The Epic Finale

In chapters 23- till' the end of the Soloist, the novel revolves around Nathaniel and Steve's friendship. The two have developed a strong bond and get into an exchange of words. Nathaniel proceeds to say hurtful things and Steve, knowing that Nathaniel did not mean what he said, continues to help the poor man out and continues to care. Since both people are still alive today, it's obvious that the novel did not end with a death. Rather, this real life story ended with a birth. The birth of an attempt at a new life for a homeless man and several of his friends down on their luck. I personally enjoyed the book. I, despite being hypocritical at the beginning, think the book turned out good, and once you got past the beginning it flowed quite smoothly. Steve Lopez recalls events accurately with interesting vocabulary and being a writer and journalist, I expect to see a bit more work from him.He has to have a few more stories up in that head of his to share. Note to Mr. Fiorini, I apologize for the severe lateness of my post. Believe it or not I have been very busy lately and the weekends were even harder as I now have work. This is no excuse and I'd like to thank you for the extended time I was given.

Things to grade me on.
Mechanics.
Point of View

A Whirring Undercurrent, The Audience Holds Their Breath

In the Soloist in Chapters 13- 22 the author begins to delve into Nathaniel's background as of late. It doesnt tend to focus on his history, but his current conditions on Skid Row and how terrriblle they are. However, you do find out that Nathaniel did come from a true family, and that he was exposed early to music. As for Steve, he begins to develop feelings for Nathaniel and tries to better his life by getting him to live indoors. He reluctantly agrees since he will be taking lessons from an established orchestra member. Thisgradually turns into a steady living space and Nathaniel begins to compose himself a bit more than just muscially. He begins to slowly trust those around him even.
By now Steve has such an interest in Nathaniel that he flies out to meet his father who ironically knows very little about him. He interview's the father and is given the message of a father's acknowlegdement and praise to give to his son. As for my take on all this, I think the story is progressing quite nicely. Since I know this story is a real one, for a man whose profession is to write interesting stories to publish this, you can tell that the ending will be truly spectacular. I predict NAthaniel's home life coming to terms, and his own loose ends being tied.Also I see, in true Hollywood American fashion, NAthaniel gaining some capital and living a more comfortable life. Maybe there can also be an "Annie" effect in which he helps some other homeless people.
I'd like this to be graded on my prediction. What does the reader feel will happen? Also I'd like to apologize if there are any elementary grammatical or syntactical errors. I just got my computer back and am frantically trying to write some of my novel Miss Knox loves and get English done, so I have worked hastily. Thank you

A Stirring Reprise and an Interesting Composer

As I continue to read the Soloist, I noticed that I was incorrect in assuming I would dislike the book from just the first pages I read. It is slow to start in my opinion, but once the story begins to weave such an interesting background on Nathaniel, it really is hard to just not pay attention. And what a background story it is. Lopez delves into why Nathaniel, despite attending a prestigious school such as Juliard, is homeless. As of right now, I give the book's potential at four out of five.

Turning to to the composer or in other words, the author, Steve Lopez does an exceptional job of portraying emotions and feelings. His writing flows, and doesn't dwell on one thing for too long. His journalist profession has expanded his vocabulary considerably as well, and while he may not have the eloquence of an established author, he speaks well and tends not to use the same words monotonously. 

Hoping My Solo Is More Entertaining

I haven't read much of the Soloist as of late. I have a few dozen pages read and I really can't get into it. It's no doubt well-written and I will acknowledge that, but for some reason I just can't get behind Nathaniel. He's a homeless cello prodigy. I just can't seem too wrap my mind around how a homeless man can be a cello prodigy. He must be being booked for him to be revied by a columnist and if not how does he have the money to purchase sheet music and a cello? How has he not starved with no money? Maybe I'm not reading it right but the premise just seems a little weird.
The idea matter is none too interesting to me as well. If you couldnt' tell by me being in a music school for almost seven years now with no involvement in the programs, I'm not one for classical or instrumental music or instruments. I hate too sound rude but almost all of my favorite musicians picked up a guitar, a pair of sticks, or a microphone and let it happen. And all of them are rock or hip hop artists. Theres always beauty in everything and art is subjective so I, again, can't disrespect classics but not my cup of tea. I just hope when I complete and polish my own book that I like it better than this one. Midway review is about a two out of five.
As for how I want this post to be graded I'd like to see how many people DISagree with me. The music school polpulation oughta be just about scowling as they read my reviews and ideas and I'd like some feedback. Mechanics would be ok to pick out but I don't want a paragraph of missing commas thrusted at my face. And if there are any glaring spelling mistsakes, THOSE I deserve to have thrusted at me because if i spell two instead of too, a verbal smack is more than neccesary.

Catching Wheat, Not Rye.

The Catcher in the Rye was an interesting book. It is widely acclaimed and even stated as a favorite book by some of the college students I know personally. However, I really can't say it's a book that no one should be without. It's a bit sophomoric, and is filled with slghtly offensive language. (I know some girls in my class could barely make it through a certain G word.) But to be completely fair to the literature it is very well written. Salinger uses characters very well and the narrator is absolutely a perfect adolescent model. He also, in my opinion, does the most key element to making a good story successfully. He allows you to invest your emotions in the characters and when they show an alternate side of their personalities, it's easy to suspend belief and delve into the mind of said character.
So to sum upm sure it's not the best book, but it gets the job done. It was none too thrilling to read and not a total bore. I wouldn't go so far as to call it mediocre, but it's definitely an excellent last resort for a book lover waiting for their next installment. A good three out of five. As for the way I'd like this post to be graded, I'd like people to take a look at my mechanics a bit. I'd also like to know if people stand on the same page as me. Thank you.

A Sly Title and Even Slicker Definition

The Death of a Salesman. What is it? I admire Miller for creating a title that not only appropriately names his work, but poses a question that provokes a myriad of thoughts. As for my own, I believe that the title has absolutely no correlation to the characters, but to the entity that is known as "the death of a salesman". This is a depressing fate, leaving the victim alone at his death, with little to no mourners to send him on his journey to whatever afterlife he believed in. Willy suffered this fate. But to be honest, the man had already been deceased. His being no longer had to endure the pain of being alone, and therefore his "salesman's death" had no impact on him. What I feel is truly tragic, however, is the few people that did attend his funeral. Mourning over a lost one's corpse is hard, but to have the tears you shed leave you isolated is far worse then meeting your timely demise.
As for drawing a parralel to The Great Gatsby, I will proclaim the idea I see commonly stated on other's entries despite it's vulgarity. Gatsby and Willy had both died the death of a salesman. They lived their lives nomadically, moving from place to place, meeting many people but never getting to really know them, and eventually alienating themselves even from their loved ones whether inteneded or not. They were percieved by many as ghosts of men while they had the gift of life. Consequently they were ghosts in death and not many go to admire spectres, do they?
What I'm curious about is if these men were given a chance, that ideal do-over every human dotes upon, would they repeat their lone wolf tendencies? Would they, even if they knew of what happened by following what they percieve to be correct, do it again? Lastly, do they believe what they achieved in life was worth it? Do they feel they achieved success?
For that matter what is success? Willy Loman, just another victim to the economy, felt that by selling and buying he'd make it "big". He'd be a big shot, well liked by everyone and just raking in money hand over fist while everyone loved him for it. The only problem is there are so many variables in this world that achieving success is difficult enough. Add in that everyone's chemical composition of success constitutes different things and you have one risky experiment. What caused it all to blow up in Willy's face I've concluded is that he wanted to mix in money with likability and money is nothing but a foul poison. It taints all that has to do with it but because he believed he could share a piece of a person's heart as well as their pocketbook, he died alone.
So that is my analysis for the spring break week. It was interesting to know I'll have to think about what I want to write about at the end of the week. It in my opinion adds a new dimension to the class and calls for more in-class attention. Felt I should comment on the new class structure. After all, whats wrong with a little assignment analysis for the week as well as the subject analysis?

Reflection on Blogging

Although it has a ridiculous name if you think about it, blogging has proven to be a unique and rewarding experience. I greatly enjoy the freedom of knowing my work is safe, always organized, and i can do it in a window of time (although I procrastinate occasionally... but I am making strides to correct this.) I also feel that it is helping prepare me for the next level of education as laptops are becoming more essential to surviving college. Also I am an environmentalist when it comes to schoolwork. Paper and pen are a huge turnoff for me and often the thought of writing for hours makes me cringe. As for the third marking period I feel I can improve. I feel if I am not late on another assignment that an A is not out of my reach. And for once, I'm REALLY praying my intuition does not fail me.

Reflection on Blogging

Free Write (Late my apologies)

So far the Great Gatsby (although a bit confusing) has been a great book. All the characters are well thought out, and Fitzgerald provides enough background and realism to allow for investment in those characters. The vocabulary is superb and I even plan on harvesting some of it for my own works later. Another trait I admire is the superb philosophy. The "pretty little fool" line is still stuck in my head. I'm proud to admit that The Great Gatsby had probably the biggest impact ending I've ever read. It was unexpected and rocked many people to their core, and I must admit for a book that was mandatory reading, it actually recieved conversation time...outside of english class. And that alone is a huge feat

Gatsby Journal Of Gatsby-ness. Subsection 1 Part 1 (Beta)

After reading three chapters of Fitzgerald's work, The Great Gatsby, I discovered that not all literature that is analyzed far and wide by high school students can be bad. In fact I found one of my favorite quotes in the very first chapter. “I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” Most of the first three chapters are satirical looks at the rich. Lavish parties, limitless booze, money abound... but turns it on it's head when it shows you these people have just as many (if not more) problems than "everyone" else. Tom's affair being a great example of that. The East and West Egg ect. have been explained and all the groundwork for the book has been laid... I will enjoy reading further. Also I wonder how Nick's relationship with Jordan has any chance of progressing as she is a dishonest person... a quality Nick scorns claiming he is one of the most honest people around.

American Poetry Supermarket

http://gawow.com/roethke/poems/98.html
The link above contains a variety of my poet, Roethke's, works.
1. Roethke wrote during the time of the Great Depression, which, obviously, hindered his quality of life. However the Depression did in fact give him the ability to explore a different mindset for his writing , which he found very useful for his trade

2. Rhetorical aspects... for that i will be analyzing Elegy For Jane.
Great use of figurative language, with similes and metaphors abound, this poem is about unrequited love. Keeping a steady meter, Roethke kept his usual depressing tone as he told of a beautiful maiden who had the best of times and the worst of times. Unfortunately he must reminisce at her tomb stone.

3. As I stated above Elegy for Jane is now my favorite poem. Beautifully written and not too long, it is a poem that definitely will stay in your mind long after you read it.

4. Other than the fact that Roethke is truly American, I feel his themes are American. He speaks about topics such as child abuse that I feel other poets of the time would feel would be too tender to pick at. ALso, being a professor from Harvard, Theodore Roethke uses an extensive and enjoyable English vocabulary

Reading Blog

1. How do these writings compare to those of the American Romantics we have read? Can you note some comparison between romantics and realists?
Willa Cather's writings were not very much like the American Romantics we have read. She is down to earth, realistic (as the title would imply), and isn't afraid to show both the positive and negative sides of a story although the Romantics tended to focus on just either the positive or the negative aspect/

2. What topics, themes, social/political issues does this writer take up in his/her work? What might these tell us as readers about this author and his/her worldview?
In "A Wagner Matinee", Cather takes up the theme of love and depression at everyday life. "Consequences" revolves around suicide. Both stories I have noticed involve not only one person, but good or bad involve the main character interacting with someone else. This can be good or bad but judging from Cather's dark short stories often times the interaction is cancerous wheI understood. For her, just outside the door of the concert hall, lay the black pond with the cattle-tracked bluffs; the tall, unpainted house, with weather-curled boards; naked as a tower, the crook-backed ash seedlings where the dishcloths hung to dry; the gaunt, molting turkeys picking up refuse about the kitchen door.ther the character believes it to be or not.

3. With regard to author’s purpose consider the following: To whom is this writer writing? For whom are they writing?
This author isn't writing to a specific sub-class but rather anyone that is in the darker times of their lives. If your particularly happy you probably won't be able to get through her stories sometimes, but they all have one point in them where there is an optimistic outlook, if only for a moment.

4. What relevance does this author’s writing hold for you as a reader?
"Consequences" spoke most to me. I honestly can say that I believe that everyone past the age of 13 has suicide cross their mind. If anyone says it hasn't they are probably lieing. What sets people apart is the amount of time people contemplate it. It can be as quick as "I wish I were dead!" to sitting and envisoining the act and it's consequences. I, being an honest person and leaning more towards the latter than the former, sympathized with Eastman and therfore this story resonated with me.

5. What drew you to the work of this author?
"I understood. For her, just outside the door of the concert hall, lay the black pond with the cattle-tracked bluffs; the tall, unpainted house, with weather-curled boards; naked as a tower, the crook-backed ash seedlings where the dishcloths hung to dry; the gaunt, molting turkeys picking up refuse about the kitchen door."
ALthough this was the last line from a Wagner Matinee" it was easilly the most key quotation that swayed me to choode Willa Cather as my author. I understand exactly how Aunt Georgiana feels. It's not often you get to get away from the troubles of everyday life, in fact it's amazingly difificult to truly detach yourself from them for any amount of time, and to just steal an extra ten minutes in that state is a true gift.

Can words move people?

As long as there is literacy in the world and as long as people take the time to read, words will always retain their power. If you think about it the words themselves are nothing, mere jumbles of characters put together in a universal pattern. Rudimentry symbols they may be, it is the meaning given to them by the user that empowers them and has the ability to sway people. Adolf Hitler... a man considered by many to be the most evil person to roam this planet and yet he commanded massive fleets and came close to having his beliefs encompass the entire globe. What would persuade masses of people to take up arms and hail the dictator that would have them slain in a moment if it benefited him? His words. He spoke with such conviction that he was able to compel people to do his bidding. If you cannot appreciate this historical example I will use the recent phenomena of mobile text messaging. Although they are just pixels on a screen, everyone who reads this who uses text messaging services in any way knows that when they recieve affectionate words from someone they can't help but smile or make an attempt to see that person. It is the context of what has been said in conjunction with the speaker that makes it special. So, to answer the prompt, yes I not only feel words can move people but that they will continue to for as long as they are kept around.

Alternate Price of a Child Ending

Chapter Thirteen- When It All Falls Down

As if agreeing to one final effort, the horses broke into a rhythmic walk. Tyree laughed.
“How much longer ‘till we get to Zilpha’s?” Tyree asked.
“Just five miles or so Mr. Tyree. Don’t you worry.”
“That’s good to hear, Merce. I can’t take much more of this unbearable drive.”
Tyree smiled and put his head in his hands. Mercer tugged on the reigns of the horses gently nudging them to a halt and Tyree looked up inquisitively.
“Before we make it to the house I need to tell you something,” Mercer muttered in a barely audible tone.
“Sure, Mercy. Just tell me what’s on your mind.”
Mercer turned to face Tyree and took a deep breath. She knew this was against her better judgment.
“I think I’m in love with you.”
Tyree sat there in silence and utter amazement. He looked her over for a few moments and bit his lip as he spoke to her.
“I think I love you too.” He made his way up the wagon and squeezed in the drivers seat next to her. “Since I met you I have felt like you were something special, and now I find myself thinking of you all the time. I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you.”
Mercer felt her face heat up and she turned her face away as she whispered. “Let’s leave. Let’s take my children and start new.”
Tyree smiled and pulled her face back to him. “Sounds good. We can go to Canada.” Mercer returned the smile and he slowly edged closer kissing her lips softly. He tilted her head to the side and kissed her neck.
“Not now Ty,” Mercer groaned, his lips feeling warm and delightful to her.
“As you wish,” he replied returning to the passenger seat. “When we get to Zilpha’s I will tell everyone and secure some money for us. And I’ll make sure I get enough to get Bennie back. I wonder what your ex-master deems the price of a child.”
Mercer tugged roughly on the reigns and let the horses go as fast as they could. They trotted and the two sat in stunned silence at what was just said, thinking about spending some time together. About fifteen minutes had elapsed when Tyree jerked up from a nap.
“Something’s burning!” he shouted.
Mercer got past a thick brush of trees and gasped as she saw the horrid sight. Zilpha’s house was ablaze and only two people were outside. “No!” She muttered sadly.
A voice rang out as two men with muskets walked towards the wagon. They were laughing and smelled of ash. “You know we couldn’t let all you free niggers live in peace right?” Tyree clenched his fists and Mercer began to cry for her children. “They all burned. Too bad huh? Oh wait, we had to shoot this one drunkard.”
“Bea…” Tyree said through gritted teeth. He reached into his sock and pulled out a small knife.
The two men laughed sinisterly again and loaded their guns. “We killed that other nigger you call Nig-Nag earlier. Imagine the reward we’ll get for returning proof of all your remains. I mean, obviously not nearly as much as for you alive but beggars can’t be choosers.”
“I’ll kill you!” Mercer screamed with tears in her eyes. Both her and Tyree had had enough. They jumped out of the wagon and rushed the men who were just finishing loading the muskets. Tyree ran towards the one on the right, Mercer on the left.
Tyree heard two shots ring out and he ignored the pain in his arm, but as he looked back and saw Mercer hit the ground he was inconsolable. He plunged the dagger into the man’s chest and jumped on the second before the first one could fall. “Why won’t you die?” The white man shouted as Tyree stabbed him repeatedly, screaming nonstop as he did. Both men now bloody on the ground Tyree walked over to Mercer. She was dead, shot through the chest.
“I’m so sorry Mercy. I’m so sorry…” he moaned the pain beginning to settle in. Tears, for the first time in a long time, began to stream down his face. “It’ll be so much better where your going I promise.”
Tyree was so busy letting his emotions out he didn’t hear the first man he attacked reloading. The shot echoed out and he looked down at his chest, his shirt becoming dyed with his blood. He didn’t care. He had nothing left.
Tyree fell to the ground in front of Mercer and he took her cold hand in his. “I’m so sorry” was all he said as his eyes rolled back into his head, the man chuckling to himself. It was all over.