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I am a still a bit confused about the voice of a memoir. Karr explains it in a way i hadn't thought about it before. For example, i loved when she uses the small excerpt from Black Boy about killing the cat, it isn't something morally correct but at the voice the author uses it makes it different. When he said that his father could not get after him because it would be considered risking his authority, it really changed my perspective on what he did. I recently read The Great Gatsby for my other english class and after reading Karr’s chapter it really makes sense. Fitzgerald makes the reader feel sympathy for a man who wants another mans woman. Thats the perfect example of an author using a voice to change the way the reader feels about the storyline or a specific character.
ReplyDeleteI honestly feel like i benefitted way more from reading Moore than i have while reading Karr. I miss Moore. In my opinion, it was easier to understand his writing than Karr’s. And Moores chapters were way shorter lol.
In Ferguson’s chapters, although i do enjoy the details sometimes they get a little overwhelming and make me loose my focus. Don't get me wrong, she does a great job at describing things, i wish i could write like her, but when I'm reading this, I'm picturing all the things she is saying and i feel like i miss the main point of the story. Her use of imagery and details makes it easy to internally compare the differences between Mexico and the Unites States. I also enjoy when Ferguson talks about the history of things, you can tell she did her research. At home, we only speak spanish and it is even considered rude to speak in english in front of someone who doesnt. With that being said, you can tell how Mexican my family really is. When someone calls my name, i reply with “mande” but i never knew that it was a term used by Cortez’s slaves asking him to command them. This lets me know that she did research. Although she did alter her memoir, i still believe her when she mentions things like this.
Jennifer Millan
Word Count 372
I like Ferguson’s style. At first it was a little hard to fully understand, but when I read her chapters out loud I find myself starting to talk just like her. Her voice stands out when I read them. Coincidentally that was also the point that Karr wanted to talk about in her chapter. When it comes to writing Memoirs it’s just not about writing memories on paper, but also how you decide to present them. “Each great memoir lives or dies based 100% on voice.” One thing readers hate is an angel. No one believes that there is the perfect person out there. Even the greatest of men have skeletons in there closet so Karr argues that it’s ok to be your complete self. If you’re a nice guy and do nice things than that’s great, but even nice guys get angry. Even nice guys get sad, frustrated, emotional. The point is to be three dimensional. She says to just be yourself, but the both sides of yourself. You have to show the reader “the beautiful, and the beastly”. I like that analogy. Personally, I would use the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde analogy but I digress. Ferguson stays with Santiago in chapter six. She gets to hang around with him and his family. She gets to learn a lot about the living arrangements that Santiago has. They start talking about crossing the border and they talk and become close friends. I like the chapter. There’s a lot to talk about it so I’m sure people will have something to say about it on Wednesday. Chapter seven is her experiencing life in the pueblo of Norogachic. That is a mouthful. Both chapters were very similar in nature, except this time with Hiram and his family. Although in chapter seven I learned what a hinny is. I never knew that. So, that’s cool.
ReplyDeleteWord Count: 313
Juan Garcia Jr
Ferguson has this way of writing that is beautiful, but also can be terribly disorienting. For instance, in her imagery in the book can be totally captivating and we can and will get lost in the pictures and stories that she provides for us. However, this in and of itself can be a bad thing, if there is too much imagery then how is the reader supposed to remember what exactly he or she is reading about? This is a problem that I am currently running into in Ferguson’s chapters, but I am not able to offer any sort of design or comment on how to fix this. That is not to say that her writing is not good, just that it is confusing to read at times.
ReplyDeleteIn Karr’s chapter she discusses the voice that is ever present in every single authors pieces of work. This voice is often the driving point for whether or not people will want to read and continue reading something. For instance, if there is not enough of an emotion or perhaps too much of it, then we will not want to continue reading this piece of literature. It is through this voice that an author comes into their reputation as a writer that has the potential to follow them as long as their works are being read. It is then safe to say that the voice in a memoir is one of the most important parts of the memoir itself. If there is a voice that is too melancholy or woe is me, then readers will get quickly tire of it, and if there is a voice that is too self-inflammatory, people will get annoyed and quite reading. The voice in any sort of writing is very important, and must therefore be three dimensional.
Karina Gonzalez
In chapter four of Karr’s book she is describing the need for the author’s voice to shine through the pages of writing within their memoir. I guess I can see how this would make the memoir much more interesting and credible. I compared it to some conversations I have had with people who do not usually speak eloquently but their rough drafts used so many large words, words in which they do not normally use in speech. This is very conflicting for the reader, especially if they are somewhat acquainted with the author. I like how Karr notes, “Great memoirs sound like distinct persons…” (41). This use of the voice lends a likable tone which can help others relate to the story on a more personal level. Karr also mentions how psyche, or a person’s inner-self can help achieve the proper “voice” or tone of the memoir.
ReplyDeleteIn Ferguson’s memoir she is describing how she decides to go to Ventura’s home unannounced in hopes that she will be accepted. Her plan is to get to know the family, community, and the land in order to make a film of their life. She meets many new people such as Santiago, Hiram, and his wife Elia and through then she learns more Spanish and more about their way of life.
Sheryl Cavazos
I like that Karr goes into detail when explaining how voice is supposed to work. I have taken many English courses where professors pretty much demand that voice be prominent throughout an entire essay, but they never fully explain what they mean. Like Karr pointed out, “nobody tells a writer how hard cobbling together a voice is… in a writing textbook [they] talk about things that seem mechanical–tone, diction, syntax,” which, in all honesty, is pretty unhelpful. A writer’s voice has to stand out, it has to grasp the reader’s attention from that very first sentence. Memoirs are a piece of a writer’s life, and while some may have extraordinarily interesting lives, if their writing gives off a dull voice the reader will lose interest. I feel like Ferguson does a good job with their voice. I have never personally met them, but the voice they use is just so them. They manage to captivate the reader and bring them along their visits during the story, which is what a writer is supposed to attempt. The imagery and details play an important part in this memoir since it relies a lot on the places and encounters that happened throughout their many visits. While I do like the stories Ferguson tells, I cannot get used to their writing style. Like I mentioned in the previous post, I feel like the writing is done very sporadically and it gets increasingly hard for me to keep up and understand what just happened.
ReplyDelete-Jennifer Gutierrez
I really enjoyed reading Karr’s humorous chapter on voice. In this chapter Karr talks about the importance of your unique voice to your memoir. It’s extremely important to have a clear voice from the very first sentence to the last. This “voice” should show the reader what kind of person you are. This voice may change emotion or tone but it should always sound like you. Karr states that your reader should feel like they are experiencing your memoir through your eyes, as you. You will lose credibility from your readers if you start to give perspective from people in your story because it isn’t genuine. I also liked how Karr said that even the most boring people of the “boneheads” have so much more to offer in person. That is why we should tell the story as if you were telling it in person. Give all the real emotions to that the reader can better relate to you. This will also make the reader feel closer to the piece, or more invested. If you over dramatize a certain scene that wasn’t dramatic in real like, you will loose you reader. Instead of over-dramatizing a certain part you should describe it poetically and vividly so that the reader appreciates this part of the memoir in a different way. As said in the previous chapter always be truthful, you may find yourself changing certain things along the way to fit a certain story. With this in mind, always write the story as if you don’t know what the ending will be, find your truth along the way. Ferguson’s chapters were terribly boring for me. Although I am enjoying the story and her journey, some of her travels are being conveyed like a grocery list. She is very good at adding extra information about the area and being very detailed which makes the boring parts a little easier to get through.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Hinojosa
Karr talks about voice in chapter four in a way that I have never read or heard before. I’m sure plenty of us have heard from our grade school teachers something along the lines of, “have a strong voice in your writing.” But what exactly they meant by that we only got vague descriptions. Karr starts off the chapter by saying that great memoirists that she has met sound on paper like they do in person. This to me was really interesting because I think many people try to not sound in writing like they do in person. I occasionally avoid doing so as well, but the way Karr describes voice this now seems like a disservice. An example Karr noted that I liked was the scene in Frank Conroy’s Stop-Time where a small event such as the morning routine said a lot without so much in writing. This is how I picture the idea of strong voice to be after reading this chapter. Being able to communicate to the reader what you are intending to say and have it be meaningful without having to take them by the hand and spell everything out for him or her. In Ferguson’s chapters I like the theme that she mentions here and there. Some instances like part in chapter six about nature not knowing borders and then about weather not knowing them either. How she describes her settings is interesting. Not always the most exciting for me to read but those bits of insight she puts in like the one above makes the reading for me.
ReplyDelete-Jesus Alexis Prado
This chapter of Karr’s was really informative about voice. I have never been one to like writing. More often than not I see it as a chore and I would just want to get it over with, but reading about these types of writing, whether it be memoir or travel, I have come to learn that to conjure up a great essay, you need to care for it like it was a newborn infant. Karr talks about the voice of the essay and my immediate thought was that she meant the way the essay sounds. In very basic context it is, but digging more deeply into it the voice refers to the way the essay sounds and feels to the person reading it. It allows the reader to learn more about you, it is the part of the essay where the reader should feel like you are directly speaking to them and that they should be able to feel like they know you in person. She brings up a great point how she has talked to many well known writers out there and when she has spoken to them they sound exactly the way they do in their writing. Those people really convey their voice well into their essay’s and make it such an important part of it. Much like the structure of an essay, the voice is very important. We often talk about how we should bring the reader along for the experience but sometimes we need them to feel like we are right in front of them, narrating this story or essay to build that bond between reader and writer that many strive for. If the reader feels comfortable and at home, then you are succeeding in providing them with a great experience.
ReplyDeleteAmaury Cabrera
word count 295
It is as Karr tells her readers, "A story told poorly is life made small by words." (Karr, pg. 45) It is not enough for a writer of memoir to record the details of their life and call it good. There is also that crucial aspect that brings the memoir to life, so to speak. This is what is called the 'voice.' It is such a significant part of the memoir that Karr describes a poor voice as one that renders a memoir as having "key details [that] are missing, and ... sentences [that] might have been spoken by anybody." (Karr, pg. 45) This last part, I think, is of especially great importance: a memoir that may as well have been said by anybody and is void of the personal element is a memoir rendered redundant. A memoir is that particular person's life. It would defeat the purpose of writing a memoir if otherwise. In fact, Karr says, "We need a special verbal device to unpack all that’s hidden in the writer’s heart so we can freshly relive it: a voice." (Karr, pg. 45)
ReplyDeleteRelating this to Ferguson's memoir, I believe that Ferguson writes in a very strong voice. I as the reader feel that I am knowing this person, that I am seeing and hearing and sensing as this person does. Since our class has not yet finished this book, I cannot say if we have found what is "hidden in the writer's heart," (Karr, pg. 45) but I feel as if we are beginning on a journey there and I am very hopeful and interested in what we will find.
-Doris Tolar
"The secret to any voice grows from a writers findings a tractor beam of inner truth about psychological conflicts to shine the way" is I believe the best way to put voice. It is YOUR story, it is in YOUR words, and YOUR ideas and YOUR battles. Everyone has a battle, and some are smaller than others, but regardless they are mind altering to the soul. Everyone should let out their opinions regardless if they think that they are not sufficient enough to actually matter. One mans trash is another mans treasure. When it comes to words, id doesnt matter what the others think about what you are trying to say, but the way you say it and protray the importance of the self battle is what really matters. Some one out there could be having the same internal battle as you are and you depend on your voice to let it out and show that they are not alone. We depend on humanity of people to be able to learn from other and acomplish what we may not accomplish due to our inner voice telling us it is not good enough.
ReplyDelete-cemantha-
At the beginning it was hard for me to understand where Kathy Ferguson was going in chapter 6 but as the chapter progressed, her story really began coming together for me. Ferguson is great at painting vivid pictures for her audience. I felt as if I was there in Mexico with her, walking with Ventura and learning more about the area. I thought it was funny how he warned her about the bruja who lived in the single room log house and she just interprets the spells and witches as jealousy. My dad’s side of the family is very superstitious so it was nothing that I hadn’t heard of. Most Hispanic households are used to their grandmas nagging about how someone in school might have given you ojo and they have to do the cleanse with an egg. I also thought it was interesting how everyone would give the Raramuri clothes but what they needed was money. I sympathized with the people as I read the chapter but why wouldn’t they sell the clothes for money? It angered me that the evangelist were not doing everything they could for the community they were placed in because most churches raise big offerings for missionaries and that money should go to the people struggling to get food rather than a luxurious restroom that could only be used by their families. I also loved how the author describes Hiram in chapter 7, the imagery was on point for me. I usually enjoy Karr’s chapter but chapter 4 was a bit confusing for me, I hope to seek a better understanding in our class discussion.
ReplyDeleteM. Sarah Sanchez