12/12

Breath. Relax. Smile. Repeat. There's no need to rush things.  I mean, yes there may be a deadline to meet, but in the end, you need to feel comfortable in what you plan on doing before you get started.  True writing is like falling in love.  It takes time and patients.  The best of it will happen when you're not paying attention or when your mind wanders.  You fall in love with every word you write.  Every single word you believe in and stand by no matter what.  Other times, you may doubt them, but at the end of the day the best writing is that in which you can believe and stand by.
Pressure can play a part in writing.  The pressure to do well, to impress others, and to prove to others what you are capable of can be overwhelming.  What do I say to that? I say forget it.  It's not worth worrying about.  Yes, you need to focus on the task at hand and make sure you are doing what the intended purpose is, but a little adventuring never hurt anyone too much.  Forget about the voices telling you what and what not to do.  Just listen to yourself.
At the end of the day, just believe.  Believe in the words you write, believe in what you're writing for, and most of all believe in yourself.  It may seem to be too much pressure or too difficult, but if you just relax you'll fall right into something wonderful.

11/12

Are the four-letter word projects writing? (what is writing?) Or, are they compositions, inscriptions, or something else?

I feel the four-letter word projects are compositions that happen to contain some writing.  Writing is used in the project in the form of short phrases, words, or symbols.  Writing is a way of communicating with people using these things.  In my opinion, pictures and images can do more than writing at times; however, from images words and writing can be derived.  Actually, now that I think more about it, the more these projects turn into writing.  Who gets to decide what is considered writing? To some, only written letters are, while to others hieroglyphics are the definition.  The purpose of writing is to communicate something to the reader or viewer, often in the form of an argument.  In my opinion, these projects are writing, but ultimately it depends on who you ask.

9/12

When you put on text (on your person- as clothing/textile, tattoo, or jewelry), do you honestly anticipate readers?

I anticipate readers probably most of the time I wear text.  Sometimes, I just throw on whatever I can find if I'm running late or just extremely lazy that day.  Most of the time though, I read what I put on in the morning.  I guess it's not exactly that I anticipate readers or want them, I think it's more like I'm aware of what I'm wearing.  I wear things just for me rather than for other people.  Even if I ever get the tattoo I want, it will be for me, not for other people.

8/12

Transcribe the text of the sample onto your blog.  Do not edit. (If there are any images provided, describe them briefly in a notes section.)  Return the crayon sample.

I think this is true.  Because if you are able to write in the voice of someone else well, then you have to be able to become them.  You may feel something different than what you normally would.  You may be even saying something that you don't believe.  If you can do this in voice, then you can be more open-minded to other things.  YOu will be able to see and feel different viewpoints form your own.

7/12

Consider the material nature of the crayon response you are reviewing- this is not your own writing! Is the writer influenced by the writing implement s/he uses? Is the writer more expressive or less expressive as a result of the physical constraints of the crayoned page?

Is this writing any good? How do you know that it is good (or not)?

Keeping in mind the material nature of the crayon response, I think the writer is not influenced by the writing implement.  He expresses about the same amount of enthusiasm in this writing as he does using any other writing utensil.  He doesn't seem to feel any particular way about writing with a crayon, I believe he just focuses on what he is writing rather than what with he is writing.  If anything, the crayon only restrained him from writing down his thoughts quick and easily.

This writing is just as good as any other paragraph response written in pencil or another media.  In fact, the writer answers the question well and elaborates with his own thoughts.  Assessing his writing shows that he has an interesting opinion response to the original prompt, arguing that flexibility in voice leads to flexibility in all things.

6/12

Respond to the character's question as he enters the twittersphere:  "Who are they talking to?"  Do you wonder who your audience is when you post on twitter?  Do you feel differently about your audience in online writing environments?  Is your relationship to your online audience distinct?  Who do you imagine is reading your tweets, for example?

This animation clearly doubts the viability of twitter as a valuable tool.  What do you think?   What is the purpose of microblogging?


In my opinion, people on twitter are talking to anyone who will listen.  At first, this might sound harsh and rude, but when you think about it it's true.  Friends, family, coworkers, and all other kinds of followers on twitter are the ones who are reading the tweets. When I have to post on twitter, I honestly don't think a lot about who my audience is.  Thinking about it now, I suppose it is my classmates and anyone following the text thread, seeing as how I only use it for school.  I do feel differently when I think about that every word I type does have the potential to be seen by anyone. It seems very violating and makes me slightly uncomfortable and self-conscious.  In online writing environments I feel like my audience is not very close to me.  I don't have a personal connection to them, so I feel like there is no distinct bond between us.


I don't believe twitter is a useful tool to most people, so I agree with the message the cartoon animation is sending.  The intended purpose of microblogging is to reach as many people as possible with a small important piece of information; however, I feel people abuse it and use it for stupid purposes.

5/12

To conclude her essay, Zadie Smith discloses: “In this lecture I have been seeking to tentatively suggest that the voice that speaks with such freedom, thus unburdened by dogma and personal bias, thus flooded with empathy, might make a good president” (192).  However, she rejects this claim by advocating for the many-voiced role of the poet.  What is the difference between the rhetoric of a president and that of a poet?  Does Smith suggest there should be a difference?


Zadie Smith comments on the difference in rhetoric of the president and the poet.  To start, Smith discusses how the president only has one voice, while the poet has many.  As president, it is seen to be important to only have one voice and keep strong, solid opinions.  If he has more than one opinion he is often criticized for flip-flopping on issues and being unreliable.  Oppositely, the poet is encouraged to have more voices.  More voices allows for the poet to express himself more and have more creative freedom depending upon what the topic is and what style.  


Even though Smith describes the different rhetoric in such a way, she also feels it would be a nice change of pace to see a president who can freely discuss his opinions without having to worry about judgement or criticism.  If the president had the freedom of the poet, he could voice all his feelings about a subject.  Having many voices could even show a more vulnerable president in a good way, meaning the people could feel more connected to him.  

4/12

Zadie Smith discusses that "To occupy a dream, to exist in a dreamed space (conjured by both father and mother), is surely quite different thing from simply inheriting a dream.  It's more interesting," (page 183).

Do we appreciate the difference between occupying a dream and inheriting a dream as a nation?
How does Smith establish between occupying and inheriting a dream when it comes to different social groups?
If one is to inherit a dream, do they still have the same appreciation for it compared to someone who occupies it?
Keeping in mind the idea behind this statement, is the typical "American Dream" usually occupied or inherited?
Who does Zadie Smith believe to be an example of someone who simply exists in a dreamed space?
Oppositely, who does she feel has inherited it?

3/12

What I really think about the writing space that twitter affords is that it minimizes human interaction and marginalizes the use of a properly spelled sentence.  Twitter to me seems only useful to major corporations, publications, and comedians.  For the everyday person I think twitter is not useful.  Although it is a writing space that can be shared with thousands of people very easily, it's not useful or practical for an average person.  For associations such as CNN or SONY twitter is a useful tool to get information out fast to its followers, making it useful for readers.  Once those readers begin writing, the writing space becomes less legitimate and more of a whimsical internet fad.

1/12

I'm not sure why so many people wear texts on their clothing and on their skin.  Perhaps they feel that such portable writing serves to express who they are in a short word or phrase.  People believe that you only get one chance to make a first impression, so some decide to put it all out into the world at once.  On the other hand, some people just wake up, throw on the closest clean-smelling shirt, and go about their daily lives without even considering what they're saying to the world.