ENG 001: Language & Writing

Blog 22 (Soundtrack/Object-Orientated Essay)

2008-12-19T12:40:00.033-06:00

Childhood PossessionsTheme: Songs from Animated Children's Movies

The song “Zero to Hero” was featured on the Disney Motion Picture "Hercules". Lillias White, Vaneese Y. Thomas, Cheryl Freeman, LaChanze, and Roz Ryan are the voices of the muses who tell the story of Hercules and the ones who sing this song. The song was written by David Zippel and the lyrics were provided by Alan Menken. The video for this song displays Hercules dealing with his new responsibility as a Hero and the fame it brought him, though the lyrics to the song, as well as demonstrates the fact that he has not always been well known, a “somebody”. This song reminds me of three of my favorite movies Star Wars (Episodes IV, V, VI), because in these movies the main character, Luke Skywalker, starts out as a regular person and by the end he is a Jedi who has saved the universe. My father gave me a Digitally Mastered VHS Star Wars Trilogy when I was three. The box the movies come in has Darth Vader’s face on the front along with the Death Star. The title “Star Wars” is in blue and the word “Trilogy” is in white overlaid on the title. On the back of the box there is a message from Star Wars creator George Lucas and the logos for Fox and Lucas Film Ltd. There are three movies in this box, which you can see from the side. The first movie has the same color scheme as the box, but the title of the movie “A New Hope” is in white, while the title of the trilogy remains in blue unlike on the other two movie cases where it is in white. Below the title is a picture of Darth Vader’s face. The middle box has a picture of an Imperial Stormtrooper on it and the words “The Empire Strikes Back” in purple. The last case displays the words “Return of the Jedi” in maroon and has a picture of Master Yoda on it. The cases and the box that contains them are worn from years of existence and use.

The music and lyrics for the song “Everybody Wants To Be A Cat” were created by Floyd Huddleston and Al Rinker. The song first appears in the Disney's Animated Picture "The Aristocats", and was sung by the cast Phil Harris, Scatman Crothers, Thurl Ravenscroft, Vito Scottie, Eva Gabor, Liz English, and Paul Winchell. The video takes place in O’Malley’s pad which is an old loft. The two main singers are O’Malley (Harris) and his best friend Scat Cat (Crothers). The cats from Scat Cats’ jazz band, the Aristocats, and O’Malley are depicted playing instruments and dancing around while the lights flare like a disco ball is present. As a child I liked this movie because it was all about cats, and one of the main characters (Duchess) reminded me of a stuffed animal my grandma gave me for my birthday. I used to tie my cat stuffed animal to a string and then pull her along like she was actually walking. The stuffed animal was supposed to be white, but appeared off-white due to all those years of “walking” around. The cat had blue eyes and a pink nose, which was made from light pink thread. There was a tag on her back right leg in the thigh area that said “Russ” in big letters, which stood for Russ Berrie & Co., Inc. This was the name of the company that created my white cat. On the back of the tag the cat’s name, Prissy, was sewn in large letters.

Ned Washington provided the lyrics for “When You Wish Upon a Star” and Leigh Harline composed the music. This song was originally sung by Cliff Edwards, who is the voice of Jiminy Cricket, in "Disney’s Pinocchio". Jiminy Cricket was singing the song to Pinocchio to give him hope about becoming a real boy. The video displayed features the original song with the original vocals but the images are not all from Pinocchio. The video shows a variety of Disney moments when a character is making a wish or their dreams are coming true. This song reminds me of a cross necklace that I received from my grandma, which has become a sort of charm for me. The cross looks like a four pronged star and there is another star cut out of the center. The four prong star is similar to how artists tend to draw Polaris. The inside star is a series of four lines crossed over each other. The two lines that form a cross are slightly longer than the two lines which form an “x”. The inside star appears to be shimmering or twinkling. The cross and the chain are made out of sterling silver. The chain is a decorative chain that alternates between silver ovals and circles to form a pattern. The metal loop that connects the necklace to the chain has “made in Italy” engraved inside it so that it is hard to see. The loop is slightly misshapen because it has been stepped on. The clasp on the necklace is a standard spring ring clasp that tends to get stuck at times.

“Get Off My Back” was written by Byran Adams and Eliot Kennedy for the Dream Works Animation Motion Picture "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron". Singer/Composer Bryan Adams also provided the vocals for this and several other songs on the movie. The video shows several U.S. Army soldiers trying to break Spirit, a wild mustang stallion. Spirit is clearly winning the confrontations and the other army horses are cheering for him in their stables. I chose this video because it shows the horses in the stable. My grandma gave me a horse stable with twelve miniature horses when I was little, and I used to pretend that some were tame while others were wild like Spirit. The stable is made out of pine wood and has twelve stalls. The back of the stable is open so the horses can be pulled out, while the front of the stable has a small slab in front of it. The slab of wood makes the front into windows instead of doors. The dividers between the stalls are not pine but partition board. The top of the stable has many hoof marks from when the horse “walked” across the top the top of the stable which was a “hill”. All of the horses are about two inches tall from hoof to ear, and two and a half inches long from nose to the tip of their tail. The horses come in a variety of colors as well as breeds. A black Percheron, Pinto with brown patches, Morgan, Appaloosa, Dapple Grey Workhorse, Mustang, and a roan Quarter Horse are among the horses represented.

Here I Am - Click here for more free videosBryan Adams contributed the vocals for “Here I Am” a song from Dream Works Animations Motion Picture "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron". The song was written by Bryan Adams, Gretchen Peters, and Hans Zimmer and is featured twice in the movie. The video begins with an eagle flying over plains and then transitions to wildlife in the woods. Before it shows the eagle flying again it displays bears fishing for salmon on a waterfall and a bison herd traveling by a geyser. After the eagle flies by for the last time mustangs run across the screen. The video then focuses on Spirit’s mother giving birth to him, followed by Spirit exploring the new world he is in. The graphics to this video are beautiful, but it is the lyrics that caused me to choose this video. The lyrics discuss a person exploring a new world on a new day, which reminded me of the story of my American Girl Doll Addy Walker. Addy was a slave who ran away with her mother to freedom, after her brother and father were sold, and has to learn the how to live life not as a slave but a free girl. My American girl doll that represents Addy from the American Girl books is a black doll with hair down to her back. Her brown eyes open and close depending on whether or not she is lying down or sitting up. She came in a pink and white cotton dress, her slave dress, and a straw bonnet with a blue and white ribbon to tie it on with. Addy appears to be about nine years old. A tan and black kerchief to carry a drinking gourd, a half dime, and a cowrie shell necklace from her grandma came with my Addy doll.

The song “Be Our Guest” was written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman for the Disney Motion Picture "Beauty and the Beast". The song is a duet by Angela Lansbury, who is the voice of Mrs. Potts, and Jerry Orbach, the voice of Lumiere, with a chorus as backup. As the song is playing the video displays a variety of kitchen and other household objects singing and dancing as part of a performance for Belle. The kitchen entities present Belle with food as well as a performance to welcome her to the castle. While this is all charming it is the lyrics about inviting someone to be a guest that remind me of my wax sealing set, which I use to fasten envelopes of my personal letters and envelopes. The wax letter seal set was given to me by my mother for Christmas when I was little. The set came with three candles that provided the wax to seal the letters. Each candle was a different color. The cornflower blue candle was the tallest candle at about four inches and had no engravings on it. The red and black candles were the same size, about three and a half inches) and had engravings of a vine with flowers blooming on it running their length. The three of these candles are know about an inch tall. The set came with a small brass seal. The seal had a tiny knob on the top of it. The letter “T” was engraved on the bottom so that it would show up in the wax. The other seal which did not come as part of the set but was given with the set was slightly more expensive. The handle is made out of mahogany wood. The part of the seal that stamps the wax has the letter “N” engraved in the brass. The brass part of the seal can be unscrewed and replaced with other brass seals.

Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz wrote the song “The Court of Miracles” for "Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame". The vocals for the song were provided by Paul Kandel – the voice of Clopin, the leader of the gypsies. The video shows Phoebus and Quasimodo being captured by the gypsies in an underground crypt that also happens to be the entrance to the gypsies’ home – The Court of Miracles. After the gypsies capture Phoebus and Quasimodo they are dragged to the Court of Miracles, where they are placed on stage with a noose around their neck. While Clopin sings about their trial the court is shown. There are brightly colored drapes and other sheets of cloth all over the court. These cloths remind me of a cloth that my mother bought in order to sew my sister and me beanie baby sleeping bags. The cloth I chose ended up as a makeshift blankie for me instead of a sleeping bag for my beanie babies. The cloth is roughly four feet by two feet. The ends curl in because there is no hem, but it is not unraveling without the hem. The cloth is magenta and has darker magenta stripes running length wise on the cloth. The stripes are about an inch wide with an inch in between them. At first glance cloth looks one color because the magentas are both real close in hue. The cloth is made of a rayon and polyester mix, which means it is silky soft and conducts static electricity well.

Blog 21 (Writing Review)

2008-12-11T14:18:00.007-06:00

I honestly don't really think of myself as a writer. I guess I would say as an intermediate writer. My writing mechanics leaves something to be desired and there is still a lot I need to learn to ever become advanced at writing. I can form sentences so I would say I am not a beginner.

I never considered the different types of writing there were. I knew the basic categories of essays like informative, persuasive etc... I never thought about the fact that these were not the only types. I didn't care as long as I wrote the essay right and got a good grade. I never really thought about what an essay is. In this class I had to think about what an essay is, how to meld form and content, and what an autobiography consists of. So I guess I am more aware of what I am writing.

I realized that I don't really plan out what I am going to write. I just sit down and write. After I am done writing then I edit and alter my writing. I think I learned to plan out what I am writing to a certain extent in order to organize my paper better. I don’t plan what I am writing paragraph for paragraph, but I make a skeleton of the paper.

Before this class I usually did not have my peer’s edit my paper. I just assumed have the teacher edit it. In this class, however, with every writing project we had to peer review our papers for points. This helped because it gave me more input than just the teacher’s thoughts on what I needed to fix. I like having my teacher look over any paper I am turning in to them because then they can give me their input on my paper and I know what they are expecting me to fix in order to do better.

I don’t know if I can give an exact definition of good writing, because the rules change from essay to essay. There isn’t a concrete set of guidelines. I would say that for me good writing adheres to writing mechanics rules, (depending upon the type of writing) it gives the authors opinion and insights along with the data of the subject. A good writer’s paper is organized and the thesis ties the whole paper together. The paper is not scattered or rambling there is a purpose to what is written.

I am still trying to figure out how to meld form and content in writing. In "Blog 6" we were supposed to meld form and content and I don’t think I did a good job of it. I think this is something that I definitely need to work on. I also need to work on my Rhetoric Appeals essays. I don’t always see the connections between a piece and all its rhetoric appeals. The main problem I have with rhetoric appeals is that I usually only saw one or two appeals instead of all three like I was supposed to. This is part of the reason that I only discussed on rhetoric appeal mainly in my "Rhetoric Appeals Paper". I am good at observing things. I kind of enjoyed the "Observation and Reflection essay", because I like just writing about what I think and how that deals with what I observed.

Blog 20 (Object Orientated Autobiography 3)

2008-12-07T16:58:00.009-06:00

Wooden Rocking Horse

When I was little all of my friends could braid hair, but I could not, but I wanted to learn. My mom showed me how to braid once, but I needed to practice before I could claim that I could also braid hair. So I practiced on my wooden rocking horse’s tail.

The rocking horse was made out of oak with a wood finish by the Amish in Arthur, Illinois. It was not very detailed, meaning there were no eyes and mouth or hooves attached to the oak rocker. It was just horse shaped with a flat back for a seat. There were three rungs between the two rockers that the whole structure was attached to. At each end of the rungs there were oak screw hole buttons covering the screws. In the neck of the rocking horse there were two handles. One handle on each side of the neck, so that the rider could hold on while rocking. The horse’s mane and tail was made out of undyed wool yarn. The longer I had the horse the more the yarn started to take on a slight yellow hue from dirt and age. When the rocking horse was given to me both the mane and the tail were firmly attached to the horse. However after a while the mane remained firmly attached to the rocking horse’s neck, but the tail would come out of the rocking horse’s tailbone. I came to enjoy the fact that the horses tail would come off of it. I would attach the tail to clipboards and practice braiding while watching television or talking to my family. I also liked that it came off because then when I would dust the horse. The pledge and orange oil would not get in the yarn of the tail like it did in the yarn of the mane.

Blog 19 (Object Orientated Autobiography 2)

2008-12-05T11:26:00.007-06:00

Emily's Scar

At my second birthday I was given an African American baby doll by my grandma, which I named Emily. It turns out that Emily is an American Girl Doll. The Doll’s actual name is Bitty Baby. I did not know this until my seventh birthday when my grandma gave my sister Alex a Bitty Baby Doll. She did not realize that it was the same doll she had given me.

Emily has brown eyes with eyelids that actually closed when the baby doll was laid down to sleep. She came in a white outfit. Emily has no actual hair, but the plastic in the area that was her hair was pitted and a darker color than the rest of the doll. The plastic on top of her head made it appear that she has curly black hair. Her hands were folded into little fists like a baby’s does so often. The dolls body was made out of brown cloth and cotton even though her limbs were plastic. Under her right arm there was a long tear that occurred after my childhood best friend, Carmen, and I played tug of war with the doll. Carmen wanted to take the doll to play with, but I was not that good at sharing Emily. The cloth under Emily’s right arm tore so that her arm was almost torn off. I did not play with her for a couple of years because I did not want to break her anymore than she already was.

On Easter morning when I was six I woke up early and went downstairs. Emily was placed in a chair by the kitchen table. My mom had taken the time to sew her arm up by hand. There was a neat brown cross under her arm where the rip had once been. All of these years an Emily still posses that “scar”, even though I have had the opportunity to take her to the American Girl Doll hospital. If I did this then they would replace her body and make it like new, but I find myself attached to the unique “scar” which my mom took the time to create out of a wound.

Blog 18 (Object Autobiography 1)

2008-12-03T12:09:00.004-06:00

Family Cookbook

There is a cook book that my grandma gave my mom. The book was made of recipes compiled by my grandma. The paper is cream colored and held together by plastic comb binding. Some of the pages are coming out of the binding, and the cover is no longer attached to the cookbook. The table of content s is only halfway attached to the binding. The pages of this cook book are now stained with age and ingredients from past dishes that the book aided in. There are little drawings of apples, old stove ovens, and rolling pins on some of the pages. The writing is the neat cursive of my grandma. The ink almost looks blue because it is so old. Each page states the name of the recipe, the section of the book it is under, the person the recipe came from, the ingredients needed, and the process used to make the dish.

This book has seen a lot of holiday moments. Every Christmas my mom pulls out this book and flips to the section on Christmas cookies. We would make Pfeffernussen, Russian Tea Cakes, White Roll Out Cookies, Springerle, Lebkuchen, and Gingerbread panels for the Gingerbread house. Then she’ll send my sisters and me around to gather the ingredients from the cabinets while she pulls out bowls, measuring cups, rolling pins, and any other kitchen item needed to make the cookies. I can remember watching my moms hands work as she kneads and rolls out the dough for Pfeffernussen cookies. Then she would cut them into strips and then cut those strips into little sections. While she would do this I would look the strange name of this delicious cookie in the cookbook. The cookbook reads:
Pfeffernussen , A German Tea Cookie
Recipe Curtesy of Grandma Grotelueschen.

My mom would always drag out the cookbook even though it seemed like she knew the recipes by heart. This cookbook which I can remember so well will some day pass to my sister Alex, mainly because I suck at cooking, which is why I only helped.

Blog 17 (Video Rhetorical Response)

2008-12-01T18:53:00.010-06:00

Barbie Girl by Aqua
Single from Aquarium Album

The video relies on the ethos not only of the group singing but also the ethos associated with Mattel’s Barbie Doll. The video mimics the appearance of a Barbie doll house. There is a lot of pink around, which is Barbie’s trademark color. All of the people are dressed like Barbies and move in a stiff puppet like way. These little acts help video seem more like a “Barbie World”. By appearing more like a Barbie set up then the video is associated with Barbie even more. This could be a good thing if you like Mattel’s Barbie or it could discourage people from liking it if they detest Barbie. The video could also attract fans of Aqua. Their fans would know what to expect from them and thus there would be more interest in the video. The song kind of makes fun of Barbie’s and some would say paints her as a bimbo. This could be a point that would attract more interest from those who dislike Barbie. This fact that this song could be interpreted with a negative light on Barbie, was why Mattel sued Aqua for infringement on their copyright agreement.

There is also pathos in the video. It is obviously a spoof that is meant in order to make fun of Barbie. Barbie seems ditzy and materialistic in the video. The fact that it makes fun of Barbie means that it is meant to be funny. Comedy is an appeal to pathos, because it deals with emotions and making the viewer feel something for the subject matter. The song is upbeat and cheery which inspires a sense of happiness. The happiness feeling goes along with the comedy aspect of this video. The video shows a Barbie just having fun with friends, which could cause the viewer to also feel happy because of the memory of their own friendships.

Blog 16 (Video Response)

2008-12-01T15:47:00.019-06:00

L.I.F.E. by Lil' MamaThe Voice of the Young People Album

This video by Lil’ Mama is about the turmoil life can present for youth, especially those who have family issues. Lil’ Mama takes the roles of different characters that all have some serious issue like pregnancy, drug dealer, torn family, or poverty. I know that she is not just making up things for her video. These things really happen. Some have happened to people I know and care about.

The video really makes me appreciate how good my life is. No matter how bad life seems it can always get worse. The thing is you never know how bad someone has it until they tell you. Someone could seem to have the perfect life, but it could all be a show. There could be some serious family issues that they are trying to hide from the world, because they don’t want to seem weak by asking for help. This is one of the reasons that I believe they say not to judge a person by their appearance. You never know what issues they are dealing with.

The chorus of the song is an acronym which spells out life. L-is for the liars that had surrounded me,I-insecurity: My head down in these streets, F-my future; there isn’t on, E-ternal Hope- and this is my life. The chorus sets the tone for the song. The song paints the relief that there is no hope, and your stuck with what happens. This is true to a certain extent, but I think that you can change your circumstances to a certain point. You don’t have to have the same life as your parents. In today’s society you can change your life. It is all up to how hard you work and what life throws your way.

Blog 15 (Video Observation)

2008-12-01T15:46:00.012-06:00

Livin' La Vida Loca by Ricky MartinSingle from Ricky Martin Album

The video starts with a car crashing into a fire hydrant and water splattering all over the place. The street is dark. The whole video is dark for the most part. When the scenes show the city streets then the only lights are the car lights and the street lights. In the club scenes the light comes from the stage lights shining on the stage, the stage’s background, the spot light, and the strobe lights. These lights help the viewer to see the subject matter but still give the dark lighting affect to the video.

The camera angle is mostly from straight on or it is on by the ground and focuses up at its subject matter. The camera pans a lot and zooms in slightly sometimes. The camera also pans and zooms out a lot. The camera seems to constantly be in motion. If the camera is not panning then the scene is cutting in and out. The camera hardly ever is positioned from an upward angle and focuses down on the subject. The main time the camera is positioned up high is when it focuses on the girls dancing in the rain. Another time the camera is focused on a girl dancing on a pillar or balcony, but then the foreground becomes blurry and the background comes into focus. When the background comes into focus the camera is angled down at Ricky Martin. The camera never actually changes its angle from straight on the girl on the balcony, but by changing the focus of something up high it focuses on a subject down low.

When the video is transitioning from one scene to another it does it a few ways. One way the scene makes a transition is by zooming in or out on an object. At one point the video zooms in on the reflection in Martin’s eye, but the reflection is not a reflection of his sight but a different scene. Another example of this is a fire hydrant is knocked towards the screen and the camera zooms in on the black hole at the end of the hydrant and when it zooms out it is zooming out of the hole of a trumpet. At other times one object in the screen stays in focus while the background blurs and when the background clears a new scene is present. For this technique the camera usually focuses on Martin.

Blog 14 (Rhetoric Writing Project - WP2)

2008-11-17T20:28:00.027-06:00

The Trail of Tears

What would it be like to be forced to leave your home and the land your family has resided on for generations? To endure a harsh journey where some of your family and friends died, in order to make a new home in a strange land? Thousands of Native Americans found the answers to these questions during the Trail of Tears in the 1830’s. This event is rendered by Robert Lindneux in his painting Trail of Tears, which was painted in 1942. There are several rhetoric appeals to this image, but the one that will be discussed is pathos and how it applies to this image.
The Cherokee Trail of Tears occurred in 1838 as part of the enforcement of the Treaty of New Echota by President Martin Van Buren. This treaty, which was signed in December of 1835, stated that the Cherokees were going to lose their land and should be moved west in order to keep the Cherokee Nation intact. This treaty was signed in accordance with the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which was sanctioned by President Andrew Jackson. Though President Jackson signed the Act in 1830, it was proposed by President Thomas Jefferson. The Indian Removal Act relocated the “Five Civilized Tribes” (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee or Creek, and Seminole Nations) to areas like Oklahoma so that their original lands, like Georgia, could be seized by the Government. The “Five Civilized Tribes” were forced to sign the treaty so that the government could relocate them. The Choctaw Nation traded 10.3 million acres east of the Mississippi for 10.3 acres in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Interestingly enough they already owned this land according to previous treaties.

The Trail of Tears often is associated with the Cherokees harsh journey from Georgia to Oklahoma in 1838, but the term originated with the relocation of the Choctaw Nation in 1831. During this journey all of the Nations had to deal with exposure to diseases, the elements, and starvation. Many of the Native Americans died due to these issues. Of the roughly 15,000 Cherokee that were relocated 4,000 died during the journey.

Narration is used in this portrait in order to tell a story of the emotions and veracity of the journey. Seeing a painting of the event makes it no longer seem like some event in the history books. It is easier to visualize and relate to. The sense of motion from the diagonal lines in the painting gives the viewer the sensation that these people in the picture are moving. Straight lines give the feeling that something is solid and unmoving. There are straight lines that make up the wagons and the bottom of the clouds. The straight line at the bottom of the clouds helps separate the clouds from the ground. The clouds have blurry straight lines coming down from them that represent rain. Most of the clouds are made up of curving lines that help represent size and movement. There is no significant source of light. The light is glimmering from around the clouds and some is shining through the clouds, but there is not a lot of light.
In the foreground there are two figures that are prominent. The first is an image of a Native American man dressed richly and riding a horse. He is sitting tall and confident, with a smug expression on his face. His clothes are brightly colored and have white fringe and fur on them. This man could have been paid to help relocate his brethren, so he would be better fed and rested than the rest of the Native Americans. In contrast there is a woman in the foreground on the right. She is riding a horse with a child positioned behind her. The woman is not dressed richly like the man to her left. She is wrapped in a darkly colored blanket in order to stay warm. There is contrast between the horses they ride also. The man’s horse is dark brown and well fed. The woman’s horse is light brown and looks emaciated and tired. There is a foal that is walking next to the emaciated horse. The horses almost seem to symbolize their riders. The woman’s horse has a child with it like the woman does. The woman is exhausted and probably malnourished as is her horse. The man’s horse doesn’t seem like it is malnourished, but it does seem tired from the trip. The man’s horse is the darkest horse in the painting. The man’s dark colored horse could symbolize that he is a traitor. The bad guy wears black in the Old Western Stories. There is an aspect of the old west in this painting, due to the covered wagons. Some of the Native Americans are not dressed in tribal garb but in hats and coats like white society, or a combination of both outfits.

The most prominent of the rhetoric appeals in this painting is pathos or the “pathetic appeal”. The painting portrays tired Natives dragging what little property they have along. The horses even appear to be tired. There are no smiles on the Cherokee’s faces, which leads to the conclusion that this journey is not a pleasant one. To the contrary their faces appear resigned and sad, as if they are accepting what fate has given them. The purpose of these affects is to inspire sympathy and sadness in the viewer, and not to try to cheer up a sad event. The depressing factor of the subject matter makes it easy to relate to the Cherokees. There is no need to actually have been evicted to sympathies with the emotions that they must have been feeling: fear, dread, and wariness. Even the sky is depicted as dreary and upsetting. There are no bright colors in the painting; even the white appears kind of dreary. Most of the people seem to have their heads down or their body position at a diagonal in order to signify weariness. There is a cloud of dust being kicked up by the feet of the animals and people. The dust cloud along with the endless line of travelers that disappears into the horizon help signifies the enormity of the event. The Indian Removal Act had an effect on a lot of lives. The line of travelers also makes it appear like they have been traveling forever and most likely have a long way to travel, which adds to the feeling of weariness. The covered wagons bursting at the seams with furniture, and the sheer volume of people alleviates to the fact that this is not a simple vacation or short trip to a neighboring town.

Throughout the crowd there are a few soldiers wearing blue uniforms and carrying guns and riding with the Cherokees. The soldiers are obviously there to provide structure and protection. The soldiers may also inspire the feeling of resentment, because they are the tools with which the Indian Removal Act of 1830 is being executed. The soldiers’ horses are standing tall and the soldiers are sitting with their backs straight, which gives the impression that they are better than the people surrounding them. The alertness of the soldiers and their steeds could also be the fact that they are better feed and rested than their charges.

Rhetoric appeals connect art and writing to their audience. The appeals discussed previously help the viewer of The Trail of Tears to connect to the painting, instead of just glancing at it with no emotion. By connecting to the subject matter emotions and thoughts are inspired in the audience.

“Artist Biographies: Robert Lindneux.” David Cook Fine Art. David Cook Galleries, LLC. 15 Nov. 2008. http://www.davidcookfineart.com/1/Lindneux_Robert_Ottokar.htm

Hickinbotham, Jim. “The Trail.” Trail of Tears. 16 Dec. 2000. 15 Nov. 2008 http://www.peaknet.net/~aardvark/index2.html

“The Five Civilized Nations.”Wikipedia. 20 Nov. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 Nov. 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Civilized_Tribes

“The Trail of Tears.” Wikipedia. 21 Nov. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 Nov. 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_Tears

“The Treaty of New Exhota.”Wikipedia. 11 Nov. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 Nov. 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_New_Echota

Blog 13 (Cultural Context)

2008-11-09T18:06:00.009-06:00

This is an image from Flicker by Altered Photos. As technology gets more advanced it begins to integrate itself in all aspects of everyday life, including art. Artwork can be done completely by computer manipulation today. This particular piece or art is classified as abstract art, more specifically it is modern digital abstract art. This is considered actual art and museums have started to collect this category of art. Digital art is categorized as computer generated art, of which digital abstract art is part of. There are several different kinds of digital art. Fractals, algorithmic art, and 3-D graphics are also considered digital art along with scanned photographs that are then digitally altered. Fractals are fragmented geometric shapes that can be split and reduced, but still remain a copy of the whole image. Algorithmic art is generated by algorithms which are mathematic sequences used for calculations and data processing.
It is important to understand where abstractionism came from in order to understand what it is. It is believed that abstractism began around the year 1910, though it has roots in the late 1800s. Wassily Kandisky and Piet Mondrian are believed to be the pioneers of modern abstractism. Kandisky is given credit for the first modern abstract art. Abstract art depends on forms within the picture instead of pictorial representation. Cubism shows the first characteristics of abstractism, but is not classified as abstractism. According to Wikipedia abstractionism is influenced by impressionism, romantism, and expressionism. The abstractism of the twentieth century was impacted by post-impressionism.
Lots of digital abstract art is done in programs like Adobe Photoshope, which can be purchased and used by anybody. I think that is some of the appeal of this art anybody can learn to create it. The vibrant colors and unusual shapes appeal to the visual senses. This piece of art appears to be a spinning vortex. There is black and white lightening radiating out from the vortex. Black, white, and grey light is being absorbed by the vortex. As the vortex sucks in the lightening there are blue wisps of light being emitted from the vortex. The light that is being absorbed is cut into four sections like a four leaf clover.

http://xylem.syros.aegean.gr/~modestos/pages/art+science/art_movements/art_movements.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/

http://www.harley.com/art/abstract-art/index.html

http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/a/abstraction.html

Blog12 (Free Write)

2008-11-02T09:52:00.021-06:00

"They Don't Care About Us" by Micheal Jackson
Album: HIStory:Past, Present and Future, Book I

The prison version of this song opens with these words about the video “This film depicts the need for hope to rise against man’s injustices to man, and the need for prayer to unite man against the hatred we have seen throughout time and throughout the world. This is not an attempt to degrade or single out any one race or religion, but rather an effort to arouse the mind and spirit of us all.” This statement sets the tone for the rest of the video.

The prison video opens with children behind a wire fence clapping and chanting the chorus of this song. This version of the song shows different scenes of strife throughout the world and comes back to focus on Michael Jackson in his prison cell. The scenes include a KKK rally, Rodney King beating, 1992 L.A. Riots, Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989, and the Vietnam War.

The Brazil video opens with a lady speaking to Michael Jackson in Spanish, while the video zooms in on a religious statue on a hill. This version takes place in Dona Marta a town in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This version features Olodum, which is a cultural group from the Salvador black community. Their goals are to combat racism, encourage self-esteem and pride among Afro Brazilians, and fight for civil rights. They did the drumming for this version of the song. Michael Jackson walks throughout the town while Olodum surrounds him and drums. There are children and other citizens surrounding him also. This version shows the poverty of the town.

Both versions of this song have raised controversy. The prison version was banned from many television stations due to the violence depicted. Radio stations have also banned this song due to its lyrics about Jews, blacks, and whites. When asked about these lyrics Michael responded that "My intention was for this song to say 'no' to racism, anti-Semitism and stereotyping. I intend to include, in all albums that have not been shipped as of this date, the above paragraph so that no one can listen to my music and misconstrue my intentions. Just the idea that my lyrics could offend and hurt anyone's feelings is extremely painful to me."

I think that this is a powerful song that depicts some of the world’s issues in a startling light. Jackson is right some of us would rather not dwell on the problems of the world, but I think eventually we all will come across them because we are all so interconnected.

(Slightly Over 300 Words)

Blog 11 (Free Write)

2008-11-02T09:52:00.020-06:00

"A Little Priest"
The Motion Picture
Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

This clip takes place shortly after Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp) murder’s Pirelli in crime of passion. Pirelli was trying to blackmail Todd. Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter) and Todd are trying to figure out what to do with the body. Lovett comes up with the idea to turn the body into meat pie. The following song is them justifying the act of turning a man into a meat pie.

According to them men take advantage of each other all the time, though they refer to it as man devouring man, so why shouldn’t they literally devour man. Lovett rationalizes that it will save on grave space and do relatives some favors. Todd then goes on to say that “the history of the world, my love … Is those below serving those up above! How gratifying for once to know…” To finish this thought they both reply “that those above will serve those down below!” I can see what they mean about the history of the world. There is lots of evidence throughout history of men taking advantage of each other but I wouldn’t say that that justifies cannibalism. When you watch the movie they don’t seem to have any issue with turning other people into food, but if you listen to the lyrics at parts they seem to be rationalizing their acts. Lovett even mentions the job security in selling human meat pies because everyone shaves.

The other part of the song is them discussing the different types of flavors. They presume that the person’s career and life style give the meat different flavors. For example the priest should be clean because they don’t commit sins of the flesh, and Royal Marine tastes of where ever the marine has been. There are plenty of witty comments about common assumptions with careers, like politicians can be greasy and you can tell a piccolo player from a fiddle player, because the piccolo player is piping hot.

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Blog 10

2008-10-26T19:21:00.005-05:00

Blog 9

2008-10-26T19:21:00.001-05:00

Through The Glass (Blog 9 Observation Paper)

2008-10-09T12:27:00.029-05:00

I am standing under a light brown wooden overhang that covers a sheet glass window. I look at the window which has been smudged with fingerprints and other body residue from children sticking their faces up to the window in order to see the Gibbons that live behind the glass. There is a gold and black plaque centered below the window that states “Habitat Enclosure Funded by US Bank”.

As I glance at the plaque, an elderly lady and her grandson walk up to the window and inspect the gibbons in the far corner of the exhibit. “Oh he’s going to get some leafs.” says the grey haired grandma wearing brown sandals and a navy blue sweat suit. “He wants them to eat." "To eat! To eat!” exclaims her companion, a little brown haired boy in a green shirt with blue jeans, as he points at the White Handed Gibbon at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo. His grandma smiles at him and walks toward the dromedary camel exhibit while he pushes the plastic button on a cream colored metal box that is standing to the left of the window. The boy looks at the gibbons again, then follows his grandma towards the camel’s exhibit. As soon as the button is hit a whooping sound starts to emanate from the round, rusty speaker and a masculine voice declares “Gibbons are the smallest apes. They are apes not monkeys because they have no tails…” This seems to draw one of the gibbons over to the glass window. The other continues to hang buy his arms from a tree in the right corner of the exhibit.

I can’t imagine what it would be like to be caged because your habitat is diminishing and this is the only way your species can exist. If we were the animals, I wonder if we would live in little cages with various toys and plants strewn throughout it and signs on the cage that say “It’s not “junk”. Its enrichment for the animals, toys to stimulate their minds and bodies.” Would we also have a sign that said “Human Beings Homo sapiens”. How would it feel to sit on sit in front of a glass window while some other species stands outside and examines you? There would be no way to escape and you are stuck with whatever companion they stick in the habitat with you. I think that if I was born into this life it would be easier to handle than if I had once been wild. At least if you live at the zoo there are no hunters and there is always food.

I know zoos and wildlife preserves are a good thing, because they are helping to educate the population and to keep an assortment of species alive. The animal world as a whole tends to be having an issue with humans due to the fact that we are destroying their natural environments in order to gain resources. They lose out in the deal, but we don’t really have an alternative that is tremendously efficient. We need the resources that their environments provide and sometimes the only way to get them is by destroying their homes. I know that the companies that do this try to replant trees and be careful about what they disturb but that doesn’t really change the outcome. How do you satisfy so many populations? The humans need resources in order to live how they do, the animals need their environments in order to live at all. The animals have no say in the matter and only a portion of the human population is willing to change significantly in order to help them. It looks like a no win situation to me, but I guess only time will tell.

They say that the ape is the closest relative to the human being. When I looked at the gibbon I could see similar features. Some of the similar characteristics that I noticed are that both species have hair not fur, similar appendages, and opposable thumbs. If we are so similar, then why did we evolve and become the dominant species on the planet? How come the other apes are not where we are? I guess some could say that it is because they are stupid animals, but I know it is not because they are stupid. When I look at them they I can see the intelligence in their eyes; so maybe it is because they are not as intelligent. I don’t know why people say stupid animals, when we are animals too, and sometimes I am not sure how intelligent we are. Maybe the apes are the more intelligent species. They aren’t wreaking havoc on the planet in the pursuit of comfort.

The other gibbon swings over to the window and lands on a vertical log that is positioned in front of me. The gibbon’s intelligent moist brown eyes examine me through the glass, as I inspect it in return. This gibbon has golden hair all over its body. Everywhere that its skin shows, I see black flesh. There is no hairy coat around its eyes, nose, and mouth. The gibbon’s face has sparsely any hair, so it appears to have a four-leaf clover or Mickey Mouse shaped bald spot for its face. The hair next to its face is white, not golden, and it only occurs for about an inch before the gibbon’s golden hair reappears. The gibbon looks like it had a bad hair day because the hair on its head is sticking out at odd angles.

As I scrutinize its hairdo, the gibbon puts its hand, the back of which is covered in little white hair, up to the window. I reply by placing my hand on the other side of the glass, like we are giving each other a high five through the glass. Its fingers are exceptionally longer than my fingers. I am able to see how the gibbon is able to hang from trees so much. Its palm is relatively small compared to the size of its fingers. The gibbon’s long elegant fingers end in lengthy black nails. I begin to look at the gibbon’s feet and see that the pads of them, like the palms of its hands, are black. The top of its feet are covered in little white hairs. The gibbon’s legs and especially its arms seem too elongated for its small torso. The gibbon seems to lose interest in me and swings back over to its companion. As I look through my reflection at the gibbons on the other side of the exhibit, they begin to groom each other, appearing to be content in their large cage.

Blog Post 8 (Observation Cubing)

2008-10-07T13:17:00.002-05:00

Generalizing: consider what you have learned from the event or experience that will be the occasion for your reflections. What ideas does it suggest to you? What does it suggest about people in general or about the society in which you live?
The gibbon is an intelligent animal that can survive on its own in nature. That is it could survive on its own until humans started messing with its environment. We now cage the gibbon in order to help keep its species from going extinct and as a bonus we can take our children to the zoo to ooh and ahh over them. The fact that the gibbon’s habitat is disappearing due to forestry shows how much respect our species has for others. We need the wood supplied by forestry but on the other hand we are causing issues for other species.
Giving examples: illustrate your ideas with specific examples. What examples would best help your readers understand your ideas?
Comparing & contrasting: think of a subject that could be compared with yours & explore the similarities & the differences.
Any animal on a preservation has some of the same issues as the gibbons at the zoo. They were moved to the preservation because of some issue with their environment of maybe due to a health issue. Environment wise the animal could be suffering from food loss, habitat reduction, or maybe they just aren't reproducing enough. All of these can affect the species numbers. On a preserve though the animal has more freedom and interaction with the other animals.
Extending: take your subject to its logical limits & speculate about its implications. Where does it lead?
I think that we need to find an alternate source of certain resources so that we are not limiting the habitats of the other animals. There is only one earth and we all have to live on it. Plus if one species goes extinct it could affect our species in the long run.
Analyzing: take apart your subject. What is it made of? How are the parts related to one another? Are they all of equal importance?
My subject is all about an ape that lives in a mesh and glass enclosed habitat. The animals are content because they have life's necessities. But the fact that we have to enclose them to protect them is an issue. The gibbon is the main issue the enclosure is just an aspect I chose to focus on.
Applying: think about your subject in practical terms. How can you use it or act on it? What difference would it make to you & to others?
The zoo provides knowledge about the gibbons and other animals so that the public can be more informed when disscusing animals and conservation issues. The zoo is raising awareness so that they can help the animals and the public is able to put faces to the species they read and learn about. If I wanted to learn about a species so that I can join an organization or do something else to help the species than the zoo would be an alright place to start. The have information on how to help the animals and there are employees that can answer questions pertaining to animals. We are all interconnected so what happens to one species will most likely have some affect on the others.

Blog Post 7 (Video)

2008-10-01T14:26:00.014-05:00

"We Made It" by Busta Rhymes ft. Linkin Park
B.O.M.B (Back On My Bullshit) Album

The music video starts by traveling over the city at night and then focusing on Busta Rhymes’ penthouse apartment. He is sitting by the window of the apartment starring down at the street. I think this is supposed to symbolize the fact that he made it to a rich life. When he discusses how far he has come, the video shows him and a whole bunch of people standing at the base of a hill and then they start to run up the hill. I think this supposed to represent the struggle in life to get where you want to be.

The whole song is about making something out of yourself, about going from being broke and alone and working your way to a better life. Throughout the video he wears various inspirational shirts to help get across his message about making it in life. The shirts say things like Failure Is Not An Option, Defeat Your Enemies With Success, and Only God Can Judge Me.
The video shows people on the streets that start to come together and travel to the hill I where they run up it together with Busta. The video is not just about one person making it but a group making it together. Throughout the video it is dark and raining, but at the end of the video the sky clears above Busta Rhymes’ head. I think this is to help emphasize that they made it out of the dark to the light. Even when life was down on them it turned around.
The very last scene of the video shows Busta Rhymes in his penthouse apartment again. Then the video pans out and travels over the city at night. It closes the way it begins. I think this adds a sense of finality to the video.

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Blog Post 6

2008-09-26T13:57:00.010-05:00

"Fighter" by Christina Aguilera
Stripped Album

The video starts with a moth walking on the ground. Then it shows her in a glass cage. Someone is watching her from above. The persons’ hands are move like there is a marionette attached to them. The video shows girls in black ballerina outfits eating rotten fruit. When the song talks about making her stronger she frees herself from the glass cage. The song talks about making her skin a little bit stronger and shows her black cape. Then it shows her in a dark alley with pins in her back. During this part of the song she is talking about backstabbing. She keeps trying to walk even with the pins in her back; she’s trying to prove she’s a fighter. She begins to tear out the pins when the song talks about never backing down.
The song mentions how she has became a wiser person and she appears in a white gown with a white mane. She scales up a wall and fastens herself to the side. Moths begin flying towards her and alight on her as the song refers to a person hiding their lies and disguising themselves. The video shows a close up of her eyes blinking and then begins to flash between the batting eyes and the moths fluttering their wings.
When Christina declares that she has had enough the moth combusts. She materializes in an alley wearing black and red raiments, confabulating about how the person transformed her into a fighter, made her wiser, and smarter. When she asserts she is smarter the music video fixates on her eyes. The last time she proclaims that her experiences have permuted her into fighter she bashes in a glass window. The window does not rupture on contact but spider web fractures emanate around her high heel.

The chorus of the song is all about being a fighter and how her experiences have made her stronger and wiser. I decided to try and make my writing gain intelligence as it is read in order to symbolize the increasing wisdom of Christina in the song. An example of how I did this is that in the beginning I use words like talk and made as my writing continues I change the words to proclaim and transformed.

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Blog Post 5

2008-09-22T14:26:00.008-05:00

"Footprints" by T.O.K.
Unknown Language Album

There is a poem called Footprints, actually there are several variations of this poem, which is my mother’s favorite poem so I’ve always remembered it. Usually this poem is presented with a background of footprints in the sand, which is another name for the poem. The poem discusses a dream in which the dreamer sees their life as they walk along the beach with the Lord. When they come to the last scene of their life they notice that at the hard parts of their life one set of footprints disappears. This disturbs them and they confront the Lord about leaving them, which the Lord replies that the hard times are when he carried them. In 2005 T.O.K came out with a song and two music videos for the song that were based on this poem. The song was dedicated to a deceased friend.

I like the first video the best because it portrays the group as Angels doing the Lord’s work. The video shows a mother who loses her son, a homeless orphan, and a sister who has lost her brother. All of which are praying for help. In the second video the group is narrators as the video shows a mother being presented the American flag after the loss of her child and a fight in a club that turns into a crime scene.

This video (the first one) is sad but shows white backgrounds, in order to symbolize heaven, and gives a sense of improvement. When a person dies their souls stand next to the group members as they take them to heaven. The video shows a variety of settings including the beach with footprints to represent the poem. It also shows a cliff where the group is singing, and the different scenes of distress in town. The context is definitely religious. I think the chorus portrays the focus point of the piece the lord is with the people.

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Blog Post 4

2008-09-21T18:02:00.005-05:00

I found this photograph in Yahoo Images. It is a picture of a sidewalk chalk image. The image looks 3-D, but is only chalk. The chalk drawing is of angels playing instruments and messing around in a pool of water. It looks as if you could step into the pool with the angels.

I like this image because in the focus is the chalk drawing but in the background you can see people looking at the drawing or going about their everyday lives in the town it was drawn in. The chalk drawing really seems to go with what I can see of the city. The city appears to be old maybe even European and the drawing looks like something you’d see in renaissance paintings, so they both seem to have a sense of age.

There are three angels in the chalk drawing but my eyes tend to be drawn to the one sitting on the edge of the pool playing a musical instrument that looks similar to a violin. The pool is a bright pastel blue and the angels are in the sunlight frolicking in the water. But one edge of the pool is in shadow and part of the angel that my eyes are drawn to is in shadow. I think it is the size and contrast that attract my eyes to this angel.

I think this picture was taken at a different time of day than the artist drew the chalk image because the sun in the image is beating down from the right creating shadows on the left, while the sun in real life is beating down on the man in the black suit from the left creating an shadow on the right. I wonder if it took this long for the drawing to be created or if the photographer just took the picture later. I’d imagine art like this would take a while. It is a shame it will be erased as people walk over it or if the weather changes.

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Blog Post 3 (Video Composition)

2008-09-11T15:30:00.007-05:00

"Evolution of Dance" by Judson Laipply

I chose the Evolution of Dance by Judson Laipply, because I have seen him perform in person and this part of his routine was the most interesting to me. This YouTube video appears to be recorded at one of his live performances and doesn’t appear to have been edited too much, if at all. The picture is slightly fuzzy due to the fact that it was recorded from the audience. The spotlight highlights Judson as the focal point of the video. The contrast of his colorful outfit to the black and white background also allows him to stand out.
The piece is informal and he is dressed casual as a result. Laipply is an inspirational comedian and the piece reflects some of his comedy in the way he dances. The title pretty much describes the piece. He shows how dance has changed through the decades ending with the recent rap of Eminem and pop music of N*Sync. I think that any audience could watch this and enjoy it, because of the fact that it covers so many decades. They have music and dance moves from my parent’s and grandparent’s generation on here as well as my generation. The facts that he covers many different genres of music also help it to appeal to a wider audience. He uses dances that have a specific dance move like The Sugar Hill Gang’s Jam On It and The Chicken Dance, as well as songs that don’t have a specific dance like Haddaway’s What is Love and ACDC’s You Shook Me All Night Long. He also uses songs made famous by movies like Grease Lightening from Grease and Umpa Loompa from Willy Wanka and the Chocolate Factory. These are songs that a majority of the population is bound to recognize because they watched the movies as children. The music adds to his performance and highlights the decade the dancing is from.

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Blog Post 2 (The Diagram)

2008-09-11T15:28:00.006-05:00

The diagram is depicting the morphology of a human cell. All of the major parts of the cell are labeled and the diagram even includes a short description of the purpose of each organelle. I prefer diagrams that give a short description of the content, because they give you background on their subject without the reader having to research the subject. I like the diagram because it is visually stimulating. The diagram is 3-D and colorful so it catches the viewer’s interest. The diagram is easy to read, which is how I believe a diagram should be.

This diagram, which I found on yahoo images, would be a good visual aide in biology or anatomy when the cells are discussed. It always amazes me that something so small can make things so big. I guess the letters would be the cells of an essay. The words would be the tissues, the sentences would be the organs, and the paragraphs would be the organ systems of an essay. The essay needs them all to function.

I believe that this diagram was originally used as a descriptive tool to teach students about cells. By placing this cell diagram on my blog I am using it as the subject matter of my blog discussing a diagram. The purpose of the diagram is no longer to teach something, but more to provide a topic by sitting on the page.

In Kitty Burns Florey’s essay Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog, Florey says that “The diagram was a bit like art, a bit like mathematics.”(p.2) I think the diagram falls under more than one category. It can be artsy and some of the better diagrams show some art to add visual aide to the subject. A diagram can also be a type of organized writing. The subject matter must be organized in a presentable way and incorporated with the visual display.

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Blog Post 1 (The Essay's Subjectivity)

2008-09-04T14:20:00.008-05:00

"As near as I can figure, an essay can be... a query, a reminiscence, a persuasive tract, an exploration; it can look inward or outward; it can crack a lot of jokes. What it need not be is objective. An essay can certainly present facts and advocate a position, but that seems quite different from the objectivity, whereby a writer just delivers information, adding nothing in the process. Instead, essays take their tone and momentum form the explicit presence of the writer in them and the distinctiveness of each writer's perspective. That makes essays definitely subjective -- not in the skewed, unfair sense of subjectivity, but in the sense that essays are conversations, and they should have all the nuances and attitude that any conversation has. I'm sure that's why newspapers so rarely generate great essays: even in the essay- allowed zone of a newspaper, the heavy breath of Objective Newspaper Reporting is always blowing down the writer's neck. And certainly there is no prescribed tone that is "correct" for essays. Sometimes it seems that they have a sameness of manner, a kind of earnest, hand writing solemnity. Is this necessary? I don't think so. Many of the essays that intrigued me this year were funny, or unusually structured, or tonally adventurous -- in other words, not typical in sound or shape. What mattered was that they conveyed the writer's journey, and did it intelligently, gracefully, honestly, and with whatever voice or shape fit best." (Antwan 24)

- Susan Orlean

I found Susan Orlean’s quote on an essay’s subjectivity interesting. I understood what she was saying and agreed to a certain extent. When I read an essay I like to get a sense of the writer, which is why she says that it can be like a conversation. The times when I can almost hear the essayist are when I enjoy reading an essay the most.
I like how she states that an essay “… need not be is objective.” When she goes on to say that an essay is objective, but the writer should be able to deliver the facts and still get across a sense of themselves and their ideas. She doesn’t want essayist to just state facts but to discuss them. I think that sometimes when I write essays and utter facts I tend to do just what she doesn’t want an essayist to do.Orleans’s believes that the reasons newspaper’s don’t generate great essays is because they focus too much on the facts. Their essays loose the sense of the author and the quirks of a conversation.
I like that essays are so diverse so there is one for everybody’s interest. Orlean said that many of the essays that intrigued her this year were not typical in sound or shape. That way people who like the more traditional essays have something to read and then others can read essays that are “tonally adventurous” and “unusually structured”. I’d have to say that I like to read essays that have something that stands out about them. It might just be the subject matter, the way it was structure, the tone, or maybe the presentation that catches my eye.
I think I’d have to agree with Orlean’s quote. Essays that have something that catches the eye, are objective to a certain extent and have the quirks of conversation are some of the more interesting essays to read.

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Test Post

2008-08-28T14:47:00.000-05:00

Test Post