Reader Response #2

I was truthfully wandering if I was going to read anything that I would enjoy. Finally in the third week it comes in a comic strip. It really is almost ironic to find such strong ideas. The beginning of the story gasps my mind right away. Death is always interesting even though sad. The plot and thought thicken as the author talks, bluntly, about her fathers character. A homosexual who killed himself rather than take judgement from the small, tight knit town he lived in. To attempt to explain the reason he refused to leave, rather than stay and die, was based around the geography. Even then the ability to leave, truly, was never affected. The author then begins to show the reader the talent the house held under it's roof. Her parents never supporting her ideas, but merely revising and fixing, rather than simply teaching her and sitting with her. I begin to realize, the author, shows herself being alone a lot. Having to make her own meals and taking care of herself with out help. In fact the entire family seclude themselves individually only to meet during meal times. My favorite line is the vary last I read."And in this isolation, our creativity took on an aspect of compulsion." I find this line fascinating. Telling the reader that no longer do they even decide to be together, but rather it is now a habit. Something that is just what happens. It really is sad to be driven to isolation to full fill a persons' drive to improve, or do what they love. I say the way I do because in isolation how much can they really be enjoying themselves day after day. I really enjoy thinking about all of this and writing what I think about it. I just hope someone chooses to argue their point.

In class prompt #1

      I myself am not necessarily afraid of writing or reading. Instead I find it much harder to allow others to see the writings I have made. I always find myself writing then throwing away pieces of work simply because they don't seem good enough. I try to have confidence in myself, but some days it is harder than what I feel it should be. I let only my close friends read the things I write making it hard for me to find true criticism other than my own. Only a few teachers have ever seen my true writing, where I allow myself to try new things or ideas. Instead most receive, in my standards, below average work that lacks interest or significance. This may be due to my high standards I personally set and my low standards for another persons' work. I like to use a lot of describe details when I become comfortable, but I feel when I do I forget about organization or that I am adding to much detail and that the relevance of the subject i am writing becomes useless. I wish to write so that people feel when they read it, but I also want to improve my ability to move people in a more professional way. I do not need to be able to start key ideas for a revolution, but merely be proud of my work when I am finished. I feel that the anxiety that overwhelms a person as they are writing, much like a 20 ton rock hovering overhead, add stress to a writer making them crack and make errors.

Reader Response #1

Nemat's Reading reminded me, through out the reading, of the beginning of the movie Matilda. She is obsessed with reading, enjoying every word of it, to the point of making it a priority. Selling her things, such as her blue pencil box and smelly eraser, and living without, as an example her milk, all in order to expand her understanding of books. She even states reading has helped relationship with her mother. "A couple times every night, my mother opened the door of my bedroom to see what I was doing and smiled when she found me reading. In a way, books had saved us both." Using it to escape becoming entranced in the book reading it over even a second time. I myself have a greatly different view of love for books, though I enjoy reading as well, I do not have a passion such as hers.

I read a considerable amount less then Nemat does. Usually one book a year, if that, and one time for about a decade. I remember the story plot for the most part, if I enjoy the reading, making it impossible for me to reread the book until I have completely forgotten every detail the book holds. Never could I repeat as Nemat does so often in her free time. I have to say I am truthfully astonished by her compassion for books and novels. One book a week seems to much for me, a college student, to read at a continuous pattern. Though I am not currently reading a novel, this writing has inspired me to start reading a book that i have not touched for many years.