Writing Paper 4: How Are You A Writer?

A Partial Literacy Narrative: Perfect Imperfection

            Take out a clean, white piece a paper from your desk drawer and a sharp, smart pencil. Gather your thoughts, take a deep breath, and in the instant that the pencil touches the page for the first time, there. Magic happens. After hearing the question, “Why write?” I came up with another, “Why not?” For me, writing is a process. I write to clear my head and put all those jumbled-up thoughts onto paper. Then it is the paper’s responsibility to hold, keep, and translate my thoughts into words, my declarative sentences into bold structures, and my questions into the first steps towards a greater understanding. I write to be heard, to make my mark and know that somewhere, I have something etched in a metaphorical stone that will stand the test of time. I write to tell a story, or persuade an opinion. I write to impress my reader; I write to inspire, or to question those things I may not understand. I write to take on a challenge and try to make sense of it. Although my readers may, or may not understand the true weight of my words, they will try. They will try, as I will try, to push my writing towards perfection, if there even is such an aspiration. Yet, this proves to be too challenging at times, and more and more, I feel that I write for me. Honestly, what does it matter if someone judges, or doesn’t agree?

            After I complete a work, I wonder what you, my reader, think of me. What do you feel, taste, and desire after you have leafed through my pages? Against my better judgment I sometimes try to impress you too much. Yet, I am unlike Billy Collins, the author of “The Flight of the Reader.” I never would think that we could have too much of each other, you are not the annoying type. I agree that you are like the “cricket, or bluebird,” on my shoulder, because we do need each other. I need you to stay close and wonder about my metaphorical words. I know I can make no sense sometimes, or stay to conformed, so what do you see as you look on day after day? I perform and you look on, peering around the curtain, standing in the wings, watching and waiting for the next step. I fear that you may walk away and not be transfixed by my style. For what will I have if not the technique to fascinate you? Yet, I will continue day after day, hour after hour. Yet, do not feel like you are all I need, all I need is my imagination. You are not my crush, as you are for Collins, you are my inspiration.

            I remember when I was little; my dad was the storyteller in my family. He used to always tell me those stories of, "when he was a child….” One particular story I remember him telling me time and time again, was about he and his older brother, Paul. As typical older brothers do, my Uncle Paul dared my dad to climb a tall tree in their New Jersey backyard, to the very top. If he didn’t, my dad always said, he would be a "chicken." My dad did indeed climb to the top of that cherry tree, but when he reached the highest branch and looked down at his shocked brother, he saw the height, and lost his balance. He fell from the tree and landed on his arm, which broke. He always used to say that even though he broke his arm, and even though he fell, he proved to himself that he could do whatever he wished to.

As a young girl, I thought this was a wonderful, silly, inspiring story. Growing up, my dad always pushed me to climb to the top of the highest tree and do whatever I dreamt I wanted to do. I strived to be able to do whatever I desired, and to never be afraid to slip, fall, or get hurt, because I knew I could always pick myself up, dust myself off, and fix my mistakes. I learned that everyone falls sometimes, but what matters, is the decision to get back up. Falling is a process I encountered again as I learned how to write. Now I encounter it again everyday, each time I write a sentence.

A sentence starts out like a raindrop; the first one falling from that unfortunate cloud that just couldn't hold on any longer. It may splash down on someone's unsuspecting head and trigger an emotion from contempt to joy. One may cower and run from the truth, or indulge in the splashing of newly formed puddles. As the words continue, like the clouds rolling through the darkening sky, you look up, and it may not seem so bad after all. For no one has ever melted from raindrops, but many have slipped and fallen, but always have gotten back up. Hold your head high, they say to young children, don't fear thunderstorms. For thunderstorms are just those pieces of writing that you may not understand. Everyone, at any age, can always learn. I strive to write perfection, and who can blame me? I am only imperfection, as is my writing: perfect imperfection, a compilation of ever changing and expanding thoughts.

Writing Essay 3: What is Happening to Writing?

From Print to Hypertext: A Discussion with Bolter

           

            Stemming back from the days where writing was literally etched in stone, to our fast paced and overly stimulating digital age, writing has continuously been changing. Writing will continue to change its space as technology evolves. This “writing space,” according to Jay David Bolter in his book Writing Space: Computers, Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print, is any literal space, or material that writing is acquainted with. Thinking back to the writing tablet, the papyrus roll, the scroll, to classic paper and pencil, to typing on computers, to the integration of the Internet and hypertext, we must ask ourselves if writing is the same as it once was. Has the true form of writing been lost in the fast paced digital age? What is happening to writing? A simple question; with no simple answer (Bolter).

            Bolter draws his readers back to the age of Socrates and Plato - a time period when epic poetry was recited orally and writing was rare and of great value and importance. He explains how the “Platonic hybrid” came to pass. This hybrid was a combination of oral performance, “including speeches and dramatic poetry,” and written forms of early prose. For example one such an author named Herodotus would use a technique called “ring composition” (Bolton 104). In this style of speech, the story would be first presented to the audience as a logical, linear plot line. Then it would digress into a series of subplots, or “interesting details.” The audience would be notified when the author would return to the original plotline. Bolter suggests that this way of speaking could be described as “a straight line with occasional digressive loops” (Bolter 104). This was a new form of writing, different from the classic forms already existing in the ancient world. In both fiction and nonfiction works, the audience was taken on a straight, definite path with a clear steady plot line. Plays and histories were also presented in a “step by step” fashion for the audience. This was not a time where the audience was to be confused by many subplots, or a weaving storyline. Yet, the world was changing and writing changed with it. Some poets of the ancient world began to publish and distribute some of their works. As more texts were written down in textual form, instead of being presented orally and remembered, information, stories, and histories could be looked up, researched, and passed on through the years. People were no longer required to remember this information through word of mouth, they could use the written texts as a tool for study. For the most part however, these texts as they grew more common, still continued to be very linear in form. This form went hand in hand with the papyrus roll (Bolter 104).

According to Bolter, papyrus suited this linear form of writing quite well. Papyrus, because it is a linear form of paper that must be scrolled through downwards, must be read in a linear fashion of literally scrolling through a passage. It is no question why the best suited writing style for this type of writing space was a linear style of writing. After the invention of the paged book however, there was a true change. While linear writing still continued to be the dominant form of writing, some authors took advantage of this new writing space and started to emphasize the text in new ways. Bolter says that, “It became more common to make hierarchical structures visible on the page by using different letter sizes and forms as well as different colors of ink, a trend reinforced with the invention of printing” (Bolter 105). An easy example of this is the table of contents a reader sees at the beginning of every book: a simple “hierarchical description of the contents of the book” (Bolter 105). Today we have many examples of works that are still linear in form, but hierarchical in structure, for example, articles. These articles could be anything from a breaking news story to science fiction, but most articles while still following a linear story telling pattern, use many hierarchical structures such as changing the colors of the text, bold headings, paragraph size and spacing, and page orientation to guide, yet interest the reader (Bolter 105). Keep in mind that this hierarchal system still defines the “professional activity of academic writers” (Bolter 105). This type of structure is more than a matter of style. According to Bolter, “both scholarly and scientific writing must me nonfiction in a hierarchical-linear form” in order for this structure to be taken seriously (Bolter 105).

Today as an audience, we think of the digital network as a brand new and involved writing space. However, Bolter suggests that the idea of a “network” has been in place since the Homeric age. Today, a network is a group of related, organized information that we can access online, but it wasn’t always like this. He proposes that Homeric oral poetry is an example of this networking that is older than writing itself. This particular network was established by the “repetition in the minds” of both the poet, along with the audience. These ancient stories contained mythological tales and it was the poet’s duty to draw upon the network of this knowledge to tell his or her story. After the invention of writing in the ancient world, the writer again would draw upon this “networked knowledge” and it was the responsibility for both the readers and writers to read between the lines of the text. This inner “networking” can literally rise to the surface of text when it is a part of a web page. Bolter tells us that there are certain “hotspots” on a webpage that can become animated at the simple touch of a mouse click: hypertext. By “scrolling” on such a webpage (think back to the ancient writing on papyrus) the reader can travel though these virtual pages. According to Bolter, it is still more likely for a reader to follow a linear fashion and click the link to the next page, rather than clicking some link in the middle of the page (Bolter 106). This example of networking becomes visible in a way that was never before possible with the use of the Internet.

It is no question that over the past two hundred years, the form of linear writing has continued to dominate writing. Even so, there have been many writers, a group of “antiauthors” that have tested the boundaries of linear writing. One well-known influential teacher and antiauthor was Wittgenstein. Yet, he published little in his lifetime and agonized over the task of writing. When he did write, he wrote short, disconnected paragraphs that forced his readers into a state of confusion, while they made their way through his disjointed works. Wittgenstein did not want to collect his thoughts into a linear work. He wanted to write exactly as he thought, this of course not being a sequential, or linear form. “Because Wittgenstein could not cast his philosophy in linear-hierarchical form, it had to remain a journey through a network of interrelated topics” (Bolter 108). Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations was finally published, but not in the classic linear manner. Each entry was numbered in the hope of guiding readers through its pages, but diagrams were also needed in an attempt to help the readers make their way through the complicated philosophical documents. Wittgenstein rejected the linear argument, but still followed the classic “form” of the printed book. Going even further than disrupting the classic linear form of the text, “some poststructuralist writers extended their attack to the typography of the book itself, creating “antibooks” that disrupted the traditional notion of how a book should look and behave” (Bolter 109).

One example of such an antibook was Derrida’s Glas. This particular antibook was divided into two columns of Hegel and a French novelist Genet. “Paragraphs set in and around other paragraphs and various sizes and styles of type gave the page an almost medieval appearance” (Bolter 109). Even though there was no linear argument, the reader’s eye would be drawn around the page looking for visual and verbal connections. Bolter suggests that in Glas, “Derrida laid down a textual space and challenged his reader to find a path through it” (Bolter 109). Derrida stretched the boundaries of writing, as would a digital form of writing. While one may think that the extinction of the linear form of writing would be the end of books, think again. Bolter says, “Another possibility is that digital media might refashion the book in a way that enhances the possibilities of multiple presentation without eliminating the book’s cultural significance” (Bolter 110). While in Glas these connections were hidden in the text, the web creates a space where these relationships simply float on the surface.

Now we find digital technology being used to give text a new form of “typography”. Bolter tells his readers that texts always go through a form of typography as it moves from one writing space to another (Bolter 110). One example is the change in Greek literature. Bolter tells his readers that Greek literature has evolved from the papyrus roll, to codex, and then to the printed book. “When we read a paperback edition in English of Plato’s dialogues or Greek tragedies, we are aware of the translation from ancient Greek to a modern language” (Bolter 110). It is important for readers to still be aware of the original translation and the style of writing of the ancient Greeks. The original ancient Greek text had “no book or scene divisions, paragraphing, indices, punctuation, or even word division” (Bolter 110). The transfer of ancient, or even modern texts to a digital form is another example of these translations.

In the 1990s, the Internet became the most popular and economically favorable form of communication. The ability to use “hypertext,” has refashioned the way that authors can write and post online. For example, “instead of one linear argument, the hypertext could present many, possibly conflicting arguments” (Bolter 112). The Internet is not only responsible for redefining the standards of simply text, but “also graphics design, photography, film, and television” (Bolter 113). One does not usually think of the Internet as a new space to fashion essays, but one does think of it as a place to redefine the standards of multimediated writing. The quickly changing digital writing space is easily seen in the classroom. Our generation started out learning to read and write with no technological support, but now we find ourselves immersed in the new world of digitally printed works. The generation of children in elementary school now, only a few short years later, find themselves learning to read and write with so many more digital tools. It is remarkable how fast this digital space is changing the learning process.

After using many different forms of technology to aid learning in the classroom, I find that it has been beneficial for students. Bolter adds that technology in the classroom is not simply kept for the learning process of reading and writing. “Many have even come to regard the networked classroom as a means for social or political change, as they combine digital writing with various strategies of cultural critique” (Bolter 114). In this light Bolter suggests that some educators are trying more and more to incorporate technology into their classrooms for more then one reason. While most teachers of writing are still staying true to the classic power of the spoken and written word, there is no question that incorporating certain technologies can be a great asset to students. With the help of the technology of computers, students can now sit is a classroom, dorm room, in the same building, or across the world, and have a conversation, or edit each other’s works. Bolter asserts that this technology is not meant to replace, but complement learning. This complementing of learning, along with the “refashioning of dialogues,” shows how writing has changed over time. As technology continues to progress, there is no doubt that the way in which we write and perceive writing will continue to change with it.

Bibliography:

Bolter, J. David. Writing Space: Computers, Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print. 2nd ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001. Print.

Link to Chapter 6 Prezi

http://prezi.com/f3p8kr9zbxo6/copy-of-chapter-6-refashioned-dialogues/

This is the link for our prezi to chapter 6 of Bolton's, Writing Space.

Chapter Three Bolton Presentation

Observe:
This presentation showed a blue background with white text. There was a good use of quotes from Bolton along with visual aids such as youtube videos and hyperlinks. It was very helpful to see these hyperlinks in working form going directly to webpages we all know and visit. It had a good organizational flow throughout this presentation that made it very understandable for the audience. There was some minor spelling errors on the presentation that probably could've been fixed, but overall it was understandable.

Infer:
This prezi discussed the difference between text and hypertext along with contrasting books and web pages. The definition of hypertext was stated, along with how hypertext is used in webpages. It was shown how hyperlinks can be used to move through different things and places online. According to Bolton, hypertext can enhance a reader's experience while reading.

Question:
     1. Is using hypertext always a benefit to a reader?
     2. Can hypertexts be distracting?
     3. Can hypertext be found anywhere else then on a webpage?
     4. What did you want your audience to take away from this chapter?
     5. Is the digital age taking away from classic writing?
     6. Is it necessary to have hypertexts when reading things online?

Chapter Five Bolton Presentation

Observe:
There was a good use of different colored and sized text. This made the presentation much more interesting to look at and pay attention to. I though there was a good use of arrows to draw your eyes towards different quotes. The set up of the 'prezi' was very interesting to the audience, made it easy to follow the information - good facts, easy to relate to. I enjoyed the comic video showing some differences between classic paperback books and ebook readers. There was a good use of information showing how writing and reading has changed, pulling this information to be understandable to us an an audience. I felt that there was definitely more straights then weaknesses, it started a lot of good discussions and gave good understandable information.

Infer:
It was discussed how we are actually going back to the classic "codex" or even the papyrus scroll. How we "scroll" on ebook readers or ipads or kindles is similar how one would read a scroll. Bolton argues that the ebook could be more "authentic" to the writer. It is the "call" of the writing world to create one great book - gave way to the encyclopedia. Hyperlinks are now used to make the internet "one giant encyclopedia". There is now a similarity between libraries and online libraries. It is not as important to have access to a library building, you can find almost everything you need to know in an online library. According to Bolton times are changing and it is no longer necessary to have a library building or paperback books.

Questions:
     1. Do you agree that we are going back to "scroll" like reading?
     2. What were you trying to show through your first video showing paperback books vs. ebooks.
     3. Is there truly "one great book"? Will there be ever such a book where you will be able to find everything you need to know?
     4. What is the difference between and encyclopedia and an online database?
     5. Is it getting too easy to find information online?
     6. Do you think that libraries are becoming a mute point?

Chapter Four Bolton Presentation

Observe:
This presentation used the opposite white writing on a black background. There were many quotes from Bolton, a graph, and visual aids. I felt that there could have been a greater use of visual aids and perhaps a video. There was a clear flow of information and understandable quotes. The examples that were used were able to be understood by our audience. If anything there was some repeating of information, but that also could have contributed to a greater understanding. It wasn't as visually stimulating as I would have liked, I felt that they could have taken more of an advantage of 'prezi'.

Infer:
This chapter of Bolton's book discussed how writing spaces today are getting back to the classic medieval ways. There were images on this 'prezi' that showed the audience how this was so. In our society we are stimulated by many visuals in our newspapers, magazines, and in online articles. In the electronic age, text is becoming more and more visual. Reading things online is not simply reading an article anymore, we are constantly being bombarded with visual and alternate forms of information. Overall the use of more visual media is getting more and more visually stimulating. We are moving further away from "classic" text and moving more towards a visual and media filled age.

Questions:
     1. Why did you set up a white text and a black background for your quotes?
     2. What were you trying to have the audience take away from this presentation?
     3. Do you agree with how Bolton feels about our society's change in visual aid back towards a more "medieval" feel?
     4. Will the future continue to change our way of reading and seeing visual aids?
     5. What is your definition of a visual aid? Can it have any writing?
     6. Will your audience remember your words from your presentation?

Freewrite in the Dark... Sorry about the Spelling...

My dad is is the stprryteller in my family. I remember when I was little, he used to always tell those stories of "when I was achild...".  One particular story I remenber is when he was about ten years old playing with his brother, my uncle PAul, their backyard in New Jersey. Ass typicalolder brothers do, Pual dared my dad to climb the tree to the very top. If he didnt, he was a "chicken".  My dad said that he did indeed climb that cherry trtee, but when he reached the highest branch and looked down at his shocked brother, he saw the height and lost his ballense. He fell from the tree and landed on his arm and broke it. He always used to say that even though he broke his arm, even though he fell, he proved to himself that he could do whatever he he wished to.

As a young girl, I thought this was a wonderful and silly stor that somehow inspired me. Growubg up my dad always pushed me to limb the highest tree and do whatever I dreampt I wanted to do. Im my young state of mind, I thought that proving that he could climb the highest ttree to his brother was such a brave thing for my dad to do. I strived to be able to do whatever I felt I wanted to, and not be afraid to slimp, fall, and get hurt, becasue I knew I caould  always pick myself up and dust myself off, and mix it. Everyone falls sometimes, but what matters is the desision to get back up.

The Changes in Writing Space - Bolton Question

How does this electronic space refashion its predecessor? How does it claim to improve on print's ability to make our thoughts visible and to constitute the lines of communication for our society?


I feel that electronic writing spaces refashion the way that we as the reader process the text we are reading. One of the benefits of technology is the ease and speed: when reading a certain text, or researching online, it is easier to access the infomation than finding it in a library. Technology as a whole, but especially computers and online texts, are much more visually stimulating than printed texts in most cases. When reading online, your brain is stimulated by many more aspects than a single piece of black and white paper. For example, when reading texts online, there are sometimes links to other sites, or videos to enhance comprehension or learning. 


Classic printed works may seem to be dwindling, but they are not as scarce as some may think. Electronic writing spaces claim to improve what we all have stacked in our bookshelves and learn from in classes. As students, we learn how to learn from what we read. If one is used to reading from classic printed texts, they may find it more distracting to read and learn from a computer. As a society of learners we are changing towards a more technological type of learning. It is very rare to not see some form of technology, of not use technology as a writing or reading tool in any classroom today.

Bolton: Chapter Two Response

In chapter 2 of Bolton's Book "Writing Space", in the section titled the Economics of Writing, Bolton discusses how the "economy" of writing and writing materials has evolved over time. The earliest forms of writing economics were in Mesopotamia and Egypt, where inscriptions were written into clay, papyrus and stone. In the Middle Ages, parchment "provided a more durable and more attractive writing surface then parchment papyrus". Paper was slowly introduced in the later half of the Middle Ages. Although it was not as strong as parchment, it was an easier form to mass produce for reading and writing materials.

Today we have computers, white boards, lines paper, and other forms of "writing surfaces" at our fingertips. As soon as a new form of technology appears in the form of a writing space, it seems another is right behind. Electronic and digital writing spaces are yet again replacing "classic" form of writing spaces. Electronic writing spaces can serve as more then just a literal "space to write", they can be a calendar, scheduler, or a note pad. The classic book is being m"refurbished" into its electronic state. What will out new form of Writing Space be? Only time will tell....

And What Do You Mean?

I agree with what "Sample P" is expressing. When creating a visual argument, it is important to use "time" and "space", as Kress says, to show what is being argued. If a bunch of random pictures were thrown up on the screen, there would be no way for an audience to understand what is going on. The thing about our presentations, where that they all seemed to need a little background explanation. Almost every person needed to say a few words and explain what they "meant" to say in their montage. I think the beauty of a strict visual montage is the imagination that is involved. I feel that the whole point of a visual argument is the ability for the audience to be involved on another level. they need to be able to interpret the visuals into the argument that is expressed by the author. I agree that at the same point, words can be misunderstood while, as the old saying goes, a picture say a thousand words.

Ink Shedding on "Stitch Bitch"

Quote: "I think we will: just because I advocate dispersal doesn't mean I'm as impressed by a pile of sawdust as I am by a tree, a ship, a book."
- Shelly Jackson

I found this particular quote from Shelly's article "Stitch Bitch" very confusing. After ink shedding, we thought that sawdust could be considered the remains or the beginning of the metaphorical "tree", "ship", or book. These objects are all connected in their core materials. A tree, ship, or book is more extensive and impressive then a pile of sawdust. I believe Shelly is showing that by creating constrains in writing, it is similar to this metaphorical transformation of dust into a book.

Bolton: Chapter One Response

In the first chapter of Jay David Bolter's book "Writing Space", he begins by saying how the first forms of the written Bible were thought to have a great effect on human thought. The "written word" in any form is preserved, and therefore has a more solid impact on the minds of people and on their culture. It was originally thought that once written in book form, the "truths" within would be indisputable, but this was not the case. People still continued to question, read, and write on their own. Printing presses, which made way for computers, have made it easier for people to distribute what they want to teach and the Internet has opened a whole new world for digital communication.

Now it is not so much the question of written, or typed, but printed, or digital. What form of writing will last through time? We have already lost a lot of our dependence on books; electronic devises have in some cases made it too easy to find information outside the library. It is not all about ease, but also about mental stimulation. Digital devices such as computers,  make it easy for users to combine a variety of visual stimulants to stay attentive for longer periods of time. The "voice of the text" and the "visual and conceptual space" of writing is being changed as we move forward. Bolter explains this very well when he explains how we think of browsing the internet as taking a virtual "trip" and "exploring" different sites. As a reader, one makes a connection with the "writing space" in order to interact with it. In any technique used, from writing in literal stone to typing on a computer, our process of interpretation is changed by our writing space.

What is this Blogging Thing Anyway?

As someone who has never blogged previous to this class, I find it a new and exciting experience. Sometimes I find that I rush to post something just to get it done, but other times when I am interested in expressing my thoughts, it can be a very interesting way to do so. Blogging is unlike any other type of writing forum - people say what they mean to say, write the way they speak, and add a humorous and artsy flair that can be lost amongst the jumble of academic essays we prepare as students for professors frequently for class.

Would I ever blog away from the academic classroom? I'm honestly not sure. Sometimes I feel like it is still a little too much work for me to write and stay interesting to the readers out there in cyberspace.

Taylor Mali - Spoken vs. Written Word

After watching Taylor Mali's live performance of the word poem "Like..you know", the written version of the same poem didn't resonate with the same effect for me. I thought that Mali saying the words how he wrote them put forth a much stronger message for the reader or audience member. I was surprised at how much of a difference it made to hear the words spoken, compared to reading them. I found myself laughing while watching the video of Mali reciting his word poem, and not finding as much humor while simply reading the words myself. I find that I as an audience member responded more to the "performance" and humor than just reading the words.

Shelly Jackson Paragraph Respones

"We like to make statues of ourselves. The Greeks marched ever more perfect bodies out of antiquity, slim vertical columns, like a line of capital I's, a stutter of self-assertion. But works of words are self-portraits too, substitute bodies we put together, then look to for encouragement. Boundaries of texts are like boundaries of bodies, and both stand in for the confusing and invisible boundary of the self. The wholeness of an artwork helps firm us up; in its presence we believe a little more in the unity we uneasily suspect we lack. As a result we have an almost visceral reaction to disorderly texts. Good writing is clear and orderly; bad writing inspires the same kind of distaste that bad grooming does, while experimental novels are not just hard to read, they're anti-social. Proper novels are duplicate bodies to the idealized ones we have in our heads, the infamous "thin person struggling to get out." They're good citizens, polite dinner guests."


In this first paragraph I chose from Stitch Bitch: the patchwork girl, written by Shelly Jackson, Jackson describes how we, not only as people, but as writers, create statues of ourselves. The author creates a simile between the Greek warriors and the simple letter "l", all standing in columns in the "correct" way to write. Jackson explains how we ourselves, as well as our writing, are always contained in an "invisible boundary of the self". This "self" can be whatever a writer wants it to be, but it creates a barrier to the writing process in the sense that "good" writing is easy to read, orderly, and inspirers readers, while bad writing can be more difficult to read or not exciting for the reader.


"Reality thinks it "includes" fiction, that fictional works are embedded in reality. It's the boast of a bully. But just because reality's bigger doesn't make it boss. Every work of art is an alternate "world" with other rules, which threatens the alibi of naturalness our ordinary reality usually flaunts. Every fictional world competes with the real one to some extent, but hypertext gives us the chance to sneak up on reality from inside fiction. It may be framed as a novel, yet link to and include texts meant to be completely non-fictional. Thus the pedigreed facts of the world can be swayed, framed, made persuaders of fiction, without losing their seats in the parliament of the real, as facts tend to do when they're stuck in a novel. Hypertext fiction thus begins to turn around and look back on reality as a text embedded in a fictional universe."


In this second paragraph, Jackson explains how fiction is not truly embedded in reality. He says that every work of art is a type of fiction or an "alternate world" of reality. The use of some factual text or nonfictional knowledge in writing (such as dates, events, locations, names, or time periods) makes it easier for a reader to lose his or herself in this new world. Jackson states that every "real" world competes with every fictional world, but the ability to "sneak up" on reality from inside fiction. This makes fictional novels seem more realistic and exciting to read.

Four Letter Word Project: Hold

http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/auth_preview?work_id=14182300

Shift in the Words - The Problem with Describing Trees

In the poem "The Problem of Describing Trees" by Robert Hass, he switches his argument about midway through the poem, "And the tree danced. No. The tree capitalized". The beginning of his poem is describing specifics points about a tree; the aspen glitters in the wind, the leaf flutters protecting the cells drying out in the heat if summer, while the ending of the poem contradicts itself saying that language has limits to describing a tree, or anything within poetry.

I think the author was trying to show how important language is and how it can be changed. Especially when the author writes, "It is good sometimes for poetry to disenchant us", he shows that language can be interpreted in many ways by a reader as well as a writer.

Three Images of Writing

Beating Heart / Stabbing Heart:
I feel every writer experiences some form of internal 'heart attack' prior to, or during the writing process. The beating heart represents a fear to be good enough, to be excepted or to even have the ability to write well. In my own writing I always fear that what I have to say will not be accepted or understood in the way I would have wanted. The fear of acceptance and the adrenalin of anticipation is a vert strong emotion. The knives surrounding the heart and stabbing it is a very disturbing and metaphorical image.

Driving a Car Off the Cliff:
The feeling you get when your mind or body seems so disconnected from yourself that you feel like you are heading towards a deep abyss... For a writer, the fear of, or the inability to write something 'well' is the greatest feeling of fear in the world. Writers can literally feel like if they can't create something great they deserve to metaphorically 'fall of a cliff', and in some cases literally. This image is terrifying, especially as a last resort for true inspiration.

Throwing Writing Away in a Deep Pit:
I find that sometimes if I don't feel content with my writing, all I want to do is throw it away and never look at it again. This metaphor showcases the stereotypical feeling of wanting to bury your regrets or failed accomplishments in that whole in the back yard. This image also shows the want of being able to literally dispose of ideas, which is simply not a possibility. Once an idea crossed one's mind, good or bad, it is next to impossible to dispose of it.

A Sentence Starts Out Like...

A sentence starts out like a raindrop,
That first one falling from that cloud that just couldn't hold on any longer
It may splash down on someone's unsuspecting head and trigger an emotion from contempt to joy.
One may cower and run from the truth,
Or indulge in the splashing of puddles

As the words continue, like the clouds rolling by
It may not seem so bad after all,
No one has melted from raindrops, but many have slipped and fallen
Hold your head high they say to young children,
Don't fear thunderstorms

Text as Image

A cell phone is a "phone" isn't it? I find myself texting so much more than having an actual phone conversation with someone. I think because our generation is used to such a fast paced and instant world of communication, especially with the internet, that a 'text' as an 'image' makes perfect sense. Instead of having to wait through the babble of small talk with someone just to ask a simple question, or keep lines of conversation open throughout the busy day, texting has its benefits. I find it is much easier to glance at a text and shoot back a quick response than have to worry about a long conversation.

Litany - Billy Collins Questions and Responses

"Why did you switch back and forth from talking about your "lover" to yourself?"

I believe that Collins was trying to show the ridiculousness of love poems. By switching from "complimenting" the lover to himself with absurd metaphors, the reader can easily grasp how funny it actually is to write in this way. Collins could also be expressing that thought that these writers of love poems, could also be craving to say things not just about their lover, but about themselves. Collins does this in a very comical light especially when he switches the metaphors from his lover to himself.

"What possessed you to take the original poem and change it in this manner?"

Collins is trying to teach the original author of this poem a "lesson". He is trying to show the pure ridiculousness of this way of writing a love poem. Collins may say that he is making this particular love poem "better" but we as readers could argue that he is making it "worse". By making the poem more "out there" by using wild metaphors, it makes he point stronger.

"What do you believe to be the most important quality for a poem to have?"

This is an interesting question with what I believe has an interesting answer. Collins doesn't seen to have any love or respect for love poems, and "re-write" one particular poem to make his point. However, this feeling of dislike is obviously important to him, or Collins wouldn't have done anything at all, he would have just let it pass him by indifferent. I think that Collins would find the most important quality in poetry to be honesty. He makes fun of and creates extraneous metaphors in jest, so he may look for the truth in the poetry he reads.

Justifying Choices Response

"Paper specificity is based off societal rules"

I agree that there is a certain "way" we all learn to write an academic paper. I personally almost get nervous writing an essay out of the typical MLA essay format. It is like a foreign concept to me. In school we are repeatedly taught the "right way" to write, so going out of our comfort zone.

"The writer should paint a picture with words"

I agree with this completely, I feel that sometimes visual aids can take away from a paper when the reader will concentrate only on them instead of the paper itself. It is important to understand how to write and "show the reader how the writer feels and what is going being said.

"By not following them [writing rules] one can become an outcast and less excepted"

I think that because we are so influenced into thinking there is only one was to truly write a paper, it can be difficult to get around the notion that there is indeed alternate ways. This quote shows the fear of trying something new in writing as in anything else. Being the one to stand out can be scary and a risk to take. Everyone fears failure.

Six Reasons Why... and Why Not? (Take Two)

It Gives You Wings


What Moved Me:

1. Great opening sentence to pull in readers
2. Good dissecting of the motto "Gives You Wings"
3. Good connections between the American society and the presence of energy drinks
4. Good personal reference
5. Easy to understand and get through
6. Broken up in a n organized manner

What Didn't Move Me:

1. Only introduced the product "Red Bull" in one sentence of the introduction
2. Some descriptions of Red Bull are very choppy
3. Incorrect in-paper siting
4. Very short paragraphs - any way to expand them?
5. No talk of the issues and problems with Red Bull -  only a small section of the last paragraph
6. Is the authors final argument the consuming energy drinks are beneficial?

Six Reasons Why... and Why Not?

Apple's iPod: I've Got the World on a String (Shaped Earphone Chord)

What Moved Me:

1. Great title - Imaginative and makes the reader want to read on
2. Easy information to understand; right to the point
3. Good descriptions of the "old" iPod to the "new" iPod
4. Connections to other news articles ("What iPod Are You?")
5. Strong word choices
6. Interesting topic - Easy to follow

What Didn't Move Me:

1. Grammer Errors!
2. Some wordy sentences - Unnecessary
3. Essay could have been constructed better - Paragraphs were long
4. A list a facts is not so interesting to read
5. No personality - Very formal
6. No opinion of the author - Where does he or she stand?

"Sweet Misery, A Poisoned World": The Truth About Artificial Sweeteners

Debating in the Drink Aisle:

Wandering down the drink aisle in the local grocery store, aimlessly searching the overstocked shelves for the perfect thirst quencher, they are standing there. That awkward person located in the soda section, their eyes slowly migrating from Coke to Diet Coke, from Pepsi to Diet Pepsi, their brow furrowed in thought, trying to perceive the best choice from high in sugar to high in… chemicals? The customer may grip his or her mountainous shopping cart nervously, glancing inside and reassessing the already piled-high collection of sweets. Choosing ‘diet’ soda and ‘sugar free’ juice is the correct choice isn’t it? At that moment, one may wonder why they are also strolling though the drink aisle at such a leisurely pace, glancing around and feeling good about choosing what they believe to be the healthier choice; the “calorie and sugar free” substances that appear in the diet drinks before them. Why does this solution seem like an easy fix to dieting problems and even trouble with diabetes? The answer isn’t so simple.

As the stereotypical shopper arrives home with their spoils, they may be content with the prospect of eating or drinking much healthier because of their marketed ‘diet’ foods. What they may not realize is that human's taste buds can detect very small amounts of sugar or sweetness, so it is no question why everyone tends to crave that sweet little something after a meal (JAMA). It is much more common for our bodies to crave something sweet then something sour. People dieting, such as our friend in the drink aisle, may find they are having trouble determining what the true “healthy” choice is. Is there even a healthy choice? Should we all simply stick to consuming water? Drink products with artificial sweeteners, such as Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, along with other diet or “sugar-free” drinks, juices, or foods, market to their consumers that they have fewer to no calories compared to their sugar filled companions on the shelf. What the average shopper may not consider is that marketing companies know exactly what will and will not draw a consumer to a product (Nutrition).

Artificial Sweeteners: Sugar Free, 

Fewer Calories

Many customers turn to artificial sweeteners, or substitutes for sugar (sucrose) because there are very few added calories. Artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes are now used in a variety of products that are labeled ‘diet’ or ‘sugar-free’. These products include gum, jellies, drinks, candy, juices and ice cream. To the person who has been dieting for months, turning to artificial sweeteners may seem like a smart solution. The dieter would still be able to have a sweet treat while not going into the realm of “unhealthy choices”. This is why artificial sweeteners can sound like a good alternative for a person who is trying to lose weight. This is also true for those who are living with diabetes. Artificial sweeteners can give temporary relief; allowing someone to have some sweet treats (Nutrition).

Artificial sweeteners, roughly defined as anything one would use to replace basic table sugar, are also used because one only needs a small amount. Actual sugar is a faction of the sweetness of artificial sweeteners. This particular comparison is a scam; size does not matter. What makes up a particular food idem can either be beneficial or poor for your health; as the expression goes, you are what you eat. Artificial sweeteners are widely used in processed foods such as baked goods, ‘table top sweeteners’, drink mixes, canned foods, dairy products, and jams and jellies.

For one who is trying to lose some weight, an appealing aspect of artificial sweeteners is that they are “not nutritive and have virtually no calories” (Nutrition). To put it into perspective, a twelve-ounce can of soda has about eight teaspoons of sugar, the equivalent to about 130 calories.

Eating or drinking products with artificial sweeteners can also seem like a valid alternative for people with diabetes (JAMA). Unlike natural sugar, sugar substitutes generally do not tend to raise blood sugar levels because they are not made up of carbohydrates. In addition, unlike natural sugars, artificial sweeteners do not contribute to tooth decay (Nutrition). This can all seem like a strong argument for artificial sweeteners, so why don’t we all use it?

Perils of the Purge:

Personally, I have never been a user of, or had the taste for artificial sweeteners. Someone who is not used to the taste of these sweeteners may be able to discern the difference between diet and non-diet drinks. The taste is much stronger in comparison to regular sugar, and scientifically it is. Only small amounts of artificial sweeteners are needed in comparison to regular sugars. For example, my Grandma uses Splenda, a tabletop artificial sweetener, generally in her tea. Little ot my knowledge, she keeps it in a sugar bowl on her counter, so when I dipped my finger in for a taste, I got a very unpleasant surprise. The taste was awfully different, excessively strong, too sweet, and unnatural tasting.

Artificial sweetener companies advertise that the customer will not be able to taste the difference between the two flavors. In fact, they argue that it might even taste better. Yet, these sweeteners can have a strong aftertaste, especially tabletop sweeteners, or sweeteners used in baking (JAMA). There are certainly benefits and drawbacks of using artificial sweeteners, so one must be informed to make an educated choice to either use or deny them. For example, some manufactures may market that a particular sugar substitute is “natural”, while it may have been processed, such as the product called Stevia. These sugar substitutes may actually be derived from “natural occurring substances including herbs or sugar itself” (Nutrition). In essence, the consumer would be devouring chemically refined sugars, which would not be beneficial to their health in any way.

According to the National Cancer Institute, artificial sweeteners are ‘generally safe in limited quantities”, and are approved by the FDA as “food additives”. Is it a good choice to consume products that are only safe in limited quantities? If this is a substance one must be extremely carful about consuming, why not choose a different one? Sometimes, artificial sweeteners are “generally recognized as safe” or GRAS. For a product to be GRAS, one must also think seriously if this is a substance they want to put into their bodies. The FDA also has an “acceptable daily intake” or ADI for the majority of artificial sweeteners. This is defined as the maximum amount of the substance that can be consumed each day over the course of one’s lifetime. ADIs are meant to be about one hundred times less than the smallest amount that could cause possible health problems (Nutrition). 

Instantaneous Gratification:

The Dangers of the Dismissal of the Facts

Producers know exactly what the consumers of their products are looking for. The main draw of artificial sweeteners is the fact that it has very few calories, especially compared to regular sugar. Using artificial sweeteners can also be a choice over natural sugar for people for diabetes. Artificial sweeteners generally don’t raise blood pressure levels as much as natural sugar because they are not carbohydrates.

What the unsuspecting consumer may not realize is that artificial sweeteners confuse our bodies. Since there is “dissociation between sweet taste and calorie intake”, the regulatory system that controls hunger and weight will get confused, and weight can actually go up. The fact that artificial sweeteners are so much sweeter then regular table sugar can have the potential to set someone’s whole diet off balance. For example, the artificial sweetness or sugar substitutes will change the way one’s taste buds perceive natural sugars found in fruits. Other food products in general will also taste blander after a certain point, and your body will crave only the artificial processed taste (Fooducate).

The most important thing to remember when one is leisurely strolling through the grocery store is that water is the only drink that is truly sugar and calorie free. Our bodies do not require any other liquid besides water, so why wander towards the high in sugar juices and sodas? Artificial sweetener companies know exactly how to market to their consumers. They understand exactly how people think, not just those who wish to lose weight, or those who are suffering from diabetes, everyone craves a little flavor in their drink. Companies know that is it difficult to choose water every time one is thirsty. The most important thing to remember is to remain informed to make the correct, healthy choice for a healthy body. Artificial sweeteners are usually sugars that are chemically refined. These chemicals are called “sugar substitutes” and most of them have a limit in the form of the amount one can consume. So, walk up to that nonchalant consumer in the drink and ask them, “Are you sure you are making the healthy choice?”

Bibliography:

http://www.fooducate.com/blog/2010/01/03/three-reasons-to-rethink-that-diet-coke-youre-about-to-drink/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/artificial-sweeteners/MY00073

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/302/22/2477.full

The "Right" Questions

In "Litany", Billy Collins "rewrites" a love poem in which his metaphorical comparisons are downright silly.

1. Were you trying to gain a positive, or negative response from the audience?
2. Does your comical rewrite serve a true purpose?
3. Why did you choose the particular metaphors you referenced?
4. How do you think the original author of the love poem feels about your rewrite?
5. Do you truly believe you were doing the original author a favor in this rewrite?
6. Do you feel that every love poem writer secretly craves similar metaphors to be written about his or herself?

Why Write in Black and White?

On my paper talking about the dangers of artificial sweeteners, I chose to create my paper in classic a format. Classic black writing on white paper is probably the easiest way to read and what most readers are used to accessing. I used 'Times New Roman' font, which is visually calm and clear, along with one inch margins, double spaced lines, and indented paragraphs to make it easier to access.

Even though I decided to break up my essay into four article-like sections, generally I still kept to the standard MLA formatting. I feel as though this type of essay writing is engrained in our minds as the "proper" way to write, and perhaps the only acceptable way to present an essay in an academic environment. For this reason I included a works cited list and cited my sources within my paper. I also didn't use visuals are colors in my paper. I suppose I was nervous to write 'incorrectly' in an academic setting.

As important as it is to learn to write a "proper" academic paper, I feel like this "correctness" can take us away from the feeling that we can explore our minds artistically. For example, it didn't cross my mind to write in a different color or write in a different format... so why write in black and white?

Flight of the Kuaka - Rhetorical Stratagies

Don Stap, author of the article, "Flight of the Kuaka", uses many rhetorical strategies in his writing. He showcases many examples of "showing", giving the reader a clearer image of his story of the Bar-tailed Godwit, or the "Kuaka". He starts his article like a narrative, and drops the reader right at the location of "100 yards west of the Firth of Thames on New Zealand's North Island".

Stap uses some scientific terms to describe his team's study of the Kuakas. He explains how the use of "implanted satellite transmitters" were used to track the migration pattern  of this diminishing species of wetland bird. He describes how the scientists identify male from female birds, and how heavy the transmitter they are carrying must be.  He also explains the gravity of how endangered this species is. Only "thirteen species of Numeniini exist worldwide" and "godwits and curlews are the most threatened".

Yet, nothing is difficult to understand. Stap clearly knows his audience, and knows that they do not all have a PhD in science. He writes clearly about the migration of the kuaka, "the flight is nonstop, no food, no water, no sleep as we know it, flying for eight days". The general reading public can easy understand how amazing this process is.

Metaphors of Scientific Writing (4)

Throughout the article, "Don't", written by Jonah Lehrer of the New Yorker, there are metaphors used to explain certain instances to make it easier for the reader to understand what is being talked about. 


For example, "The room was little more than a large closet...", giving the reader an image of the testing room. There is also "One of Mischel's favorite metaphors", "known as interactionism, concerns a car making a screeching noise. How does a mechanic solve the problem? He begins by trying to identify the specific conditions that trigger the noise. Is there a screech when the car is accelerating, or when it’s shifting gears, or turning at slow speeds? Unless the mechanic can give the screech a context, he’ll never find the broken part. Mischel wanted psychologists to think like mechanics, and look at people’s responses under particular conditions." 


This metaphor explains simply how Mischel wants phycologists to think. This is a very clear image, even for a reader who knows little about science.



Another metaphor is "When Odysseus had himself tied to the ship’s mast, he was using some of the skills of metacognition: knowing he wouldn’t be able to resist the Sirens’ song, he made it impossible to give in." This metaphor from Greek mythology, explains how diverting your senses from something (in the case of the study a marshmallow) will make it easier for one to succeed. 


Stemming from this idea is the explanation of mental tricks, "such as pretending that the candy is only a picture, surrounded by an imaginary frame". Children had better success with avoiding eating the marshmallow if they didn't concentrate on it. 


Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer?printable=true#ixzz1DUJL6NpS

Confusing Quote Response: From "Don't" - The New Yorker

In the article "Don't" from The New Yorker, author Jonah Leher states that, "Mischel's conclusion, based on hundreds of hours of observation, was that the crucial skill was the 'strategic allocation of attention'." In Walter Mischel's "Marshmallow Test", the young children who accomplished this were those who could effectively allocate their attention.

To put in simpler terms, the children who did not concentrate on the marshmallow treat sitting before their eyes, experienced greater success. Some children stared at the marshmallow, which caused them to fail. Yet, others covered or closed their eyes, which correlates with the phrase, 'out of sight, out of mind'. It is rational for a child to think, "If I can't see it, it isn't truly there".

In a larger spectrum, it's as if a blind soldier would be able to fight in a looming battle more effectively because he wouldn't be able to be intimidated by the grandeur and horror of war. This idea can further be developed when being compared to an American society as a whole. It seems that we as Americans seem to flock together when a new and interesting invention or product comes into the light. This small spark of amusement or sweetness it may offer, similar to the taste of a marshmallow, is something very difficult to resist. However, we must inform ourselves of a specific product's offer to make it easier for us to hold out for something better in the future.

This seemingly simple marshmallow experiment showed how important the virtue of self control is for a human being. It is not something that can be taught, it must be learned and experienced. The marshmallow study showed that if a child can hold out for something better at such a young age, they can hold out for better and more important things in the future.

Kids Marshmallow Experiment

Marshmallows: Outsmarting Our Desires

Marshmallows defining they way we control our desires: while at first one may seem skeptical, I had to agree to a certain degree. I have previously seen a YouTube video of young children doing the very thing they were describing in this article, the "Marshmallow Test". This test was used to see how young children, a pool of 653 subjects, could resist temptation for further gratification. There was a correlation found in their academic achievements, as well as how they accomplished the process of self control into their adulthood. It is amazing to me that this simple "Marshmallow Test", could show which children would have a more difficult time in school or have high or low SAT scores.

This test can also been seen in another way, it is not just a test of 'who has the best self control', it is also a test of how a person can handle situations. A phycologist named Walter Mischel made attempts to involve this study with deeper issues.

He says, "Young kids are pure id, they start off not being able to wait for anything-whatever they want they need. But then, as I watched my own kids, I marveled at how they gradually learned how to delay and how that made so many other things possible."

Mischel argues that this test was not just about marshmallows; if a four year old child could wait to eat his or her favorite treat, as a student, they would study for the SATS instead of watching TV, or save their money instead of spending it on a whim. He and his colleges then changed their direction, and began teaching the children strategies, which greatly improved their self control in the test as well as into the future.

The lesson to be learned is a simple one: you don't have to always reach out and grab what's in front of you. Wait a bit. Mischel says, "We should give marshmallows to every kindergartener, we should say, 'You see this marshmallow? You don't have to eat it now. Here's how.' "

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer?printable=true

small object, LARGE SUBJECT

Walking through the drink isle in the grocery store they are standing there… that awkward person in the soda section, their eyes slowly migrating from coke to diet coke, from high in sugar to high in… chemicals? Human's taste buds can detect very small amounts of sugar or sweetness, so there is no question why we tend to crave that sweet little something. Products with artificial sweeteners, such as Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, market to their consumers that they have fewer calories then their sugar filled friends in the drink isle, so they can seem like the perfect alternative to sugar.

Many people turn to artificial sweeteners, or substitutes for sugar (sucrose) because there are very few added calories. Sugar substitutes are also used because compared to actual sugar, you need to use only a small amount. Actual sugar is a faction of the sweetness of artificial sweeteners. This of course is a scam; size doesn’t matter, it is what makes up a food idem that can either be good or poor for your health. As the saying goes, "you are what you eat". If a person is trying to lose weight, artificial sweeteners can sound like a good alternative, but it does not mean that it is the only change in your diet a person would have to make.

Personally, I have never been a user of artificial sweeteners. The taste of sweeteners are so strong compared to regular sugar, that it doesn’t taste close enough for me. For example, my Grandma uses Splenda, an artificial sweetener, in her tea. She keeps it in a sugar bowl, so after dipping my finger for a taste, I got a very unpleasant surprise. After expecting real sugar, the taste was very different; too sweet and unnatural tasting. Even so, these companies market that consumers will not be able to taste the difference or it may even taste better to the consumer.

Producers know exactly what the consumers of their products are looking for. The main draw of artificial sweeteners is the fact that they have very few calories, especially compared to regular sugar. Using artificial sweeteners can also be a choice over sugar for people for diabetes. Artificial sweeteners generally don’t raise blood pressure levels as much as regular sugar because they are not carbohydrates. It is all a personal choice for users, but they must be informed to make a strong decision about what is right for their diet and body.

"You Can Shine"

After watching the Pantene commercial in class, we came up with some observations about the slogan, "You Can Shine". Our heart strings were pulled while watching this "trailer-type" commercial featuring a young asian girl who overcomes obstacles to preform in a classical music contest. If I had not known it was a commercial for Pantene at the beginning, I wouldn't have caught on until the very end when they showed the slogan. At the end of her performance, everyone applauds wildly, but after you see the slogan, you realize that there was applause for the shining hair she had as well. This made me very angry for this commercial played on many emotions to show off a simple commercial like Pantene shampoo.

There are two main ways to analyze the slogan, "You Can Shine" show at the end of the commercial. The violinist definitely overcome many obstacles, such as the mean girls at school, being deaf, and not having true classical training. It was interesting how it seemed like the commercial was trying to tell us that even though we may not be able to play the violin like the girl in the commercial, you would be able to have her beautiful hair.  

Write with What?

I haven't done serious work with a crayon since probably kindergarten, so it was an interesting experience to write with one again. Typing on a computer gives a person probably too much room to babble and use too many useless words. Even a pen, or pencil and paper can give a writer this problem. However, I found that using a crayon really forced me to think about my words, how much I was writing (because lets face it, who wants to toil away at an essay with a crayon...) and my penmanship.

I enjoyed writing with a crayon because it reminded me of being in elementary school again and it is so very different then the typing we do everyday. I think working with different writing implements forces you to see your writing in different ways. I found myself concentrating a lot more on things I normally wouldn't have without a crayon in hand.  

The Color of Words

As I looked over our crayon written responses, the adjectives that came to my mind were:

Colorful, Juvenile, Geometric, Eye Catching, Vibrant, Calm, Even, Exact and Draws the Eye.

I found the styles of these pieces to be quite different. It was interesting that I looked at them as more of a work of art then a writing project. Looking over each piece I found that I simply scanned or didn't read the whole response, I would concentrating on the color scheme. Many of the responses were done in vibrant colors such as red or orange, which made the words pop and easy to read. Others were written in quieter colors in very strait lines that gave the tone of an even calmness. Some pieces with too much color or drawing seemed at first juvenile, but the well thought out words changed my original opinion, and the colors then seemed to enhance the text.  

A Culture of Color

Imagine a culture with only crayons as writing implements:

First of all it's going to take a very long time to write novels... but overall I feel like this civilization would be a very artistic and imaginative race. Our culture is rooted in technology. Our ways of communication are so heavily vested in the digital age of blogging, social networking, and texting, that sometimes it's easy to forget a simple pencil and paper...or crayon. Writing with only crayons would provide instant images to writing. All writing would become a visual art form. I feel as if everyone using such color to write, would have a lot of scope for the imagination and lots of room for pure inspiration.

The most important thing in this culture would be its artistic ability and the way they could truly and literally put color into writing. The labor of writing with crayons would also force this race to choose their written words carefully. They wouldn't have the things we take for granted such as "spell check" or an eraser, it would all have to be thought out first, something our civilization today seems to forget.

First Thoughts

After first hearing about this assignment, I thought of one thing: kindergarten. Back then as long as you could hold that crayon correctly, you were on the right track and headed for success. If you really think about it, everything you really need to know about life you learn in kindergarten: how to make friends, sharing, don't break other kids crayons... but anyway...

To again do serious academic work with a simple crayon was simply quite fun. I also found myself being more aware of my writing. I was forced to use select words and not babble on, because honestly who wants to write an entire paper in a crayon. I also found myself more aware of my penmanship and the angle at which I wrote on the page. Although it was possibly more laborious to write in a crayon, I still found myself concentrating on making my academic work a success and easy to understand. I found working with crayons an enjoyable experience that also left me with the craving for a coloring book...