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
ReplyDelete“Ashes to Ashes” was a very unique reading, and it was quite interesting. I wasn't expecting it to be that intriguing. A trip to India that I probably would never do in my lifetime. Especially to a place like Varanasi. Although I would never go and experience a place where they are cremating corpses it was interesting to read about it. I was kind of shocked at how this whole cremating thing worked for them. I don't agree personally with how they cremate people like that, but I have to respect their beliefs. The reading overall was good and I got to get a feel of a place I have never been too. I could imagine the place in my head. I felt like the details Afar gave was brilliant.
In chapter five “Writing The Contemplative Essay” I really liked this quote, “ I write to find out what I'm thinking, what I see, and what it means.” It's good to hear that I am not the only one that has some great ideas, but doesn't really know how to write about it. I get stuck with so many ideas at times it's frustrating. In reading this chapter I read I am not alone and that it is normal to feel this way. Moore gives us some really good tips here in this reading. I liked how he mentions to write about an area that you truly understand. This goes with something else he mentions, is “KNOW THYSELF”
Lizette Garcia
“Ashes to Ashes” was a very interesting essay. It captured my attention from the very beginning. Not to mention the fact that it made me see death in a very different perspective. I thought we all dealt with death by grieving for long periods of time. But when I read this piece it made me realize, that some people are not allowed to grieve as much as they want. When I think about what S.B told Farley about his grieving “…I can’t show it. It’s bad karma for the soul of the dead if mourners show grief during the cremation.” I have heard many people in my culture say, “we shouldn’t cry for the death too long because you will not let them rest in peace”. They made it seem like, since we are sad all the time their spirit roams around until we let them go. So I found that similarity of cultures interesting.
ReplyDeleteIn “Writing the Contemplative Essay”, Moore states how sometimes, we the writers, tend to wander off our topic. That happens a lot to me, not only in writing but on my day to day basis. Sometimes, when I am studying, I find myself wandering off to other topics, and eventually come back to what I’m thinking. When I’m writing however, when I do wander off and start writing sentences that are completely off topic, I stop myself re-read everything and remove sentences that are not relatable. One important element I took from Moore’s essay was “and remember the reader”, that I something I always like to keep in mind, because, when I write an essay, I think, “would this keep the reader’s attention? Or will I lose their attention?” so that is something I would definitely keep in consideration.
Celica Chavez
Ashes to Ashes, David Farley was well written and very easy to understand. Everyone looks at death and handles it very different. Here in the United States we see death as a tragedy. However, as the old man in Varanasi said, "You people come to Varanasi from the West because you're so unprepared for death." To them is like a celebration or some sort of transition. People in Varanasi see death very normal and so beautiful. A Varanasian shared," I believe death is a beautiful transition. I lost my mom when I was five, so I have been comfortable with the spiritual world for quite some time now. I tell everyone to be happy for me when I do go because I will be reunited with my mother and family members on the other side. Most people are uncomfortable with talking about it. I really don’t like to think about death much less talk about it. Just like Farley did, he eliminated the fear associated with death. I believe it is fear of the unknown, I think if we knew maybe it wouldn’t be so scary. Or maybe it would be scarier if we knew. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteWriting The Contemplative Essay by Dinty W. Moore, states the goal is not win a “most cooperative student” star on your report card; the goal is to be writing in a fresh and surprising way. Which is true. How many times does an average reader has read a boring written piece. As Dinty explains writers have the luxury to edit, rethink and rearrange their work. I think if we have the creativity of writing all we need are tools to write interesting pieces.
-Luis Rodriguez
It took me a while to know what a contemplative essay is. What I should’ve done, after reading Moore’s chapter, is read the word “contemplative” and match it with “contemplate” or “contemplating.” Contemplative essays are thoughts from ourselves about certain ideas, routines, or norms, if that is correct. This seems like a difficult type of essay to pull off. This seems more of tapping into a deeper meaning around an object and dissecting it, resulting in interpretations by the writer’s own mind. Could an example of this be looking into one’s own life and complaining and wishing it were different? What about talking about the people or objects that we cherish, but in a whole collaboration of descriptions or definitions? I’m still confused, hopefully from the discussion in-class, I could get a better understanding of this type of essay. I felt like Moore’s chapter was vague, especially with the pointers and tips being useless in describing the contemplative essay. Or it is just my brain still trying to understand this concept.
ReplyDeleteAs Farley’s Ashes to Ashes, this was a deep story about death and how Farley’s senses an uneasy, unexplained notion of death. This is a great transition from the last reading we had because the Marx was all concerned about technology and her journey. Trauma was shown within the first few pages and it may have caused him to wonder and to explore death. The closest to death is by his journey to Varanasi, India. Gloomy and dirty place this village is, yet this is just the culture shock talking. To the people of Varanasi and perhaps all of India, the cremations and rituals are religious transitions towards a life and death cycle. Death to them is worth witnessing as a sense of paying respect, as those who passed on head towards the next transformation, or “nirvana.” This is some experience Farley had gone through, quite possibly eerie with human ashes all around him.
Hector Dimas
Ashes to Ashes by David Farley was a fantastic read. It challenges the reader to redefine “death”. The narrator brings us an entirely different culture along with their traditions that heavily contrast the way we deal with death. At first, I found it very insensitive how so many people would appear to be so senseless about death. But, as the reading allowed me to learn, life is so much more than dying. This civilization is on an entirely different spiritual level, considering the extent funerals go through. The ceremonies that take place seem almost unrealistic to me, but I still find them mesmerizing. I couldn’t imagine watching a loved one burn away, right before my very eyes. That’s another thing, this story really brings the experience to the reader. Although, there is one thing I feel that Farley could have added to this descriptive story, and that would be the sense of smell. I could only imagine how pungent the air might around him might have been. Ultimately, my favorite thing about this essay was the spiritual enlightenment undertones… achieving bliss through nothingness, and not truly being able to open your eyes until you learn who you truly are; it definitely speaks about the somewhat spiritual journey the author went through as well.
ReplyDeleteAs always, I enjoy the manner Moore explains his methods of writing. In Writing the Contemplative Essay, Moore suggests to know how to successfully engage the reader: by holding up both ends of the conversation. When you’re able to have a conversation with the reader, without the actual interaction, it permits any idea to successfully translate, especially when you are precise on paper. The notion of precision vs self-indulgence is what can either make or break your contemplative essay. I also agree with him on writing about things you are discovering to remain unbiased, as well as reflect on the new experience. I feel that it is always important to be neutral for the reader to decide what they feel on their own. The contemplative essay seems like a lot of fun to write, and even read.
-Damaris Cantu
What I really liked about Ashes to Ashes is how raw and real it felt. It seemed like the writer didn’t sugar coat his travel experience like some essays i’ve read. Especially within the first paragraph, we are already awaken by a man screaming at us saying, “You need to be a see-er.” That right there really caught my attention. It also gave different aspects of death and how people mourn. We all mourn differently. Some people cry for days and some don’t cry at all. I feel as though a lot of people don’t realize that. I also really liked the connections I saw between “Ashes to Ashes” and Moore’s chapter called “Writing the Contemplative Essay.” In Ashes to Ashes, David Farley feels uneasy about the idea of life and death. This is one of the main reasons why he ventured of to Varanasi, a place where people go to die. Death in itself is a very taboo subject, meaning not a lot of people are open to talking about it. But in Writing the Contemplative Essay, it talks about how we must push our minds to think out of our comfort zones in order to find self-knowledge which is the “true prize for [any] writer.” It also talks about how we must write about subjects we don’t fully understand, which I completely agree with. There are times that I come across an issue I don’t know how to handle so i’ll start writing about it. Eventually within the two pages of writing, i’ll figure out an answer or come to some sort of revelation. This is exactly what Farley did. The death of his friend affected him so much that him so much that he traveled far distances to find answers.
ReplyDelete- Raychelle Altamirano -
"Ashes to Ashes" is probably my favorite assigned travel reading. There were so many elements to the essay that Farley made entertaining and educational. His style of writing is one that kept me engrossed in the story. I liked the ways he described to the reader what words like "moksha" and "ananda" were. There were catching phrases like "...western culture deals – or doesn’t - deal with death" with engages the reader to want to read and learn the answer. "I stepped away from that metaphorical ledge" was another great line that seemed to be strategically embedded into this very personal internal struggle that he was making the reader apart of. My favorite part of the essay, was the part in which he describes the town of Varanasi. The ways that he went out of his way to paint this tourist town that the reader is also familiar with and then simplify the type of town that it really is. To me, it said a lot about the people and how significant of a place this was to their culture that it was not to be exploited for its "purpose" for monetary gain. I also enjoyed the information he provided as the types of rituals dress the bodies were in and the ways in which they would tend to the dead. Also the ways in which the people in that community took honor in their inherited professions. This was piece that was reflective of the author but also of the ways in which he choose to have the reader experience this place. Moore's information was helpful and entertaining. I appreciated the ways in which he discusses how a piece may seem perfect but it had been put through many versions of editing. Also, how a lot of ideas don’t develop and how that's okay.
ReplyDelete-Amanda Gonzales
“Ashes to ashes” was unique reading. It’s a type of reading that rarely is done or that we look up. Death to a lot of people means the end of everything and sorrow followed with pain. I have gotten the chance to see different religious views on death and Hinduism is one of the ones that I have liked and found interest in. I don’t like how mostly the American culture deals with death its very depressing. I think death is a new beginning to another life or place, shouldn’t viewed as a sad ending to life. One of the things that I’ve seen is that the cultures that cremate their dead have a better way of grieving with it. I wouldn’t like to be buried just the fact that I have seen too many horror movies and I want my ashes to be scattered along a forest. I don’t want to be trapped in a box. This story the way it is written catches the reader’s attention and also emotions. It also reminded me of a movie that takes place somewhere near chine where people go die. Only difference it’s a suicide forest and not a nice place to find your inner self.
ReplyDeleteIn Moore, I agree that we should sometimes write about things that we don’t know about. This forces us to search more information and at the same time it gives us more to write about. Other times, I think it’s best to write about the things that we know the most just because it will flow better sometimes. It’s easier to write a three page essay on my cat than to write about a snow leopard that lives in the middle of nowhere and only have other researcher’s research instead of my own.
stephanie Cisneros
Ashes to Ashes by David Farley was easy to follow, and I really enjoyed it. It’s really well written, at least in my opinion. Farley challenged you to redefine death in a way, because although most of us see death as the ending, in the essay, it is almost seen as another beginning. Just another way of looking at things. When reading this, I thought that when you’re writing, not everyone is going to understand your personal beliefs, and and your own personal philosophies, so it’s important to take everything into account. This ties into the travel essay because it is important, to keep an open mind, amongst your travels. For example, I had a coworker that recently went to Cuba, at first she was adamant because of the way the American media portrays Cuba, now Cuba, is something I’ve done a lot of research on. So I tried to tell her that it wasn’t as bad, upon returning from her trip, she had a completely different view of it, and actually grew to love it.
ReplyDeleteIn Dinty Moore’s piece, he states that sometimes we write about things that are way over our head. Or simply just not that knowledgeable about. Which is why sometimes, traveling to a certain place is not enough, it is not only to travel there, but also doing research of the place. Your essay can’t have holes in it, it won’t be authentic because you can be super knowledgeable about a certain aspect of a place, but then not.
Jesus Garcia
ReplyDeleteThank you, I am quite helpful with the article that you are sharing ....
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