Category Archives: DG13E

My poem is “Rotting Symbols” by Eileen Myles.

The first time I looked at the title, I thought “Everything turns into waste” and as I read more and more I felt strongly about it. Rotting symbols, everything around us, people, food, building, cultures, idea, they all change after certain time period. Change is inevitable. However, for that moment of time we strive and give our best to achieve something that will “rot” after we do achieve it. This got me to thinking what are we living for? What outcomes are there if we become successful? Will true happiness rot after a while?

These are some questions that popped up when I read this poem so, I’m thinking I’ll just have to clarify more and try to get a thesis out this. But, I can’t really decide. So, if anyone has any suggestion or answer to my question please do reply.

And as for the digital essay, I think I’ll be creating a motion picture film showing the process of these rotting ideas and changes around us. However, since I was absent on April 27th, I really do need help from anyone who is offering…So please help me out!

History teaches. Let me recite what history teaches. Would Napoleon like it if I told him. If I told him would he like it. Exactly as kings Exactly as kings exactitude as kings exactly or as kings. Feeling full for it so to beseech you as full as for it. Shutters shut and open so do queens. Shutters shut and shutters shut and so shutters shut. The exact resemblance as exact as a resemblance exactly as resembling exactly in resemblance for this is so. Now actively repeat. Now actively repeat all. Now to date Napoleon the First. Three. Two. One. I land. I land. I land. They date Napoleon. Napoleon came first. I judge Napoleon came first. History Teach’s Napoleon came first.

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/68ZsSCHJccE/?tid=-1&aid=-39429837&pid=41050010&oid=38285979&isNielson=0

Song: “Call Me Back” – The Strokes

Starring: Leo Tebele as Youngster & Isaac Douek as Teacher/Old Man

Props: Table, 2 Full Pieces of Paper, Pencil, Chair, 2 Dark Bags of Chips, 2 Light Bags of Chips, 13 Paper Squares, Glasses, Beard.

Video to be shot in stop motion and black and white.

0:00 – 0:14 Title Screen (Crucial Creativity May Cure Cancer & Credits)

0:15 – 0:45 Young Clueless (The youngster sits in his chair looking absolutely dumbfounded by the math problem given to him, 2+2=?, and tries futilely to solve it.)

0:46 – 1:15 Explaining to Young (The teacher comes over to help the youngster by using bags of chips to represent numbers.)

1:16 – 1:31 Young Success (The youngster understands how to solve the problem, does so, and celebrates merrily.)

1:32 – 2:02 Old Clueless (The old man stands before a desk looking troubled and dumbfounded.)

2:03 – 2:37 Old Remembering Young (The old man remembers how he was taught to be creative when presented with an obstacle.)

2:38 – 3:02 Old Success (The old man quickly arranges the papers before him to spell out “CURE FOR CANCER.” He then picks up a piece of paper that reads “PRESTIGIOUS AWARD” and celebrates merrily.)

THE END

Please comment. I’m looking for feedback on this one. Basing the video on Audre Lorde’s “School Note.” The idea is that the lack of creativity in schools is suppressing creative minds. By showing the opposite, I hope to get the message across.

For the digital essay I am working with Suzan and Vivian on the poem “Good Mirrors Are Not Cheap”. Suzan has already have this idea of how to start the video, and we are still discussing how to end the video. I think since I am doing the poem ” Contact Lenses” for paper#3 and it somehow shares a common message as “Good Mirrors Are not Cheap” message. I would like to combine the two poems in the video. For instance, Suzan mentioned that the main character is being surrounded with lots of mirrors around her that she can’t tell which one is her truth self. And I would like to add that then she takes off her glasses and puts on the contact lenses. As a result she sees much clear and now she doesn’t care anymore about her appearance for what others think is not important. What’s important is that she knows who she really is and just be herself.

Also aftering reading the last stanza, I want the last scene to be a man who is a glassmaker and he is in his room making a new mirrors with a thought in his mind, “hmm, who is the next girl to deceive?”

After doing some research on the Mary Oliver poem, “When Death Comes”, I have come to the realization that the key for my groups digital project is going to be simplicity.  Mary Oliver is the type of poet that wants her readers to understand.  She doesn’t have much hidden meaning in her writing; in fact, she is pretty straight up about it all.  She portrays the idea that death is a way of defining the way we live. She does this by providing images and similes throughout the poem.  For the digital project, I agree with Geraldine in suggesting a fast slideshow of memorable things that to any ordinary person would be seen as “fulfilling.”  Since there are so many different directions we can go with this digital project, I think it will be more effective to focus on a few effects rather than making the digital project super abstract.  With this in mind, this project seems like its going to be quite enjoyable 🙂  And especially for me, because I have never ever worked on a digital project before!

(Done with Laura)

So What I learned from the experience of changing words and mixing all the things around, is that in contemporary poems order doesn’t matter. It is sort of like an extreme way of interpreting something, it is as if you have pieces of a puzzle, and you’re allowed to make it as simple or as intricate as you’d like. And in this puzzle it doesn’t matter because you make the pieces fit together, you mold the shape. You are the artist, not the original one but in contemporary poems everyone is the author in some way.

(Done with Diana)

If I told him would he like it?

Would he like it if I told him?

Would Napoleon like it

If I told him that he resembles a king?

Exactly as a king.

Exact resemblance of a king.

Napoleon the first,

Who came first?

Napoleon the first.

Napoleon the first

Was the king or room!

Let me recite what history teaches

History teaches, Napoleon the first.

I’m very excited to be working with the Mary Oliver poem but it has been really hard coming up with a thesis for the written portion of the project. But for the video, i think me and my groupmates still have conflicting ideas just because there are so many directions we can with the meaning of the poem and how we portray it. I’m an advocate for the plain and simple; I don’t think our portrayal of the poem should be too abstract because its not an abstract poem. My idea for the video is a fast slideshow of all the amazing things that can happen in someone’s life such as parties, starting a family, graduations, and etc. then a short scene in which the person who has had a wonderful life, gladly walks away with someone who will be portrayed as “Death”. With this idea, I definitely feel like, if planned correctly, it won’t go over the specified time. I can’t wait to really put this plan into action and see the final results =)