Week Three Response

The reading "Psychical Distance" by Bullough was an incredibly interesting read. The subject matter is not something that I have specifically read about before and that, for me, made it that much more fun to get into. I found his writing to be somewhat difficult to follow – perhaps because it was written a century ago. Sentences would end when I thought there was going to be a finishing few words. Besides that I enjoyed that the subject was different from what I've read before and that his insight into this subject was profound and thorough. I would have to read the essay a few times to get a solid understanding of everything he shared, but for the first read I caught the main point he was making about the relationship between distance and understanding. It is definitely a subject I found intriguing and would be interested in spending more time reading about and discussing.

I love reading Botton! Everything from his eloquence and subtle humor to his format of numbered sections of changing thought and added pictures make his writing pleasurable to read. He has the most wonderful ability to make ordinary subjects into riveting page-turners. Never did I think I would be captivated by the story of an "unsuccessful" painter, but Botton accomplishes that goal flawlessly. His scrutinizing insight into the depths of the painter and his work and the detail of information he weaves in make his stories multidimensional.

In relation to Bullough's essay, Botton seems to have a talent for choosing unexpected subjects and creating the appropriate amount of distance to make them perfectly balanced in relevancy and applicability. His writing offers an abundance of material that offer ways to improve one's own writing and to expand upon the realms of what intrigue encompasses.

Goldberg has a nice easy-to-read style. Her tips for bettering one's writing are shared in a relatable storytelling sort of way, with examples of everyday activities that the reader can understand. She uses humor well to keep a subject that could easily become monotonous interesting and helpful. Keeping sections short is a good way to format writing guides because it gives the reader the opportunity to take on bits of advice at a time and separates ideas so that they are easier to remember. Long chapters without breaks tend to cause information to blend together, which would not be beneficial when attempting to read for details. Goldberg offers a wide variety of ideas to help writers harness their talents; if not all are helpful some are bound to be.

Compare/Contrast Journals

Erin Ingalls-Stout

Prof. De Piero

WRT339

22 July 2015

Compare/Contrast

            When deciding which three journals I was going to use for this assignment I thought I would look under the Kindle unlimited section, where you get access to as many books as you can read for ten dollars a month, and see what was offered. I looked under the memoir section first, which is where I stayed, and scrolled through tons of options until I had finally chosen three that sounded intriguing. I purposely tried to make them as different as possible, hoping for variety in style and story so that I would actually read them after this assignment was finished. What I got was memoirs about a monk’s journey, a dog-human bond, and a bipolar woman’s story.

      To get a feel for each writer I read the prologues and the first chapters of each book. I began with If Truth be Told: A Monk’s Memoir written by Om Swami.  The cover is of him walking away, his robe flowing in a thoughtful breeze, as if to read his story is to follow him on a journey of peace and self-actualization, which it is.  Other than this there are no pictures; the story is told only through his tranquil tone. His writing has a steady rhythm that is soothing and sturdy, giving the impression that his words are reliable and that there is no rush to get to the end; the story is the point, just like the journey of life. His writing is formal with the expectation that the readers will know or find out for themselves what the foreign words mean. He is very honest and insightful in his observations of both what is happening internally and externally, an important quality of a monk’s life, and he uses well-placed dialogues intermittently with his internal dialogue. The paragraphs he uses are shorter in length and easy to follow, each changing with a new element of the story. Swami uses descriptions sparingly, yet is captivating in his simplicity. The insight he has on his journey connects to everything around him, including societal issues and his own faults and ignorance, all the while using playful humor, keeping the subjects light.

            The journey began with him leaving his family and entire life behind in search of inner fulfillment through monkhood and so included in his writing is the man who remembers the life that most of his readers are leading, as well as the nature of the monk he became. He appeals to what will entertain the reader while simultaneously incorporating the elements of his new practice that promote patience and wisdom.

            The second one I chose to read is Merle’s Door: Lessons form a Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote. The cover of this memoir is of the author’s dog (or a lookalike) with its kind, inquisitive eyes, lying upon a mountain cliff with the range of high rocky mountaintops looming in the background, waiting to be explored.   This feeling of connection and free spirit is the essence of his book. Kerasote starts his story out immediately in an unusual way – he describes the people around him by their smell. Being a story about his dog he spends much of his time interpreting what the dog, Merle, is thinking and saying, which brings a very relatable element to his writing, as well as forging a deeper connection between the reader and Merle. His story is told in the past tense and uses an amusing balance of scientific terminology and guessing to reason out what is going on with Merle. Whereas Swami uses the journey of reading to express his message over time, Kerasote has laid out the purpose of his story from the get go and tells the story with the conclusion spelled out for us. He tells much of his story through descriptions that are worded with many short, staccato-like adjectives. His details are specific, as if telling the story the way a dog would have remembered it. The paragraphs are longer and full of more detail than Swami’s, using flashbacks and speculation to deepen the relationship between the reader and the story.

            The last memoir, and one I was most excited to read, is called Madness: A Bipolar Life written by Marya Hornbacher. Right from the beginning I was captivated. Her cover page is a woman, maybe her; only half of her body showing and the rest is emptiness.  I thought it was a clever was to visualize bipolar disorder as an image. Feeling torn down the middle by juxtaposing moods, her depressive self was showing in dark colors with the yellow color behind her representing the deceptive liveliness of the manic side and its sprawling vacancy. Hornbacher began her story using an exact date and writes in present tense. She writes much of the first chapter in stream of consciousness, perfectly matching the scene is which she goes in and out of consciousness, captivating the confusion of what is real, what she thought was being said and what she said inside her head. Her humor is dark and sardonic; she was cutting her arm and accidentally hit an artery, causing her to go to the emergency room, all the while making jokes and nuanced observations of her reality.  To some the nonchalant attitude she displays about her situation might be off putting or offensive, but to me it is a key element to her personality and disorder that effectively puts the reader into her mind. The honesty is brutal, but beautiful and necessary in order to tell her story meaningfully. 

            When in stream of consciousness Hornbacher uses short, choppy writing to illustrate fast-paced action and when in an introspective moment she switches to longer, eloquent sentences that are full of imagery used to describe her thoughts and emotions on a more vulnerable level. The use of profanity makes her writing very authentic and italics are used when emphasizing certain words, which helps put the reader in the moment.  Her style of writing displays vivid experiences of her disorder in order for the readers to get as close to feeling it for themselves as possible.

            I enjoyed each of the readers for what they have to offer and for the individualized choices they made to best tell their stories. Only Hornbacher’s is in present tense, which I thought was a great choice for her, making it more personal for the reader. The first two wouldn’t have benefitted from that and so I thought them being in past tense is well fitting. Swami’s writing has the essence of a song, with beautiful rhythm that is not found in the other writings. I liked the erraticism of Hornbacher’s writing; it is beneficial for painting the picture of her story. Kerasote’s writing style most resembles many of the books I’ve read in the past, yet his playfulness in perspective makes the story unique and interesting to follow. All of them use humor, which I personally appreciated, and incorporate dialogue that helps to keep a balanced flow. Each writer has an individual style with elements that I found captivating and worth adding to my own writing.

Week Two Response

I had a mixture of feelings about this week's reading. Bunn's piece had an overall useful message for those trying to improve their writing - read with intention. In this case, read with the intention to become a better writer by looking at why the author made the choices he or she did. I found myself asking questions about Bunn's choices quite before he suggested the reader do so. Why did he include students' perspectives when he could have said the same things himself? What happened to the enjoyable nature of his writing that he began with that quickly died when he switched from storytelling to advice giving?

His message was received, although I would have been happy with a condensed version because, whatever the purpose was regarding his choices, I did not much enjoy them.

Rubin's readings evoked both irritation and enjoyment in me. I read the chapter on mindfulness first, which prompted the most annoyance. I saw the "I" repetition at first and then began her stubbornness to not follow her own advice – to try new avenues for bringing about happiness. Her resistance to trying meditation even once and yet, ironically seeing the benefit of titling activities as “meditation” had my anger level rising. Perhaps she somewhat misjudged her grasp on the meaning of mindfulness.

I enjoyed chapter eight much more and was glad I read it last. I found peoples' suggestions for spiritual leaders interesting and the focus on present moment and death was nice; I especially liked the epitaph at the end. The subject matter of her book makes me want to like the book itself and the writer, but alas it doesn't. Nonetheless, I am glad that she took the initiative to try and become happier and that her journey has and likely will continue to help people do the same, regardless of how it effects me personally.

Week One Response

Overall I very much enjoyed the readings. I thought that Botton's piece was funny and entertaining most of the way through. When I began reading I wasn't sure what I was getting into. His inquiry into the psyche through a look at ordinary snacks was clever and his method of delivering his story was humorous and engaging. I was reminded that the most seemingly mundane parts of society and daily life can often be the most telling.

The section of reading we did from Goldberg's book was relevant to our class and helpful for all those who enjoy writing or want to pursue it as a career. Last quarter I took a creative nonfiction writing class that assigned readings from a book that aimed to advise the way Writing Down the Bones does yet many of the specific pieces of advice Goldberg gave were not mentioned. These additional ideas for unleashing the inner writer were helpful and I will definitely be trying them.

My favorite readings for the week were the sections from Rubin's Happiness Project. Not only was it relevant for us while we are amidst the beginning stages of our blog creation, but the subject matter of the book in its entirety is of great interest to me. Years before I had heard of this book I began my own mission that I called my happiness plan and ever since I have been actively pursuing ways to improve my happiness. Reading her story is and will continue to be a fun way to find more ideas that I can try to continue on the path of positivity and happiness.

autobiography

Hi! My name is Erin. I am a Santa Barbara native and I currently attend Antioch University as an Environmental Studies major. My goal after finishing school is to find a career/calling in the field of sustainability and perhaps writing. It is important for me to work in an area that promotes positive change for the planet and that will motivate me to pursue many avenues until I find one that suits both my passions and my strengths.

I have two wonderful younger sisters that I enjoy spending time with and whose presence encourages me to set a good example. They remind me of the beauty in life that makes striving for a better world worth the difficult fight. Although my family is small I find the most solace when I am with them and make it a priority to spend as much time with them as they will let me. Baking and cooking are the usual bonding activities.

Aside from school and family I like to spend time being active and creative. I enjoy the outdoors, usually that means hiking with my dog and playing soccer in a women’s league in town. I love music and have sung in bands, choirs and choral groups, which I would like to continue on in the future. I attempt a range of different DIY projects, some are completed like painting and styling mirrors and tables and planter boxes, while others are not. Whoops!

I have a love of travel, I’ve studied abroad in London and visited nearby countries while I was there. I go on road trips whenever possible and hope to see as much of the world in my lifetime as possible. One of my goals after graduating is to be part of a sustainable aid trip to help those in need by introducing permaculture to them. I have an amazing dog/child that I cannot leave for a period of time that long, but someday it will happen! J