Advanced Essay Writing, Spring 2013

I loved this idea of spoken stories. They are actually well-played, whether those were actors or people who spoke about their past. The music that came together with some of the stories was also good.

The first story was interesting and reminded me of the story told by Pierr Richard. I once watched a TV program when he spoke about the same anecdote that happened to him: a couple came up to him and he was like “oh, here we go again, but okay I will take a picture with you, fine”, when the guy just handed him the camera.

Act eight was very vivid and funny. I liked how the story was composed, how it was cut, music was inserted, and, which made this story more interesting, boys interacting with the dog at the end.

Act eleven: very American humor. I cant say I liked it, but I cant say I did not like it, it was interesting, anyway.

Act nine. This shows an insight of one familys life, of spouses relationships. It was funny how through just one small episode of their life the listener learns how they interact with each other and who is “the man” in the house.

While most of the stories where enjoyable to listen to in passing, only three made me want to listen to them more than once. Act Seven: Up Where the Air is Clear, told a great twist on the story of the famous Batman villain, Penguin. I was comically surprised at the introduction of Mary Poppins and her eventful hookup with Batman, the turning point of the story was definitely a good curve ball. A good laugh always add life to a story, especially when you can picture the scene taking place. The scene being described in Act Nine: Of Dogs and Men, is easily one of the most hilarious stories of the bunch. The wife testing the dog collar out on her husband, is told so effectively that you could visual it as if it were a video that went viral. Another story that falls into the humorous and “picture this” category is Act Eleven: Etiquette Lessons,  the sisters go to line for disguising her bathroom noises while on the phone almost made me fall out of my seat. Through her change in tone and pitch you are transported onto the other end of the phone and can’t help but feel the same way David Sedaris does, played and dumbfounded.

The three to five most stories, I find most compelling are —

Act 7, “Up Where the Air is Clear”, Act 8, “The Greatest Dog Name in the World”, Act 13, “More Lies”, Act 16, That Guy at the Office”, and Act 20, “The Greatest Moment I Saw on Stage”.

The main quality that I see that they all share is that 4 out of 5 of the stories start in one situation and end in the opposite situation.

In Act 7, the penguin is a poet and dandy. But when he meets Mary Poppins, he feels ludicrous and tongue tied.

In Act 13, two college grads do some babysitting. They get hungry, put grapefruit and black beans in their bags. Both fall out; it is embarrassing and they mention to the parents that they got the food in the cafeteria at school.

In Act 16, Mat is the guy who sits near the printer. When people go to pick up their prints many times a day, they chat with him. In spite of this, nobody knows his name.

In Act 20, a girl steals clothes. She gets caught, and joins a gang to make money. The mother is disappointed, as she did not raise her daughter that way. She enters a detention center, and the girls sing to their mothers apologizing and that they are ready to change. They then give their mothers hearts.

The exception is Act 8, which ends in a compromise. In Act 8, two brothers get a dog, and fight over the name. One wants Pasta, one wants Batman. The mother enters, and declares that the name is Pasta-Batman.

Another quality they share, aside from ending in the opposite situation, is that the endings are rather unexpected; almost an irony.

For example, the penguin, a poet and dandy, becomes tongue-tied; two college grads tell a lie, Mat everyone chats with, but no one knows his name; girls in a detention center sing apologies; an argument between two brothers ends in compromise.

So, my sentiment might be unpopular but I’m not too fond of NPR’s storytelling. I’m not sure what it is that turns me off more- the voices reading the stories or if it’s that the stories are just too predictable and told in a way which feels like color-by-number storytelling. For either or both of those reasons NPR doesn’t excite me too much.

While I still managed to find stories I appreciated and enjoyed one which really irritated me was Act 2 “No Ofcourse I Know You”. I find this method of storytelling extremely irritating. I’m curious if I would perhaps enjoy it more if I was alone, reading it to myself silently, using my own inflections. However, in hearing it something about this story in particular felt inauthentic, like a poor attempt at creativity. trying so hard to remain obscure in an effort to catch my interest but failed. I didn’t care who this woman was who he thought he knew. Not once did I in my mind try to guess. Then when he assumes it may have been someone he may have been in love with, just pushed me over the edge. How would you not remember THAT person?

In examining those stories which I did enjoy i noticed a common thread- a light-heartedness, humor, and that most of these stories were told as if part of a conversation rather than author taking a sort of authority over the story. The reason I enjoyed these stories was because it captured an authenticity which I didn’t feel the color-by-number stories had.

I in Act 1 actor Tate Donovan tells a story of how once in a while he would get recognized for minor roles he’d played in nineties sitcoms. This story is featured as part of a conversation between himself and Starlee Kline. The story was told as if part of an interview featuring natural, seemingly unrehearsed inflections. Immediately upon his explanation of the two dorky prom kids attending prom I knew where the story was going- and I was fine with that aspect of predictability. I think this type of predictability is positive because it leaves the listener to feel anxiety for the person in the situation. As Tate kept the ending in suspense, I knew these kids had no idea who he was, something which he was very much unaware of at the time. Personally, I thrive in awkward situations. I love them. So, the fact that Tate naturally assumed they wanted a picture with him and then proceeded to kiss the teenager’s date and put his arm around her made me smile.

Act 9 “Of Dogs and Men” was also a humorous story, told with laughter. Additionally the story triggered images,  I could see it happening.

However, one my two favorites were David Sedaris’ story in which he describes overhearing a man having a conversation while on the toilet. We’ve all either done it, or witnessed it and I think I can pretty safely say that every one of us has either knowingly or unknowingly conversed with someone while they were on the toilet.  That said his conversation with his sister following this encounter- I loved. The way after her admission. he reflects on all the times he’s hung up the phone thinking he’d helped her open a jar saying “Well, its a good thing she called me!”- sold me. One thing which I didn’t like was his voice. I found it to be annoying. I’m realizing that that is something which ruins the experience for me. I prefer to read, and place my own voices within the story.

My other favorite was Act 13 “More Lies”. Catherine and John, two college undergrads, are babysitting together, and eventually get hungry. However, John is uncomfortable and suggests they only eat that which the family has a lot of and then proceeds to hide the evidence. However, when the family returns they are caught red handed and the evidence drops out of John’s bag leading them to make a series of ridiculous explanations. This story is totally relatable to me. Yes, babysitting is REALLY about watching the kids BUT it’s also very much about getting to eat awesome kids snacks like fruit snacks and fruit roll up! Two things which I have no excuse to keep in my own house. I loved the humor and the laughter with which it was told. I felt that those stories which had the storyteller laughing helped in making the story and voice seem more authentic.

When listening to each Act, I was more drawn to the short, sweet, and funny ones. When it comes to hearing stories, I always feel uncomfortable listening to sad stories. I like hearing funny ones and having a god laugh. I also like to hear stories that I can definitely relate to which causes me to laugh even more. Although, all the Acts were great, these three stuck out to me and triggered some kind of happy emotion.

Act 8, The Greatest Dog Name in the World– “I wanted to name him Pasta.” This was probably the funniest name I’ve ever heard. This story is one I can definitely relate to. The fact that these children compromised of Pasta Batman is great. This story gives you a vivid picture of the relationship between these brothers. They bicker over gum-balls and dog names. I honestly felt that this was the greatest dog name in the world.

Act 9, Of Dogs and Men– This story was short and sweet, and yet another story I can relate to. It made me laugh because there is a correlation between dogs and men, well to women there are. For the man to allow his wife to put a collar on him and yank him is hilarious. It also relates to the phrase, “Keep him on a leash,” and that was exactly what she did!

Act 16, That One Guy at the Office– Matt, the guy who sits by the printer. I found it amusing that being that he sits by the printer, people find a correlation between him and the printer. Sadly, Matt had no idea about anything regarding the printer. I found it hilarious that the only conversations he has with his coworkers regard the printer. He has been there more than a year and no one even knows his name. This is ANOTHER story I relate to because at my current job I am referred to as “the girl with the face.” I know how it feels Matt.

The act that I like the most was Act 1, Don’t I Know You, because it made me unexpectedly laugh. That story started smoothly and at the middle surprises me with that twist when he said “And then the kid with the camera came along” And then surprises me more when he explained that the kid just wanted to take a picture of him and his girlfriend and the kid didn’t want a picture of the actor.
Act 20, The Greatest Moment I Ever Saw On a Stage, made me cry. The song that those teenage girls from a detention center sing for their parents has a sad tone that touches my heart.

Act 2, No, Of course I Know You, I like the intrigue and suspense on this act. Who was that woman? The narrator made me think and I did use my imagination and at the end the narrator surprise me when without telling he show who that woman was.

Act 6, Reaching Out With Radio, the food situation at the cafeteria in juvenile detention was hilarious. I like how the guy gets so angry for the questions from those 2 kids.

All four stories have vivid details that I can easily picture the scenes in my mind.

There were two Acts that I don’t like or don’t get it. Act 5. Scallops clapping?? And Act 10, it was funny?? I don’t get. Why people were laughing.

20 Acts in 60 Minutes

My favorites were:

1) Act 3: It’s Commerce that Brings Us Together

2) Act 13: More Lies

3) Act 19: Hard Life at the Top.

“Well, we lost it. So you can quit advertising it.” This concluding remark in Act 3 is funny and honest at the same time. That’s probably why I chose the rest of the acts in my list– a strange blend of innocence and humor, juxtaposing each other and giving these stories more dimensions and thus making them satisfactory. In this particular act, we get a glimpse of an American life which is hard to come by for those who live in the city and treat technology as their second nature. There is humor in their list of objects they are trying to sell and the unapologetic tone with which they announce them.

“Ohh, it’s mine; I keep change in that.” Act 13 is probably the funniest out of the bunch. Even though the college kids in this act are lying, there is this innocence about them that they are even embarrassed to admit to eating half a grapefruit and a can of black beans that they decided to erase any evidence of them ever existing by packing the other half of the grapefruit and the empty can in their bag. And the event that unfolds thereafter is just one of the few moments in life where life seems to be imitating a movie.

Whereas the very last act, although sans any laughter and guffaws, screams humor in the form of sobriety. You can’t help but laugh at the young cadet’s gaffes on their very first day at West Point. One is not sure whether to pay heed to the morbid histories, that the narrator relays, of the young cadets or the comedic scene of the scene at hand. “Is your last name Doe?”

When you listen to TAL, most of the time you like a story without knowing exactly why. I think the same is here as I try to choose the ones that I like. But I usually tend to like stories which are told live, rather than the ones which sound more like a monologue. Usually, I don’t look for particular themes or genre when I listen to TAL, but I do prefer to listen to stories that are personal, and tend to avoid those which sound like a reportage. However, the stories that I have listed above have this feel of remoteness– something that you yearn for when you live in a city.

My favorite act by far was the last (Act 20). I also liked Act 7,  Act 10, Act 11 and Act 16.

I think in a way, each of these stories are very different. Act 20 is the one that for me was the most emotional and moving one. Act 7 was the most whimsical in the sense that the characters were made up (the penguin and Mary Poppins). Act 10 was the most consistant in format. Act 11 was funny, and the ending was surprising. Act 16 was told in a kind of interview fashion.

3 identifying qualities

1. these stories were relatable and universal in a way

2. these stories have depth beyond the literal format/ progression of the storyline

3. the way each of them was told was very vivid, interesting and easy to follow.

Even though each of these acts is different in their own respects, I think the reason I connected to these stories the most is because each of them had something more to say. Act 7 was not just about made up characters, but about expectation versus reality, the idea of rejection, and the fact that the beginning of the story was a kind of flash forward of what would happen to the character of the penguin was very well done. Act 10 is also saying something more, maybe about how everything we say can be dumbed down into a category and every argument into a childish retort; it kind of shows the progression of every argument and portrays the template for every argument that, in my opinion, everyone has ever had. Act 11 is about the lies we tell (and how we cover them up), the lies that we believe that we later uncover; and how it changes our perspective of people and our original set of beliefs. Act 16 is about things going unnoticed, the fact that this guy sat next to a printer for a year and no one had bothered to ask his name; this concept can be expanded to just general things that are there but we never notice, or even the random encounters we have with people that are shallow and thus of less importance; it kind of shows how we classify people and shows our human nature in a way: since this man did not play an important part in their daily routine, they did not bother to get to know him (i think everyone has faces in their head whom they have interacted with and never put a name to- I know I am guilty of that). Lastly, act 20 the kids collectively singing to their mothers was so moving and in a way really well told. I think because it was told from someone observing the situation and not participating made me feel like i was there watching those kids sing, i felt the tears, i saw the mothers in the audience and i saw the little hearts. Its about apologizing and accepting the apology, its about doing something collectively to make an effort to change and fix something shattered, like hope transcending the cell. I think over all, it was really interesting to see how much can be told in as little as 2 minutes.

Go to the “Assignments” page of this blog for updated information on the Blog Post 3.2 assignment and all of our work for Unit 3.

http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/writing/

“Writing is an encounter — between human flesh, words, grammar, ideas, affects, feelings. There is obviously no right way to write. And yet we know, as both readers and writers, that there are certain ways that work, ways that turn the world on, that take everyone and everything involved on a journey elsewhere — a way that makes writing less a matter of expression and understanding than a matter of discovery and creation.”

There are a ton of other great articles on this website in case anyone feels like some Spring Break reading…