My relationship with my reader

My relationship with my reader is wanting to constantly be criticized. Not the criticism that is harsh and hurts my self esteem. Constructive criticism that helps me grow. I know it sounds corny, but I want to be the best I can be. I enjoy writing, but I am not necessarily good at it. I hope that through criticism, I will be able to enjoy writing, and write well. What is key in me becoming better is the reader. I may sound selfish, using the reader to better myself, but I really am not. I help the reader by giving them a piece to read and hopefully enjoy, and they help me by giving me feedback. My relationship with my reader is symbiotic. Eventually, after re-writing and re-writing, I start to become my own reader. I have read my piece so many times that I begin to notice what needs to be changed. After reading I notice the flaws and what doesn't make sense.

Baby Video

I think that Meddy suggests that this video is relevant to our class because of the project we just did. It shows how the technology has become more prevalent than written magazine. The baby is growing up learning how to use an iPad rather than reading a magazine. The video helps show what the baby is feeling by going back and forth between the magazine and the iPad. Even though the baby may not necessarily be angry, it looks that way to the viewer.

A hotel room might be...

A hotel room might be like my home. It might be like another hotel room I've stayed in. It might be like the movies. It might be like my dreams. It might be like a song. It might be comfortable. It might be scary.

A hotel room...

A hotel room is not like my room. There are no personal belongings in a hotel room, unless I bring them. There are no memories in a hotel room, unless I make some. There is no sense of delusion from the rest of the world, unless I put the "do not disturb" sign up. There is no spot that is secret, unless there is a safe in the closet. There is no mess, unless the maid forgets to clean. There are no imperfections, unless the hotel doesn't do it's job.

A hotel room is not like...

A hotel room is not like home. It is not like my room. There is nothing personal in a hotel room. A hotel room is not like my mind. It is not like a dirty shack.

Home is like...

Home is like a place where you feel comfortable and safe. A place where you are able to escape to. Home can change if you change where you live. At first you may not seem comfortable, but then it is not yet a home. Once you get used to it, then it becomes a home.

Note Card

In presenting most media, whatever is used to create it is usually used to get the point across and thats it. However, sometimes the artist wants those to be noticed by the audience. Sometimes the point of the piece is to show off the medium specifically. As demonstrated by overlapping animation with live-action. See Justin Blau's card for more on this. Writing on an index card, the writer and reader are aware of space constraints, but are aware of the fragility of the situation that occurs when these notecards are switched every five minutes. This awareness is particularly increased when the writers exchange notecards mid-sentence and the tone changes drastically. This focus on less of a main point to gather, and of a lee on to learn from how a writer will react to certain situations that deal with a certain media, especially a media that can change voice in every five minutes.

John Wideman

I went to see author John Wideman speak. It was an interesting experience. Many people had shown up, most of them not from the school. He was obviously a very influential person. I had never went to see an author speak so I wasn't sure what to expect. From what I understood, it seemed that he wrote mostly about African Americans, and he was able to write in their voice very well. After his introduction, he read a piece  of work that he was working on. That lasted most of the time he had. After that there was a question and answer session. Many people had questions for him about his new work and his old works. It may have been better if I had went there after read some of his writing, but it was still interesting.

Group 3

Their argument is that changing technology improves writing. We started with the codex, then moved to the printing press, and then the computer. They say that the computer has been the greatest change to writing so far.

Group 2

Their argument is that digital text has redefined writing. Since there is more technology, there is more competition and digital text has started to take over. This will affect the way you write as well because the materials you use to write change the way you write.

Group 1

Their argument is that digital text gives us many more possibilities than written text can. There can be many multimedia interactions. Communication has gotten faster and there are more opportunities to communicate with others.

Jaques Derrida

Are you ever afraid to write? Do you take writing as seriously as Jaques Derrida?

There has never been a time where I have been afraid to write. It might be because nothing I have ever written has been so important. Most of my writing is for fun or for school. I usually don't write about subjects that I'm scared of. I might be afraid of a grade I am going to get, but not afraid to write about a subject.

Band Prezi

Click to see our prezi

Taylor Mali

How does the poem differ in its two versions? What role does spoken word (orality) privilege? What does the textual writing space (unconventional as it is) play in the transmission of meaning?

After watching the two versions of Taylor Mali's poem, there were some major differences. Once was during the live performance of the poem you were able to see his body language. This helped emphasize certain points of the poem. It showed how strongly he believed what he was saying. You were also able to see the audiences reactions. Most people seemed to look like they were enjoying it. Both versions had the audio version of the poem. It is a key element in the presenting of the poem. The way he read it made it sound like the laid back vernacular which most people speak in. It sounds more like a simple conversation than a poem being read. Also he is able to raise his voice at points that are important. If we were reading it then we wouldn't be able to tell what points should be important. The format that the textual presentation is in is very interesting. If it was normal text it would be very boring and not have a big impact. However the way the text flows goes with his words well and really helps us see what he is saying.

5 Minute Free-write Is the Machine Using Us?

In a way the machine is using us. Because like he says the web is learning every time we do something on it. And everyone uses it so it is constantly being shown new things. It also shaped what we do. Instead of talking in person we might use the web to communicate with each other. We even take specific pictures to post on the web. There are some people who only know each other virtually and have never met in person. Their whole relationship has been online and they may be changed by that.