Hi All--
HERE is a link to an excerpt from an essay our author (Jonathan Safran Foer) published a few years ago about the difficulties a writer faces when she sits down to write, the first dreaded blank page before her.
The task of writing an essay, a novel, a screenplay, or a poem can feel overwhelming. How do you begin? What word, phrase, or sentence will come first? Will anybody like what you write? Heck, will you like what you write?
In his essay, Foer talks about having discovered one of his own favorite WRITERS' unused writing pads, how he came to terms with the blank page and how, in fact, the blank page became a positive reflection of every writer's (no matter how famous) work. You know that old saying, "everybody puts their pants on the same way: one leg at a time?" Hmm. It's an old saying, so maybe you haven't. Anyway, the point is, every writer must tackle the work of writing in fundamentally the same way: one blank page at a time.
Those of you (and that should be all of you) who've written for school and/or for pleasure, please feel free to chime in and talk about how you face your own blank page. What motivates you to write? What finally causes the fingers to hit the keys or the pen to hit the paper? Of course we could expand the concept of the "blank page" to include the blank Word document or the blank canvas or sketch pad, the terrible, blinking cursor. How do you overcome your self-criticisms and doubt? Have you overcome them? As a writer myself, I'm faced with these same questions everyday and I'd love to hear what you think.
Happy reading and productive writing, Everyone!
-Lesley
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I tend to face a blank page with a bag of potato chips-works every time!
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the chips, I often think of the words of one of my favorite nonfiction authors, Sebastian Junger, who said (and I'm paraphrasing), that he never would have written a single word if it weren't for a looming deadline.
Junger is the author of several highly acclaimed books, including "The Perfect Storm", many articles, and at least one film, so if he needs a deadline to write, I don't feel too bad when I eat about 20 chips per paragraph.
Great questions, Lesley! Enough about us-let's hear what you new students have to say!
Hi! I'm an incoming freshmen (obviously).
ReplyDeleteI write what I write, and I don't really have a strategy to get out of a writer's block. I typically write what comes to me.
However, I do have a very hard time writing for school papers, particularly with the summer book right now. I want to write about the theme of loss and I have everything I need to write about it, including the characters, their pain, and the page numbers for evidence. It's just that I don't know how to put my thoughts into words and that's the biggest problem for me.
I know that all of the characters in the book experience pain in some ways and that they all cope with it differently. Plus, I strongly believe that their pain are all loosely connected. I just don't know how to connect my thoughts in a fluently educated essay. It's frustrating for me, and then I procrastinate (which I know I'll have to get out of that system soon.) and then I just... stop.
It would be great if I can get some advice or at least know I'm on the right track.
- Synclaire K
Hi Synclaire,
ReplyDeleteWell, you did a great job of putting your thoughts into words in your comment-so that's an excellent start!
I think you're taking a good approach (or at least the approach that works for me), by reading the book and marking passages to back up your ideas. Here are my suggestions for 'filling in" that process:
__ Since you know the question you want to answer, why not just write about it 'freestyle" in a notebook or on the computer, whatever you're used to-write "what comes to you" about the book in general, and the themes of loss and grief, in particular. if this type of writing works for you, why not start out that way?
__ Then re-read what you've written and highlight those passages that you think you might want to use in your paper. You might also want to re-read at least sections of the book and take some notes, if you haven't done that already.
You can and should consider your "free-write" as a first draft of your paper.
I focused on two points that you mentioned in your comment: that you didn't know how to put your thoughts into words, and you don't know how to connect your thoughts in a fluently
educated essay.
Connecting your thoughts in writing and making it sound good and flow well will happen many, many drafts down the road. When you read an essay, or a good newspaper or magazine article, the writer has re-written it so many times, it's almost unrecognizable from what he or she initially wrote! And then the writer usually gets comments from trusted friends and revises again (peer critiques) and then it goes to an editor where it gets re-written again.
So don't think too far ahead and please don't think that what comes out the first few times has to be "good". It's all about having the time and the patience to revise:-)
Hope that helps a bit. Please let us know, and do continue to participate on the blog-it can only help!
Thanks for the advice. It really encourages me to keep working. I will do my best and I will keep blogging whenever I can! =)
ReplyDeletePlease keep the comments coming!
ReplyDeleteHello, I am an incoming freshman at CCAD as well. I am a slow seldom reader, at least when it comes to books that are not half-pictorial (I read comics and manga graphic novels mostly.) With that said, I am only about 120 pages through the book. I will get it finished but, I'm kind of ashamed to admit it's kind of challenging for me. I do enjoy reading but my tastes to the hobby are pretty limited. I guess I'm pretty picky. I enjoy it, still very confused about certain points in it (bruises, the letters and the words in color.) Other than that, it's actually a pretty good read. Though, I'm really not one to judge. I hope I am typing the right stuff and in the right spot because I rarely use Blogspot. I apologize if I'm doing this wrong.
ReplyDelete- Laura Mansfield.
Hi Laura,
ReplyDeleteLooks like everything got typed in the right place!
I have to admit that this novel is challenging for me, too, but I think that's a good thing-all good writing and other works of art should challenge us to think more deeply and differently about both the subject matter it's addressing, and the world in which it takes place. I've read this book three times now, but that doesn't mean I "understand "it. I've read a number of books (like The Great Gatsby and Catcher in the Rye) more than 10 or 15 times each and still get something new out of each reading-that's the joy of great literature:-)
Please keep reading- the story will likely become less confusing as you continue. And it always helps to mark passages that you're confused about and return to reread them, and even jot down a few notes.
And as to those areas of confusion-if you can you be a bit more specific, we can tackle those individually. I can give you my opinion about the bruises now, though, and Lesley and/or others can contribute their opinions and ideas...and tell me whether I'm off-base!
As I understand it, people who are in a tremendous pain sometimes purposefully hurt themselves by bruising or cutting -and they do this repeatedly. There are lots of theories as to why someone does this: they want to reinforce to themselves that they're alive, they feel that they caused some damage to others and want to damage themselves in turn... and I'm sure there are many other reasons. So I think that's what Oskar is doing here. You may want to jot down your own ideas about why Oskar is doing this, and how it relates to the larger themes of the novel-and to the writing prompts you were given for your paper.
Thanks, Laura. And keep those comments coming everyone...and stay tuned for a new post coming in a day or two!
Okay, let's give this a shot;
ReplyDeleteI just want to make sure, is the discussion suppose to be going on as a comment to your blog? I've never blogged, and I've seen from my other college student family members they have a discussion board (for example, University of Cincinnati has blackboard). Only mentioning so because it seems very few people are posting about this book and I'd really love talking to the other students strictly on the book (some chatter is going on via Facebook but the topics also stray).
Second point, I saw the requirements for the paper, but just to make sure: (and I'm sorry if I blab or sound confusing, I just want to create the best paper possible to work with!)
Does it need to be in MLA or APA format?
Do we need a Work Cited if we are strictly citing from the book?
Do we need a title page?
And on to the third and final section of my post-My perspective on the book.
To start off, I liked how I was assigned a unique book compared to my other college friends. It's an interesting perspective and totally out of traditional storytelling-the colors in the pages, overlapping text, all the photos; These characteristics really made want to keep reading and questioned how we'll use this story in our class once we arrive in the fall.
The story however, had a lot more downs then ups I believe. I found the beginning hilarious and had a wonderful approach to grabbing your attention.
By the middle of the book I was starting to feel like there was no character development with Oskar (I find him quite static all the way through, something I'm not used to with a main character in a novel). His encounters were interesting, but almost seemed like fluff. I was truly most confused with the perspectives of the grandmother and grandfather; how they felt, the nowhere and somewhere spaces, why he lost his voice or couldn't face her when they made love. His character really bothered me, but it might just be because I don't understand him. I didn't have a connection with him.
The ending made me feel like there wasn't a beginning, like Oskar didn't get a clear sense of satisfaction, which might just make it a modern fractured fairytale.
Lastly, Oskar seemed too "mature" for his age, not in the sense of responsibility (Although he did roam New York alone which I find bad parenting, even if the Mom knew where he was going) but knowing topics way beyond his age range. The elementary kids knew things that as a child I didn't know, and I was there age when the crash happened. It seemed unrealistic, especially since there was a large increase in security after that unfortunate date on everything from internet to walking in the streets. Oskar seemed to have some other characteristic to him that differentiated him, possibly autism? I'm not trying to label, but I feel his differences weren't just from the after affect of his Father's death.
I hope these thoughts spark conversation in my fellow classmates, I would love to discuss other opinions and thoughts to get my essay writing juices flowing. I'm very intimidated when it comes to writing papers since my senior English teacher was also a professor at a local college and really went strict on our work. It was both helpful but stressful, and I hope to improve upon my writing from then.
-Emily
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily! Wow--very smart and insightful comments about the book. First, I'd love it if other students would jump in and respond to some of the points above (sometimes when a teacher gets in the conversation too early, discussion shuts down), so have at it, Y'All.No holds barred.
ReplyDeleteI will say that much of the criticism I've read has to do with the speaker seeming--well--a bit too mature for his age, and I agree, to some extent. But I like the way you used the term "fairy tale." What if this novel isn't "realistic" or "mimetic" in a strict sense, but rather more like an "fairy tale...?" Which time-honored fairy tale characters are you reminded of? Hansel and Gretel? Little Red Riding Hood? Hmmmm....
In terms of formatting for the paper--your papers at CCAD should always be in MLA format and should always have a works cited page. However, because not everybody may be familiar with that stuff yet, I don't imagine we'll be too worried about it for your summer reading essay. If you DO know how to format correctly, I encourage you to go ahead and do it since any practice is good practice and it's just smart to get in the habit.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, take a no-pressure gander at this website: owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
It's a useful introduction to MLA formatting requirements.
But enough of that dry stuff. Keep posting! This is good stuff!
Hello all, finally jumping in.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Oskar being static, I agree, although in a way I understand. Usually, characters develop over their journey based on their experiences. However, Oskar is searching for something in particular, something related to the name Black that has to do with a lock and key that he assumes will lead him to something about his father. In the way he takes in information it felt like each time one of the Blacks didn't have anything for him it was a failure of sorts (at one point he was numbering his disappointments). So, through his eyes, he wasn't learning much because he wasn't learning what he wanted to. Or perhaps, the case was that he wasn't reflecting. I believe, could we follow Oskar through his life, this journey would have a great impact. An impact that can't be felt by a child his age, regardless of maturity and seemingly large amount of knowledge.
In addition it might be said that Oskar clings to his own "fairytale." He knows his father is genuinely gone, but he still hopes in some way that its all wrong. Especially when he finds his father's name written all over the art store; it is right after that he figures out how long it would take to visit all the Blacks to get closer to his dad. This 'denial' guides him as well puts blinders on him.
To me the end says something, and may be intended by author or it may just be something I'm pulling out of nowhere. Oskar didn't get much satisfaction or closure, it felt unresolved. As a novel that's not something we're always comfortable with, but as life... that's most common. Especially in this case. Do the family and friends of victims have their closure? Their satisfaction? In a certain way it showcases a side of our history and the people involved in it, why its such a tragedy for each and every individual; its not just a tragedy because of the number of lives lost and that it meant war, but a tragedy for what it means for those left behind. That could also be seen in the terrible events the grandmother and grandfather lived through and how they are neither something nor nothing.
The last thing I noticed was the hand motif that carried into the cover design. The grandfather's hands were a big deal in a way. They were damaged in the bombing but he sought to continually create with them- sculptures, writings, yes and no, etc. The pictures in the book were malformed for obvious reasons, but the cover hands seem normal. in fact, my hands fit almost perfectly. I placed my hands on both the front and back cover hands, and noticed it looked like I was praying. I am not religious, much like our character Oskar, but I thought that was really something special concerning the context of the book.
Please feel free to tell me if I'm going too far, or are off base, for explanations or meanings/metaphors, I tend to do that.
Hi Cory--
ReplyDeleteI love what you're saying about the "hands"--and I love that you actually took the time to have a tactile response to the text itself, as an art object in its own right. Which leads me to think about our new technology like Kindles and iPads and other digital readers. I actually read the book for the first time on my Kindle. I did that because I wanted to save money and shelf space, but ultimately I think this book is saying something about our physical, tactile responses to art, to grief, and to each other---so I kind of regret not experiencing it for the first time as BOOK, in the old sense of the word.
And listen, this is a place to explore your ideas about the book. No answer is a wrong answer!
Its interesting that the hands elicited a comment/connection to how we deal with grief. I had thought primarily about using the first prompt for my essay (about the journey), but may consider the second about grief. And I really hope physical books stick around, they're like a collection for me :)
ReplyDeleteI remember, in my AP English class we went particularly far with sentient snowmen and their seasonal and religious habits based off of Wallace Stephens poem 'The Snowman'. We were looking of course for what the author was trying to say, but also what the poem might mean to us based on evidence in the text. Where we went, though, lacked support or credibility, and that was just something I didn't want to translate into my essay.
Disappointed I won't have English freshmen year, I miss these discussions.
Cory, you just won my heart by mentioning Wallace Stevens--one of absolute favorite poets:
ReplyDelete"A Rabbit as King of the Ghosts" (sorry about the formatting):
The difficulty to think at the end of day,
When the shapeless shadow covers the sun
And nothing is left except light on your fur—
There was the cat slopping its milk all day,
Fat cat, red tongue, green mind, white milk
And August the most peaceful month.
To be, in the grass, in the peacefullest
time,
Without that monument of cat,
The cat forgotten on the moon;
And to feel that the light is a rabbit-light
In which everything is meant for you
And nothing need be explained;
Then there is nothing to think of. It comes of itself;
And east rushes west and west rushes down,
No matter. The grass is full
And full of yourself. The trees around are for you,
The whole of the wideness of night is for you,
A self that touches all edges,
You become a self that fills the four corners of night.
The red cat hides away in the fur-light
And there you are humped high, humped up,
You are humped higher and higher, black as stone—
You sit with your head like a carving in space
And the little green cat is a bug in the grass.
Wow, I love this-both the poem and the great conversation! And let me heartily agree with Lesley: there are no wrong questions or wrong answers-we're trying to explore and learn, and your opinions matter. And she's also "spot on" about other students jumping in and responding to student comments on a post, rather than one of us- so go for it!
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteI am trying to build up a strong argument about Oskar's mother for the second prompt. So far I have that she had a strong disapproval of admitting Oskar to the hospital and that she kept a close watchful eye on him while he was going out on his adventures.
I wanted to know if I'm thinking to far out of the box here when I say that his mother knew about the messages the whole time. And, having Oskar tell her about the messages was therapeutic for mother and son.
Hi Chelsea,
ReplyDeleteYou say that you're trying to build a "strong argument about Oskar's mother", concerning the second prompt-which asks you to discuss how the themes of grief and loss in the novel shaped and motivated the characters. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that...?
What you mention in the first paragraph of your comment seem to be some solid examples that Oskar's mother maintained her common sense ability to "mother" Oskar, despite her obvious shock and grief over loosing her husband- in other words, she didn't seem to "flip out".
And I don't think what you say in your second paragraph is off base at all. I think that the author does lead us to believe that his mother pretty much knew what was going on. And I agree that when they finally discuss the messages, it's got to be theraputic for both of them. I think many counselors would say that when you finally, openly discuss something that you've been keeping from your loved ones-it's a tremendous relief, and at least in the longer run, will help both parties.
What else does Oskar's mother do to "deal with" her grief and sense of loss? What about the other characters? Don't forget to mention specific passages in the book (with page numbers or at least chapters) to back up your ideas!
Hope this helps.
Thank you so much, this has helped a lot !
ReplyDelete