The Final Blog

There have been a lot of stories and poems that I loved in this class....others...not so much. The poetry could be confusing at times and the stories sometimes seemed pointless, but even so I enjoyed to read them and to see so many different writers ways to express themselves. So many different things and view points on life and it all shows in their words.

Mint snowball for example,is a writers thoughts on a past she didn't get experience herself and her desire to be a part of a tradition that was long past. She explained her feelings about something that didn't have any relevance to most people who would read the story, but you could tell she was passionate about just by the words and details she used to describe her grandfather and the mint snowball. Her passion is what made me interested in the story, and although Ive never tried a mint snowball in my life i felt like I did.

Crumbling expectations is another good example of a writer writing about whats on his mind, and having a great piece of work come from it. If you read the story like a news article or something similar like that, it wouldn't make sense, but if you try to understand the story from the writers perspective it begins to make sense. He wrote about his life and his relationship with his father, and it almost seemed like it was therapy for him, like he was trying to figure it out himself as he was writing it.

I'm glad can say that I learned a lot about my own writing from these stories. Before, I always would second guess my words, not really if someone would understand what I was trying to say,but If they would like it.I learned that it doesn't really matter if someone agrees with or even likes your writing, because a writer writes for themselves, they pour their soul on paper so they can can express how they feel about their world and if someone likes it thats great, maybe you can get it published, get rich or whatever, If they don't, oh well move along and continue to do your own thing. I enjoy what i write and as long as that is true then i'm guessing that I am doing the right thing.

Crumbling Expectations

At first I thought that I would never understand this story, I had read and re-read it and still couldn't understand the concept. Then I focused on the last sentence of the story and everything began to make a little sense. "I quote back to my father now words he has written but never wrote". I realized that the author was trying to say that he learned the same things his father did, almost reliving the exact experience is father had before him.

The author mentions his daughter towards the end of the story, maybe she takes his place in his fathers story (hope that makes sense). It sounds likes she pretty old seeing how shes married, and he wants to leave the same lessons to her.

The crumbling resort being a metaphor for the fathers body is one of my favorite parts (I hope that doesn't sound bad). How he neglected all his relationships and loved ones in the pursuit to become healthy again. I wonder if his family is why he wanted to become healthy again in the first place? If it was, how would he react if he got healthy but his loved ones were no longer there? I guess that really doesn't matter anyway seeing how that didn't happen in the story, but I think of things like that from time to time. People try to hard to make other people happy they end up hurting them in the long run.

Things to Do Today

I love to read things like this. Not because its a fast and easy read, but because the interpretation of the list is up to the reader. Such as "get the fuck out (i.e., get to fuck)". I took me a while to figure out what he meant, but I think I figured it out. I believe hes talking about getting having sex, how everybody wants to do it and how everyone should just go for it . I really enjoyed going over the list and trying to figure out what each one could possibly mean.

I believe the author was trying to convey a message in a humorous way. "mourn the continuing success of the Snack Area" or "make the beautiful go to work". To me it seems like he is talking about the unhealthy food they serve in concessions around America and the rich and famous beautiful Americans that dont really have to do to get by in life. While he doesn't explain these statements in details you can get a general sense of what he means.

My favorite one is #78 "scrape the forgotten music from the great stadiums it accidentally built and failed to keep up". Its my favorite because its one that I strongly agree with. Music isnt what it once was, or at least thats what im told. I wasnt around for the Jimmy Hendrixes and Bob Marleys, but I hear their music today and stories of the things they did for the industries and our cultures makes the music we have today seem horrible.

Naomi Shihab Nye's "Mint Snowball"

Im from Illinois too, Chicago, so this story caught my attention really fast. The entire time I read it, I thought of my mom growing up there with her family. My mom has told me many stories about her hometown and I remember each one, maybe for the same reason the author remember the mint snowball.

I dont know if my great grandfather owned a store, I actually dont know much about him, but my grandfather was an important part of my moms life, along with my aunts and uncles. My mom says he had the best cooking she ever tasted, then and now. She describes his food  the same way the author described her great-grandfathers, with ALOT of detail. Such as when the author described the process of the Mint Snowball, "He concoted an flamboyant elixir of mint" or "The scoops of rich vanilla ice cream to each side". I dont think anyone can read that and honestly say that they dont want to try it.

Like the author, I never got to try the food my grandpa cooked. For some reason it bums me out a little. I wish I could get together with all of my family and share something that brought us all together. Instead my family is split now and I get to see a few here and there. I havent thought about it for a while but this story has reminded me of the stories ive heard, and makes me want to go to Chicago as soon as I can and see my family.

Blood Dazzler

My copy of Blood Dazzler hasn't arrived yet, but i cant wait to get it. The poems are interesting unlike Emily Dickinson's poems . JK. Its almost like an 1st perspective on the events.  


Hurricane Katrina honestly wasnt that big of a deal to me. I knew it was horrible, but it didnt effect me so i pushed it to the side. But this book put the events right in my face.

Poetry

I like a certain kind of poetry, i like poetry about situations people encounter everyday. Its nice to get different perspectives of things you see in front of you. Especially if that perspective is from years past. That is why I love Langston Hughes poems so much. Every time i have a poetry segment in class, I immediately scan the books for his poems. Theres other poets I like (Shakespeare believe it or not), but most poems dont interest me.

I believe poems should have some king of rhythm to it, some kind of beat. Hip hop is like poetry to me, although im sure alot of people will disagree with me. If these people would just listen to some of the things these artist say, I think they would change their mind. Anybody who is reading this, I encourage you to listen to "You Never Know" by Immortal Technique. Deep stuff.