Test

So got a 60% on the mock test. Meaning a D- ... Not very happy

Non-Fiction Soup

K: Reality shows

M: Abbreviate 

N: Readers and Readings

1. American Idol

American Idol is the No.1 television show beaming on American television right now; in fact it is the only program in American television history to have enjoyed No.1 status over six consecutive seasons. Fitting into the genre of reality shows as a television competition to discover new solo singing talent, it has surpassed extremely popular shows like 'All in the Family' and 'The Cosby Show' in the race to the top. Created as a spin-off of the hugely popular British television show Pop Idol by Simon Fuller it debuted in 2002on the Fox Network. 2. Biggest Loser Just when we think we've seen it all, here comes a reality show that's unique in concept and hits the bull's eye as far as the average American family goes. The Biggest Loser is a contest centered on overweight people competing with each other to lose weight and win a cash prize. There are many variants of the show beamed around the world in different countries; the goal is the same however, the Biggest Loser is the one contestant who loses most weight or the highest percentage of weight. I do like reality shows I analyze the things people are willing to do for money or fame. It is effortless entertainment and that's what I need sometimes. Although I don't watch much television I have seen all of the shows Shields mentions. Essays need to convince their audience that their content is important. They usually try to persuade the reader into thinking or doing something. Reality shows try to capture people likewise. Memoirs depict the life of people. We have learned that every genre has a purpose and memoirs have their own. It depends on the audience they target. Reality shows have this same ability to capture different audiences through "reality". What puzzles me is why we so interested in watching other people do things we wouldn't do? Why are we interested in other people's life? Because we are tired of our own life. We are dull. We want to see action. Fast, immediate action. To be brief about chapter m I would rip many chapters of life like Darwin ripped uninteresting chapters out of books. Books can mirror life, and there is so much about life that could be ripped away. For the sake of briefness of course.  The End

Mosaics

 How To Deal With Wholes When Parts Are Abundant

(Free interpretation)

Response Response

I did struggle with the MLA format. I keep having trouble proof reading myself before turning in assignments. I understand why it hurt my grade. After all, I did like the topic very much and learned a lot about language creation.
Yes, language is culture. But it reflects itself as personality reflects how a person is, so it may be a reflection of culture as well. I understand the correction though.
The woman that marries Drogo and her story, are important to point out how the directors had helped the audience transition into the new language through her. Plus she made it possible to emphasize the differences of complexity between the Dothraki language and English.
Like you said she experiences things with the show's audience.
Thank you for your feedback. I will work on the things that I failed at.

Composing is Inventing

David Shields born in Los Angeles in 1956, graduated from Brown University in 1978, Honors in English Literature, magna cum laude, phi beta kappa. In 1980 he received an MFA in Fiction with honors from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, (Wikipedia). In chapter A of his book "Reality Hunger"  he tries to transmit what the book will be. He talks about finding a reality through art. From what I understand he uses fragments that are not originally his to do so. All the fragments in chapter A involve art and it's capacity to be rebellious and free. Art is also used to convey emotion which is one of the things humans think as real. Perhaps Shields wants us to connect the purpose of his work and the power of art to explain why he did what he did. The why to the what.

This is what Wikipedia says the book will be about: "Reality Hunger: A Manifesto" (Knopf, 2010), argues for the obliteration of distinctions between genres, the overturning of laws regarding appropriation, and the creation of new forms for a new millennium.

In a 40 minute video you can find on youtube Shields talks about his book. He explains this dilemma with appropriation and plagiarism that his book discusses. He goes deep into the tesis of the book, reality can't be plagiarist. The video also explains his desire to find a more sophisticated type of non-fiction. One, I understood, based on an ancient tradition of creative liberty.

Did you know that Shields likes to start his speeches by saying he stutters? I bet you didn't.

He links this stutter to "Reality Hunger", saying that the book exhibits that frustration of never being able to reach reality through language.

Question Time

A. What is the mind according to Emerson
B. Define "beatitude" as it is used on page 2
C. On the first paragraph of page 4 why does Emerson employ a parallel structure? Explain.
D. For Emerson how are revelation and creation related
E. Diagram Emerson's explanation of genius
F. What's God's role in all of this? Do you think Emerson's theory is feasible

A. The mind is the opposite of the soul, it is the "scale of the senses and the understanding." The mind is the fact that is "external and fugitive."

B. Beatitude - blessing, happiness

C. Not only does this emphasize these ideas, but it also shows that these are all part of one single idea.

D. "Revelation is the disclosure of the soul," answering the questions about life and, well, "creation"

F. God's role is to provide "a shoulder to cry on;" to be accessible to all who need them. Even if they don't believe they need him. God is in each of our souls. Emerson doesn't talk about the Catholic god himself, but about a miscellaneous God that is inside all of us; a God we are unaware of. He says that the only way to notice him is by living our lives, and we will eventually see his effects on such.