Death: Borderland to Bridge

Death touches us many times before our bodies die; it is a commonality we all share. Because of that, the topic presented itself to be explored in one of my University of Arizona assignments: the text in context paper. Even if you haven't seen the movie Babel or read the article, "the lines that continue to separate us," (both of which were assigned, not chosen; students were to interpret the movie through the lens of the article, to which I then added another lens), my hope is that the piece will be clear and interesting. So, in the spirit of sharing, of opening into our interconnected threads of experiencing life and death, I share my paper below.
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Death: Borderland to Bridge

Death is the ultimate architect of border and can draw people closer together or push them apart. David Newman’s language in his article, “The lines that continue to separate us,” can clarify and expand our conception of death and our reaction to it as it is subsequently portrayed in the movie Babel, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Newman in concurrence with Babel helps us to see death from a new perspective: that dying and/or death can be an impetus that sends people into a borderland, one that can potentially lead to a bridge of acceptance toward the unknown. Babel displays a grand narrative of acute personal experiences, interwoven with death’s borders, and detailed through striking visual elements. This paper will specifically address how an American couple progress through the borderlands created by the death of their baby to eventually access a bridge of emotional healing.

My Little Prince

I'm free from classes and studies for the summer!

I've no idea if I will return to UA in the fall, but it's been an interesting experience.

My Latin Final was yesterday; this week is for decompressing.
Let the recovery begin!
And my little prince is happy to show me how to do just that.

Saving the Imagination

Following is an essay I wrote for one of my English assignments at the University of Arizona. Each student was to select an advertisement from a collection provided and write a visual analysis. I hope you enjoy it!
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Saving the Imagination

Can the mysterious stranger be saved? This is the question elicited by the award-winning advertisement created for Madrid Book Publishers Association, one of three in their “Save a book. Read a book” series. The advertiser’s initial goal is to capture a viewer’s interest through artistic visual appeal and by creating curiosity. This goal is effectively achieved by first mimicking a popular World War II (“WWII”) game theme for the setting and then inserting a foreign-looking young man, one whose identity as a classic book character can be discovered by reading the text. At the same time, to further enhance the ad’s visual appeal, the image is realistic in its representation of a WWII combat scene replete with subtle contrasts, plentiful details, and nuanced lighting. Thus, the readily apparent message of the ad is to entice gamers, a broad demographic from teens to mature adults, away from spending all of their time with increasingly popular video war games and, instead, encourage them toward exploring the world of books. However, a deeper meaning, one revealing the benefits of cultivating the imagination and recognizing its profound impact upon our societies, lies waiting to be discovered through the characters and author of the specific book chosen.

Limited use of bright color draws our attention, while the alternation of familiar and foreign begins to awaken our curiosity. Our focus is led through blurred window frames in the foreground to the sharply defined center where, in contrast to the muted, drab brown combat uniforms of the soldiers, a young man, resplendent in a coat with blood-red lapels and a yellow sash around his waist, lies helpless. These contrasts have succeeded in pulling us into the image. The medic, identified by the red cross on his helmet, calls for help while his hand rests upon the  injured young man’s chest; the clever use of red links these two individuals in a dire situation even though we see no blood. We wonder why the medic is trying to save this mysterious stranger who is so out of place, and the advertisers have succeeded in their initial goal of capturing our interest.

Myriad details contribute to the scene’s authenticity as well as to its mystery, and work to lure viewers into solving the contradictions. We note the specificity of WWII uniforms and the armed soldier’s helmet displaying a white poker spade, which is the insignia of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. This insignia was prominent in the popular WWII video game “Call of Duty.” Someone who plays these types of games is instantly attracted to the familiarity. The uniform of the young man, however, is distinctly dissimilar from that of the soldiers. With its broad lapels and cuffs trimmed in gold piping, along with its formal cumberbund, the ensemble lends a dashing ambience to the otherwise dreary scene, and points to how the boy has been dropped into this time and place from somewhere else. Thus, a gamer’s initial familiarity is skewed and intrigue is added to the mix. We are also intrigued by the disparity between WWII soldiers with guns and a youth whose golden rapier has fallen from his open hand. The juxtapositions of attire and weapons illustrate that the distinctive young man doesn’t belong in the soldiers’ regiment. The advertisement is holding our attention.

Our curiosity is further incited by how the lighting ebbs and flows through the image; the diffuse background, the out-of-focus foreground of the window frames, and the shadowy browns and grays all contribute to a spotlight effect that illuminates the youth’s curly hair with golden highlights. His cream shirt, light tan pants, and leathery lapels all reflect light — his body almost seems to glow, though his face remains in shadow. The artistic projection of the young man is toward innocence, gallantry, or the numinous, none of which fit the grimness of war.

The preceding visual cues keep directing our attention to the mystery of the young man in the WWII combat scene. The image is enticing us into its story through contrast, detail, and lighting, taking every opportunity to communicate by piquing our curiosity. We can’t help but try to imagine what the story might be.

As our curiosity drives us toward further exploration, an artist’s rendering of a dog tag draws our attention. The dog tag tucked into the upper left corner of the image has a translucent or ghostly quality that is emphasized by the contrast of a black, all caps, Engravers style font reminiscent of that often used in a headstone for a grave. The dog tag, a symbol of identity even in death, supports our desire to know who the fallen stranger is. The minimal text provides abundant information, starting with an undeniable comment that, “When you spend all that time playing war video games, it’s not just your enemies you finish off” (Nudd). People spend inordinate amounts of time playing these popular combat action games. In particular, those designed around WWII are even considered psychologically legitimate because gamers are “killing” the Nazis. But who else are we “finish[ing] off” according to the text (Nudd)? The advertisers imply that when we don’t allow time for reading books, we are also “killing” the incredible characters created within a book’s pages. Specifically, the implication here is that gamers are responsible for the young man in the scene: Be a hero and save the young man! This is the superficial message of the advertisers, and they provide instructions for doing this: “Save a book. Read a book” (Nudd). The simple phrase is one easily recalled, and may remind a gamer of the potential for entertainment via books.

Beyond pure entertainment, though, is the realm of the inner world as well as its creator, and their combined benefits to our society. Within the text on the dog tag, we find the identity of the author, Antoine de Saint-Exupery. This is another connective layer that lies within the mystery of this advertisement because the author was a reconnaissance pilot during WWII. In fact, not long after writing the book about the young man in this scene—The Little Prince— Saint-Exupery disappeared; he was rumored to have been shot down during what was to have been one of his last missions (Antoine, Wikipedia). If people stop reading his books, then Saint-Exupery will also be “finish[ed] off” (Nudd). Writers create stories to share what is important to them, to provide a bit of insight into their own personality and a perspective of the world in which we live. We miss out on getting to know human nature, and the treasure of individual experiences and views, when we spend all of our time immersed in action games. For instance, Saint-Exupery was seventeen when he sat beside the bed of his dying brother. Further, in 1935, the author crashed his plane in the Sahara desert and nearly died of dehydration before being rescued (Antoine, Wikipedia). There is little doubt that these experiences informed his creation of the character and story of The Little Prince. Every time we read a book, we “save” the author by honoring not only what they’ve written but also their personal life. A book provides many gifts to us and one of those is the ability to see through someone else’s eyes, to appreciate a different point of view, which tends to enhance communication.

Published as a children’s book, The Little Prince is more a simple philosophical story for adults, one that contributes significantly to the deeper layer of this advertisement. Even though The Little Prince is not about WWII or even about war, the very fact that it was written during war time and by someone who was on active duty during the war, is telling. Just as we see through the window of this advertising image into a war scene, reading the book is also a window, though one into innocence. The Little Prince has come to the earth from a star, and his revelations remind the narrator—and all of us—just how much we lose through growing up and becoming lost in a cynical society that is obsessed with war and power. The prince also traveled to other stars before visiting earth and he elucidates some of his experiences with the narrator in the desert where they meet (Saint-Exupery). This book carries us easily into our imagination where we can understand other perspectives and begin to solve our problems. Essentially, the Little Prince was “born” in 1943 and death comes nearer to him every time we play a video game instead of read a book, any book, because he is a chosen representative of the world of books and the imagination.

By using our imagination to explore this advertisement, and to dig into the deeper layer provided through the careful selection of The Little Prince as the referenced book, we can go beyond the obvious message of trying to tempt gamers into buying books. A deeper analysis reveals that book publishers are supporting a greater purpose than one of mere profit. They are advocates of greater levels of communication and the broadening of perception, both of which are enhanced through reading books. Imagine seeing a homeless person, a soldier, or a traveler from another country, through their eyes because we read a book about a similar situation. Books allow us to inhabit the minds of other people, other characters, and through this vicarious symbiotic relationship we can understand how someone else thinks and why they respond with certain emotions that might be different from ours. Ultimately, imagination is the key to saving our world from war and destruction, because it creates within us the ability to empathize with people from all walks of life. As Albert Einstein said: “Logic will get you from A to B, imagination will take you everywhere.” 

Works Cited

“Antoine de Saint-Exupery.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 20 Oct. 2013. Web. 21 Oct. 2013 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_de_Saint-Exupéry >

Nudd, Tim. “The World's Best Print Ads, 2012-13: See the top 59 winners from the Press Lions at Cannes.” ADWEEK. Guggenheim Digital Media, 26 Jun. 2013. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. < http://www.adweek.com/news-gallery/advertising-branding/worlds-best-print-ads-2012-13-150758#gold-lion-madrid-book-publishers-association-29 >

Saint-Exupery, Antoine de. The Little Prince. Trans. Katherine Woods. Reynal & Hitchcock, 1943. Print. EPUB.

Rhetoric and Bits

a canopy of citrus trees on the UA campus

This semester's English Comp teacher is intensely focused upon rhetoric; he's clearly passionate about the art of persuasion. Me? Not so much. I'd rather share a perspective than try to cleverly convince someone of my view. (In full disclosure, I'm thinking that my distrust of classic rhetoric probably stems from spending nearly twenty years as a secretary to attorneys.) Supposedly, there is no such thing as conversation without rhetoric, but then that depends upon how one defines it, yes? That said, I am happy to learn about rhetoric and to figure out how it fits into my own writing style.

Coincidentally, this morning I was listening to one of Krista Tippett's On Being podcasts and it mentioned rhetoric in the context of science, and how scientific rhetoric can express lack of appropriate humility in light of our vast ignorance as we creep along learning bit-by-bit. The podcast is titled "The Mystery We Are," which can be heard HERE, and is a facilitated dialogue between Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marilynne Robinson and Professor of Physics Marcelo Gleiser. This is a fascinating conversation!

Finally, for those of you who like my freestyle metaphorical writing, a new piece called Leaf on the Wind is over On the Gaia Path...

Gratus

Language & The Brain

Thank you, Latin, for firing up my neurons! I've often read that learning a new language is one of the best, if not the best, means of boosting memory and brain activity by creating new pathways. It sure seems to have worked for me.

About halfway through the semester, I suddenly began to experience the Latin on a deeper level. Not that it became easy or simple, but rather that what I was learning made sense. Further, everything else I was reading also became clearer.

In fact, during this winter break, while re-organizing my novel manuscript, I pulled out a book I'd purchased as research. The book is "Daughters of Saturn" by Patricia Reis and when I tried to read it a few years ago, the writing felt so complex that I simply could not get through it. I felt like the material was way over my head. Guess what? It now makes sense. How weird

is that?

Why do I attribute this new clarity primarily to learning Latin? It's because over the years I've taken other courses on a myriad of topics, but none of them created this kind of recognition, of clearing, like a film has been pulled away.

This week, I am cracking open my Latin books again. They've been sitting beside my desk this entire break because my intention was to review vocabulary once a day to keep it all fresh. Alas, that fell by the wayside because I was so relieved that all the pressure had been lifted for a while. But now, with classes looming ahead next week, I want to feel prepared, so… Hello again, Latin!

Cliffs Notes

Okay, seems like I'm having a lot of trouble blogging these days. But I promised to share a bit of my college thoughts and experiences, so here goes…the Cliffs Notes version.

As I mentioned earlier, I've never attended college so hadn't the foggiest idea about courses, credits, curriculum, process, or academic policy in any way, shape, or form. So this entire venture has been a learning experience.

Because I entered on a degree path, I found out that I am required to take certain courses in proper order. All fresh[wo]men have to take English Composition 101/102, plus, there are a certain number of Tier 1 and 2 general education courses required for a degree. In addition, for a degree in the College of Humanities, I have to pass four semesters of a foreign language.

Way, way back in high school, I had taken two years of Spanish and one year of French. I love languages! However, very little of it stuck so I decided to take Latin in college. What was I thinking?! LOL However, I am thoroughly enjoying myself even though learning Latin takes massive amounts of time for me to absorb and memorize. And I do mean scads and scads of hours studying. I find myself wondering: would Latin have been this hard if I'd gone straight from high school to college? A moot point but still one I've pondered.

What have I liked the most? Learning! One delight in attending as an older student who is actively motivated by the sheer joy of the learning process, is that I have found enjoyment in every topic and assignment. Somewhere within each one--from visual analysis in English Comp to the meaning of equity in the Anthropology course--I have found a thread to trace that resonates with my own heart. This is very cool! Nearly every experience and subject has led me to explore in unexpected ways my own growth as well as my current WIPs. Not that I had much time for my own personal writing, but I did make quick notes to jog my memory later.

What have I disliked? Being in a small classroom with teenagers who are fast in everything they do, say, and learn. The pace is rapid, the energy is high, and I feel left in the dust after the 45 minutes have passed. They are race horses and I'm a draft horse! LOL My anxiety and insecurity was a daily challenge to manage.

What was my greatest surprise? Probably a tie between the aforementioned Latin study time I require and the way classrooms are handled. In my very limited exposure thus far, the teachers struggle valiantly to stimulate the students. I guess I figured that college students would be more self-motivated, but that doesn't appear to be the case in freshman classes. The other disturbing aspect of the classroom is its focus upon group work. Ugh. As someone who is a pretty extreme introvert, this group focus is a great drain on my energy and psyche. When I was in high school, I don't recall hardly any group work, and I liked it that way, so this aspect is particularly shocking.

However, all in all, I am thoroughly enjoying UA, and I'm looking forward to next semester, which will be 102 in both English Comp and Latin, plus a Tier 1 course in GeoScience. In order to complete the full freshman credit requirements, I will need to take several courses over the summer but that's better than overloading myself during the regular semesters. However, there may be a stumbling block to attaining a degree that I hadn't foreseen. It seems that the agency my husband works for may be denied affiliation next year, and that means that I wouldn't be eligible for reduced tuition which is the only reason we can afford college right now. So, I plan on really enjoying this next semester. I'm a firm believer that everything happens as it is meant to, though, so … carpe diem!

If you have anything to share, I would love to hear of your college experiences past or present; feel free to email me privately!

P.S. If I ever get around to it, I may post a few of the assignments that I found particularly interesting.

Serenity and Studying

A sister Tucsonan posts wonderful photos, 

and recently shared a few more photos of the 

UA Campus HERE. 

Enjoy!

Go Wildcats!

No, I'm not a sports fan. Never have been, never will be. 

However...

I'm tickled to share that I have been admitted into the University of Arizona (UA), College of Humanities, Creative Writing degree program. Yay! College has been a long time coming for me -- 30 plus years -- and I alternate between feeling feverishly excited and numbingly fearful. So here I am; I'm becoming a UA Wildcat. 

UA was offering extended deadlines for registration in July so... I applied for admittance and was accepted. The good thing I keep reminding myself of is that this endeavor is all voluntary on my part; I can do as many or as few classes as I'm comfortable with. Gotta remember that. 

In fact, I had to hurry home from my Rocky Mountain High road trip -- 16 hours from Colorado Springs to Tucson in one fell swoop -- because I needed to take placement exams at least a week prior to student orientation. 

I know that none of my classes will be easy, but I am really looking forward to learning more in order to grow my writing. I thought about just taking stand-alone courses in writing (allowing a simpler, slower pace and less worry about grades), but it seemed a shame not to at least give the degree path a try. 

Again, all of this comes back to my choice, so I'll just see how it goes! 

There is a flower essence blend called Cognis which I will be taking lots of, I'm sure! Gotta get my neurons firing and the memory tissue plumped up... 

As long-time readers of my blog will recall, the awesome Tucson Festival of Books is held on the University of Arizona campus, so I am at least a little bit familiar with the layout. Phew!

Further, I just read this interesting article "The Ideal English Major." While parts of the article come across a bit "holier than thou," still, much of what the author says really resonates with how I feel about writing, words, and language.

So, here's to balancing the academic side of writing with the Tao of Writing!