Waiting...

We have been reading the play, Waiting for Godot.  This week we are trying to figure it out. For this week's blog, read this article that makes the assertion that of the "100 best nonfiction books: Godot by Samuel Beckett would be 29th."  Pull two points made by the article and defend them using the text as your evidence.

Rise Up

I am always reading.  My favorite part of social media is the reading material.  I'm not a super social person, but reading and finding out about the world energizes me.  Martha Southgate in her essay titled "Rise Up" published in American Scholar explains the impact of Lin-Manuel Miranda and his creation Hamilton on her life.  I was drawn to her essay initially because it was about Hamilton, and it would be an understatement to say that I love Hamilton, but she also addresses Lin-Manuel Miranda and how he has affected her.  This was particularly interesting to me.  This is partly because I feel the same way about him.   We read books, watch plays, watch films, and the like but we never feel as though we know the creator.  We see them as the vehicle of production, but with Hamilton, Miranda has changed that.  His persona draws people to the art just as much as the genius of the art.  Because of this, the line between life and art becomes blurred.  We no longer see the musical in isolation.  We see him and the art.  This leads me to our prompt for this week.

Read her essay.  Look at what she says about how art affects us.  Once you have finished reading the piece, think of a piece of art that has affected you deeply.  Think about and explain what brought you to the art in the first place and what you have learned about yourself, the world, and the art as a result.  In your response, pull at least two points that Southgate makes that resonate with you and how the art you selected impacts you.

Responding to others...

Last week we read Sartre, Camus, and the lecture by Banach.  When reading these, the authors may have presented ideas or arguments that you agree with or disagree with.  In looking at these works, I want you to respond to two ideas presented in the collective texts.  

1. Summarize what is presented.
2. Once you have presented the information, respond.  This can be you agreeing or disagreeing.  
3. Explain what you are responding to and why you are responding to it.  Elaborate on your ideas so it is apparent to those observing your post what you are writing about.  

4. Feel free to jump in and comment on the assertions of your peers.

What in the World...

Everyday we are bombarded with messages: music, television shows, commercials, snapchats, etc.  These messages are rooted in the agendas of others and attempt to persuade us to think and feel a certain way.  This week, look at the world around you.  Choose one thing in your world that you want to analyze.  It can be a song, a movie, a commercial, or anything else you think is appropriate. 

Briefly describe it to us and then explain the purpose behind it.  In other words, what message is being communicated?  

For example: The musical Hamilton has the song "My Shot."  Throughout the entire song,  Alexander Hamilton shouts at the world that he is "not throwing away [his] shot."  This has so many connotations: his chance for success, his shot in a duel, his ultimate death in a duel.  In the end, it is about not wasting the life you have been given and always pushing yourself to give your best.  

The next part of your post should entail the following: begin to analyze the piece you have chosen.  Look at rhetorical devices used, images, camera angles, and the like.  Explain it to us.  

This should be about two solid paragraphs.