Eng.150 Psalm, For the Wayside Response

Please include the following: 
-2-3 quotes you underlined or highlighted 
1."seems a likely stopping-place for someone who's been driving, hard, away from failure."
         I really like the hard, away from failure because it makes the allusion of a long skinny road that never ends. I know i've had moments where I have just wanted to get in my car and drive till all my frustration is out.
2." If i'm not over you by the time I get to Georgia, I'll be Alabama-bound."
     I really liked this quote because one it was italicized to show some significance  and it shows the kind of scene that the writer is writing about. Obviously they are in a smaller town in the local diner.
3."asks if the road's been good to them"
       This really stood out to me because the "road" is being personified in a way that it could treat someone bad...but in reality this question is just really asking how was the drive. 
4. "for how prepared I am, just now, to love this?"
      I really liked how she ended with the question and how the poem was never in my opinion going in this direction.


-Sensory details that stood out to you as a reader.
         The sensory detail Anne Caston uses when describing the waitress at the diner kinda shows what kind of town she is in. By saying " a nice enough voice for a women who looks like hell has pitched its tent, a time or two in her face." In this particular sentence Anne Caston is saying that her voice was actually good considering she was a "rough" looking lady. 
In another situation Caston describes the atmosphere of the diner by saying " It's warm in here; comfortable and strange to sit, road-weary, raw, among the regulars who know each other's names, and hers and I am strangely comforted for having come." She uses the word warm for another meaning beside the temperature. She's really saying how friendly and welcoming every one is and how the atmosphere in the diner is very up bringing. She uses "road-weary" to tell the reader how tired she really is and raw as in she's tired of sitting. Where as in most cases writers who use "raw" mostly mean that something is bad or uncooked. She has many parts in her story that have a lot of sensory detail.


-Observations about the writer's style, with examples from the text 
        Anne Caston is a very descriptive writer who writes more about the surroundings then what is actually taking place.  She starts off not saying where she's going, but instead she talks about the place by saying " where sown seed won't take root among weeds and wild thorns, ground where a righteous man might be set upon by thieves. Another time she talks about her surroundings in a very descriptive way is when she is observing her surroundings in the diner. She says " everything [is] in order, wiped and gleaming; this chipped formica table top, white paper napkins wrapped around mismatched silverware, two brown cups, upside down, the handles point east......and Tabasco." She writes about the little things like they really matter and have a significant meaning but in reality they are just apart of the setting of the diner and don't really mean anything.

-A thoughtful personal response to the content of the piece 
      I think Anne Caston is a very strong reader who knows how to point out of the little things that people don't notice. Not only did she point out the little things she also was very descriptive about them and made them have a meaning even though there was nothing really about them significant. I also really liked the beginning when she was saying she was driving away, hard, from failure. It really touched me because I always used to do that when I was home. I would get upset about something and always just take off. Driving around can really help you focus on whats really wrong and how to solve it.

-Any questions the piece raised for you as a reader 
   What was Anne Caston real purpose for this poem. I think there was something that she has experienced that led her to write about this. I really wonder what that exactly is.

In Class Food Interview

In Class Interview

1.What has been the biggest difference in your choices for food here on campus?    

 -I cannot eat pasta foods, and bread because I have Gulten Intolerance, So I am more picky on what I eat. I had more options to eat at home because my mom would buy food that was Gulten Free. Here on campus it is hard for me to buy food for myself because I do not have alot of time.They do have Gulten Free Pizza at Seasons...but it's kind of a hassle because you have to call ahead and I dont typically choose what I want until I get there.

2. What is your favorite meal ?Why?Have you been able to have it here on Campus? 

 -Favorite Meal would have to be African food, but my friend is not here to make it. I really like African Food because it is very unique and has a very aquire taste that I find very delicious. I cannot wait to go back home so my I can go over to my friend and eat African Like food.

3. Is there any family tradition that stands out to you and your family?

-Very non tradition family but for my birthday I would always get cookie cake. The cookie cake was unique that my family would get me because it was a layer of cookie cake at the bottom and then the middle layer was nothing but icing! The top layer again was cookie cake. The Cookie Cake is one of the most important things, I look forward to every year.

Journal over Reading Farmer Jane Pages:13-20

-What quotes did you underline or highlight?

            1.The “ aha” moment for Nancy that would influence her goal to become a famer happened wile she was working at a farm that had adopted a CSA model” I highlighted this because of how she included “aha” in her sentence. I thought it added more personality to her sentence.

         2. “ She had read Helen and Scott Nearing’s The Good life and was intrigued by the path of homesteading, something she dabbled in while visiting the Nearing’s’ homestead in Main” I underlined this sentence because of the word “dabbled.” I oddly have never heard that word before and better yet never seen it in a sentence.

       3. “ How do you live in a world that’s hopeful, direct, and authentic given the fact that so many things seem so negative? How do you engage in he world in a way that makes sense? This is what started me in the direction of farming and food system change”  I highlighted this because it showed Nancy’s reasoning for the extensive drive she had for the food system to change.

-What did you find interesting about this woman's story?

             I found it very interesting that the ranch was called “ Pie Ranch” because when I first glanced over it I first thought it was going to have to do with pie. I like how she had a very descriptive story but I found it interesting that she added a lot of quotes throughout her paper. Even such as the word “aha” I think questioning that gave her the courage to find a change was very inspiring and I feel like her journey there taught her a lot about life.

-What kinds of writing techniques is Costa using? You could touch on style, organization, substance, or something else you notice in her work, using examples from the text.

            I found her style to be very descriptive. She starts off with using a sentence such as, “ The road, a piece of black licorice with the Pacific’s salty waves licking the shore, gets your mind drifting on the promise of warm fruit-filled pastries.” She compares the road as black licorice and talks about how the waves are licking the shore. The word licorice brings the reader back to the food idea and the word “licking” reminded be of licking a sucker. Another sentence that backs up her descriptive style is when she’s talking about the new cow on the farm… “ The farm’s newest family member, a personable and photogenic young jersey cow name Adelaide, will teach countless youth from the city that milk doesn’t originate at the supermarket, but from a warm-blooded lactating mammal that should be treated with love.” The writer made sure that the cow got some kind of credit and talking about how pretty she is and she shows through her descriptive writing that she really likes animals and they should be treated with respect. Lastly, “ were excited to steward this slice of pie and help foster a coastal corridor from San Francisco to Santa Cruz that provides organic sustainable food to the communities. And engage the youth in learning where the food comes from.” This sentence is also very detail orientated and adds to my reasoning on why I think she has a very descriptive/ wordy writing style.

-What was your personal response to this profile?

             I really liked this profile and how she was very descriptive on how the farm was and how the cow could be considered a loveable creature because most people over look them. Also I like how she wanted to make a change and get the youth involved by feeding them knowledge. I really enjoyed this piece about Pie Ranch and Nancy fulfilling her goals.

Journal #3 Betty Fussel Writing

 2-3 quotes

 “ The kitchen is the one place in which we’re all required to begin again, eaacch day, at ground zero-“

 “ To eat and be eaten is a consummation devoutly to be wished in a universe that is all mouth, “

 “ All foods, all mouths, are sacred to the force that created them, whatever sumptuary laws man invests to triumph over his enemies in the vain attempt to deny that all alike are food for the mouths of worms”

Sensory Detail:

     There was a lot of sensory detail in the reading of “ Breaking and Entering with a Wooden Spoon.” It started off in the beginning of the story with “ It’s the place where, if we but have eyes to see, we can see the miraculous in the ordinary-can see each day water turn into wine” This was definatly visual sensory detail and made you picture what really goes on in the kitchen and how beautiful cooking can be to people.  Betty Fussell also says “ After a day of violent vomiting, the hallucinations began at night.” He uses words like violent to describe vomit coming out and with the way he uses sensory detail makes the reader cringe.  One last quote that was very interesting to me was “ I began as a mouth, sucking mothers milk like gin and will likely end as a mouth , as my father did, sucking Jell-O and Kool Aid through a straw.” With this descriptive image you can really picture yourself in this situation.

 Observations about the writer’s style:

 The first observation I had when reading this was that the writer used a lot of imagery and strong diction choices.  When describing the idea that every morning you spend time in the kitchen he said “ Reborn after the death of sleep to feed the gut, brain, and soul by daily murder and redemption.” When using words such as death, sleep, gut, soul, murder and redemption you get the feeling of something dark and unknown, but basically Fussell used these word choices to stress the idea. Betty also used words that had a dark or emotional tone.  For example, “ without lines no life, without breakage no change, without being swallowed no swallowing.” Betty Fissel has a very strong writing style that stands out.

Personal response:

I personal really liked this reading because of the tone that was prevalent throughout and the strong diction choices that were used. The imagery throughout the section kept me entertained and helped me picture what was going on. Also I really liked the example she used at the end of the last paragraph that had to do with the sign that read: “ OCCUPIED BY A THROUGH PASSENGER.” Also the part that talks about what keeps the body going.  Lastly I really liked how she used Eve and God as examples of the mouth in the world.

Questions over passenger:

 I personally was really confused when they brought God and Eve into the picture at first and I had to read it a couple of times to actually understand what she was meaning.

Lindsay Frank Eng 150 Essay Response

1.Essays I chose to read:

      1. “Courage Comes With Practice” by Theresa MacPhail

                                          2.”Navigating Turbulent Waters” by Jimmy Liao

                                          3. “The Potential for a New Life” By Damali Ayo

2.Quotes from the text that were most interesting:

            “Courage Comes With Practice” had many quotes that stood out to me as a reader. The one that intrigued me the most was, “ I believe that embracing fear produces courage” This quote was the opening statement of the essay and it was a one-sentence paragraph. When MacPhail wrote this in his opening statement to his essay he clearly got his point across on what the essay would be about. Also later on in the essay, she started a paragraph off with “I became a natural worrier.” I thought that all the most important and interesting quotes in her essay tended to be the shortest sentences out of her whole essay. To sum up her essay, she made sure to include “Courage isn’t a natural attribute of human beings…and using courage is like developing a muscle.” This last quote made me think about how you really do have to work on your ability to withhold your courage. In order to be courageous you have to work on it.

            “Navigating Turbulent Waters” also had a lot of interesting quotes to me as a reader. He started off his essay by saying  “ I believe in using turbulence in my life. “ When I read this I automatically knew that he had experienced some obstacle in his life that he used as motivation. It was odd to me that he apparently “Learned this studying fish.” In reality, you would not think that you could learn so much from something so small.  Another quote that interested me was “ I find by letting go I can harness the complex currents of my life to propel me forward.”

            Lastly, the essay “ The Potential for a New Life” had a large impact on me and had one very strong quote that stood out to me. When she stated “I realized nothing is trash” it made me think about all the times that I have simply looked at something and said “gross.” I thought that that quote was very insightful and meaningful to the rest of the essay as well as life period.

3. Similarities and Differences

            All the essays are very similar that I chose to read because they all relate to making more of a situation. For example, in “ Courage Comes with Practice” Theresa used her brother and mom’s death as a way to encourage herself to live life to the fullest and even though your frightened of something you need to push through it and do it anyways. “ Navigating Turbulent Waters” is also very similar. He used the obstacles in his life to push forward. As for “ The potential for a New Life” Damali ayo one day just realized that nothing is trash and that everything should be appreciated. Even though there wasn’t a tragic event to her essay like the other two had, she experienced a situation with her adopted dog that made her wish that everything is recycled and not something to just be “ thrown away” when she passed.

4. My Favorite:

            My favorite essay was by far the “Courage Comes With Practice” by Theresa MacPhail. I enjoyed it a lot because of her writing style. When she was talking about how she felt about her mom and the rules she had because of her brother’s death, I started to feel like I was in her shoes. Also I liked her sense of rebellion and her energy towards doing things that increased her courageous personality. She was straight on when she said that you have to practice being courageous and when she compared developing courage to building muscle.

Obviously, if you do not do things that may frighten you, your courage will never get any bigger then what it already is.  Just like if you don’t work out your muscles will stay the same. Basically, the main reason I liked this essay, is because she embraced her brother and mom’s death as an inspiration to live life to the fullest.

5. Personal Response

            My personal response would have to involve the “Courage Comes with Practice” and “Navigating Turbulent Waters” because they both relate to what I have been through in a way. I have experienced many obstacles in life. One that stands out for me is when I tore my ACL. At first I was pretty depressed, but then I eventually used this as an obstacle to become even stronger and better. When I finally was able to play again, I was very timid to play to my potentially in fear something else would happen to me and I could not play soccer. Eventually I put my fear aside and over came it. Eventually I built up enough courage where I did not have to play scared. Basically, these two essays stood out to me the most because I could relate to them. 

"Nani" by Alberto Rios Response Blog continue...

Personal response
     I really liked the poem by Alberto Rios and I can really connect to the grandchild because I had a Grandmom that recently passed away and whenever I went to her house she always took the best care of me. Alberto Rios did a great job getting the emotional tone out and showing the feelings of the grandson being sad about his Grandmom passing away  the is loss of some of his cultural. The most meaningful quote out of the whole poem to me was "I wonder just how much of me will die with her"

-Any questions the piece raised for you as a reader
      I wonder what kind of experiences Alberto has gone through for him to write such a meaningful poem. Also I would like to know what kind of poem this is and what inspired him to write this. 

"Nani" by Alberto Rios Response Blog

1.     2-3 Quotes I highlighted from the Poem

“ All my words make her smile. Nani never serves herself, she only    watches me with her skin, her hair.”

 -I picked this quote because it signified how much she really cares for her grandson and how she puts him first. It’s second nature for her to love her grandson and this quote shows that.

“I wonder Just how much of me will die with her”

   -I chose this quote because it adds sympathy for the boy because one he’s sad about losing his Grandmom and second he doesn’t want to lose his culture or traditions because she’s gone. And he’s scared of losing it. I think this is the most important line of the poem.

“She asks me if I want more, I own no words to stop her. Even before I speak she serves”

   -This is the last stanza of the poem and it just clarifies the passion the Grandmom has for caring for her grandson and shows that the Grandmom is always looking out for what her grandson needs. 

SENSORY DETAIL:

    When I was reading “Nani” by Alberto Rios there was a lot of sensory detail throughout the poem that stood out and caused attention to what was actually going on in the story.  The line “ I watch the mama warming more tortillas for me. I watch her fingers in the flame for me” showed the dedication of the Grandmom and the feelings of fire. By using the word flame it gave me the feeling of fire and how hot it would be to touch. Rios used this word choice to add to the sensory detail of touch and sight. Even though he used these word choices for sensory detail it also shows the Grandmoms dedication to do anything for her son.  Another quote that stood out to me was “ Near her mouth, I see wrinkle speak of a man whose body serves the ants like she serves me.”  When you read the word wrinkle you think of her old age and how fragile she must be and when he uses the word “man” you picture a strong person who is powerful but in reality she’s an old lady who just has an overpowering desire and passion to be the best Grandmom she can be.  The last quote that stood out to me with sensory detail was “her insides speak through a hundred wrinkles how more than she can bear, steel around her shouting.” I have already stated how wrinkles show her old age and when Rios uses words such as steel you think of something strong. Also when you read the word “shouting” and “her insides speak” you picture someone struggling and wanting to get out. The sensory detail add so much to this poem because it allows me as a reader to picture the Grandmom and what she’s doing and how she’s feeling. 

Observations about the writers style:

Rios uses a lot of literary devices to strengthen the poem and to clarify the main idea. Rios starts off by using a strong diction choice. For example instead of saying soup he decided to use “sopa de arroz”. Also he uses personification when saying “ I see a wrinkle speak of a man whose body serves the ants like she serves me” The wrinkles are being personified to show her age and how willing she is to care for her grandson. Also there seems to be a lot of repetition throughout the poem. And all the most important words that were continuously used are all found in the last stanza. “ She asks me if I want more. I own no words to stop her. Even before I speak, she serves.”