Mentor Project

Xavier Claudio

Donald Goines

Who is Donald Goines ? Goines is an African American urban fiction writer who was deeply influenced by Iceberg Slim who is also an author. Born December 15,1936 in Detroit, Michigan, Goines lived with his middle class parents who ran a laundry business. He became addicted to heroine and later was discharged from the military. He then began committing crimes such as pimping and theft. When serving time in the penitentiary, he tried to write westerns but changed to writing urban fiction after reading Iceberg Slim’s autobiography Pimp: The story of my life. He kept writing books to support his drug addictions and the crazy thing about it is it took him about  month to complete a book. Later in his life Donald Goines was found dead in his apartment with his wife. They were murdered with gunshot wounds all over. It was said they were murdered because Donald’s books had characters that were based on real life people and situations so in a way he was putting their business out there through his famous writing. Goines influenced many famous rappers such as the legend Tupac and one of hip-hops greatest Nas and even Ludacris as well. They quote Goines in many of their songs because again of how relatable and truth telling all of his stories were.

Donald Goines has an unpolished style of writing. His language is a combination of back english and rough standard American english. Many of his characters consisted of – pimps, thieves, prostitutes, dope addicts, and hit men. His writing is real gritty with the language of cursing and street related problems. Many of his stories begin with flashbacks or consist a flashback within them. His style is so clear that it’s as if you are apart of the story and can almost see the characters as you read on. His writing gives you a clear look of the urban communities and there high levels of crime and just the struggles within them. He gives those who have never seen or lived in an urban areas a clear look into the urban world and its difficulties . His characters are easy to understand and easy to relate to depending on their problem.

His role in the urban societies is a great one. That being because its relatable and others can see how horrible these situations are. His stories most of the time have a bad ending and this can help those who can relate because they can see how they will die before it even happens. They can stop before it is too late. Donald Goines isn’t afraid to write what he is feeling or been through or let alone say curse words and the “N” word because it’s apart of his lifestyle. He calls things how he sees it and speaks his min with no fear of any kind of judgement.

The way Goines plays an influence on my writing is his language, his style of urban fiction, and his ability for others to relate. Lets start with the language. Goines uses the language of the urban community which isn’t so professional. He makes his story seem real life as if it is going on in front of your eyes. When I write I like to use the language I speak in within dialogue. The reason behind this is because when dialogues are to professional it takes away from how realistic and believable the characters are. I like to make my characters speak the way they personalities would make them speak. If my character is fun and obnoxious then he would speak in a playful and sarcastic way. I wouldn’t make them speak professional because at times it takes away the interest within the character.

His style of urban fiction is very relatable because the things he speaks about and incorporates in his writing I see within my community. I see the drugs being sold and I see prostitution and the drug addicts. As far as relatable goes I know everyone can’t relate to things like this but everyone can relate to some things. For instance the story I wrote titled “Love Lost” where I discuss losing my interest in baseball because of a coach. I knew people can relate to situations like this and it only brings your topic into interest because of how relatable it is and I think that is one aspect that can crate a good story. I made my characters speak how they really do instead of how teachers want them to speak in a respectful and professional manner.

When writing any kind of fiction I always think about the reader. I think about how will reading what I write benefit them. I think about how relatable it can be for them. I like to keep my stories interesting which is why I write in the language I do. When writing i the same boring old english language it takes away the interest and how engaging the story is. keeping the reader glued to the story at all times is what I focus on.

Just like Tupac, Ludacris, and Nas, I am also a hip-hop artist. I love to write raps and they are my influences. Donald Goines influenced them which only influences me to speak about my settings and the struggles around me. It always good for your voice to be heard in other important aspects of the world. You have the urban setting and the suburban setting and depending on where you are from or grew up in can influence you writing style and the authors that influence you.

When I look at Goines and the background he came from, it only motivates me. He was a heroine addict who was discharged by the army and later committed crimes and served times for them. Coming from this he managed to become a favored and influential writer back in the day. I hope to create stories people can not only relate to but stay engaged and appreciate its difference from your everyday american writers that always gets the recognition as opposed to the urban fiction and its african american writers.

Mentor Project: Stephen King

Stephen King’s “Full Dark No Stars” is a macabre collection of four short stories centered around redemption and is one of his darker collection of shorts to date. Personally, King has been a great influence to me and his style is one I can only hope to emulate. King is known for his literary candy on the surface, but below the thrill of his horror fiction, theres a bluntness, contrasting themes of purpose and randomness, and a write-for-yourself attitude that leaps off of his pages.

In “Full Dark No Stars”, King focuses on the main theme of redemption through murder. I for one am a fan of a good slasher story, but his method of interweaving themes through the gore is what stands out to me the most and is something I try to incorporate underneath what draws people into the story the most. Most writers do this, but Stephen King has developed his own was of incorporating the themes that make you think about the story.

For example, in his last story of the collection, “A Good Marriage”, the story revolves around a married couple with a happy but dull relationship. While her husband is on a business trip, Darcy Anderson stumbles across her husbands stash of sado-machochistic porn collection in the garage. To make matters worse, she also finds out he’s a serial killer and when he leaves for his business trips he proceeds to murder women. He senses distress in her tone and figures out that she knows. He thinks he persuaded her to leave it behind them, so when he returns she acts like things are okay and all has been forgiven. As redemption for her husband’s crimes, Darcy pushes her husband down the stairs and kills him. She persuaded the police that it was an accident, but a cop tells her she did the right thing.

On the surface, most people are distracted by the sickening crimes of the husband, but Darcy’s actions represent the redemption. His incorporation of this theme is  one that fascinates me and is one I do love to write about. More redemption is evident through out the other three short stories in the collection.

Other aspects that I strive to achieve in King’s writing would be his bluntness of characters and his attitude in writing. King is sarcastic and critical. Like a doctor, he is exceedingly blunt and does not sugar coat his stories. His writing is not flowery, but insensitive and straight to the point. I admire his ability to write only for himself with lack of concern about critics. In other words, he is not afraid to push the limits and write stories that disturb the reader. Of course thats what horror genres do in specific, but even in King’s other works, like “The Green Mile”, that is not established as horror, King has an ability to disturb the reader with scenarios he places his characters in. He chooses to make the characters weaker than their adversaries, more pure but capable of achieving great things.

A great example of this would be in the second story, “Big Driver”. In the short, Tess is a writer whom is brutally raped by a truck driver and left for dead. Presuming she is dead, the driver abandons her body in a pipe. She wakes amongst several other dead women in the pipe and plots her revenge against the driver by killing him. She uses her investigative skills that she possesses in her writing to find him and his accomplices: his younger brother and mother. She finds all three of them and ends up killing them. She then begins to feel peace again. He uses this character as someone who was innocent and then has this atrocity happen to her, then has her able to triumph over the  her oppressor. In other words, he takes these awful topics and inserts random into a pure character’s life and then has that power to take control and purpose in extinguishing the random.

I do think King influences my confidence levels in my own writing so I can touch on topics in the way he does. If King had a lack of confidence in his writing, his bluntness and writing style would be non-existant.I do at present time, have an issue with sugar coating different topics and setting a barrier with words from truly touching rough topics. However, by reading this collection, I realized how to tackle such dark topics such as the ones he does.

In addition to confidence, King’s method of writing and formulating ideas has influenced me to dig into what I know and how to pull characters and plots together. King’s stories are unique to his settings and places he has lived throughout his life. Each story has taken place in Maine, Nebraska, and Massachusetts. I looked at these examples and decided to put a focus on setting and write about the two places I am most familiar with: Pennsylvania and New Mexico.

King also implanted very interesting ways to formulate plots and characters by using two opposites and putting them  together to create his stories. “Fair Extension” would be the best use of this concept out of this collection. In the short, King threw two best friends, Dave Streeter and Tom Goodhugh, and formed the idea of the story about Dave harboring a secret hatred for the Tom due to his success at his cost. The concept of hatred for ones best friend is one of the several examples King provides through out all of his writing. This idea helped me put together plots and characters in my own stories and the ability to escape writers block.

Stephen King has been a horror fiction favorite since the start of his careers, from Carrie to The Shining, millions have marveled at King’s works. However, underneath the horror and gore, is carefully crafted characters, setting, and themes. “Full Dark No Stars”  is by far one of King’s darker works and is more prominent on it’s morbid themes of redemption which lead to me learning who I want to emulate in my writing.

-Samantha Antenucci

 

J. D. Salinger

Aisha Myles

Professor Songsiridej

Creative Acts

5 December 2014

Mentor Assignment

                Born on January 1, 1919, in New York, James David “J.D.” was a well-known writer and author of his time.  Although he only published four books, Salinger was “one of the most influential American writers of the 20^th century, as he set a new course for literature in post-WWII America.” Salinger is best known for his landmark novel, “The Catcher in the Rye.”

Narrated by a sixteen year old boy named Holden Caulfield, “The Cather in the Rye” takes place sometime in the 1950’s. Similar to the author, Holden spends his youth being shuttled between various prep schools due to either his poor behavior or poor grades. In this story, the narrator gets expelled from his fourth school, but instead of running home to his parents, he decides to spend his last few days alone at a hotel in New York trying to “find” himself. All in all, Salinger attempts to capture and portray the coming of age of a young protagonist.

What influenced me the most about this particular piece from Salinger was his writing style. His uses of colloquialism, as well as his attempts to preserve childhood innocence, are what influenced me the most throughout this semester in writing my own pieces. While reading “The Catcher in the Rye,” I felt more as if I was having a personal conversation with the narrator, rather than reading a well-developed story by a professional author.  I found Salinger’s use of slang and profanity spread throughout this novel, both in narration and dialogue, influential because it allowed for me to connect with the protagonist on a more youthful level. In narrating the story through Holden’s point of view, the author is fittingly able to capture the emotional and confusing period of the lives of adolescents in which we come to terms with who we are and what we want, all while still trying to have fun along the way. For example, in one scene Holden narrates, “The cab I had was a real old one that smelled like someone’d just tossed his cookies in it. I always get those vomity kind of cabs if I go anywhere late at night.” Although this novel showcases the vocabulary of the mid-20^th century teenager, his voice is not only of his generation, but relatable and familiar to young adults throughout other generations as well. Salinger uses the insecurities of the main character to speak to a larger audience about how the youth interact with the rest of the world. In this case, Holden’s concern as a teen is whether or not his voice is even welcome in the real world or if he would ever fit in. Essentially, Holden’s style is the novel’s style.

Another aspect of Salinger’s writing that has influenced me is his overall theme of attempting to preserve childhood innocence. The title, “The Catcher in the Rye,” represents an ironic misinterpretation Holden comes across in one scene. At one point, he overhears a young child singing, “If a body catch a body coming through the rye.” Holden interprets this as saving children. For example, he pictures himself catching children who fall over the edge of a cliff while playing in a field of rye, physically saving them, all the while metaphorically maintaining their innocence.  When his younger sister Phoebe ask him what he wants to be when he gets older, he responds by saying a “catcher in the rye.” She then corrects him, informing him this interpretation of the lyrics he heard the young child singing was wrong. In fact, the “lyrics” are actually words from a poem called “Coming Thro’ the Rye,” written by Robert Burns.

Coming thro’ the rye, poor body,

Coming thro’ the rye,

She draiglet a’ her petticoatie

Coming thro’ the rye.

 

O, Jenny’s a’ wat, poor body,

Jenny’s seldom dry,

She draiglet a’ her petticoatie

Coming thro’ the rye.

 

Gin a body meet a body

Coming thro’ the rye,

Gin a body kiss a body –

Need a body cry?

 

Gin a body meet a body

Coming thro’ the glen,

Gin a body kiss a body –

Need the warld ken?

Initially, Holden interpreted the poem to mean saving children, but its true meaning is simply asking if casual sex is okay. In this scene, readers see Holden as a small child himself still coming into terms with adult sexuality, viewing it as gross and perverted. The character is seen more often spending time with those younger than him because he tries avoiding sex, admitting that he thinks it means degrading women and treating them like objects. Although Salinger uses the main character emphasize the preservation of innocence, I do not want to same in my writing. Throughout the novel, readers can tell that Holden lives in a world immersed in sexuality, whether they are inappropriate drawings/writings on school walls, the couples living across from him in the hotel, or even seemingly innocent “kids songs.” Since our lives in the real world are similar to that of Holden’s, I would rather elaborate on sexuality rather than shy away from it, especially since the media plays a huge role on our generation’s interpretation of the topic.

J. D. Salinger’s writing style has mostly influenced me in writing my Narrative Non-Fiction story. For starters, I wrote the piece from a female eight grader’s point of view because that is a time period in which adolescents seem most confused, as they begin to experience puberty. I tried to slightly mimic Salinger’s use of colloquial language in both the narration and dialogue. For example, I used phrases such as “Today is Valentine’s Day and I can’t be more excited,” and “If he didn’t have a crush on me then, he definitely did now.” I also made the dialogue/interactions between the narrator and her crush a little cheesy simply to exhibit the childlike behavior or thoughts still present as each grow into young adults. Lastly, instead of preserving innocence in my story, I tried to do the opposite. For example, I included physical contact between the narrator and her crush, Abel, such as kissing, hugging, holding hands, and him wrapping his arm around her. By doing this, I wanted to exhibit both characters coming to terms with their sexuality both individually (as they undergo puberty) and together, by experiencing physical attraction/contact for their first times. Although thirteen years old may have seemed like too young of an age for characters to express their sexuality in mid-20^th century, it seems the appropriate age in the 21^st century for writers to speak on more in depth since social norms have certainly changed.

Mentorship Project: Carlos Eire

Cindy Ngo

Alyssa Songsiridej

Creative Acts

December 5, 2014

Carlos Eire

Author of Waiting for Snow in Havana, Carlos Eire’s narrative nonfiction is written with extended metaphors and a flourish of imagery as he recounts his privileged childhood in Cuba and the destruction of his perfect paradise when he is exiled from his home because of the Cuban Revolution. Carlos, the protagonist, is the spoiled younger child of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. The book started out with these two deceased members of royalty, the old King and Queen of France nonetheless, that when I first read it in high school I took it at face value and believed that a Cuban child of the 20^th century was somehow related to the King and Queen of France.

Waiting for Snow in Havana is not a book that one should read at face value. It is filled with symbolism and long extended metaphors that I could only truly appreciate after I finished reading it. Eire’s introduction set the stage for the theme of the book, illusion and reality. Carlos’ world composed of the rich neighborhoods of Cuba where he lived. His entire childhood was an illusion where even teachers at his school believed Cuba was paradise, directly stating that the Garden of Eden that was spoken in the Bible was Cuba.

Utilizing the “unreliable narrator” and offering readers a glimpse into the lives of Cubans before Operation Peter Pan, Eire details the cruelty of Carlos and his friends, who partake in throwing rocks at each other and hold their false superiority over the poor. Carlos’ older brother Tony and Carlos’ best friends even covered him with red peppers and buried him in a fire ant nest. Carlos’ thoughts are revealed to the reader and we are able to see past the illusion of grandeur that Carlos, and Cubans in general, live in. We see how deluded and trapped they are in their lies. At the same time, good/evil and religion are brought into the story. I love these concepts because of how universal and philosophical in nature it is.

Eire’s portrayal of the nature of human beings inspires me because it shows how evil we can be and that there is a thin line between animals and humans. A recurring symbol in the book is a lizard and the first time we see it is when Carlos’ older brother, Tony, cuts off the tail of a lizard. Though disturbed by Tony’s cruelty, Carlos also loathes lizards because of how ugly they are and he feels no pity for this animal – an animal that lives, breathes, and feels pains just as he does. Eire’s realistic writing carries us throughout the story with the lizard popping up multiple times but we see how Carlos’ feelings take a drastic change towards lizards when he is exiled and basically dethroned of his paradise. It takes being exiled and forced to live as a poor, working student that Carlos finally realizes that he never hated lizards; rather, he envied them because their ability to regrow their tail and shed their old skin for a new one was a metaphor for adapting. He envied that they could adapt to new surroundings while he couldn’t. He did not realize it but his childhood was a lie, one where he was told Cuba was a paradise and he lived like a prince, told that Cubans were the better race. I love how Eire incorporates his symbols and carries it throughout the entire work. He is able to balance beautiful sentences while still maintaining realism and it hits the point so sharply because of this. It inspires me to write in a way that evokes the same raw feelings Eire evoked in me. It forces you to think and apply these lessons to your own life; see the world for one stark moment as depraved and ugly as Carlos realized his world was.

Eire’s characters are something that inspires my writing because of how flawed they are. It reasserts the statement that “we are humans, we are flawed.” Characters such as Carlos and his cruel brother Tony are aptly given dimensions and, though we know this is an autobiography, Eire’s prose is as beautiful as any fantasy novel. Though I do not want to be a nonfiction writer, leaning strictly towards genres like Teen and YA novels, I want characters that have the depth of real people. The problem with some novels is that it has characters so perfect that I can never relate to them, AKA Mary Sue and its male counterpart, Gary Stu. There are characters that fit their stereotypes to the “T” and never stray outside of it. You can predict their every action and when they do something “surprising” and “out of character,” it falls flat.

Eire’s characters, despite their terrible personality, is able to incite feelings of sympathy because you know that if you allowed yourself, you could commit the same terrible acts. Carlos and Tony both change when they are forced to leave their sheltered paradise and they are unprepared for reality. Characters are the most important things to me because they are the ones that create a link between the story and the reader. A reader cannot immerse himself/herself into the story unless they like the character. As said before, even the most hated characters should have positive qualities that charm the reader. I didn’t see any positive qualities in Tony and he could be labeled as “evil”. I also admit to hoping that when I read the story, I kept wondering if Carlos would finally grow out of his spoiled personality. Fortunately, Eire jumps back and forth in time throughout the story so that readers can see the past and future. It was a hook for me to continue reading the story so that I could see how Carlos would reach the point where he is a respectable, humble person. Characters that have questionable morals are always a weak point for me. I love flawed characters that are able to overcome their weaknesses and flaws because it speaks of how people can change their circumstances for the better.

Eire ‘s themes, characters, writing, and concepts inspire my writing because I want to write stories that have fantastical and realistic elements. I want readers to be so immersed in my stories that they feel the characters and events actually occurred; to evoke emotion so strong that it becomes real to them. Despite being a nonfiction narrative, Eire’s writing seems fantastical because of Carlos’ thoughts and vivid imagery. God and two dead monarchs make an appearance in this story. Yet the portrayals have a point that cannot be dismissed. Eire’s writing is a great inspiration to me because he is a writer that embodies all I love in stories.

J.D. Salinger

By: Asad Naqvi

Few authors have obsessed over their work as intensely as J.D. Salinger. His obsession with his characters and themes, compounded with his compulsion to draw from his own life experiences, culminated into Holden Caulfield, the rebellious 17 year old alter ego of an entire generation of readers. Salinger, and therefore Caulfield, was an introspective and cerebral thinker, growing on his readers through a vivid voice and tone. The fantastic symbolism, relatable voice and setting, as well as the imaginative recreation of reality all accomplished by Salinger leaves much to be admired by younger inexperienced writers like myself. Like Hemingway after World War I, Salinger came out of World War II with a fractured sense of reality which he immediately parlayed to readers through his short stories and characters. Salinger, an astute and observant intellectual, channeled his experiences into intelligence rather than insanity, leaving his fans with the residual genius. In my fiction piece, “Uhm-Ree-Kun,” I attempt to manipulate my own obsessions and voice to form Ameer, a graduating high-school senior struggling to find balance between his warring Pakistani and American identities. Of all 20^th century characters, Holden Caulfield has given me the most inspiration for Ameer.

In “Uhm-Ree-Kun” and other pieces, I experiment with themes drawn from my own personal life experiences, particularly that of being a first-generation Pakistani American. I attempt to combine these two identities through unifying symbols and motifs, particularly the color red. In my work, red is not only the color of Ameer’s tie, but is also the color of the bride’s veil, and the roses on the stage. I incessantly try to find peace between these two conflicting personalities through Ameer, much how Salinger tries to find peace with his lack of innocence through Holden. The preservation of innocence and childhood is one of the central themes of Catcher in the Rye. During Salinger’s time in World War II, he witnessed the atrocities of the Nazi concentration camps and the horrors of D-Day at Normandy, scarring him for the remainder of his life. Salinger, after seeing the horrifying realities of war, desperately spread his shambled innocence over a red hunting hat, a group of lagoon ducks, and children playing in a field of rye. The presentation of his theme is apparent, yet subtle, only poking through during Holden’s rambles. Even the presentation of the children in the rye is in a long-winded rant, stating:

“Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around – nobody big, I mean – except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff – I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be.”

The subtlety of Salinger’s themes leaves Holden’s world and character in genuine and perfect disarray, and fundamentally avoids romanticized phoniness.

Salinger mastered his voice early in his career, effectively blanketing his audience with his own reality. The conversational tone of the piece, paired with Holden’s witty and rebellious voice spoke directly to Salinger’s audience. Holden is a repetitive, contradictory character, often speaking in conflicting references with his audience. This gives him a very authentic appeal to readers, as we often find ourselves as double-minded, outspoken yet quiet, extroverted yet reclusive. For example, Salinger makes it a point to draw out Holden’s hatred for watching movies. However, Holden later states, “And I have one of those very loud, stupid laughs. I mean if I ever sat behind myself in a movie or something, I’d probably tell myself to please shut up.” Holden is also obsessed with the idea of phoniness, and how he feels like he is surrounding by phony people. However, he goes on to say, “I’m the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It’s awful. If I’m on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I’m going, I’m liable to say I’m going to the opera. It’s terrible.” This inconsistency in thought, while some may find it distracting, is in fact characteristic of a 17 year old kid struggling to navigate through his own thoughts. However intelligent Holden is, Salinger contains the character within the realistic parameters of a youth’s worldview, maintaining the relatability for the reader. This is not simply the use of a sophisticated voice, but a true immersion of the author into the psyche of the character. Through his use of short, witty, and often vulgar phrases, Salinger develops his voice so deeply that the reader raises questions about the character’s mindset and not simply his speech.

In “Uhm-Ree-Kun,” I attempt to imitate this masterful control of my character, but often transgressed beyond the boundaries of Ameer’s reality. I, like Salinger, attempt to immerse myself into my character, making them as real as anyone else in my life. Holden is not a separate creation of Salinger, but rather his literary manifestation. His patience and clear thinking led to a critical analysis of his society, and what he saw to be real and fake. Salinger developed Holden at a later time in his life, while Ameer is being developed now as a high school student by a college student. Holden is a product of years of lost innocence and contemplation, while Ameer was borne out of perceived necessity. Salinger’s sophisticated observation of the world is what is to be admired the most, as this is what truly led to the creation of the most dynamic character of the 20^th century.

J.D. Salinger’s ability to relay themes and ideas through subtle symbolism, paired with his amazing character control makes him one of the most admirable authors in history. His work shows a command for story-telling, a commitment to his character, and years of contemplation. His acclaim is well deserved and I seek to use these same tools in my writing. Through the eyes of Holden, Salinger spoke of isolation, innocence, and phoniness without once breaking character. Salinger helped define a generation of people itching to rebel against cultural norms by simply recreating himself as a nervous underachieving teenager who doesn’t want to grow up. He was himself in his writing, and that is what I strive to do as well.

Mentor Project- Maya Angelou ( Still I Rise)

Maurita Salkey

The person that I have chosen to write about for my mentor project is Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou is a poet and award-winning author who’s known for her numerous poetry and essay collections. Maya Angelou is a writer and civil rights activist. She is best known for her 1969 memoir “I know why the Cage Bird sings”, which made history as the first non-fiction best seller by an African American woman. I would not be able to count on two hands my favorite pieces of writing by Maya Angelou. Maya’s personality and voice comes  through her writing. She is  known for expressing how she felt about herself, the world, and how people should be treated. She fought for equality, piece, freedom and self- love. She encouraged people through her writing to achieve their dreams and never let anyone or anything stop them. Until this day, long after her death, Maya Angelou’s collection of writing can be reachable in every country, library and classroom. Although gone, her impact on the industry has made long lasting impression on all of our hearts.

There is one piece of writing of Maya Angelou’s that has caught my attention the most. “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou. “ Still I Rise” has become one of her most  famous poem. Credit can be placed to  the style of writing, the overall flow and the message behind the poem. The poem opens up sensitive subjects such as racism, and woman equality that most poets are  afraid to even touch. This poem has become the voice for many people, not just of color but for people who might need a reassurance to know their   abilities and skills to succeed despite all odds.

The first literary technique Maya uses in the poem is her tone. “Still I Rise” offers a wide range of tones: tones that I as an African American woman can relate to.tones of laughter, defeat, self-empowerment frustration, confidence and self-assurance just to name a few. The author uses her tone to embody her attitude towards different subject matters and audience. The author created a tone throughout the use of various other literary elements such as word choice, imagery, details, and figurative language. Throughout the poem, Maya used the word “You” a lot which is very important because there is a meaning behind the repetition    of “You”. She is clearly addressing the white oppressors who for many decades terrorized blacks. Her voice, in my opinion can be seen through a black woman, who is not afraid to speak up for herself and address how she feels. She not only addresses her opinion or how she feels, but she also speaks for her peers and ancestors.

Another word the author repeats a lot is the phrase “ Still. I Rise”. For example, she says “You may write me down in history with your bitter twisted lies, you may trod me in the very dirt, but still like dust I’ll rise”. “Just like moons and like suns, and like hope springing high, Still I’ll rise. This is a very important element of repetition that the author uses to emphasize a point or make a statement. By repeating “ Still I rise”, its letting readers know that no matter what happens or what obstacles you may face, you can still rise above it. Through Maya’s writing, you can get a sense of her attitude towards empowerment and confidence despite obstacles.    Another theme the author does so well of conveying is the theme of empowerment and confidence. There is one line where she says “ You may write me down in history with your bitter twisted lies, you may trod in the very dirt but still like dust I”ll rise. This line is very powerful because it gives readers feeling a sense of empowerment and strength by saying no matter what people might say or do,  do not give in. Although this was written in 1978, the message behind the poem is so powerful that it can relate to anyone despite skin color. The author’s voice throughout this poem is very straightforward which makes it more powerful and meaningful to the reader. The author uses clear descriptive words to take you on a jouney of life experiences of discrimination, and the struggle of fighting through the hatred, corruption and lies.

This poem  teaches  readers that we all have human strength within us that can help us overcome our problems. This poem also makes readers realize how important it is to have pride and hope in ourselves. There is line where she says “ out of the huts of history’s shame I rise, up from a past that’s rooted in pain, I rise”. This line is very significant because it raises another theme of racial discrimination. The author makes it clear that today’s society suffers from discrimination, but not all hope is lost. She creates a hopeful message for those who have also endured the same issues of discrimination. Throughout the poem, the author’s point of view is written as an African American as well as herself. She gives us the assurance that despite what happens, she is still going to rise. There is one line where she says “ Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? Cause I walk around like I got oil wells pumping in my living room?” This line reflects the confidence she has in herself and  her willingness to survive, which were both prevalent themes in this piece.

In the end, the theme of this poem “ Still I Rise” focuses on courage to rise above  hardships and obstacles. Throughout this poem, the author uses her voice to channel the issues society has faced and how she has managed to get through it.  There is one line where the author compares herself to “gold mines”, expressing  her worth and the value of herself. She is sending a message to readers to reiterate the importance of valuing themselves. She is sending a message to readers letting them know they deserve to be treated with respect and love. The last theme this poem sheds light on is feminism. In the a line where she says “ Does my sassiness upset you”? This is  a great line because it indicates  the ideals of society in which women should not be seen or heard. This line also suggests that in this society men are often bothered by women who have opinions and have bold personalities. The author also uses the line of “ Does my sexiness upset you” which could also be seen as a feminist attack on the society’s freedom of sexuality.

The next craft the author uses is language style. There is a rhyme every other line for the majority of the poem which was great because it helped the poem flow through easily. When mesmerized, I often hear myself finding a beat or rhythm throughout the poem. The phrases :I rise and “ Still I rise” and you help give the poem a voice and beat.

There is another line where the author uses the line of “ You may trod me in the very dirt” which is a very metaphorical phrase. To tread another person in the very dirt is to treat that person as low as possible with no respect. But the author uses “still like dust, I’ll rise” which is very effective because it conveys a message to the readers that  even though a situation may seem negative, you can turn it into something positive. Her language style conveys the message of strength and courage. The author uses a wide selection of similes and metaphors to convey emotion and imagery. The author gives us images like “I walk like got oil wells pumping in my living room, and shoulders falling like teardrops and I dance like I got diamonds at the meeting of my thighs”. The use of figurative language tells us a clear image of the author’s meaning behind her words and the point she is trying to get across. Another example is the line where she says “ With the certainty of tides, just like hopes springing high, still I rise”. This is a great use of figurative language because it gives the reader an image of ride rising and associating it with the theme of hope.

Overall, Maya’s writing has great literary techniques which makes this piece a memorable. She inspires, she teaches and she entertains which are all qualities of good writing which makes apiece so strong and impactful.

 

 

Mentor Assignment J.D. Salinger

Joseph Moser

12/5/14

Alyssa Songsiridej

J.D. Salinger

 

J.D. Salinger was an American writer who gained most of his success through his fictional novel The Catcher in the Rye. I read the book back in high school and it was probably the only thing I ever paid attention to in my English class. I remember digging deep into the scenes and constantly relating to some of the physical struggles accompanying the story’s protagonist, Holden Caulfield. The characterization of Holden is what really stood out to me and has taken its toll on most of my writing. Whether it’s his direct or indirect characterization, his descriptions of physical appearance, or easily pictured thoughts and opinions, you are completely swept in the detail. Salinger also shows his writing talents through his use of symbolism, clarity, language, realism, and cleverness.

In the novel, you get unfiltered information about everything that goes through Holden’s mind. In a way, Holden is influenced through his impressions of everybody he meets, and as you read his thoughts, you grow along with the character. The story is about a teenaged boy’s contempt for humanity. Holden is so lonely that he searches the world for someone to connect with, but this only leaves him lost in the crowd. He views everyone in the world as “phonies” which prevents him from being able to reach out and adore the company of other people. He is brainwashed in the ideas that everyone is a social climber which prevents him from being social, even though he kind of wants to be. It is a very interesting topic and JD Salinger does a magnificent job at stressing some of the key factors. While I was reading, I was balancing many different thoughts. I thought Holden is crazy or Holden really understands the world or maybe I am crazy. Salinger makes the reader so connected with the individual that you start to question your own sanity, it is frustrating but brilliant.

After reading The Catcher in the Rye you start to wish that J.D. Salinger is a great friend of yours because you thoroughly believe that the book is about you. I think it kind of helps everybody who reads it because most of the ideas are things that people think about, but would never bring up to another person. It makes you think that you aren’t alone in the world, and you become excited in the fact that other people share some of your problems. J.D. Salinger makes in depth topics clear and understandable, descriptively answering any questions you might have about what is going through the protagonist’s mind. Since the narrator of the novel is Holden, a confused adolescent, you would assume the narration to be vague and choppy, but Salinger does a great job at showing and not telling. The reader sees the world exactly as Holden sees it, without taking away from the scenery of the story, rather adding to Holden’s characterization. It seems even if you aren’t the most observant person in the world, everyone has their own ways of expressing how they view things. Holden is observant in his own unique way and relays his visions in a very tuneful manner. It is a beautiful arrangement of words balancing you own satisfaction, depression, understanding, and disappointment which inevitably keeps you turning the page.

Another way in which the book inspired me is through the language. It is so far from formal that the material becomes human and realistic. Holden is the narrator and he is very colloquial and slangy. He is a 17 year old boy speaking directly at you, absorbing you with his conversational tone. He says things like “He’s my brother and all” or “he’s sweating like a bastard”. He even ends sentences with words like “and all” and “or anything”. Holden’s speech can even be witty at times where he refers to small talk as “chew the fat” or when he discusses sexual intercourse as “give her the time”. Through this, J.D. Salinger really captures the speech of the average, American adolescent. Sometimes, Holden is even repetitive in the novel, but this does not disengage you from the material and instead pulls you closer as some of his key phrases and curse words are carried out. The repetition does not bore you, rather it shows realism and consistency. You begin to picture the way he says thing, or what he is thinking in certain situation before he even states he is thinking that way. It paints a picture of him in your head and allows you to see through his eyes.

Throughout the novel, J.D. Salinger influences many different aspects of symbolism. Sometimes symbolism can have a negative impact in writing and extract from the actual material, but the symbolism in Catcher in the Rye stands strong and constructive. An example of this symbolism is when Holden goes to New York and purchases this red hat. He first purchases it when he first arrives to New York during a time in which his vulnerability is represented. Whenever rough situations present themselves, Holden seems to always put his “dumb” red hat on in privacy. The hat represents his identity, and he chooses to wear it at times when he does not care about how he looks. It allows him to be like other characters in the book who seem strong and stable. It is a very powerful and open for interpretation symbol throughout the book, holding value to a very interesting writing tactic.

There are also many strong metaphors in the novel. One that really stood out to me deals with Holden’s struggle of curiosity and purity with the sexual field. Holden wraps his mind around a girl named Jane Gallagher whom he had a brief relationship with when they were kids. Currently, Jane is about to go out with Holden’s roommate Stradlater. He expresses his love for Jane when he goes off in a memory of when they were both kids playing checkers. He recounts Jane always playing safe and “keeping her kings on the back row”. Holden torments himself with questions hanging on his desperation of whether or not Jane still keeps her kings on the back row. The metaphor stands for purity and innocence and it is a clever way of illustrating the idea. It takes something that can seem deliberate, fake, and insecure, and states it in a more poetic metaphor.

All in all, I would say the thing I appreciate most about J.D. Salinger is his tone. Everything I write consists of a strong voice and I enjoy creating it. Voice allows you to speak through a character and have him be whatever kind of person you want. I find myself being able to manipulate my choice of voice in a humorous way making my writing more powerful and entertaining. J.D. Salinger is a very talented author and his work in Catcher in the Rye will forever be an inspiration to my own writing.

Andre Dubus

Glenisha Shillingford

Professor Songsiridej

Creative Writing

25 November 2014

Andre Dubus’s Influence

Before I came into this creative writing class my perspective on creative writing was completely different. I thought it to be writing to strict guidelines and you would be lucky if you got people to enjoy your work. But that is not what it is at all, although we have heavily criticized each other’s work into what we “think” would be better, the truth is that there is no right answer. There is my way of writing and then there is other people’s way. In the past I use to be discouraged from my way of writing but this class also helped me to understand that you will have people who do not like your stories, but there will be those who find them amusing. People would be surprised to find that it may seem easy to write something creative, where could you possibly go wrong with that? But it gets hard, especially with fiction, creating characters that do not exist and making up a story that seems interesting to others. What this class has also taught me was that inspiration from your stories is all around you, the people you meet and the places you’ve been, your experiences, even your ups and downs make for a good story.

There are so many styles to the creative writing process that it is highly difficult to read all of them and say that there is not one that you like or one that you are inspired by. While flipping through the Vintage Book of Short Stories I came across this story called “The Fat Girl” written by Andre Dubus, an American novelist and short story writer. This story is about just as the title gives away, an obese girl trying to be acceptable in a world full of expectations. The girl, Louise was always teased by her family and started to hide from them when she was eating. She would sneak food into her room, but eat healthy and diet in the public. Her parents were embarrassed by her and she struggled with this eating disorder ever since she was 9. When she went to college she carried with her the habit of storing food to hide and eat when no one was looking, but she was caught. Her roommate then tried to help her by getting her to smoke.

Louise then became 120 lbs., a very good accomplishment earned by a way that is deathly detrimental to her health, and soon her mental. She became what people think of as attractive and soon found a husband. With her newfound appearance and marriage she felt like she was playing the role of someone else, and that her husband was married to someone that was not her. When Louise got pregnant she fell back into her old ways of excessive eating and started to look like her old self, fat Louise. Her husband started to withdraw from her and no longer wanted her as she wasn’t the 120 lbs. woman that he fell in love with. The marriage quickly fell apart, and her parents were very ashamed once again and Louise looked forward to being alone with her child so that she could eat however she wanted, or in other words, be herself.

The title of this story is of course what caught my attention in the first place, but usually my attention is quickly lost from the first page. Dubus managed to capture my attention throughout the entire story, from his first page his motive was to get his readers straight to the point. He didn’t shy away from any details, and his description of her painted a clear picture in your head. All of us has seen a very obese girl and we always assume all they do is eat, Dubus goes behind all the criticisms and shows us a much bigger picture than some girl who is fat. I fell in love with this story because there was a bigger meaning, and he aimed to show us the flaw is societies’ views and how we tend to look down on people. Even though Louise had lost all her weight she was not happy on the inside and was living her lie, in the end we learn that she is way happier the way she was, it’s just that other people were not happy. Her child became her true happiness and the ending is left as such, it is up to us to think of other possible endings. For example I think that she will teach her daughter to love herself more than anything. Hopefully that will not lead her to be 200 lbs. at an early age but she will learn that her opinion of herself matters more than other people.

I searched up other things that Andre Dubus had written and I saw one of the many books he has, but the one that caught my eye was a book called “Adultery & Other Choices.” This book is about a young man’s journey from childhood to adulthood and all the experiences that he goes through. Although he was celebrated for his work in short stories, it seems as if his book was celebrated as well. Reading the description of his book and having read some of his short stories it inspires me to make my work more wholesome, in other words more filling for the reader. Making them feel fully satisfied after reading my work and that there I an underlying message.

Throughout this class I found that I have spent a lot of time “trying” to get the readers to realize things without me saying it, so reading Andre Dubus’s work has given me ideas to show the readers a message. I think what he did was have a message to give to his readers, but puts it into a situation that majority of us have seen or dealt with, hence the fat girl or the experiences as we grow up into adulthood. My goal is not to make my style entirely like his because that would not be mine, but I would like people to admire my writing for the same reason I admire his.

 

Mentor Project

Cesar Rincon

“1984” is more than just a date to me, it is the apex of fine writing and craftsmanship. Truthfully, it is what inspires me when I write. Up until some point in high school, writing was dull and a chore in my eyes. I didn’t really have a style other than intro, thesis, body, and conclusion. Perhaps I didn’t really know what good writing even looked like, which was partially helped by my lack of reading in my younger years. Despite this much changed after George Orwell’s “1984” was introduced to me. Even today I still don’t write for fun, but when I do I know what to look up to. I recognize what exemplary writing looks like, and I strive to reach those levels of perfection. Orwell’s occasional strong word choice and his fine attention to detail in the world he created were what struck me the most as examples of what a recognized writer sounds like.

The first trait I want to discuss about Orwell’s writing is his meticulous way of creating a setting. The world of “1984” is a perfect dystopia, and this idea is clearly made evident to the reader from the beginning to the end. The world in the story is so well thought out, there are no loopholes or undermined details in it. The best part about finishing the book, or you could say the worst, is realizing just how real it can actually be. Even the most devoted readers probably can’t find anything to criticize in the London of Big Brother.

Examples of this perfection are seen in the ideologies of the party: “War is peace freedom is slavery ignorance is strength.” At first sight they appear like complete contradictions, but the book does a commendable job explaining why they each make sense. To illustrate it, I’ll look at one of them, “freedom is slavery”. In Orwell’s dystopia, the government has absolute power. Their reasoning? People can’t control themselves, their desires and selfishness lead them to chaos. Persons need to be taken care of. They need a parental figure to tell them what is right and what is wrong, otherwise they are slaves to their human instincts. Big Brother knows freedom of thought actually leads to slavery, so the government deserves absolute control.

Another commendable quality of the ideologies of the party is that among the three none of them contradicts the others. It would have been very easy to come up with the three ideas, but accidentally have one counter the others. The ramifications of each ethic are numerous, but the more the reader looks at the London of “1984”, the more it becomes apparent that they all work together cohesively. Furthermore, none of the three is undermined, or given the spotlight too much. They are each discussed and illustrated equally, giving the audience this sense that this world is terrible, but in a perfectly horrendous way.

I will state it again, I don’t do much writing that isn’t for school, specially creative writing, but when I have to commit to doing so, I try to be careful about the worlds I create. I don’t like to have too many variables in the stories I make and not think about how they each affect the others. For me it is a matter of trying to craft something that is not only believable, but also doesn’t leave many questions unanswered. Do I always achieve this? No, I don’t have enough practice, but I strive to improve on this regard every time I write because I would like to replicate the effect George Orwell had on me. I want others to know what it feels like to read about a fictional place that doesn’t feel so fictional after all.

Apart from creating a setting, the other thing Orwell does remarkably well, at least in my opinion, is in showing his voice through occasional strong word choice. This is not a contemporary writer, but at the same time his writing doesn’t feel ancient or antiquated. He distributes the use of strong diction on his sentences so that he sounds eloquent, but not fake or too flamboyant “Winston’s entrails seemed to grow cold. In the Two Minutes Hate he could not help sharing in general delirium…”

I mention this because it gives Orwell a distinct voice. What I appreciate about it is it sounds more real and down to earth than trying to write in elevated, Victorian English. For example, there is a clear difference between the writing of Oscar Wilde “‘How horribly unjust of you!’ cried Lord Henry, tilting his hat back, and looking up at the little clouds that, like travelled skeins of glossy white silk, were drifting across the hollowed turquoise of the summer sky (The picture of Dorian Gray)” and that of George Orwell “He was a fattish but active man of paralyzing stupidity, a mass of imbecile enthusiasms—one of those completely unquestioning, devoted drudges on whom, more even than on the Thought Police, the stability of the Party depended.” The style of the former was elegant and antiquated, while the latter was more simplistic with some strong words to prove his literacy. While both tones are perfectly correct in their own regard, I prefer the latter for being more subtle about its diction, rather than incessantly trying to prove enlightenment through words that only the dictionary knows the definition to.

George Orwell served as my first real figure to look up to when it came to writing. Although I’m far from close to his style, I try to replicate his characteristic qualities when I write. That being said, I don’t only try to be Orwell, there is some sense of individuality in everyone. In my case, one of the qualities I have developed over time is this way of being concise about everything that I write. If something that is said in two paragraphs I can communicate just as well in four sentences, then why waste the reader’s time, and mine? Many would think it lazy of me to say such, and I do admit to having difficulty is writing long pieces, but I beg to disagree. Being concise is not about cutting details out for the sake of time and length, but rather mastering the ability to use as little language as possible to say what someone else would in a mouthful. It takes more thought and work than it sounds, but when done right it is very gratifying. If I can be concise, use occasional strong word choice, and perfectly craft settings, I would think my writing is at its best.

Neighbors

Xavier Claudio, Zak Sundin

Neighbors is an uproarious dramedy that inadvertently pits a young couple trying to carve out a life for themselves against an outrageous fraternity, Delta Psi Beta. Mac and Kelly Radner (played by Seth Rogen and Rose Bryne) are in their late twenties, and with their brand new daughter, they are new in their roles as parents and responsible adults. Shortly after moving in, next door, Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron) and Pete Ragazolli (Dave Franco) and their frat take up residence. We find that Delta Psi is a major party frat, and Teddy’s goal is to throw the biggest one yet.

Early on, we get our first taste of how friendly the fraternity is. When Mac (Seth) and Kelly (Rose) go over to the fraternity to ask Teddy (Zac) to keep it down, Teddy eventually  invites them inside to enjoy the party. Mac and Kelly except the invite and soon start to party their asses off as if they were in their early twenties. Teddy only invites the mature couple only to keep their relationship in good terms so that Mac and Kelly would go to them before they ever call the cops. Mac even calls Teddy an Abercrombie model because of his body.

Later on in the movie, Mac and Kelly soon break their promises by calling the cops and try to lie about it when Teddy and the Officer show up at their door. They eventually get caught and Teddy becomes upset over a broken promise. That very next morning the fraternity trashes Mac and Kellys front lawn and house. This is where the climax begins and both sides start to take action to make the other move from the neighborhood as quickly as possible.

As the movie continues, Mac is leaving for work, as he walks to his car he gets hit with a Yoga ball at an extreme force that strikes him into the ground. Mac gets frustrated and later on gets revenge. Mac and Kelly break through their neighbors water pipe that eventually flooded the fraternity’s basement. When Mac attends work later on, he sits down on his chair and is then thrown hard into the ceiling. Teddy put air bags into his chair at work and even in Mac’s home. The movie is a full out battlefield of completing the simplest task of getting your neighbor to move out of their home.

The movie ends with Mac and Kelly and of couple of their friends asking Teddy if they can come inside for the party. Teddy approves and Mac, Kelly and their friends plot to ruin the party by getting the cops involved without the fraternity knowing. Mac and Kelly get the fraternity brothers to turn against each other and eventually disrupt the good time they are having in the party.

Kelly gets Teddy’s best friend to kiss and later on have sexual intercourse with a girl Teddy likes which caused the feud between them. When the fraternity finds out that Mac and Kelly have plotted to take them down with getting the cops involved they try to stop the party. They stop the music by turning all the power off and tell everyone to get out. Mac and Kelly try to go turn the power back by getting into Teddy’s room. Mac and Teddy begin a brawl beating each others brains out while Kelly attempts to turn the power back on.

As everyone makes their way home a cop talks to one of the party guests. The guest tells the cop they shut down the party to keep their neighbors satisfied. The cops believe the lie and begins to turn his car around and head out, but before the cop could leave the scene a fire cracker is lighted and launched into the cops car. The officer gets frightened and calls for back up thinking he is getting “shot at”. The power is the turned back on and everyone rushes back into the party.

With Alcohol, weed, and other illegal substances accompanying the party the police cannot help but to shut the party down. The War ends with Mac and Kelly as the victors. The fraternity is then shut down completely. As the movie comes to an end, Mac is strolling through the mall and sees Teddy shirtless outside of an Abercrombie store. Teddy is the model for that store. Mac and Teddy are surprised to see each other and have a good talk. Mac then takes his shirt off and joins Teddy in Modeling for the Abercrombie store and the movie then comes to an end.

Neighbors elicits a sort of “grass is always greener” feel. Mac, the new father, in the midst of his mid-twenties sees in the fraternity all that he sacrificed for his new life of responsibility. In his free time with Kelly, Mac enjoys smoking a little marijuana and secretly envies the carefree lifestyle of Delta Psi. When invited to a party early on in the film, Mac accepts and drags along Kelly.

Teddy sees Mac and Kelly’s responsibility as something more; life after endless partying and skipping class in lieu of endless partying.

Throughout this raunchy bromance, there are plenty of gut-busters and cringeworthy moments alike, but all in all, this film will keep you laughing. Seth Rogen’s appears in his usual role as a slacker pothead, but in Neighbors, he seems to make the role come to life. It introduces the dissonance between his actual self, and his ideal self (wishfully speaking, a responsible, non-drug using father) and adds an uncharacteristic dimension to an otherwise jubilant, slapstick-happy movie. Efron, departing not yet entirely from his pretty boy “High School Musical” self, delivers as a devilish, chiselled alpha male of his legendary frat. At first appearing as nothing more than superficial, Efron soon makes it clear that he’s smart enough to fight for his right to party.