the powerbook

I thought the whole idea of The Powerbook and how this writer Alix used the Internet to write was going to be somewhat interesting. And at times it was. the way Jeanette Winterson used the Powerbook as not really a novel but a list of what i would call mini stories is a really unique idea, but I have seen it better done from other authors. Her use of language to detail the arrangements of love, lust, passion, and sexuality on the platform of the Internet was amusing to some degree. But in the whole she never really went in the deep end with these themes. It almost seemed that these mini stories are just unfinished pieces of work from the narrator or even Winterson herself. I also kept getting lost on to who the narrator was referring to at some points. The imagination all together was pleasing to read in that I liked the ideas of mixing in historical figures as well as myths from around the world.

post for Tuesday feb. 24th

Drown by Junot Díaz was an excellent read because it definitely brought a new environment into my perspectives. Whenever I read something that has a connection with a different way of life, it always startles me on how much I do not know of other cultures. The Spanish words and some of the phrases were indeed hard to grasp at first, but after awhile understanding them was key to know how a culture like Diaz's runs.
I was drawn to the protagonist Yunior quite a bit in the stories because he seemed like the character that tied everything together since much of his life was through tough experiences and struggles.
The Dominican Republic atmosphere throughout Drown did provide a good look into the realness of the people and culture. It is good to understand the racial conflicts that the characters are faced with to provide extra raw emotions and biases.
All together, the use of raw language was the one thing that made this piece of work worth while. Without it, the stories wouldn't have seemed real or authentic, but the power of Diaz's use of slang and Spanish phrases really put an emphasis on the quality of life the characters were faced with.
The use of providing the reader with the aspects of living in poverty also brought a new insight to me. It is a powerful realism in his storytelling and makes for a excellent read on understanding a different look on identity.

Too Many Idiots on Earth

Frantz Fanon's readings were quite hard to follow but I think I understand his underlying message; which is how Black people's minds work in a white world or society.
There are many important questions that should be asked that I read like what does man want?/ and what does the black man want?
Both are great questions, but it is interesting to see Fanon to go on and say that Black is not a man. Instead Fanon is trying to describe the Black as unleashing the man within.
A word that came up quite often was ZEALOUSNESS. Fanon suggests to destroy this idea if it hasn't already been destroyed in societies mind.
One thing I had trouble following was Fanon's idea that the black man wants to be white and the white man is trying to retrieve the rank of man.
I did however, like Fanon's opinions on childhood along with Nietzsche, that man should get rid of the defects from childhood, because man's misfortune is that he was a child. I think this strongly goes with Fanon's ideas that all of the vicious cycles of black and white race identity is proven to be held highest in the past, but Fanon suggests that the now or present is the one that builds the future, so him writing the book at the time he did is his message to repair the future of racism.

Response Post for Tuesday Feb. 3rd.

I like in Geeta Kothari's piece how she lives with the failure of parents who do not meet the requirements to help her and her sister "negotiate the world outside". It seems as if her parents are sensitizing them to become American through only the foods they choose to give the girls. I like her description of the American foods as though they aren't foods at all but treasures they desire, but cannot have. It is also very informative of depictions of Indian people like herself as she explains that "Americans still don't know what to call us; their Indians live on reservations, not in Manhattan." (96). Her piece is rather well titled by the way when she goes on about the different outlooks and stereotypes of people and food. It is a moving piece of literature that ultimately asks the question of who am I? But does it with the expectations societies have on what they eat, cook, and buy at stores.

In Toi Derricotte's piece, I find it rather interesting how she feels that her identity sometimes becomes a category to others. A lot of good points are made in her many pieces. Such as racism is not timely, it is ongoing and will never end and also that writing about racism does not make you successful but ignored. Both Derricotte and Kothari's pieces have something in common with knowing ones identity, or at least acknowledging it. They both describe how society sets rules where ever one is. These rules are put on people no matter what race, sex, gender, or religion one is. It seems that both these two authors had trouble identifying themselves because the people around them couldn't or wouldn't look at their own views of people. It seems quite impossible to develop ones own idea of themselves when everything around them is pushing towards a different view.

Hey Everyone!

just checking to see if this works..............