Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Entry #1: Motion Poems

For this first entry (which we will discuss the first day of class, so be sure to post your response in the comments section below by the 15th), you need to complete two tasks.

1.  Choose which ONE of the course selected books you will read, and write a brief note (one or two sentences) explaining your selection. The list is on the syllabus, but here it is again if you don't have it with you:


Children’s Hospital by Chris Adrian (novel)
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (novel)
Zone One by Colson Whitehead (novel)
The Plague by Albert Camus (novel)
Blindness by Jose Saramago (novel)
Almanac of the Dead by Leslie Marmon Silko (novel)
The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier (novel)
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (novel)      
Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut (novel)
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (novel)
Ecology of Fear by Mike Davis (nonfiction)
House of Rain by Craig Childs (nonfiction)
Collapse by Jared Diamond (nonfiction)
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (nonfiction)
A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnit (nonfiction)
The Disaster Diaries by Sam Sheridan (nonfiction)
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (drama)
After the Apocalypse: Stories by Maureen McHugh (short fiction)
Innocent Erendira and Other Stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (short fiction)
One Hundred Apocalypses and Other Apocalypses by Lucy Corin (short fiction / poetry)
The World Doesn’t End by Charles Simic (poetry)
The Tales by Jessica Bozek (poetry)
Render: An Apocalypse by Rebecca Gayle Howell (poetry)

2.  Watch the following Motionpoems (which are like film adaptations of poems), and choose your favorite.  Write a brief note (one or two sentences) explaining your preference.

"Sea Salt" by David Mason, adapted by Amy Schmitt
"The Trees -- They Were Once Good Men" by Todd Boss, adapted by Emma Burghardt
"Just As, After a Point, Job Cried Out" by K.A. Hays, adapted by Emma Burghardt
"Ecclesiastes 11:1" by Richard Wilbur, adapted by Faith Eskola
"Circles in the Sky" by Bob Hicok, adapted by Keri Moller
"Either Or" by Maxine Kumin, adapted by Adam Tow

47 comments:

  1. Here is where you'll post your responses. Be sure to include your name so I'll know who has responded.

    Take care,

    m woodman

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  2. 1) Well, I went ahead and looked up each individual book and read their summaries before picking out a few the piqued my interest. Out of those, I picked the one that I believed I would enjoy reading the most so I wouldn't feel like I was suppose to be reading it for a class. (I’ve actually already read it and I’m very happy with my choice!)

    2) “The Trees—They Were Once Good Men": Okay, so I first liked this one because it reminded me of a Grecian Myth, however, as I was watching it again it sort of made me think that it was about suicide (which it might be, I’m not sure). It’s interesting how my view seems to change every time I watch/listen to this and I kind of enjoy this one because it’s making me think about how many ways this could be interpreted.

    Jayme Reyna

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    Replies
    1. Nice work, Jayme, but which book did you choose?

      Delete
    2. Sorry...It's" The Brief History of the Dead" -Jayme

      Delete
  3. 1. I chose Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut mainly because a lot of the reviews on Amazon said it was funny while most of the other books seemed like they would require a lot of emotional investment.

    2. My favorite motionpoem was "Either Or." The flow of the narrator's (performer? I'm not sure how to word it) voice and the animation of the video were really smooth and went well together. I didn't really care for the choppiness of some of the others.

    -Crystal NesSmith

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  4. 1. I chose Children's Hospital by Chris Adrian. I am interested in the medical field and once I read the description of the story I wanted to already start to figure out what was going to happen next.
    2. My favorite motion poem was "Either Or." I enjoyed listening to this poem because it was well put together and flowed nicely. After listening and watching the animation a few times, I thought about how many different ways people interpret death and thought about it. It gave me more insight on the message.
    -Victoria Din

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  5. 1.) I decided to read The Road by Cormac McCarthy only because when I was going through the list of books to choose from, the title itself jumped out to me. Once I read the title I imagine what the book would be about as far as thinking about a journey that the characters would probably be taking, sure enough it was a great book.
    2.) The motion poem "Either or" by Maxine Kumin is deep as far as the thought of death and is why it's my preference. The vision shown went along with the poem, expressing what the mind draws out from the thought of death.

    -Montzerrath Rodriguez

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  6. I choose the book "The World Doesn’t End" by Charles Simic, because I notice that it was poetry, and it’s not very often that we get to read poetry for a class. I also checked the reviews on the book and it 4.5 stars out of 5 which is pretty high and the short summary I read on it seemed very intriguing.
    Hicok the best. Besides the interesting film of the poem coming ti life, I liked out it all tied death and life together and how he hoped that we would answer fine. Its hard to explain why I really liked it so much, it was the ply film that moved me and made me feel something on the inside and I inured since I can explain it with words only with a smile and watching three times, then it should be my favorite.


    -Audrena Harlan

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  7. 1. I read quite a few summaries from the list but Blindness by Jose Saramago stood out to me the most.

    2. The Motionpoem that I favored the most was "The Trees - They Were Once Good Men" by Todd Boss because the bright colors in the animation caught my eye more than the others did. When the tone shifted, the colors followed suit.

    Jessica Cruz

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  8. I chose "After the Apocalypse: Stories by Maureen McHugh" to read because out all of the titles, this one seemed the most interesting to me. I know no one should judge a book by its cover, but this one caught my attention.

    “The Trees—They Were Once Good Men". This poem really caught my interest, because no matter how many different ways I interpreted it, every way made sense.

    -Alec Daily

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  9. 1. After reviewing the summaries to each book provided I went with " The Road," due to questions I had after the summary. It left me curious on how the father and son could survive their journey after the apocalypse. The summary kept my mind running with questions that drew me into the book, and with this that's why I went with this book.

    2. " The Trees- They Were Once Good Men," was the motionpoem that caught my attention. It seems like there is no correct answer to what is happening in the motionpoem, but what I thought was interesting is how someone's dark side can take over, and how it can lead to the wrong path.

    - Houa Lee

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  10. 1. Shortly after reading the summaries "The Plague" stood out the most and the suspense it left. It looks challenging however, I am familiar with Albert Camus as an author. I believe I would enjoy this book simplify because Camus is a brilliant writer.

    2. My favorite poem would be " Sea Salt," by David Mason. Throughout the motion film it was clear and vivid, Mason created a picture for his audience. I notice it was a depressed tone with some negative diction.

    Norma Pedraza

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  11. 1. Samuel Beckett's work, "Waiting for Godot," immediately caught my attention with its title, and after reading a brief summary, I knew this was the text I wanted to read. Though I can learn from all of the other pieces of literature, I have a feeling that I can learn most from this one.

    2. Emma Burghardt's adaptation, "The Trees -They Were Once Good Men," by Todd Boss was my favorite motion poem of the six simply because it lived up to my expectations. While reading the poem, and watching it in motion, all I could think was, "This may be coincidental, though I highly doubt it, but what an interesting description of the Forest of Suicides."

    Clarissa Cano

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  12. 1.) Innocent Erendira and Other Stories by Marquez, at first, interested me because I thought it would be of a young woman standing up to her oppressor/s. Although the book turned out different, I was thankful to the stories for their reminder to not judge others quickly, because I may never know of the misfortunes and heartaches they endure.

    2.) “Circles in the Sky” by Hicok was my favorite poem because it made me reflect upon the different ideas of death. The Motionpoem may be interpreted into different theories of what becomes of us after dying, but it may also serve as a warning to live life to the fullest because death may call at any moment.

    Vanessa Caudelaro

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  13. 1) After reading many of the summaries of these books, I have decided to read Zone One by Colson Whitehead. Although it was difficult to choose I am excited to read this novel. I found myself wondering what would happen next in the story. The main character seem dark and mysterious. I want to know more about his journey that is why I am choosing this book.

    2) Out of the six motion poems, "Sea Salt" by David Mason was my favorite. After watching it a few times I found it more and more intriguing. my interpretation of this poem was nature's destruction through construction of buildings and human growth. It is very depressing and the tone was dispiriting.

    Kelsey Wruck

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  14. The Disaster Diaries by Sam Sheridan interested me because the novel was fictional and explained Sheridan's experience for the end of the world apocalypse.
    2)Ecclesiastes 11:1 by Richard Wilbur interested me the most because the poem seemed familiar to me.However,the poem depicted to be joyous and sad at the same time.-Mallory J.Moore

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  15. 1). Children’s Hospital by Chris Adrian, the title of the novel first caught my attention because I thought it would strictly be about the struggle children go through in a hospital. After reading the summary it reminded me of Noah’s Arc but with a slight twist. So far the book is very interesting but a bit confusing, when switching from Jemma’s point of view to the angel.

    2). “Either or” by Maxine Kumin was my favorite Motionpoem, because it made me think of the different ways the mind interprets death. The depressing tone of the voice gave the poem a more dramatic feel to it.

    Patricia Vargas

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  16. 1. I really wanted to read poetry. The World Doesn’t End by Charles Simic stood out to me the most and received some good reviews!

    2. My favorite Motionpoem was "The Trees -- They Were Once Good Men." I ended up watching it quite a few times because there are so many different perspectives you can get from it. No matter which way I looked at it, I really enjoyed it.

    Eden Schmoll

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  17. 1. I chose to read Innocent Erendira and Other Stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I initially chose this novel because the author was recommended to me by a friend of mine. However, after reading the reviews and summaries on the book I immediately felt intrigued to read it.

    2. My favorite motion poem was "Circles in the Sky" by Bob Hicok. I favored this motion poem because of the way I interpreted it. I felt that this poem spoke about the obstacles a person can face in life and their abilities to overcome them.

    Julian Ibarra

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  18. 1. After reading short summaries of each book, I chose "After the Apocalypse" by Maureen F. Hugh. I chose this book because the fact that it does not merely focus on one scenario of an apocalypse caught my attention almost immediately.

    2. Out of the Motionpoems provided, "Sea Salt' by David Mason was my favorite. I liked this poem the most because it speaks about the beauty of nature, yet it gives the reader a sense of fear and sadness because the destruction of this beauty seems inevitable.

    Ariene Edith Gregorio

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  19. 1. From the title alone, The Brief history of the Dead sounds to be the most interesting of the options. After ready a synopsis, i am deeply intrigued.

    2. I personally enjoy darker poems, so off the bat this had me. It gave an extremely eerie impression especially with the way the vultures were drawn and the contradicting peaceful music underneath the words.

    -Kamen Sarratt

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  20. 1. I decided to read "The Road" because I enjoy the idea of a post-apocalyptic world. I also liked the scenario of a father and son's journey through a world like this as opposed to a common zombie outbreak story.

    2. I liked the poem "Circles in the Sky" because i felt that it was showing the importance of appreciating life while you have it because death is basically nothing while life has so much more to offer.

    ~Tina Tafoya

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  21. 1) I have chosen to read The Road by Cormac McCarthy this quarter. The Road is actually my favorite book, and I was very pleased to see it on this list.

    2) Two of the Motionpoems that I found had the most intriguing endings Bob Hicok’s “Circles in the Sky”, adapted by Keri Moller, and “the Trees – They Were Once Good Men” by Todd Boss, adapted by Emma Burghardt. Between these two I would have to say that my favorite was “Circles in the Sky” because I enjoyed the artwork, as well as the visualization used throughout the entire poem.

    ~Madison Alaine Tingey~

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  22. I have chosen to bread the plague by Albert camus. I have always found this part of history interesting.

    Circles of the sky was the poem that caught my attention because of the ending.

    -andreina solorio

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  23. 1. I read the ecology of fear because when I was going through the list to choose from it stood out to me for some reason and I really enjoyed it.
    2. The motion poem that I liked the most was the trees because of the graphics that went along with the poem. It made it interesting.
    -Sydney ericsson

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  24. Outrageous First Class Assignment Entry 1: Motion Poems.

    1) After reading several synopses, i decided to choose "The Brief History of the Dead" by Kevin Brockmeier. The idea of a mysterious place in between life and death is one that has been an interest of mine for a while. Also, after hearing the majestic voice on the Audible book preview, there's no way I could refuse!

    2) I greatly enjoyed all of the Motionpoems, but, since I have to pick one, I choose "Circles in the Sky" by Bob Hicok. I the imagery described for the vultures was brilliant and the idea of answering death's call kept me thinking. I also quite enjoyed the line "to my once dear fence-leaping deer." It caught my attention and I had to actually read it to make sure I heard it correctly.

    - Steven Carlson

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  25. 1. After reading the list with my friends, they all recommended "The Road." I then decided to read the summary and the fact that it's about a journey where they don't know where they are going interests me.
    2. After watching the motion poems, "Either Or" stood out to me the most because it made me realize how people can have different perspectives on things especially death.
    -Bedbirai Garcia

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  26. 1. After doing research on a few of the books, I decided to read The Road due to the post-apocalyptic setting and the interesting characters. Seems like it will be a very good read.
    2. I very much enjoyed Circles in the Sky due to the artistic style, the way it delivered its message, and because it simply stood out.
    -Juan Ruiz

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  27. 1. I picked a book based on the title, and The Plague caught my attention the most. I looked at the other books also, but after reading the summaries The Plague was still the one i wanted to read.
    2. All the motion-poems were great and visually captivating, but "Circles in the Sky" was my favorite because the last lines about death calling stuck with me the most.
    - Kailan Lenoir

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  28. 1. After reading all the summaries to the books on the list, I have chosen to read "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. This book had good reviews and seems like it's going to be a great story about a father and son's journey.
    2. "The Trees -- They Were Once Good Men" by Todd Boss was the motion poem I liked the best. I liked that it used many colors throughout the poem and that those colors changed as the poem went on.
    -Rebecca Caraker

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  29. 1. The book that caught my attention the most was "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. I like that the book is based off the post apocalyptic disasters. It seems very intriguing with the obstacles that the father and son have to over come to stay safe.
    2." The Trees- They Were Once Good Men" is the poem that I liked the most because no matter how many ways you tried to interpret the story it always seemed to make sense.
    - Kaylee Moyer

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  30. 1. The book that I choose was "The Brief History of the Dead" by Kevin Brockmeir. To be completely honest the title caught my attention and after reading the description I became extremely fascinated. Something about people vanishing from the earth and they don't know where they are seems interesting. Also because I do a lot of studying on my free time about the different biblical prophecies and how people will vanish the earth which is so very interesting and this book seems as if it related to that. We will see though!
    2. The poem that I liked the most would have to be "Wanting Sumptuous Heavens". What I got from the poem was that people here on earth want so much in life that compares to heaven but don't really change for the better and how people become content. It was also easy to understand.
    -Elleyse Williams

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  31. 1. The book that i choose was "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. I liked that the setting was post apocalyptic, and I want to know what happens to the characters.


    2."Sea Salt" by David Mason is the poem i liked the most because I felt it describes how your fears and how somehow or someway you will overcome them.

    Martha Martinez Gonzalez

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  32. 1. The book that I chose was "The Brief History of the Dead." This book caught my attention because while was reading the book summary it reminded me of a movie called "Donnie Darko." Both themes from the book and movie relate to two different worlds that are yet so similar.
    2. The poem I chose was "Sea Salt" by David Mason. I chose the poem because it was very profound and can be interpreted in many ways. Something can mean so much to someone, but can be taken away.
    -Dalia Pardo

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  33. 1. The book i decided to read is "The Plague by Albert Camus. It was a topic that really caught my attention, and after reading the summary i cant wait to start reading it.
    2. After watching all the motion poems i chose "circles in the sky" it was my favorite one because of the ending it really stuck with me.
    -Sergio Mendez

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  34. 1. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of the best writers in my opinion so I chose Innocent Erendira and Other Stories. I am excited to read this short fiction and having read some reviews, well I am very interested to read another of Marquez’s stories.

    2. "The Trees -- They Were Once Good Men" by Todd Boss was my favorite from the other five motion poems. I heard it more than two times and I came to the conclusion that hearing it over and over again, my idea of the poem and perception would change. It felt tricky to hear but at the end of the poem, the ambiance was eerie and gloomy overall.

    -Brenda Rocha

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  35. 1. The book I chose is "The Road". I chose it because when reading the synopsis, I was really intrigued by the relationship of the father and son and wanted to see where their journey led.

    2. The poem I selected was "Either Or" because I liked the way the storyteller presented the poem. The others to me seemed disjointed or rough in delivery, and the presenter of "Either Or" had a melodic quality in his speaking.

    -Chynna Hook

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  36. 1). I have decide to read After the Apocalypse by Maureen McHugh. This book seems to deal with apocalypse after the chaos has ensued, but not just in one type of apocalypse but A few different scenarios.
    2). I enjoyed Either Or" by Maxine Kumin, adapted by Adam. I had an attachment to this poem because of it scientifical ideas. I felt as it was saying that nothing truly ever ends. I felt like it was conveying that even though something is ending everything since the dawn of the universe is continuously moving.

    -Alfred Flores
    PS. sorry for posting twice

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  37. 1. I chose Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut. I chose it because it's about evolution during the apocalypse, which are two topics I'm interested in.
    2. I chose "Circles in the Sky" by Bob Hicok. I liked it because of the flow of the poem and the speaker's voice just fit the poem.
    - Jose Espinoza

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  38. 1. I chose Zone One by Colson Whitehead, the concept of humanity having to fight against their own loved ones and having to continue to live on with the guilt of having to fight against those they knew has always been interesting to me.
    2. I chose "Circles in the Sky" by Bob Hicok because of how he sees the vulture as not just being a scavenger of dead animals but as a symbolization of death and an invitation to the afterlife.
    -Gustavo Hernandez

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  39. 1) I have decided to go with "Blindness", by Jose Saramago for my novel this quarter. I was told in the breif discussion we had on monday that the book appeals heavily to the psychology majors while also being an entertaining piece.

    2) The poem I liked best was "The Trees-- They were once Good Men", by Todd Boss. It was creepy and has this dark romantic feel to it that grabbed my attention from the beginning.

    -Elias Teutimez

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  40. Homework : Sept. 17,2014
    I chose LXII poem.
    "In the sea of nothing happens" Appears to be a symbol because in reality the sea is always doing something , such as moving. This symbol stands for something more significant than "nothing happening". -Mallory Moore

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  41. I have chosen The Plague by Albert Camus because I was told it is possibly a staple read for an English major. Because I am a huge reader, I will also be reading The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. However the Brockmeier is purely for fun.

    I liked "The Trees-- They were Once Good Men" by Todd Boss the best because it put my view of most people into words and into a video. It had my attention as soon as it said The trees were like people standing still because most humans don't realize they aren't moving with their life. They are, in fact, being human trees.

    -Katelyn Willey

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  42. I found a simile in "The grass is green on Maciejowice's fields, and it is studded with dew, as is normal grass" found in "Reality Demands." The poet, Wistawa Szymborska, uses simile to compare the grass on the Maciejowice's fields with the normal grass we see on lawns.

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  43. 1) After reading through the list of books, I have chosen Zone One by Albert Camus, because after reading a short summary about this book I was captivated by the subject of human kind and the plague that threatens them. I am obsessed with zombie movies/shows, so it made sense to chose this book to read.
    2) The poem I enjoyed the most was "Circles in the Sky" by Bob Hicok, because of the flow of the poem seems dark yet it made it right, also I like how the author sees the vulture as not just a bird that eats carcasses but as a symbol of death.
    -Ruby Tenorio

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  44. After reading through the list of books, I choose Children Hospital by Chris Adrian because it stick out to me because i am intersted in the medical field and I just want to know what happens to the medical student and the patients who are in the hospital while a flood occurs.

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  45. 1) After reading a few short summaries of different books, I have chosen to read "Blindness" by Jose Saramago. The summary reminded me of the quote "If the whole world were blind, how many people would you impress?" It caught my attention because of the struggle they will all face after this strange turn of events and must now depend solely on one person.

    2) My favorite motion poem was "Either Or" by Maxine Kumin, adapted by Adam Tow. I enjoyed this poem because it was one that I felt not only be related to death but also life. Some individuals go through their days staying in one place, being upset or bored while others enjoy life by traveling to other places and view what the world has to offer.

    Brianna Bravo

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