Last one

I recommend to everyone: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. Despite your reading tastes and preferences, you will not regret reading this.

Although my author study is centered around Gary Paulsen, I could not resist adding in Dave Eggers in my Literary Relationship 2 essay because he's that great. Here's what I wrote about it my essay:
I have never felt so much that I was in someone’s head before. Eggers swallowed me, and I became him for five days.

Reading various Paulsen books for the author study put me into a specific reading lense, which led me to discover the hidden world in the words of Dave Eggers. He beautifully executed so many peculiar things, too many to remember! First of all, his voice is purely the voice of his mind, no censorship, like on page 375, “What the fuck does it take to show you motherfuckers… I’ve been so old for so long, for you, for you, I want it fast and right through me– Oh do it, do it, you motherfuckers, do it do it you fuckers finally, finally, finally” (Eggers 375). Somehow I always understood what he was conveying, even if the arrangement of words is unfamiliar and crazy. He would begin an anecdote, and in the middle of that, he loved to skip around either to way back in the past or more recently. Sometimes I’d be in three or four different stories at once, but it was all so natural. Not once was I overwhelmed.

Secondly, he did this thing where, at an MTV interview, he pretended to be talking to the interviewer when he was actually just talking to himself. He’d ask himself a question in italics and then proceed to answer it, giving a detailed analysis of his own cognitive perspective of his tragic lifestyle. Lastly, and my favorite, he would purposely bring characters out of character. “...I watch the stupid fucking dickhead asshole sleep. Then he gets up. He is awake and he is standing, and pulling the tubes from his mouth, from his arms, the nodes and the electrodes, barefoot…

‘What are you doing?’

‘Screw it, I’m not going to be a fucking anecdote in your stupid book’” (Eggers 238). He brings his friend John so far out of character that he’s literally leaving the book, itching to crawl out from the spine, unbinding all the pages. I’ve never ever read anything like that, it was shocking and so cool. So hip.

He also did this with his younger brother, “Toph”. Eggers would be talking to him about some problems at work and Toph would suddenly emerge from his Middle School aged self and guide Eggers through some sort of psychoanalytical rant as if he’s some sort of Freud. Eggers even said, “You’re breaking out of character again” (Eggers 275). At first I was confused, wondering how a ten year old was so psychologically sophisticated, but after I saw what Eggers was doing, I was thrilled. Who else deliberately breaks their characters? It actually enhances my understanding of Eggers himself, reading how he’s speaking through his younger brother. And I like to think of John as a metaphor for all the things that Eggers hates about himself… because he only brings people out of character in some sort of psychological crisis.

I love entertaining the John being a metaphor idea, not only do I feel proud of coming up with the idea, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Every time John is brought, it is about something negative or purely suicidal. Like Egger's parents, John's parents died of cancer too. So it makes me wonder of John is a real person or if he was added in by Eggers as a dark metaphor.

Another thing I love about this book is that it made me way less afraid to write. Eggers writes so freely with using 100% his voice. So that kind of inspired me to woman-up and just write without being afraid of what it sounds like at first. Because most of the time, my fearless-writing sounds a lot better than my perfectionist writing.

4Sem2Iditarod

I finished Winterdance by Gary Paulsen a few days ago and was very sad to do so. It has been awhile since I found a book that made me sad to flip the last few pages. It wasn't a sad book at all, it was one of the most genuinely happy books I have ever read. It is about Paulsen's first experience running the infamous Iditarod race through Alaska's vast wilderness via sled dogs (if you haven't read my previous blogs which I presume you have not).

As his training before the race progressed, Paulsen begun to realize his internal evolution from man to dog. He began to think like a dog, spending all his time with his team. He even went through a period of time where he slept in the dog kennel with his dogs. I found out, after finishing Winterdance, that the whole book is about  Paulsen finding himself and what it means to be human. there was one part, towards the end of the race, where he is staying overnight with a villager way up north in Alaska. The villager asked him why he lives the way they do in civilization. Why does he act that way? Why doesn't he live this way with the dogs? Isn't living this (the villager's way) better?Paulsen told him that yes, the way up in Alaska is better. I think that that was the biggest turning point of the book. When he realized that real life is totally different than his actual life down in the lower 48 with his wife and son.

This turning point is super interesting yet also inspiring in a way. When I get the chance, I would love to take a long trip into some form of wilderness for a bit. I think that that is a great way to find oneself or to come to terms with other things in one's life. When I was 15, I went to Tanzania to do community service, and although I wasn't really in a wilderness setting, nor was I alone, I came back totally different. I think everyone should try to do a trip of some sort.

Anyways, I really loved Winterdance and am trying to find wildernessy books like. So I am very open to suggestions!!!!

3sem2 Iditarod

To coincide with my author study for this course, I have begun to read Winterdance by Gary Paulsen. I am a little over halfway into it and I really can't put it down! It's not even like the book is a real dramatic page turner. It is a memoir about Paulsen's experiences running the Iditarod race in Alaska, and if you aren't a dog person, you probably wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much as I do. I even laugh out loud at some parts. Like when he described himself training with his new team of dogs. It was early fall so he attached an old 50's bicycle to the dogs and they flew out of the yard and into the woods. The three new dogs decided to chase after a rabbit and the whole team joined in flinging Paulsen off the bike into the trees. The dogs then chased the rabbit for over ten miles before turning around and running all the way home dragging the old bike behind them. Paulsen, however, didn't know this and followed their trail for miles until giving up and stumbling home at 3 o'clock in the morning. His wife woke and told him that the lead dog, Cookie, lead them home hours ago. They were all sleeping in the yard with the old bike. I found this story hysterical. There are so many silly incidents like this during his period of training.

I love how his writing engages me. The scenery he describes sounds so beautiful and it puts me in such a lovely mood. Paulsen, at the time, lived so simply. He and his wife were basically broke so they had  to hunt, trap, fish, farm. Anything they could, but they were happy. So content it seems. I value that lifestyle immensely. Being self-sufficient like that is definitely something I want to strive for when I'm older.

I am about to start reading about the race. The Iditarod seems like the craziest race on Earth! Thousands of miles through Alaska. Temperatures down to 60 below, with every person to his/herself to face the elements with their teams of dogs. At one of the mandatory meetings that Paulsen attended, people were warning each other about “suckholes” which are basically whirlpools beneath the ice that can suck a whole team down. They also talked about how a certain stretch of the race has no snow this year. No snow?! How do you run a sled on dirt? Paulsen was completely ignorant throughout the whole meeting and his training really. So it will be really interesting to see how the race starts off versus how it ends! At least I know that he doesn’t die.

post2sem2

I just finished I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced. It was a very depressing yet uplifting book. It was sort of spastically written in a way that is not terrible or anything. As I mentioned in my previous blog, the big ideas were revealed very early in the book, but that did not ruin my reading experience as I had feared earlier.
     This poor girl grew up not even knowing when she was born. Her family was extremely poor, and to make money, Nujood and her siblings had to beg in the streets. Her father quickly lost his job as a sweeper and just sat around chewing khat all day. Nujood's older siblings came and went for often years or months at a time. Marrying Nujood off would mean one less mouth to feed.
     On the night of her wedding, Nujood cried and fell asleep in her wedding dress that was too large. Everyone knew that she was too young, but no woman could ever have a say over a man's. Nujood's father justified it by saying that her husband promised not to touch her until she reaches puberty.
     The very next morning, her husband came to pick her up, and that was the first time that they had ever met! He was decades older and ugly. They drove hours to Nujood's native village where her husband lives with his family. On her first night, Nujood falls asleep in an instant before her husband crashes in and demands to have sex with her. She is chased all throughout the house until he finally traps her and rapes her. Nujood fights back and her husband beats her. Her mother-in-law encourages her son to beat her since she is failing to be a proper wife. This horrid pattern of rape and abuse continues for about a month until Nujood is allowed to visit her parents.
     At home, Nujood tells her parents about her terrible marriage, and what do they do? Nothing. They say that Nujood must stay and be a good wife in order to maintain honor and a good reputation. This shocks and scars Nujood. She goes to her father's second wife for advice who tells her to go to the courthouse. As soon as Nujood tells her story at the courthouse, she immediately is taken care of. They have a trial with both her father and her husband present. Her father lies about her age, saying that she is 13, and her husband denies all allegations. Then the two of them begin to argue with each other while court is in session which divulges the truth. Nujood wins the divorce.
     Nujood's story reaches the news everywhere. Journalists come form all around the world to take down her story. At one point after the divorce is finalized, Nujood is showered with gifts from all sorts of people. It made me remember that this little girl won a divorce. She clings to a teddy bear and is overjoyed at the sight of chocolate cake, yet she has gone through more than I could ever imagine. She's been to hell.
     I am not really a fan of the end of the book. After the gift seen, which is really good closure, there's like 40-50 pages left. These consist of piecing together the drama from her older siblings' disappearance/reappearance. I sort of find this section out of place, for after the divorce is final and she is living safely with her family, I don't really care to know what the details of her siblings are. That could have been useful earlier. The last part of the book is her at school. This is okay at the end because she is so so so happy to be at school with girls her age.
      Nujood's story really scares me, because I know that there is no way that she is alone. I know that plenty of other girls and boys have gone through similar incidences are ones that are even far worse. The issue of male domination by law and by culture is so upsetting. It is stories like these that make me want to skip college to go and burn down every brothel, every rapists home ever. Nujood's older sister was raped when she was somewhere around 12 and in order to protect the family's honor, she was married off to that very rapist..... How messed up is that? It makes me so angry how little rights or happiness women are entitled to in certain places. It makes me hate myself for complaining about not having a snow-day last week. At least I have rights, a home, and a family who do anything to protect me.

1semester2

I am currently reading I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali with Delphine Minoui. The title is what really got me... probably goes without saying. For the last few years, I have been fairly interested in Middle Eastern culture, specifically where to draw the line between culture and Islam. Nujood is from Yemen, and the rules and traditions between Yemeni culture and Islamic culture are very intertwined. Throughout the book, some traditions are specified as to which aspect (Islam or culture) they originate from. But other small things are not.

The story switches between two time periods, but each are from the perspective of Nujood herself. First, she describes her journey alone to the courthouse where she declares her desire to get a divorce, and then in the next chapter she backtracks and tells her story from her birth in Khardji, Yemen. I am a fan of this strategy, it keeps things interesting, and it actually makes sense for an autobiography. Within the first sixty pages, Nujood went to the courthouse and told her story. The judge's colleague takes her in until they can figure out how to deal with her request for a divorce. And during her chapter of backtracking throughout her life, Nujood has already established the timeline up until her dad told her the news of her engagement. So I am curious as to why so much was divulged at the very beginning of the book, but I have nothing against it really. I suppose the rest of the book will describe her marriage specifically...

I can sort of tell that this book was written by a child. Nujood was married in 2008 which means that she is around fifteen right now... I can picture this little girl sitting down with an author just telling her what ton write, not that I know how this book was written for sure, but I could picture it.

Blog 7

So I am still reading the Hunger Games. I am at the part where Katniss and Peeta are still in the Capitol getting ready to train. Katniss has so much more personality in the book than she seems to have in the movie. In the movies, she seems like a flat, depressing blob. But now I see that there is much more to her. She is harsh, but she has so much determination for survival, even before the reaping.

I am wondering why the hunger Games is called the "Hunger Games". I thought the games were about punishing the districts for the rebellion? What does that have to do with "hunger"? Obviously, hunger plays a HUGE role in this book. It's on every page, but not necessarily linking with the games itself. This book makes me so hungry. Katniss seems to describe every single meal she faces in extreme detail. Drives me crazy, but I like it. I've never read a book that puts so much emphasis on food and hunger. Hence Hunger Games I guess. I wonder if that emphasis will change once the actual games begin.

Who are these people who live in the Capitol? How did they get there? Is there a dominant race type thing going on or is it solely based on wealth? And I wonder why that server girl that Katniss recognized was in District 12 that one day. Katniss mentioned that she and the boy she was with looked like they were from the Capitol. If that's true, why did they leave? I wonder if the people living in the Capitol even know how bad the rest of the districts are. Or are they kept in complete oblivion?

I am excited to see the changes, twists, and turns this book makes when the Hunger Games begin. Katniss and Peeta both seem so calm. I'd be crying the entire time! Being shipped off from family to an almost certain death is not something I'd bottle up. Yet Katniss was smart to keep everything in. She immediately knew that she would need to be as intimidating and perfect as possible.

It's so hard to believe that a society got to the point where they can get all cozy around the television to watch children murder each other. What are all the other countries of the world doing? One of Katniss' recollections from previous Hunger Games stood out to me.... I find it super creepy. Katniss mentioned that one year, the only weapons were spiked maces.... How terrible would that be? Just clubbing a kid to death. No quick solution. Just a slow, beating process. Made me shiver.

kk

     So I finished Columbine by Dave Cullen, but I haven't had the time to go out and really look for a book. Even though Columbine is full of super intense action, it didn't make me want to read a more soothing book. Just the opposite. I wanted to fall into another book full of suspense and stuff. Maybe because I suck at getting into other kinds of books. I decided to pick up The Hunger Games. I have seen the movies but have never read any of the books. I felt sort of lame as I opened it up to read because I feel like everybody has read it, but I thought what the heck!
     So far, the book seems just as depressing as the movie. Reading it actually makes me want to bundle up and scarf down my entire pantry. I really wish that I had read the books before seeing the movies, because now I have all the actors in my head instead of letting my imagination paint the picture. Also, at the beginning of the book, Katniss talks a lot about the reaping as if the readers know what she's talking about. But I actually did. Because I saw the movies. So there's a lot of missing suspense. But it's also interesting to discover the little things that Hollywood left out specifically.
     To be honest, I am not a huge fan of Katniss. She's so bland and sassy. I guess I can't blame her since her life does seem to suck, but I find it hard sometimes that she's the narrator. Everything she describes seems to be through a dull, sad, gray lense. Maybe things will shake up a bit when she's in full survival mode.
     I find the plot to be pretty scary. Not just because children are killing each other during the hunger games, but it seems to highlight the gap between the rich and the poor, which is something that exists in real life. It actually kind of reminds me of Nazi Germany. I guess the 2nd book does. Not that I've read the 2nd one..... I saw the movie.... But it's creepy! Silencing the people. And no one knows what's actually going on. Everyone living in their own cluster of oblivion.