Editing Day #1

From the first day of editing I learned that I need to use either quotes and/or other outside resources. I saw how that sort of "proves" your point, especially in this kind of essay. I think if I had some kind of research about both of the artist's works that I used in my essay, it would help give some kind of creditability to my opinion. It's funny how people tend take people's opinions as truth if the person seems to be extremely knowledgeable on the subject. Thus, with this being the way society functions, adding research or history will help my paper greatly. I think having this addition to my paper will give me a little more confidence in my opinion. In other words, I'll feel like I have something to back up my opinion.

Finding Your Voice

Lamott's premise behind the chapter, Finding Your Voice, is that it is important to have influences when you begin to write, but eventually you have to find your own voice. This immediately reminded me of a time I went to see my friend's boyfriend play at a coffee house on Milwaukee's east side. He was a very talented musician; however, his show could barely consistute for more than a Bob Dylan tribute or impersonation. This is a prime example of what Lamott is talking about. This kid was clearly talented enough that he could have come out of the shadows of his Bob Dylan covers, and come up with his own sound. That is ultimately is what Lamott is saying in this entire chapter. It is important that when you are a developing artist that you have influences, and heck almost imitate your idols, but once you are experienced enough it is time to take off the training wheels and ride solo. You have to eventually give up that dependancy so you know what your own voice is.

Making Sense Structure

I chose to compare my rough draft to the structure of Marita Sturken's "The Wall, the Screen, and the Image." Sturken's structure uses block quotes, subtitled sections, and photos. Her tone is third person and rather impersonal. Also, she is very critical of the Vietnam War Memorial. I think is different than my rough draft, because I did not any block quotes, mainly because I comparing artwork and creating my own definition of art, not contrasting other people's opinions of the work. Also, I did not use subtitled sections, even though my paragraphs are organized, I just did not label each section. Finally, I plan to use photos in mine because that will help significantly to see the stark contrast between the two paintings. In addition, both of our writings are writing in distanced third person.

Writing Groups, Someone to Read Your Drafts, and False Starts

The next few sections of "Bird By Bird," discusses the importance of criticism. She talks about the various writing workshops she's worked at, and how the participants dealt with and created criticism. I think the story about editing the epically terrible story written in vernacular was funny, but also had a valuable lesson about being bold. First, she explains how the man who wrote the story was brave because he was a newer writer and he basically tried writing something to advanced for him. Next, the woman who ranted about the writing was brave, because she was speaking the complete blunt truth about the writing. However, she also poses the argument that it is not always necessary to speak the truth. In addition, Lamott makes a great point about important it is to take chances in life. She says something to the effect of that no one ends their life glad they never took any risks. In one of the other sections, Someone to Read Your Drafts, she talks about how life is to short to worry about pointless things or to spend your life waiting. That is something that is taking me years to realize.

The Wall, the Screen, and the Image

Marita Sturken's essay on the Vietnam War Memorial gives an overall negative commentary on the wall. I found this particularly interesting because I had seen the memorial for the first time a little over a year ago. My impression of this war memorial was a powerful one. First, the day we went in was pouring, and I nearly lost my life sliding down its slick marble path in my flip-flops. Next, there were a few other things really resonated with me. I noticed as slid down the memorial that people still put flowers by specific names on the memorial or were stopped praying at a specific spot. This is unlike any other memorial in D.C. Second, I noticed that it was more hidden than any of the other memorials. Even the Korean War Memorial, which is apparently "the forgotten war," is larger than the Vietnam Memorial. Sturken mentions something similar when she says, "The memorial does not stand erect above the landscape; it is continuous with the earth" (p.490). She also discusses how the color of the memorial had been under scrutiny. She mentions that some feel that the color of it, "...evoke shame, sorrow, and dishonor..." (p.489). I seem to agree with that. Whereas most of the monuments in D.C. are white marble or limestone, the Vietnam Memorial seems to be this shameful color of black. As if, we are trying not to draw attention to it simply because it is a war we didn't win. Maybe all of these criticisms of the Memorial are just coincidence, or perhaps it is the whole nation asking to forget the terrors of the Vietnam War.

Shitty First Drafts, etc.

The hefty reading assignments this weekend all seem to emphasize the same thing, which is simply: Your early is going to suck. I know this sounds so crass, but there is no other way to put it. In Paul Roberts', "How To Say Nothing In 500 Words," he explains the fatal errors of freshmen writing. One of the best lines I think in the entire article is in the portion that discusses the idea of taking the less usual side in an argument. He says, "And if the subject assigned is "My Pet Peeve," do not begin, "My pet peeve is the English instructor who assigns papers on 'my pet peeve."' This was still funny during the War of 1812, but it has sort of lost its edge since then. It is in general good manners to avoid personalities." That just struck me as funny and also true. However, I feel that most college freshmen (myself included) fall into the stereotypes described in Roberts' article, because of the instruction we receive in high school. High school writing does not really allow for creativity. Also, my teachers always had some kind of requirement of, "use vivid words," or "long, descriptive sentences," and for most high school students that involves the thesaurus and a whole lot of crappy writing. Lamott's articles seem to emphasize sort of the same idea. She basically talks about how absolutely every one's first draft will be terrible, and that there is no way to change that, even experience doesn't help. Finally, "Freewriting," seems to encourage these crappy first drafts. Elbow talks about how if you don't know what to write, simply write that. It basically gets the mind moving, and in the long run, improves your writing.

The Owl Has Flown

Sven Birkerts' "The Owl Has Flown," discusses some in depth analysis on reading and thinking. He talks about how people comprehend writing/reading entirely different now, than they did hundreds of years ago. For example, he says, "The result is that we know countless more "bits" of information, both important and trivial, than our ancestors. We known know them without a stable sense of context, for where the field is that vast all schemes must be seen as provisional." (p.73). In other words, we read but we do not truly look in to the content; we do not want to expand on the knowledge. I agree with this, I believe that society now is very interested in a getting a brief background on lots of information, for example, the a la carte enclyopedia style of Wikipedia. Later in the essay I think that Birkets makes an interesting point about wisdom. He says, "Wisdom is seeing through facts, a penetration to the underlying laws and patterns. It relates the immediate to something larger..." (p.75). I believe he is trying to explain how wisdom is about engaging the real. One must believe that things are real in order to acquire "wisdom." Therefore, I think that Birkets makes some very interesting observations on reading, knowledge, and wisdom. This is the kind of essay that makes you re-evaluate how you think about life in general.

Imagination and Reality

Jeanette Winterson's "Imagination and Reality" takes an in depth look at how both of those elements make up all forms of art. Winterson makes some very interesting points, like, "The honest currency of art is the honest currency of the imagination." In other words, art thrives on people's imaginations. She also discusses how the reality and nature of the modern world slowly takes away people's ability to tap into their imagination. However, later in the article Winterson states, "The work of the artist is to see the life of things; to discriminate between superficialites and realities..." This contradicts what she said before, now she's saying that a good artist separates imagination and reality. Honestly, I feel Winterson's article lacks direction and more or less reads like a person who likes to hear themselves talk. Thus, I feel that she did bring some very interesting points between imagination, reality, and art; however, it gets lost in the shuffle of her trying to sound educated and artistic.

In Pluto's Cave

Susan Sontag's "In Pluto's Cave," gives an in-depth analysis of photography and the impact it has had on American culture. Sontag explains how photography has become much more than simply having photographic evidence of something. She explains that photography has become a staple of American society. Also, she explains how photography in the hands of some can be an art form; however for others photography is merely a way to record graduations and weddings. Another interesting point Sontag mentions is the sexual nature of photography; the voyeuristic nature of the art, she even references Hitchcock's "Rear Window." She points out that even the words connected with photography are sexual in a way. In addition, she discusses famous pictures and their impacts on society, such as Dorothea Lange's photographs of the Japanese internment camps, and their impact on photography and society. Despite some of the interesting commentary Sontag provides on this subject, this is not exactly an easy read. Most of Sontag's article reads like a textbook, and there isn't much life in it. It makes you wonder, if this what her writing is like, what are her photos like?

Coffee Shop Art

When you take the first glance at the painting in the coffee shop it is shockingly white, green, and purple. Then you look closer and realize that you are looking a sunny English garden. You see that there is a mush of purple wildflowers in the front, and a tangle of birch trees in the back that is separated by some kind of footpath or wooden bridge. The painting evokes good feelings, it makes you feel like its springtime. Also, it gives you a sense of things being in bloom. After you get that feeling, you then feel like you can smell the painting. Fresh air, floral, and grassy odors seem to be radiating from the painting, like a giant stratch-and-sniff sticker. After taking all these senses from the painting in, you then begin to search for something else in this painting, some kind of protagonist. You think, sure this looks a wonderful place to be, but there must be something more to it. Perhaps this is supposed to be the message that this painting is supposed to be getting across, despite how good things are humans are never content with themselves.

School Lunches and Polaroids

The next assigned section of Lamott's Bird by Bird began with a chapter titled "School Lunches." I thought this seemed like an odd title, and I could not imagine how school lunches had anything to do with the writing process. However, Lamott ultimately makes a great point within this chapter about both the writing process and school lunches. First, I feel that Lamott is basically trying to tell the reader that one must write about something they know a lot about. Therefore, if they do this they will have enough material to edit and expand on. In other words, someone would be able to elaborate on a topic they have experienced first hand. Second, Lamontt also launches into a very interesting look into the psyche of packed lunches. She explains that the contents of your packed lunch labeled you as to whether you were socially acceptable. The second portion of the assigned reading, Polaroids, draws the analogy between how a Polaroid picture develops and how a rough draft begins. First, you have a rough idea about your paper (or picture) will contain; however, it is not until the entire paper is finished (or picture is developed) that everything takes shape. To me, this is some of the best writing/life advice that I have received, stressing the importance of taking everything one step at a time. More importantly, letting everything take shape with time. In addition, Lamontt continues give advice in a fresh and satirical way.

Assignment 9/05/07

I suppose the famous saying, "don't judge a book by its cover," definitely rang true for Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. When I purchased this book from the campus bookstore several days ago, I looked at the cover and thought it looked like something a soccer-mom might read while waiting for her kids in the car. Thus, I was extremely surprised by the content of the book as soon as I opened it. Unlike the usual "writing manuals" which usually recommend some type of formula for writing that can be followed to appartenly guarantee success, Lamott has a fresh, comedic spin on the idea. First, her recollections of her childhood make her human and easy to relate to; therefore, it makes me much more apt to follow and want her advice. Second, her advice on writing is finally something different. Instead of reading, "start with a quote/attention getter for introduction," her advice is realistic and stems from her life experiences. Lamott instead suggests things like the importance of practicing writing and good writing is not attained overnight. Thus, my original perception of Bird by Bird has definitely has been changed and for the better. Perhaps, this is one of the first books to provide legitimate advice on writing without putting me to sleep.