In Thinking About Lamott's Polaroids

     The packet called Polaroids is just as interesting and helpful as Goldberg's book, Writing Down the Bones. The only difference is that Lamott is talking about fiction, not just overall writing or poetry. In this packet, he talks about tips and how to create a fiction story and overall to be a better writer. If someone is having trouble with developing characters, plot and dialogue, this packet is perfect. There are some things I really liked in this set of pages and I thought it was great advice to beginning writers.

     In the beginning, Lamott talks about writing an article on the Special Olympics. He went with great interest, but he didn't know how or what he was going to write about it. Enjoying himself, he took notes all day and had a good time. During the twenty-five yard race, he watched a young girl trying her best to get through it. Once she did, she was stoked that she was able to finish, regardless of how long it took her. This and many other things that happened throughout that day would've been endless details to write, in Lamott's opinion. I think he is right and telling us this story is to show that people who want to write should focus on the event or surroundings that are around them. Everything that's happening can be written into some sort of story or anything, as long as the writer has the right mind or perspective. Something simple that someone else is doing can be written so beautifully, even if they are just reading a book or simply walking across the street.

     Another point that Lamott talked about that I thought was interesting was when he talked about the plot. It was really different reading his advice to not worry about the plot, but worry about the development of the characters. When you get involved with the characters, that creates the plot. I like the quote, "You are not going to be able to give us the plans to the submarine. Life is not a submarine" because in life there are no plans, so in stories, there shouldn't be so much worry or plans in the plot. With any type of story development, you must be patient. Once you are able to see the capability of the characters, you can take more action in developing the plot. He also said that your dreams, or in this case your work, mus be vivid and continuous. The material has got to work on its own, You have to roll with it. It will go smoothly with time. Beginning writers, especially me, have a hard time feeling like the plot is not good enough, or are impatient with how good the story will be. You just have to be patient and everything will fall into place.
    This packet is truly helpful when it comes to the ultimate worries of "Will my story be any good?" Reading this overall helps with letting you calm down and give tips on how to develop stories really well. Characters are the most important thing. They are the parts that reel readers in the story, and what makes the story pleasurable and unique. If a writer needs insight on how to write a story, this packet is perfect. With this, I feel that this packet boosted my confidence in writing, and I hope others felt the same way too.

The Message from "Morning News"

     As we go into the fiction part in class, we are reading the first fiction packet. In this packet, there are a few very interesting short stories, but this one was one of my favorites. This short story, Morning News, is by Jerome Stern. The main character, a husband in North Carolina, gets the news that his wife is sick. Her sickness is unknown, but my guesses are cancer, because the language in it seems to be more accurate to this type of sickness than other sicknesses. As he gets the news, he faints, and is automatically picturing the worse. He thinks about what he would do if he was in his wife's shoes; how he would spend his remaining life before he passes. By the end of the story, he and his wife go to a discount warehouse and buys the biggest television set they have. Although the story doesn't give a message or a moral in plain sight, I think it gives a message that we all need to learn.
     Some readers will say that the meaning of this story is to,"Live your life to the fullest," and that can be true. We only have one life and if we spend it not doing things that can give you complete satisfaction, then you'll pass on without knowing what it would've been like. However, I think that this story is telling more than that. When something goes wrong in a person's life, they either mope in their sorrow and will never get over it. Others will try to do everything that they can to fix it, or make the best of the problem. regardless, they waste their time not looking at the big picture. When something goes wrong in our life, we are so quick to fix it or deny it and it falls apart. Our lives are fragile, and one simple mistake can make everything can go wrong. The message I felt from this story was to stop, and breathe. Look at the big picture. Okay, so there is a bump in the road in my life. I can either, go slowly over the bump, or I can go really fast over it. Most people never think about taking a breather on what has thrown onto them. No one ever thinks about going the "middle" speed, or the" middle" position. I think what this story is trying to say is that, "Yes, something like this can happen in our lives, but it takes us to inhale for a second and look at every side of the situation." Realize what is happening, and try to do the best decision possible that would make you happy.
     The husband realizes that he can either rush his wife to do every glorious thing they can think of, or spend his and her life worrying and trying to not over do it. He should see that he should see how she feels about it and do whatever it takes to make her and him happy. He must take a step at a time. However, we may feel in some way that time is running out, so spontaneous things must happen. This is why he still buys the biggest television set in the store. Although there still is time to do things before they get worse, we are humans and we must act on our impulses.
     When it comes to situations like this, people are quick to go to one side or the other. No one ever thinks about the middle. If we start to think about the middle decisions in situations, I think things will go more pleasantly and no one will regret what they did or didn't do. If the husband thinks about what the middle part is in his situation, he might be able to satisfy his and his wife's wants and needs, thus lessening the chances that they will regret anything. Like I said earlier, we only have one life. If we sit back and think about what we can do to help our problems, there will be a better chance to live our lives in a better way.

Thoughts on "On My Mind" from the book Tocqueville

     Throughout the book, Tocqueville, there are a lot of interesting poems to read. Some are cryptic and some are easier to understand, just like other poems from other authors. Many poems are also a combination of this. Some parts you might understand, whereas the rest is a little more difficult to read. I thought one particular poem from this book was like this. It's called "On My Mind."

     This poem gives me two ideas on what it is about. As I read it several times, it seems like he is talking about someone he knows. Someone who had a whole different life than what he remembers long ago. For some reason, I had an idea that he was referring to his mother. However, at the end of the poem he says, "I think her name was Georgia." After I read that, I felt like it couldn't be his mother anymore. Then to think of it, maybe the narrator in the poem is stating the fact that she is so different now, that he no longer knows who she is. Another reason why it could be the mother he is talking about, is because overall the whole poem talks about a women that he loves, but it doesn't seem like an intimate kind of love. Some of the lines can give the idea that his mother was once around to care for him, but since she is consumed by other things, she is not there for him now. He still loves her and wants to care for her, because he might be the only family member she has.

     Another idea of what could be the meaning of this poem is that the narrator may be talking about women nowadays in America's society. Overall, the poem kind of creates a stereotypical image of a woman who would maybe considered "White Trash." I actually had the image of the mother from the movie Matilda, pop into my head while I read the poem. It seems like the language is saying that long ago she, or women, were not like this. As if maybe because some of the habits that we have in society have made a big impact on what we do or look like. For example, the lady in the story smokes a carton a day. This habit is unhealthy and could of changed the woman in a small way. She is so consumed into smoking, or other habits, that she could lose a part of who she was before all of this. Things like this can change people, making seem like they are not who they used to be anymore. Like how a drug addict can change their personality by using harsh drugs and will eventually lose everything good around them. Maybe with some of the choices we made as a society has changed on what we think on certain subjects, making us different to others.
     Overall, this poem is really interesting. It is a combination of a cryptic message and an easy language we can understand. I think to find the real meaning of this poem, besides asking the author himself, is to read piece by piece and try to figure out what each piece means. Poems are puzzles, with enough effort, you are able to make out which pieces or ideas will click and which ones don't. I would be really interested to see if I was right or somewhat right with the background or meaning of this poem.

Thoughts on "Ecclesiastes"

     The book, Tocqueville, has numerous poems by Khaled Mattawa. They range from big to small in length, as well as portraying different meanings in each of the poems. One poem that caught my eye, was Ecclesiastes. This poem spoke out to me the most, out of all of the other poems. The format, the length, and the constant use of  "the rule" and "the trick" just really attracted me to read it over and over again. As it goes for any poem, what you think it's about, may not be the same as what others will think. Since this book is supposed to bring light about the Iraq war, the effects of technology in the U.S, etc., this poem gave me thought that the meaning was how the society is and how people in the society conform to the rules that are given.

     When reading this poem, I wasn't sure on what the meaning was. I read it over and over again, searching what can be a possible answer that gives an idea on what the poem is trying to say. While reading this for the first couple of times; a strict, woman's voice was saying each line that I read. "The trick is that you're willing to help them. The rule is to sound like you're doing them a favor." With this voice command me to do these "rules and tricks", the scene of the strict woman, teaching young people on behavior, began to play. Then that gave me the idea that maybe this is Mattawa's view on how the society here in the U.S. plays a role on their citizens' behavior or what they think is right and wrong. Some people will say how we think in our society can be good or bad. Some will say that the reason why we act this way (that others around the world would think is weird or wrong) is because of the rules from our government.

     The last few lines in this poem really made me think of this idea. "The rule is everyone is a gypsy now. Everyone is searching for his tribe. The rule is that you don't care if they ever find it. The trick is that they feel they can." This was the kicker on what made me think about this. In our society, almost every person wants to belong somewhere. They want to "fit in." We are always encourage that it is okay if we fit in somewhere and if we don't fit at all, that is okay too. It's okay to not fit it, just be yourself and that's enough. Basically, these lines reminded me of all those people saying, "Hey, this is the new trend now, so try to fit in and become this trend. It's okay if you don't, just be you. However, try your best to fit in." This happens a lot in our society. We go from that it's "cool" to be a "hipster" or get in with the newest trend. If you do not try to conform yourself to this, many things can happen, This ranges from being bullied in school, or feeling like you're not a part in anything. People in today's society are quick to conform to these type of things, especially people that are in the young adult range.

     When I thought about this, I began to analyze the rest of the poem, so I could see if there was anymore evidence that could support my theory. Reading the line, "The trick is that you're providing a service. The rule is to keep the conversation going." When I read this line I thought about how it is easy to tell someone a rule that they might not want to follow, but if you include a "trick", they might be more comfortable with doing it. There are a lot of theories that our society does this to us. From advertisements to simply the authorities we are told to do things that some may not like to do, but with a simple sentence of reassurance, many will conform and will do the rule or task. For example, a new vaccination. This new vaccination has some risks that can harm the patient, but if the doctor reassures that they will be okay, the patient becomes more acceptable to take the risky vaccination. I think that the poem is showing how easy it can be to conform someone to do a task, regardless if it is good or bad. Maybe because there seems to be a lot of conformity in America, it is one reason of how or why we think certain things are good or bad. Or we are okay with some decisions and are appalled with other decisions. 

     Overall, I really liked the poem, Ecclesiastes. There can be many meanings behind this poem, as well as the other poems. I would be interested on seeing if my theory on the meaning was right, and even wrong. If I was wrong on the meaning, it would be intriguing on what it actually means. So far, the poems in Tocqueville are really mysterious and I look forward onto reading the rest of the book. 

Opinions On The Book, "Writing Down the Bones."

     In class, we have started to read the book, "Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Goldberg. At first I was a little skeptical on this book because some books that are assigned in classes can be somewhat boring. However, I think this book is very intriguing. The author gives some of the most inspiring tips on how to write better and they can apply to other things in life that is hard to do. For example, in the chapter Fighting Tofu, she gives a tip on how to stop the resistance you may have on writing. She says, "I'll wake up in the morning and say, Okay, Natalie, you have until ten A.M to do whatever you want. At ten you must have a pen. I give myself some space and an outside limit." This can apply to more than just writing, like it can apply to homework, or a dreaded chore. She also gives the advice, " When it comes to writing, keep your hand moving, don't cross out or worry about spelling, lose control," etc. Personally, this is a good mindset for me to use because it is hard for me to write something great because I constantly cross, edit, and stop to think about my writing. Her advice of "lose control" can really help me to stop thinking how to write, but just to write in general. 

     The chapter, "Writing as a Practice," can be helpful to many beginning writers. The author explains that if you write everyday, eventually you'll be able to be comfortable with your writing and ideas will come out easier. The more someone practices on their writing, they began to lose control and they will start to get into their writing and making it much smoother. Goldberg often talks about her students in this chapter, pointing out that losing control in your writing becomes a physical thing. People and even yourself will be able to see a looser posture when you or someone is in the zone of writing. Having writing practice everyday can also help you find a voice for anything you write about, whether it's essays or dissertations. "We must continue to open and trust in our own voice and process," is probably one of my favorite lines in this book because that is one big thing that I need to work on as a writer. I spend so much time wondering if what I write sounds good or if it is "correct" and it seems like the words crumble with lack of voice. This totally made me feel empowered to do writing practices because if I do this, I may be able to trust my own voice and will be more comfortable with my own words.

     Another chapter that inspired me to write more, is "Composting." When writing, I always feel like I could write certain topics, and then when I do, it doesn't come out right. My thoughts are always shallow and just the first layer of my thoughts. I never go deeper into my thoughts. This chapter made me realize that regardless, it just takes time and practice. If I want to have deeper thoughts and write them, I must be patient and "work the compost pile." I know that if I follow Goldberg's advice from this chapter, I will hopefully be able to write my deeper thoughts, thus making my writing more rich. The "compost" takes time to nourish, but in the end it will bring out something beautiful.

     This book has taught me a lot of things that will help improve my thoughts on writing and my writing in general. A lot of the advice that is given can be used towards anything, as long as you put your mind to it and be patient. Personally, I really need to take the advice of being patient, because I lack a good portion of being patient. With patience, whatever you create will become something marvelous. I cannot wait to read the rest of this book because I know there will be more amazing advice that could help with my writing. I intend to use this book as a reference as well.

Reading Response #1

     In our class's reading packet, there are a few poems that I found were interesting. One poem that caught my eye was, "The Scent of Verbena" by Hinako Abe. First of all, I thought it was intriguing that the author formed the poem in triangles. The triangles almost seem like they were meant to pop out and want to pull the reader in to read the triangles. The many lines in the poem are so descriptive that I could see the scene play in my mind as I read it. For example, "It was a hot day still time to go before noon the wild roses were so dry they looked like they might burst into flames any minute." That line is probably my favorite line out of the whole poem. I can interpret many things from the line, such as there could be tension with the character in poem and/or that it is describing the mood in the story at the moment, which is hot or angry. 

     Another descriptive line I found interesting, was the line, "His face grew as pale as gorgonzola cheese and as I watched fissures spread across it like it was going to crack apart." I really like that Abe used the cheese to describe how pale the other character was in that part of of the poem. It also described the intense emotion that the character was very frightened of what the main character said towards them. I thought that the use of this word was very unique. Using these types of words can help make the poem more interesting and makes the poem overall stand out to the reader. 

        The most interesting part of the poem is the line, "Meanwhile a cicada caught in a bird's beak cried out like a bell but the sound ceased as it's neck broke." I felt like this line was describing the fact that the main character killed the other character. Instead of stating that, they use this metaphor as another way to describe the killing. This is because a few lines before discusses the second character is trying to run away or escape from the main character. The main character then laughs, showing that no matter what the second character did, they are still doomed. From reading this part of the poem, I will definitely try to describe scenes, like a character being killed, by using a metaphor or descriptive words instead of just plainly saying that someone was killed. 

        This poem is pretty descriptive, however, I had some trouble on what the poem was really about. It seems like the main character was being held captive by an antagonist, but then the story turns around and makes it seem like the main character was the antagonist all along. Another way I interpret the story was that the main character was being led to a trap by someone, then he mustered up some courage to turn his fear around and was able to stand up to what I thought was the antagonist and scared him away. If that isn't what the story was trying to portray, I would love to learn what the poem really means.

First Post/ Introduction

     Since this is my first post, I would like to write a little about me. I am Caitlin, a sophomore in college. I was born in a small town in California. I moved to Michigan with my mom when I was seven years old. From then on, I was raised mostly in Michigan and visited family in California a few times each year. It's kind of cool going back and forth to both states. I get to enjoy different weathers and special places that are in are in one state, but not in the other. I have three dogs and love any types of animals, except for pet tarantulas, or any spiders at all. I enjoy experiencing new things and always look forward to try something new. I was given the opportunity to start blogging by it being a part of my Creative Writing class I am currently taking. I hope posting on this blog will help me become a better writer, as well as a better blogger.