Rhetorical Analysis

Rhetorical Analysis Handout

Fourth Genre: Exploration in Nonfiction

1) Editor's Description of the Essays

Fourth Genre is a literary journal published twice a year through Michigan State University Press. Their website states that they aim to “explore the boundaries of Contemporary Creative Nonfiction .” Their list of types of works accepted is extensive, from personal to critical essays as well as literary journalism. The editors also encourage such things as interviews and book reviews. The website mentions several styles that they accept, ending eventually by stating that they  “encourage submissions across the full spectrum of the genre”.

2) Characterization of the Journal's “Niche”

Fourth Genre, although they state that they accept a large variety of works, does seem to hint that they are looking for particular types of pieces, using the words “notable” and “innovative” more than once. I feel that they are looking for the “cutting edge” of nonfiction today, with subjects that are challenging, entertaining, or modern.  The audience, therefore, will probably be of modern taste. As far as purpose, they mention a desire to encourage “writer-to-reader” conversations in their works. So pieces that have a particular message in mind are probably best.

3) Description of the Sample Essays

The sample essays all showed a high level of technical precision and quality. Subject matter was typically dark, edgy, challenging, or sexual in some way. The style of writing was often narrative and/or expository, with an in-your-face style. One or two had a humorous tone but most were serious. Evidence of good CNF techniques like segmenting, inserted IMs or messages, use of italics, and  “punchy” tenses like first-person present-tense. All the pieces communicated atleast one “point,” directly or indirectly. Length tended to be 10-20 pages. 

Submission Information

General Submissions: Accepted August 15-November 30 only. Authors selected for publication paid with two (2) complimentary copies of the journal.

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION & SUBMISSION

·         Typed, double-spaced, on one of 8.5” x 11” paper

·         Include cover letter (one page limit): name, address, phone number, email address, title of piece, and approximate word count

·         8,000 word limit for general submissions; 6,000 word limit for Fourth Genre Michael Steinberg Essay Prize (longer submissions will not be read)

·         Do not send disks or electronic files

·         Multiple submissions not accepted from individual authors (non-contest submissions only)

·         Simultaneous submissions require immediate notification to Fourth Genre if accepted elsewhere

REPLIES

·         Replies processed via email: Submission replies – 16 weeks; Query replies – 3 weeks

·         All manuscripts will be recycled (keep a personal copy!)

IMAGES & DERIVATIVE MATERIALS

·         Electronic files accepted; all images must be minimum 300 dpi at planned publication size

·         It is the author/researcher’s obligation and responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright and/or other use restrictions prior to submitting materials to MSU Press for publication

·         Citations, permissions, and captions are required upon submission for all images, including those derived from the internet

·         MSU Press cannot publish such materials until clearance is obtained

SUBMISSION CONTACTS (Submissions are NOT accepted at MSU Press)

ESSAY SUBMISSIONS:

Laura Julier, Editor

235 Bessey Hall

Dept. of Writing, Rhetoric & American Cultures

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI  48824-1033

BOOK REVIEWERS:

Ned Stuckey-French, Book Review Editor

English Department

419 Williams Bldg.

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL  32306-1580

Nstuckey-french@fsu.edu 

GENERAL SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

Genre4@msu.edu or http://msupress.msu.edu/journals/fg 

Further Information

Notes on Publishing Agreement

In the publishing agreement the author signs that they agree:

•                     To grant exclusive rights including copyright to the Journal during the term of the copyright

•                     To credit the Journal whenever he/she uses it, which can only be for personal use or if he/she publishes it in a book or personal online collection

•                     To make changes to the piece as the Journal requires, and agree to changes that the Editors may make

•                     That the Journal has the right to publish to piece or sections of the piece in any form and to license reprints, adjustments, and/or translations to the piece or sections of the piece

•                     That this piece is actually original to the author

•                     That the Publisher and Journal may help with costs for subsidiary rights

Michael Steinberg Essay Prize

Fourth Genre will seek the best creative nonfiction essay/memoir for its sixth annual Fourth Genre Michael Steinberg Essay Prize. Authors of previously unpublished manuscripts are encouraged to enter. The winning author receives $1,000 and the winning entry will be published in an upcoming issue of Fourth Genre. Runner-up entry will be considered for publication. Submissions Guidelines: http://msupress.msu.edu/journals/fg/index.php?Page=prize

Write As Reader Section

Fourth Genre’s “WRITER AS READER” will feature essays that respond to creative and literary nonfiction, focusing primarily on a single work. Successful “WRITER AS READER” essays will be neither jargon-laced nor disinterested, but will find a home in the personal and will tell a story about the author’s relationship with one particular work of nonfiction. “WRITER AS READER” essays are invited as responses to: A personal essay or memoir, Literary journalism, Personal cultural criticism, Another work commonly classified with creative nonfiction. More information: http://msupress.msu.edu/journals/fg/index.php?Page=subguide

Example pieces:
About a Transvestite/Transgender   (and its not all about him feeling marginalized by the way)
http://msupress.msu.edu/journals/fg/pdf/9_FG_11-2_Peters_97-112.pdf

The only homey/nice toned one I read
http://msupress.msu.edu/journals/fg/pdf/12_FG_10-1_Ostarello_119-130.pdf

The Prison piece
http://msupress.msu.edu/journals/fg/pdf/6_FG_13-1_Langston_55-62.pdf

Read this one and you'll know what I mean about "dark-toned"
http://msupress.msu.edu/journals/fg/pdf/1_FG_9-2_Church_1-10.pdf

About Brazilian waxing
http://msupress.msu.edu/journals/fg/pdf/12_13.2Ferriss.pdf

About breasts and nursing
http://msupress.msu.edu/journals/fg/pdf/1_FG_9-1_Rogers_1-6.pdf

brainstorming for Craft Essay

Here is some of my  brainstorming for the Craft Essay. I still need to add specific examples and hit a couple other points.

I have gotten many opportunities to write a variety of things since I started college. At first, it was a lot of research papers, which was just about taking information, processing it, and putting it back out. More recently, however, I have been given the opportunity to write creatively, which I really appreciate. I've been able to write poetry, fiction stories, reflective essays, and creative nonfiction. I like many subjects, but as I expand I've found particular areas to appeal to me more than others. 

 

Creative Nonfiction was difficult for me. I found the drive to “have a point” very difficult to meet, especially when reflecting on personal experiences. Although life sometimes has a point, it's not usually obvious.

Still, I enjoyed talking about personal experiences. I have many stories, and appreciate the chance to write some of them down. It was harder than I thought, primarily because of the delicate process of choosing which details to include. In a private journal or discussion with a friend, every detail could be included. However, as this is literary, it requires the writer to be more precise. Details are tools to move the story forward, to communicate something deeper, to round out characters and ideas. There's a lot of precision and thought needed.

As I progress as a writer, and certainly when I move into works that I hope to publish, I will need to consider my audience carefully. For the purposes of this class, I considered my audience to be a collection of fellow students, of all different backrounds but of relatively similar age. I could assume that they would be interested in travel stories, not necessarily as a genre, but as coming from a classmate their age. I also could assume a relatively low level of knowledge about the cultures I have encountered, (not because of ignorance, but just because of age & life experience). Overall, I felt that most people will appreciate my writing if it is understandable, approachable, and interesting. So, during the course, I aimed to accomplish these things specifically.

The ethics of my own writing were tested as I wrote about my experiences in Mexico. Again, I kept finding it necessary to indulge in lengthy discussions of side-topics just to make sure my reader could understand the context of my point. I found it would be easier in some cases to bend the truth, or to just eliminate it, rather than pull it in.I felt it that, if my goal was to communicate my idea clearly with little distraction but still enjoyment from the interest of it, that some details were necessary to sacrifice.

I really tried to expand as a writer in this class. To me, it was the opportunity to write in a very new genre for me. The stories appealed to me, but I had never tried writing them before. One way that I stretched myself was in my writing process. I tried to use new methods for each piece, once I used “speed drafting” and another time I tried writing whatever came to mind. It was fun to try these things and see the different results.

blog 20 Revised Essay 3/4

Blending the Past and the Future

The modern developments in architecture that China is known for are not evident in the Hong Kong Museum of Art. It is a simple building of gray concrete, crowded in by the busy downtown district of Tsim Sha Tsui.  Despite this, the museum is well valued by Hong Kong’s citizens, for their past is tucked away in the quiet hallways.

On the first floor of the museum, historical artifacts are preserved. There are delicate bone combs and ornate hair pieces, carved from precious things like jade and ivory. Men and women hundreds of years ago wore these to display their wealth. Some battle regalia are also kept there, with antique swords and scabbards laid out beside. A security guard stands nearby, keeping the overly-curious from getting too close. High-tech sensors keep the items beneath the thick glass casing safe from peoples’ intrusive touch.

Visitors are also not allowed to take photographs, regardless of the flash. Perhaps the proctors are concerned about the images of the pieces being stolen. Or perhaps the rule comes from a sense of respect for this ancient world, so treasured by its people. These items aren’t simply paintings and sculptures, decorative bowls and tea sets. They are the history of the Chinese people, contained in physical form. Chinese value their history deeply. It is a measure of a man’s honor as well as intelligence to be able to discuss his history. If you don’t know your country’s past, how can you say you know your country today? How can you love your country if you do not know her?

            In the floors above, this treasured history is preserved through paintings. Laid out gently beneath thick glass, some sheets of parchment are several feet high and wide. The sound of the brush’s stroke fills the quiet gallery, delicate, yet forceful. Scrolls with ornate calligraphy fill other cases, some as much as 20 feet long. Calligraphy was, and still is, a prized skill in China. 

Through the images, glimmers of a simpler lifestyle show through. One can sense how the artist spent much time gazing at the world around him, desiring to transmit that beauty to permanence. Each exhibit includes a description of the artist. It is important to note his honorable background and training from a prestigious master, to add value to his work. A person does not exist independent of his own history, but is created, layer by layer, like a painting.

            On the top floor, the reminiscing ends abruptly with a collection of modern and contemporary art. This section is titled Hong Kong Art to distinguish from the Chinese historical and fine art. It is clear from the variety of expressions that today’s Hong Kong artists draw their inspiration from many places. Some pieces are simply colorful remakes of the pieces below while others reflect the European influences the island has felt in recent times.  Still others bring a unique approach that is more reflective of modern art as a genre. Although differences exist, there is something about the delicacy with which these pieces appear created which hints at the nationality of their artist.

            One piece in particular shows this contrast well. It is a colorful oil painting of a “junk,” a traditional type of boat used often on the harbor waters hundreds of years ago. The ship sails ahead of a block of horizontal bars, as if trying to keep ahead of time itself. Above, vertical bars press a ceiling down on the scene below. These bars imitate the advanced high rise buildings of today’s Hong Kong, which surround the museum itself. The colors throughout the painting are bright, textured, and flecked. The ship seems to move forward, yet is contained within the swirling designs. This reflects the culture of Hong Kong today, which is modernizing and changing, yet is restrained by the strong ties to its history.

The gift shop is filled with plenty of interesting things. Of course all of these items are very expensive, like the prices in the rest of Hong Kong. The nearby mega-malls sell only the most elite brands, costing in the hundreds and thousands of US dollars. Those who can afford to must show off their wealth by displaying it. In ancient days, golden hair combs and jewel-encrusted tea sets made clear who was of a higher class. Today, fine clothing and sophisticated cars are used for this purpose.

The entire western front of the museum faces the harbor through a glass window.  The wide waterway runs directly through the urban region of Hong Kong and has enabled easy access throughout its history. Thus, the city developed into a powerful trade center in the eastern hemisphere. Outside the museum, boats designed like traditional “junks” carry tourists to and fro. Across the water, epic buildings line the banks on ground reclaimed from the waters. They feature cutting edge architecture. Each dazzles in urban beauty, displaying the wealth and high class of the people of Hong Kong.

One the museum’s side, the Avenue of Stars skirts the waterway. Based on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the promenade honors celebrities who have gone forward to make the Chinese people proud and honored among the rest of the world. Their names are carved into concrete blocks of the walkway with their handprints pressed in gently beside as if to say “this is my home, China.” Some names are unrecognizable to the younger generation of Hong Kong; others are very familiar, especially to tourists, such as Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee.

On Saturday nights the museum itself becomes a piece of art from the outside. A light show decorates the entire harbor, each of the buildings on the opposite shore coordinating its patterns with flashes in time to music. The museum responds to its sisters across the water by projecting colors along its own flank and even into the night sky. The people rejoice in the beauty, their hearts filling the harbor itself.  The show goes on and on, delighting its viewers while they gaze around this famous location, trying to remember that this same place saw battles and bloodshed and famous dignitaries sail in on colored ships. It is a place filled with contrasts, striving to portray the values of the society that Hong Kong was built on, as well as the society it is becoming today. The museum holds this balance with a sense of delicacy, gently blending the past and future as they blend in the world outside her.

blog 19

It’s kind of unfortunate, but my style seems a little self-absorbed. I really enjoyed writing about personal experiences and things that I knew well, but when I had to describe something with less personal connection to myself (such as the Hong Kong museum of art in my 4^th essay) I grew disinterested.

I enjoy descriptive writing. I have a passion for clear communication and making sure I’m understood. Unfortunately this does not usually happen in a manner that is concise. That’s something I need to work on.

My favorite subject materials, as I said earlier, are personal experiences. I especially enjoy explaining something that the audience has little experience with. This way I have control, just in how I phrase something, over what they’re going to think of it. (Well, a little control anyways)

My work is unique because I have a pretty different background and set of experiences than most people. I can bring these things into my writing. Another thing that hopefully makes my writing unique is that I  try to approach things from a balanced perspective, weighing all the options and possible scenarios, while delaying to the last possible moment a decisive statement.

I don’t think I’m good at analyzing. I shudder at any assignment with the words “rhetorical” or “analysis”. Perhaps I’m simple minded; I like to take things how they are, not how they might be. Describing is saying what’s already there, not trying to make an inference based on it. Maybe this goes back to my tendency to avoid making a decisive statement.

The publication venue that would be ideal for me is something that is going for unique subject material, as opposed to unique presentation. I’m not into modern or political subjects (has anyone else noticed that the only thing considered “daring” or “cutting edge” nowadays has to include sex?) Perhaps a journal that does travel pieces.

blog 18 - revised "I" essay 1

The summer of 2007 was like most other summers, I assume. People worked hard, went to the beach, and made new friends. I wouldn’t know though, because I was living in another world. The mountain town of Tlaxiaco[1] in Oaxaca[2], Mexico had been my home for the last seven months while I studied at a bible school. Having decided to stay on with the ministry, I was required to complete a four month internship living with a host family. I needed to master the language before my apprenticeship began in September. During the school year, I hadn’t had much time for regular language study. Thus, as of April when I began my internship, I only spoke Spanish well enough to have simple conversations.

Email Update Oaxaca              

Sunday, March 4, 2007 3:51 PM

As far as my host family goes, it’s settled that I'm staying with my friend Cesia[3]. She's 20,  and is my best Mexican friend here. We always have a ton of fun together (we get a bit crazy). Her dad is a pastor of a small church down the road from us. I spent the night there on Friday. I really can't wait to till I live there. So encouraging. I know I'm going to learn a ton of Spanish & culture. I learned just in that night how to cook a bunch of stuff, and a lot of Spanish & cultural stuff. They've been living in Tlaxiaco for a while, so they are more set in the 'town' culture than the 'village' culture, which is fine. It’s good because I feel really comfortable speaking Spanish with them.

I was instructed by my supervisor to develop a plan for myself that involved the LAMP method. Language Acquisition Made Practical focuses on learning language through social situations. I was supposed to make 20-30 contacts with whom I would visit each day and recite a memorized monologue to. A natural introvert, this idea terrified me. I had only survived the last seven months by cowering behind my friends. Although I spent several hours a week surrounded by Spanish conversation, I was convinced of my inability, and thus stayed silent.

Cesia became my friend because I didn’t need to talk with her. We got along very well with our similar youthful spirits. We would watch movies and play games. We would run and laugh and joke. But we would never talk.

I moved in the first week of April. Cesia and I cleared some things away, swept down the dirt floors, and somehow fit my borrowed cot along the wall opposite her bed. Separated by a curtain was the other part of the room, which housed her younger brother. The house was structured like a log cabin, with no insulation to keep the night cold from coming through the cracks.

For the first month or so, much of my time in Cesia's home was spent cooking and cleaning. I had to find a good balance of helping out enough so that, culturally, I would not be seen as a freeloader. I was a little nervous about this arrangement, since I knew I was responsible for learning Spanish. I wanted to implement a routine of language study for myself, but didn't really know how to do that. No classes were offered for me, and I knew that if I didn't want to use the LAMP method I should find a suitable alternative for myself.

“Tienes que aprender, Alisia[4]”[5] Cesia's mom exhorted me. She demonstrated how to flip a tortilla correctly.

“Um, sí,” I responded while rubbing the smoke from my eyes.

She continued, “Because if not, you'll never know how to cook! And what will you do when you go to other countries where there aren't microwaves like in your country?”

I smiled a little. This Spanish phrase was embedded in my memory long before I learned what it meant. Cesia's mom said it to me constantly, with the exact same emphasis each time. She was convinced it was her sovereign duty to prepare me to be a housewife one day. It was her who taught me to cook, embroider, and crochet.

“Asi?” I tried to flip another tortilla on the hot komal[6]. Cesia rescued the ruined lump of dough.

“Asi,” she turned one over easily.

  Soon, I found it necessary to step outside again to catch my breath from the smoke. I rubbed my arms then stared in shock as my singed arm hairs brushed away.

Re: Hello

Saturday, May 5, 2007 11:32 AM

Yesterday I was in [Cesia’s] house a lot. I've been helping out, they work a lot. It’s been hard keeping my priorities straight. Spanish study? Relationships in town? Relationships & work in the house? God time? For at least this month I'm going to help out around Cesia's house & focus on God more than other stuff. Being at home gets me as much or more Spanish as being in town.

As I gained confidence with my role in Cesia's house, I gradually transitioned to a schedule that would allow me a greater variety of Spanish conversation. Each day after the morning chores, I walked a mile through the corn fields to the highway. From there I’d catch a 40 cent taxi ride into the center of town, where I would spend four to six hours a day.

Tlaxiaco is a beautiful place. The smell of street food fills the air: fried bananas, cinnamon tea, fresh fruit, and homemade cheese. Vendors line the streets. American cities look gray in comparison; Mexico is decorated, unabashedly, in rich colors: the buildings, clothing, plastic chairs, and even the tarps strung over the stands to provide shade. The tiny alleys are laid out in a nonsensical maze; I spent much of my first several visits quite lost in them.

Nevertheless, I started to meet new people. I did this more out of fear of my supervisor than anything else. Thankfully it was easy to make friends in a town with only a handful of Americans. We were an anomaly, heartily welcomed.

Que ta? (What’s up?)

Monday, June 11, 2007 12:13 PM

I need you to come back so I can show off my Spanish. (just kidding) But God has been really good in blessing me in that. The main thing that changed is more my confidence level with talking. I’m learning a ton. I’ve been reading my Bible out loud in Spanish every day. Plus the songs at Cesia’s church are getting into my head. I know a bunch of them now. I want to learn so I can talk to people. I love them.

Sandra was one of the first people I began spending time with. She ran a Pasteleria[7] with her husband near the town square. Coming from a well-known and wealthy family in Tlaxiaco, their store had many regular customers. These people often liked to talk with me to find out who I was and why I lived there. Sandra was patient with my lack of Spanish and comfortable with “companionable silence.”  

I was looking for breakfast one morning when I met Eustolia[8], a local vendor. Her stand had all the breakfast staples: quesadillas, taquitos, and empanadas. Eustolia took my Spanish stumblings in stride, although I have to admit that a lot of our conversations were strained. Often, I would just sit and listen to her talk to other customers or friends who passed by. I think she appreciated the attention I attracted, although she never really understood why I had so much free time for visiting.

About halfway through the summer I gave up on the idea of establishing a routine for studying Spanish. I did have a few Spanish textbooks available to me, but I couldn't figure out what “level” I was at or where to begin. I did visit my friends regularly, and read aloud in Spanish every day, but my schedule had frequent interruptions. For example, when Cesia and I needed to wash clothes it was an all day event of washing, rinsing, and wringing each piece out by hand.

Graciela[9] was a girl my age I had met back in Spring. She offered to help teach me Spanish if I taught her English. To be honest, however, we didn’t spend much of our time together studying.

“Do you want to come with me to a party on Saturday?” She asked eagerly.

“Una fiesta?” I was confused, whose party was I invited to? I didn't know many people.

Graciela explained that it was the birthday party of some friend, but I didn't really understand who she meant. She seemed excited to bring me, even though I had never met this person.

“Ok. Esta bien.”

Over the summer I was invited to many events like this. There was always tons of food, loud music, and drunken old men. I never knew anyone other than the friend who brought me.  Eventually I realized that having a gringa[10] at your party somehow added status to it, regardless of how loosely related that gringa was.

Over time, I met all of Graciela's family members and even went to school with her once. Unfortunately, I lost contact with her after the summer. It took awhile to discover that she’d followed the cultural trend of getting pregnant at a young age. With virtually no future prospects (a situation that most Oaxacan youth face) she had agreed to move in with her boyfriend’s family to cook and clean for them in exchange for a place to live and raise her daughter.

Re: How are you?

Wednesday, July 11, 2007 2:06 PM

There are rumors flying around the [ministry] base now about my Spanish. I’m not trying to show off, but I want to praise God for it, because He has given me grace. Somewhere in the last 4 months I went from silent to easily conversational, and I’m really blessed in my accent. I can hear the subjunctive tenses now, and I'm using them too. The problems only appear when talking about something really serious, important, or confusing. Then I can’t keep up. But most of anything else I can handle now.

I never planned what to talk about with my friends. Talking was a byproduct of our friendship. It was rare that I used a dictionary to look up a word. The mesa was what  I ate at. The escoba was what I swept with. The jabón was what I washed dishes with. If I didn’t know how to say something, I simply talked around it. I wanted to communicate, not be correct.

Communication is something much deeper than language. It is meaning transferred from one person to another. When I focused on relationships, my language ability became a secondary concern. As long as my message was understood, I felt content with the communication. Of course, there were many times when I did not get my exact meaning across. The frustration of this drove me to listen harder, to study harder, and to speak more clearly.

Towards the end of the summer I was talking to a certain vendor that I and my American friends frequented often. I was explaining how I had worked on language all summer, but felt like I had so much more to learn.

“De veras?”[11] He looked surprised.

“Yeah,” I explained in Spanish, “I mean, my accent needs so much work, and there are so many words I don't know.”

“No, you don't realize. You speak so naturally, I would never know you're American. Talking with you, it's like talking with my daughter.”

            My eyes widened in surprise at this compliment. When had my accent gotten better? I couldn't name a particular day when I woke up and started speaking better. Around the same time, Sandra pointed out how much more we could talk about now that I spoke Spanish. Hadn't we been talking all along? At some point, without my notice, our conversations had gotten easier. I remembered that I used to go to bed with a headache from listening so intently all day, but that had stopped. I don't know how, but something had changed. There was substantial and measurable progress, when I never noticed and never planned for it.

Spanish Report—Week of June 2^nd to 10^th

Monday, June 11, 2007 11:42 AM

So I’ve actually been just using my own system. I only made a couple contacts, but I think that’s working better for me. I’m more relational anyways; I’d rather have a couple close friends than lots of acquaintances. But don’t worry; I’m speaking with Mexicans all day, every day. I spent several hours this week in town, and an hour or so every afternoon doing sit-down study. I’m learning a lot of words and grammar through context, I can’t even think of what they all mean in English. Not sure if this is what you wanted, but whatever I’m doing is working, so I’m gonna stick with it.

---

[1]    Tlaxiaco “Tla - hee - ah - co”

[2]    Oaxaca “Wa - ha - ka”

[3]    Cesia “Seh – see- uh”

[4]    Alisia “uh – lee – see – uh”

[5] You have to learn, Alisia

[6] clay griddle

[7] cake shop

[8] Eustolia “Eh - uu - stole - ee - uh”

[9]    Graciela “Gra - see -ella”

[10] White person

[11] Really?

blog 17 - Second Eye Essay draft

The Hong Kong Museum of Art holds many beautiful pieces. Although it is not as large as some famous museums around the world, boasting only four floors of modest sized galleries, it is the most improtant museum in Hong Kong and located along the Victoria Harbor, a famous downtown location. Historical artifacts are kept on the first floor. There are delicate bone combs and ornate hair pieces which were worn by both men and women hundreds of years ago to display their wealth. These items are carved from precious sources like Jade and ivory. Some battle regalia are also preserved there; models from different eras show mild improvement in protection.

Photography is not allowed in the museum, perhaps because the flash will damage the items. Or perhaps this rule comes from a sense of respect for this ancient world, so treasured by its people. History is important; Chinese must know it well. It is a measure of a man’s honor as well as intelligence to be able to discuss his history. If you don’t know the past, how can you say you know your country today? Without an understanding of your country how can you say you love it?

            In the floors above, the ancient world of China is preserved in paintings. The strokes of the quill are delicate, yet forceful. The swish brush along parchment fills the quiet gallery. Large canvases show glimmers of a simpler lifestyle, recalling the days when families depended on their rice fields for provision. Other pieces are ornate scrolls, as long as 20 feet, decorated with ornate calligraphy. Calligraphy is a prized skill in China.  

One can sense the time the artist spent gazing at the world around him, desiring to transmit that to permanence. The pictures never reflect our world directly, but show another, hidden side to nature. Each exhibit includes a description of the artist. It is important to note his honorable background and training from a prestigious master, to add value to his work. A person does not exist independent of his own history, but is created, layer by layer, like a painting.

            There is a section of modern art on the second floor. It includes representations from a recently famous Chinese artist who paints walls to create 3 dimensional scenes. The scenes are of urban street life in Hong Kong as it may have appeared in the 70s and 80s. The stores and houses are fit tightly together; Hong Kong is a small, dense place. A small storefront is depicted, a red iron table painted in front does not fit inside the tiny space, and is instead set out on the sidewalk for customers. Below, in the real streets, things are not as rustic. Hong Kong’s streets today are shiny, polished, organized. They are always full, packed with its 7 million inhabitants, rushing from work to school  and to work again. They are proud to call Hong Kong their home and distinguish themselves from the “mainlanders” of China. These are considered dirty and unclassed.

The gift shop is filled with plenty of interesting things. Of course everything is very expensive, as in the rest of Hong Kong. The prices in the megamalls run in the hundreds and thousands of US dollars. The business people and other professionals must show off their wealth by displaying it. They should dress their families well and drive classy cars. The gift shop, however, is geared toward foreigners with stylized copies of the paintings and curious oddities that would not appeal to most locals. Some items could be bought at a street market for much less money, but the average tourist might not know that.

There are four floors in the museum to which shiny escalators run. Escalators run through most of Hong Kong, even in some of the streets.  Hong Kong island and its associated peninsulas are mountainous. Although it is one of the most populated cities in the world, about 70 percent of its total landmass is considered undeveloped parkland.

The entire southern face of the museum faces the Victoria harbor. The wide waterway runs directly through the urban region of Hong Kong and enabled easy access for shipping throughout history. Thus, it developed into a powerful trade center in the eastern hemisphere.

Through the window, boats designed like traditional “junks” carry tourists to and fro. Across the water epic buildings line the banks on ground reclaimed from the waters. They feature cutting edge architecture. Each dazzles in urban beauty, displaying the wealth and high class of the people of Hong Kong.

Just outside the museum the Avenue of Stars lines the waterway. Based on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the promenade honors celebrities who have gone forward to make the Chinese people proud and honored among the rest of the world. Their names are carved into concrete blocks of the walkway with their handprints pressed gently beside as if to say “this is my home, China.” Some of the names are unrecogniza ble to the younger generation in Hong Kong. Others are very familiar, especially to tourists, such as Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee.

On Saturday nights the museum itself becomes a piece of art from the outside. A light show decorates the entire harbor, each of the buildings on the northern shore coordinating its patterns with flashes in time to music. The museum responds to its sisters across the water by projecting colors along its own flank and even into the night sky. The harbor is full of the hearts of its people. They rejoice in the beauty, pointing out the lights in the sky, as if wishing for a star to come down. The show goes on and on, delighting its viewers while they gaze around this famous location, trying to remember that this same place saw battles and bloodshed, this place saw famous dignitaries sail in on colored ships. This place became one of the most important ports in the eastern hemisphere.

blog 13 - brainstorming for Essay 4

The Eye essays have been harder for me that the I essays. I enjoy talking about my experiences, but crafting a point from them is not always easy.
I either wanted to write more about my experiences in Mexico or from my trip to Hong Kong this summer. Since essay 3 did not go very well (I diverged into all kinds of details & had trouble sticking to the point) I tried again to think of the point first, then later decide the story to tell the point through. I wondered how I could describe the culture of Hong Kong, and somehow came up with the idea of describing the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
I did a brainstorming session and wrote very quickly everything that came to mind. The result was  alot of details that could say things about Hong Kong's past and present culture, all mixed together. I ended up describing the Victoria harbor as well (where the museum is, a famous & important part of HK). So the essay will be roughly split into those two things. I've struggled a little in how to organize the essay from my brainstorming notes; a lot of details overlap but don't necessarily progress in a linear fashion. because of this it's taking me a little longer to revise this draft. However, I'm much happier with it than with Essay 3 and I feel like I'm getting the idea of the Eye essays. My only concern is that I may be describing the museum in a way that is broad (hitting many things) instead of deep (looking closely at a handful of things). I don't know if this is a problem. I'm not sure how deep I can go based on my memory of a 1 day trip there. but we'll see how it turns out.