So let's begin with my favorite story of all time, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. Go and read it, I don't care that it's 100 pages long or that the new season of Jersey Shore is on in only a few months and you can't commit to such a long-term book that is a little over a hundred pages. Read it, understand it. Hemingway's mastery is in simplicity, there are 2, really only 1, main characters. It is the Mona Lisa of books, perfection with words. Man can be destroyed but not defeated. I don't care who you are, this book is for you. I don't even like fishing, or really know much about it, but this story is about so much more than a man fishing in a tug boat.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Old Man and the Sea
This blog began as a school assignment, and here it continues as a...life assignment. The goal will be redirected to focusing on books, what you should read, need to read, shouldn't read, and all else sort of reads.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Sitting, Waiting, Stalking...
For the dialogue-writing exercise, I combined elements of conversation from sitting outside the Business school, to what I saw on "The Real World" (A bad habit of mine---reality TV). The names are of my creation, unless I really am a good judge of character, so much so that I am spot-on with personality/name stereotypes. Anyway...
Kara: So, I broke up with Matt on Monday, and I think I'm going to finally take the pictures of us down, you think you could, like, help me out?
Dave: Of course -- sure, so do you think this is gonna be it?
Kara: I mean, yeah (rising inflection, as if answering in a question), like, we've done this before a million times, but it's never been, like, this big before, y'know?
Dave: Totally
Kara: So, enough of my blabbing. Are you still seeing Ms. Snooty?
Dave: No -- well, I guess not. We haven't talked for awhile.
Kara: What's awhile?
Dave: Like--(pauses)--almost a week. She probably found a Mr. Snooty in one of her classes, probably Arrogance 101.
(Both Laugh)
Dave: Oh yeah, I got a new cell phone number, did I give it to you yet?
Kara: Ahh, trying to cut down on the stalkers, huh? (brief giggle) No I don't think so, you have mine though, right?
Dave: I believe so, here, I'll call you really quick---so we can stalk each other (nervous laughter)
(continues, then Kara briefly laughs)
Kara: Anyway, how's the academia going for you this year?
Dave: Well, you know, it's going. I'm in a really cool psych class, with the same teacher I had last year, so I'm pretty..well psyched you could say (laughs at self) how about you? (with an anxious smile on his face)
Kara: Same old, business is business, y'know?
Dave: Yeah. So what's going on this weekend, anything exciting?
Kara: I've heard of a few things.
Dave: Well, we should hang out this weekend. Hit the town -- and leave it wondering who came by. Or maybe we could just stalk like everyone else seems to love doing.
Kara: Hah, totally--
Dave: (Catching the hint) Well, err, I've got class here in a minute, I'll catch up with you later.
Kara: Okay, seeya dave.
Dave: Be sure to drop me a text or something!
Kara: So, I broke up with Matt on Monday, and I think I'm going to finally take the pictures of us down, you think you could, like, help me out?
Dave: Of course -- sure, so do you think this is gonna be it?
Kara: I mean, yeah (rising inflection, as if answering in a question), like, we've done this before a million times, but it's never been, like, this big before, y'know?
Dave: Totally
Kara: So, enough of my blabbing. Are you still seeing Ms. Snooty?
Dave: No -- well, I guess not. We haven't talked for awhile.
Kara: What's awhile?
Dave: Like--(pauses)--almost a week. She probably found a Mr. Snooty in one of her classes, probably Arrogance 101.
(Both Laugh)
Dave: Oh yeah, I got a new cell phone number, did I give it to you yet?
Kara: Ahh, trying to cut down on the stalkers, huh? (brief giggle) No I don't think so, you have mine though, right?
Dave: I believe so, here, I'll call you really quick---so we can stalk each other (nervous laughter)
(continues, then Kara briefly laughs)
Kara: Anyway, how's the academia going for you this year?
Dave: Well, you know, it's going. I'm in a really cool psych class, with the same teacher I had last year, so I'm pretty..well psyched you could say (laughs at self) how about you? (with an anxious smile on his face)
Kara: Same old, business is business, y'know?
Dave: Yeah. So what's going on this weekend, anything exciting?
Kara: I've heard of a few things.
Dave: Well, we should hang out this weekend. Hit the town -- and leave it wondering who came by. Or maybe we could just stalk like everyone else seems to love doing.
Kara: Hah, totally--
Dave: (Catching the hint) Well, err, I've got class here in a minute, I'll catch up with you later.
Kara: Okay, seeya dave.
Dave: Be sure to drop me a text or something!
A Janitor, a Philadelphia, and a CheeseSteak Sandwich
The Philadelphia by David Ives
Humor, in my opinion, is one of the hardest genres to capture in writing without losing the essence of the jokes. Mr. Ives, however, does a fantastic job with it in this one-act script. It is great in so many aspects: the role reversal, the humor (of course), and the cultural relevance. Al, the calm and cool cat, despite losing his job and girlfriend, is mentally in a Los Angeles, while Mark is caught in one of the worse cities, up there with Baltimore, in a Philadelphia. In the beginning of the act, Mark is anxious and frazzled by the occurrences of the day, only to have Al explain how to get through the situation. Only minutes later, when Al realizes he, too, is caught in the abyss that is a Philadelphia, he becomes equally as frazzled as Mark was previously (whilst Mark, now, has the cool demeanor). This reminds me of how people love to give advice, but can never adhere to it, or take it from others. David Ives caught the reality of these sort of situations perfectly here. I also admire that he created the concept of taking the stereotypical feelings about certain cities to explain the mood of the self, and the reactions of those around the self. Reading this story instantly made me a David Ives fan, and I will soon be vigilantly seeking out more of his work.
The Janitor by August Wilson
Such an intellectually modest character, "One of them fellows in that Shakespeare stuff said, 'I am not what I am.'...", yet such a powerful word-smith all the same, "The last note on Gabriel's horn always gets lost when you get to realizing you done heard the first." The characterization made this play an instant-classic in my mind; the janitor is an imaginative, humble, introspective, insightful and hardworking man, able to win over the hearts of the audience within five minutes of dialogue. It is almost as if August Wilson wrote this one-act in response to feeling like he has wasted his years, or through seeing someone display similar emotions. It is quite heart-felt, and the contrast of Mr. Collins' "quit wasting time" was really well placed, despite the arrogance and contempt his one piece of dialogue held for the janitor. Overall, this is a speech that will linger like a krakken in the imaginative abyss of the sea, that is my mind (not even close to the beauty that the janitor was able to spill-out on the fly).
I am a fan of short prose and short stories, having not read many of these one-act plays, nor closet plays. But after reading these, I have become a quick fan, and will certainly be on the look out for more of the same (of these playwrights first, as I know no others at the moment). For that alone, the class has already been worth the while.
Humor, in my opinion, is one of the hardest genres to capture in writing without losing the essence of the jokes. Mr. Ives, however, does a fantastic job with it in this one-act script. It is great in so many aspects: the role reversal, the humor (of course), and the cultural relevance. Al, the calm and cool cat, despite losing his job and girlfriend, is mentally in a Los Angeles, while Mark is caught in one of the worse cities, up there with Baltimore, in a Philadelphia. In the beginning of the act, Mark is anxious and frazzled by the occurrences of the day, only to have Al explain how to get through the situation. Only minutes later, when Al realizes he, too, is caught in the abyss that is a Philadelphia, he becomes equally as frazzled as Mark was previously (whilst Mark, now, has the cool demeanor). This reminds me of how people love to give advice, but can never adhere to it, or take it from others. David Ives caught the reality of these sort of situations perfectly here. I also admire that he created the concept of taking the stereotypical feelings about certain cities to explain the mood of the self, and the reactions of those around the self. Reading this story instantly made me a David Ives fan, and I will soon be vigilantly seeking out more of his work.
The Janitor by August Wilson
Such an intellectually modest character, "One of them fellows in that Shakespeare stuff said, 'I am not what I am.'...", yet such a powerful word-smith all the same, "The last note on Gabriel's horn always gets lost when you get to realizing you done heard the first." The characterization made this play an instant-classic in my mind; the janitor is an imaginative, humble, introspective, insightful and hardworking man, able to win over the hearts of the audience within five minutes of dialogue. It is almost as if August Wilson wrote this one-act in response to feeling like he has wasted his years, or through seeing someone display similar emotions. It is quite heart-felt, and the contrast of Mr. Collins' "quit wasting time" was really well placed, despite the arrogance and contempt his one piece of dialogue held for the janitor. Overall, this is a speech that will linger like a krakken in the imaginative abyss of the sea, that is my mind (not even close to the beauty that the janitor was able to spill-out on the fly).
I am a fan of short prose and short stories, having not read many of these one-act plays, nor closet plays. But after reading these, I have become a quick fan, and will certainly be on the look out for more of the same (of these playwrights first, as I know no others at the moment). For that alone, the class has already been worth the while.
Cuban Swimmer is a Splash with the Cultured
Okay, so I know the title of the post was my sad attempt at a journalist's heading, but that aside... The Cuban Swimmer by Milcha Sanchez-Scott is a great story of internal turmoil over cultural identity.
The protagonist, Margarita Suarez, is constantly being defined by each of the other characters, through their dialogue, actions, and mannerisms. For instance, her grand mother solely speaks in her native tongue, Spanish, which seems to be the liaison between Margarita and her native roots, and a constant reminder for her to adhere to her heritage. Her grand mother also provides the religious, or spiritual center for the family, and for the story itself. In contrast to the spirituality of the grand mother, is the American journalists in the helicopter, who look down (literally and figuratively) on the Cubans below them with their "ragtag" ways, almost pitying Margarita. This shows the ease of which the American Mass Media comes to conclusions, logical in the eye of the ignorant "drive-by media" (as Rush Limbaugh refers to it, speaking of ignorance) and how the story will ultimately make the news and be viewed by the public.
As for her father and brother, they both represent Margarita's battle with her role as a woman. Her father drives her through coaching, with the authority and subtext of what the traditional eldest male child would receive, in that she is competing athletically (in what was once considered solely a male trait) in a very competitive event. Her brother understands the relationship, and as a response to his own esteem and envy, uses humor and sarcasm to cope. Going back to the culture theme, her brother speaks in English for the most part, which seems to show the modern trend of Hispanic people, who are fluent in both English and Spanish, yet choose to mostly speak English, which could be viewed (especially by the grand mother) as turning one's back on one's heritage.
So as all of this pressure and distraction is going on around her, defining her, she goes underwater and begins a self-reflection through the "conversation" with the fish. As she emerges from near-death independently, from what everyone else assumed was her death (meaning the death of her old identity, of being defined by others) she is borne a new individual, and succeeds in the race, as well as in her self-realization.
Considering I am a Scandinavia, French and maybe a bit Polish Caucasian, I cannot fully understand the battles of culture that ensue within those of mixed heritage; my family is not religious (save for a crazy cat-lady great aunt), I also cannot fully immerse myself in the spiritual debates that are so prevalent in many cultures. However, this was an endearing, interesting tale of finding one's self.
The protagonist, Margarita Suarez, is constantly being defined by each of the other characters, through their dialogue, actions, and mannerisms. For instance, her grand mother solely speaks in her native tongue, Spanish, which seems to be the liaison between Margarita and her native roots, and a constant reminder for her to adhere to her heritage. Her grand mother also provides the religious, or spiritual center for the family, and for the story itself. In contrast to the spirituality of the grand mother, is the American journalists in the helicopter, who look down (literally and figuratively) on the Cubans below them with their "ragtag" ways, almost pitying Margarita. This shows the ease of which the American Mass Media comes to conclusions, logical in the eye of the ignorant "drive-by media" (as Rush Limbaugh refers to it, speaking of ignorance) and how the story will ultimately make the news and be viewed by the public.
As for her father and brother, they both represent Margarita's battle with her role as a woman. Her father drives her through coaching, with the authority and subtext of what the traditional eldest male child would receive, in that she is competing athletically (in what was once considered solely a male trait) in a very competitive event. Her brother understands the relationship, and as a response to his own esteem and envy, uses humor and sarcasm to cope. Going back to the culture theme, her brother speaks in English for the most part, which seems to show the modern trend of Hispanic people, who are fluent in both English and Spanish, yet choose to mostly speak English, which could be viewed (especially by the grand mother) as turning one's back on one's heritage.
So as all of this pressure and distraction is going on around her, defining her, she goes underwater and begins a self-reflection through the "conversation" with the fish. As she emerges from near-death independently, from what everyone else assumed was her death (meaning the death of her old identity, of being defined by others) she is borne a new individual, and succeeds in the race, as well as in her self-realization.
Considering I am a Scandinavia, French and maybe a bit Polish Caucasian, I cannot fully understand the battles of culture that ensue within those of mixed heritage; my family is not religious (save for a crazy cat-lady great aunt), I also cannot fully immerse myself in the spiritual debates that are so prevalent in many cultures. However, this was an endearing, interesting tale of finding one's self.
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