Exercise 3

Dead to You
Black Boy White School
The Lover's Dictionary

A review needs a luring introduction to grab the audience's attention. Once that is completed, an introduction, one that is not telling (or spoiling) the story, but one that gives only a hint of the storyline is required. Then finally, end the review with a smashing paragraph stating how this book could be for you! Grab the reader, give them a small but intoxicating sample, and hook them with a conclusion.

Reading Log: Triangles

22% into the book (according to Kindle), "Triangles" by Ellen Hopkins is a well-leveled and casual book. Three female friends, with differing and struggling lifestyles face their mid-life crisis, and the readers spectate the ongoing events through Hopkin's poetic style. Her poetic verses embody a emotional and powerful scope into the fluctuating lives of these three women.

After getting a taste of the different lives of these women, I feel that the one who is in the toughest position is Marrisa.  The other two suffer from less extreme cases in comparison to the former; Holly regrets her boring family life in which her only role is to be a stay-at-home mom, and Andrea yearns for that perfect husband. All the while, Marissa has to cope with caring for Shelby who is terminally ill and unable to make any motions whatsoever. Additionally, her workaholic husband stows away time at work to avoid having to deal with his sick daughter and tarnished family.

Although I believe Marissa to be the one who suffers the most, the story is beginning to unravel other severities in the lives of these women, and the connections between the three are surfacing. As the story progresses, it will be interesting to see how each situation is dealt with and  how each ends.

Note 1: Hard Times

"Hard Times" by Michael Ryan 


Michael Ryan's poem, "Hard Times", characterized by a gruff, sarcastic, and terse tone,

illustrates a picture of a child's (perhaps his) rotten and base family life. The picture of the

pathetic parents, the "lousy job [his] father lands", and his "mother's rosary-pinching hands"

expresses a resentment towards the mother and father. The pigs in a blanket served for

dinner by the mother is referenced and observed as more than a delicacy. The "Teeny

uncircumcised Buddha penises (cocktail hot dogs in strips of dough)" are referred to as

"puffed-up weenie geniuses" who tells the author to get the "fu*%" out of this home life as

fast as possible.

The sultry, simple and yet potent language of the author flumes an

atmosphere of frustration and perverseness. Within the last stanza, the dad is depicted as

unappreciative and perhaps verbally abusive, while as the mother is painted out to be

emotionally overwhelmed and in tears. Finally, in the last line, the author writes, "I

don't know who to hate or how to feel." The plain words of those lines are as powerful as the

running emotions in this poem. In the end, the readers are left to contemplate how the

the kid will approach the situation and whether the kid overcomes this state of malcontent.

Exercise 2

3. The amount of time implies "the adrenaline roses up on his cheeks..neck gleaming with sweat."
1. “[Taking] the end, made his wrap, brought the rope around the back of his hand and over the palm a second time, wove it between his third and fourth fingers, pounded the rosined glove fingers down over it and into his palm.”
3. "I WILL KILL YOU" in Barry's excerpt pretty much sums up how the mood of the story is

Best Post: Unfettered

Exercise: "The Mud Below" by: Annie Proulx

In this scene from “The Mud Below”, Proulx illustrates a rodeo landscape with an instilled distinctive and image-laden style that spews a western atmosphere. The scene paints a picture of Diamond, the main character “[keeping] his butt cocked to one side, his feet up on the chute rails so the bull couldn't grind on his leg, brad him up, so that if it thrashed he could get over the rope in a hurry.” “[Taking] the end, made his wrap, brought the rope around the back of his hand and over the palm a second time, wove it between his third and fourth fingers, pounded the rosined glove fingers down over it and into his palm.” These cautious and possibly-dangerous scenes suggests that Diamond's lifestyle bears excitement and adventure, and also great risks. His excitement and enjoyment can be shown when “the time came closer and he slapped his face forcefully, bringing the adrenaline roses up on his cheeks...” Whatever Diamond is doing, no complaint or struggle is expressed, and when his adrenaline “roses up on his cheeks”, perhaps his appreciation for rodeo life rises too. 

Reading Log

Having read one of Ernest Hemingway's books before, I immediately noticed the same diction and style in one of his most famous books, The Sun Also Rises. 20% into the book (according to Kindle fire), I am enjoying this story and its characters.

The story evolves around a group of Americans living in France. My favorite character at the moment, who is the narrator, is Jake Barnes. He is a writer like the other characters (Cohn and Frances).

These characters, especially Jake, express dissatisfaction with their lives. Robert Cohn is in an unaffectionate and unhappy relationship with Frances. Frances desires to marry as soon as possible, while Robert feels there is large void in his life that could not be filled by marrying someone like Frances. Then there is Brett who Jake is in love with.

Unlike the other characters who openly express their sorrows, I think Jake locks his pain within his tight emotional realms.  During World War I, he had a major wound that restricts him even now from making love to Brett Ashley, whom he is in love with. The two are very very much in love with one another, but Brett refuses to be in a relationship due to the fact that he is "impaired" (which I think is a ridiculous reason). Like Cohn, she also feels this void in her life. But unlike the former, she knows that Jake would have been the one to fill that sorrowful hiatus.

As Jake drives the storyline with his narration, he rarely speaks out his emotion to the audience. When he does communicate his emotions, it's usually in the form of extreme sadness, anger, or frustration, and his emotional expression is usually never direct. The audience has to infer from his responses to other characters or from his actions when he is alone or with others. I'm eager to find out how his story will end. I hope he has a happy ending.

Anthology Theme

I'm fascinated by the different type of relationships we develop with one another. I especially admire poetry about relationships of the non-romantic sort.

The pictures shown here demonstrate just a few ideas of the kind of works I want to include in the anthology.


Above is a picture from the popular movie "Up". I always loved and admired the friendship between the old man and the seemingly-annoying boy. I hope to find some works that portray this type of friendship.


I like that this topic is an "umbrella" topic having a broad range of poetry that I can include in the anthology.

On the left is a picture of a grandmother and her grandson. Having never met my own grandmother, I love reading about this type of admirable affection in poetry.

In my life, my mother has been the epitome of strength, wisdom, and struggle. I have a soft spot for poems celebrating mother-daughter relationships.

Q4 Reading Goals

1. Explore "new territory" (genres)
2. Finish Love in the Time of Cholera, which has been pushed off to the side too often
3. Read poetry to someone
4. read at least 150 pages a week

Beginning "The Sun Also Rises"

After reading the first few chapters of this novel, I've gathered a feeling of the movement of this story. I had read The Garden of Eden, also by Ernest Hemingway, and I can sense the same Hemingway distinctive writing style in this novel. 

The five chapters I've read have introduced me to the characters in the book. The story revolves around this group of Americans residing in Europe. The principal character and narrator is Jake Barnes. Outlying characters include Robert Cohn, and Brett Ashley.

I'm curious as to how this story progresses. The story is set in the time after World War I. This war must be associated with the character's personal situations. I"m definitely looking forward to this book. 

The Fault In Our Stars: The End

At the end of this humorous and philosophical novel, I surprisingly did not cry. Although one of the main characters passed away, the story was not focused on tragedies or sadness. Instead, the scope of the novel encompassed the entire being of humans.

There is a constant reference to how the “Universe wants to be known” and how humans try throughout their lives to leave a mark on this world and be remembered. We are such insignificant creatures in a world full of inevitable dangers. The characters in the novel also tend to question the meaning of it all, of life. What is the answer?

To have had the privilege to love and give to your beloved ones is a vital part of our lives. Although the majority of the population will die unremembered by the world, we strive to live especially for those who never had the chance and those who were cut short of a long life. I didn’t cry, because I appreciated my life. I appreciated the lives of these characters.

An Excerpt from Augustus’ letter to Hazel:

“Hazel knows the truth. People will say it’s sad that she leaves a lesser scar, that fewer remember her, that she was loved deeply but not widely. But it’s not sad, Van Houten [the author]. It’s triumphant. It’s heroic. Isn’t that the real heroism? Like the doctors say: First, do no harm.