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.