Glossary Term

I want to present my glossary term tomorrow since I found the actual word in our reading of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. There are also a few examples, which I find helped me out a lot as far as presenting the term goes. The word is "idiom." It means, "a phrase established by usage and not immediately comprehensible form the words used." That was the definition from the Oxford Dictionary. Oskar's Grandma's examples from the novel we're reading are, "Chew the fat. Blow off some steam. Close but no cigar. Rings a bell" (80). Oskar himself often uses an idiom when he talks about things making his boots heavier of lighter. So I tought it seemed like a decent time to share my glossary term!

My First Encounter With a Graphic Novel

Satrapi's "Persepolis" was the first graphic novel I have ever even picked up. It was a good experience, I really enjoyed it and could see myself getting into her other 3 follow-up stories, or some other graphic novels. I still like regular, written novels better just because it leaves the scene and characters up to the reader's imagination. However, I think it was an interesting experience being able to see the characters' reactions based on the memory of the author. The fact that this was a memoir made the story more intriguing for me because it was about a history and culture I am pretty clueless about, so I felt like it was for my educational benefit to read this "comic book." I guess I felt a little more justified in sitting around at Hillside reading it while everyone gave me strange looks for reading a picture book, because of the historical context. I think it's also an important culture to be introduced to as an American; we have so much background in the Middle East yet not many Americans know anything at all about that culture. Marjane's age was important to the story as well; since it began when she was so young, you could see her opinions and values changed throughout the story like any normal child's development into the person they grow to be. I think she was the main character but the story wasn't just about her, it was a kind of history and since she was a child, Satrapi found ways to bring her parents secretly into the main picture. They were the ones who explained most of what was going on in the country, and they helped shape her political activism. As Americans I think we can find it easy to read about what we think of as such a different, distant place. From Satrapi's eyes, Iran seemed similar to America, minus the religious revolution and dictatorship. In this way, readers are able to sympathize with the "actual" people of Iran, instead of focusing on the religious extremists. I think if many young Americans get their hands on this book, it might help us understand the history of Iran more and get our minds out of the immediate "terrorist" mode. It's interesting that Marji wanted to be a prophet because in way she kind of is. She has written down her version of a period in history, and in such a way that makes it easy and fun to read.

Strange Fantasy

Having read Susanna Clarke's novel, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel, I think I probably enjoyed her short story more because I was used to her writing style. She jumps around from place to place quite often, which I think is meant to inspire a sense that something mysterious is going on in each place, but the reader is allowed the ability to secretly view the mystery. Still, the reader isn't in on everything, the characters' personalities and secrets are usually pretty hard to read. Also, I think if I hadn't read her novel, I would be thoroughly confused reading this short story. A lot of the plot and characters revert back to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Jonathan Strange is actually one of the main characters in this short story, which I found intriguing but also kind of unoriginal. The short story actually seems to have taken place before the end of her novel, which makes me feel like this story was supposed to be in the novel, but the novel was too long already so she had to make them separate! Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell was one of those books I could have read every day for the rest of my life, though, so I really enjoyed hearing more of the story. I just love the way Clarke writes about magic, like it's a well-known fact that it exists and if you try really hard you can find a gateway to the fairy world. She definitely made me believe in the Raven King, what can I say.

On another note, I ended up being pleased but saddened at the ending of Never Let Me Go. The last couple pages were beautiful, I certainly cried. I was upset at how nonchalantly Kathy left Tommy for the last time, though. There did not seem to be enough emotion in that scene, and it made me think maybe these kids do have a little less soul than others. But the last couple pages kind of made up for that I suppose. I love the fact that they were let down by the reality of no deferrals, and how Miss Emily and Madame explained the truth to Kathy and Tommy. This was like when a child, being told by your parents that there is really no Santa Claus...sorry if I spoiled it for someone. It is also like realizing that we really don't have much time to live; we can't get deferrals in real life either. Of course, I still have no answer as to why Kathy and Tommy didn't just run away from it all. I must admit I had my doubts about this book in the beginning, but I felt myself really involved in the characters' lives and very saddened by the idea of them having to go through what they did.

Because it explains life better than I could...

I am a huge lover of poetry, and have been ever since I was a child reading Shel Silverstein. Happily, I have acquired a more sophisticated taste than Silverstein over time, wonderful as he is. The first poet I was really into, and am still in love with, was William Shakespeare. I know, cliche. I love his poetry because it is incredibly techincal and basically explains life in words I have always had floating around in my mind but could never place them together to make sense. That is the main thing poetry does for me. I love the creative ways people can put words together to mean so much. When I read poetry, I can actually feel what the poet is trying to describe. This is more difficult to achieve with stories. Since I have grown up loving poetry so much, I have always been a poet. It started off with Shel Silverstein-esque poems as a kid and have progressed into a discouraging, yet satisfying battle between my emotions and my slightly above average vocabulary. I won't share any poems here, though I gladly post them on myspace. My friends aren't as hip to what is good poetry as any of you are, so I can risk it with them. I pretty much read whatever poetry I can get my hands on. Sometimes I find the most beautiful and heart-wrenching poems are those written by children who are just discovering that sometimes life just isn't fair. I was at Starbucks once, and they had a display of poems written by local grade shcoolers on the wall. I read them all and even cried after reading one written by a kid whose dog died. Anyway, I appreciate all kinds of poetry, and enjoy finding it in daily life. My favorite poet is Emily Dickinson. I own all of her published poems and could reread them every day of my life. She says so much in so few words. Mary Oliver is another favorite. So I'm a big fan/collecter/writer or poetry and it is pretty much what has inspired me to become a literature maajor! Here is a favorite poem written by Emily Dickinson:

"I died for beauty, but was scarce
Adjusted in the tomb,
When one who died for truth was lain
In an adjoining room.

He questioned softly why I failed?
"For beauty" I replied.
"And I for truth- the two are one;
We brethren are," he said.

And so, as kinsmen met a night,
We talked between the rooms,
Until the moss had reached our lips,
And covered up our names."

-Emily Dickinson

What is it that makes us so human?

A question from Coupland's "Life After God" that really got me thinking was, "What is it that makes humans human?" ? I think that what separates humans from animals is something no one can see or define, but most call it "the soul." What does the soul enable us to do that other animals can't? Mostly, it gives us creativity. I've never seen a beaver paint a mural or bust a move. This creativity is what makes every person different and makes the human world so interesting. So, the ability to create works of imagination and art is what I think mostly makes a human human. But then, what if someone loses that ability due to a tragic car accident or some other disaster? Are they still human even if that function of their brain is gone? And if so, what is it then that still makes them human? Do they still have a "soul"? Now I'm just freaking myself out.

Another question I wanted to ramble about was, "Do we have our most important memories before we reach the age of thirty?" I can relate to the narrator's feeling that we do. When you're young, you are experiencing everything for the first time, so those memories are more vivid in your mind. I don't remember every kiss I've ever gotten but I will never forget my first one, just like I'll never forget my first alcoholic drink, my first date with my first love, or my first attempt at driving. I do not necessarily think that these firsts are always the most important memories we have, but they are definitely the most vivid. I think that as we get older, we dwell more on our memories of being young, so they may seem more important in that way. We long to be young and free again, so we cherish our memories from those days, instead of thinking about how great the memories we're making now are. I find that the years are flying by now, whereas they used to take an eternity, or at least seem like a whole year. I find myself grasping for each day, trying not to let it escape. I stay up until 5 AM with my friends to try to stop time. Unfortunately, that method hasn't worked but it has created many more memories to be cherished. Hopefully I'll still have that after I'm 30.

Why My Friends Think I'm Crazy

My friends think I am crazy for being a literary studies major. These biochemists, architects, and chemical engineers claim that they could never do what my major entails--sitting on my bed and reading. I just don't understand how anyone could go through life ignorant to the thoughts of people like J.D. Salinger, Douglas Coupland, Sylvia Plath, and Paul Beatty. What are they thinking?! Reading brings me all the happiness those other people out there aren't giving me.

I used to read fantasy books when I was younger. They were a way for me to pretend I was someone other than the awkward, big-toothed girl who was constantly being moved accross the country. I imagined myself the heroines of the stories, and I longed to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry... who doesn't? These days I still read only fiction. My favorite genres are naturalism, gothic, and postmodern/contemporary. Favorites include Jane Eyre, Catcher in the Rye, A Clockwork Orange, The Great Gatsby, and The Bell Jar. I like books that make me realize there are actually people out there who are crazier than me, and they are more interesting. I love being reminded of the beauty of the world in mundane things. I also love being reminded of how insignificant I am and how little time I have to spend here. I guess there are many other things in life that could do that but books do it for me. I like to lead my double life inside whatever book I'm reading. I like to write in my books in order to better understand the deeper meaning, and just to highlight thoughts that coincide with my own, but were stated much better by the author. I also write, and I think reading helps people become better writers because you can look for flaws or strengths in other people's writing.

Basically, reading is my life. It has made me more analytical and more understanding of human nature. If I hadn't read Catcher in the Rye when I was 16, I wouldn't have been able to realize that this world is full of phonies, and I'm the biggest one I know. If I hadn't read what I have read, I don't think I'd still have faith in humanity. Reading has taught me that there is a place I can always find refuge from this world.