Reading & Writing

Overall, I tend to like American Contemporary Fiction more than I do British. And it could just be that I've been reading it on my own and haven't been able to talk with anyone about it, but at least as far as short stories go, I would pick the American. Although, that being said, I haven't really read any Contemporary British novels. So I should probably do that. I've read American Contemporary, and International Contemporary, but nothing specifically British. After finals I'm going to return to a blog post I did a while back with a list of some "must-read" British contemporary literature. 

This blog had been extremely helpful in helping me write about what I read. It's also inspired me to get more into writing, and not just reading. I used to be more of a writer than reader, but now it has kind of shifted. I want to get back into writing again.

Maybe I'll also post some of my own writing on this blog...maybe. I'm all for writing for myself, but once it gets to the part where you have to share it with others, it becomes a lot more difficult. But that's something I can work on.

I'm going to start writing again!

And to finish, here are some awesome quotes I found! 

And then this quote, because I think it's hilarious and accurate:

Let Me Count the Times, by: Martin Amis

I read this short story today, and honestly don't quite know what to say about it. After I read the story I have no idea what to go off of for writing a blog post, so I researched it a little and found some interesting information:

-Martin Amis has been called the "best American writer England has ever produced." Ironically enough, his father was also a writer, but he was called the "least American writer England had ever produced."

-This specific short story is part of 'Heavy Water', which is Amis' collection of nine short stories. Maybe if I read the entire collection, or at least part of it, I'd feel different about this story.

Honestly, the story just wasn't really my style. I can see how it could be appreciated, and how others really like it, but it's just not for me. 

Passion in Stories

Last night Brian Doyle (author) visited the BYU-Idaho school campus and did a reading for an hour. I went for part of my English class (the one that I'm also doing this blog for) and I really enjoyed it. It was pretty powerful. There was humor and lots of laughing, as well as somber moments of reflection. It's been a while since I've been that inspired by someone, someone who is SO passionate about what they do that it makes me have passion for it as well. I need more people like that in my life. Here are just some notes I jotted down during the reading:

-Stories are GOOD. Give darkness the finger with your stories.

-Don't let your religion be only your religion. Dig deeper to find the true meaning of it.

-Literature is not literature with a capital L.

^This is probably one of my favorite parts, just because a lot of the time I think people think that in order to count as literature it has to be a long, drawn out novel. But that's not the case. Stories, jokes, books, etc. are all literature.

-Stop trying to be cool. Cool is a joke.

-The best writing isn't always about you. Everybody else is more interesting and also stuffed with stories.

-To be a writer we only need to know how to say three words: "Really? Then what?"

"Violence is a failure of the imagination."

"When in doubt, lower your standards."

-"No one talks about the people that nothing happens to, but it does happen to them."

-I got a bigger story than yours.

-There's got to be a better way to end the violence and stop the wars. 

-To say thank you all the time is the real prayer.

-We all have the power to CATCH and SHARE stories.

-Stories are huge, don't take them for granted.

"Be tender, everything else is a footnote."

And probably one of my favorite parts of the whole reading was toward the end when he gave us some advice on writing:

"Stop thinking! Don't think when you write. Just see what happens!"

I'm super grateful I could attend last night. It inspired to read and write more, and listen to other's stories more carefully. Really, everyone is stuffed to the brim with stories. Who are we to not listen? I needed that inspiration.

It was great. 

The Kite Runner: Paper Ideas

Well, I just got back from a trip to China and Taiwan, and I finished The Kite Runner! That's basically all I did on the plane ride, and I love that book. It's heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. Now I just want to watch the movie (like I did with the Book Thief).

The next assignment I have to do for The Kite Runner is a 3-5 research paper, so now I need to brainstorm some ideas I could write about. 

Here are some ideas I have:

- Obviously a huge theme is redemption, and the search for it. When Rahim Khan calls Amir he says,  "There is a way to be good again." I think this sets up the entire novel. Amir goes back to Pakistan to try and redeem himself. He's been living with guilt for so long, and it haunts him. This novel could be claimed as a being a search for redemption.

- Another huge theme is family, and the role that families play and how the family members relate to each other. You have Father and Son relationships, such as Amir and Baba, as well as Hassan and Ali. You also have Husband and Wife relationships, such as Baba and his wife, Ali and his wife, and Amir and Soraya. So I could write about something to do with how families help us on our search for redemption? I don't know yet. 

-A big symbol I noticed throughout the novel was that of kites. I mean obviously, the novel is titled The Kite Runner. So what do kites symbolize throughout the novel? They symbolize joy and happiness, but also guilt and regret. They symbolize hope for a better world, without war, what the world was like when Amir and Hassan were growing up. 

-The setting is HUGE as well. I mean in Pakistan and Afghanistan with the Taliban and the war going on. I've got to talk about that in my paper at some point. I'm just not quite sure how to tie it in. 

So, I want to talk about the theme of redemption, the symbolism of kites, and the setting. But what do I want to claim about these things? What do I think Khaled Hosseini is trying to claim through this novel and these aspects of the novel? Or not even that, what do I claim from the novel? 

-I could try and use a literary theory, and use the 'lens' to write my paper. I'd most likely end up using New Historicism or Historical Criticism, but I'm not sure if that's the route I want to take. 

-I could also try and use something like a journey, or a quest. But I really want to talk about those themes/symbols, so maybe not that either.

I'll think about it some more and see what I come up with.