The Soloist, chapters 1-6

So far, I really like this book!!! It's really captivating -- it just makes me want to read more. First of all, The Soloist is an easy read; the plot progresses neatly, its paced well. Because I have a relative who suffers from schizophrenia, I really appreciate that the disease is being brought into the public eye. Nathanial’s story is amazing to me; so far, my favorite part is when Lopez describes Nathanial’s joy when he gets the new instruments. I find that to be a beautiful image. Nathanial’s paranoia is a very real, very frightening thing. Having experienced someone’s schizophrenic-paranoia first-hand, I understand Lopez’s struggles, and this link to how Lopez feels throughout the book so far really connects me to the story, and just makes me want to read it more. I think it’s rather amazing that someone who was a veritable prodigy, a student at Julliard, would end up on the streets. Its unfair, and yet, it’s also very poetic, in a tragic way. I think someone should help him, I feel for him, throughout the book. He must be so troubled, and reading this makes me feel thankful that Nathanial Ayers found someone as special as Steve Lopez to help him in the only way he knows how: through his writing, and getting the attention of others so that he may get the help he needs.

Death Of A Salesman

The Death Of A Salesman really reminded me of today's economy crisis, and the fact that there are so many Willy Loman's in America today. Many people have been laid off, or are close to losing their job's simply based on the fact that other's don't have money to stimulate the economy by buying things. Willy was in lots of financial issues, and his job wasn't helping him at all. I thought that it was kind of shocking, though, the lengths he went to in order to get his family money. It was kind of scary, because i know that people actually do kill themselves so that their families can live off of their life insurance. That part really was freaky. The parts that i found confusing were when Willy kept having the flashbacks: that was hard to understand, because his reality blurred into his fantasies so smoothly and it made things more difficult to decipher.

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The Catcher In The Rye

We had to read The Catcher in the Rye for school. It’s a novel, though just barely. At first, I was surprised by the informal way the narrator, Holden Caulfield, speaks through the pages. I didn’t really enjoy the way the book was written, even though its considered a “classic” by many. It wasn’t a real book, if there is such a thing. A “Real” book is one with a plot. A story. Some substance. The Catcher in the Rye was nothing but Caulfield’s musings. His thoughts about everything he did, everything he saw, and everything that ever happened to him while he was in New York. I thought that there would be some progression…that we might find out what happens when he gets home and experiences the wrath of his parents when they discovered that he’d been kicked out of yet another school, but no. Nothing ever happened! It was very frustrating.

I'd like to know what you thought about the book...what's your definition of a "real book"? Does The Catcher in the Rye fit into that description??

Spring Break Writing

One thing I really focused on while reading The Death Of A Salesman was all of the dream sequences. I thought they were a little bit confusing, because they switch so inconsistently. I thought it was weird to be in Willy Loman’s head so much, to “see” his delusions as they take place. It was kind of sad to realize that the daydreams with Ben and his recollections of “the woman” were a direct result of his efforts in trying to kill himself. The gas from the hose in the basement was a vivid image that Miller presented to the reader. Willy is constantly talking about how great of a salesman he could have been, and his daydreams of Ben and his riches are always present. Another thing that I thought was really interesting was that in the movie, Ben always comes and goes via a brightly lit doorway. This makes it seem like he’s heavenly, somehow; his occurrence is anything but that, though. Again, it comes back to Willy’s suicide attempt.

I'd like if you could let me know your thoughts on Willy's suicidal tendencies, too. :)

Third Quarter Reflections

This third quarter has been really different for me, as far as the involvement of technology in the classroom goes. I really like that we hardly ever use the textbook: it makes it seem so much more informal, and that makes it easier to enjoy English class, rather than have it be a chore to endure. I like the blogs: it makes it easier to write homework and to submit it. It can be difficult to post, though, if you don’t have a computer. I just recently got a new laptop, but I hadn’t had one for almost the entire third quarter, which really made it nearly impossible for me to post on time, or even to read the assignments. I’m glad I got the new laptop, though, because now I’ll certainly be able to upkeep my blog.
I especially like how we don’t have to write in such a structured format. That was one of the things I used to hate the most about English, what made me dread writing papers, or having any written responses assigned. Being able to write my thoughts out in a conversational tone, to be able to write down my thoughts as I’m thinking them, and not be penalized for the informal tone is amazingly liberating. It makes me actually want to respond, because I get to voice my opinions in a safe place where I won’t be ridiculed or anything. And even better, my friends and peers get to read my writing and they get to respond to it.
One thing that I might want to try to do later in this quarter, though, is that I think it would be better to have one more period of computer time. I like being able to have the time to ask questions as I’m writing the assignment, rather than having to just type up my response, ignoring my uncertainties. I like that we can respond to each others’ writing, but I don’t think responses should really be graded as much. I think a) its probably hard for Mr. F to read EVERYONE’S blog to see who’s commented and who hasn’t, and b) its something that should really be encouraged, not that’s mandatory. I think we should have started off with blogspot.com, instead of GoogleGroups. While GoogleGroups was mediocre, BlogSpot makes everything easier and more organized. I really enjoy this English class, and think other teachers should adapt to making their classes more technologically involved, too. It would make school easier to handle if everything were as organized as this class has become.

A Selection Of Quotes: F. Scott Fitzgerald.

“All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.”
–Letter (undated) to his daughter, Frances

This quote was the one that really stood out for me, among the ones posted on the assignment blog. When you’re swimming underwater, you’re alone. Silence can be deafening. Under water, all you have to hear is the pounding of your heart, and your thoughts. That’s one of the major reasons I love swimming. My daily life is so fast and busy and filled with unnecessary stresses, that when I’m swimming…all of that melts away. I’m left with myself. That’s what I think this quote means. When you read good writing, you’re taken away from everything in day-to-day life. You can escape into the place the author has weaved for you with his words. I really think Fitzgerald had an awesome take on life. He was insightful, and an amazing writer. Reading The Great Gatsby made me want to read other Fitzgerald works, because his method of narration is intriguing, and his story captivated me; it made me want to read more.

Gary Snyder

“I am foremost a poet, doomed to be shamelessly silly, undignified, curious, ****struck, & considering (in the words of Rimbaud) the disorder of my own mind sacred. So I don't think I'll ever commit myself to the roll of Zen monk..." –Gary Snyder

Gary Snyder grew up in California, and attended Reed College. There, he expanded his interests to Buddhism, and Asian languages. Snyder has often been described as “zen”; that is, he was very calm and down to earth.

Ripples On The Surface
By Gary Snyder

"Ripples on the surface of water
were silver salmon passing under—different
from the sorts of ripples caused by breezes"

A scudding plume on the wave—
a humpback whale is
breaking out in air up
gulping herring
—Nature not a book, but a performance, a
high old culture.

Ever-fresh events
scraped out, rubbed out, and used, used, again—
the braided channels of the rivers
hidden under fields of grass—

The vast wild
the house, alone.
the little house in the wild,
the wild in the house.

both forgotten.

No nature.

Both together, one big empty house.

I liked this poem by Snyder. It included nature…but unexpectedly. His descriptions of nation make it seem more profound: I really enjoyed the choices of diction in this poem. The ways Snyder provides so many images that are easily visualized really captivated my attention as I read and reread the poem.

http://www.litkicks.com/Texts/Riprap.html

One sentence that really stood out for me was “The world is like an endless four-dimensional game of Go”. This really struck a chord with me…it made me think. I think Gary Snyder was really ahead of his time. Born in 1930, Snyder began writing in the ‘50’s. That said, his way of thinking, this free-spirited, ever immortal mindset, was about 10-20 years ahead of his time. In the 21st centaury, this line from RipRap still applies. We live in a world that’s always moving…I mean, think about it: people are ridiculed in advertisements for using CASH to pay for items. God forbid we bring back cash, when plastic is so much faster. We use vacuum cleaners to clean our houses faster. We have cars to get where we want to go faster. Speed is always a factor. The world really is like a constant game of “Go”. I think Gary Snyder has a really firm grasp on life, and everything there is to know about it.

I really can’t see anything about Gary Snyder’s poetry that makes it distinctly American, other than the “game of go” bit. Snyder clearly recognized the progression the world was going through at the time he wrote RipRap.