Kalamazoo collects people. The hodge podge of groups and eccentric individuals who collectively make up the populous attest to the claim that no one is out-of-place here. But to collect is not necessarily to accept. And not being out-of-place doesn’t mean that there is a place for everyone. As members of West Michigan Pulse are discovering, finding acceptance in any community starts from within.
At the intersection of Portage Road and Lay Boulevard, Kalamazoo’s Fire Gallery is the venue for a meeting of intersections between race, gender, and sexuality and West Michigan’s Pulse. If you are unfamiliar with its residence, you may drive right past it. A small signed stenciled out of rusted metal hangs without much notice above the rust-colored metal side door that is the gallery’s main entrance. If there is not an event at Fire, if there is not a collection of smokers hanging around outside, leaning against the tan brick side wall of the more than hundred year-old building, you may think the fire hose sits unused—the many boarded windows and the lack of signage indicate this. When there is an event at Fire, while there may not be enough of a crowd to surpass the fire code, what is lacking in numbers, is made up for in vocal volume.
This is the scene on a warm and clear Saturday night in late May. Fire’s website says that the monthly installment of Organic, the open mic performance component of Pulse—West Michigan’s “premiere” group for LGBT people of color—starts at eight o’oclock, but at 7:45 no one is here, not even to set up or unlock the door. When a few people do arrive, set up is casually underway but still there is no potential audience as eight o’clock comes and goes.
“It might just be us tonight,” says Denisse, one of the Fire’s co-owners and a founding member of Pulse, to Jan de la Torre, another founding member and the group’s unofficial spokesperson.
“I didn’t even bring anything to perform,” is his response.
If you’d attended Organic in its original conception last summer, the experience would have been one far different than this current inception. “It started out as the after-hours party, so when the bars closed everyone would migrate here and we’d have music and dancing; it was a very different atmosphere than now.” The continuation of Saturday night began after two and would continue until the pre-dawn hours of the morning. The evolution of Organic into a pre-bar or party venue was helped along by Fire’s neighbor, the Church of Christian Scientists, who complained about the late-night noise.
“I don’t know who is at church at four in the morning, though,” offers 44 year-old Matthew Barnes, who is technically, as a white gay male, an ally of the group and not a member.
“It’s okay to be gay on Saturday night but Sunday is God’s day,” comes a response from the small collection of members and allies now gathered outside. The crowd, all men, seem to be regular attendees of Organic and other pulse events. They all also, seem to have been previously affiliated before Pulse. They all officially or unofficially are part of other LGBT organizations in the area. After a dozen or so people have assembled and it appears that no one else is coming, the crowd moves inside where the same casual and comfortable informality continues as the event officially begins.
Against the backdrop of the white, curving gallery wall that extends to the stained bamboo ceiling 20 ft above, and where hangs various photos, paintings, and mixed-media art pieces—seemingly as random as the collection of individuals in the room, and with the soft groove of contemporary R&B stylings spun live from the DJ at his table behind “the stage,” Jan says some preliminary words of introduction and then begins the performance with his original poetry which he reads from a laptop poised on top a black metal music stand. The sun sets outside and Organic is underway.
Jan is not only an original member of Pulse and the MC for the evening, he is involved like everyone else, in the group in various and overlapping ways in the West Michigan LGBT community. At 26, Jan is one of the youngest members of Pulse (the other members range in age from late 20s to mid 40s). Jan first came to Kalamazoo a decade ago from the Philippines with his family. He has enjoyed, he will tell you, privileges and advantages that most first-generation immigrants to this country do not enjoy and never even dream of. While his accent is still distinguishable, his diction and speech are immaculate. He speaks about issues concerning sexuality, gender, race, nationality, and class with the proficiency and critical skill of a liberal arts professor. Jan attended MSU, majoring in Community Organizing and Development and went on to a master’s program at Western that took him to Sweden to learn the practical application of theory. He draws many similarities between Kalamazoo and the Arctic Circle. He now works at Kalamazoo Cares as an HIV Counselor and Prevention Specialist and is the director of PROJECT(!), a West Michigan group for gay males between the ages of 18 and 29.
Each of the two poems he reads at the Organic performance are inspired by the transition from life in the Philippines to life in America. “Mainstream gay culture in America, to the extent that it exists, is still very white-centric,” Jan believes. “Organic is about having a place to express all the layers of your individuality and experience with a receptive and supportive audience.” And the small audience sitting around the stage at metal café-style tables, in plastic folding chairs, is completely receptive. The performances consist of mostly poetry with a singer and guitar duo rounding out the night as the final performers. While from a critical standpoint, not every performer is a master of their art, each person has put time and thought and love into what they perform. And no one lacks personality, and strong individual voice; a testament to the night, to the event, and to the group is that no one, despite being any bit nervous, is afraid that their voice and opinion will be met with rejection or disrespect.
“While creating understanding and awareness is important, having the space and the confidence to express your voice and share your experience and knowing that everyone will respect the validity of that voice and your right to speech is most important,” says Michelle Johnson, the executive director of Fire and poetry performer at the event. Her joy in participating and being in the audience comes from the realization that both she and the other members “can be their full selves and identify with the voices and experiences of the others.”
As the performances conclude and the night winds down, everyone engages in small conversations and information about other events is exchanged. Jan announces the theme for next month’s salon discussion, (which also takes place at Fire) religion and spirituality in the LGBT community. The salons are a critical and personal way for big topic issues to be discussed as they are relevant and important to LGBT individuals of various racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Michelle would like to see more women involved in Pulse and Jan more individuals of different racial backgrounds; except for him, all the other performers this night were black. Both agree that no matter how many people are involved with Pulse or what their gender or racial identity, Pulse is about the individual having a place in a group of understanding friends and supporters.
“Performing is an external release and it can be loud and political and social but really it is about hearing one’s own voice affirmed and internally, carving out a place for yourself.”
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Responses to Final Pieces
Elizabeth,
I second Martin's question about wanting to know the details about the conflict with the BSO. To me it seems that their are two conflicts here that belong to separate stories: one with Andrew and the other with Tim. Somehow a general conflict for the security-student relationship is going to have to be united or you are going to have to pick one or the other. While you may not have the space to include full descriptions or quotes from every security guard, it might be worth giving a general description of who makes up the crew. I'd like to hear the voices of students who have dealt directly with security and hear a variety of opinions. There is a conflict that lies, it seems, in misconceptions on both sides. This seems to be the real conflict that is lurking in this piece.
Jackie,
I'm wondering about the audience for this piece? It seems that it is written for a national audience and if so then I'd like to get a better sense of how Kalamazoo is a microcosm for the state of higher education nationally. Getting at more specifics related to the academic programs at K and KVCC and including information about Western will be helpful, I think. That the city has these three different higher education institutions is interesting--delve into more analysis in this regard. If it's possible to acquire the information it might be telling to note from where geographically, students of each institution typically come and if this is changing. Also, how, specifically, is enrollment changing at K. You previously mentioned an article that proposed radical changes to the structure of a liberal arts education, what are those suggestions and what is your analysis of them; do you think they could be applied to K? It might be worth it to hear student voices from the various institutions and their opinions on their education and finding a job and how their goals and expectations have or have not changed over the course of their college years. The part about entitlement and class hierarchies is really interesting and, I think, speaks to an important part of the this current situation--get more feedback on this.
Martin,
While I personally understand that boozing is a significant part of any camping trip, I think you over-do it with the drinking references--it kind of discredits the author as a sober authority for a description of this place. I want to hear more voices and opinions of other people who visit the dunes, and give us Rodger's opinion on the subject. I'd like to see better how the dunes look during the day, describe the beauty of this place and show why it is unique and worth preserving. I like the "I" and the voice in this piece, it is personal and relatable. If you have the space, see if there is researchable information on what will happen to the dunes if these problems continue and why the preservation acts are not fulfilling their purpose.
Regis,
The topic and angle for this piece are really interesting. I would consider talking more (and earlier in the piece)about the impetus for this project and the grant/funding from NASA and how that came about and also, I'd like to know more about the internship. While I think the play-by-play of the actions is well written, it might be worth it to give less detail there and more backstory about the preparation for the experiment: how long the construction took, how Noah figured out the technical elements, and so forth. Also, I'd be interested to know about Noah's development as a scientist and what other experiments he has done (even as a kid) to make him a rounder character.
Toni,
For the sake of revision I hope that someone has suggestions for you. I think this piece is well written, thorough, and engaging; it accomplishes the task. Nicely done.
I did think of one thing: to get a better sense of their neighbor's opinion of the winery, you could include quotes (if there are any) from locals so we here their actual voices and views.
I second Martin's question about wanting to know the details about the conflict with the BSO. To me it seems that their are two conflicts here that belong to separate stories: one with Andrew and the other with Tim. Somehow a general conflict for the security-student relationship is going to have to be united or you are going to have to pick one or the other. While you may not have the space to include full descriptions or quotes from every security guard, it might be worth giving a general description of who makes up the crew. I'd like to hear the voices of students who have dealt directly with security and hear a variety of opinions. There is a conflict that lies, it seems, in misconceptions on both sides. This seems to be the real conflict that is lurking in this piece.
Jackie,
I'm wondering about the audience for this piece? It seems that it is written for a national audience and if so then I'd like to get a better sense of how Kalamazoo is a microcosm for the state of higher education nationally. Getting at more specifics related to the academic programs at K and KVCC and including information about Western will be helpful, I think. That the city has these three different higher education institutions is interesting--delve into more analysis in this regard. If it's possible to acquire the information it might be telling to note from where geographically, students of each institution typically come and if this is changing. Also, how, specifically, is enrollment changing at K. You previously mentioned an article that proposed radical changes to the structure of a liberal arts education, what are those suggestions and what is your analysis of them; do you think they could be applied to K? It might be worth it to hear student voices from the various institutions and their opinions on their education and finding a job and how their goals and expectations have or have not changed over the course of their college years. The part about entitlement and class hierarchies is really interesting and, I think, speaks to an important part of the this current situation--get more feedback on this.
Martin,
While I personally understand that boozing is a significant part of any camping trip, I think you over-do it with the drinking references--it kind of discredits the author as a sober authority for a description of this place. I want to hear more voices and opinions of other people who visit the dunes, and give us Rodger's opinion on the subject. I'd like to see better how the dunes look during the day, describe the beauty of this place and show why it is unique and worth preserving. I like the "I" and the voice in this piece, it is personal and relatable. If you have the space, see if there is researchable information on what will happen to the dunes if these problems continue and why the preservation acts are not fulfilling their purpose.
Regis,
The topic and angle for this piece are really interesting. I would consider talking more (and earlier in the piece)about the impetus for this project and the grant/funding from NASA and how that came about and also, I'd like to know more about the internship. While I think the play-by-play of the actions is well written, it might be worth it to give less detail there and more backstory about the preparation for the experiment: how long the construction took, how Noah figured out the technical elements, and so forth. Also, I'd be interested to know about Noah's development as a scientist and what other experiments he has done (even as a kid) to make him a rounder character.
Toni,
For the sake of revision I hope that someone has suggestions for you. I think this piece is well written, thorough, and engaging; it accomplishes the task. Nicely done.
I did think of one thing: to get a better sense of their neighbor's opinion of the winery, you could include quotes (if there are any) from locals so we here their actual voices and views.
I know this is not a rough draft
Outline for Final Piece: A profile of Pulse
CONFLICT: HOW TO GET MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED, HOW TO MAKE THIS GROUP’S VOICE KNOWN TO A WIDER COMMUNITY?
I. A physical description of Fire Gallery and scene description of the open-mic performance held there and sponsored by Pulse.
i. A modern, multi-purpose space; housed inside a former fire station; the people and the conversations exchanged before the event.
ii.Quotes from Jan and Nathan and general comments and descriptions of the people.
II. Some background on Fire Gallery and Pulse; the overlap—how individuals and groups are connected by overlapping membership and roles.
III. The history and development of Pulse; a description and the words of Michelle—the executive director; where is stands now and the direction it is aiming to go; how Pulse spreads the word and tries to expand
IV. The event; who performed and what they performed; my unexpected, unplanned performance; reactions and responses
i.Jan’s performance
V. Jan’s story and his role in pulse and in other GLBT groups.
VI. In its current state of existence, the ways in which Pulse is a success
i. What does it provide for the community it was created by and exists for?
VII. My personal reactions to the event and thoughts on its goals and future directions
CONFLICT: HOW TO GET MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED, HOW TO MAKE THIS GROUP’S VOICE KNOWN TO A WIDER COMMUNITY?
I. A physical description of Fire Gallery and scene description of the open-mic performance held there and sponsored by Pulse.
i. A modern, multi-purpose space; housed inside a former fire station; the people and the conversations exchanged before the event.
ii.Quotes from Jan and Nathan and general comments and descriptions of the people.
II. Some background on Fire Gallery and Pulse; the overlap—how individuals and groups are connected by overlapping membership and roles.
III. The history and development of Pulse; a description and the words of Michelle—the executive director; where is stands now and the direction it is aiming to go; how Pulse spreads the word and tries to expand
IV. The event; who performed and what they performed; my unexpected, unplanned performance; reactions and responses
i.Jan’s performance
V. Jan’s story and his role in pulse and in other GLBT groups.
VI. In its current state of existence, the ways in which Pulse is a success
i. What does it provide for the community it was created by and exists for?
VII. My personal reactions to the event and thoughts on its goals and future directions
Monday, May 25, 2009
"Not Just Any One Thing"
Hussain Turk is not a terrorist. He does however, attack the way white America sees and reacts to Muslims in this country and in the world. The Kalamazoo College sophomore is resolute in his fight against bigotry and narrow mindedness. He wants to shake-up your world view. Hussain looks at the world through different lenses that make it hard to see in 20/20.
Turk, who was born in Champagne, Illinois and has lived most of his life in Portage, is (at least ostensibly) fully assimilated to the upper class suburban world in which he has been raised. He wears shoulder to toe Ralph Lauren; any one of various pairs of designer sunglasses block the sun and the critical look of the eyes behind them. He has at his disposal all the material privileges the kids of the Turk’s white, Christian, and (largely) conservative neighbors receive. Money has been both a shield from discrimination and has opened-up new forms of it.
When class was not a dividing line between Hussain and his peers, skin color was. “After 9/11 my locker at school was trashed; a lot of kids called me Saddam.” For Hussain, whose parents are from Pakistan, who speaks English at home, and who played in the American Youth Soccer Organization, the racial slurs directed at him have always been bewildering and frustrating.
Around the time that his peers at school made Hussain aware of his ethnic otherness, another minority identity was becoming a part of his young life. When he was 14 Hussain’s parents discovered gay porn on the computer and became immediately concerned with the corruption of their son. Hussain was sent to a Muslim psychiatrist with whom sessions focused on homosexuality as a sin and the righteousness and pleasure of having a wife and kids. Half therapist and half intervention facilitator, Hussain’s psychiatrist dealt with his being gay as an illness to be cured, not as an identity, and certainly not as something that could ever fit in the Islamic tradition.
After only a few months the sessions ended. “I told the psychiatrist and my parents that I was cured,” says Hussain. Knowing that he was gay and that it was not something that could be cured, he told the lie to be done with the treatments. He blamed his sexual confusion on the alcohol that he had been abusing at the time. Drinking and substance abuse during the teenage years would be a conflict that cemented Hussain’s struggles in the world of contemporary American familial life. It would take great inner struggle and two trips through rehab before the conquering of this demon could be turned into a meaningful symbol of personal identity and strength of character. In the meantime, it would be a copying device for the inner and outer battles Hussain simultaneously fought.
If you did not know him personally, you might assume that the Hussain Turk who today stands with other Kalamazoo Non-violent Opponents of War at protests, who sits in to silently protest pro-Israel forums, and whose opinions arouse great support and outrage in the Kalamazoo Gazette, is a young man who has had to abandon one identity to fight for another. But what Hussain has discovered is that reconciling two identities that are traditionally at odds means building an individual identity that is untraditional.
In a forthcoming Op/Ed piece for the Gazette, Turk reveals to readers that he is gay. In his previous appearances in the paper the author has left this identity out and focused on the identity of being a young Muslim in (what he views as) a anti-Muslim America. Hussain decided to out his essayist self to complicate the attacks of critics who view him as an un-American Islamic extremist. Having decided that he is one thing, Hussain was interested to see how these opponents would react to learning that his apparent one-sided viewpoint was more diverse and unique than they could have thought.
In Hussain’s experience, “to be Pakistani is to be Muslim,” there is no separation between the two; identifying as the former means identifying as the latter. Growing up, Hussain and his siblings attended Islamic Sunday school and were aware of the customs associated with diet, holidays, etc. of their religion. However, like many of their peers, (Muslim, Christian, Jewish, or other) the religious practices of their parents were lax and irregular customs in their lives. For Hussain it was only when his identity broke with a traditional Muslim identity did he become aware of the boundaries and conservative values of his religion. The struggle for finding and claiming an individual identity began with determining how to hold on to one identity without having to forfeit another.
It seemed that in order to survive Hussain would have to pick one or the other. The Muslim community which acts as one extended family in the Kalamazoo area did (and still doesn’t) have an accepted place for gays or lesbians. And where you might assume that the gay community—a community accustomed to marginalization—would be accepting to doubly marginalized individuals, Hussain often finds more discrimination. To gain acceptance, gays expect Hussain to reject his identity as a Muslim, believing that identity to be the antithesis and the enemy of the gay identity. It seems that for Kalamazoo, two minority identities are too many.
It is because there is no easily reconciled identity for a young gay Muslim man in Kalamazoo today, that Hussain Turk, to make his own identity, argues unapologetically for his right to weigh-in his opinion from multiple viewpoints. While many respond negatively to Turk’s unabashed defense of Palestine and Muslim rights, they do so from the security of having an accepted identity that legitimates their critical voice. It is not Hussain’s opinions that are the most radical part of his speech. It is that without an established community to support him he carves out a place for his voice. Whether you agree with his opinions or not, it’s a hard case to disprove the honesty of his thoughts that come from the singularity of his identity. His words explain their legitimacy best, “the truth of my experience is not just any one thing.”
Turk, who was born in Champagne, Illinois and has lived most of his life in Portage, is (at least ostensibly) fully assimilated to the upper class suburban world in which he has been raised. He wears shoulder to toe Ralph Lauren; any one of various pairs of designer sunglasses block the sun and the critical look of the eyes behind them. He has at his disposal all the material privileges the kids of the Turk’s white, Christian, and (largely) conservative neighbors receive. Money has been both a shield from discrimination and has opened-up new forms of it.
When class was not a dividing line between Hussain and his peers, skin color was. “After 9/11 my locker at school was trashed; a lot of kids called me Saddam.” For Hussain, whose parents are from Pakistan, who speaks English at home, and who played in the American Youth Soccer Organization, the racial slurs directed at him have always been bewildering and frustrating.
Around the time that his peers at school made Hussain aware of his ethnic otherness, another minority identity was becoming a part of his young life. When he was 14 Hussain’s parents discovered gay porn on the computer and became immediately concerned with the corruption of their son. Hussain was sent to a Muslim psychiatrist with whom sessions focused on homosexuality as a sin and the righteousness and pleasure of having a wife and kids. Half therapist and half intervention facilitator, Hussain’s psychiatrist dealt with his being gay as an illness to be cured, not as an identity, and certainly not as something that could ever fit in the Islamic tradition.
After only a few months the sessions ended. “I told the psychiatrist and my parents that I was cured,” says Hussain. Knowing that he was gay and that it was not something that could be cured, he told the lie to be done with the treatments. He blamed his sexual confusion on the alcohol that he had been abusing at the time. Drinking and substance abuse during the teenage years would be a conflict that cemented Hussain’s struggles in the world of contemporary American familial life. It would take great inner struggle and two trips through rehab before the conquering of this demon could be turned into a meaningful symbol of personal identity and strength of character. In the meantime, it would be a copying device for the inner and outer battles Hussain simultaneously fought.
If you did not know him personally, you might assume that the Hussain Turk who today stands with other Kalamazoo Non-violent Opponents of War at protests, who sits in to silently protest pro-Israel forums, and whose opinions arouse great support and outrage in the Kalamazoo Gazette, is a young man who has had to abandon one identity to fight for another. But what Hussain has discovered is that reconciling two identities that are traditionally at odds means building an individual identity that is untraditional.
In a forthcoming Op/Ed piece for the Gazette, Turk reveals to readers that he is gay. In his previous appearances in the paper the author has left this identity out and focused on the identity of being a young Muslim in (what he views as) a anti-Muslim America. Hussain decided to out his essayist self to complicate the attacks of critics who view him as an un-American Islamic extremist. Having decided that he is one thing, Hussain was interested to see how these opponents would react to learning that his apparent one-sided viewpoint was more diverse and unique than they could have thought.
In Hussain’s experience, “to be Pakistani is to be Muslim,” there is no separation between the two; identifying as the former means identifying as the latter. Growing up, Hussain and his siblings attended Islamic Sunday school and were aware of the customs associated with diet, holidays, etc. of their religion. However, like many of their peers, (Muslim, Christian, Jewish, or other) the religious practices of their parents were lax and irregular customs in their lives. For Hussain it was only when his identity broke with a traditional Muslim identity did he become aware of the boundaries and conservative values of his religion. The struggle for finding and claiming an individual identity began with determining how to hold on to one identity without having to forfeit another.
It seemed that in order to survive Hussain would have to pick one or the other. The Muslim community which acts as one extended family in the Kalamazoo area did (and still doesn’t) have an accepted place for gays or lesbians. And where you might assume that the gay community—a community accustomed to marginalization—would be accepting to doubly marginalized individuals, Hussain often finds more discrimination. To gain acceptance, gays expect Hussain to reject his identity as a Muslim, believing that identity to be the antithesis and the enemy of the gay identity. It seems that for Kalamazoo, two minority identities are too many.
It is because there is no easily reconciled identity for a young gay Muslim man in Kalamazoo today, that Hussain Turk, to make his own identity, argues unapologetically for his right to weigh-in his opinion from multiple viewpoints. While many respond negatively to Turk’s unabashed defense of Palestine and Muslim rights, they do so from the security of having an accepted identity that legitimates their critical voice. It is not Hussain’s opinions that are the most radical part of his speech. It is that without an established community to support him he carves out a place for his voice. Whether you agree with his opinions or not, it’s a hard case to disprove the honesty of his thoughts that come from the singularity of his identity. His words explain their legitimacy best, “the truth of my experience is not just any one thing.”
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Week 8 Reading Response
What I most wanted from the piece Marni selected, "The Purpose-Driven Wife," was for there to be more of it! I wanted to hear from audience members or women who have read Peace's books and hear their thoughts (if they're husbands allow them to have any). It ceases to amaze me that with all of the patriarchal walls still put in front of women, some put limitations (and blinders and dunce caps) on themselves AND preach the practice to other women! I really like how in this piece the narrator kept an objective voice yet still was able to show how absurd and FRIGHTENING this movement is. Also, I love that this woman's name is Martha "Peace"!! I think the piece provides enough context, but I could handle more. Has Peace ever encountered dissent from other women of the church? What beliefs do other Baptist women believe/lecture about a woman's role and rights? Are all Baptists this backward and masochistic? Maybe? I'm putting this article in my file marked "Proof that the South should be its own country."
I was at first disenchanted by the title of the piece Toni selected, "Truth and Consequences at Pregnancy High," believing that I had read this same story many times before. However, I think it tells a specific story that is topical and important. It is interesting to me that these teens saw early parenthood as an inevitable part of life in the place they live. The responsibility Grace takes for her daughter, even when the act of having a child was originally deemed selfish and irresponsible by her mother, shows that while becoming a mother at a young age was life-altering, it was not necessarily life-ending. The article does a good job of revealing the particularities of being a teenage mother: Lilah dances to hip hop videos, hangs out with the babies of other teen mothers at McDonalds, utters expressions mimicking the language of teens. The article paints a very thorough picture of time and place and how different environmental factors make traditionally non-normative situations normal and functional for the people there. What could have been a harsh critique or a pessimistic prophecy was actually an article that, by revealing the true character of the individuals, was hopeful and optimistic.
I was at first disenchanted by the title of the piece Toni selected, "Truth and Consequences at Pregnancy High," believing that I had read this same story many times before. However, I think it tells a specific story that is topical and important. It is interesting to me that these teens saw early parenthood as an inevitable part of life in the place they live. The responsibility Grace takes for her daughter, even when the act of having a child was originally deemed selfish and irresponsible by her mother, shows that while becoming a mother at a young age was life-altering, it was not necessarily life-ending. The article does a good job of revealing the particularities of being a teenage mother: Lilah dances to hip hop videos, hangs out with the babies of other teen mothers at McDonalds, utters expressions mimicking the language of teens. The article paints a very thorough picture of time and place and how different environmental factors make traditionally non-normative situations normal and functional for the people there. What could have been a harsh critique or a pessimistic prophecy was actually an article that, by revealing the true character of the individuals, was hopeful and optimistic.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Week 7 Reading Response
The two pieces from Literary Journalism, by Ted Conover and Mark Kramer, both do a really good job of framing a gigantic issue within a smaller context; both authors find a specific topic to employ as a synecdoche for a larger one. Both Conover and Kramer spend a lot of time in their pieces on descriptions of place- physical drescriptions of land, modes of transportation, and towns and cities. With innumerably layered issues like AIDS in Southern Africa and capitalization in the former Soviet Union, revealing the complexity of the issue and the problems that heed solution, are what I as a reader want to discern from reporting on the topic; Conover and Kramer meet the mark.
The personal and anecdotal stories that both authors weave into their larger pieces are really well placed,I think. They work as a bridge between reader and subject and reveal a lot about time and place, giving a context to the critical events of particular to both. Especially in the Conover piece, the attention the author pays to the characteristics of the lives of the men he travels with tells so much about the nature of AIDS in that place and makes a human connection to what could otherwise be a statistical study. By getting a sense of what the people involved with the larger issue eat; what their customs and beliefs are; how language and communication work; how government, industry, and foreign influence affect their survival, we get a sense of how the real issue the author is writing about is woven into their world and why it is such a complex issue.
Kramer and Conover are both present in their pieces; we see the story through their eyes. I think that this benefits both stories; it adds another human layer to the story and both are good guides through the stories. Even though the pieces are dated I think they were important readings as both prove that it is crucial to be able to revisit journalism to re-examine how things looked and worked at a particular place and time in order to see how things are similar and different today and what can be gleamed from the juxtaposition.
The personal and anecdotal stories that both authors weave into their larger pieces are really well placed,I think. They work as a bridge between reader and subject and reveal a lot about time and place, giving a context to the critical events of particular to both. Especially in the Conover piece, the attention the author pays to the characteristics of the lives of the men he travels with tells so much about the nature of AIDS in that place and makes a human connection to what could otherwise be a statistical study. By getting a sense of what the people involved with the larger issue eat; what their customs and beliefs are; how language and communication work; how government, industry, and foreign influence affect their survival, we get a sense of how the real issue the author is writing about is woven into their world and why it is such a complex issue.
Kramer and Conover are both present in their pieces; we see the story through their eyes. I think that this benefits both stories; it adds another human layer to the story and both are good guides through the stories. Even though the pieces are dated I think they were important readings as both prove that it is crucial to be able to revisit journalism to re-examine how things looked and worked at a particular place and time in order to see how things are similar and different today and what can be gleamed from the juxtaposition.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Profile Responses
Jackie-
I think that the subject of your profile necessitates there to be a conflict in the story; a debatable point or something that needs to be exposed and analyzed. If this is going to be about Lisa Ailstock then we need to see more of her and from more angles. I think the places where you have left room for quotes are good and will help build the content. If this is a profile and critique of the Health Center and the health services provided at K College, then there needs to be more observations and facts about them specifically. If you are going to be a character in this piece (where you mention missing the “old Health Center”) then I think we need to see more of you and get more of your opinions and experiences. I like the form you have chosen for the lede but I want more sensory details to get a better picture of the place and scene. Maybe go through your interview and find the most evocative quote or idea and build this profile around that.
Mae-
There is a great dichotomy in this piece between the patron’s of the bar and how the author feels in relation to them as the daughter of the bar owner. I’d like to see more of that. I like the opening sentence and the following one but the rest of the lede could relate information more pertinent to the rest of the piece. General descriptions give us a sense of the patrons but give more specific details about certain ones. Also, I’d like to see the owner of the bar better and hear his voice as well. Give us more about the location of the bar in Kalamazoo; what’s going on in the street outside at the concurrent time. You’ve done a really good job of letting the words of the characters show us who they are, rather than from subjective observations. This gives real authority to the experience and to the reporting. The end seems to be drawing together various elements but still seems unfinished. While I don’t think that the author has to have a definite final opinion, giving the reader a stronger sense of possible conclusions to draw would better resolve the many issues developed in the piece.
Regis-
This lede reads more like an opening to an essay rather than to a profile piece. Grab our attention and set the tone for the rest of the piece right from the start. With some slight tweaking the second paragraph is a good lede. I like that a history of skateboarding is included, although some of the background is unnecessary for the theme. On that note, the theme or central idea needs to be further developed; is this about the skate park or long boarding? The descriptions of the park are quite good, and I think should be the focus of the piece. Quotes from the kids at the park are used effectively to set the scene and give personality to this place. Also, the inclusion of your own experience there really gives authority to the writing and this is a good way in which to draw a final conclusion, by writing of your own experience at the park. The alternation from background information to observations at the park creates a strong, varied, and intriguing narration; keep this form.
Elizabeth-
I love that opening sentence! The things that I would like to see more of in this piece: 1) physical descriptions of Sandy and Kim, 2) more on why raising livestock is a better financial investment for the farm (a wider agricultural analysis, but briefly), and 3) a few more descriptors of Willie and the physical farm and house. You do a really good job of adding personal voice to this piece and getting at something larger than just “the problem of the gay pig.” This is fun to read and draws me in; the form is strong too. Work on the conclusion so as not to leave us conjecturing as much.
Toni-
I think this does a really good job of situating a specific local in a specific location and discussing how it fits in its environment, is part of its environment and interacts with the people there. I think it covers a lot and does so thoroughly. There are two areas I have noted for consideration: 1) I’d like to see more physical description of Juanita and Jamie, and 2) the author’s voice, to me, reads as too easily seeking a “good-hearted” story; paints too pretty a picture. I’d like to see more of the back-story behind the opening of the restaurant; struggles then and now; or any other areas in which business ownership and management have been troublesome. This will make the content more whole, I think. Nicely written.
Martin-
I really like that this piece takes a definite stand in regard to the establishment being profiled. I like the conversation style and the author’s personal voice in the piece. I’d like to see maybe one more strong character to emerge, but the two included now are well developed. I think this piece takes a unique perspective and delivers it in an engaging way; it offers a point and evocatively argues it.
I think that the subject of your profile necessitates there to be a conflict in the story; a debatable point or something that needs to be exposed and analyzed. If this is going to be about Lisa Ailstock then we need to see more of her and from more angles. I think the places where you have left room for quotes are good and will help build the content. If this is a profile and critique of the Health Center and the health services provided at K College, then there needs to be more observations and facts about them specifically. If you are going to be a character in this piece (where you mention missing the “old Health Center”) then I think we need to see more of you and get more of your opinions and experiences. I like the form you have chosen for the lede but I want more sensory details to get a better picture of the place and scene. Maybe go through your interview and find the most evocative quote or idea and build this profile around that.
Mae-
There is a great dichotomy in this piece between the patron’s of the bar and how the author feels in relation to them as the daughter of the bar owner. I’d like to see more of that. I like the opening sentence and the following one but the rest of the lede could relate information more pertinent to the rest of the piece. General descriptions give us a sense of the patrons but give more specific details about certain ones. Also, I’d like to see the owner of the bar better and hear his voice as well. Give us more about the location of the bar in Kalamazoo; what’s going on in the street outside at the concurrent time. You’ve done a really good job of letting the words of the characters show us who they are, rather than from subjective observations. This gives real authority to the experience and to the reporting. The end seems to be drawing together various elements but still seems unfinished. While I don’t think that the author has to have a definite final opinion, giving the reader a stronger sense of possible conclusions to draw would better resolve the many issues developed in the piece.
Regis-
This lede reads more like an opening to an essay rather than to a profile piece. Grab our attention and set the tone for the rest of the piece right from the start. With some slight tweaking the second paragraph is a good lede. I like that a history of skateboarding is included, although some of the background is unnecessary for the theme. On that note, the theme or central idea needs to be further developed; is this about the skate park or long boarding? The descriptions of the park are quite good, and I think should be the focus of the piece. Quotes from the kids at the park are used effectively to set the scene and give personality to this place. Also, the inclusion of your own experience there really gives authority to the writing and this is a good way in which to draw a final conclusion, by writing of your own experience at the park. The alternation from background information to observations at the park creates a strong, varied, and intriguing narration; keep this form.
Elizabeth-
I love that opening sentence! The things that I would like to see more of in this piece: 1) physical descriptions of Sandy and Kim, 2) more on why raising livestock is a better financial investment for the farm (a wider agricultural analysis, but briefly), and 3) a few more descriptors of Willie and the physical farm and house. You do a really good job of adding personal voice to this piece and getting at something larger than just “the problem of the gay pig.” This is fun to read and draws me in; the form is strong too. Work on the conclusion so as not to leave us conjecturing as much.
Toni-
I think this does a really good job of situating a specific local in a specific location and discussing how it fits in its environment, is part of its environment and interacts with the people there. I think it covers a lot and does so thoroughly. There are two areas I have noted for consideration: 1) I’d like to see more physical description of Juanita and Jamie, and 2) the author’s voice, to me, reads as too easily seeking a “good-hearted” story; paints too pretty a picture. I’d like to see more of the back-story behind the opening of the restaurant; struggles then and now; or any other areas in which business ownership and management have been troublesome. This will make the content more whole, I think. Nicely written.
Martin-
I really like that this piece takes a definite stand in regard to the establishment being profiled. I like the conversation style and the author’s personal voice in the piece. I’d like to see maybe one more strong character to emerge, but the two included now are well developed. I think this piece takes a unique perspective and delivers it in an engaging way; it offers a point and evocatively argues it.
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