1. Andre Aciman describes how memorable Straus Park was from the beginning. How has the park changed since then?
2.  What memories does the park bring up for the narrator? Why is it so difficult for the narrator to adapt to the new environment?
3.  Why does the narrator call “New York is my home”? What is behind the title of the story?

1. Andre Aciman describes many locations as being a reminder of her home. Has any neighborhood had this sort of impact in your life reminding you of your roots?
2. What do you think the author means when he states ” if part of the city goes, part of us dies as well”?
3. Do you have a special place in the city like Andre Aciman that takes you back in time? if you do then where is it? and how does it impact you?

Hi Everyone,

Just a reminder that beginning on Monday, February 4th, we will be meeting in 17 Lex, Room 709.  I know that many of you are sad to be leaving behind the convenience of the VC, but I think we will be glad to have the flexibility to move around in our new space.

See you there!

Professor Sylvor

1. Andre Aciman states he is an exile from Alexandria, how has this exile affected him and why has it caused him to create this sort of exile within himself?
2. Why is Andre Aciman so fixated on his past, and how has his view on Straus Park affected him with his struggle of identity?
3. Why does Andre picture Straus Park as a piece of his past?

1. Andre Aciman describes many memories of being in a specific location and mentions nature. How has nature influenced his sense of belonging?
2. On page 30, Aciman states that we “falsify New York to make it more habitable”, does he mean that the New York that foreigners moved into are not “real” to them?
3. What does Aciman mean by saying that “finding that you are lost where you were lost can be oddly reassuring”?

1. What does the author mean when he states ” I wanted to rescue things everywhere, as though by restoring them here I might…” (p.21)
2. On page 20 it states, “She looked very innocent, very Old World, and very out of place, almost pleading to be rescued from this ugly shrub…” what does the statue symbolize?
3. What is Aciman trying to communicate about the idea of changes in his text?

1. Since the narrator has done traveling around the world, it’s caused displacement in his life. How has displacement affected the narrators life, negatively and positively?

2. How have the authors roots to Alexandria influenced his life in New York City?

3. How can you see a shadow of your “mother land” in NYC, the way the author sees shadows of Alexandria in NYC?

Mutiur Khan

1. Could we argue that the reason why he never felt at “home” was because his mind would constantly travel to other places? Was he trying to construct a home out of many other already established places?
2. Aciman repeatedly speaks about Straus Park and describes it as the “center” of four different directions. Since visiting the park has become a part of his routine, how does nature play a role in his ability to feel comfortable?
3. How come he felt that he could never love New York without envisioning other countries through it? Is it possible that all the different cultures in New York forced him to think this way?

Hi Guys,

I am having a lot of technical difficulties today!  When you click on the link to access “Shadow Cities,”  you will need to click again where it says “Doc 1660.”  That should take you to the text. “Shadow Cities” is one chapter of a book called Letters of Transit.

See you on Monday!

Professor Sylvor

Welcome to our course blog for English 2150: Writing and Displacement.  We will be using this blog regularly to post homework, reading questions, essay prompts, and other assignments.  We will also be using this space a place to share articles, songs, videos, thoughts, etc… that relate to our course theme of Displacement.  You will have particular weeks during the semester when you will be required to post here, but that is only a minimum requirement.  You should feel free to add materials to the blog at any point during the semester – as though it were our communal bulletin board.  Keep in mind that this blog, hosted by blogs@baruch, is public and adjust your writing accordingly.  You have been added to this blog as an “author.”  This means that you are able to comment on posts and create new posts of your own.  Please contact me if you encounter any difficulties using the blog.  If you are interested in creating a blog of your own outside of this class, you can also use blogs@baruch to do that.  See the blogs@baruch homepage for more information about how to create and maintain a blog.

Looking forward to a wonderful semester!!

Jennifer Sylvor