Final Post for The Soloist

Upon my completion for reading The Soloist, I have to say that it was a nice break from the past readings that we have had this year. The thing that i enjoyed most about The Soloist is that it was real! Unlike the other books we have read this one was actually a true story about real people and their real problems. That is why I think I enjoyed reading this book so much, it had me hooked from beginning to end because as I was reading it I knew what I was reading actually happened. Even better is that these events are still currently happening and are ongoing with Lopez and Ayers. I think this is why this book had me hooked.

As far as chapters 23-31 go they same things basically occurred, other than a fight or two. A fight did arise between Ayers and Lopez where Ayers' condition did get the best of him. Ayers says a lot of nasty things to Lopez and at this point Lopez could have easily started to avoid Ayers and given up their relationship. But, Lopez accepts Ayers for who he is and disregards the things he said about him. He knows Ayers for the great person he is inside and knows and accepts him for his sickness. Their friendship is far more than it once started out as a few newspaper articles.

This book is a story about two unlike people that form a friendship because one of them is an ambitious journalist that seeks the goodness in people, and the other is a person down on his luck that needs a friend. They form the eternal bond that is a good friendship. They are still friends to this day, far past the time the book was written. And I will assume that the great bond that is their friendship will go on for many many more years to come.

Focus: Overall content of my post.

The Soloist 13-22

Chapters 13-22 of "The Soloist" was filled with the things that I was hoping and expecting going into the reading of it. It was enjoyable finding out that I was actually right in guessing what would happen next in a book, even though this one was kind of obvious. It got me excited. Lopez and Ayers' friendship grows stronger and they experience many more encounters with one another. Ayers grows more and more comfortable with Lopez and I believe begins to see him as a real friend and someone who cares for him. However, once in a while Ayers' "condition" will act up from time to time but nothing too serious to destroy or ruin their friendship.

Lopez seeks answers in this section of the book. He looks for answers to see if what he is doing is worth it for Ayers and whether or not it is helping him. He visits many doctors with many different points of view. Some believe he should be on medication, while others believe in the get to know their patients and their point of view, then make a decision. But almost all them seem to agree that Lopez is helping Ayers. Friendship seems to be a key and perhaps, the best medication for Ayers' problem. Lopez is in my opinion helping him whether the doctors agree or not, everyone needs a friend. Someone they can talk to and be there for them in tough times. And Ayers is indeed going through some seriosuly difficult times.

I think in these chapters is where we start to see the meaning of this book and what it is really trying to tell us. How we handle and accept those of mental illnesses in America, also how poverty and race are taken into that effect. It also shows how people can cope with their problems, not so much with medicine or a prescription from a doctor but by doing things they love. It shows how a simple love for music can help someone through tough times in their life. Ayers never gives up playing or listening to the thing he loves most, music. He does not let his schizophrenia hold him down, he is truly a strong person.

Focus: Last paragraph.

The Soloist 7-12

This weeks readings really helped my understanding and getting to know of Steve Lopez. It showed me what kind of writer he is. In the one article Lopez took an interest in a young woman who played basketball, nicknamed "Sweets." Lopez got so in depth in this story with loads of background information and other important details to help connect to his readers. I think this is relevant because it shows that Nathaniel Ayers was not the only person who he got in depth with for a story. However, he did take a greater interest in Ayers considering the fact that they are still close friends, a book on his story has been released, and a movie as well. The point is that it shows that he is a good journalist who takes a great interest in what he is writing about and always finds the "story beneath the story" and that to me is the mark of a not only a great writer but a great journalist.

In chapters 7-12 this is where it seems that Lopez and others take a greater and in depth look at Ayers mental illness, paranoid schizophrenia. It is in these chapters that I think Lopez starts to see Ayers as more of a friend rather than just some random bum on the street giving him some creative writing to put in his column. A bond is forming between them and it shows. Lopez takes a bigger interest in Ayers. He begins to care about Ayers and Ayers begins to trust and believe in Lopez. Ayers really didn't have any friends, anyone to talk to, or anyone to really care for him or about him. Lopez takes the role of that person in Ayers' life and in my opinion is someone that Ayers greatly needed. An example of this friendships growth is when Lopez spends a night with Ayers. Here we learn a little more about Ayers present life. He shows a side that not even Lopez knew. Lopez is shocked to see how Ayers lives every single day. He knew how to make a fit camp, he knew who to make his camp around, he knew how to hide his possessions so that they would not get stolen, and he knew how to defend himself against predators.

The relationship between these two unlikely is growing with every chapter so far. I keep learning new things about both of them. Examples include Ayers' somewhat bipolar like behavior like when Lopez wants to take him to Disney Hall. Also, how Ayers actually survives his sometimes seemingly scary life. As for Lopez I keep learning what it means to be a good journalist and how far you actually can go into stories as well as what type of influence you can be to someone who has had a rough couple years and needs a break. Part one was excited and I am looking forward to reading part two, hopefully it is full of more Disney Hall trips and overnighters with Ayers.

Focus: Any thoughts you have for this post, positive/negative so I can use for future posts.

The Soloist 1-6

So far, the first six chapters of "The Soloist" have been a nice break from our past class readings. I have enjoyed the book so far and hope it stays at this enjoyable pace for me. The main reason why I think I am enjoying more than others is it's structure and the way Steve Lopez wrote it. Lopez's style of writing is a nice break from the perfect and predictable structure of other writers. Lopez writes this book in what seems to me as a big newspaper article so far, (thanks to the pointing out of Mr. Fiorini.) The way it is written so far makes it an easier read.

The newspaper feel makes it easier to read because newspapers are made for a wide spread audience, suitable for all people and ages. The fact that this story is real also makes me want to read it more because i know it is based on actual events and actual people. Nathaniel Ayers is a troubled man living in the tunnels of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. He is found by Steve Lopez, a journalist for a local newspaper who was actually seeking out a different story but stumbles upon this amazing young man, Nathaniel Ayers. He finds Ayers playing a violin on a small street corner, he notices two things. One, he notices how well Ayers is actually playing, despite his low knowledge of classical music. And two, he notices that Ayers is playing his violin with only two strings. His first visit leads him to one newspaper article in Ayers' honor.

Lopez becomes so fascinated with Ayers after the first visit. He frequently tries to keep visiting Ayers and find out what his story is. He finds out a couple of things after a few more visits. He finds out that Ayers attended Julliard, that he lives in the tunnels of Skid Row, and that he suffers from schizophrenia. His illness led him to drop out of the predigious Julliard. Lopez may be a believer in the old saying, "never judge a book by it's cover." If he had, he may have never met Ayers, never made this book, and the new movie adapted from the book would never have been made. The first six chapters have been great and I am looking forward to reading the rest of this book.

Focus: Opening paragraph

The Catcher in the Rye

Holden Caulfield is the main character in "The Catcher in the Rye" he is in the center of this adventurous tale of a misguided teens journey home. Reading this was far different that any other book I have ever read before. It goes against all of the normal guidelines that most books have. It seemed to be just a big journal or diary kept by Hold Caulfield himself.

Holden Caulfield has many problems in this novel. He is almost always depressed, often seems lonely, and hates pretty much everyone. He has a horrible attitude, he walks around with the attitude that he is better than everyone else and if you are not as good as him he doesn't like you. A perfect example is when his roomate, Marc Cross, has his suitcases out and Caulfield comments on how cheap his suitcases are. He makes the assumption that just because Cross's suitcases aren't as expensive as his he isn't as good as him. For a person to hate someone just because their suitcases are "cheap" is completely insane. That is just one example of Caulfield's attitude towards people, not just in this situation but throughout almost the entire novel.

When Caulfield is walking the streets one day he sees a family with a little boy walking in the street close to the curb singing the song "Catcher in the Rye" this is where the story gets his name. Caulfield says that this gets him happy and he is no longer depressed after hearing the little boy sing the song. This of course after he as trouble the night before with the woman he encountered. So, this brightens up his day when he hears the little boy singing. It amazed me how something so small can change his day around.

At points in the story Caulfield is very similiar to me to a person with a children's mindset. He always seems to ask simple questions and really wants to know the answers, like a child. Always asking question after question, usually with a simple answer or an answer to which no one really cares about or cares to find out about. Caulfield's famous question is "Where do you think the ducks in Central Park go when the water freezes?" He first asks this question when he is in a cab and tries making small talk with the driver. The driver thinks he is just playing around with him but Caulfield really is interested in the answer. This is not the only time when he asks this to someone. Caulfield sometimes takes on the mindset of a child with his simple questions, the simple things that excite him, and the extremely simple things that make him angry.

Focus: My first paragraph. I'm still having a hard time opening up these "free-write" blogs and don't know how well I'm doing with them.

Death of a Salesman

"The Great Gatsby" and "Death of a Salesman" are common in their approach to the time period of the 1920s. Gatsby and Willy Loman both had the idea of money and power. Gatsby got his money by doing illegal things whereas Willy was the average salesman. Willy relied on his personality, being well liked, good looking, and smart to be the best salesman he could be. Although this novel did not take place during the 1920s, Willy Loman believed in many of the same ideas of that period. The American dream of wealth and what you can become and the dreams you can achieve with the money you have. Willy is struggling to regain his old self. He begins to find it hard to return to the power he once had as a salesman that everyone came to, but more important to him, the salesman that everyone loved.

Willy begins to feel afraid and trapped so he turns to things such as cheating on his wife, contemplating suicide, and turning on his children, in particular Biff. The reason for these drastic actions is hard to explain, and I think that there is no real answer. The reason for him cheating on his wife in my opinion is that he feels insecure that he can not support her anymore. So, he goes off and cheats on her out of his insecurity. The suicide attempts I think are Willy coming to the fact that in his eyes he is done. There is nothing more for him to accomplish in his life, he has hit his highs and his lows just like everyone else and he can't put up with it anymore. So he turns the his last option, death. The children problems are just the typical father son dillemas of the father not wanting his sons to end up like him. He wants the best for them and them to be better than he is and he doesn't want them to end up to what he has fallen into.

Willy has his problems just like anyone else, but in my opinion his biggest problem his not being able to realize that the past is the past and that times have changed, he isn't the same salesman he once was. That is the problem that leads him to take the actions that I have previously stated. He has it stuck in his head that he is the same salesman he once was and that he can still be that same salesman that everyone fell in love with.

Focus: I would like whoever comments to look at my second paragraph and the questions and answers I give.

Blogger Experience

When we switched from the google group to blogger I thought it was just going to be another boring website, but I was wrong. Blogger is definately better than the google group, everyone has there own personal page where the can display themselves to their classmates. Instead of just one or two boring white and plain everyone has there own with all of their writings that you can easily read whenever you want. Also, you have the oppurtunity to comment on your classmates writings on their page.

This English class is so different than any other class I've been in during high school. In other classes it's the same boring homework every night. All the textbook work, reading stories, and copying vocab. This class isn't like that at all, it's just so much better and makes it more fun for students. The homework is different and so is the classwork. It's not just reading stories and answering questions on them, it's still writing but in a different more exciting way. It is so much more open to anything you want to say or how you feel about something we did in class.

I really enjoy doing this blogger. It was a fun six weeks writing these blogs on the weekends. I really like the layout of the website, I like how if I'm stuck on an assignment I can surf through my classmates posts and gather some ideas. It is a helpful site from that perspective. I hope that we can continue to do these blogs in the fourth quarter. It's a different form of reading and writing that is enjoyable and I don't think that I'm the only one with this opinion either.

Final Gatsby Post

"That was always my experience—a poor boy in a rich town; a poor boy in a rich boy's school; a poor boy in a rich man's club at Princeton…I have never been able to forgive the rich for being rich, and it has colored my entire life and works."
–F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Life in Letters

This quote stuck out to me more than others because it seemed so familiar. I believe that this quote directly relates to The Great Gatsby, in particular, the character of Nick Carraway. Nick was an average kid from Minnesota who moves to New York and is surrounded by all of these rich and fancy people with there big houses and what not. I don't know when this quote was written, whether it be before or after The Great Gatsby was written, but I think these were definately Fitzgerald's intentions when creating the character of Nick.

Fitzgerald says "...I have never been able to forgive the rich for being rich, and it has colored my entire life and works." When he refers to his works I think this is a direct reference to when he created Nick in The Great Gatsby. Nick was an average person when he moved to New York and he lived in the rich part of town in the West Egg. He says he was a poor man in the rich school of Princeton and in the book it says Nick attended Yale, seemingly him being Nick as the poor boy in Princeton.

This quote I think relates to the most interesting character in the book, other than Gatsby, Nick Carraway. There isn't a doubt in my mind that this quote doesn't relate to Nick. All the pieces fit in, the poor boy in the rich neighborhood, the poor boy in the rich school, and the reference to that quote being colored in his life's works. This quote is Nick Carraway, the young boy from Minnesota.

I also chose to do another piece of wordle art because i enjoyed doing it last weekend. I also think it brings out the text and is a good and creative tool to use in writing. It makes it enjoyable and spices up the blog page, for something to really jump out at the readers.

Gatsby Journal Chapter 1

In chapter one, Fitzgerald firsts introduces Nick Carraway who is the books narrator. He first tells a little about himself, his life in Minnesota, why he came to New York, and what he was taught by his father. He came to New York to work in bond business. His father told him to reserve judgement on people and keep private thoughts about people to himself. Nick however, contradicts himself and immediately comments on Gatsby, saying how he is based on everything he scorns. Nick rents a house in Long Island in the part called the West Egg. We learned that Long Island is split into two parts, the East and West Egg. The West Egg is said to be made for the "new rich" and the East Egg is home to the "old rich." Nick's appartment is next door to Gatsby's "gothic mansion." Nick goes to visit his cousin Daisy who lives in the East Egg of Long Island with her husband Tom Buchanan. Tom is ignorant, arrogant, and racist person, not to mention he is very full of himself. When Nick gets the the house he meets Jordan Baker, Daisy's friend. Nick also finds out from Jordan that Tom is cheating on Daisy and has had manny affairs with a woman named Myrtle Wilson. As Nick is leaving Tom as Daisy tell him he should take Jordan on a date. When Nick gets home he sees Gatsby for the first time standing out on his lawn.

When first reading chapter one I was very confused, I had to read it two or three times to fully understand it. I was particularly confused with the whole East and West Egg scenario. I found out that the West Egg was made for the "new rich" people who have recently made their fortune and the West Egg the "old rich" for people the who have had their money for generations and many years. I was a little bored to begin with but the energy picked up when Nick went to Daisy's and then came home and saw Gatsby for the first time.

Poetry Supermarket

http://us.mc577.mail.yahoo.com/mc/showMessage?fid=%2540B%2540Bulk&sort=date&order=down&startMid=0&.rand=1620500505&da=0&midIndex=0&mid=1_1577_1648_ADvsjkQAAIxnSbU7%2BQY4DEY4wA8&f=1&m=

Ginsberg was born on June 3, 1926 and died on April 5, 1997. He was born into a Jewish family in Newark, New Jersey. His father was also a poet and his mother was a member of the Communist party. When he was young he began to write to the New York Times about some political issues he saw going on in the world. He attended Columbia University. Ginsberg was also an early and firm believer in gay rights. Ginsberg was a homosexual and expressed this in his poems. His spouse was a man named Peter Orlovsky. He wrote mostly in the realism period of poetry. Because he wrote during this period it was a little easier reading and responding because we had just got done studying this period.

After reading "On Burroughs Work" I did not know what it was really about at first. After reading it over a few times and also reading some background information on Ginsberg it began to seem more clear. Ginsberg as a child saw and experienced the political problems that were associated with World War II. Later in his life he also experienced life during the Vietnam War. I think some of those influences led him to write this poem. He uses the word prisons a few times and also specifically names prisons. I think he does this to describe briefly what life was like during the wars. In the last lines Ginsberg says "But allegories are so much lettuce.
Don't hide the madness." I think when he says don't hide the madness it possibly refers to the government or people in general trying to hide or pretend that these terrible things did not happen.

http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Allen-Ginsberg/8929

When I read this I saw a similar theme to "On Burroughs Work." I noticed him talking about war again. I think that growing up during two major wars drastically impacted his life as in the two poems I chose both talked about it. He also uses repetition in this poem, which he does not use in "On Burroughs Work."

From the two poems I chose and read I think there are some distinct things that can emphasize Ginsberg as an American poet. The obvious thing I think is his references to war. Living during World War II and how the United States got involved, with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, can be something that can greatly affect someone and their poetry. Also with the Vietnam War which was one of the deadliest wars in American history and Ginsberg writing about them show him being an American. That was the major thing I noticed when reading his works that showed Ginsberg as being an American.

American Realism

I chose to read about Mark Twain because he was the only one of the writers I have heard of before so I was interested in reading more about him. After reading his stories I found him to be quite different than the recent American Romanticism writers we read. He seemed to be less interested in nature and religion like the romantics were. He seemed to just tell stories about things more interesting and easier to read. Rather than some of the boring stories we read on American Romanticism. I would say that there was some progression from the romantics and the realists. Romantics focused on nature, religion, and God. Realists focus on real life problems and stay away from nature and religion, this from only reading Twain. But yes, I think progression did occur from these two periods.

I particularly enjoyed reading Twain's "The Story of the Little Good Boy" and "The Story of the Little Bad Boy". I enjoyed the irony in both of them. Their themes are quite similar. I think a good theme for these two stories can be summed up as to life your life with no goals, don't try to please everyone. Do things because you want to, not so you can get in a Sunday book. What is meant to be will be. I think Twain would have been a believer in the old saying, "everything happens for a reason" or "the universe always has a plan". What is meant to happen will happen even if you are the best or worst boy in the world. You can't map out your life by just being good, that doesnt mean something bad won't necessarily happen to you.

I had a hard time determining the difference between to whom and for whom these stories are written for. So therefore in my opinion, I think all of these stories by Twain are written to a common group. And that group is teenagers. I think he is writing to teenagers so they can understand some of the things that can happen in life. Also, there are all types of good and bad teenagers and I'm sure there are times when bad things happen to the good ones and good things happen to the bad ones. I think these stories are for adults, particularly parents and teachers. I think it is for parents and teachers because they need to not sugar coat everything and tell their kids that everything will always be fine when it won't be all the time. That is the idea of to and for whom these stories were written.

For me reading these stories was a nice break from the romantics. It was both suspenseful and easy to read. I got something out of it that I had forgotten about. And that basically is to live life to the fullest. Whether it be a jumping frog, a good boy who wants to be in a Sunday book and dies, or a bad boy who lives life without a care and a bit of luck. Just live your life.


"Thus perished the good little boy who did the best he could, but didn't come out according to thebooks. Every boy who ever did as he did prospered except him. His case is truly remarkable. It will probably never be accounted for." This is a quote I picked from "The Story of the Good Little Boy" I chose this quote because I think it reflects the theme I chose. Being that some great people no matter what they do will never be remembered for their actions. This means that even though the boy helped everyone and did the right thing all the time he will never be remembered for it because he died and never got a chance to be a part of the Sunday book. This reflects why I like Mark Twain, with the twists and twurls in his writing. He always keeps you guessing and hides secret meanings within his words that are just waiting to be found out.

The Power of Words

The question is, does writing have the power to enact social change? My initially reaction to this question was no way. But after reading this, my opinion was changed. I know believe that writing does have the power to enact social change, mainly because it now has changed me. All pieces of writing are written for a reason, so people's voices can be heard. For some people writing is easier than speaking and their emotions come out better with a paper and pen. Writing is more powerful than some people give it credit for.

After reading this poem I felt heart-broken for all of the people across the sea who lost and are still losing their lives. I particularly noticed and felt sorry for all of the innocent women and children who were killed by the bombing of Baghdad. I couldn't help but notice it as Jordan repeatedly said it during the poem. One of the ways that I think Jordan was most successful was in Aerostotle's pathos rhetoric.

She used pathos (emotional appeal) with her repitition and constantly reminding the readers of all the innocent women and children that the bombing of Baghdad really killed. Reminding American citizens what is going on in Iraq. She gives a great feel of anti-war belief and how many people we are killing that have done nothing wrong.

With all of these thoughts rolled up into one, words are very powerful and can influence anyone who takes the time to read and understand them. Writing does have the power to enact social change.

price of a child

For this writing assignment for “The Price of a Child,” I chose to draw a picture that gets the point of what the story meant to me across. I began by simply writing the title of the book on the top left and bottom right of the page. Next, I found a picture that reminded me of Mercer. I drew her walking with her two children, Etta and Manny. I then drew a small hill with Mercer’s final child Bennie at the bottom of with Mercer at the top looking back at him.
The hill in my opinion is the most important thing is the drawing. To me in symbolizes Mercer’s struggles in how it was so hard for her to leave her child behind and perhaps never see him again, which we know that was the outcome. She is walking down the hill with her two children at her side looking back at the one that isn’t with her. This goes back into what my idea into what the title means. To me it means what does a mother do for her children, what sacrifices does she have to make? Mercer made the decision to sacrifice never seeing her child again in return getting to stay with her other two children. She made the decision of instead of leaving all of her children without having a mother, she chose just to leave Bennie without one. I know this must have been very difficult for her but in my opinion it was the best decision. Also in the picture Mercer is bleeding on her knees and mouth. I did this to show the hardships she went through being a slave and her relationship with Pryor. Her blood was the only thing that I decided to color because I wanted it to stand out and be the first thing that grabbed the audience’s attention.
In conclusion, I enjoyed this project more than other ones because I never had a project be this open before. I was never able to draw a picture and describe it like this and have doing it like I did this project. I also think it conveys the message of the story that came out for me in this drawing.