Surviving through the Arts - Part 1/2

In the book, Arenas says, “I write and I survive.” I think many of us can agree in that writing is a form of release from all of which we tend to bottle up at times. At times we want to say certain things, but know that if we did, we would have negative consequences. So, writing becomes a “way out.” In another class I am taking, Writing as Social Action,” a student said, “I know how to write without cursing. I do it all the time in e-mails I never send.”

From the notes I took, I perceived that to Arenas, writing is more than a “way out,” it is a form of survivorship. If the author was forbidden to write, I think he would enter the arsenic hour (as Matthew Stevenson refers to in the “Letters of Transit”) in which all of his intrinsic elements will unite and he will explode into death! 

A sudden twist came about when Arenas compares the communist and capitalist systems. He states that there is not much of a difference with regards to the treatment he received. The only difference is that the communist system expects to be applauded; however, the capitalist system allows people to scream.

“And I came here to scream.” ~ Arenas

There are many interpretations of “scream,” as Arenas uses it. One of them being a deeper level of writing. Hard core writing. Something he might not have been able to do in Cuba because of the left wing publishers.  

On a side note, I actually liked how the class was designed this past week. Specifically, I found it interesting how the professor read a few pages to the class. It reminded me of the years I really "learned;" my High School years. I think it is more effective when students compose their own notes, as oppose to having professors create powerpoint presentations providing students with all of the notes needed for exams. (Professors, please do not stop creating these poerpoints though! As a student, I must say it is great exam preparation.) When I analyze it from a different angle of vision, pedagogically and psychologically, I think the brain goes through a deeper process where it engages in the task.

In short . . .

1. Professor reads

2. Student has to quickly jot down key notes

3. Student has to actively sound and spell the words in the brain while writing it on paper.

4. To do so effectively, the student has to quickly summarize the important points in a few      words to avoid missing out on other key points. 

5. Afterwards, student has to elaborate on the key points.

(the learning process)

These tasks requires students to be actively engaged and analytically involved in the subject.

When notes are provided by professors, to pass the exam, all the student must do is read and memorize the notes. If these two steps fail, then the student attempts to understand the concepts of the notes provided.

The Art in Reading

Someone I knew had collections of comic books and to my surprise, they were quite expensive. I remember how he used to tell me about is negotiations with the comic book seller. Of course, I thought this person was wasting his time reading these books full of pictures and few words, because words are what really matters. 

Or not?

First time I was exposed to a comic book was this past week in the “Special Topics in Composition” class. When the professor introduced the assigned reading, I was confused. An assignment on a comic book in my final college semester was not was not what I was expecting. Just when I felt I had learned and applied a good amount of knowledge and material to obtain my Bachelor’s degree, I now had to get out of my comfort zone of knowledge and explore a new genre in “writing.”

“But where is the writing and what is there to read?” I asked.

After reading “The Vocabulary of Comics,” by Scott McCloud and meeting with my classmates this past week, I realized that printed text is not the only mediums of reading and communication. In fact, I learned that viewing and interpreting images is a sharp analytical skill. I think that this skill is more difficult to apply in the image form of language than in written texts. Written texts provide the reader with more details and information than an image. An image is open to a higher range of interpretation.

In the reading, McCloud uses literary elements to write this chapter (Chapter 2). The image he uses expresses the art of composition, but also creates a story. In class, we discussed how McCloud used mimesis. This was prevalent in the first couple of pages, as the author presents multiple views and interpretations of one item. At first, I questioned why the author was repeating the same point so many times; but then I realized that McCloud was offering different interpretations of one thing, all which were reality, but also proven wrong.

Another interesting aspect found in the art of writing discussed in class is “photographic essays.” This form of reading interpretation is used to tell a story. Photographic essays can also be used to evoke a series of emotions. So, my next goal is to read at least one complete comic book of my liking or one that I find appealing.

Intrinsic Emotions

 

             In the letter “Scenes from a Fatherhood,” Stevenson’s descriptive word choices depict a deep and explosive intrinsic feeling that perfectly translates onto his writing. The first element he used described “the arsenic hour,” which was his evenings at home with the kids.  I found myself searching the meaning of some unfamiliar words. I found that the terms used in his description of his daily living with his children are words relating to chemistry. "I haul garbage, empty bottles, and cases of wine, but skirt diapers, as if they were filled with plutonium." The chemical terminology he uses escalated in chemical elements. For instance, arsenic = atomic number 33, plutonium = atomic number 95. This can be seen metaphorically as his feelings escalate while he continues his letter.  

The logical connection the author used by introducing scientific concepts to convey his message provides a sense of truth supported by facts. As an active reader dissecting the author’s work, I analyzed the word choices and how they intertwine with the message. As a writer, I can see how having knowledge in other subject areas other than English/Literature can enhance a piece of work and can deepen a message.  

             I often find myself incorporating what I have studied in psychology with English. Stevenson’s knowledge of various concepts, like scientific elements including their atomic number, can target different audiences.  I liked the author’s use of foreign words. I usually do not like it when authors incorporate other words into their writing, but I enjoyed it this time. Maybe I enjoyed it because the words were in an unfamiliar language; thus, I was exposed to new words.

·      Loco parentis – Latin for “in the place of parents.”

·     Suisse Romande - "Romance Switzerland" is a local name for the French-speaking districts of western Switzerland.

Furthermore, given how Stevenson children have been raised in Switzerland, he expressed how he would not like his children to miss having an "American childhood." Coincidentally, yesterday evening I watched a historical documentary of Cuba for about one hour. I was shocked at most of what I saw, but was even more thankful to have been raised in the U.S. I did realize that last night was probably the longest I have ever been exposed to my native history other than what people say about Cuba. More so, I realized I exiled myself from my "right" of learning about Cuba.


Maybe in the future I can visit key places in Cuba, like Varadero, as Stevenson would like his children to visit key places in America. This way I can be sure not to miss out on a Cuban adulthood.

 

Desperately Seeking

I think almost everyone I know wishes to return to their native roots. They say, “Noo, cuando Fidel caiga, entonces Cuba volveria hacer lo que era antes.” If you are the exception, then you are seen as what they call “vende patria.”

A high percentage of Cuban immigrants come to Hialeah and feel “right at home.” Like, when Firmat arrived at FIU and heard the WBQA FM radio playing Spanglish music (some American and some Latin), he felt right at home. I will have to go against the grain with “feeling right at home” given that I came from Cuba when I was three years old; although recalling the video I posted on my first blog post series of Exile and Generation X “Roller-coaster Through Intellectualism,” I should have grown experiencing the Cuban culture in Hialeah. 

 I love Salsa dancing and I like the Spanish language, which is one of the four love languages; but other than these two reasons, I cannot wait to exile myself from Hialeah. Firmat feels “right at home” when he can experience his Latin culture. I feel disgusted when I walk into a place and there is a group of Cuban people, speaking vulgar and loud, depicting a negative representation of Cuba; which is almost every place I have visited in Hialeah. I have wanted to leave the state of Florida for many years now; however, recently I have realized that leaving Florida because of my negative experiences in Hialeah would be ignorant. Maybe I can be an “immigrant” to another city in Florida, they must have salsa dancing though! “My patria (Hialeah) can no longer be my país (Cuba).

People who have been involuntarily banished from their native roots may not comprehend the thoughts I am expressing in this blog. After reading Firmat’s essay about “Transcending Exile,” I can now understand that I think of myself as an immigrant.

My longing of an exile is not the detachment of Cuba, my country, but of Hialeah (also known as Havana, USA).

“Unlike the immigrant, the exile is not willing to acknowledge any distance or discontinuity between his patria or his país.” ~ Firmat Perez.

Maybe, leaving the city I have lived in for 22 years might actually make me feel more Latina and connected to my native roots.

If I move to a state like Massachusetts where Hispanicsmake-up 9.9% of the population, I would probably see and feel the difference between the abundance of Americans and myself. The obvious difference in accents would remind me that I am from a city full of Hispanic people. I would constantly be reminded that I am Latina and I would love that! Referencing Firmat’s thought on immigrant literature being prospective and exile being retrospective. As an immigrant, my focus is in desperately seeking my near future and not so much on what I left behind.