gonzalezmartha

[gonzalezmartha]

Questions

Section One: 

What role does poetry play in the world? 

-- This is important because people, since the beginning of poetry, have expressed their thoughts, emotions, and opinions in poetic form (sonnets and whatnot) that have shaped the world of today and how we as human beings express ourselves. 

The Harlem Renaissance was a moment based around African American artists during the 20′s, given that information, do you think the Harlem Renaissance benefited them (African Americans and other minority groups) in the long run? 

-- It’s important for people to see value and change within historic movements and to be able to connect the dots from multiple time periods to today and beyond. 

Section Two: 

Beat poetry and other artworks were very chaotic and often times, didn’t make sense. As a reader and viewer, how did Kerouac’s “On The Road” and “Magic Trip” differ? In what ways were they alike? 

-- To be able to differentiate these two is very important. We know Jack K. didn’t intend on creating what he did, and we know he wasn't too happy about Magic Trip given what we saw in the film. I believe that on The Road and Magic Trip were extremely different. 

In the novel “In Watermelon Sugar,” we’re given so many different things to process and think about. But when we think of the beat movement and the literature that came with it, how does In Watermelon Sugar fit? Does it belong in a different genre? 

-- In Watermelon Sugar seems like it belongs in a completely different genre. It doesn’t exactly fit the types of things we heard from the other novels, movies and poems we read around this. But there are some similarities (like views on women, mental illness, and extreme- chaotic- behavior). 

Section Three: 

In “Parable of the Sower,” we see so many different themes that are so heavily prevalent in today's society and possibly nearby future. Which of the many themes do you think is most believable for today’s society? Which is least believable? 

-- There’s so much that Butler predicts that is really coming along and it very evident in today’s world. The racism, the crime and violence, and the poverty, but there’s also a couple problems within the world that aren’t as believable. Though these things are coming to pass among those in power, there’s also a high level of people and officials who have the power to make sure these things don’t happen (at least, not to these extreme). 

If Jesus Met Nanabush was a spectacular play, it’s the only of its kind, too. Many people do not bring their Gods or Deities into the light to “face off” with another. But was it an accurate depiction of what would happen between these two important figures? 

--It’s important to be accurate and honest when you talk about deities from other faiths and religions, if not, it could result in backlash from those who take offense. 

[gonzalezmartha]

Parable of the Sower

Something I really couldn’t get over was just how much poverty and misery there was at every turn.There wasn’t a real gap between the bad and the good, or what you could call good. Good just means no one was being raped, robbed, murdered, or set on fire. It really wasn’t a joyful read, though it did keep me interested. I focused mostly on authority and gun/violence in these communities or bunches of people who traveled together. 

Gun violence in poorer areas is way too real. There’s things that happen in these neighborhoods that are truly disturbing. The fears these people face I’ve seen first hand. The gruesome deaths and rapes and muggings and all that- all too real. It was obvious who respected who and who had authority over groups and communities. 

At first, we know Lauren has the upmost respect for her father, and so does the community. They look to him for leadership and guidance up until there’s no one left. When the community goes up in flames and people are being murdered and raped left and right, that’s when Lauren becomes the authority figure. She shapes the people who come along with her group and after a while, they start to call themselves “Earthseed,” which as we read, we know that that’s Lauren's new faith, something she’s been writing about and detailing since the beginning. The book reads as her journal, but way more advanced than any ordinary journal which makes her, as a character, more attached to the reader. 

Overall, it was a real page turner. I was invested and I was anxious and heart broken with a lot of the details. The most heart wrenching thing, for me, was when Keith is Identified by his parents and the details of what they did to him and the community being rioted and purged (basically). The things that were done to the children and babies, the violence that ensued there, it was something I would imagine coming from one of those gory horror movies or a really distasteful scene from TWD. 

[gonzalezmartha]

Smoke Signals

I want to start off saying that Smoke Signals was one of the better movies I had to watch for school, so much better that  actually have a copy! 

I first watched it in high school,m around 4 years ago. But now, as an adult with more of a developed sense of reality and the things I’m learning (psych), I saw the main characters differently. But, I’m going to focus of Victor as a character. 

Victor had so much anger built in him and it was toward his father. His father left him when he was really young, but everyone sees his dad as something more than what he knew him to be. Thomas knew him as more of a savior because he saved him from the fire that killed his parents. He even makes up stories about him being a warrior of sorts. In Phoenix we meet Suzy who saw his as a father/friend. Victor only saw the darker side of his dad, for example, the abusive against him, his mother, the alcohol, and him walking out on them. Victor wasn’t able to experience all these great things that Thomas and Suzy we allowed to experience. 

It was obvious that he was also extremely envious of Thomas and Suzy for being able to remember such good things about his father, or that they could say he was a good man. Victor didn’t have those kinds of memories, or he didn’t highlight them so when he thinks of his dad, he remembers more of the bad things that happened. 

It was pretty new to me, watching it now as an adult and having more experiences and knowledge because I picked up on so many things that I hadn’t noticed before. I have never noticed Thomas’ desperation to be accepted and wanted by Victor, I had never noticed that anger or the envy, and I definitely didn’t understand that by bringing up his father so much, that everyone was really tearing into Victor. And watching him throw the ashes into the river was different too! He looks so pained, but relieved at the same time. 

#smoke signals #victor joseph

[gonzalezmartha]

If Jesus met Nanabush by Alanis King

The play was definitely something I enjoyed reading while drinking my camomile tea and eating my banana cake. It was a little eye opening for me as well, I really hoped I could find the actual play because I was so invested in what I was reading that I wanted to see it. I want to talk about a few main points of attraction for me (keep in mind, this is just my opinion and definitely no where near fact).

1) Our Main Characters

Jesus: Jesus was portrayed so... innocently. We’ve all seen the movie “Passion of the Christ” and that’s exactly who I pictured in my head- but the personality from that movie of being pure and genuine and good also came through in “If Jesus met Nanabush.” Even after, when he was drinking and smoking, he was still genuine. Do you know how hard it is to right a religious/divine character as being tipsy but also so innocent? Props to Alanis! I also really loved how much he embraced Nanabush and even called him by his name in the end.

Nanabush: he’s a dancer, he’s a singer, he’s a trickster and he’s a sweetheart. As a character, Nanabush is nice, he’s understanding, and he’s not really afraid or ashamed to be who he is. I really admired that about him. We find out he’s the coyote that bit Jesus- but it was to protect PUPS! He seems like the kind of guy who would be the life of the party, but not in a bad, drunk dude kind of way. He also showed that he was vulnerable towards the end when he’s talking about feeling abandoned almost, or forgotten. He compares himself to Jesus in a way that created a weak spot for him- comparing how people celebrated and praised Jesus but he wasn’t celebrated in that way. But this ending runs way deeper than just religion or faith.

2. The Setting

I was mainly focused on the time period this took place in. I would estimate it to be 1995-96 based on how old Jesus said he was. I thought it was so odd that she chose to write a play set in the future. The play was published in 1992 and the play wouldn’t be on until a year after, and the play itself takes place two years from then- and they talk about an inevitable event EIGHT years from ‘95/96! And it wasn’t set in a big city or anything, but dirt roads and open land (kinda). ‘Twas quite enjoyable.

Side Note:

I really wanted to emphasize how much more I understood the cast choices after Thursday when we were talking about some of the language used in the play and what is meant.

The biggest thing I really loved after I understood what it meant was that every woman in the play is cast as the same person (Sharon King) who is Kwewag.

Kwewag means women.

Mind = Blown

[gonzalezmartha]

The Wonderful World of Communes

In the past, present, and future, communes have been the perfect idea of utopia. A perfect community/society based around love, peace, and culture. There have been many communes throughout the late 1900′s, but it wasn’t an entirely new idea. We’ve all heard about the communities that commit suicide together, or murder, or  just failed quite miserably. But, as I did some digging, I found one in particular that really caught my attention. 

Pullman, Illinois was founded  in 1880 when George Pullman had purchased a couple thousand acres of land that he would build into a town of sorts for the employees to his new factory, which he planned on having built on his land. There was a school, shopping centers, a theater, a library and even a small man-made lake! All was fine and dandy for the first few years of the towns existence, until about 1894 when Pullman lowered his employees wages. This was the tipping point to a very violent outcome. 

Now, the wages being lowered wasn’t the only bad thing to come out of this town and it’s not the reason the people who lived there went south. Pullman didn’t allow any businesses (like saloons) to open nearby the land and demanded routine checkups on his employees homes. Often, guards would storm in and inspect the houses for any damage and cleanliness. Employees had no choice but to allow their homes and private belonging to be raided because they had no resources. After all, everything was connected to the company, thus, subject to any and all demands Pullman could come up with.  Keep in mind that Pullman had lowered wages but didn’t lower the rent. 

From May 11th to July 20th of 1894, the Pullman Strike took place which made no difference in labor laws of the time. At the start, there some 4,000 workers who started the strike. The strike crossed boarders into 27 different states and some 250,000 people at it’s peak. The Army was ordered to shut it down, and quickly after the strike and union that was founded (1893) had dissolved. Not to mention that the government actually deemed Pullman (the town) “un-American”!

If I missed anything or gave some incorrect information, feel free to add or update this post!

#pullman #commune #community #pullman strike #1880 #1894 #george pullman #company town

[gonzalezmartha]

In Watermelon Sugar

This is definitely a very bizarre world we’ve been thrown into. I enjoyed it, but it was definitely really out there. I was really tempted to psycho-analyse the main character who is never named (like Lord Volty but not a wizard and he has a nose!) because he was so...empty. In the very beginning we meet him, he explains the situation with his name and then he tells us about the Tigers. 

I thought the tigers were magical or something. I imagined something like the spirit guide for Mama Imelda (From Disney’s Coco), but no. The more I read on and they came up, the more I realized they aren’t divine or anything like that. They’re just Tigers who can talk (And there’s an idea that they had evolved from tigers?). Our main character and narrator of the story fist talks about he watched them eat his parents and he talked to them while they did it. And, helped with his academics? 

This character seems to be very simple minded in a way that he doesn’t argue with the world he knows. He doesn’t question the tigers or their ability to talk. He doesn’t question the way things are. He doesn’t seem to question the deaths he’s experienced (or when he literally watches Margaret kill herself). It was almost like watching something get set on fire and he’s just like “K.” 

I’m having a hard time thinking about what Watermelon Sugar is. Everything can be made out of it, even clothes and glass, so it has to be some kind of manipulable substance or some form of super advanced nanotechnology. I’m still deciding... I’m also still deciding how I feel about the main character. 

#in watermelon sugar #watermelon sugar #richard brautigan #literary works #literature

[gonzalezmartha]

A Woman’s Purpose

There is a point in time in every woman’s life,

Where we must pack essentials in our bags.

Keys in our fingers, our nerves on their edge.

There is a point in every woman’s life that,

We must prove ourselves, relentlessly,

Day in, day out, we must fight for our place.

We must be beauty, we must be grace,

We must be brave, outspoken, proven, must be strong.

We must be maidens, we must be lawyers,

We must be the princess, the queen, the king,

For our fairytales are self-reported,

self-obliterated, unkept, undone.

There comes a point in every woman’s life that,

Despite our many efforts, we must be pristine.

M. Gonzalez (2018)

#Poem #sonnet #poems on tumblr #woman #purpose #princess #queen #original #literature

[gonzalezmartha]

FIRST OF ALL, THE BASICS.

What is NaNoWriMo? NaNoWriMo - or National Novel Writing Month - is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30. (x)

Why should I participate in NaNoWriMo? First and foremost because it’s fun! Maybe you’ve considered writing a novel in the past, but have never gotten around to it, or perhaps you have a fantastic idea or a great character but aren’t quite sure what to do with them. Here’s your chance! Grab it with both hands and hold on tight because this writing ride is a whirlwind.

During October and November the official forums come alive with thousands of writers brimming with amazing thoughts and insights, and there is a real sense of creative community. What better chance would you have to vent and brainstorm and cultivate your collection of ideas?

NaNoWriMo values enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, and is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel. (x)

So you’ve decided you’re going to do it — you’re going to participate, you’re going to try your very best to write those 50,000 words… what next? How do you prepare for such a challenge? Well, here are some handy tips and links to guide you on your way:

INSPIRATION & BRAINSTORMING.

Every novel begins with an idea, even something as simple as a single word. Try jotting down a few. Soon you’ll start to notice common reoccurrences in the types of words you choose.

Peruse places like Tumblr, DeviantArt and Pinterest. Find things that catch your eye and save them.

Go out into the world, or lose yourself in a fictional one. Take notice of details, quirks, everything that’s layered together to create a rich environment. Pull inspiration from what you see or read and translate it into something all your own.

Suzanne Collins was switching back and forth between Survivor and the news when she thought of the Hunger Games, J.K Rowling was on a train when Harry Potter and his story wandered into her head — it’s amazing how inspiration can just pop out of nowhere when given the chance. Let yourself daydream, and ponder and research to your heart’s content.

Get a large piece of paper and pretend like you’re in grade five all over again — write your number 1 idea in the center and branch off from it with other thoughts, plot points, characters, details et cetera.

Alternatively you could buy a bunch of post-it notes in varying colours and clear a space where you can stick them. Assign a colour for each of the following: plot points, characters, relationships, details, conflicts, resolutions. You could also use coloured card or plain paper + coloured pens/pencils.

Spend a day or two focusing solely on your main character. Get to know them. Ask yourself how they would react to certain situations, what they like, what they dislike, why they do or don’t. Give them flaws, quirks, a layered personality.

Here are some handy links that may also help:

Prompts

Inktype Inspires

Generators

A Wealth of Inspiration

Adoption Society over @ the forums

SETTLING ON AN IDEA.

Say you’ve just spent ages following the advice above, but now you’ve found yourself with more than one great idea, how do you choose? Ask yourself:

What sparks the most excitement?

What interests you more?

If both your ideas were turned into fully fleshed out novels and you saw them on a shelf in a store, which would you be more likely to want to read?

Which one would you be the most upset about not getting the chance to write?

PLOTTING/OUTLINING.

There is no one single, set way to outline your novel. It’s also important to remember that planning is not for everyone; some people like to fly by the seat of their pants and simply go with whatever happens and that’s perfectly okay. But without at least a very basic outline, particularly during NaNoWriMo, you may find yourself incredibly stuck and unsure about a). what happens next or b). how to write yourself out of the situation you’ve found yourself in, which could lead to you falling behind or missing days’ worth of valuable writing time while you try and figure out what to do. How do I go about outlining, you ask? Here are some great links that will help you do so with ease:

How Do You Plan a Novel?

How to Create a Plot Outline in Eight Easy Steps

Outline Your Novel In 30 Minutes

Preparing to Write A Novel

Basic Checklist for Your Story

NaNo Tips & Strategies

RESEARCHING & DETAILS.

So you’ve thought of your idea, you created your characters and have an outline. But you’re writing a novel about elves in a mystical place that doesn’t even exist, or a futuristic world where supernatural creatures and technology have taken over, or perhaps something entirely in the past, and you have no idea how to make it all believable. The NaNoWriMo forums are a fanastic place for your genre and detail needs:

Reference Desk — researching facts, figures, real world experiences and details.

Applelation Station — for naming needs

Character Cafe — for character developement

Plot Doctoring

Genre Lounges — for your specific genre needs

If there isn’t already a thread that pertains to your specific needs don’t be afraid to make one! You should definitely also:

Go to the library and source books that contain the knowledge you need. Don’t be afraid to ask a librarian for their help.

Use Google, which seems like a rather simple answer but there is so much information out there just waiting to be found.

Write down the facts that you discover and need and be sure to jot down how they are relevant to your novel.

PREPARING YOURSELF.

Your novel is one thing, you are another (though certainly the two get tangled together). 

Look at what you have planned during November and figure out which days you might find it difficult to find free time due to prior commitments and find a place to slot writing in, even if it means you end up writing during breakfast.

Become acquainted with the official forums and spend some time in the nanowrimo tag here on Tumblr. Get to know your fellow writers!

Find someone (preferably someone also participating in NaNoWriMo) who you can rant to, share ideas with; someone who you can ask to check in on you and see how you’re going with your writing goal of the day and vice versa.

THINGS TO REMEMBER DURING NANOWRIMO.

Avoid the temptation of going back and re-reading and editing your work, this is supposed to be a first draft and first drafts are unavoidably messy.

Take care of yourself. Try and eat properly, get some exercise (during NaNoWriMo that walk to the fridge for writer’s fuel totally counts), hang out with your friends and family, enjoy life.

Remember that NaNoWriMo is supposed to be fun, don’t pressure yourself too much.

If you’re having trouble reaching the daily word count goal, split it into chunks: write 500 words here, 500 there, another 667 at another point in the day.

If you find yourself running out of motivation here are some great (if I do say so myself) tips.

Read some inspirational quotes to keep you going (or get you started).

A PRE-NANO CHALLENGE.

If you’re not too busy getting inspired, brainstorming, planning or any of that good stuff why not give Inktype’s NaNoWriMo preparation challenge a go? 

[gonzalezmartha]

Not so Radical Radical Movements

Radical movements as seen in On the Road, Magic Trip, and during the Harlem Renaissance had become pretty repetitive in the sense that the same things are still happening (because history keeps repeating itself) and as a result, the younger generations tend to take stands. Not only do younger generations do this, though. In many cases, those who have high platforms tend to take a stance  as well and voice their opinions about the things that are happening in the world around them. 

It’s sad knowing that the only way that wrongs can be righted is by those being wronged fighting back. People of color fighting back against their white suppressors. the LGBTQ community fighting back against the hate and ignorance that surrounds them EVERYWHERE. It’s a religion oppressed society fighting for science against the church. It’s the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Panthers. Fighting against police brutality. The LA Latino Walk Out. And in all these fights, all these battles, we take a step closer to equality and peace. Isn’t is so ironic that in order to have peace, we must fight? 

In today’s world, we see White Oppressors with tiki torches going on about their “history and culture” being taken away from them. But on a opposite side, minority groups are banding together to fight back generations of neglect, maltreatment, and abuse. In the 60′s, it was a love movement where everyone wanted the war to end. Drugs hit their peak (mainly weed), and before then, it was the beat movement where sex, alcohol, hard drugs seem to be mainstream but also “helped” in making their voices heard. 

On The Road was a very male dominated POV which is why the beat movement seems this way to me. But with poems like Howl, everything comes into a much clearer picture. Yes, there was a lot of sex, drugs, and alcohol, but there was also a voice against the violence and gave the problems of the time an actual voice. It forced people to listen, to understand, and to acknowledge (even if they didn’t want to) that there was something very wrong happening. 

#beat #on the road #jack kerouac #male dominated

[gonzalezmartha]

On The Road pt. 2

On The Road has proven to be quite the read so far. In terms of race, I noticed most of the characters we get to know have all been white. The girls as well, but in most instances, we don’t get much about the women. The most in depth character development in a woman I’ve seen so far would be Terry. 

Terry is a Latina (Mexican, to be more specific) that Sal spends a couple weeks with. Her parents worked as Grape-pickers, she has a son, and she’s attempting to run away from her abusive husband who beats her. Terry’s life as a Mexican seems very stereotypical in my opinion. Her parents were grape-pickers, which is a labor force still dominated by Latinos. Her husband is abusive, which I’ve seen time and time again. For some reason, Latino men are always portrayed as abusive. Why is that? 

Sexuality isn’t hidden at all in this book. There’s a lot of sex going on, mostly on Dean’s part because he’s such a womanizer. There’s also a mention early on when we meet Dean in Denver about there being an art piece showing how “large” he was. Which also plays a role in the portrayal of women as objects of a mans pleasure on the journey this far. More often than not, the women are either in relationships with the men involved or are targets of the male gaze. 

So far, the story follows a very typical “rock-n-roll” vibe, only there’s no rock-n-roll, just everything associated with it like drinking and sex... all the time. 

Here’s 3 more links to the audiobook for you : parts 4, 5, and 6 of 10. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv2OVJdM_QY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E50WQvwQ7Wc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLK11KnAn0U

#on the road #literature #jack kerouac #audiobook

[gonzalezmartha]

On The Road (Part 1) pt. 1

On The Road by Jack Kerouac, so far, is one of the most wild stories I’ve read that was published during that time period. Most books from this era of the century are very reserved so that the public isn’t offended and so that there wouldn’t be any backlash from the public. So, in most cases, you get the cliche damsel in distress waiting for prince charming, OR, you have stories about a character starting from some form (at the bottom) to where they are currently in their lives. 

Not once has he explicitly said that his friend (Dean) was having an affair, or that he was a very “friendly” character, but he says that he “makes” women, which implies sexual interactions. In the first chapter that Sal is in Denver and meets up with Dean, he’s already slept with 3 different women. This kind of writing was considered an abomination at the time, but I know there’s so much more that was said that was taken out because the publisher didn’t want backlash from the public. It’s actually very... attractive to read this kind of literature from this time period and it still be real. 

 Now, when it comes to the way women are portrayed in the story, it does bother me. Most of the women that are worth any kind of mention are mentioned because they’re beautiful and the men in the story want to sleep with them. This can be seen with Marylou, Marry from the diner (I think she works there?), and Camille (there are others from his travels that he watches, but these three are the best for the example). It actually irked me when Dean called Marylou a whore in the beginning of the story. When reading, I really try to keep an open mind because I know the times were different and I have to remember I’m reading from a mans point of view.  

 If you’re interested in the book but can’t get your hands on a copy, here’s a few links to the audiobook: 

On the Road part 1 of 10 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7aHumxaQ4A 

Part 2 of 10 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPpBaT96z2Y&t=1608s

Part 3 of 10 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQltQquiVqU 

#on the road #jack kerouac #literature #audiobook

[gonzalezmartha]

Malcolm  X

When it comes to a speech, such as powerful speeches like this one, is undeniably powerful because it wasn’t a poem, or a written speech, but one that was spoken by a powerful man- on the fly- as a response to the interviewer. 

The most fascinating parts, in my own opinion, about this speech was that the interviewer asked Malcolm about how he felt about African Americans arming themselves, if it was something he could stand by, and he said yes. But he gave his answer in detail to compare whites and blacks. He says, and I quote directly:

“I don’t see why that should be controversial, I think that if white people found themselves the same kind of brutality that black people face and they saw that the government was either unwilling or unable to protect them, that the intelligence on the part of the whites would make them get rifled and shotguns to protect themselves. Now Negroes are developing some kind of intellectual maturity - and they can see that by having waited upon the government to protect them has been a weight that has been in vain. So, any of them who live in areas that the government is unable to do its job, then we do have to get together and do a job of protecting ourselves.”

Now, written out it doesn’t seem as meaningful as listening to him speak. Reading his words doesn’t put you in his mindset, nor does it allow you to understand him. But, by listening to him, listening to the way he sounds (his tone) and his facial expressions make it easier for me to understand him than if I were to have read the interview on paper or online. 

(Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuHYZdf-ad0 )

#malcolm x #literture

[gonzalezmartha]

One Art by Elizabeth Bishop

The art of losing isn’t hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster of lost door keys, the hour badly spent. The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster: places, and names, and where it was you meant to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or next-to-last, of three loved houses went. The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster, some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent. I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.

—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture I love) I shan’t have lied.  It’s evident the art of losing’s not too hard to master though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

Analysis 

The poem (written in villanelle form) can be taken from different points of view depending on the different life experiences we’ve all had. In one P.O.V. you can think of the poem as a walk through of our narrators love life. Talking walks around the block, so to speak, having love, losing love over and over again. 

When you think about it as someones love life, it makes sense in the sense that throughout our lives we have multiple partners. She is falling for people over and over and having the same result (losing them). she repeats “The art of losing’s not too hard to master” and in some variation, makes sure to repeat “but it wasn’t a disaster.” meaning that despite it being in this carousel of loving and losing, it was never enough to put her life in ruin. 

Another P.O.V. is that shes talking about after things, outside of “partners.” It could be lost opportunities, lost friendships, family members that passed away or cut ties, etc. And when it’s seen in that light, the poem could be associated with personal strength. 

The Villanelle 

What it is: A villanelle is a 19 line poem of 6 stanza’s. 

This has a very unique way of giving us a very rhythmic, almost musical, tone. Bishop does an excellent job of giving us rhythm, rhyme, and if you give it a slow melody, you could definitely sing it as a song. It’s also note worthy to mention that most villanelles tend to repeat lines verbatim - Bishop doesn’t do this. She repeats the words “master” and “disaster” very rhythmically. 

Here’s a link to the poem: https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/one-art   

#one art #eliza bishop #elisabeth bishop #poem #link #villanelle #analysis #literary works #litrature

[gonzalezmartha]

Karen by Martha Gonzalez

“It’s called aesthetic, Karen, look it up!”

#hint fiction #fiction #writing #writing prompt #free write #karen #martha gonzalez #literary #works #literary works #blog #hint #write your own story

[gonzalezmartha]

Towers

There you stand proud in your red white and blue.

What was to come next, you hadn’t a clue.

The day those beautiful towers came tumbling down.

Was the day that we cried, and were angered and frowned.

We couldn’t believe how that could have happened here.

Or maybe it was just something that we always had feared.

That was the day that we knew we could fall.

It happened to our beloved towers, afterall.

We came together to show them we can.

And we even flew our loved ones to Afghanistan.

There they would fight a war with no end.

Even to this day, our troops, we send and we send.

But now we have our own war here at home.

Because the media divides us, our pride is the ransom.

Today, we remember that horribly sad day.

But please remember, we must come together again.

Before it’s too late and we are a target once more.

Because, how they’d love to appear at our shores.

We are Americans, born in or brought to the U.S. of A.

Don’t ever forget that pride you felt after that horrible day.

-Sept 11th, 2018 by Andrea Luna

[gonzalezmartha]

Drowning

All this time I thought I could swim, but really I’m drowning. 

All this time I tried to hold it in, but now I’m trying to say it, “I’m drowning”.

Consumed by each day, going through the motions, but damnit, I’m drowning.

Thought I could ride the waves of this ocean, but, nah, really, I’m drowning.

How many times of me saying this before you hear me, HELLO, I’m drowning.

I’m tired of giving myself so endlessly, never thought I’d admit that I’m drowning.

But here I am saying it loudly, I’M DROWNING.

And there you sit proudly, you never did save me as I was drowning.

-Sept 7th, 2018 by Andrea Luna

[gonzalezmartha]

Entry One: Wednesday, September 5th

In the many years that I’ve been actively reading and writing, there is only one series that I can admit started it. 

Melissa De La Cruz’s “Blue Bloods” series.  A series based mainly in the city of New York following the stories of a few students from a very elite school called Duchesne. Schuyler, Mimi, and Bliss (our main characters that we follow through the series) all have to make choices to save themselves, their futures, and the people they love. There’s tragedy, there’s chaos, there’s power, and there’s loads of imagination.

I found these books when I was around 12 years old, back in middle school. I had read them so fast that I actually had to wait for the next books in the series to be published, and to this day, I follow her on most social media platforms. The way Mrs. De La Cruz crafted her scenes, fashion, characters and even the creation of the vampires and the silver bloods was something I’d never seen before and it was sensational.  It was new, it was bold, and it was just the opposite of cliche. Our main characters were powerful girls, going through some of the most bizarre changes (unlike puberty) within their bodies, transforming from human teens to vampires. Having access to all of their past lives’ memories and experiences, as well as having knowledge of how they came to be (Vampires are actually fallen angels in this universe). 

This was when the Twilight series had finally caught fire and was made into a movie, it was a new twist on vampires and werewolves and all sorts of dramas, but it was so bizarre to me, and at the time, quite boring. The books were very long, and being 12, I had no interest in reading about sparkly dead things. So, when I discovered the Blue Bloods series, it was one of the greatest moments in my own conciseness. I had a new found appreciation for literature and I would read every teen fantasy book I could get my hands on and eventually, sometime in high school, I started to write. 

#melissa de la cruz #blue bloods #lost in time #misguided angel #masqurade #revelations #the gates of paradise #keys to the repository #bloody valentine #mimi force #schyler van alen #bliss llewellyn