Maps to Anywhere First Half Response

These essays, though seemingly convoluted, provide concise and articulate descriptions of events that prove to be much more than stories.  This compilation reveals the purpose of an essay, which is not only to retell an event, but also provide commentary and intertwine personal meaning.  In this compilation we get insight on aspects and various points in Bernard Cooper's life.  Though no theme ties the works together indefinitely, the various essays include different points about the beginning topic within the few pages in which the work resides.  These writings are very diverse and recounts Cooper's lessons and important stages in his youth and throughout his life.

In the beginning of the compilation, he talks about the central theme of names, be they the aesthetic of the word itself, or the identity that surrounds it.  In daily life, we attribute a collection of sounds and symbols to objects, animals, and more importantly, people.  Cooper relates the importance of one's name to one's demeanor or identity, conveying the importance, or lack thereof naming in accordance with identity.  Cooper tells us of a book that his mother used to name him, listing off personality traits of a "Bernard" "Far from the bearish obstinance and earthiness it said to imply, it held for me connotations of myopia, introversion, and bookishness that my destiny has borne out (Cooper, 4)."  The author states that one might instead choose their own combination of symbols and sounds to name their child as opposed to choosing a list from a book to name your spawn.  

In the story, "How to Draw", Cooper recounts the art of his late brother, and how Cooper views his works.  Cooper starts out by saying that he often enjoys amateur art more than that of professionals, which could occur a number of different reasons.  In his brother's case, Cooper might enjoy the art because of a nostalgic or emotional attachment to the works not only because it was done by his brother, but also because they serve to be a window into his brother's mind.  It is difficult to perceive what an artist might be going through in daily life through a work of art that means nothing, but when someone is in pain or is in a dire situation, one's art may speak more and convey more emotion.  Cooper's brother's art was not only a window to his emotions, but also serve as snapshots, as they might prove to show changing thoughts throughout his condition at various points in time. 

Essay Packet #1 Response

As opposed to all other works of writing we were exposed to this year, the essay format is perhaps the most straightforward, given that deeper meanings and messages are outright described.  These works are indeed more lacking in poetic and concrete language than the poems and short stories, however this is not what makes this an essay compilation.  The essays are brief synopses of thoughts from the authors point of view, and while they may include somewhat of a story, this is likely not the main point in which the writer is attempting to convey.  These essays often came in a first-person point of view, and usually include a personal experience from the author, giving the work a more personal attachment.  The essays are straightforward, but this medium of writing can be very diverse as well, despite their usual use throughout the literary world.

The first essay that came to mind in this compilation was Red: An Invocation, as the instance in which the personal story was told was a very brief, yet it included a great deal of description about the sighting.  The story itself.  The essay dealt with the aesthetic beauty of the fox and the captivation that followed the sighting of the animals.  Red: An Invocation, is likely speaking to the emotion that is invoked upon seeing the animals and their respective attributes that captivated the author in this way.  This essay proved the diverse nature of the essay, and what an essay entails; the story was indeed short, yet it provided this plethora of sensory information and emotion.

The Mint Snowball was perhaps my favorite essay within the compilation, as the beginning are polar opposites in their tones and descriptions.  At first, the author seeks to regale the audience with feelings of nostalgia as she tells of the drug store and all of the sensory information associated with this place.  Later on, however it is revealed that the recipe for their famous "Mint Snowball" syrup was sold, and later the Mint Snowball altogether, which effectively transitions the tale into a more somber tone.  The author then relates the loss of their Mint Snowball to another emotion, as the meaning of the senses relating to this flavor now invoke sadness and other negative emotions.  In a way, this story establishes the boundaries by which an essay can go, as one thinks of essays as purely expository, they can also be poetic and invoke emotion within the audience to a great extent.

Fiction Packet #3 Response

I found the contents of this packet to be the most enjoyable out of the readings this year.  One of the more interesting stories was The Fifth Story by Clarice Lispector, as they all followed the same narrative, however they were given a different direction.  They all had the same style of writing, yet gave different perspectives on the same mundane situation.  Each time the story was told, the writer added new information or insight on the situation of killing cockroaches inside the apartment, however the final story simply gives a one statement summary of the situation "I was complaining about the Cockroaches", which is essentially the literal plot of the story line.

August 25th 1983 by Jorge Luis Borges was a very interesting tale as well, as it conveyed a normally impossible event that may or may not have been a dream.  It not only questioned the validity of Borges' reality, but also told of Borges' potential future and what he think it will hold.  Borges' "future self" tells him about his writing feats in the years to come, however Borges is skeptical, thinking that he will not change so much.  The work demonstrated the path of time and how it does not move to your will; Borges' future self did not turn out as he had intended.  The story begs the question: Will Borges' life change now that he knows he will kill himself (assuming Borges isn't simply dreaming)?

These stories demonstrated a trite and effective method of storytelling that utilized elements of a clear and effective plot.  Apart from the beginning stories by Peter Markos, each story had a clear-cut narrative and linear plot line.  The beginning stories were indeed abstract, yet their styles were unique and vague in their storytelling.  They sought to describe a concept in an ambiguous and meaningful manner, evoking thought within the audience.  The stories used the bare structure of a story, utilizing nameless characters and vague descriptions of the actions.