Maps to Anywhere Part 1

The different elements throughout, “Maps to Anywhere” relate to formal essays. Many easy attention getters are asking a question and stating a fact. The story “Atlantis” and “On the Air” both start with a question. In “Beacons Burning Down” section The Miracle Chicken it starts with a fact. One other particular point that reminds me of an essay is in “On the Air” where it talks about a city sinking into lead at the beginning of the story and at the end brings the whole story full circle. In many of the stories have are metaphors in them. The most interesting story would be “On the Air.” It is almost like an argumentative essay trying to convince people to no just tear buildings down to create very modern ones. In an argumentative essay, typically you take a positive from the opposite view, in this case Louis Boullet, and rip it apart, like stating he is a drunk and envies the elite. Next he brings up how comic book cities are real and great. Another story, "The Biggest, Most Beautiful Balcony in the World" starts off with a flashback that is very realistic. Unlike most flashbacks where every detail is remembered this one excludes some because the narrator can not remember. It also shows the two paths a dream can take. The niece changes or forgets her curiosity about the world, while the main character still strives to achieve through his life. It ends on a halfway sad note that the narrator wishes their life was different and had the view on a balcony they always wanted. This almost brings in a lesson that dreaming and wishing is not always enough to get you there. In the section, “Beacons Burning Down” the stories seem to call upon one person, thing, item, and place and take it in a new direction. Commonly, it is a disappointing direction where they wish society or their situation was different. 

Essay Leaves me Wondering

One of the most liked pieces was called "Mint Snowball." It is a story I can relate to. Both of my grandfather has passed and can relate that there are many small things that remind me of him or where was was from. The layout of the story is well planned. First giving who owns the story what they serve, second what is so special about the place/object, and finally on a personal level what it means to her. A special moment in the piece is the descriptive moment of how taste is translated into vision. After tasting that dessert she images the Swiss village. This story has a real feeling, because it defiantly could of happened and invoke those feelings. A more informative playful story is the "Mute Dancers: How to Watch a Hummingbird." Woven throughout the piece are facts about hummingbirds from their body functions to the Mayan culture they have influenced. There are cleaver short metaphors like, "most birds are busy singing a small operetta of who and what and where" (296). Much of the creative language makes the essay feel more fluent and exciting. When I read the Goldberg writings I feel like my confidence does not need this and I am understanding of how to take different situations. However, the most interesting idea to help motivate writing was in the "Blue Lipstick and a Cigarette Hanging Out Your Mouth." The idea of just doing something different can get a person into a different mindset in writing, had never crossed my mind. I agree that actually putting on different clothing or a different way can help give insight on how a character may act. To make a character seem real, you have to know something about them if they were in real life. That is why people base characters off of people they know. All the readings have their moments for this week.

Fiction Final Packet

Fiction is a large and one of my favorite. This last section of fiction simply reminds me of the other realistic fiction/poetic we have read in the class already. The first two stories obviously go together because the two groups are the same in each Us Brothers and Girl. These two groups seem be think alike because there was never any "well one of us" until the end of "When It Rains it Rains a River." Many chains of thought are in this writing. Examples are Earth to Mud mean fish and a Girl to Moon to Stars to Fish to Burning Fish. The first one symbolizes everything coming from the Earth or grow out of the Mud. The other chain is more interesting and reminds me of a relationship. A girl is something far reaching like the moon, a heartbreak is the shattering into stars, a requirement/need relates to the need for food or relationship, and the burning is the chance you take when getting into a relationship. In the class discussion about "The Falling Girl" it was called a Science Fiction, but there is no proof of anything not normal. To me it seems to be a big metaphor for life. Through the different groups in life they have different qualities/concerns about her. Some of the more deranged stories are "The Fifth Story", "August 25, 1983", and "Death of the Right Fielder." In the "The Fifth Story," it talks in a line always starting with that a women told him how to get rid of the cockroaches. Throughout the different sections, I was able to piece together the story slowly gaining more information. The true science fiction story to me was "August 25, 1983." There was a man looking at himself in the future. It reminded me of the Time Travelers Wife. Where one person understands the situation and the other is sort of in shock. Beyond that story it just brings of ethical questions of is knowing the future really better? Maybe it is nice to know when you die, but also daunting and troublesome. The most confusing story of what it contributes to anything is "Death of the Right Fielder" where it talks about how great being in the Outfield is and the inner circle are not as great. Sadly happy to say, I'm glad we are done with fiction.

Juice not Juice

First, did not realize that the chapters were all different stories. The first story, “Translation,” I didn't feel connected to the character or understand the story; therefore, did not like the story. There were some very mysterious parts like a sickness, moon cycle being important, and people getting black skin. The most disappointing part of the story is I’ll never know. There was a lot of metaphors like mountains have flirty behavior and an exquisite face and people can improve by licking. One interesting element in the story was the different hints in the story. The visions and spirits throughout the story gain more detail. This indeed is a story fiction story, but not one of interest. The environment was generic with a mountain, forest, and town area. As the story developed I was not sure of the people leaving were important. It states she misses them, but is it just the people because they have left and the new people she doesn't get along with. The following story “Proportion Surviving,” was confusing, but had a revolution. The first thing to notice was the countdown till the crisis. At the beginning, you cannot tell what it is, but by the end of the story I believe it is a heat wave that causes him to no longer be able to drink juice. This character I felt more attached to, because I was told more about her. Her obsession of juice could be linked to an earlier reading stating to write about obsessions was Goldberg. Overall, all the stories I did not feel a strong connection to the characters, a lover, and fast pace, so I didn't get a feel of what was going on. I’m not sure why every story was a lover, but don’t feel they are even important to the story.