Here are the guidelines:
- Reading responses must be AT LEAST 250 words.
- Include your full name at the end of your comments. Unnamed comments will be deleted.
- From the "Comment As" drop-down menu, choose Anonymous, then click "Publish."
- Reading responses are due by 10pm on the day PRIOR to our discussion of the required reading
In the last reading response we learned that doing some research can go a long way in an essay. If there was ever an example of a travel essay this piece would win hands down. Mr. Hessler wrote about his experience in Cairo, Egypt and the majority of the piece is centered on his garbage man Sayyid Ahmed. We learn a lot about the city by learning about Sayyid. We learn that he knows a lot about the people that he works for because of the trash that they throw out. He knows when someone is sick. He knows when people are doing something wrong. Sayyid gives a new meaning to the phrase “another man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” For Sayyid another man’s trash is knowledge over that individual. Mr. Hessler over time becomes really good friends with Sayyid. He learns about Sayyid’s family. Where he lives. How he lives. The personal problems that Sayyid is dealing with. Through this friendship we the readers learn how people live in Cairo. We learn that jobs in Cairo are based in a family generation system. If the father can’t do the work anymore than it is passed down to his son. There are no contracts for work only the promise of work. Sayyid knows how to use the system really well that his family is not living in poverty like everyone else. They have televisions and food. A place to call home. What I consider a dream come true. We even learn the culture of Cairo through Sayyid. The extremes that some families take when it comes to family problems. With the help of Sayyid Mr. Hessler didn’t just become the third wheel narrating back his surroundings he lived his surroundings. I think that the writing was done really well and I know that Mr. Hessler probably rewrote the piece multiple times to get his message across. I believe what he was trying to say is that in order to experience you’re surroundings you almost have to become a resident of those surroundings. That may sound extreme but I think I know what that means. Having knowledge of the place is ok, but nothing really beats a true living experience. At first Mr. Hessler didn’t know a lot about the city that he lived in. He was just a tourist with no real knowledge, but by befriending Sayyid he was able to transform from a simple tourist into a real life civilian.
ReplyDeleteDinty’s chapter however is about becoming an excellent rewriter. He explains that rewriting is not just about revision, but to refine the voice of the piece. He discusses about the three stages of revision. The child, the adult, and the parent. The child is the one who writes in the moment. I’ve done a lot of that. I always write what’s in my head, but when I finish reading I can tell that it is not well written. The adult asks why and decides on logical choices. The adult I believe is the one who rereads the paragraph and decides to shorten the sentence or cut a sentence. The editor is what I would call it. The parent however is our ingrained voice of authority. Dinty talks about the parent and sometimes calls it Mr. Negativity. The voice that says that it’s not good enough. I firmly believe that Mr. Negativity wins a lot of my arguments about a piece. Dinty explains that a little negativity is a good thing, but to never let that negativity stop you from writing. This chapter wants us the reader to remember that revision is about creating the shape of the piece and not just editing. It is not about correcting spelling or replacing words it’s about giving each word a purpose for the essay. It’s all about centralizing the words to the magnetic core. Which again, I happen to agree. Dinty is not the greatest writer in the world, but a lot of the points that he has been making makes sense to me. I am not agreeing so that I can move on to something else. I am agreeing because his points are actually helping me understand what a well written essay should be. I hope that all of these points can help me become a better writer.
Word count: 717 words
In the last reading response we learned that doing some research can go a long way in an essay. If there was ever an example of a travel essay this piece would win hands down. Mr. Hessler wrote about his experience in Cairo, Egypt and the majority of the piece is centered on his garbage man Sayyid Ahmed. We learn a lot about the city by learning about Sayyid. We learn that he knows a lot about the people that he works for because of the trash that they throw out. He knows when someone is sick. He knows when people are doing something wrong. Sayyid gives a new meaning to the phrase “another man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” For Sayyid another man’s trash is knowledge over that individual. Mr. Hessler over time becomes really good friends with Sayyid. He learns about Sayyid’s family. Where he lives. How he lives. The personal problems that Sayyid is dealing with. Through this friendship we the readers learn how people live in Cairo. We learn that jobs in Cairo are based in a family generation system. If the father can’t do the work anymore than it is passed down to his son. There are no contracts for work only the promise of work. Sayyid knows how to use the system really well that his family is not living in poverty like everyone else. They have televisions and food. A place to call home. What I consider a dream come true. We even learn the culture of Cairo through Sayyid. The extremes that some families take when it comes to family problems. With the help of Sayyid Mr. Hessler didn’t just become the third wheel narrating back his surroundings he lived his surroundings. I think that the writing was done really well and I know that Mr. Hessler probably rewrote the piece multiple times to get his message across. I believe what he was trying to say is that in order to experience you’re surroundings you almost have to become a resident of those surroundings. That may sound extreme but I think I know what that means. Having knowledge of the place is ok, but nothing really beats a true living experience. At first Mr. Hessler didn’t know a lot about the city that he lived in. He was just a tourist with no real knowledge, but by befriending Sayyid he was able to transform from a simple tourist into a real life civilian.
DeleteDinty’s chapter however is about becoming an excellent rewriter. He explains that rewriting is not just about revision, but to refine the voice of the piece. He discusses about the three stages of revision. The child, the adult, and the parent. The child is the one who writes in the moment. I’ve done a lot of that. I always write what’s in my head, but when I finish reading I can tell that it is not well written. The adult asks why and decides on logical choices. The adult I believe is the one who rereads the paragraph and decides to shorten the sentence or cut a sentence. The editor is what I would call it. The parent however is our ingrained voice of authority. Dinty talks about the parent and sometimes calls it Mr. Negativity. The voice that says that it’s not good enough. I firmly believe that Mr. Negativity wins a lot of my arguments about a piece. Dinty explains that a little negativity is a good thing, but to never let that negativity stop you from writing. This chapter wants us the reader to remember that revision is about creating the shape of the piece and not just editing. It is not about correcting spelling or replacing words it’s about giving each word a purpose for the essay. It’s all about centralizing the words to the magnetic core. Which again, I happen to agree. Dinty is not the greatest writer in the world, but a lot of the points that he has been making makes sense to me. I am not agreeing so that I can move on to something else. I am agreeing because his points are actually helping me understand what a well written essay should be. I hope that all of these points can help me become a better writer.
I forgot to post my name. I posted again. My apologize teach.
Word count: 717 words
Juan Garcia Jr
To start off I have to admit that I really liked Peter Hasslers piece. He made everything into great detail. I can feel what it was to be in Sayyid shoes as he wondered around the city picking up everyone’s trash. I really enjoyed the dialogue Hassler provided throughout the whole essay. Back and forth conversations with Sayyid made you actually get into the drama that started to happen. I did not know of the problems going on with Egypt. Like everyone else, I think of Egypt and I imagine the pyramids and desert. I would think that tourism has brought some good amount of money to Egypt but it seems that they are going through a rough time with the government and its economy. The drama between Sayyid and his wife kept me reading to find out what was going to happen between them. I was absolutely shocked with the final result but I guess things like that do happen. Overall really well written in my opinion with great dialogue. In Moores reading I can totally agree with the readers going back and revising. I completely suck at writing so most if not all of my essays have all been one and final draft. That is probably why I never really learned how to write a good essay but I can still get my point around. I like how Moore says that you have to first write like a child. Express your ideas while having fun and not really checking for mistakes. Then to think more like an adult, to rethink things and how to put the story together more greatly. Finally, to think like a parent. Criticize your essay and see how the sentences can be better. In other words, to become your own critic, what can be done to make your essay superior.
ReplyDeleteLucio Vasquez
What was imprinted in me the most from my creative writing 1 class was that no first draft is actually good. We all start with our “shitty first draft”. No first draft is ever perfect, for me first drafts inly serve to put down all of my ideas down. For me, it is like brainstorming and putting all my ideas down on paper so that i do not forget anything. After one is down with their first draft is when the work actually begins. Like Moore says, you might need to rearrange everything like when you remodel a living room. It is not only about cleaning and puffing the pillows, but about actually moving the furniture around and getting rid of what is no longer has purpose. Moore’s analogy really reassured my thoughts on writing, not only is this advice for travel writing but also for writing memoirs.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the travel essay, i am still somewhat confused on what or how to start. What i did notice was that Hessler lets the reader know about Cairo by describing Sayyid’s life. He talks about Sayyid’s day to day life, as well as his origin. By using this strategy, not only is Hessler letting the reader get to know Sayyid but also teaching about the ways of Cairo. For example, the reader can notice how illiterate Sayyid is by him having to go to the narrator for help on reading labels. We also learn that most people in Egypt are illiterate. We learn about all the different wives Sayyid’s dad had and about the innumerable number of children he had. I think it was bright that Hessler used Sayyid as a gateway for readers to understand the traditions of Muslims, Christians and of Ciaro. But after reading this, i honestly don't know how I'm going to write my travel piece. I am thinking of writing about the time i went to the dominican republic this past summer, but i am still unsure of what approach i might take on writing this.
Jennifer Millan
Word Count 339
In the essay, “Tales of the Trash,” by Peter Hessler, we are introduced to the waste management systems of Egypt. It follows the world of one particular zabal named Sayyid and his daily routine of trash collection along with his marital struggles. I like this essay because it had an interesting storyline that not only followed the narrator and the protagonist, but it also enlightens the reader as to the facts regarding trash collection within this part of the world. This author did his research into the world of zabaleen’s by doing as Moore’s previous reading “Write what you wish you knew” suggests. The narrator character followed Sayyid around the neighborhood and even did some formal research into the legalities of waste management in order to better understand his friend’s occupation. I also noticed there was some instances of humor found within this essay especially when the narrator talks of how Sayyid would take his own trash home with him after visiting (130). Other areas of humor were seen in the text messages his wife sent him in which she knew he would be forced to have others read aloud for him. This is truly a vengeful wife and she hit him where it hurt. I think that was funny because the women of this culture do not generally have those capabilities due to the restrictions they face.
ReplyDeleteIn Moore’s “On Becoming an Excellent Rewriter,” I agree that the most important part of any writing process is the rewrite. Sometimes I feel like the words I have written make complete sense but now that I think about it they are mostly in the child stage. This is why I find that others find my stories hard to read. I do agree with Moore on the idea that we must first write in any form with complete disregard to proper skill in order to formulate some understanding of what it is we are truly trying to say to the audience.
Sheryl (Lena) Cavazos
Reading “Tales of the Trash”, I first felt uncomfortable at the thought of somebody picking through my trash, and seeing all that I had to throw away. Seeing all parts of me. Everything from the things I choose to eat, to the things that I use to keep me healthy. But the more I read, the more I began to understand Sayyid. He really cares about these people. He asks them about their health, checks to see if they took their medicine/had their injections. He checks on the widow to see if she’s still alive. He talks about an incident where he saw the doorman's daughter kissing a boy when she thought they were alone, and because he had eaten dinner with the doorman and his wife he felt the need to tell him. When the daughter denies it, the doorman tells him he no longer wants him to collect his garbage. He then tells himself he has to mind his own business. Though, he still keeps track of his tips from all 400 residents, by memory. In “On becoming an excellent rewriter” Moore discusses the difference between copy editing and vigourous revision. Copy Editing is simply searching for grammatical errors and misspelled words and fixing a sentence up a little bit, whereas, vigourous revision is taking the entire sentence apart and restructuring it into a completely, and sometimes entirely new, and better one. By the time you hit you fifth draft, you finally start seeing your essay coming together.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Victoria Ramirez~
Tales of the trash was such an interesting read. We are starting to get into the travel essay and this greatly introduces what one is. Hessler tells his story of how he lived in Cairo, Egypt. Interestingly enough he befriends a man who collects his garbage every single day. He immediately goes on to tell how his experiences with this man helped him learn about the culture and political structure of Cairo. The way he would describe each conversation with the man was very informative. It felt as if he had talked to this man all the time and each time each conversation had a purpose and helped in allowing us to grasp more knowledge about this foreign country. This is not an essay that someone can write on the first go, solely because it is just too good and the words flow so naturally. Moore spoke about how rigorous revision is needed to make an essay great, and this obviously had that. Yes, Hessler experienced this first hand but him being able to take us a long with his journey proves his revision skills. I got lost reading this piece and by the end I was tired, not from reading but from learning so much in a couple of minutes that he learned over the course of a few years.
ReplyDeleteAmaury Cabrera
Word Count 221
The tales of trash was very interesting because of all of the small little cultural details that were mentioned through out the article. Like the name of the full head covering, Niqab, what a Sebou is, or what the ashwa’iyat is. The reason that Hessler was able to write about these seemingly small/random things were because of his guide. Which is arguably what and who the story is about. Hessler opens up this story by writing about his garbage man, Sayyid. Sayyid would pick up his trash daily and after a while he knocked on Hessler’s door so that he could ask him a question about something he found in the garbage. Turns out it was some Chinese herbal Viagra type medicine, and Sayyid was completely unfazed by this, he seemed to sort of expect it. This was largely do to the fact that Sayyid goes through the people’s trash, this is not because he was nosey, but because he actually needs to sort through it eventually so that he can get the certain trashes to the people they are supposed to go to (i.e. the Aiman the Cat, who collects recyclables from the trash). Sayyid soon starts stopping by on a regular basis and brings foreign/ unusual things with him, so that Hessler can tell him more about the object. Over time the two of them build a friendship, and Sayyid teaches Hessler about his neighbors through all of the “trash” they throw out, as well as about the culture of where Hessler is living.
ReplyDeleteKarina Gonzalez
Okay, so I personally did not enjoy Tales of the Trash by Peter Hessler only because I don’t think I understood it the way the author intended the audience to perceive it. When reading through the beginning I was very confused as to what it all meant. It was interesting that there was this “garbage man” who although he wasn’t educated was obviously very intelligent, but what does it all mean? If I had to sum it all up I would say this man was a very curious soul who wanted to make sense of the world around him. But even that sounds kind of off. The small details about him finding things related to sex and about how woman and trash are strongly connected was extremely confusing.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Moore’s reading On Becoming an Excellent Rewriter because this is an aspect that is very weak in my writing. I’ve always been the kind of person to never revise nor rewrite my work because I often felt like it was good enough. But I now realize that I shouldn’t be okay with just “good enough”. Moore really puts that into perspective in his writing. I really liked that he used the rearranging a living room metaphor because that describes me very well. I always want my furniture and/or decorations to match the seasons or trends, so why shouldn’t this apply to my writing? I strongly believe that my writing should constantly evolve and chase perfection, even if perfection is unattainable.
Karina Saldivar
I really enjoyed Hessler’s piece because of his attention to detail and the effortless way he reflects that in his work. After a while I began to see this piece as a sort of prolonged characterization of Sayyid. Sayyid developed from a flat character to a very complex man with; a sex drive, culture, addiction, children, martial problems, a difficult childhood, a lack of education and job picking up trash and judging people by it. Hessler states, “But in truth his job requires him to be observant and perceptive, and he must interact with the full range of Egyptian society.” Through the characterization of Sayyid we learn about the Cairo, the practices, the people and their way of life. I really think this is a great strategy for a travel piece, using a character to give the reader a glimpse of a certain place, society or culture. I really think this would be a great idea for my own travel piece.
ReplyDeleteMoore’s chapter on the importance of revising your work really inspired me to kick the terrible habit I have of not writing multiple drafts. Truthfully I’m always nervous I will change something that was already the way it should be. I always make minor changes but never to the extent that Moore describes in this chapter. Moore quoted that, “The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is you really want to say.”
Mark Twain (p. 223) I quote made me see revision completely differently. The first draft is the empty living room, everything is out on the lawn waiting to be put in its perfect place and you have to try things in different places to see what works best.
Olivia Hinojosa
In the “Tales of the Trash” Hessler takes inspiration to write from an everyday occurrence in Cairo, which involves the process of trash removal. In the city there are garbage men or zabal that take care of the trash. It is an informal system that has worked for the city and is more effective than what the government efforts have been able to produce. In Hesslers essay shares with us the life of Sayyid Ahmed, which is the zabal for his apartment. Through Sayyid Hessler is able to tell not only the story of this particular zabal but also the story of a portion of Egyptian life and some political dealings. Hessler is able to share with us many things in this essay, such as the ineffectiveness of the Egyptian government, while telling a seemingly benign tale. In my opinion is was a great essay for the reason that political ineffectiveness was shown, and it highlighted that here in the United States through all its flaws, and there are many, we are lucky for our government. And it did all this without directly saying it, which for me would have made it a bad essay if it did.
ReplyDeleteIn Moore’s chapter about revision he makes a great comparison to revision and remodeling a home. When thinking about revision many people treat it as just a word hunt for the best words or better sounding words. He compares this to a moving of furniture, sure it may look better or feel newer but you can hardly call it a remodel. Same with the essay, it may look better but it cannot be called a revision if all that was done was surface level changes. There needs to be a change in substance if there is a revision, and sometimes it make take a long time before an essay is properly polished.
-Jesus Alexis Prado
In the essay “Tales of the Trash” the reader learns about an Egyptian named Sayyid Ahmed who works as the author’s garbage man. I never thought anyone could learn so much about a person through their trash and it did make me think about what my trash would say about my life if someone were to go through it. We learn about Egypt’s culture and government, from traditionally minded Egyptians to more modernized citizens. We learn about certain customs and social standards citizens have in Egypt, one of them being their views on sex and women. A comparison is made by a lawyer that compares women to eggs, making women seem like fragile objects that have to stay in their refrigerator/ home or they will sleep around since they are so heavily influenced by television drama. Women are seen as sex objects with no rights, which is a common characteristic of underdeveloped countries. We also learn about their structure of government, which was the most interesting to me. The reader recognizes the failed attempts previous politicians have made in order to make their country better, they seem to always preach empty promises to their people and the people are “so far removed from the formal system” that they have no interest in changing it. The second reading by Dinty Moore was about rewriting and revision and how it is more than what is taught in class, it is a craft which can be used to enhance your writing. Moore talks about the different stages of revision and how they differ.
ReplyDeleteSarah Sanchez
In Moore’s “On Becoming an Excellent Rewriter,” he writes more tips on revision and drafts. The child, adult and parent technique seems helpful. I did not agree with the metaphors he used about painters and tennis players. I could see how he meant to say it all takes hard work and time; however, writing could be a bit more complex because we get to edit and revise or recreate our ideas. Painters don’t get that chance if a big mistake were to happen…it’s a whole new canvas to create a same idea but to perfect it the next time around. As a writer our first draft is already there to work with and not start from scratch, and one can move things around and not worry about mistakes. Mistakes are a guarantee but it’s okay according to the T.A. approach, which allows the writer to get engaged and absorbed into what you are doing as a child and letting the other work come after. This helps, according to Moore, because if we begin to focus on what the “no-no’s” in writing from our first writing classes then we risk running into writers block. Many essay drafts and revision are crucial to building and finding a set path according to this essay. In Hessler's piece, I felt he was giving a story a "he said, she said" but never knew if he really sought answers himself and if he truly discovered why certain things happen as they did. I mean we can only get so much from the news and what we know, but it would have been nice to understand more or the "why's" For example, being in China I asked first hand about the relationships, government and history first hand from actual citizens of China and I was mind blown at how much I had wrong and wish to somehow implement it into my experience and how it affects those lives I met.
ReplyDeleteLisa M Serna
I really enjoyed reading Moore’s “becoming an excellent rewriter.” I felt at ease, knowing that it’s completely fine to start an essay with scattered thoughts. It was nice to see the three voices explained in such an easy way. Relating it to the voice and thought process of a child, adult, and parent is the best way to get the point across. I always had a major problem with trying to get all the tiny details in order before I could even decide on a concept, even if the subject of the paper changes on its own. You know that saying, “don’t count your chickens before they hatch”? Well, I was counting EGGS I didn’t even see in front of me.
ReplyDeleteI found Hessler’s piece pretty interesting. At first I was extremely annoyed. I kept thinking “okay okay, I get it, this guy sorts through trash and finds weird shit.” Then I kind of got the hint that Sayyid could just be a Segway that Hessler uses to describe his interactions and new findings in Cairo the way he himself probably wouldn’t have been able to. He learned about the hidden culture of the area that include, tipping, politics, and family matters. This was obviously not an essay he wrote on the spot though. The descriptions and flow of topics are way too smooth to not have a crazy amount of rough drafts. I suppose reading Moore’s tips could give us an idea of how to break down Hessler’s work to see where or how he could’ve written the way he did.
Muriah Huerta
“Tales of the Trash” by Peter Hessler is one of the best written stories I have come across. As I started reading the first paragraph, it automatically engaged my attention and interest. Hessler tells the remarkable story of Sayyid the garbageman, but he was much more than that. As Hessler starts to build a relationship with Sayiid the reader starts to learn more about him. Sayiid was an uneducated man who went through a difficult upbringing. Although he was uneducated, he started working at a young age, and started to learn by observing the residents from the areas where he would pick up trash. He would often share stories with Hessler about the residents and what he would find in their trash, but he wasn’t very open about his personal life regarding his marriage falling apart. Sayyid’s wife claims that he spent all his time picking up trash to make money and not enough time at home helping with the children. Perhaps Sayyid preferred to be out picking up trash rather than being at home. I feel like that was his own escape from his reality. The message I got from this story is that everyone has their own story to tell, and you can learn about people by being an observer. I’m sure Hessler went through various drafts before he created his finish product. Moore’s “On Becoming An Excellent Rewriter” tells the importance of rewriting and having more than one draft. I always tell myself that the first draft is you talking to yourself, telling yourself a story, then go from there.
ReplyDeleteMayela Montenegro
Word Count: 263
Many times I catch my greatest material stemming from a constant source of freedom and individuality. The period in time where both of these two qualities are apparent is during childhood. An unmanipulated individual finds their creative juices and wild imagination to be a benefit within their writing. Yet many times we run into speed bumps along our journey. Many times, those obstacles occur simply due to the fact that they are self-inflected and self-imposed onto one-self. Now, why does this happen one may ask? Eric Berne has staple theory of "child, adult, parent" approach. The child coming from a place where restrictions are not an issue. They don't ask why, they simply go. Opposed to that of the parent whom does ask why on a regular basis. This whole notion of questioning rises the logically approach of left-side brain thinking and this is where the problem lies. During our growing-process, we have shifted our creative right-side brain thinking to the logical, rational, left-side brain thinking. This is the main level of concern and people often overlook the issue at hand. This combined with the parental voice in your head constantly causing up a steer when a decision has to be made, this doesn't leave an individual to making the choices heir intuition is putting out on the table for them. One's intuition is actually our first brain, the majority of our answers are often given when the intuition is at its best. Yet individuals continue to second guess themselves and then run into problems. Have you ever thought of answer so quickly but you thought it was too good to be true so you switch up your answer only to see that you were wrong? Your first answer you probably thought was found too easy and that couldn't be it. Understand that our society has made it the norm and established the left-side train of thought of thinking to become the foundation of our scholars today. The real bread winners reside in the creative right-side of the brain. Being able to read Eric Berne's famous theory gave light to three sides of a story and they all made sense. Personally, I like to keep my material on the child level of this theory. For example, they give me a topic, and I run with the rest and make something out of what was given to me. I don't fall into the adult nor parent mix, I have a pet peeve where I hate to be asked too many questions, especially if I'm questioning myself. By someone questioning their own motives, what are you really bringing into yourself? One must be part of their supporting cast. The parent part of this theory is the little voice inside your head critiquing your agenda before one even attempted to put work on paper. I don't think this is a healthy way of going about one's actions. You want someone's best work, ask them to write with no limitations, no hesitations. Simply write, and then edit after the idea you're trying to project on your paper is met. It's very okay to be a child, too early in our lives we were such in a hurry to grow up and become adults that we forgot to be children. That's when life made sense, not a care in the world, so shouldn't your paper reflect this free-flowing, lack of worry individual that you want to be? Of course, be a child again. Remember all the good times you had.
ReplyDeleteRuben loa Jr
After reading Moore’s “On Becoming an Excellent Rewriter” I have discovered that I am one of those that do not really like revision. If there is a particular sentence that I like a lot and have some form of attachment to I do not remove it, even after several people have looked at my piece and suggested I do away with it completely. But, now I see that it is not so bad to let go. That’s what revision is all about right? The point of looking at our writing over and over again is not to simply point out the grammatical mistakes but to improve our story as a whole. As for the three stages, I feel like I am constantly stuck in parent mode. It is very difficult for me to free write, which to me sounds a lot like the child stage, because every time I finish a sentence I go back and think to myself “is this even a coherent sentence?” or other negative thoughts. I am hoping that throughout the semester I will be able to move past this stage and become more flexible with my writing. Personally, I found Hessler’s story “Tales of the Trash” to be very interesting. I did not really see it as a travel essay, though, more of an informative kind instead. Hassler describes most of his days in Cairo and the things his comrade, Sayyid, the garbage man, finds in other people’s garbage. It was interesting how Hessler was able to discover so much about this new culture through his friend.
ReplyDelete-Jennifer Gutierrez
Hessler’s “Tales of the Trash” was a very interesting article for me and I thought that it was pretty cool how the government wasn’t even really involved in the whole initiative for the recycling trash system that was developed. Instead it was something that was started up by the civilians and it became a business that gets passed down. I thought the whole process of it was very interesting and it’s easy to see how Sayyid ends up learning so much about the tenants from the buildings he picks up the trash for. He was “…constantly acquiring peripheral information that can be leverage into baksheesh.” It also showed the kind of mentality that people from Cairo have towards women. Sayyid talks about wanting to get his daughter circumcised and justifies it by saying “…otherwise, women are crazy for Dakar..” which meant for men or males. “They’ll be running around outside the house, chasing men.” Throughout the whole story, Hessler also lets us know that Sayyid is illiterate so he asks Hessler to tell him what things say on paper and then when he’s experiencing that whole fight with his wife, he has the lawyer read the texts messages to him so he can know what’s going on. Additionally, I thought it was very interesting how he had so much insight on these strangers he picked trash from than from his own wife. He didn’t really know her and he never really paid attention to her. In Moore’s “Becoming an Excellent Rewriter” I especially liked his metaphor about remodeling and furniture in regards to writing. He says how at some point you have to “…decide what returns to the room and where it will be situated.” (p.220) He also writes how “…some new furniture is purchased (a new scene is written)…” (p.221) What you’re writing is something that is constantly under construction and I like the idea of how you will begin with one topic or point of view that you set out to discover about, and then the final result could be something completely different and unrelated to what you first started writing.
ReplyDeleteMonica Casanova
Tales of the Trash was such an interesting experience. I never would have thought that reading about a city’s garbage collection system could be so fascinating. I laugh now as I remember my intrigue while I scanned the pages for more words. It was of particular interest how such an informal/non-bureaucratic system can garner as much success, in terms of waste management and recycling, as it has in relation to the “civilized” world. I feel that this reveals a flaw in our bureaucracies and systems—they forget that beyond all of the files and the folders and the systemization lies human interaction and I think that is quite beautiful. Sayyid was really likeable as well in spite of how his relationship ended. I think it was very humanizing to reveal to us what can be learned by a mere observation of one’s garbage.
ReplyDeleteMoore’s chapter was dreadfully righteous. I am not overly fond of revision so when I came into this chapter I was hoping that I would be able to justify with greater conviction my dislike for that task but to my disappointment I only learned why I should revise. Though I do feel that in some instances it would be better not to. For example when one is stricken by that need to write out of fury or despair, I think that the first draft is writing in its absolute purest form; it is the voice of that moment and to tamper with it in revision is to dilute it. But in the case of academic writing or even writing for an audience I can completely agree that it is productive to revise. It’s just very time consuming.
Andres Trevino
Hessler's "Tales of the Trash" is my favorite travel essay that we read this semester. The writing was very vivid and beautiful and detailed. It was certainly a travel essay! I felt as if I the reader was taken on this journey with the writer. It was as if I was there meeting these people and seeing the things that this writer saw. I experienced and learned as he did, and he made all of the experiences live and tangible. The people that the writer encountered are written in the way that makes it clear that they are real people and not only characters in a writing piece. These people have their likes and dislikes, their own individual personalities. They have good qualities and vices. They are very complicated and real - because they are real. Seeing how interrelated the relationship of the people of the city, specifically the trash collectors, was interesting and new. I had never thought of such a system existing, and I had never that did exist now.
ReplyDeleteDoris Tolar