General Unskilled

• What is Mikey like? Why does he say he has "studied human psychology"? What does that mean? In what ways is Mikey like a therapist for his clients? He gets paid $19 an hour. Do you know how much a therapist gets paid an hour? Have any of you taken a psychology class? 
• Did you look at what a ceramic saluki looks like? How does seeing one affect your reading of the story (or not)? Why is the saluki such a central part of the story? As you read, did you think he would deliver it safely or not?
• The grad student that hires Mikey says that she just chose the first five or six people on Taskr which means she chose the most highly rated. She doesn't think it matters, but Mikey does. Who do you think is right?
• Mikey's rating is a huge part of this story. Do you rate people? Do you rate restaurants or other businesses online? Do you rate your professors? Have you been rated? How accurate do you think ratings are?

-Mikey is determined and is goal oriented as it seems since he wants to have points for his jobs and in order to do so he has to do good job in general .It means when Mikey says he has studied in human psychology is that he has taken the time of day to understand people and listen to them as a way of understanding them more. I have taken Psychology its really the science behind of how the human brain thinks and why we do the things we do.

- Seeing the picture that Mikey had to take care of provided me with a sense of care since the items look very fragile which could be one of the reasons he took well care of them.
- On a everyday scale I live we all rate people but on one hand everyone is a blank slate and its there actions and interactions with you that make there value go higher or lower in life.

General: Unskilled

- I think its called general unskilled because people don't think he is actual using any skill. Mikey seems like a generally good guy who likes to help people but also wants to get good ratings for his job. In the story Mikey mention how he toke a psychology class but he didn't complete. He still feel that the little information he got is enough to help people. In his job he meets a lot of different people and he talks to them. He hold many conversation with his custermers in order to leave a good impression. Though he only get paid 19 dollar an hour he acts as though he is also a therapist, Yet real get paid way more.

- After seeing the picture of this delicate item that Mikey was taking care of I thought this item was so overly protected. I think the writer wanted to relate the saluki to people. How delicate people can be and how easily they can be broken. Because of the ending we don't find out if he ever makes the safe deliver. I believe that he does, He cares so much about customer and want to make sure earthing goes well.

- After watch the black mirror episode it did relate to story. Both thing were about ratings and making  other people happy. But in black mirror it felt more in-genuine compare to Mikey in unskilled. In black mirror people faked everything in order to get better rating.

-I feel like the episode said a lot about our world today. We are so invested in how we look and want to make good impression on people just to be liked. We want to be able to post something on instagram and get a bunch of likes and comments. I feel that we search for other people to see the  beauty in ourselves that we just can't see.  

-In the the end we see the main character end up in jail and get in the argument with this man across from her. I think this was to her actually expressing her true feeling and wasn't something to take as negative. It was to show that there's nothing wrong with giving ur true thought.

Poetry Questions

"Arson" (72):

- I think it does make poem because the writer to read a certain way. I don't think if It wasn't written in prose it wouldn't be a poem. poems are written in different ways.  

- I think when he said "we" he meant the troubled people. People who are not seen as good by other and looked at as delinquents.  


"Rewinding an Overdose on a Projector" (260):

- I think the title is expressing how things are going in reverse. 

- In the last line it shows something happing in reverse and him keeping certain parts of what's left. 

- The last 5 line are in first person, I think when he says "I" is where he wanted to take control of the story and reveal how he is the boy. 


"Human Traffic" (270): 

- I think the spacing is just the way writer wanted it to be to give a certain impact.

- I think this line means the amount of different things water can do. How it can change in many ways yet still be the same. 

- I think this line is just saying u never know what's gonna come at you and how. 

- The last 5 lines are saying the way of life. As in the many same things we experience but take in a different way. 

"Young Hare" (494): 

- As a reread the poem I was able to see the hare as I read. also help me to understand the reading better. 

- I think maybe to show her trying to figure out his interest in the hare to finally realize he saw her beauty in the hare. 

- I believe she fascinated by him and the things he does and carries himself. 

Four Short Essays

When I began to read this it was a bit confusing. The structure and wording was unusual. I believe this is a Narrative essay. I believe the writer is telling us a story. When he mentions white people I think he was trying to say how when they do something that is a differnt from what they used to and involves a different future they think they're better. I think the line never walk into a future... is about the abidance of feeling and emotions that are everywhere.

Stethoscope

I think stethoscope is seven short stories, it seems like each is based on a similar idea. I believe all the poems are talking about control. AS in freedom of controlling the things that happen. I think the piece    
The judgement after the last is about what we face in life. The challenges that we face and the outcomes of the desisions to defeat them. I fell like it's also about us wanting to experience things and not really understanding the things we do.

General: Unskilled

What did you think when you read this title? Why is the story called this? Other questions:

• What is Mikey like? Why does he say he has "studied human psychology"? What does that mean? In what ways is Mikey like a therapist for his clients? He gets paid $19 an hour. Do you know how much a therapist gets paid an hour? Have any of you taken a psychology class? 
• Did you look at what a ceramic saluki looks like? How does seeing one affect your reading of the story (or not)? Why is the saluki such a central part of the story? As you read, did you think he would deliver it safely or not?

 

 

• The grad student that hires Mikey says that she just chose the first five or six people on Taskr which means she chose the most highly rated. She doesn't think it matters, but Mikey does. Who do you think is right?
• Mikey's rating is a huge part of this story. Do you rate people? Do you rate restaurants or other businesses online? Do you rate your professors? Have you been rated? How accurate do you think ratings are?

The reason I ask this last question is because I want you to watch the episode "Nosedive" from Netflix's Black Mirror, Season 3. If you have Netflix, you can watch it on your own. If not, you need to come to Blackboard tomorrow (2:10 sharp) and I'll screen it for you. Some questions I have for you:

• What connections can you make between this episode and "General: Unskilled." How are their tones different?
• "Nosedive" is a science fiction story. However, most sci-fi says something about our world, now. What does this episode say about life as we know it? 
• How did you interpret the ending?
• What questions do you have? 

Reminders:

1. The official due date for the final collection is this Thursday, 4/30. However, I will take these any time between Thursday and the end of the term, 5/14 at 4 pm. These must be uploaded to Blackboard.
2. Don't forget to make entries on the blog, including responding to your classmates. 
3. Next Tuesday at 2 pm I'm going to show the first episode of The Handmaid's Tale. If you have Hulu, you can watch it on your own. If not, you will have to watch it on Blackboard.  

Let me know if you have any questions.

Human Traffic and Young Hare

"Human Traffic" (270):

The spacing in the poem works since it separates all the sentences and they all don't coordinate with each other. This creates a different flow then a regular poem and providing space for new ideas to form in the poem. My reaction to the line is confusing since i dont know what the ice water is referring to but reading it once again the ice water is the peak which is a extravagance of water.I interpret the conclusion the image of the man dog paddling as something that is out of the norm that should have been taught when younger but is now seen as inadequate as a adult.

"Young Hare" (494):

• This is an ekphrastic poem. Ekphrastic poetry is poetry that reacts to visual art. Here is German artist Albrect Durer's Young Hare from 1502:

• Now that you've seen the artwork, how does that affect your reading of the poem? 
• What is the significance that every line of the poem ends w/ the word "hare" (and two of the final lines end w/ "hair")?
• How is Durer the speaker's "love"?
• What role does the speaker (the "I") play in the poem? Esp. look at that last stanza again...

-  Now that I seen the art work it provide a clear view on how the hare looks and the details that was put into the painting. being a. artist myself  I can learn to appreciate the art for how it is and the way it was painted. 
The significance that everyone of the poem ends with the word hare is to make a statement and visualize the painting. it keeps the reader in track of the end picture.

"Arson" and "Rewinding an Overdose on a Projector" (260):

"Arson" (72):

• Are the line breaks what make this a poem? If it were written in prose (w/out line breaks) would it cease to be poetry?
• Who is the "we" in line 9?

- The line breaks in Arson I believe make it a poem and without them it wouldn't be a poem. The breaks provide a separation between the senerios of the fire spreading and the clothes. If the lines were not separated I would have believed it was the opening to a shot story or a book. since it is a pome it tells a simple statement of a situation and the feelings it embarks.

The we in line 9 is referring to the reader an the division of people how one side is open and curious, drugs signify something new and the unknown which can be scary. while the other line is a ex soldier who is angry at god this could be a straight forward way of thinking that's not open to new ideas.

"Rewinding an Overdose on a Projector" (260):

• What work does the title do for the poem? 
• How do you read the title in conjunction w/ the last 5 lines?
• In those last five lines, who is the narrator? What is the "I" doing in this final scene and what is his relation to the "boy on the floor"? 

- the work the title does for the poem is to guide the reader since the poem can be confusing giving a hint that the story is written backwards of a herion overdose. I read the title with the last five lines as the begging of the boy entering the room about to do something that ends in darkness and by the end of the poem you can connect everyone together. In the last lines the " I 

" Is referring to the boy himself then he turns the tape on and rewinds it watching a heroine overdoes. 

Human traffic and Young Hare

The spacing in this poem is important to the tone because each space indicates a new idea. Every time that there is a line break the writer moves to a different subject. I think the sentence saying that 'ice water is the epitome of extravagance' means that ice water is just cubes of frozen water, in the water. Showing how the same object or thing can be used to better itself. The ending about the man doggy paddling in the ocean shows how the man never learned to swim, even though he couldve learned he chose not to, and now he is making a fool out of himself with his children in the ocean. The difference between a door being kicked in, and a door being kicked out to me shows that a door being kicked in shows something else is trying to come to you, wether you want it or not, its forcing itself in. But a door that is being kicked out, is being kicked out from the inside. This shows that something or someone on the inside wants to get out.

Seeing the artwork of the hare made me tune in more with the poem. As I read it I checked in with the picture as she was describing the hare, and all the qualities described were in that painting. I think every line of the poem ended with hare or hair because it was the whole theme of the poem, also that this poem was reacting to the painting of the hare. I think Durer is the speakers love because the first stanza she is describing him, how he is gentle, and it goes on at the end of the poem to show that the  poem is from his perspective, of him looking at her painting the hare, and the hare is starring right back at him.

Stethoscope and Four short essays

I think Stethoscope is seven short poems, although they all play into each other, and have the same type of feeling to them. I think these poems were a little bit about growing up/ getting older. They can be read together because they are all a little bit similar and these makes the connection between them all. I think they speak to each other because they all have a feeling of sadness or like they are trying to find something that isnt there. I feel like the message is almost the same in them all just played out differently. The ending of 'The Judgment After The Last' made me think thats its trying to show that everyone is going to end up the same unless you dig deeper into yourself

I think '4 short essays' are actually poems. As well as 1 ("therefore") is a short poem thats only one word. I think these 'essays' could make an arguemtn but its hidden within the text. I can assume that the writer of this poem isnt white, I think he is Asian, because he says he is "so healed when white people finally shut up about that one time they went to Asia... a fixed dictator & dumplings past." He shows how white culture appreciates other cultures but cant stop bragging about them.

Human Traffic & Young Hare

1.  Spacing works in this poem by helping me read more quickly and more frantically. Those spacing help you makes informed decision.

• I do read page 270 / 494 I don't get it at all.

Prose is  writing in it's ordinary form , according to its purpose used for direct communication. Poetry is writing structured specially for effect , with rhythm, imagery and form.

The line breaks is done on purpose the author might want to get the reader attention.  The line breaks get us to slow down and realize the purpose of the poem its also created a rhythm.


The "We" line 9 is people

The title keeps the writer on track and also help the reader.

In the last 5 lines it's show how tough the poet is. Its reverse the sequence and the agency because its talk bout the film and burn it, in the title is REWINDING AN OVERDOSE ON A PROJECTOR.

I believe the narrator is the author , I cant explain why.

"Human Traffic" & "Young Hare"

• Spacing works in the poem by breaking down the events that will be happening next in the poem. 

•  "Only an anonymous one in the firing squad has the actual bullets." My reaction to this is that when they say an anonymous one they are saying that it is someone that nobody knows about  and that person is the only one that can fire with actual bullets in the gun.

• The difference between “a kicked-in door & a door kicked out is that when they say a door kicked in meaning that someone outside the room kicked in the door and when they say door kicked out they mean that someone from inside of the room kicked out the door from the inside.

• Now seeing the art work it affects my reading of the poem because now i know what they meant by “Hare”.

• The significance of every line of the poem ends with the word “hare” because they are describing the young hare so that people will see what it is and how it looks.

• The role that the speaker (“I”)  plays in the poem is that “I” would be played as himself (Albrecht Durer).

"Arson" & "Rewinding an Overdose on a Projector"

• I think that the line breaks do help make this a poem because it shows us what’s going to happen next and this can be from someone's perspective of what's going on. If this poem was made without line breaks I think it would still be a poem but it will be hard for people to understand what's going on in the poem.

• The “we” in line 9 would be described as 2 different people because it says “two minds”.

• What the title does in the story is that it helps us understand what the author is trying to do in the poem and helps us understand it more.

• I would need the title in the last 5 lines in the poem because the last five lines talk about films and burning it and in the title it says overdosing on a projector which is where you watch films on and also when you burn a film you're overheating the projector.

• I think that the narrator for this poem is the author of this poem and the reason why I think that is because he is telling the story of the boy. And the reason for the word “I” in the final scene of the poem and its relation to the “boy on the floor” is that i think that the word “I” and the “boy on the floor” is one person.

Poetry

What makes poetry different than prose (essays, fiction, nonfiction, etc.)?

"Arson" (72):

• Are the line breaks what make this a poem? If it were written in prose (w/out line breaks) would it cease to be poetry?
• Who is the "we" in line 9? 

"Rewinding an Overdose on a Projector" (260):

• What work does the title do for the poem? 
• How do you read the title in conjunction w/ the last 5 lines?
• In those last five lines, who is the narrator? What is the "I" doing in this final scene and what is his relation to the "boy on the floor"? 

"Human Traffic" (270):

•  How does the spacing work in this poem? Is there a system to it? 
• What is your reaction to the line, "If one were to think about it, the concept of ice water is the epitome / Of extravagance." Explain what this means.
• Or this: "Only an anonymous one in the firing squad has the actual bullets."
• How do you interpret the conclusion w/ the image of the man dog paddling? What is the difference between "a kicked-in door & a door kicked out"? 

"Young Hare" (494):

• This is an ekphrastic poem. Ekphrastic poetry is poetry that reacts to visual art. Here is German artist Albrect Durer's Young Hare from 1502:

 

• Now that you've seen the artwork, how does that affect your reading of the poem? 
• What is the significance that every line of the poem ends w/ the word "hare" (and two of the final lines end w/ "hair")?
• How is Durer the speaker's "love"?
• What role does the speaker (the "I") play in the poem? Esp. look at that last stanza again...

 Which of these poems is your favorite? Which do you struggle the most with? Why? What questions do you have about these poems, or poetry in general?

Upcoming...

• The vast majority of you didn't make entries on the blog over break. This is not good for your final grade. Make sure to do the blogging over the last four weeks of the term. 
• Don't forget to submit a draft for group critique this Thursday by 4 pm.  Too many of you are not responding to your classmates' drafts. This is part of your group crit grade. Also, don't forget to read the responses from me and your classmates. All responses are due by this Sunday at the end of the day.
• The official final day for your final collections is next Thursday, 4/30. I will take these up until the last day of class, 5/14 at 4 pm, but I will not accept any work after that. Upload these on Blackboard. Do not simply email them to me.
• Next Tuesday (4/28) during our regular class time (2:10-4 pm), we will screen an episode of Netflix's Black Mirror ("Nosedive" from season 3). If you have Netflix, you can watch the episode on your own. If not, you will need to come to the virtual classroom on Blackboard:

1. Go to "Course Tools." 
2. Click on "Blackboard Collaborate Ultra."
3. Click on "Course Room" and then "Join Course Room." 

Let me know if you have any questions.

"Four Short Essays..."

 Is "Four Short Essays..." essays or poetry and, if the later, then why is it called "essays"? Is 1 ("therefore,") either a poem or an essay or any kind of text? Essays, at least the kinds we write in college, are usually supposed to make an argument. Do these "essays" make an argument? If so, what?

What do they say about "white people"? What assumptions do you make about the speaker of this poem?

What do you think about these lines:

never to walk into a future

of unpersonable feelings
for to feel is to window

& to person is to people
a feeling, a future
in which

4.
this future walks...

(Can "person" and "people" be verbs as they are here?) 

Finally, which is the easier of the poems to read? Or, conversely, which is the more complicated


" Four short essays"  would be considered a poem despite avenge the term essays In the tittle due to the format on how they are written. But the author could have went for something compete different since they are separated into 4 sections . even if the 1st one is just the word " therefore" it could be the beginning of the rest of the essays.I do think these essays make a argument but the arguments are with the narrator and society.

the assumption I get from the speaker of this poem when he says " white people " is they are against society and looked down upon by the speaker. he mentions the term twice both in condescending ways. my thoughts on the lines is the future can be uncertain but its forsake to come. you can't predict the future and the feelings that come with it and in #4 is we are all currently the future and it keeps going on weather we like it or not.

poems are more easier to read and consume since its shorter text but they could be harder to read since there is less context rather then reading a short story where the theme is written for you.

" Stethoscope"

"Stethoscope": 

Is "Stethoscope" one long poem or seven short ones? (Notice how each poem/section is five stanzas long, the first four w/ 3 lines, the final two (a couplet).)

"Stethoscope" is in memory of poet and fiction writer, Denis Johnson. What do these poems/sections seem to say? Can they be read together? Do they speak to each other?

I find that, when confronted w/ a long poem, it helps to focus on specific lines and passages. So, for instance, what do you make of the end of "The Judgement After the Last":

...Go to the movies, do research,
be the Regulator forced to kill kill kill

and that's when we'll find out just who we are
or if there's anything like 'who' anymore.



I think " Stethoscope " is seven short poems  since they were broken up into separate parts. each one of them told a different story and had little titles in the beginning of it. Maybe all the stories are connected into one big one since they intertwine with each other.
The poems together seem to say the thoughts of a narrator and some hardships and questions they have about life/the world. In nearly all the poems I can see a question being asked for example " our generation has had its time?" . If the poems are in the memory of Denis Johnson it could be him question events in his life so they intersect with one another. I think that the poems do speak to each other going over topics such as love which is universal.
I agree that breaking down the poem is the best way to understand it especially if the poem ends up being too long, it could be hard to digest.The ending lines in " The Judgement after the last" is about being human and human instinct. To me the poem goes over the ideology of the human and what is deemed " normal " by society . but the author wants to see how far can it go till you realize humans are animals by nature and can kill. how far will it go till its breaking point?