Response: The American Life

Overall, I thought that Ira Glass made it clear what was missing from the business of story telling. I could definitely relate to how he said that everything being put out is made to be bad. No one is trying to bring a better way to do things, but rather fit a pre-made mold. I also got what he was saying in terms of making anything interesting. He said something about how if you're going to present something, even if it looks mundane, there is a reason you chose it, so don't treat it as if you have nothing important or relevant to say about it. It's funny, because sometimes we pick topics that are 'easy' because they are broad, but are still uninteresting. What we've done is paint ourselves into a corner in terms of our creativity and what we are able to do.



I also liked what he said about anecdotes:



"The Power of the anecdote is so great...No matter how boring the material is, if it is in story form...there is suspense in it, it feels like something's going to happen. The reason why is because literally it's a sequence of events...you can feel through its form [that it's] inherently like being on a train that has a destination...and that you're going to find something..."



This reflects how important it is to engage an audience with a climax. It's apparent that we are drawn to something that is tied-together. I liked how he went on to say that we don't abandon crap enough. We continue with the pre-made standards set for us, while innovating and producing novel ideas falls by the way side....



NEMESIS:



Oh my nemesis. My nemesis. or nemisisses are real. The way I saw them is as shape-shifting humans who alternate between good and evil. The good hooks you in, and then the evil proceeds to take over. All together, I see my nemesese (I don't know the plural) as mostly real but with (maybe) fictional attributes. Ira talked about how you have to get through the crap in life, and I think my nemesis story narrates a point through which I had to sift through a moment in time and try to get away with goodness.

Open Mic Night

I liked it. :]

It was cool to see everyone go up there and become a performer for a few minutes. I enjoyed watching everyone present something they felt a connection to. I think the venue was a bit too large and it didn't accomodate well in terms of sound projection. Lighting and room-size would be something to change next time around. I think Kochoff Hall or the lecture room in CASL would be good places to have the event. The room needs to be dark, with a spotlight on the speaker. Also, in terms of publicity, I think it needs to be made a bigger deal. More people need to know about it and as an incentive maybe some kind of panel of judges should watch and judge in order to award the best performers. Competition always brings people out of the wood work. When it comes to the performances, it was nice that they were varied. Everyone brought a different flavor to the table and thats what made it entertaining. All together, I would definitely do it again, we need more activities like this at UMD.

KYTL: Afterthoughts

After finishing this book, it's hard to remember the story he told. I have to admit that sometimes Klosterman was really engaging and I could relate to the subtle realities he brings to light, but most of the time I was wading through the thickness of rock history, a history I couldn't really relate to. He uses this book as a way to make himself cool, and I can't really support his superiority 0r maybe inferiority complex- building. He just got too annoying and as I kept reading I just got tired of the way he told his story. I think he tried a bit too hard to make this trip out to be more than it may have been. The fact that he went alone to all of these places and visited people that are specifically special to him (the women) exemplifies how self-obsessed he is and how much he needs for everything to revolve around him--even people. It would have been different if he had took someone with him...Anyways, I wasn't a huge fan of the book, and a part from the few interesting pictures he paints of realities and relationships, I didn't really enjoy it.... -____________-

Killing Yourself to Live

The Goodbye to Lenore:

The way he and Lenore ended their pseudo-relationship was interesting to read but definitely seemed to be a part of the fifteen percent of his story that he embellished. What people say and don't say mean a lot, and the way Chuck tells his story fails to include all those words that fall between. The words that don't really matter and often dull the conversation and in reality bring people back to the fact that our lives aren't always on some kind of rythm that you can play a song to..I think Chuck tries to do that with his immense collection of music and try to live his life through the lens of rock. Music cannot encompass every sphere of our lives and finish our sentences...I think that would be the precise reason as to why Chuck's story cannot be 100% real--he's too busy trying to sync it up with the beat..

Whas Happnin

So, the weather these days is INCREDIBLE. I love spring, I wish it could occupy half of the year. It's amazing.

Currently, I am preparing to go to Saudi for the summer. I haven't been off the mainland in ten years, and I am dying to go visit the holy land as well as my brother's houses. I got a copy of my birth certificate and I have to send that in to the Saudi embassy in order to get the process going. I want to leave in May, but my parents want me to go with them in June. I'm not sure what I'll do, because I have to quit my job to go and I'll have to let my boss know soon... That is pretty much the only thing on my mind right now. I really want one of my friends to come with me to make it an EPIC trip. She's heading to Africa this summer and I really want to link up somehow. Her family lives in Sudan, and I think a ticket from Saudi-->Sudan would be cheap, but I'll have to go through the bureaucracy and red tape of it all...We shall see. I REALLY want to go to Africa. Other than that, I am seriously looking forward to the end of this semester. I can't believe I'm getting so old. This will be the end of my sophomore year and it's passing by so quickly. Lately, I've just been thinking about what the future has in store for me. At heart, I feel like I'm twelve, so time passing so fast is becoming the growing evidence against this belief. Getting older means so much....

I can't really picture moving out and moving on, but who knows when that'll happen. For now, I am clinging to the things that I know will soon be nostalgic.

P.S. That blue thing is what I want to take to Saudi with me ;] ;] ;]

PostSECRET...

The entries on the post secret site greatly resemble poems. Their style is to be concise and dramatic. Like the Haiku, the last line or last few words deliver the most impact. Also the way the words appear on the postcard reflect some artistry. Sometimes words are scattered throughout the card or different colors etc. This quality is similar to concrete poems, or the poems we read in class. The postcards are either funny/reveal a quirky habit, or extremely serious and life-changing. Often times though, I think the posts are a little over the top. They seem to be sensational and are maybe sent to shock readers as well as get your postcard. I don't thnk that postsecrets are incredibly beneficial though...I have a problem with the idea that people can use these to glamorize their problems and find solace in that they are publicly ______ (insert something negative)..I know there are positive postsecrets, but I just don't like the negative ones, like people are given the outlet to wallow in their self-pity...I don't know, I just don't like the need to share some really private secret anonymously like that...I guess the positive result could be that after reading postsecret entries, you can walk away feeling grateful that you don't have to deal with certain issues as well as see how some people do things just like you...like your idiosyncrasies can sometimes match up with other people.


don't think I would want to share my secrets with the world, I am a believer in cherishing the sanctity of your own little secrets. Big, harmful ones, no. But the ones that need no validation or critique from anyone else, whether you're asking for that or not, are the most sweet. The solitude of your own mind can be liberating...

poe.try.

Tangible Soul

It sat in the upper right hand corner of the shelf
Mahogany and dust filled all of the other nooks,
except this one.

Light flecked off of each cut of the crystal
From time to time it caught his eye
He peered up at it whenever his pen was too heavy,
Or his papers became too thick

It sat, perfectly still,
Just like it is now
But with every ray of sun,
He could see it beat
Sometimes so quickly
That it became a glorious hum

With a creak and rustle,
he would lean back against the warm leather,
And watch the luminous gleam set with the sinking sun

Guests stopped and inspected
He wouldn’t tell them,
But always thought to say:
“Call her crazy, but she gave me her heart,
And there it is, up in that nook forever”