January 26, 2008
Used Books
I love to write notes in the margins of what I read. It helps me think. I know if I jot something down I will remember it when I go back to look at that same section. I am an aggressive reader with my underlining, highlighting, and notes; however, I’ve never paid much attention to the marks left on the page by other people. In fact, I’ve never thought about it. It amazes me that Rebecca Mcclanahan can observe the previous marks on a book made by some-one and find an emotional connection with them. She even determines if the person who owned the book previously was a boy or a girl!
I recently ordered the book of MY FAIR LADY on Amazon. Long story, but as a musical theatre major, I have to complete a huge research project on this one musical. Just as an experiment, I took a look at the margins inside this used script that I got for $1.99. After looking at the markings, it became obvious to me that the person who owned this book was actually IN the show PLAYING Eliza Doolittle.
The margins were covered with….
- X D.S. L. (fancy actor language for cross downstage left)
- All different kinds of Subtext interpretations: from jealously and anger to excitement and anticipation
- Beat marks breaking up the text. (These marks help track emotional changes and pauses in a character’s lines.)
The play became alive for me. It not only jumped off of the page, but I was experiencing someone else’s rehearsal process and interpretations of the main character. I’m not sure if there is a better way to really become familiar with a play other than perform in it or see it live on stage. Unfortunately, I will not have that opportunity in the next few months, so this used book is my best bet.
The power that books have to pass on other stories and not just their own is remarkable. I feel like if I read Evening Train, I would really be able to see the fear and thoughts of the grey-haired woman through her territorial marks on the book. This seems kind of outlandish, but Mcclanhan and MY FAIR LADY convinced me. Mcclanhan says, “I never saw books as dead, finished texts. They were living, breathing entities, unexplored territories…” (pg.103)
Posted by amyljb at 03:42 PM | Comments (2)
January 17, 2008
New Ways to Write
I was surprised to realize that although throughout my entire high school career I have written many essays, I’ve never thought about the purpose of an essay. Who reads them other than your professor or teacher? Do they really have a point? I didn’t think about essays in a creative manner, but it seems these personal essays can have a great impact. I like this idea of the ‘genuine essay” much more than the formal high-school standard essay. This is because there is a feeling of freedom. There aren’t any boundaries. You can incorporate many different literary formats to produce the most effective story or message. These types of essays seem to be much more imaginative and diverse than the “5 paragraph essay.” I like the idea that sometimes in a conclusion a real conclusion isn’t actually made. It takes the pressure off to produce a “perfect essay.”
This whole blog idea I have also never thought about before. It feels kind of strange right now to just be casually writing out my thoughts about class. I normally just process stuff in my head. Hopefully, by writing stuff down, I’ll be able to make more sense of all the questions and nonsense that just goes around in my head!
Posted by amyljb at 11:15 PM | Comments (3)