Maps to Anywhere Review 2

The Hurricane Ride

Page 70

With this story, I chose to review it because it brings back childhood memories. This story reminds me of my first time riding a ride similar to this one. The ride is circular where you place yourself on the wall. While you're standing leaning against the wall the ride starts to spin. It spins so fast where you stick to the wall. In the story he describes his aunt panicking. He explained that she was very frightened and disoriented on the ride. "She screamed as the floor dropped slowly away, lipstick staining her teeth. But she stuck to the wall as if charged with static and, along with others , didn't fall.She was dressed in checks and dangling shoes, her black handbag clinging to her hip.  The hurricane ride gathered speed. My aunt was hurtling, blurred. Her mouth became a long dark line. Her delirious eyes were multiplied. Checks and flesh turned diaphanous, her plump arms, gartered thighs. Her face dissolved, a trace of rouge. I swore I saw through her for the rest of the day, despite her bulk and constant chatter, to the sea heaving beyond the beyond the boardwalk, tide absconding with the sand, waves cooling the last of the light." This describes the fear in his aunt during the ride. When  I was on the ride for the first time I tried to pull myself off the wall. By some miracle of strength I released myself from the wall. As soon as I got off and relaxed I was thrown back to it. Later he talked about how fast does something have to be where your eyes cannot keep up. He says that the earth rotates at 1038 miles per hour and we are not able to see or feel it moving. This puts me in mind of a fan that spins to a certain speed where the eye cannot see it spinning but is shown an illusion of it holding still.

Maps to Anywhere Review

How To Draw

Pg. 31-34

I read and decided to review How to draw because of the title. It concerned me because I am an Art minor and can draw myself. When I seen the title I immediately thought that it would connect with me. When I began to read the story I shortly realized that it was not about teaching people how to draw but about the whole concept of art itself. He starts out talking about how a regular person's little amateur art was better than a professional art piece. He then elaborate on that idea. He begins to tell the audience that art is a piece of work created to reflect someone's emotions and feelings. Which then backs his idea up that amateur art is better than professional art. It now makes since. A picture a child draw for his parents is more emotional than a professional art piece where there is no emotion.
He then talks about how he was interested in art and when he first began to be. He talked about his little brother being into art and came down with a terminal illness. He talks about how him and his mother coped with the situation. When his mother took interest in Toulouse-Lautrec art, he was actually researching different artworks. His favorite was minimal art as simple as it was. He pursued what his little brother loved and learned about what his little brother loves and why. After his brother died he kept researching art. He even says that he went to school for art and took every class for it. Now he go around collecting valuable artistic sculptures and drawings. He does not buy professional pieces though, he like to collect doodles from bored students, folded paper and other artwork of that kind. He believe that they are more valuable than professionals. Once I got to the end I realized that he actually was teaching people how to draw in a way. He was encouraging people that whatever artwork that they make rather time consuming and complicated with full effort to simple drawings on the side of your paper, was a great artistic piece of work and better than the professionals' work.

Fiction Packet 3 Review

When I read fiction packet 3 I decided to review "When It Rains It Rains A River." This story talked about two brothers who loved the rain. When it rained usual children go in the house but they go outside to play. They play in mud and love when it rains. Most of the short story was metaphorical and I even got the feel that I was reading a poem at times. For example when the author says "When the rain stops drumming down, us brothers, we drop down, onto our hands and knees, down in mud, and we begin to eat. We eat until our bellies are big with mud." I believe that they were not actually not eating mud but metaphorically speaking. Mud is the building block of life so it means that they are eating plants. Also "We look up into girl's eyes to see that each moon, it is a mirror." I believe that it was referring to being in a relationship. "When we dive inside each of these moons, each moon shatters into a billion pieces. Each broken chunk becomes a star... The stars are burning fish." It reminds me of a heart break. And finally "Watch us brothers reach out to these burning fish fires with our hands mittened with mud. We stick our hands, unfisted, into this fire." This symbolize the boys reaching out for help or forgiveness from the girls. This story is filled with metaphors and pretty much talks about the boys relationship troubles.

Juice Response (Rant)

Well for this book I am probably going to keep this review short because I don't want to rant for a long time. For this book I couldn't grasp the concept of the story. Not just for one story but for all of the stories that compiled the book. The one story in which infuriated me was the first. To start off I couldn't understand the main character. Beginning with the fact that it was impossible for me to find it's damn gender. If you as a reader cannot connect with the main character of the story, you will not be able care for the story. Also as a character of a story there has to be some type of development for that character. When the story begins you should be able to see your character's goal, personality and their resolve. As the story progresses you should be able to see every character change, especially the main character. The thing that I hate the most about this story and all the others also is that the characters are so damn blank and unable to connect with, which makes it a boring story. As with the other stories, the characters were distant (if they were actually different or not) which made the stories not able to be enjoy. The stories had nothing attractive towards them in which I no idea what the plots were about. Well that's pretty much all I have for this review

Fiction Writing

Lamott Packet Character

Pg. 8

For the Lamott Polaroids packet I read on page 8 about characters.  The excerpt explained that as a writer you should not have the knowledge of your main character all down.  You should not be able to see what your character is going to be like in the future.  It was said that "You avoid forcing your characters to march too steadily to the drumbeat to your artistic purpose."  You should let your character develop as it should and not as you want all the time.  Treat your character like it is a real person, you would like to have this person one way but from his/her past experiences he/she became another way.  I don't think that the author should not be in control of his characters but not to be in absolute control.  If the author is in complete control the story won't be as enjoyable to go along.  When you let your character develop as you go it will be as much as a surprise to create your characters actions as the viewer reading your characters actions. This is especially for fiction writers.  As you go along you must leave room for your characters to develop on their own (metaphorically speaking) there have to be room for potential side characters to eventually branch out to become main characters too of the story too.  I have seen this in many shows I've watched and even heard the writers said that they do not even expect to see what their characters are going to do.  It is a basic thing to do as a writer so you can enjoy your story as much as your readers.

Short Story Reaction 2

Fiction Packet 2: Prairie

From the sound of the story, it seems like it took place on a ship of some sort.  I get that interpretation from the term "Captain" being used frequently.  I could be wrong about this but it gives me a feeling of a ship at sea.  When I read this story I can see a crew of people who encountered a person who was severely injured.  It was said in the story that this person had pieces of skin flayed off his back.  This could be that he was tortured, I am only guessing though.  In the start of the second paragraph of the story there was a word that was unfamiliar to me.  That word was "paroch."  I looked up the word to see that it was a abbreviated form of parochial which is a religious term of relating to a church parish.  Then there was a assortment of words pertain to religion like: "baptizing, church, scrolls, Jesus and sainthood." This made me believe that this was more of a religious story than my first theory.  If so then it explains why I really cannot understand this story.  The beginning of this story really attracted me because of the description of the man with the rips and tears on his back.  Once I read that I wanted to keep reading more.  Truthfully I couldn't interpret the setting or the plot of the story, so I just made assumptions from what knowledge I could gather from it.

Short Story Reaction 1

Walking the Baby to the Liquor Store

This story was a tale of a man who takes his daughter to the store everyday.  The man was a writer and was to be told that he was very busy and had a lot on his plate but instead of getting work done in the morning he would take his daughter to the liquor store.  He said she enjoyed the journey there every time and he enjoyed seeing her happy.  With that being said he put everything aside to keep her happy and take her to the store.  It is a story that tells the tale of fatherhood and and to never put anything over your son or daughter's happiness.

I was attracted to this story because it reminded me of my memories of store trips I had.   The whole plot reminds me of multiple trips to the store I had with my 2 nieces. My nieces lived at the corner house right before the liquor store.  I remember every time I go to the liquor store they would be outside.  As soon as they saw me they would ask to go with me.  Since I can not say no to them I give in every time they ask.  Every trip we take I'm out of 20 dollars.  It came to the point where I used to sneak and go to the store by walking around the corner.  It also reminds me of a friend of mine who does not live in the state anymore.  He moved a while ago but when he comes back he takes his son to the store everyday around 3pm.  He did this because he believed that his son enjoyed  going to the store with him.  He did this faithfully until he went back to home.

City Eclogue: Words For It Poem

Nature

Flowers blooming on a grassy plain

Birds flying in the blue sky

Take a rest in the tall trees

Such a beautiful sight

But here come trucks filled with men

Wonder what do they want?

After a couple of chops the trees go down

Men with shovels kill all the flowers

Cement covering the dead fields

This is the graveyard for nature

Buried under what’s known as a city

Poem Reaction 2

Sequioa Sempervirens

The poem out of the book I decided to write a reaction from is Sequioa Sempervirens on page 18.  As far as structure of the poem, its is none of which I seen before.  The poem is structure and organizations was quite strange as there were many spaces as though there were words missing from the sentences.  Another thing is that there were sudden line breaks also like if the sentences were unfinished.  Later in class we had a discussion about the line breaks and spaces.  It was determined that the spaces symbol punctuation and the line breaks symbolized pauses.

The content was a comparison of "We" to something.  It started off even with a comparison stating "we are what a squirrel is to a tree."  All throughout the poem there was a constant comparison of "we" to something.  Which was pretty much the only repetition in this poem; the repeated metaphors.  I had no idea what the comparison was until the class discussion made it clear it for me.  The discussion showed that the poem was a symbolic comparison of man to a squirrel.  Couldn't believe that I didn't see that comparison.  After a discussion in class  I reread the poem a couple more times and I understood but it was unknown to me what the author was trying to compare man to before the discussion.

The space and page length was 2 and a half pages long.  Probably because there were many sudden line breaks and large spaces in the sentences where on average about 5 or 6 words were on a single line.  The language is simple.  The vocabulary was fairly simple with no complicated words to think about besides the title which is in a different language.  The imagery this poem created a setting like a park in New York.  The visuals were squirrels in the park gathering nuts for the winter and tall buildings behind them.  I thought of New York when the author compared the squirrel climbing a tree and people in the city, buildings are like our trees in this case.  This is a very unique poem which you might have to read over 2 times or more to understand.

20 Word Poems

Learning to Swim

Learning to swim is a hard task

Walking into the Ocean as it Grew with every step

Water that tastes like Salt begins to get Colder

You start to kick and kick but Blind to see that you’re going no where

But then the waves pull you in deeper

You begin to think that you’re going to Drown

Uncomfortably swinging your arms and legs

Thinking “Am I about to Die?”

Your skin turn Pale, hands like Scales, eyes opened Widely, mouth Powdered and Breathing heavily

You feel like Blood is pouring out of your mouth but it’s just Bubbles floating out

And just when you believe that help was Unavailable

Your friend pulls you up and tell you the Truth

“Dude calm down it’s only 3 feet!”

With this knowledge Hidden in your mind 

With a Warm feeling of safety you yell out “Man how stupid am I?”

Time's Up

You ever thought you were about to die, I did

My warm body getting colder by the second

Blood bubbles popping on my chest, I must have got shot

My body hurt when I was breathing

When I thought help was unavailable, the ambulance finally come

The medic puts a light right into my eyes almost blinds me

Mouth tastes like salt and feel like powder all I want is a glass of water

Well besides the bullet out my chest

Friends and family crying. Is my time up?

An ocean of tears drowning me, like I already don’t have problems breathing already

I can’t leave now I still haven’t grew up yet, truth is I will always be immature

Laughing about this as even when my skin is pale and feel like scales

They finally pull that hidden bullet out my chest

My body started its healing process already, looks like I’m going to make it

I guess making jokes make my family uncomfortable about it

Maybe I should have gave that guy my thousand dollar glasses

I Need a Vacation

I need a vacation from Michigan, It gets colder and colder every year

You can see smoke come out your mouth when breathing

Walking in the snow so uncomfortably, sun reflecting off the snow blinds my eyes

I need a vacation, maybe Florida in the winter

Going swimming in the salt filled ocean

Warm weather outside while water flows on your pale body

Swimming underwater feeling fish scales and bubbles coming from your mouth

Leave the beach and take a hot shower and come outside body refreshed, clean and powdered

Only worry is drowning, if you don’t know how to swim

I need a vacation, but sadly it’s unavailable

If I don’t take a vacation soon I might die

I’ll do anything to raise money for a vacation, even give my own blood

Truth is I would love to live down there when I grow older, that is one of my hidden goals

But until then I want to stay for a short while but the problem is

I need a vacation

Shakspearean Sonnet

Money

They say that you are evil and no good

I don’t think so, you helped me when I was down

People hate you and destroyed multiple neighborhoods

I don’t think so, people just desire you around town

There’s illegal activity going around the world for you

I just see it as you are a privilege to have

But people have no problem giving you up for a shoe

I just want to keep you with me forever and add you up like math

You helped me out since I was a child and I will never lose you

Being without you is like a stab through my chest with a needle

Without you my whole life will be in the blue

All I want is to have my pockets full of you big head people

They say money is the root of all evil but that’s not the case for you

Imagine not being able to eat or live, you would be crazy for it too

Obvious Affection

 You keep my blood pumping when your around

That pulsing box in my chest beats harder when your near

That voice of yours is such a soothing sound

Losing you is my biggest fear

 I know your upset when I leave home for class four days a week

But when I come home your only one I want to see

You are always there to make me happy when I’m week

That beautiful black skin of yours is a masterpiece

We watch TV from movies, anime or just cable every night

I can turn you on with just one touch

To keep you with me I’ll do everything in my might

Staying with you is a must

 Out of everything in this world, you bring the happiest feeling out of me

So I am not to say that you’re mine “Playstation 3”

Poem Reaction

The poem I decided to talk about is the Berrigan LIII

This poem is very different from the others. First of all this poem is very sexual as the author constantly writes about details about having sexual intercourse with a woman named Anne. He referred to this woman's anatomy multiple times in many other poems especially her thighs.

When he referred to this woman in other poems he used terms like "As massive as Anne's thighs" comparing things that are large in scale to her thighs. Also he used his relationship to her subliminally when he referred to having sex with her. In this poem he blatantly talks about their sex life and even says "Fucking is so very lovely. Who can say no to it later?"

Overall this poem stands out to me for various reasons. He wrote this poem with a different idea and/or audience in mind than he did with the others. Although in this poem he does express how much he love this woman; Anne, her body and sexual intercourse with her more than any others.

Intro

Hello
My name is Deron Bullock. I am a 19 year old Sophomore at Eastern Michigan University with a major in Art (Graphic Design) but currently thinking about changing my major to Computer Science with a minor in Art. I am from the West side of Detroit, Michigan. I like to draw Anime characters in my spare time. If you do not know what anime is it is considered Japanese Cartoons to people. The most popular anime in America have to be Dragon Ball Z and that is where people recognize anime. Here is the last anime character I drew the other day, its a character from another popular show called Naruto named Kakashi Hatake.