Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography

Nygren, Ase. "A world of story-smoke: a conversation with Sherman Alexie." MELUS 30.4 (Winter 2005): 149(21). Academic OneFile. Gale. University of South Carolina Libraries. 15 Apr. 2008 .

In this Interview, author Sherman Alexie answers many questions about his writing, and life as an American Indian writer. He talks about growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, being viewed an American Indian, and compares them to Jews, Black People, and Women at separate times. He speaks about universal pain and the trauma present in his writing.

"Biography." shermanalexie.com. FEB 2008. FallsApart Productions. 15 Apr 2008 .

This biography on Sherman Alexie's official website gives a lot of background on the author. This gave me a lot of insight on his autobiographical fiction. There are a lot of similarities between his characters lives and his own. He has written many books, poems, short stories, and has won several awards.

"Indian Reservation." Wikipedia. Wikipedia. 16 Apr 2008 .

This page provides some good basic information, facts, and statistics on Indian Reservations. The information is not that in-depth, but it does give some good basic information. There is information on their history from their beginnings, to today with some information on their culture and casinos. Indian Reservations are very limited considering the size of the United States and number of tribes, and they are also very poor.

"Native Americans in the United States." Wikipedia. Wikipedia. 16 Apr 2008 .

This article has a lot of different information on Natives Americans, from pro-colonization of America, to today. There are census statistics and information on culture, society, and religion of Native Americans, I don't know how useful this will be for the assignment though.

"Tonto." Wikipedia. Wikipedia. 23 Apr 2008 .

Tonto was a character created in the 1930's for the radio show “The Lone Ranger” and was later seen in many other publications based on the series. He is an American Indian and is viewed as offensive to many Native Americans. This should be very relavent, given the title of the story that I am analyzing.

Topic Proposal

Topic Proposal for Essay 3:

1. The Tonto and Lone Ranger Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie. I really liked this story and would like to learn more about the author and the context of when it was written.

2. This story was written by a Native American who grew up an Indian Reservation, just like the main character of the short story. It was written in the 1990s about a young man living in Seattle, WA. It is partly autobiographical, the author takes many things from his own life into his writing.

3. I feel that I understand the main character and his life and feelings a lot more after reading about the author and Native Americans.

4. Knowing more about the culture and history of the time, I can understand the views on racial prejudice the narrator feels, and the path of his life, which is a lot sadder than he probably expected. Its about his dreams, and how they compare and contrast to reality.

5. I think the culture is more important than the history, but the time the story was written is also important, to understand the setting, and the state of racism.

6. The short story "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" features many parallels to the authors life. The character is different, but his life has many similarities. I have heard that it is easy to write about what you know. Sherman Alexie does just that, writing about someone with a similar life and their dreams.

SWA #7

The two different versions of Trifles are very different even though they tell the same story. The play written version has more dialogue which gives you a better insight into the characters, but you have to read critically to get everything in the story. In the novel version it can plainly say something about the characters or what is going on in the story, and uses literary devices such like metaphors. In the novel version, all of the actions and descriptions are very succinct and to the point. In the novel style you can have more insight into the characters through the descriptions of their actions or their thoughts. I think the novel version lends itself more easily to cultural and historical analysis because of the information inside the text, and the way it is presented in the writing style.

Homework for 4/1/08

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.

The historical and cultural context of this story is that it is based in an urban area of Seattle, set in modern times. This story was written in the 1990s, so its pretty familiar, I was alive then, and it was not that long ago. I have never lived in a big city, except for Columbia now. I have never lived in a shady urban area either though.

The narrator references his ethnicity, and the area he grew up in, and the people there many times in this story and they are very significant. From "7-11" to "one of those Indians who was supposed to make it" you get insight into the area and the main character.

I think if I looked up information about Seattle or modern day Indians and Reservations I would have a better understanding of the story and the narrator.

Homework for 3/27/08.

The Holocaust Party:

This story is about how people view race and ethnicity. It is told by a young Jewish man set in modern day America. He has grown up being a minority and dealing with other people and the way they may look at his ethnicity with prejudice or with an ignorance of the history of Jewish people and the Holocaust. His girlfriend invites him to hear a Holocaust survivors story since he is Jewish, she thinks he wants to hear about that. He is surprised to find out that the woman isn't Jewish, and doesn't take her experience seriously and even still believes some of the Nazi propaganda about Jews.

Becky:

This story's theme is about how people view women who have children out of wedlock, black people, and interracial marriages. This was written and set in the 1920s. The story is told in a way that sounds as if other people are talking about this woman named Becky, and her life and decisions she has made. People say bad things about her, but they also give her charity.

Homework for 3/25/08

Reading Response:
"How to Date a Browngirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie"
I liked this story a lot because it was written interestingly and had some comedy to it. It was written in a how-to manner but it still tells a story around a central character. It is kind of vague on the details of the main character and setting but enough detail is gathered by the end. There's a lot of ethnic stereotypes as can be guessed by the title of the poem, and the story comes off as mysogynistic.

"Becky"
I could tell right away reading this story that it was older, but I didn't expect it to be from the 1920s. I know the views of races and interracial relationships was much different then compared to now. The language used in this poem definitely shows that it is from a much older time. I'm sure it was not as common or as accepted for an unmarried woman to have a child, more so if the child is interracial.

"America"
I may be wrong, but I feel like this poem was written by an immigrant that has come to America. I always take notice of the time something was written, which as we established before is an essential part to understanding the culture and meaning of a piece of text. This was also written in the 1920s. This poem is about all the troubles and hardship you may face in America, but you can still look to future optimistically. After all, America is the land of opportunity, right?

"If We Must Die"
This poem is about fighting bravely and with honor even though you may die. Theres not much more to say that isn't summed up in the lines "If we must die, let us nobly die,/So that our precious blood may not be shed/ In vain"

3/20/08

Freewrite:
a)
War: Explosions, Casualties, Guns, Murder, Politics
Gunner: Soldier, Brave, Steady Hand
Attack: Offense, Tactics, Strength,

The color palatte these words bring to my mind is a very limited and dim one. There is no light or brightness and the only thing that isn't greyscale is crimson. The sounds I hear that aren't from weaponry and machines is the yells and screams of those fighting. I think of all know about war and everything I've ever seen, heard, or read about it.

b)
World War II makes me think of the halocaust and the horrors related to it. The whole world is at war for the second time, I can't help but shake that association.

Research:
a)
Ball Turrets looked to be very cramped and uncomfortable. It is very unfortunate for whoever was forced to be a ball turret gunner in WWII and it was probably quite scary. The poem is a lot easier to understand when you take in this information.
b)
Knowing about Randall Jarrell and his experience in the military lets me appreciate the poem more but I do not think its essential to understanding the poem.

Homework 3/18/08

Reading Responses:

Strategies:
Culture and History make a big impact on a story whether the writer intends for it to or not. I was wondering if the book was referring to the history and culture of the author and when and where the story was written or the history and culture that the story is set in. I'm sure both are just as important and are effected by culture. I think understanding the culture and history behind a story is important for understanding it deeply, or getting some of the analogies, allusions, and comparisons, that someone else who did not have that understanding might not see.

The soldier:
This poem has a very patriotic viewpoint of war and it is easy to tell because of the way it refers to England. This English soldier is willing to give his life for his country and that says a lot about him. I cannot agree with this viewpoint for my country, because I'm not the military type and I definitely don't agree with war, but this is still interesting to see the opposite kind of viewpoint. This poem was written in 1915 but the views could still apply to a war today.

Anthem for Doomed Youth:
This poem makes me think of the reasons I don't quite agree with war because it is about the young people that go fight and lose their lives. The title makes me think that they are doomed, because even if they don't die, they won't be the same after going to battle and living with those experiences. This poem does use very good imagery and wording to make you think and feel about the message.

Thursday March 6th 2008

Warm Up: This poster says "Park Carefully" in bold letters so it is very easy to identify it's central message. I chose this and drew the cartoon because it was something that had happened to me, I wanted to help promote the message of parking carefully to help others who may get into a similar situation.
Most of the writing is just in a plain handwritten style to keep it simple and focus on the main message, which is in in larger bold capital letters at the bottom ("PARK CAREFULLY!") The bold is used to stress the point and grab attention. The drawing is very simple, a stick figure with no face and some straight lines resembling a vehicle. I like the simplistic stlye so I do not think much would change if I weren't hindered by artistic ability, except it would be much neater and maybe a little more colorful.

Peer Review:

I would like the review to keep in mind that this is the first draft of this paper and the ideas may be incomplete or not as well thought out and arranged as they could and will be. What do you feel I could do the make sure that I am fulfilling the assignment. What do you think you do well when you right a paper that I need to work on with mine. Where is my paper the weakest and strongest?

SWA #5

Topic Proposal:
I have chosen the design on the front back and side cover's of the book "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski. The design on the covers is dark and engimatic featuring little color and designs and details that you might only notice upon closer inspection. The design on this book represents what the text in the book represents, and its purpose is to draw the attention of potential readers. Despite the old saying, people do judge books by their covers, so they are designed to represent the book and attract the target audience. There are subtle hints and details that are reflected in the design that the reader would not understand unless they read the story. There are quotes from the reviews of the book on the back cover to also draw more interest to the reader. Each time the word house in written on the cover, is in a blue font, contrasting the rest of the white text on the cover.There is a compass like one featured on map centered on the front page, printed in a glossy black is a nautilus like shape in the center and other lines extending from that which resemble a blue print of a house, but with mazelike and random rooms, hallways, and doors. There are photographs printed on the side spine of the book in between black boxes of text that read the title, author and publisher information. There is a dim black and white photograph of man holding a light fading into the black background of the back cover. It is hard to tell who the target audience of this design is for, but I think it is for anyone who might be interested in the actual book, and maybe even for intellectual readers.

Thesis:
The purpose design featured on the cover of House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski is to attract readers and to represent the story inside.

2/28/08 Warm Up

I agree that a worthy cause won't be sunk by an inept poster, but it won't succeed because of a good poster either. I can't think of any examples that have made me think about an issue differently. Maybe I am more of a free thinker and less gullible compared to the average person, who these posters are trying to speak to. If there is an issue that a poster is trying to inform or persuade me on, I probably already have my own information and opinion about it, maybe I am just stubborn.

Homework for 2/26/08

Car Culture:

To me, my vehicle is just transportation and nothing more, but maybe that would change if I had more money or options choosing a car. Cars do say a lot about their owners, but mostly about what they can afford and what they value.
It is interesting to compare the Prius and the Hummer, they are complete opposites on so many levels. One is small and efficient, and conscientious of the environment, while the other is larger, a sign of wealth and excess, a symbol that reflects the American population's views. So what if it has poor gas mileage and gas prices are pretty much always rising, you can show off your success and money by driving that monstrosity that no one should really be driving in the first place. This first article mainly focuses on celebrities and these two cars, but I would rather hear more about the average person who purchases one of these two cars.
The second article focuses on women's influence on car design, but it starts out by pointing out how they are statistically make up a larger portion of automobile buyers, or at least those who finance them. The article states that since women are buying cars, they want to try and meet their needs best, when it really comes down to these companies trying to find ways to sell more cars. As I read the whole thing I felt that all the features on the car designed for and by women was very comparable to the "pink" cars and then at the end the author made the same analogy. I feel that it is very sexist and wrong to think about "women who want what a man wants in a car" or "what does the everywoman want in a car" but instead these companies should focus on what anyone would want in a car, regardless of any demographic, and just making something that is a good product.
I think the odd car designs mentioned in the third article definitely show the trend of car designers making modern and odd shaped cars that are eye-catching, and rememberable, even if some people call them ugly. I do not find it hard to believe at all that a car with a unique design sells more than a plain car. Since more car makers are making unique designs, there are more options to choose from today than there were before, so I guess this is good and people get their sense of originality, and the companies are making big bucks.

Topic Proposal

1. Return Baggage by Wislawa Szymborska
2. It is a tragedy that some children have died young and will be missing out on a lot of things in life.
3. I think the first three stanzas are the most important to this text.
4. "Like wealthy people passing slums" "Here lie little Zosia, Zacek, Dominik" "Malgorzata.." "Rafalek.." "Zuzia..." "stripped of the sun, the moon, the clouds, the turning seasons." "Didn't stash much in their return bags.." "Small scale naughtiness.." "Before they grew to.." "Darkness, a light bulb's flash, then dark again?" "KOSMOS MAKROS CHRONOS PARADOKSOS"
5. No
6. The features described in 4 contribute to message by making you think about what is being said, give you a better image, and accent the seriousness of the situation.

Theses:
In this poem the narrator speaks as if he is walking through a cemetary and is thinking about the children that have died young, the value of life, the things that they are missing, how they died, and the brevity of life.

Homework for 2/07/08

Inhabiting and Transforming a Poem:

1.
Character
by Taslima Nasrim

You're a girl
and you'd better not forget
that when you step over the threshold of your house
men will look askance at you.
When you keep on walking down the lane
men will follow you and whistle.
When you cross the lane and step onto the main road
men will revile you and call you a loose woman.

If you've got no character
you'll turn back,
and if not
you'll keep going
as you're going now.

2. I'm not a girl but this is still interesting to me, especially how it categorizes men and how they treat women. I think this poem is sexist against men, assuming all men are sexist against women. I do understand how some men treat women, these are men who have no character in my opinion. If the girl has character then she will react to it in a different way than one who does not.

3. Don't forget that you're a girl when you go into the world and see how men treat you. The further you go, the worse they become, but if you have character, you won't be affected by this.

4. The narrator is an unknown guiding figure that is giving advice to a young/younger girl. Maybe the voice is one that speaks from experience to her daughter.

5. The theme of the poem is character, and this is given away by the name of the poem and the last stanza. Character is being yourself and going against the wrong in the world.

Sonny's Blues:
This story plays off a lot of keywords like darkness, laughter/smile, children, and music. To me it is about being young and happy as a child, then growing up to realize the darkness and sadness in the world and life and of your eventual death. Music is often referred to when Sonny is around or being spoken about, since he is the musician in the story. Darkness is referred to throughout the story and not only about nighttime, sadness is referred to as darkness. The beginning of the story talks about children's laughter and then later there are flashbacks to the narrator's childhood.

Homework for 02/05/08

Videotape:
This is an interesting short story and I really enjoyed the way it was written. It had a dark realistic feel and the words show and evoke emotion and maybe even memories from the reader. You feel as if you are the girl filming the video tape and as if you are the man watching the videotape. The man watches the video tape over and over when it is shown on tv because people like to see violence and gore. Television has become increasingly violent over the years and Horror movies are filled with much more gore than before because of this.

Sonny's Blues:
This story is called Sonny's blues, and it is about A man and his brother's lives and their relationship, and its about Sonny's sadness, and the narrator's own. Sonny is a jazz musician who becomes a drug addict. The narrator and his brother Sonny both have lived lives full of death and sadness. From the death of their parents, to the death of the narrator's daughter. The narrator talks of his life, his brothers life and their fights. It's a very sad story and was almost difficult to read because of this. At the end of the story the Narrator sees Sonny play the piano and how it makes him feel, he really puts his soul into his playing becomes really happy when he gets back into playing. Music plays a big role in this story and its referenced many times, and so is the word darkness. That's what I got out of this story, music and darkness.

Lost in The Funhouse:
This is a very confusing to read story. I think there were a lot of metaphors and analogies I probably did not get when I read it either. The story is about a 13 year old boy and his family trip to Ocean City, where believe it or not he gets lost in the funhouse. The write breaks the fourth wall a lot in the story and talks about the writing, what is being done with it, and criticizes it. There are a lot of things that go on in the writing that I don't think actually happened either, so that also makes it confusing. This story definitely takes more than one reading to fully comprehend.

1/31/08

Today is a cold day again. That was my main thought today on the way to class.

Homework for 1/31/08

Hills Like White Elephants

1. The couple in the story are arguing about abortion. I did not get this when I first read the story, but now it makes much more sense. In the first half of the story the man is telling the girl about the operation and it is obvious that he is the one that is for it, he assures that it is "awfully simple" and "perfectly natural." The girl's silence and questioning nature back to him talking shows that she is a little hesitant or even against the idea, but seems to agree since he wants it. In the second half of the story them man says that he wants her to go through with it, but she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to. The girl is upset but still seems willing to do it for him.

Girl
3. One character, the mother says much more than the other, the girl to emphasize that she is one telling her what to do. It shows that she is bossy and is always telling her how things should be done. The girls little speach in the story shows that she is possibly even afraid to speak up against her mother, or possibly just respectful of when she is talking.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven

2. The police officers means that since he is a minority driving around a rich white suburban neighborhood at night, they think he dangerous and may rob or kill someone. The narrator definitely takes this as the type of prejudice he is used to dealing with. He is a young minority with long hair, of course he looks dangerous to most people.

Homework for 1/29/08

"Golden Grove"
The first translation of Golden Grove is written in a more poetic artistic wording, but it can be confusing and harder to follow. The second translation is easier to read because it is written in a very straightforward modern style. The different translations read differently but overall still tell the same story, but with slightly different meanings. When translating the meaning may be interpreted or changed differently by different people, just the same as a poem can be read different ways and different meanings can be taken. This makes it hard to say for which poem is better, but I found the second translation more enjoyable to read because it was easier to read and visualize the imagery. Both poems are very emotional and visual with the words used and descriptions. The second translation is necessarily better, its just different and I enjoyed it more.


"Girl"
This is a comedic poem filled with the advice told from a mother or grandmother to a young woman. They range from tip to household chores, to scoldings and warning of her becoming a slut, to things dealing with men. It is written very informally with each phrase separated by semicolons. The young woman only has two lines of speech in the text, and this helps give the image of the bossy mother telling her what to do all the time. She tells her how to do everything and how to act in every situation. I feel like this was written by the author in memory of her upbringing but it is told in a funny way especially how it ends.

Freewrite

Shepherd: Care Wise Pastoral Old Man Guider Sheep

Desert: Dry lifeless barren hot sand desolate

Universe: Large Empty Space Vacant Cold Air-less

Warm-Up and Freewrite

Definitions:

Close Reading: To me close reading means something that happens when you are reading deeply for meaning or for fun. If you are reading for personal enjoyment you may easily begin reading closely without knowing it. If you are reading for academic purposes then you may have to read the text closely a few times to analyze it.

Pastoral: Something spiritual or relgious. I'm guessing the word is related to Pastor.

OED: I. A person or thing associated with spiritual care.

Mistress: A woman of power.

OED: I. A woman having control or authority.

Nymph: A mythological female being.

OED: 1. Chiefly Classical Mythol. Any of a class of semi-divine spirits, imagined as taking the form of a maiden inhabiting the sea, rivers, mountains, woods, trees, etc., and often portrayed in poetry as attendants on a particular god.

Homework for 01/24/08

In The Desert:
The writer is in the desert and he sees this creature, but the creature speaks to him so maybe it is a human. He says the creature is naked and beastlike and is eating his own heart. Maybe its a metaphor for since its not likely that it is eating its own heart. He speaks to the creature and the creature likes the bitter taste of its own heart. Why is the writer in the desert? Why is the creature in the desert? Maybe the writer is hallucinating and what he sees is an outward projection of something within himself.

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love:
The Passionate Shepherd tells of the many things he promises to his love. He wishes for her to come and be with him to enjoy the many things he says he can give her. Singing birds, flowers, fine wool, fancy clothes, gold, and many other superficial things. There is more to love than these material objects but I guess it does not matter to him. The shepherd thinks with his possessions he can get the girl of his dreams.

The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd:
This poem is a reply written in response to the last poem I mentioned. It written from the point of view of the girl. It is turning down the shepherd in a very cynical but realistic way. She is saying that all the things he promises to her will not last and neither will love. It is sad and pessimistic but she makes a good point, even though this poem is also written by a man.

Practice 6-D:
Black Elvis: Black Elvis is much like what you think the name would be, but it is also a good representation of how the character sees himself. He is a black man musician who plays rock and roll and wants to be like Elvis. He wants to be a successful musician but he knows he might not have the talent or the originality it takes. In some ways he is a typical older black man who deals with poverty and other problems, but he has the heart of a musician and wants to be like Elvis.

Practice 6-E:
Grandmother: When most people hear the word grandmother, they probably either think of their grandmother like I do or the archetype of grandmothers they have always heard/seen. If it is their own grandmother they might think of the defining characteristics in that person, such as their voice, face, or personality. They might think of the care and niceness their grandmother always showed them. Maybe they think of hugs and cookies too.

Homework for 01/22/08

Beyond Words: Pages 18-42. 20 Questions

4. Define “genre.” - A genre is a category that a work can be sorted into to fit with others that share similar defining features.

5. Why is it important to examine the conventions of a text? To understand what the work consists of and to appreciate when conventions are defied, parodied, bent, borrowed or created.

17. Define “perspective.” Perspective is the illusion of depth in a painting.

19. Why does the Wall Street Journal use hedcuts rather than photographs? Hedcuts support the printed text rather than distract from it.

20. Indicate one section from the assigned reading that you found either interesting or challenging. Explain why. - I found the comparisons of literature and written word to visual art interesting because good examples were used.

Strategies:
Most people probably do not think much about they way they read. It is obviously more enjoyable when you are reading for enjoyment. When reading for academic purposes it is easy to lose track and be lost. The ideas presented in the book (annotation, skeleton outline, summary) are probably very helpful and effective when used. Reading for Academics still may be a pain, and you may have to force yourself to put in the extra effort to try these techniques, but when you try these at least you can have a better understanding of the material. I'll even admit that I am skeptical and lazy, but I'm pretty sure they will work.

Blog?

I'm doing this blog thing for my ENG-102 Class. Did I do this right?