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Response to Creating a Fan Page on Dunbar

            I have been hearing about Paul Laurence Dunbar all my life because of Black History Month and school. I knew he was a writer in the early 1900s and was very respected as one. I chose to create a fan page on him because a writer from my generation who I admire, Maya Angelou, was inspired by him. Angelou titled her autobiography, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", after a line in Dunbar's poem, "Sympathy." Upon learning that, I wanted to know more about him. I also wanted to read some of his work. This project allowed me to read his biography, short stories and poetry. It also helped me to understand him. He was a very gifted writer who wrote a whole lot. Dunbar's work had quality and quantity. If you read a Dunbar poem, it is clear that each poem was thought out. Dunbar was never a slave, but both his parents were. He wrote a lot on slavery, but his subject matter overall was vast. He spoke a lot on feelings. He had the ability to emote feelings in the reader as he or she reads his work. Some of my favorite poems are "What's the Use", "Sympathy", "We Wear the Mask" and "Unexpressed." "We Wear the Mask" is his most popular and his most anthologized poem. It's about pretending to be someone else in public, when you are unhappy in reality. "Let them only see us when we wear the mask" goes a line in the poem. Many have said they believe the poem is about black people being strong in public in spite of unfavorable things that happened to them in the past. Black people have pride, so to go around mopping and miserable would not be in connection with having pride. This poem suggests that we make the world believe "otherwise", perhaps that we are over it or don't let it oppress us. Dunbar had a way of writing so that his work is interpreted. He wasn't fully direct, but the writing was definitely understandable. The dialect is not easy to understand, because dialect is based on phonetics. I enjoyed creating a fan page for a writer so important to the literary canon.  

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On "Accidental Racist"

            "Accidental Racist" is a country song by Brad Paisley and rapper LL Cool J. This track is a ballad with guitar being the most audible instrument. Paisley is a caucasian artist and LL is a black artist. Together, they express their views on racism past and present. Rap and country are not a great musical mixture, but clearly their heart was in the right place.Their overall message is that we were all born into racism because of the things that happened before we got her like slavery. As for today, racism continues to exist and they are both saying that they have no part in it whatsoever. They are also asking for forgiveness for things their individual race has done and is doing. Paisley says "I'm proud of where I'm from/but not everything we've done/and it ain't like you and me can rewrite history." That, to me, is a fair statement. It's great to be proud of your heritage. It takes a mature man to admit he is not happy with all that his race has done, though. Perhaps the line "it ain't like you and me can rewrite history" means that if he could rewrite it he would. He says he is caught between "southern pride" and "southern blame" which connects to him being a proud white American who feels remorseful for what some of his people have done. He does not want to offend other races so he admits he is "walkin' on eggshells." It must be hard knowing you have to be careful for what you say because you could trigger bad thoughts in someone for the wrong utterance. A handful of the lines in this song are incongruent. For example, "If you don't judge my gold chains I'll forget the iron chains." A black man who wears gold chains is simply a stereotype that he may be a gangster. However, the reference to iron chains, which conquered blacks physically, is a deeper, more touchy issue. Overall this song misses the mark, but the fellers had good intentions. 

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Blog # 6

Mikeisha Best

March 20, 2013

American Literature II

Dr. Turpin

Blog # 6

            Professor Turpin and Charles Hale discussed topics such as American history, humanities in the 21st century, poetry, autobiographical narrative, jazz and the blues. Because I am a student of writing and music, I enjoyed the time they spent speaking on those subject matters the most. Dr. Turpin explained that she grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where she heard a lot of rock music. "Sometimes I needed some hard core rock n' roll", she explained. When speaking of jazz, Dr. Turpin opined that jazz "has a spiritual element" because most jazz musicians have a background in gospel/Christian music. Hale admitted that he listens to mostly jazz and classical music. Dr. Turpin expressed some nostalgia. She said she misses traditional gospel, the gospel that came before Kirk Franklin and Mary Mary.

            Dr. Turpin asked Charles Hale if he wrote poetry since she writes it and is a poetry lover. He said he doesn't know. His explanation was that he writes in a poetic way, but it's not poetry per se'. Dr. Turpin looked for inspiration in many places as a child, she even took her journal to church as a child.

            A large chunk of the show was dedicated to racial issues. Charles Hale explained that he has done extensive research on Ireland and Irish-related issues, and in so doing discovered there isn't much research available for Irish Catholics. Hale discussed the prevalence of stories in our culture. He said that whenever you talk to someone, there is an exchange of stories between the two people. He feels that it is the main form of human expression. The racial conversation shifted from Irish to Afrrican-American. Dr. Turpin spoke on movies and informed that all African-Americans are not like the characters in Waiting to Exhale and Precious. In fact, after viewing Waiting to Exhale, her mother felt that all black women were like one of the main characters, and Dr. Turpin said she is not like any of them. She went on to tell her audience that she is a nerd and seemed happy with that title. 

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Cisneros Does Not Need Workshops to Improve Her Writing

            I believe that if you enjoy the works of an artist, you should listen to interviews of that artist to see how they think, which would give you an idea of why their art turns out the way that it does. That said, Sandra Cisneros says that while doing some of her writing, she looked at an old photograph of herself to remind her of the woman she used to be. She drew inspiration from that picture, and that is interesting but certainly makes sense. She said she got a lot of writing by using that photograph as a device. When asked about the Iowa Writers' Workshop, she is candid and honest, describing it as "horrible." She says "I am a writer despite the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop" and "it taught me what I didn't want to be as a writer." She admits that there are very few colored and working class women there. Cisneros is a different kind of writer. She is just as honest in her poetry as she was in this interview. Her writing is sometimes graphic. She has a unique way of conveying the way one feels when in or out of love. She also fuses English with Spanish often, something that would throw a non-bilingual person off. She uses phrases like "pathetic bitch" in her book of poetry, Loose Woman (33). I gathered, based on the information Cisneros divulged, that the Iowa Writers' Workshop pushes writers to be watchful and controlled in their writing. If that is the case, I understand why she did not enjoy herself. She seems to write exactly how she feels, with no regard to how much she may push the envelope. Take, for instance, the title of her poetry book, Loose Woman. That title is quite forthcoming. Upon opening the book, you find words like bile, tequila, wine and serpent. These are not the nicest of words. But, with her originality, she could start a writers' workshop of her own and have a packed house.

  Works Cited

Cisneros, Sandra. Loose Woman. New York: Vintage Books, 1995. Print. 

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Jasmine and the Women who Live Within Her

Bharatt Mukherjee's Jasmine tells the story of Jasmine, an Indian woman who struggles to find herself. By the end of the novel, she has moved to America and undergoes several name changes: Jyoti, Jasmine, Jazzie, Jase and Jane. At the beginning of the novel, we meet Jyoti, but not for long. She says of her name change: "He wanted to break down the Jyoti I'd been in Hasnapur and make me a new kind of city woman. To break off the past, he gave me a new name: Jasmine (77)." She admits her identity is altered by saying "Jyoti, Jasmine. I shuttled between identities (77)." Identity and rebirth go hand in hand in this novel. With every name change, there is a rebirth, too. Jasmine takes on whatever temperament the man in her life wants her to.  There are many sentences in Jasmine that begin with "He wants me to...." For example, she says "He wants me to have his baby (12). Jasmine's many failed relationships, rape and relocating cause her to feel alienated. She does not know how to come to terms with her past. Jasmine based a lot of the things she did and did not do on horoscopes. She postponed one of her marriages because her horoscope said the time was not right. These doings fall under "free will vs. predestination." She also takes what an astrologer tells her seriously. The astrologer informs her she will be both widowed and exiled one day. She also tries to reposition the stars as a result. She is then told that she cannot undo this fate. Jasmine is both a dominant and submissive character. She is dominant when she murders the man who raped her and refuses to accept the hyphen to define her race. In contrast, she is submissive as a wife who is a meek wife. She spends most of this novel trying to run from a fate that had already been written. 

Works Cited

Mukherjee, Bharati. Jasmine. New York: Grove Press, 1989. Print. 

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On Cremony

Mikeisha Best

March 8, 2013

American Literature II

Dr. Turpin

Blog 2, On Ceremony

            After reading Ceremony by Leslie Silko, I concluded that men are depicted as being sensitive and emotional. This opinion is based on Tayo, the novel’s main character. A sensitive male protagonist goes against the image men have in American society. Men are to have as few emotions as possible, according to what society says about gender roles. The death of Tayo’s cousin Rocky affects him severely. Tayo was just as expressive as a woman would have been. He lets out his hurt through vomiting and crying. In Ceremony, there are handfuls of men who served in the armed forces, including Tayo. The fact that Tayo is an army veteran helps to make him appear more masculine amidst all the crying. Gender roles think a man who cries too much is soft or weak. A crying man is not deemed masculine. The men and women in this novel are influenced by oral tradition. It shapes who they are, from their opinions to the way they treat each other. A lot of oral tradition in Ceremony is oral tradition of ethnicities. For example, Tayo is treated differently by different races because he is mixed with Indian and Caucasian. His Indian aunt slights him. Tayo’s aunt and grandmother gossip, which is a trait found in women in real life. But not all of their gossiping is just talk. They were able to put their heads together and help the melancholy Tayo by hiring a medicine man. The medicine man held ceremonies for Tayo, which served as a remedy. Tayo’s aunt is a nurturer because she comforts him a lot during his crisis, even making his bed.  The Indian character’s in this novel feel like they have been oppressed and mistreated by white people, a viewpoint many Indians have in reality. There is a lot of proof in history, too.

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The Races Relations in Silko's Ceremony: Why This Novel Isn't So Ceremonious

            Mikeisha Best

            March 1, 2013

            American Literature II

            Dr. Turpin

  The Races Relations in Silko's Ceremony: Why This Novel Isn't So Ceremonious

            Silko's novel, Ceremony, makes one of its major themes race relations. The novel's central character, Tayo, is part Indian and part Caucasian, which makes for a confused young man. Tayo has just returned from war and is trying to cope with the things he saw and endured. Add that to the fact that his family discriminates against him for being two ethnicities, and triple that with the fact that the Indians and Caucasians do not have the best track record with each other. His Indian side distrusts him because he is only partly Indian and his Caucasian side only wants to be bothered when he is in his uniform. There is a scene in the book where Tayo and his friends are discussing a car his friend Harley purchased. He says of Caucasian people, "They owed it to us--we traded it for some of the land they stole from us!" There is another scene where Tayo and his friend Emo say they felt more accepted by Whites when they were in their US Army uniforms. Silko implies that they wanted no bad blood with white people and they felt good when they were accepted by them while in uniform. Once they came back home, though, that good feeling was taken from them since white people were once again showing their racist side.Another battle Tayo faces is that mother has resentment toward him for creating a son who is mixed. His aunt takes on the role as mother, but she does her share of discriminating, too. Tayo is traumatized throughout the duration of Ceremony. Although his double ethnicity brought him much anguish, it also helped him to start his healing process via a medicine man. Once Tayo's aunt and grandmother see the broken condition he is in, they call upon a medicine man. The medicine man has several ceremonies with Tayo. These help Tayo to see the greatness of his people and serve as introspective healing, too.

  Works Cited

Silko, Leslie. Ceremony. New York: Penguin Group, 2006. Print.

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Comparing "How" and "The Wasteland"

Mikeisha Best

February 2, 2013

American Literature II

Dr. Turpin

Comparing "The Wasteland" and "Howl"

            Ginsberg's poem, "Howl", was obviously inspired by Eliot's "The Wasteland." I draw this conclusion since both poems have several similarities and since "The Wasteland" was written first ("The Wasteland" was written in 1922 and "Howl" in 1956).  Eliot's "The Wasteland" and Ginsberg's "Howl" are poems of modernism. Modernism is literature with a new edge rather than the traditional-style writing. What these poems also have in common is their length; both poems are very long. In addition to both being wordy, both works have a melancholy tone. Both works are divided into parts. Ginsberg uses numbers to separate his sections while Eliot uses titles. Descriptiveness is another characteristic of both writings. The reader can create a mental picture of the words in both poems. For example, Ginsberg says some were expelled from school for "crazy & publishing obscene odes on the windows of the skull", but these same people are the most "brilliant minds of his generation." It is ironic how such outcasts are also some of the most intelligent individuals of that time. The opening lines of both poems give the reader a clue of what the tone will be: dark. In the month of April, Spring makes itself known with the gorgeous flowers. The grass is also beautifully green during April. But Eliot says April is the "cruelest month." Ginsberg's opening line is: I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness." After these first lines, the writers go into detail about why they have made such harsh statements.

             The poems contrast in subject matter. While "The Wasteland" speaks about World War I a great deal, "Howl's" focus is on mental institutions, drugs, prostitution and homosexual intimacy. While "Howl" does mention war, it is not referred to as much as in The Wasteland. The syntax and word usage in "Howl" do not follow the rules of English strictly. Take the poem's opening line: I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness/Starving hysterical naked. While the sentence isn't horrible, it needs commas and could have been worded better. But of course, he did that by design and not by accident.

            "Howl" and "The Wasteland" follow the rules of modernistic literature. Just as "Howl" was inspired by "The Wasteland", both poems are important works in the literary canon and both help poets of today to push the envelope and write whatever they want, regardless of explicitness.   

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Life Why

I wonder why we all are here sometimes. I wonder why some of us are born with certain things, good or bad. Why are some people born with good looks, others with intelligence, and others with both. What role does karma play in our lives? Is life written out for us before we are even born? Personally, I think so. I strongly believe that. Why do some healthy people just up and die out of no where? Like with the tootsie roll pop, the world may never know..................................

Mikeisha Travon Best

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Raz-B:The Traumatized

I always thought Raz-B was the most adorable member of B2K. He wasn't just cute, though. He was the mastermind behind much of their costumes, songs and stage set-ups. He certainly had more creative input than Omarion, J-Boog or Lil Fizz. But as the public has come to learn thanks to Raz-B, a lot more was going on with B2K than we would have guessed. 

I admire Raz-B for being blatantly honest. He told the story fluently and explicitly. By listening to him, it is not hard to tell that he is traumatized greatly by what happened. As he has alleged, he was molested by Chris Stokes and Marques Houston. He and Stokes had oral and anal sex. Raz also said that he and J Boog had oral sex. Additionally, he said Lil Fizz was the first member from B2K to receive anal sex. Learning all of this ensures me that there is so much that transpires in the industry that we will never know about. 

Raz recorded a conversation between he and Marques Houston. By Houston's reaction to Raz's allegations, one can almost be sure that these accusations are true. This is a crying shame. Houston is just a few years older than the members of B2K. 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Stokes and Raz are cousins. So, Stokes has allegedly committed incest, statutory rape and, adultery (this nut is married with four children).

Some say Raz should not have exposed the other members of the group. OK, I understand why they opine that. However, I am thrilled he exposed Stokes and Houston because look at Raz and the lasting affect that all of this is having on him. Some say he is crazy and that he should have spoken sooner. In his defense, if he is crazy he has every right to be. Some have said that he always could have said no. WHOA. Stop right there. If you are living the lavish life which includes the best foods, biggest stars, traveling, women, cars, and anything else under the sun, would you give it up? I am so serious. Stokes easily manipulated each of those boys by saying all you have to do is have sex with me and each other to maintain this lifestyle. 

Observe how angry Raz-B is. It is a sad thing, but again, I take my hat off to him. I have a deep respect for him for going against the grain and coming forth to speak the truth. Those monsters ought to be exposed. I hope that the other members are stiffened by Raz's bravery and tell the truth about what happened for there is strength in numbers. Raz-B, you are not alone.

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Blog 1

Hmm, this would be my very first blog. I think I am going to love Tumblr since I am a writer. We will see what becomes of this.

-Mikeisha

November 30, 2010