk almost at the very bottom. These lines of the poem begins with the writer introducing Richard Pryor. Throughout this section, the author sets a tone of almost reality setting to the audience. A quote that interested was, "...and more mundane lights move lowly on the horizon the way cop lights always move when black people think about congregating outside of church." I believe this line hints at some of the little discrimination actions blacks face. I also feel that the author lived possibly during the 1960s. This form of tension seems accurate of the time of the civil rights movement that was happening in America at the time. In a way the author wants us to put ourselves in his shoes and see that his idols, though mainstream sources may view as inappropriate, he sees them as innovative and ground breaking.

The Antique Blacks

On page 136 I feel he’s trying to connect music with black people and just the beauty of his life. He refers to musical things quite a bit in this section. When he referenced music with his auntie house it shows how it connects to his life and brings memories. He also says that “as a record which is shaped the same as a luminout Afro “ a record is associated with music and Afro are associated with black people.

"The Antique Blacks" page 131-132.

"There's the upward inflection of it- the honeyed smile of space front & center in our heads-

Voyager winking like a gold incisor on its way out of this solar system".

"Then there's the because & I-told-you-so of it- slicking its promissory goatee with a ringed thumb & ringed forefinger

right before a bugged-out hustle of piano & grin". "Almost & might be there again,

the rounded parts of Saturn waiting to go green like the cheap metal

under a Jesus piece's already sketchy plating".

"The myth of space, though".

 " It's like this wide".

  This reading talks about traveling to space, the myth of space and how wide it is, a voyager leaving the solar system, & Saturn's round circle around it going green like cheap metal under a Jesus plating.
The only part that I don't understand very well is the 2nd stanza into the 3rd stanza; not sure what the writer really means by that.

                                                       CHILD ABUSE

Yesterday, I read a news about child abuse on yahoo, when a eight year old boy Dante faced severe attack on saving his younger sister from a child molester who is his mother’s  ex- boy friend. Finally he is dead after struggling for breathe and donate his heart to a five years old California boy. After reading this news I felt stress and tense due to the horrific situations of child abuse in the US and around the world. This crime is not a part of one family but the entire nation who should demand to incarcerate child molester. This abuse shows the uneducated and uncivilized society which remarkable as sex wolves. Young kids are not able to save themselves on sexual attacks but they should be aware of this abuse, attack and harassment. In the twenty first century we should learn how to protect our kids from sexual criminals. We should work on our relationships and connections. We should communicate them in a healthy and strong environment where they feel protection against maltreatment. Although we know how the monsters work on their ways but usually we ignore it and they take advantage from our relationships. This story not shows only a sexual attack but it is also connect the physical and psychological behavior of parents who cannot interacts with child response results in potential harm.

                                          This maltreatment can lead the society at risk which isolates our kid’s future. They need love, attention and dignity to prove themselves as the best but lower middle class do not show an appropriate behavior to their kids and mostly they work as labors where they face raped and harass. This humiliations and abuse cause invisible future and rights of them. They may face personality disorders, traumatic stress disorders, anxiety, depression and aggression leads to homelessness in adulthood. In Asia, this child abuse is work as an industry where uneducated and labor class behave as monsters to pay their evil behavior with innocent kids. This attitude help them in trafficking where the kids are enslave for their terrorist activities, smuggling and drug supply. Their harmful behavior cause bad impact on kids psychology. Mostly, the kids belong to a poor family and their parents are unable to support their education, health, facilities and previliges. They want money to support their struggle of poverty. Therefore they  engage their kids in labor for meal in early ages. This behavior leads their kids to exploitation, sex abuse and trafficking. These emotional imbalance leads the kids in a povert experiences,  create violence and engage in sexual activities. Due to the government’s lack of attention ,criminal activists and suicide bombers are working  which break up the stoic nation and security. This issue needs attention, awareness and social values which secure our next generation and their future.

Author’s Note:

                              I want to share the Dante’s bravery whose faith to his sister leads him to death but his heart donation left a lesson for all of us. I also want to take serious steps on Asian kids trafficking and enslave to minimize the maltreatment for a healthy and peaceful society.

1.       Do you think that the rate of sexual abuse is high in US?

2.       What will your next step if your love one face sexual abuse?

3.       Do you want to control this risk factor in appropriate manner?

Last week of poetry...

As we finish up w/ poetry and move toward creative nonfiction, I'd like us to think about some of these questions:

• What does poetry do that no other genre can? What is your opinion about poetry? How are the poems that we've read so far different than poems you've read in the past?
• How do you read "The Antique Blacks"? What do the asterisks do? How do the different sections speak to ea. other?
• How does sense of place work in this poem? How about slang? What does Matejka mean when he writes "Be cool & try to grin it off. / Be cool & try to lean it off." (138)
• How about slang in Sea Sharp's poem? (p. 187) How do you read the violence of the poem? 
• What is "Cleaning the Ghost Room" about?

Week of 9/17

Since we've got a short week and there's no reading assigned, there will be no required blog entries. I will accept posts for last week's blog up until the end of this week. For this week, concentrate on the writing for your collection.

Poems week of 9/12

Some questions I have about the poems in no particular order:

• In "More than This" (270), David Kirby juxtaposes a story of a woman at the grave of her college friend with a fairy tale about an old cowboy and heaven and hell. Why does he do this? Also, why does Kirby write this as a conversation between the speaker and someone he refers to as "you"? Or, put another way, why is it written in 2nd person, why not just tell the two stories w/out complicating it like this?
• "Elk" (44): I think this is an incredible poem. It's horrifying and beautiful. I really see this poor elk, imagine him suffering unbelievably as he's being eaten alive. How about you? Why do you think the speaker decides not to take "the rack" (his antlers)? 
• "The Revolt of the Turtles" (114): This is a playful poem, but is it also serious? Why or why not? When the oldest sea turtle claims that "whoever was in control of the stories / controlled all the shoulds and should-nots" what is he arguing? Why do the turtles chant "Only fairness, only decency"? 
• "Hurricane Song": Do recent current events regarding Hurricanes Harvey and Irma affect your reading of this poem (which was written and published before either event)?
• All of these are what I would call nature poems (maybe not "More than This," but definitely the other three). Can you make other connections between these poems? What do they say about living and death? What do they say about nature? 

Group 4's poem

I see a light
behind the shadow
in the club
purple hair luscious
feet shining
singing rock
two shots will only mean
a stare in warm sun
but these dreams go
thousand trips with her
my crush

Zainab Sano
Aman Maharjan
Damir White
Hyunbin Woo

Group 1 poem

whispers from the sky

coolness leaves

swims to there and up

screams why would death lie

shake away my drunk urge

recalls the most delicate woman

together we are diamonds

By:

Eddy Ramos

Isaac Franco

Kayley L.

Abree A.

Group Three's poem

Thinking about life
As he watched her beauty sleep
Who always lives sweats and love
Lust is the essential language
Skin as gorgeous as a chocolate honey moon
Beneath the bitter winter rain
But mother please
Our love is not easy
The boy was weak
Through eternity


(Note: I don't remember the names of my group members. If they could make themselves know I would appreciate it)

Group 2 - Poem

Still will put those in and we can take some here

man warshiply ask goddess to manipulate spring rose

she may lie under black enormous power

and picture how to play his symphony near water

she show girls friend tongue moan over sweet pink sausages

then ask to flood ship next time with delirious storm

they sing like a white dress vision and it

felt like a knife hit my arm sea

Group 2

Members: Jaspreet Kaur, Elvis Caban, Lalita Nimnuan, Natalia Perez

Poetry!

A great start to the blog! Now let's dig into poetry. Generally, my students struggle w/ poetry more than any other genre so I think it's a good way to open the class. As we discussed last week, if you can read difficult texts, then you can read simpler texts better (newspapers, advertisements, etc.). I think students often struggle w/ poetry b/c they think they have to COMPLETELY understand a poem. But a poem, maybe, should be listened to and mulled over. It should be picked apart and then put back together. Maybe the secret to a good poem (or a good anything) is that we discover something new each time we read it. Here are some questions about this week's readings:

• What do these poems have in common? In what different ways do they approach the difficult subject of race in America?
• "Still When I picture it...": What about the weird spacing in this poem? Why did the author write the poem that way? What does it do? What does that long title do? (The title has more words than the first two lines do.)
• "Daddy Dozens": You can read about the dozens here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dozens How do these "insults" work in the poem? This is a prose poem. How is it different than the others?
• "I Dream of Horses Eating Cops": What do you make of this title? The author is a transgender woman. How does that information affect your reading of the poem? What do you make of that last line? What is its tone? 
• "The Tradition": Who are these names mentioned in the last line? What connections can you make between those last lines and the other italicized words in the poem? Why does the poet write "our dirt"? That's an interesting word choice, to possess the dirt. Why "our"? 

It is not necessary that you answer ALL of these questions. Pick and choose the ones that are most compelling to you. Feel free to ask your own questions. And answer each others questions while you're at it. The more good entries you make, the better your blog grade will be.

Syllabus

I think syllabus is really clear  and there is no confusion about it. I think everything is clear. I idea about writing 15 page about your interesting topic.

The Spring Forecast

I thought you all might be interested in this blog post about "The Spring Forecast." The author does an interpretation, links to another blogger who has his own interpretation, and then the author of the poem, Shelley Wong, writes to the two bloggers about what she was trying to do in the poem (you can scroll down to see their "conversation"). Check it out:

https://sloopie72.wordpress.com/2017/01/24/pushcart-xli-shelley-wong-the-spring-forecast-poetry-from-crazyhorse-88/

Punch

After reading this syllabus I want to know about these given topics relevant to each other which makes connection to entire world and the world of literature? Are these topics have attitude to visualize play or drama? Can we think correctly according to the author's approach? Is the variation changes our thoughts and perception? If your given short time may fulfill our creativity and capability?

However I am thinking about my writing and reading experiences which gave me hope and relieved to do something in my future which will be memorable but still it is just my emotions.Now my fall semester is started and help me to perform well according to the revival of good essays and drafts. As an Asian, it is my previlige to continue my studies under the power of awareness and good communications. My skills were not good but due to hardwork of my professors I am able to takeout myself from illiteracy to globalization.

Questions and attitude towards the syllabus

  After reading the syllabus the questions that I encounter myself with is if the stories that we are going to be reading in the book "The Pushcart Prize" are going to be about life learning experience that ties down with the ironies of life or are they going to be based on Fictional stories based on the imagination of the author. I am also very fond of the idea of the 15 page paper that we are going to be working throughout the semester  based on anything that we would like to write about it since we are usually limited to what we want to discuss about in our writing in other classes.

the Bloggering

The collection will be pretty challenging. If we have just one subject that we need to write about in different genres, the topics of each writing would need to reflect the tone of the genre. Then avoiding using the same details in each individual work will be tricky. Unless I'm misunderstanding it and they will be picked from the different assignments we have throughout class.

My first impressions are (just my own irrational thoughts) that I'm already noticing that bad grammar is going to be more annoying than I care to admit. I'm not a grammar snob, but if I am spending the time to listen or read what you are saying, you should be reasonably well informed on the subject to speak about it and communicate it well. Careless grammar is going to make this writing exercise very frustrating for me to read and contribute to other's posts. How's that for an honest cold-open? I believe an individual's thoughts should be fairly well formulated before offering them to others to listen to. A measure of care and skill should be used to communicate your ideas to others. If a person is just "thinking out loud", I shouldn't be involved in this process to help you figure out exactly what you are debating or persuading me with. I hope to get passed that and be pleasantly surprised by your thought-provoking writing. 

syllabus review

After reading the syllabus my question is it mandatory to response to our classmates answer? My experience with reading and writing been wonderful when i am allowed to read and write about what I want.

After reading the syllabus I am still unsure exactly what you want for the 15 page paper. I do like the fact that I get to choose what I write about. From my experiences with reading and writing, my GREATNESS really shines through when I have freedom of choosing.

102 Eng Syllabus

After reading the syllabus no serious questions comes to mind because everything is self explanatory so the guide lines are simple to what is expected of everyone. The idea of one writing assignment through out the semester is a good idea because it takes away the stress of back to back writing assignments. Best syllabus.

After reading the syllabus these are the questions I have for this course:
When are we going to start reading the book The Pushcart Prize?
Are we going to read in order or by genre?
I love reading and analyzing the reading more in depth, however, sometimes I feel that I have to read all over again because I would just get lost in the reading.

Class schedule is great I don't have any question about syllabus. I don't think I will not have more trouble in writing like I had in English 101. Its new experiences writing blog.  

Review of class syllabus

My thoughts on the syllabus is that, there is nothing in it that is confusing or could be misunderstood in any way. To summarize: we're told, briefly, that the overall aim of the class is to write a 15 page assignment and to create drafts of that work over the next 15 or so weeks; we're told what materials we need for the class, although there was a correction to it (the play script is more longer necessary );we learn the department policies and the professors personal policies; and how we are graded. standard stuff for the first today of class, so my opinion is that of almost indifference.

syllabus

After reading the syllabus the questions I have about this course is this is the only essay we will be writing in class? Other than that the syllabus was pretty much explanatory. My attitudes/ experiences with  writing is very strong with writing the introduction putting ideas and details together very well. My weakness in writing is grammar and writing the conclusion. My experience Reading is very good I love reading novels. especially plays. English is one of my favorite subjects even though I might struggle with it.

syllabus

After I read the syllabus, I noticed that the collection its going to be the 60% of the final grade. I hope I could do good in the collection so I could get a good grade.

ENGL 102 Overview of the Syllabus

        After reading ENGL 102 Syllabus, my attitudes about writing is the 15 page collection. It's going to be a lot to talk about and try to keep the collection very interesting. However, everything else seems manageable to do, its just the writing of the 15 page collection that worries me.

the syllabus is full of detail. It answer all my questions.

Coca cola

After reading through the syllabus, I can't say I have questions... there's just one thing that I wanted to comment on. Coke/Pepsi means that they are TWO DIFFERENT DRINKS. Yes, there's a difference, no, they're not the same exact thing. It should be known far and wide that Coca Cola is the far superior drink. I hope that through this course, I'll be able to improve my writing- not just for a good grade, but so that eventually when I start making music again, I'll have a bigger arsenal for writing. The final assignment is a very interesting case, I'm hoping that I'll be able to decide on a topic that I feel passionate about to write 15 pages on.

After reading the Syllabus...

My Attitudes about experiences with reading and writing are positive. English is one of my strongest subjects but i struggle when it comes to forming essays and writing structure, other than that i like English and am positive of how well i am going to do in this class. I do look forward to get a better understanding on literature and different kinds of genres.

Syllabus Review

After reading the syllabus I have no questions. It is pretty self explanatory. I like that we only have one writing assignment to focus on. I feel like it helps us focus of writing skills into one specific topic. I also admire that we are choosing the topic, giving my peers and I more freedom to write about something we truly want to write about. My attitude towards writing is complicated. I like reading and writing about things that interest me. I often struggle when it comes to topics that I do not find interesting. I hope to expand my reading and writing skills in this class.

feedback on the syllabus

the syllabus clearly explains the activities for the semester and i love that we have some poetry because i love poetry

First day writting

It was confusing for me when I see reading assignment, there are parentheses and the page number inside, is it the page number or how many pages we have to read.
No more questions!!! the syllabus is perfect!!!

English 102 Syllabus

The English 102 syllabus is well written and elaborates on the important aspects of the class and guidelines we need to follow to get a good grade.