This past week, Ohio University hosted it's Spring Literary Festival. The festival brought in many writers including Bryan Doyle, Dorothy Allison, Marie Howe, Charles Johnson and Robert Pinsky. This festival is awesome because it gives students, and facility, to see and hear from "real life" writers. In class, we have read works from both Bryan Doyle and Dorothy Allison. Getting to hear from these people live presents the opportunity to put a voice to the words we are reading in class. It really makes the literature come to life and gives it more meaning.
I am really excited I got to sit in to hear from Marie Howe, an incredible poet. As she spoke, she read several poems from other poets and discussed how their writing techniques are effective. She challenged everyone there to try to incorporate some of these techniques into their own writing. One thing that I particularly liked was using a double negative to create a positive. In the poem "Archaic Torson of Apollo" by Rainer Maria Rilke, Rilke writes, "For here there is no place that does not see you." Howe said that by saying there is no place that does not see you is more effective than saying everywhere you are seen. That really stuck out to me and I am going to try to incorporate that into my writing.
I think the literary festival is a great thing here at OU. I am thankful I was able to attend and will try to go back again next year. It was an awesome event.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Thursday, March 12, 2015
One Job, Two Views
For this week's reading, we read, "Glen Stribling, Service Station Owner" and "Dave Stribling, his son and partner," from Studs Terkel's, Working. Both of these men work in the service station that Glen owns. However, these two men both offer very different views on what it is like working there.
We first read about Glen Stribling, the owner of the service station. Glen seems to love his work. He says, "My average weeks usually run to eighty, ninety hours...Oh, I love it. There's never a day long enough" (545). Readers can see that he is doing something he really loves and enjoys doing. Also, because of his age and experience, people often request service from him. He says, "The fact that I got gray hair, that helps in business...They always want to talk to Glen. They respect me and what I tell them" (547). He seems to have a lot of pride about people always wanting service from him.
On the other hand, we read about Glen's son, Dave. Dave seems so enjoy his job, but it is certainly not his passion, as it may be Glen's. At the very end, readers find out Dave's true passion is music. He says, "I like to play music now but I don't have the time...I like to play but you can't do both. This is my living. You have to look at it that way" (551). He makes it seem as if he could make a living off of playing music he would be doing that, but he can't so he doesn't. Readers can also see that Dave thinks his father is a bit too traditional. He says, "You can buy equipment, it might cost a lot more money but it'll do the job faster and easier. He'll go grab hand tools, that you gotta use your own muscle" (549). I personally agree with Dave, if there are tools that can make jobs easier, you might as well utilize them.
Both men seem respectable and seem to have good work ethics. Neither one seems to despise their work. But readers can definitely see that Glen has a lot more passion for his work than his son, Dave. Something to think about... Does Glen have so much more passion because he is the owner of the service station? Since he invested so much of his own time and money into the station, he may have much more pride than Dave.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Is The Glamorous World All It's Cracked Up To Be?
Entertainment is such a big part of everyday life. It is everywhere, it's unescapable. To the average person, being in the entertainment business seems like such a glamorous job. All of the press, getting to wear all designer everything, going to events, and having all the attention on you. However, is the entertainment business everything it is cracked up to be? Through "How Does Stephen Colbert Work?" a podcast from slate.com, "Jill Torrance," "Rip Torn," and "Hots Michaels" from Studs Terkel's Working, we are given an inside to what it is like being in the entertainment business.
Personally, I think being in the entertainment business is subject and personal to each individual. Jill Torrance is a model. She grew up in a small town and her original plan was not to be a model. She had planned to go to college but had only saved three hundred dollars. So when the opportunity arose, she went to New York City at eighteen. Upon arriving to New York, she had never worn any make-up besides lipstick and had never walked in heels. She has come a long way from that. Now, Torrance is a successful model earning the cities top rate, fifty dollars an hour. But, does success equal happiness in the entertainment world? Although Torrance is successful, she doesn't seem happy with her job. She says, "I feel guilty because I think people should be doing something they really like to do in life. I should do something else, but there is nothing I can do really well" (54). In this quote, she reveals that modeling is not her passion. And because she never went to college, she can't get a "real job." She feels that she can't do anything else well. Because she is good at modeling and she makes good money doing it, she sticks with it even though it does not make her happy.
On the other hand, Hots Michaels, a bar pianist, really seems to enjoy his job. Michaels is not super famous or successful, but he makes a decent living. Michaels plays the piano in bars as background music to the talking that goes on there. He is an entertainer. But what sets Michaels apart from Torrance is that he loves what he is doing. He says, "I hate to see it end. I'll dread the day it comes, because I enjoy the action. I enjoy the people. If I were to suddenly inherit four million dollars, I guarantee you I'd be playin' piano, either here or some other place" (251). It is clear that Michaels really loves what he does. He isn't in it for the money or fame, he does it because that is what makes him happy.
In sort of a middle ground, Rip Torn, an actor, seems to neither love nor hate his job. Throughout the passage, he expresses that it is important to be successful in your work, but you should also enjoy it a bit. He says, "You work out of necessity, but in your work, you gotta have a little artistry too" (85). I think this shows that he is fairly successful as an actor, but he also enjoys it. He does share about the ups and downs of his career, which helps keep him honest and believable.
Personally, I think in the entertainment business, you really have to love what you are doing to be happy. If you do something just for the money or fame, you will end up unhappier than ever. Sure the entertainment business seems great, but is it really all it is cracked up to be?
Some things to think about:
-Does success have a direct link to happiness? Does being successful automatically mean you will be happy?
-Is it more important to put what you love and your happiness over the amount of money you will make, or the amount of fame you have?
Until next time...
Camille
Personally, I think being in the entertainment business is subject and personal to each individual. Jill Torrance is a model. She grew up in a small town and her original plan was not to be a model. She had planned to go to college but had only saved three hundred dollars. So when the opportunity arose, she went to New York City at eighteen. Upon arriving to New York, she had never worn any make-up besides lipstick and had never walked in heels. She has come a long way from that. Now, Torrance is a successful model earning the cities top rate, fifty dollars an hour. But, does success equal happiness in the entertainment world? Although Torrance is successful, she doesn't seem happy with her job. She says, "I feel guilty because I think people should be doing something they really like to do in life. I should do something else, but there is nothing I can do really well" (54). In this quote, she reveals that modeling is not her passion. And because she never went to college, she can't get a "real job." She feels that she can't do anything else well. Because she is good at modeling and she makes good money doing it, she sticks with it even though it does not make her happy.
On the other hand, Hots Michaels, a bar pianist, really seems to enjoy his job. Michaels is not super famous or successful, but he makes a decent living. Michaels plays the piano in bars as background music to the talking that goes on there. He is an entertainer. But what sets Michaels apart from Torrance is that he loves what he is doing. He says, "I hate to see it end. I'll dread the day it comes, because I enjoy the action. I enjoy the people. If I were to suddenly inherit four million dollars, I guarantee you I'd be playin' piano, either here or some other place" (251). It is clear that Michaels really loves what he does. He isn't in it for the money or fame, he does it because that is what makes him happy.
In sort of a middle ground, Rip Torn, an actor, seems to neither love nor hate his job. Throughout the passage, he expresses that it is important to be successful in your work, but you should also enjoy it a bit. He says, "You work out of necessity, but in your work, you gotta have a little artistry too" (85). I think this shows that he is fairly successful as an actor, but he also enjoys it. He does share about the ups and downs of his career, which helps keep him honest and believable.
Personally, I think in the entertainment business, you really have to love what you are doing to be happy. If you do something just for the money or fame, you will end up unhappier than ever. Sure the entertainment business seems great, but is it really all it is cracked up to be?
Some things to think about:
-Does success have a direct link to happiness? Does being successful automatically mean you will be happy?
-Is it more important to put what you love and your happiness over the amount of money you will make, or the amount of fame you have?
Until next time...
Camille
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Why Work?
What is the point of working? Is it purely to get a pay check at the end of the week? Is it something we enjoy doing? Is it something that makes a difference in the world? Is it a combination of some or all of these? I think the point of working is open for interpretation. In "Shop Class Soulcraft," there is a quote from Alexandre Kojève:
"The man who works recognizes his own product in the World that has actually been transformed by his work: he recognizes himself in it, he sees in it his own human reality, in it he discovers and reveals to others the objective reality of his humanity of the originally abstract and purely subjective idea he has of himself" (3).
We can relate this quote to the stories of Mike Lefevre and Lincoln James from Studs Terkel's Working. Lefevre is a laborer. He works long days, most day of the week, doing physical labor. Lefevre likes what he does because at the end of the day he can point to something and is able to say, "I made that." He says, "I'd like to make my imprint. My dodo bird. A mistake, mine. Let's say the whole building is nothing but red bricks. I'd like to have just the black one or the white one or the purple one" (xxxviii). Lefevre works to create something. He wants to be able to point something out to his kids to show them what he's done. He believes a purposeful mistake is good because it distinguishes what he has done personally, it shows him his work.
On the other hand, James works for more reasons than just being able to point to something. He says, "I like what I'm doing. I never been laid off in thirty-six years. I look forward to going to work. I'd be lost if I wasn't working" (112). Throughout his story, readers can obviously see he takes pride in his work but his purpose is so much more than just that. James works because it helps define who he is. Working gives him a purpose, a sense of direction. Without work, he doesn't know where he would be or what he would be doing.
I think there are many reasons to work and why people work is subject to the individual. Some things to think about: is work only meaningful when you can stand back and point out what you've done? Or is there fulfillment in knowing you've impacted someone's life? Or is it just as satisfying to do what you love for work, even if the financial element isn't as high as you'd like it to be? We've been talking about this throughout the entire course and I don't think there is an answer. It is completely subjective, in my opinion. What do you think?
Until next time...
Camille
"The man who works recognizes his own product in the World that has actually been transformed by his work: he recognizes himself in it, he sees in it his own human reality, in it he discovers and reveals to others the objective reality of his humanity of the originally abstract and purely subjective idea he has of himself" (3).
We can relate this quote to the stories of Mike Lefevre and Lincoln James from Studs Terkel's Working. Lefevre is a laborer. He works long days, most day of the week, doing physical labor. Lefevre likes what he does because at the end of the day he can point to something and is able to say, "I made that." He says, "I'd like to make my imprint. My dodo bird. A mistake, mine. Let's say the whole building is nothing but red bricks. I'd like to have just the black one or the white one or the purple one" (xxxviii). Lefevre works to create something. He wants to be able to point something out to his kids to show them what he's done. He believes a purposeful mistake is good because it distinguishes what he has done personally, it shows him his work.
On the other hand, James works for more reasons than just being able to point to something. He says, "I like what I'm doing. I never been laid off in thirty-six years. I look forward to going to work. I'd be lost if I wasn't working" (112). Throughout his story, readers can obviously see he takes pride in his work but his purpose is so much more than just that. James works because it helps define who he is. Working gives him a purpose, a sense of direction. Without work, he doesn't know where he would be or what he would be doing.
I think there are many reasons to work and why people work is subject to the individual. Some things to think about: is work only meaningful when you can stand back and point out what you've done? Or is there fulfillment in knowing you've impacted someone's life? Or is it just as satisfying to do what you love for work, even if the financial element isn't as high as you'd like it to be? We've been talking about this throughout the entire course and I don't think there is an answer. It is completely subjective, in my opinion. What do you think?
Until next time...
Camille
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Helicopter Paramedics, What Do They Do?
What is being a helicopter paramedic all about? Probably a lot more than you would think. In a podcast from slate.com, David Plotz interviews Jeff Ennis, a helicopter paramedic. Ennis gives a detailed insight to what it is like being a helicopter paramedic and what exactly the job entails.
First off, the shifts are extremely long and exhausting. Each shift is 24 hours long, 24 hours off, 24 hours back on and then off for 5 days. Ennis says that there is a lot of prep work to be done before each shift. Before a shift even begins he needs to do some meal prep of good meals he can have while on the clock. When he arrives to work, he meets with the off-coming crew to debrief about what happened in the previous shift. Then the new crew goes out to the aircraft where they follow a very detailed check off sheet to make sure everything is set and ready to go for the next call. The pilot then comes in to have a short meeting with the crew, he does a risk assessment, reviews emergency procedures, makes sure everyone gets enough rest, talks about the weather and discusses any advisories that may be in the area. After this short meeting, from about 8:00-10:00am it is very rare that they would get a call so Ennis says he tries to take a nap for a few hours during this time. He never knows when he will be needing to work into the late hours at night, so he sleeps when he can.
Along with resting, the crew does have ongoing education and trainings they must complete when not attending to a patient. While they are resting, or training, they are waiting for a call to come in. As soon as they receive a call, within 8 minutes they are in the air headed to the scene. When they arrive on the scene, they usually have little to no information on the patient so they must do a quick assessment and decide where to take them. Sometimes it is predetermined where to take the patient. Once the patient is delivered to the hospital, or where ever they need to go, the staff there takes over. Ennis says that he gets signatures from the staff saying they received the patient and have taken over.
Something I found particularly interesting is that Ennis says that he likes to keep an impersonal relationship with the patients. It's easier for him to get his job done if there is not an emotional attachment. Ennis says that he "just shows up and does his job." He makes sure that he does everything to the best of his ability so that if he does end up losing a patient, he know he did everything he could and the result was out of his hands.
I think that being a helicopter paramedic is an exceptionally admirable job. These men and women work so hard to do everything in their power to help their patients. Not many people know everything that is involved in this job and how truly tiring it can be. I think it is awesome that these people work so hard every time they report for duty and the world really is a better place because of them.
Until next time...
Camille
First off, the shifts are extremely long and exhausting. Each shift is 24 hours long, 24 hours off, 24 hours back on and then off for 5 days. Ennis says that there is a lot of prep work to be done before each shift. Before a shift even begins he needs to do some meal prep of good meals he can have while on the clock. When he arrives to work, he meets with the off-coming crew to debrief about what happened in the previous shift. Then the new crew goes out to the aircraft where they follow a very detailed check off sheet to make sure everything is set and ready to go for the next call. The pilot then comes in to have a short meeting with the crew, he does a risk assessment, reviews emergency procedures, makes sure everyone gets enough rest, talks about the weather and discusses any advisories that may be in the area. After this short meeting, from about 8:00-10:00am it is very rare that they would get a call so Ennis says he tries to take a nap for a few hours during this time. He never knows when he will be needing to work into the late hours at night, so he sleeps when he can.
Along with resting, the crew does have ongoing education and trainings they must complete when not attending to a patient. While they are resting, or training, they are waiting for a call to come in. As soon as they receive a call, within 8 minutes they are in the air headed to the scene. When they arrive on the scene, they usually have little to no information on the patient so they must do a quick assessment and decide where to take them. Sometimes it is predetermined where to take the patient. Once the patient is delivered to the hospital, or where ever they need to go, the staff there takes over. Ennis says that he gets signatures from the staff saying they received the patient and have taken over.
Something I found particularly interesting is that Ennis says that he likes to keep an impersonal relationship with the patients. It's easier for him to get his job done if there is not an emotional attachment. Ennis says that he "just shows up and does his job." He makes sure that he does everything to the best of his ability so that if he does end up losing a patient, he know he did everything he could and the result was out of his hands.
I think that being a helicopter paramedic is an exceptionally admirable job. These men and women work so hard to do everything in their power to help their patients. Not many people know everything that is involved in this job and how truly tiring it can be. I think it is awesome that these people work so hard every time they report for duty and the world really is a better place because of them.
Until next time...
Camille
Thursday, January 22, 2015
To Get Involved or not to?
In Working, by Studs Terkel, I read two stories about teachers, Rose Hoffman and Pat Zimmerman. Hoffman was a public school teacher and Zimmerman was an alternative school teacher. Both articles discuss the relationships between teachers and students, and what type of relationship each teacher prefers with their students.
It is very clear to readers that Hoffman likes to keep her relationships with students strictly about school and school work. She says, "I don't want to know what's happened in the family, if there's divorce, a broken home" (484). She believes that what is happening in a students home is none of her business and she would rather not hear about it. She also says, "Even a child deserves a certain type of privacy in their personal life" (484). Hoffman believes it is not her business, nor her place, to pry into the lives of her children. She also mentions that growing up she came from a broken home. Having this background, and knowing she turned out just fine, she believes her students will turn out fine too.
On the other hand, in Zimmerman's classroom, it's a little bit different than just ignoring students personal lives. He says, "We only get to know the families if they want to know us. If a kid doesn't want us to get involved, we trust that that's the best thing for him, that somehow he needs us all to himself, not to share with his family" (491). Zimmerman places trust in his children and allows them work their own problems out. If they don't want his help, he is hands off and lets them deal with it on their own. However, if one of his children ever did need help with a family situation, Zimmerman makes it clear that he would be there for them.
Alternatively, we hear a different point of view from Andrew Rubin in a podcast from www.slate.com/working, "How Does A Principal Work?". In this podcast, Rubin discusses all of the duties he has to deal with on a daily basis. One of the major points he brings up is the relationship with students. He says he likes to, "break the stereotype" when it comes to a principal and student relationship. Most students give principals a negative persona. They always are on their best behavior in front of the principal in fear that breathing the wrong way may get them into trouble. Well, Rubin likes to break down this wall with his students. He works hard to get to know the students. He is available to listen to their problems, and wants to work with them to help them get through tough times. He does obscure things, wears chicken suits, to help build this relationship. He wants to know his students more than just on a "business" level.
A few things to think about:
Do you think it is better for teachers to get involved in their students lives or keep the relationship strictly about academics?
Can "breaking the [relationship] stereotype" better improve a student's performance in the classroom, or like Hoffman says, does home life really have nothing to do with learning?
Until next time...
Camille
It is very clear to readers that Hoffman likes to keep her relationships with students strictly about school and school work. She says, "I don't want to know what's happened in the family, if there's divorce, a broken home" (484). She believes that what is happening in a students home is none of her business and she would rather not hear about it. She also says, "Even a child deserves a certain type of privacy in their personal life" (484). Hoffman believes it is not her business, nor her place, to pry into the lives of her children. She also mentions that growing up she came from a broken home. Having this background, and knowing she turned out just fine, she believes her students will turn out fine too.
On the other hand, in Zimmerman's classroom, it's a little bit different than just ignoring students personal lives. He says, "We only get to know the families if they want to know us. If a kid doesn't want us to get involved, we trust that that's the best thing for him, that somehow he needs us all to himself, not to share with his family" (491). Zimmerman places trust in his children and allows them work their own problems out. If they don't want his help, he is hands off and lets them deal with it on their own. However, if one of his children ever did need help with a family situation, Zimmerman makes it clear that he would be there for them.
Alternatively, we hear a different point of view from Andrew Rubin in a podcast from www.slate.com/working, "How Does A Principal Work?". In this podcast, Rubin discusses all of the duties he has to deal with on a daily basis. One of the major points he brings up is the relationship with students. He says he likes to, "break the stereotype" when it comes to a principal and student relationship. Most students give principals a negative persona. They always are on their best behavior in front of the principal in fear that breathing the wrong way may get them into trouble. Well, Rubin likes to break down this wall with his students. He works hard to get to know the students. He is available to listen to their problems, and wants to work with them to help them get through tough times. He does obscure things, wears chicken suits, to help build this relationship. He wants to know his students more than just on a "business" level.
A few things to think about:
Do you think it is better for teachers to get involved in their students lives or keep the relationship strictly about academics?
Can "breaking the [relationship] stereotype" better improve a student's performance in the classroom, or like Hoffman says, does home life really have nothing to do with learning?
Until next time...
Camille
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Workin' On The Farm
First off, I would like to say that I personally believe farmers are extremely underrated. The amount of labor they have to put in to provide produce for the incredibly high demand is unreal. One quote that really stuck with me from the readings, "The city people, when they go to the grocery store and the price of meat is raised, they jump up and down. They don't realize what all is behind that. They're thinking of their own self. They don't want to put up that extra money" (Walker). For me, this quote really nailed it right on the head. We live in a society that is obsessed with wanting things in large quantities, fast, and cheap. When prices for anything goes up people throw fits but rarely do they know what goes on behind the scenes.
I was shocked when Rankin said he was 65 and still doing manual labor on his farm. 65 is getting up there in age. I could not even imagine lifting boxes, loading trucks and actually having to do physical work that old. However, another quote that caught my attention, "If you didn't life your work and have pride in it, you wouldn't do that" (Walker). This quote put everything from all three articles in perspective for me. I could not imagine doing these things because it is not something I enjoy doing. But farmers are so incredibly passionate about what they do and they take pride in the products they produce, it truly is admirable.
Because farming is a full time job, (18 out of every 24 hours according to Aunt Katherine Haynes) some farmers aren't able to receive an education. After reading Aunt Katherine Haynes story, she didn't seem all too upset about not getting an education. She says, "They wasn't much to think on when you didn't have no education...I'm just a flat out old hillbilly. That's the only way I know to talk and the only way I'll ever try to talk." I don't think she seems unhappy because she didn't receive an education. I also don't think she was unhappy with her work. I think she is unhappy with how much working wore her down. She is 77 years old and talks a little bit about how her body just can't do what it used to anymore. Naturally, as we age our bodies begin to shut down but I think the amount of stress she put on her body from working is really getting to her.
Here's some food for thought: Rankin talks about taking Aleve at least once a day, he also talks about the harsh conditions farmers go through. Is there a way to reduce the amount of labor farmers have to endure? Walker talks about having a great amount of pride in his work however, is having pride in your work enough of a reward for everything you put your body through both physically and mentally? And finally, is having a life of strictly farming and housework an acceptable life in exchange for a good education?
Until next time...
Camille
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