Here are the guidelines:
- Reading responses must be AT LEAST 250 words.
- Include your full name at the end of your comments. Unnamed comments will be deleted.
- From the "Comment As" drop-down menu, choose Anonymous, then click "Publish."
- Reading responses are due by midnight on the night PRIOR to our discussion of the required reading
This is my response
ReplyDeleteIn “ The Sound of Silence” I found it interesting how annoyed he was with his phone, via emails, text messages, and social media, and with people around him. There are times that I can relate with how he felt. There is times that you can even carry conversations with your peers, because they are glued to their phones. Social media has taken over so many people's lives. I get where this guy is coming from sometimes you just want peace and quiet, and some good small talk. One thing that angers me is that we don’t realize how beautiful life is around us because we are too busy with our phones. In the story this man leaves the country to isolate himself from the world and technology. He expected one thing but ended up learning a lot more than expected. He realized things. For example, in the summer I go off to Leaky Texas, to the Frio Pecan Farm. I am isolated from the real world, my phone doesn't get signal, and wifi hardly works. We are stuck together for four days with no devices to get distracted by. I have to say it’s the best family vacation by far. Just to sit and talk and enjoy the company does wonders. We laugh at how crazy we get without our phones, but sometimes you just need some time off.
In the “ Conflict” One thing that stood out to me the most was something said in the end. It mentions “essayist don't have all the answers, if they did, there would be no reason to write.” This does make sense to me now. Conflict is another struggle I have with my writing. Again I try to have the best interesting essay that I seem to loose myself in my writing. Another thing that I read from “Conflict” was how they said you are the main character to some extent.
Lizette Garcia
The sound of silence, great title, really catchy. As I was reading I would stop and think about the past. My past, the way we were raised without so much “sound” where silence was part of creativity. We would create or make up our field games. Outdoors was our place where we could find natural resources and used them in our own inventions.What I mean is that, todays tech world we are losing creativity and the way we think. Technology is controlling us and giving us everything we need literally on our hands. We don’t stop and rationalize or think about a question, we just google it. It is impossible to get away from all this technology. I hope one day I can have the chance of isolation and write about it.
ReplyDeleteVoicing your opinion can create conflict. Different ideas different ways of seeing things can create conflict. I find writing about conflicts is easy and interesting. In fact, I find it fascinating because all the different points of view can be intriguing. One topic I really like to write about is politics. I feel there is so much to write about. When someone starts a conversation there will be a “conflictious,” debate. Essayist and critic Phililip Lopate reminds us, “without conflict, your essay will drift into static mode, repeating your initial observation in a self-satisfied way. What gives an essay dynamism is the need to work out some problems, especially a problem that is not easily resolved.” I couldn’t agree more.
-Luis Rodriguez
This weekend I was given the opportunity to read Abend's “The Sound of Silence” and Moore's “Of Conflict." Starting with “The Sound of Silence,” I was immediately drawn to the name based on the fact that one of my favorite songs by the same title, the legendary single by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel as well the cover by band, Disturbed. While the song’s meaning has been up for interpretation since its release, meaning ranging from the aftermath John F. Kennedy assassination to a man who sees the wrongs in the world or even a commentary on the inability of people to communicate, the title of the essay refers to peace and quiet. There is a want to escape his phone, emails, text messages, and social media; he yearns to leave behind those around him for a movement to himself in order for him to appreciate the world around him. In order to do so, he resorts to escaping to the country, isolating himself from the world and technology. I can understand that this time of year when all I hear about is politics, even worse since I am in the field of criminal justice.
ReplyDeleteWhether or not you agree with the current state of government, I am so sick of hearing about it on television, in conversation, in my classes and online. It was only today that I was talking about how if my social media was not being used to promote myself as a writer, I would delete it just to get rid of one of the many headaches I am given hearing about Trump, as well as religion and social issues. It would be great just to run off to the country for a night just to relax and write, maybe listen to music. This world is so crazy, I do not know what to think anymore.
- patrick Diehl -
In the sound of silence, the way Abend writes it, it sounds very descriptive and just right. The way she explains things, she makes her story interesting about her travel. I think the best part is where she is getting frustrated with everyone around her and wishes that she could of taken the hike to avoid people. Yet if she had gone with the hike idea she would have been miserably alone with no communication with anyone or the warmth of a place to sleep in. She gives a very good visual of what is around her and what is going on.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Moores chapter I can agree that people usually do write a lot about deceased family members because it’s easy to do. Usually when someone dies like a grandparent, the feelings stay with you and it’s sometimes hard to move on. In the example he gives about the rabbit and the young girl’s grandpa passing way, I can relate to it in every way. My grandpa was there yet not really there. Instead of a rabbit passing away, my cat had decided to run away for a whole week. That week just happened to be the week my grandpa had passed away. From what I remember, I cried more of my damn cat than my own grandpa. A part of that is that my cat lived with me, he gave me attention, and he would curl up on my head, fall asleep, and just follow me everywhere. Whenever I saw my grandpa though, he would sit by himself, ignore everyone after he had said hi and that was it. It’s how we feel about things that allow us to just write and write with no problem. In this case if I had to write about my grandpa or my cat I would definitely be able to write a ten page essay about my fat cat.
-Stephanie Cisneros
As I began reading Lisa Abends, A Sound of Silence, I immediately thought about how much I related to her. There have been many times when I just get so irritated with the constant noise. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with everything around me it feels like i’m drowning. The noise never stops, from the text message ringer constantly going off to the conversations of people I don’t know buzzing around me. It’s nice to just unplug sometimes. I remember when I used to live in San Marcos I lived in a really woodsy area that had a hiking trail. I remember that when things felt like too much, I would turn my phone off and go hiking. I believe that A Sound of Silence is a very good example of a travel/nature essay. She gives a lot of minor little details that make you feel like you’re actually taking a walk with her. I really like how she began it by comparing and contrasting the sounds of nature to everyday life.
ReplyDeleteI really like chapter 9, Conflict, in Crafting the Personal Essay. The reason why I like it so much is because I feel like writers need to be able to execute this idea in order to have a great story. A story can be told by a lot of different people about different things, but ultimately they may all seem similar; maybe even boring. The reason is because they don’t have enough conflict. I believe that conflict is what brings us out of our element and when you’re uncomfortable and out of your element, you tend to write a better story.
-Raychelle Altamirano-
So good news my crafting the personal essay book came in earlier today, unfortunately there was an issue with my shipping with the other books for the class but I got an email that they should be in by Thursday, so I’ll just have a longer response for the “Of Conflict” chapter from the book….I really liked this chapter personally because one of the troubles that I have with my writing is the issue of conflict. He talks about how this Kate student that wrote an essay of a passed loved one but her conflict was with how she missed the dog that recently passed more than her grandfather. That was really interesting to me because for an essay on a loved one you are expected to read about how you missed said person and how missed they are, and it was cool (I took a moment to think about Kate’s situation and put myself in her particular conflict) because I could relate and understand how she felt, I didn’t read her essay but I really would love to see the way she wrote and how her conflict worked out. I’ve lost loved ones before and I know how it feels, but I have (in a way) lost a pet. Quick story as a child I used to raise abandoned baby pigeons and would teach them how to fly and nurse them back to health. Once they could fly well, I would set them free at a park and that was really hard for me. Keep in mind Id have them for no longer than a month or two. And if that was hard for me I can’t imagine losing my 13-year-old weenie dog, and the huge heart break that would be for me.
ReplyDeleteBack on topic…I also really liked a quote from the other authors he mentioned “suggesting that we are not as free of apathy as we like to believe” (105) and how by that author saying that allows the reader to be “provoked” and have their own internal conflict regarding being “not as free of apathy” and that was a good way to get the reader into the essay, and to get them to have their own conflict.
Jessica Guzman
There are many stories that based their sorrow and pain by those that they have lost. It might as well be in their own sub-genre of deceased loved ones. Yet some of the stories can become well written ones to would interests us. From Moore, the story of a girl who misses her dog more than her father intrigued him by its harsh conflict. What his chapter is based on is the interesting conflicts that are different from the usual conflicts, probably an issue unusual, issues similar to our own, or the writer’s own conflict of interest.
ReplyDeleteLisa Abend’s essay, “The Sound of Silence,” revolves around the conflict of technology and the shriveling struggle of face-to-face conversation. She ventures off from the technological society to find a place where no one is behind their phones or computers. There’s no escape from having to peek into the little or huge screen to see what is going on with friends and family, especially with news. A few of us would freak out and start getting withdraws from being away from electronics, but maybe isn’t all the bad. In Abend’s case, she should’ve prepared more efficiently and an emergency satellite phone. Pretty lucky to trace your steps back without getting in serious danger. I could have this same experience by stepping out of my room and sitting outside under the house porch, may it be rain or shine, watching the hill and trail dip down towards the rusty gate. Pure ranch plains and ranch air to breathe in, even cows and bulls, an average tamed horse, and cute white pony, and a silly donkey to watch over next door. My conflict would be vice versa from Abend’s, and that is that lack strong Wi-Fi here at home, but that is just a useless issue to complain. Like my dad says, this place, our ranch, isn’t the kind of place I would enjoy, but this is what I love to be. Find and create my own place to call home.
Hector Dimas
In “The Sound of Silence”, the author explains the details to the core. It makes it seem like us the readers are traveling with her. I liked this essay by Abend because she lets us see that we need to break free of the day to day routine. We need to go out there and explore the outdoors. In one sentence, she sums it up perfectly when she states, “It was a relief to turn off all those voices and focus on the path in front of me.” Pg4 Sometimes even when we go on vacations we still manage to stay connected with social media instead of enjoying the beauty of the outdoors or the beauty of the new place we are visiting.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter by Moore “Of Conflict” it helped me realize that not all stories are sunshine and rainbows. This is true because even in real life, conflict is part of everyone’s’ life. After reading this chapter I noticed that some of the essays I wrote for creative writing, I did not incorporate conflict in all of them. I believe conflict is a strong element since it will capture the readers’ attention. It will make them want to keep reading the essay, or story. It also gives an essay a stronger feeling, because the reader gets to see how the characters get to the conflict, work through the conflict and how they deal with it.
Both essays had a lot of elements that are very helpful to the writers. Elements that can make essays or stories stronger. And very importantly, elements that can give life to our characters in the story.
Celica Chavez
In “Of Conflict” I found the beginning very interesting because both my grandparents died when I was really young so writing an essay like that would be hard for me. Mostly, I think it would be hard because of course I miss them, but I mostly miss the fact that I didn’t get to know them. I guess I just miss what everyone tells me about them. So I guess what I’m saying is that if I was in the same boat as that writer and my dog died in the same month I would probably be more sad about my dog, but that’s really hard to say because even saying it right now makes me feel like a bad person because you are expected to be devastated when you lose a grandparent. I also really liked the writing exercise that had us make the list of people that just make no sense to you. I liked this because this happens to me, I often find myself staring at people just thinking to my self, “what in the Sam heck?’ or “what is going through their head?” There are so many times that I disagree with peoples life choices and honestly have no idea why they choose to do what it is that they are doing. So it was nice to realize that it’s not just me.
ReplyDeleteIn “The Sound of Silent” I felt like I could really relate to his frustrations in the beginning when he was on the train, because I am very much like that. For example, when I’m out at a restaurant if there is someone talking so loud that I can hear his or her whole conversation I will get so irritated and I will begin doing exactly what he did. I will know their whole conversation and become frustrated about it. Or I will just have days where I hate everything that everyone does and I fee like I can really relate to the just taking a day for yourself away from people and the real world. Its different for everyone but every person needs that happy get away.
Jessica Young
“The Sound of Silence” was an incredibly great read, there were so many things about it that I liked. One of the first things that I liked was how detailed the essay was. Abend didn’t ever really hold back when it came to detail, and it really helped give the nature essay the tone necessary to pull it off. Her detail wasn’t limited to the area she hiked however, because she described all of the people she met personalities in the same kind of detail. You could really get a sense for the type of person they were from their dialogue.
ReplyDelete“On Conflict” was really interesting as well, because I personally feel as if writers try to avoid conflict in order to present themselves as the better person. However, if you don’t ever have any conflict, it just makes you look unbelievable and, for lack of a better term, like a “mary sue” (which is defined by Wikipedia as “an idealized and seemingly perfect fictional character, a young or low-rank person who saves the day through unrealistic abilities.”) It’s unrealistic for someone to never have any conflict but, it is extremely human to never want to admit to your mistakes. However, Moore explains that in order to have a well-rounded nature/travel essay there needs to be conflict, and you have to be involved in it to a certain extent. This type of essay would be incredibly boring if you were to just sit there and describe what everything looks like without putting in your own feelings about it, but conflict is a quick way to remedy that.
Ayesha Crutchfield
Reading Moore’s “Of Conflict”, it allows me to have a better understanding of how important it is to have conflict in one’s essay in order to avoid “static mode” with the readers. I am not a fan of writing drama or anything that involves an elaborate series of conflict considering how I’m not very good at coming up with a problem worth reading about, but this chapter allowed me to see the topic in a new perspective. Possibly the best way to act as a reminder of that perspective is the following quote; “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two or three opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still write elegant, detail-filled, fiery sentences. Essayists don’t have all the answers. If they did, there would be no reason to write.” I believe that as long as I keep this in mind while I write my semester project assignments, I should have no problem brainstorming conflicting subjects worthy of an award-winning author.
ReplyDelete-Iggy Perez
(P.S. I sent you an email Dr. Moreria
The Sound of Silence was the perfect way to start The Best American Travels. These travels, in my opinion, are not solely geographical “destinations”, but life journey destinations as well. It’s never a bad idea to go back to nature to look for answers. Lisa Abend speaks of hers, and it really put things into perspective. The whole idea of losing ourselves to find ourselves is very interesting, and an appropriate representation of finding the answers in nature. Cellphones sort of make us feel invincible nowadays, so going on without one really tests our knowledge and hyper awareness. Her mishap in the woods was a pivotal point in her travel, and the fear she had led to realizing the importance of human interaction. And just when we think we know it all, we must realize how much is left unexposed. I enjoyed the story told on how the town would bleed their animals and sew them back up, just to use the blood as protein in their oatmeal. Not only was it morbid and twisted, it created an uneasiness. Anyway, I’m sure she found her cure for misanthropy.
ReplyDelete“On Conflict” was a great read as well. Moore is very adamant in having a certain formula against a static essay – Conflict. I believe this to be true. Like he says, conflict creates dynamism in your paper, and the reader is always going to be intrigued on how the character will get out of their conflict. I love Joan Didion’s essay, it was an intriguing perception of conflict disguised as the unwanted hot wind. Somehow, you’re able to relate to the tone of the essay, and you’re almost as bothered as the narrator. The conflict is weather, and the bigger conflict? It is unescapable when it’s there. I think the whole notion of having conflict in your essay is great advice, simply because it keeps things interesting and honest. The important thing is to keep this in mind, and pay more attention to the things that trigger you. This is the stuff worth writing about!
Damaris Cantu
Lisa Abend's essay, "The Sound of Silence", is an oxymoron at work. Abend starts her essay with her personal irritation of the noise created from others. Since she is in search of silence in nature, she is annoyed by the overpowering noise of people. I think however, she is simply irritated because others do not take notice in their surroundings. She takes us with her on her emotional ride to explore how she feels when these irritating factors are removed. As she continues her journey she comes to a point where she is lost in her silence so she creates dialogue, this is when she hopes for others to be around. I think that what Abend wanted most was to be able to enjoy the sounds of nature with silence of the world around. I enjoyed her emotions to reality and her honesty in and of society. "Of Conflict" by Moore led to to believe that conflict is avoided because most people want a solution, they want for the author to pick a side. Moore gives credible examples on how conflict can be effectively introduced in writing. Moore seems to think that by captivating the reader with opposing or contradicting views is a conflict that will always grab the readers attention when mentioned early on, they want to know more. I myself enjoy writing about conflicting situations but never really about a conflicting person or people. I have thought of it and think it to be more challenging personally, I would have to demoralize myself or another. Plus it is hard when opinions of others is not only thought and spoken of but rather when it is also in writing.
ReplyDelete-Elizabeth Diaz
"The Conflict" stresses the importance of word choice and how to manipulate words to make a single sentence a focal point. I liked the example of conflict using Kate's essay. Specifically, the mart that said "..perhaps out of family loyalty..." (100) it really signifies that there was nothing really controversial about her position, it was just out of a personal preference that any given person can relate to. The suggestions of introducing conflict in subtle ways and the examples Moore gives, were really helpful in finding ways that I can add to give my paragraphs/story a little face lift. I tend to edit a lot. So much that I feel that I sometimes lose vital parts of significance in my writings trying to give my text this spark. The suggestions on how to insert conflict in a more simple form, rather than in a lengthily description, helped put this hurdle, I commonly face, into a clearer perspective.
ReplyDeleteIn the "Sound of Silence", I appreciated his views and think they are valid points. Being a parent, learning to work in the mist of total chaos is something that has taken time to learn to adapt to. It is easy to get distracted with life. Being aware that outside distractions can directly influence our ability or inability to write/express our creativity is useful so we can place ourselves in a mental or physical state that will able us to produce. Having to work in only silence or limiting yourself to not being able to work in various environments, can have both short and long term disadvantages. This confined state of mind has lead me to many sleepless nights trying to write papers or study after my kids are in bed. Being able to balance life and my studies has abled me to be successful in countless ways that are beyond just school work. I really found his insight useful. I also believe it has everything to do with the willingness of the writer to be able to take charge of their attention and apply it where it is needed.
-Amanda Gonzales
I didn't really enjoy reading Abend's essay. She sounded too negative. I understand Moore says conflict is good and its necessary but i feel like she put too much conflict in her essay, it’s like she relied on the conflicts too much. I couldn’t help but disagree with the people who were saying she described her characters. She didn’t. At all. She might have given them names but i dont know what they look like or how they sounded. It lacked a lot of detail. Plus the way she described her journey was too fast. Like she went from one place to another in a sentence. The only part she really elborated on was when she got lost. Which she blamed on the map and not herself. It all seemed a bit too cliche as well. She gets lost thinking “Oh yay, im finally alone...No wait i could die being alone out here...Self-Revelation, is it really good to be alone?! *gasp* Epiphany!” then she finds her way back and its a happy ending where everyone accepts her wiht open arms. Like a homecoming. Its like 80 percent of her essay she was just complaining about everything and contradicting herself at the sametime and it was until her last paragraph or so she has a quick realization that she doesnt even go into detail with. Which could have helped in order to be relatable. I don’t mean to just criticize Abend and her essay it’s just that i really didn’t enjoy it at all i found it lacked so much it was all just words to me, and that was another thing. The flow of the words. I like to read things out loud and i noticed read her essay i found myself reading it in a monotone voice, hence the fact that it lacked a flow. I look forward to other readings but this one isn’t a favorite at all.
ReplyDelete-Bibi Ann Gonzalez
In “Write What You Wish You Knew” I have to talk about the first paragraph because honestly as soon as I read it I felt like I really understood it. I love how Moore talks about unexpected information being so energizing, because there has honestly been so many times that I’m writing an essay that I’m so into and I just cant stop typing and then next thing I know an hour or two has gone by because I’m just so into it. I honestly couldn’t agree more with the “write what you know” being completely know because doing research and learning knew things can never doing anything but make your paper more interesting and more factual. I really like how Susan Orlean describes things in her writing because you can completely visualize exactly what she is saying. I can paint a vivid picture in my head.
ReplyDeleteIn “Tales of the Trash” in this essay I felt the same as I did about the other one that Moore wrote because I could really picture the old building that his family live in, in Cairo. I really like how he gives you background on Cairo, he gives you the information that is not necessarily information that is needed but I think that it sort of keeps you more intrigued and it also teaches you about a new place so that when you are done with the essay you aren’t just leaving with a story but you are also leaving with new history of a place you didn’t know anything about before.
Jessica Young
Starting with “The Sound of Silence” was interesting, I enjoyed it, a lot. Abend use of descriptive language is masterful and honestly makes the reading extremely real. When writing a nature or travel essay the devil will be in the details. Details provide legitimacy, how can I believe you’ve been somewhere if you can’t tell me what it is actually like. Along with that, Abend also provides details to her characters, it also makes the essay a lot more believable and enjoyable, because you begin to build an emotional connection to these different characters. In the “The Sound of Silence” Lisa Abend really drills home the role of technology in today’s society and how it is deterring face to face to conversation, and actually keeping us, the people, from enjoying things. Which I completely agree, for example, last weekend I was on 17th street in McAllen, and I was drunk, but I specifically remember saying that we had to go back to the bar so that I could take a Snapchat, just so people know that I was downtown on Saturday night.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Moore’s chapter, I guess I never really thought about it, but the reason people write a lot about deceased family members is because an event like that really impacts someone’s life. And weather, the inspiration stems from anger, love, hatred or sadness, it is easy to make these feelings into something that to the writer is beautiful, and means a lot to them.
Jesus Garcia