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- Reading responses are due by 10pm on the day PRIOR to our discussion of the required reading.
In Karr’s chapters she seems to be mentioning a stylistic choice of writing that she is particularly fond of even though she is unable to write this way. In chapter 5 she writes on author Nabokov, a Russian author who is able to write non-fiction pieces in such a way that they can seem like poetry, yet you will entirely believe that what he writes is the truth. She mention in this chapter how both her and her students attempt/ have a temped to write like Nabokov, and the results of these writings make the authors seem like “pretentious turds” as opposed to Nabokov who is just great at what he does. She also mentions a method of writing that would not be at the forefront of most people’s thought, this is the thing you think you remember from your childhood. She point out that sometimes we may think that a certain memory of events was ours, however upon further thought, we can come to realize that we do not know the actual details of how this story happened. The essential essence of this story was to help the readers figure out what different types of memoirs there are and how people can utilize their own personal attributes in their writing.
ReplyDeleteI will once again be critiquing Ferguson’s writing. It’s not that she is a bad writer, she is able to communicate her points fairly well, I am able to understand that she was scared of climbing down the steep mountain side, and that she was traumatized by the killing of the cattle. My only problem is that every time she is about to get to a portion/ point where I will be able to connect to her and what she is writing about, she immediately changes the topic! For some unknown reason this bothers me to no end, I feel as though she is writing an unfinished thought and then just abandons the thought all together. I think it would be safe for me to say at this point, that while I respect that she has her style of writing, I cannot read this without getting irritated.
Karina Gonzalez
Word Count:358
The entire time that we kept reading Ferguson’s essay something didn’t feel quite right. I felt like her story wasn’t going anywhere and I wasn’t the only one who was feeling that. It wasn’t until chapter 9 that I started noticing a pattern. I think Ventura is going to die. Hear me out teach, one thing I kept noticing is that in every chapter we end up talking a little bit about the border and Ventura always mentioning that he wants to cross it. I think that Ventura’s death ends up having a significant effect on Ferguson which causes her to film another documentary in honor of her friend. It’s the only thing that can justify why the whole story is structured this way. If this is a memoir than her memories would be about how busy she was filming that she didn’t notice her good friend was about to do something extremely dangerous. I might be completely wrong because it’s 11:48 on a Saturday night and I am tired, but I don’t think I am. All the signs are pointing to it. I just hope that I’m not right. I liked Ventura in the story. Everything else was pretty much the same throughout her story. Chapter 8 was budget concerns. How to get money. How to work in the system, all that stuff. Chapter 9 was where exactly they were going to shoot the film. Chapter 10 was the actual filming of her documentary, again there was a lot of detail and no real story. Karr was about structured voice. The moment we understand what our voice is than we can move on to the second most important fundamental building block in writing known as diction. Karr is particularly in love with the Russian writer Nabokov. The reason why is because he uses his talents of poetry to write a very powerful, detailed, and well blended essay. He uses his gift to structure his voice and make the writing his own. That’s why it’s very important to always be yourself when it comes to memoir’s because only you can know what your true talents are. People who imitate tend to be wannabe’s and she does not like “wannabe’s”. Chapter 7 was about choosing a detail. Not everything you remember is going to be memorable. Some memories get distorted and when that happens it’s best not to go with it. Other memories are just so common that if it’s not unique, and plays a part to the bigger story it’s best to be left alone. The detail should connect to the bigger story. If you write everything you remember than it’s just going be a chronological timeline. No one wants to read that you went to the bathroom at 4 o’clock in the morning, ate breakfast at eight, and dressed for school at eight-thirty, when the real story is that you fell in love with a beautiful girl in Paris, nowhere near your breakfast story.
ReplyDeleteWord Count: 495
Juan Garcia Jr
I was not too keen on the readings for this week, but Ferguson at least came easier to follow. Karr chapter 5 was an in depth analysis of Nabokov’s work, to which her analysis overwhelmed me as to what I could take away from diction. However, I think she was trying to point out the importance of diction and its combination with literary tools such as metaphor, symbolism, etc. In other words, how to make embellish your writing, but my writing is far from embellish. I am greatly inspired by Hemingway in that my writing is direct and short. Chapter 7’s title “How to choose a detail” is representative of what it talks about. However, what I have to disagree how Karr advocates to choose details based on how much more memory and details it can elicit (Karr 80). I personally do not believe in it. If there is a topic you urge to write, but do not remember all the facts, as a writer I would work myself around it. Perhaps adding more reflection or zeroing on the details that I do remember. Additionally, and here is where we cross the grey area between constructing or adding additional material, mixing past memories that connect with the specific memory you are writing about even though they did not occur at the same time. Some might not agree, but I would say it is a tweak of reality. With Ferguson’s writing, I identify it as a memoir essay, but not a memoir. It lacks reflection.
ReplyDeleteAlejandro Sánchez
To be quite honest, I am not much of a reader, so I was not at all familiar with Nabokov’s writing. Although, after reading Karr’s analysis on Nabokov’s writing style, I have to say I was left wanting more. Karr goes into great detail about how Nabokov used diction to make his writing stand out. The little snippets Karr includes to back up her analysis gives the reader a better idea of how diction can be used in our writing, but as Karr states, not many writers are able to pull this particular writing style off. One line that particularly stood out to me was where Karr writes, “Students who fear sentimentality as death have to study Nabokov, who proves that sentimentality is only emotion you haven’t proven to the reader–emotion without vivid evidence.” Since we are going into the memoir, writing about something that might be personal to us, I feel like we have to be able to face our fears; being able to describe everything with a deeper meaning and feeling to bring the reader in is something we will need. As for Ferguson, I enjoyed these chapters but I felt like chapter 9 was out of place for some reason. I wanted to know more about the film, the deals, and the ceremony. I understand that Ferguson is telling the story as it goes, but the change felt very abrupt that I lost interest throughout that particular chapter. The ceremony was told in so much detail, which I would usually appreciate, but this was a scene I would much rather have been told vaguely.
ReplyDelete-Jennifer Gutierrez
In Karr’s chapters we are told about style choices in writing through the use of particular forms of language. She seems to be very fond of the writer Nabokov and as a result she also uses his methods and strategies in her own teaching. Karr said she has her students mimic his writing style and she notes that it never comes out quite right for anyone. I feel she is a firm believer in writing the way you speak. She did mention how important it is to use words that you understand and not large words for the sake of looking smarter. I like the way she showed the differences between “…shitty (Germanic) or scrofulous (Latinate…) words (62). This was an awesome example between the two different ways of writing. In her chapter six she talks of using the senses to help make the readers understand in greater detail the words on the pages. This technique reminds me of poetry because the senses are almost always considered in that genre.
ReplyDeleteIn Ferguson’s readings there was mostly talk of the film arrangements and the cost of making this low budget film. She goes into detail about how much the cow’s, tents, and crews will cost and how she is supplying much of the money from her own self. Some problems arise when some other people, Maclovio and Leonarda feel as if their cows should be used and Ventura also becomes nervous that they are being taken advantage of because the English missionary told him they would not be getting a good deal. I guess I didn’t see the connection between these chapters and those by Karr but I have faith that our class discussion will clear this up.
Sheryl Cavazos
I feel that every time I read the assigned reading from Karr, I am given a new thing to think about. In this reading, Karr impresses on the reader the importance of how diction and emotion and the right details make the story more engaging. The example that she gives of an author who utilizes all three of these aspects to produce great writing is Vladimir Nabokov. Nabokov's writing is stylistically beautifully, but also striking in the sense of the heart. There is a sense of unquestionable honesty to his writing and it is very engaging to the readers. Karr herself attempted to write in this manner, but found that the results could not match up to Nabokov. It was lacking in sincerity and, unlike Nabokov, seemed pretentious and inauthentic. This leads to the conclusion that the utilization of diction, emotion, and details is not only a stylistic choice, but also a personal development that can be unique to that one individual who is writing. (I saw a connection to Karr's chapter on voice.)
ReplyDeleteIn relation to Ferguson's book, since I read Karr's chapters first, I was reading "The Haunting of the Mexican Border" with questions in my mind. These questions were along the lines of: "What kind of words is the author choosing in regards to diction?" and "What are the details that the author is choosing?" For details, there are a lot. Though I enjoy reading writing with many details, I understand that it is not everyone's cup of tea.
-Doris Tolar
In Kathryn Ferguson’s The Haunting of the Mexican Border chapters 8-10 the reader gets further familiarized with the setting and culture of Mexico. We are able to see Catalina’s intense passion and efforts towards this documentary dream. Chapter 8 In a Handshake is about making deals with the Native people on what should be bought for the big party planned. We see the difference in culture through the importance behind someone’s word and most importantly, non-verbal communication which seems to be used a lot more in Mexico than in America where we tend to fill the air with empty words just for the sake of conversation. I liked reading about Ferguson’s financial background and how she worked hard for every trip she made out even after the excitement was gone, in the name of friendship. Kathryn still pursued what she said she would even if funding was low and things were looking murky due to cultural limitations. My favorite part of Chapter 9 was the description and imagery used when she was on the edge of the cliff. The difference in lifestyle is made towards the end when she talks about wanting to be at home with her dog drinking a glass of wine. Chapter 10 was my favorite. I like how the author took a light hearted approach to the dress that was given to her and those around her talking about her appearance. I couldn’t film and direct a documentary in the middle of Mexico in a skirt, much less a traditional dress with layers of material! I felt as if I was in the middle of the ceremony next to Maclovio’s home watching him give thanks to the different directions. I’m usually into Karr’s chapters a lot more but chapters 5 and 7 seemed to drag on a bit this time around. Chapter 5 introduced the Russian writer Nabokov with the rather cliché message of staying true to who you are and your personal writing style. Chapter 7 was about what details we should include but in my opinion I think there is never too much detail.
ReplyDeleteM. Sarah Sanchez
In Karr’s chapter five she talks about writing in a way that represents you and how you actually talk. She uses the writings of Vladimir Nabokov to prove her point. According to Karr Nabokov can write with elevated language and speak a certain way about people because that is essentially who he is. If someone that did not have his roots were to write the way he did it would seem pretentious. On one had I agree with Karr that one should write in a way that best represents how they actually are, but I do not see anything wrong with some elevated “pretentious” language here and there. If you are intentionally trying to sound a certain way then I do see the problem, but if they are just the right words for the job there should not be a problem. I have been once been accused of speaking with five dollar words after only using one. So was that my fault for using the right word for the job or was it the listener? If a reader sees the limited use of “five dollars” word as pretentious by you then I think so be it. I enjoyed Ferguson’s chapters, especially chapter eight. The struggle with the money and the logistics behind the documentary are actually really interesting. I could probably watch a documentary about the making of her documentary and enjoy it. The behind the scenes aspects are really worth the extra attention. For example, it was interesting to read how Maclovio brought Ferguson over to his place to tell her that she should by the cows for the gathering from Leonarda who was a Raramúri and not Mexican like Hiram. Those behind the scenes events are what I enjoyed most.
ReplyDelete-Jesus Alexis Prado
Karr uses Nabokov as an example to show a different type of voice. Nabokov writes in a beautifully artistic way and it works for him, but Karr attempts it herself to prove to the reader that copying someone else’s voice will not work for you. Every one has their own style of writing and diction in which they feel comfortable writing in. What works for someone might not work for someone else. Karr suggests that we write in a way in which we actually speak and not use a different voice. If we write in our own voice, our writing will be more sincere and the reader will perceive it. Carr overanalyzed Nabovok and it kind of bored me, i am not gonna lie. But I did like chapter 7 about the details. I like how in less than two pages, she teaches us how to pick our memories and details correctly. I like how she went straight to the point. I am not a big fan of either Karr or Ferguson. As i was reading Ferguson, i couldn't help but pay close attention to her diction. She does not use such fancy words but her writing is still pretty good overall. Sometimes, as i am writing, i get a bit discouraged because i don't have such lyrical vocabulary like many essays I've read and i feel like this might keep me from writing good papers. I am not gonna lie, i use the thesaurus a lot in my writing, but after reading Karr’s piece, i have gained some confidence and i have decided to use my own voice to sound sincere.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Millan
Word Count 274
I keep trying to get into the Ferguson readings, maybe it's just me being lazy or maybe it's just me not really connecting with the text enough for me to enjoy it. It just seems like busy work. A chore. The imagery she uses still remains my only favorite part of the text. She has a way of describing things, like at the beginning of chapter 8 and how she describes Zapareachic to be one of those places everyone wishes they could live but wouldn’t dare to because it's too much of a commitment on most people this day in age. In the sense that we crave convenience and living that rancho life is far from that. You live in the middle of nowhere too far away to do anything and the scenery is beautiful, the land is beautiful but all of that takes maintenance. All of that takes hard work, getting dirty. I’m not sure if a lot of people would line up for that.
ReplyDeleteKarr’s chapters on the other hand, I really enjoyed. We talked a lot about voice and tone last week, and I think I like Karr’s style of writing because it really highlights what I think is her voice. The way her writing flows, it’s almost snarky and dry and it's very real for me. It makes the reading easy for me. It makes me want to read it. In chapter five she talks a lot about Nabokov, the only piece of his works that I knew of (before this) was Lolita. I have yet to pick it up but as it sits waiting to be read on my bookshelf, I shoved it a little closer after reading Karrs chapter. Because I’m curious to see and compare her notes and opinions on his style of writing. I wonder if he was really worth trying to mimic as she playful admits she failed at doing. Chapter 7 was short and to the point. I think it was about the importance of choosing what you want to write about for your memoir. Some memories are worth the story, others are pretty basic and have been told before. So choose wisely. What would carry more substance.
Amanda Victoria Ramirez~
Karr this week takes a very different approach to what she is trying to convey to us. She goes into intense depth about this memoir author known as Nabokov, and for most of the reading I could not understand what she was trying to tell us. One of the things that did stick out to me was how she says that anyone who is trying to imitate another person’s style in their own work just comes off as “pretentious turds” and I agree. A memoir is supposed to be you telling your own story in a way that only you can. How can that be truly conveyed and even made to believe that it is true when its not original. A memoir is about truth. Not only that but I also believe she was trying to tell us how as much as you may want there is no way a memoir can be the same as another. A memoir is yours and yours alone that’s why she gives the several examples about Nabokov, his own style is very unique that the effect it has, is that it makes an essay seem like poetry, that is his and his alone. We all need to discover ourselves in our writing to really make the memoir ours because only we can do that, only we have our own feelings and thoughts and no one else. She also goes on about choosing a detail and how every single memory is going to be distorted due to the influx of many memories we store so its best to choose one and focus on it to leave anything unnecessary out and really make the memoir memorable for its one specific detail. One thing I will add is I’ve been having trouble with Ferguson’s reading solely because I don’t believe in the what the author is saying. A lot we have been learning has to do with truth and our own ideas but in this story the author literally tells us some things have been changed in the story and that is a let down because a memoir is supposed to be like sacred ground where you can say anything without repercussions and this alone at least to me feels like it is tainted.
ReplyDeleteAmaury Cabrera
word count 377
I really enjoy reading Karr’s chapters because I can always learn things I feel I don’t already incorporate into my work. In another one of my classes we talked about picking things up from another writer and being inspired enough to “take it.” Honestly I never gave much thought to how I get my inspiration but I never saw that as taking something. Karr talks about trying to imitate another person’s style of writing and how it can be pretentious. I didn’t agree with this. I feel like when it comes to using certain ideas or tools from another work, as long as you aren’t trying to rip off the author, there are ways to make their ideas your own. Karr talks about writing in your own voice. Trying to write in another voice won’t be sincere therefore making it harder to relate to. This made me think of all the new spins on the classic “Romeo and Juliet” and how they try to imitate the tone. It never works out well and the remakes get worse and worse because although they are taking from the original, they aren’t putting their own spin on it. Honestly this chapter wasn’t as exciting as some of her previous chapters. This chapter was mostly about making your writing stand out by being you. Unfortunately the Ferguson chapters are getting harder and harder to get through, mostly because I am quickly losing interest in the amount of detail. I don’t really see how this chapter correlates to the Karr chapter but in summary the arrangements for the film are being made and problems began to arise so we are seeing a bit more drama. Her choice of diction and tone stick out through most of the story.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Hinojosa