COver Letter
This first draft may not be the most organized piece I have ever written, but I enjoyed writing it. I recently saw a meme that said “After death is the same as before birth. You’ve already experienced the nothingness void so why are you afraid.” Of course, the first thing I thought of was Milton, and his description of hell. Luckily, this meme sparked my thinking for this essay, so I consider this essay to be a sort of stream of consciousness. In my future revision, I hope to be able to keep the quality of a stream of consciousness, but organize it in a way that makes it easier for readers to digest. In my second draft, I worked to minimize unnecessary text, and make metaphors and figurative language more effective.
In Utter Darkness
In utter darkness. These are the words Milton uses to describe the hell to which the rebellious are damned. Words chosen so intentionally they feel as if they came directly from God himself. Milton evokes the words from the lips of his muse to describe the fate he witnesses when creations rebel against their creator. The theme of light, or lack thereof, is the most critical that we see in this text. Thinking within this frame, I would like to draw attention specifically to the word darkness. This word is an unparalleled representation of Milton's writing style, as it has a complex relationship with the word light, and provokes readers to think beyond familiarity.
The word darkness is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary in a multitude of ways: “Want of sight; blindness,” “The want of spiritual or intellectual light; esp. common in biblical imagery,” “ Absence of the ‘light’ of life; death,” “ Gloom of sorrow, trouble, or distress,” “A condition or environment which conceals from sight, observation, or knowledge; obscurity; concealment, secrecy,” “ Obscurity of meaning” (1). Interestingly, darkness and light are codependent, but if personified, they are like an abusive relationship; darkness is yearning for light, but light can never be with darkness, it can only destroy it.
In the context of Paradise Lost, darkness is hell. This is fitting as we are afraid of darkness, in the same way we are afraid of what we do not know or cannot see. Interestingly, we also cannot imagine utter darkness or loss of consciousness, which in turn causes people to have a crippling fear of death. Using darkness as a descriptor of Hell is pure genius, and is an excellent reflection of Milton's writing, as he constantly describes situations in a blunt manner which does not neglect complication. Milton's hell is dialectical in the same way his earth and heaven are.
Genesis begins with God allowing light to enter his universe. This is the first step of many that lead to the world and heaven that the Judeo-Christian world believes to be. Milton sees the implications that lie within this beginning. If God lets light into his universe, this means that previously, there was no light, leading us to picture God's original habitat as a dark spaceless void. It is fascinating that this is the same image that Milton uses to describe his hell. Did God create light because he was miserable in the dark? There is a certain association that exists biblically between light and life.
God’s beloved creations require light to live. It is no coincidence that light is the first thing God draws forth, and his son is who he sends to lift the darkness of disobedience. The homo-phones of sun and son are powerful and essential to Judeo-Christian storytelling. Sun is our daily life giver in the same way Jesus is our figurative life giver, but God sees light as a gift.
Disobedience brings forth darkness. The etymology of the word Lucifer is someone or something which is light bearing. After Lucifer led a rebellion against the kingdom of God, he was stripped of the title Lucifer, damned to darkness, and renamed Satan. Challenging the one who provides you with life and light proved to be an unwise choice for Satan. This may seem ironic at first glance, but once the text of Genesis is analyzed on a deeper level, it makes perfect sense.
The word darkness is associated with blindness, death, obscurity of meaning, and environments which are concealed from sight, observation, or knowledge. With this in mind, it becomes clear that in the world described in Genesis, knowledge cannot live without light. But, Milton does not allow us to forget how dialectical the relationship between knowledge and darkness is. He begins his epic by writing, “OF Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast Brought Death into the World, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat.” The disobedience he speaks of is when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the book of Genesis. Throughout this poem Milton asks us to question the relationship between light and darkness and its relationship to knowledge. How could it be bad to eat from a tree of knowledge if knowledge means light? This is exactly how Satan is persuading Adam and Eve to think, and in turn, this is what Milton is provoking us to ask.
Citations
(1) "darkness, n." OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2020. Web. 18 April 2020.
The word darkness is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary in a multitude of ways: “Want of sight; blindness,” “The want of spiritual or intellectual light; esp. common in biblical imagery,” “ Absence of the ‘light’ of life; death,” “ Gloom of sorrow, trouble, or distress,” “A condition or environment which conceals from sight, observation, or knowledge; obscurity; concealment, secrecy,” “ Obscurity of meaning” (1). Interestingly, darkness and light are codependent, but if personified, they are like an abusive relationship; darkness is yearning for light, but light can never be with darkness, it can only destroy it.
In the context of Paradise Lost, darkness is hell. This is fitting as we are afraid of darkness, in the same way we are afraid of what we do not know or cannot see. Interestingly, we also cannot imagine utter darkness or loss of consciousness, which in turn causes people to have a crippling fear of death. Using darkness as a descriptor of Hell is pure genius, and is an excellent reflection of Milton's writing, as he constantly describes situations in a blunt manner which does not neglect complication. Milton's hell is dialectical in the same way his earth and heaven are.
Genesis begins with God allowing light to enter his universe. This is the first step of many that lead to the world and heaven that the Judeo-Christian world believes to be. Milton sees the implications that lie within this beginning. If God lets light into his universe, this means that previously, there was no light, leading us to picture God's original habitat as a dark spaceless void. It is fascinating that this is the same image that Milton uses to describe his hell. Did God create light because he was miserable in the dark? There is a certain association that exists biblically between light and life.
God’s beloved creations require light to live. It is no coincidence that light is the first thing God draws forth, and his son is who he sends to lift the darkness of disobedience. The homo-phones of sun and son are powerful and essential to Judeo-Christian storytelling. Sun is our daily life giver in the same way Jesus is our figurative life giver, but God sees light as a gift.
Disobedience brings forth darkness. The etymology of the word Lucifer is someone or something which is light bearing. After Lucifer led a rebellion against the kingdom of God, he was stripped of the title Lucifer, damned to darkness, and renamed Satan. Challenging the one who provides you with life and light proved to be an unwise choice for Satan. This may seem ironic at first glance, but once the text of Genesis is analyzed on a deeper level, it makes perfect sense.
The word darkness is associated with blindness, death, obscurity of meaning, and environments which are concealed from sight, observation, or knowledge. With this in mind, it becomes clear that in the world described in Genesis, knowledge cannot live without light. But, Milton does not allow us to forget how dialectical the relationship between knowledge and darkness is. He begins his epic by writing, “OF Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast Brought Death into the World, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat.” The disobedience he speaks of is when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the book of Genesis. Throughout this poem Milton asks us to question the relationship between light and darkness and its relationship to knowledge. How could it be bad to eat from a tree of knowledge if knowledge means light? This is exactly how Satan is persuading Adam and Eve to think, and in turn, this is what Milton is provoking us to ask.
Citations
(1) "darkness, n." OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2020. Web. 18 April 2020.
COver Letter
Recrafting this piece of work was a difficult challenge. Having a deeper knowledge of the text, my original argument felt unsatisfactory, but drafting something new was a pensive process because I was fond of the style I managed at the start. I felt the need to analyze the rhetorical moves of the writers more thoroughly than before because they are important, but it was not easy to maintain my original voice. In the end, I feel that I managed to retain some of my past voice but also incorporate a new voice. I am proud of myself for allowing space for failure. It took took many personal drafts to finally get to a place where I felt my work was ready to be shared for peer editing.
Consciousness
We live in organized chaos. The structures that define the world have been developed by people, but that does not make them any less real. Like all words, we have spelled structures (/ˈstrək(t)SHər/) and the concept of chaos
(/ˈkāˌäs/) into existence (/iɡˈzistəns/). Defined by our inventions, the universe tends towards chaos, so organization is a commodity. We are self conscious; chaos makes us uncomfortable. We seek identity in the jumble of our daily lives, but what we long for, is to feel alive. Thoreau put it best as he said “rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.”
(/ˈkāˌäs/) into existence (/iɡˈzistəns/). Defined by our inventions, the universe tends towards chaos, so organization is a commodity. We are self conscious; chaos makes us uncomfortable. We seek identity in the jumble of our daily lives, but what we long for, is to feel alive. Thoreau put it best as he said “rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.”
“rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” - Thoreau Many seek truth in art, and in the 16th century, we see higher exposure to art for lower class citizens. Though equalizing accessibility to art is important, A.O. Scott says, “leveling of old taste hierarchies does not resolve the problem of cultural authority and does not necessarily make us any freer.” He reminds us that “We can’t, after all, escape from the facts of language, geography, class, gender, and beliefs that condition what we see, any more than we can will ourselves into another time.” Even if art gives the illusion of a moment free of social status, art reflects the human world. A.O. Scott’s thinking is aligned with Geertz who said “There is no such thing as a human nature independent of culture.” But if this is true, why is art valuable?
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What makes anything valuable? Greenblatt picks at this, saying, “from thousands, we seize upon a handful of arresting figures who seem to contain within themselves much of what we need, who both reward intense, individual attention and promise access to larger cultural patterns.” It is the reflection of these aesthetic experiences that shapes who we are. Criticism is reflection; it leads us to thoughtfully conduct ourselves. Choices make people feel free, and there is a lot of choice in criticism of art. A.O. Scott says, in his novel Better Living Through Criticism, “Art is like a gateway drug, an initiation into a mode of existence more rarefied and more intense than the everyday . . . The momentarily disruptive impact of art on the equilibrium of everyday life.” Art is not consciousness, rather it is just one starting point for reflection that brings consciousness. Consciousness means autonomy.
How do we cope and create systems? We find ways to feel in control. Creative thinking made us aware that we have great power and limitations, but this new cognizance brings forth deeper questioning. This questioning is prevalent in the works of Greenblatt and Scott. The writers induce the mental growing pains of readers, for their writing requires tedious and painful reflection. They walk a rocky road - one they have discovered and lived to tell about. It is not necessarily one they feel responsible for inventing. Their invention is the rhetorical reflection of ideas they have wrestled for ages. The intersection of their paths is perpendicular - connected by consciousness.
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Greenblatt reads like latin. His writing is a puzzle that must be decoded, but the process required is rewarding. Rhetorically, he begins by redefining and shaping the way we see the world. He unties the meaning of words and restructures them to fit the context of his argument. All of these word uses are deliberate and often dialectical, using frequent antithesis. These pairings call us to contemplate and observe meticulously, demanding audience response. Repeated choice of I forces submission to system he has created. We begin mapping ourselves onto Greenblatt's experiences because he speaks of moments in his life which he identifies as self fashioning. Showing you how not telling you that, he makes us experience his experiences, and then reflect on our own. He is fashioning us - a skillful use of parallelism. In a world of aliens and authorities, he coaxes us to use our only autonomy, for our consciousness is at stake.
Scotts writing is nearly as complex as Greenblatts. His sentences are long and rambling, and they reflect the thinking process required to understand and build his argument; they show him being actively reflexive. He frequently uses parentheses and M- dashes to reflect the dialectical nature of the world. Observant, he is actively sifting, sorting, and comparing - seeking opportunity to discover and or invent meaning. His exploration is in the patter of a flower, showing small sub examples ( flower petals), but leading everything back to the flowers core. Everything is the same, different, connected, and disconnected - he is fond of contradiction. Like Greenblatt, his choice to address the reader is significant; he is asking us to imagine a time when we had an aesthetic experience, therefore, we are subconsciously forced to live through criticism.
Scott and Greenblatt are writers who explore high stakes concepts, concerned with missing opportunities to be conscious. Scott worries about the loss of self and a waste of an aesthetic experience. Greenblatt speaks to unfair structures and the threat of living a life without joy and fulfillment. Why do we write about these things? Why have we been trying to understand consciousness since the beginning of time? Why are the first stories creation stories? A.O. Scott says “The answer is a perfect tautology: we are here because everyone else is here too, and has already been here.” We are here because we crave life. We want to feel alive while air is in our lungs.
Scott and Greenblatt are writers who explore high stakes concepts, concerned with missing opportunities to be conscious. Scott worries about the loss of self and a waste of an aesthetic experience. Greenblatt speaks to unfair structures and the threat of living a life without joy and fulfillment. Why do we write about these things? Why have we been trying to understand consciousness since the beginning of time? Why are the first stories creation stories? A.O. Scott says “The answer is a perfect tautology: we are here because everyone else is here too, and has already been here.” We are here because we crave life. We want to feel alive while air is in our lungs.
COver Letter
As I worked through my third editing process of my formal writing piece, I aimed to add clarity and content. As suggested by my peer editor, I added and changed some of my language, so the reader could more clearly follow the connections in my map and writing. I also fixed careless spelling errors. It was suggested by my peer reviewer to add more clear argumentation of why I think identity is the central theme of the summer reading texts, but, I feel that information belongs in my cover letter rather than directly in my piece because I want to maintain my writings stylistic integrity.
I choose to make my map and formal piece about identity because I strongly believe all art is a search for identity. The three writings we read talked about people questioning their place in the world, even though they did this is different ways. The concepts explored in detail in each piece differed slightly, but they connected in an interesting circular way. I felt that this connection was powerful, beautiful, and interesting. What better inspiration for writing?
Cover letter version two ( an important part of my process):
In the process of editing my formal writing to fit the assignment, I decided to essentially keep it the same. I was originally confused by the direction, and I thought we had to emulate Popova’s style in our own formal writing. When I found out that we did not need to do that and we simply needed to make an argument for why our concept map was valid, I felt my piece already did this. Despite the fact that it does not directly reference my concept map, I modeled my piece on my concept map. I feel that my brain picking does a nice job of talking about all of the important concepts within my map, and I feel my writing definitely speaks about the main idea of my map which is identity.
I feel in order to do my writing justice, the reader should read my original cover letter. I thought that the cover letter was supposed to explain how I emulated Popova’s style with in my writing, and therefore it describes a large part of this writing process for me. Here is my original cover letter :
In my remix, I attempted to implement Popova’s Brain Picking style of writing. I started with a story because I found that Popova often does this to introduce her topic. As I developed my point, I used quotes from a variety of thinkers to enhance and support my claims. I strived to write a piece that would make readers think and draw their own conclusions rather than feeding them mine because I feel this is was Popova does. Additionally, I placed art pieces throughout my writing like Popova. I chose the pieces to connect the new and old art world to an issue that has existed as long as history has been recorded.
I choose to make my map and formal piece about identity because I strongly believe all art is a search for identity. The three writings we read talked about people questioning their place in the world, even though they did this is different ways. The concepts explored in detail in each piece differed slightly, but they connected in an interesting circular way. I felt that this connection was powerful, beautiful, and interesting. What better inspiration for writing?
Cover letter version two ( an important part of my process):
In the process of editing my formal writing to fit the assignment, I decided to essentially keep it the same. I was originally confused by the direction, and I thought we had to emulate Popova’s style in our own formal writing. When I found out that we did not need to do that and we simply needed to make an argument for why our concept map was valid, I felt my piece already did this. Despite the fact that it does not directly reference my concept map, I modeled my piece on my concept map. I feel that my brain picking does a nice job of talking about all of the important concepts within my map, and I feel my writing definitely speaks about the main idea of my map which is identity.
I feel in order to do my writing justice, the reader should read my original cover letter. I thought that the cover letter was supposed to explain how I emulated Popova’s style with in my writing, and therefore it describes a large part of this writing process for me. Here is my original cover letter :
In my remix, I attempted to implement Popova’s Brain Picking style of writing. I started with a story because I found that Popova often does this to introduce her topic. As I developed my point, I used quotes from a variety of thinkers to enhance and support my claims. I strived to write a piece that would make readers think and draw their own conclusions rather than feeding them mine because I feel this is was Popova does. Additionally, I placed art pieces throughout my writing like Popova. I chose the pieces to connect the new and old art world to an issue that has existed as long as history has been recorded.
Final Formal writing
When asked to mouth a few words to the man next to him on an airplane, Stephen Greenblatt could not do it. “To be asked, even by an isolated, needy individual to perform lines that were not my own, that violated my sense of my own desires, was intolerable.” Suddenly, “The human subject itself began to seem remarkably unfree, the ideological product of the relation of power in a particular society.” Reflecting on this event, Greenblatt says, “I want to bear witness at the close to my overwhelming need to sustain the illusion that I am the principal maker of my own identity.”
Greenblatt certainly is not alone in this struggle for identity. When we are questioned, we become defensive and suddenly self conscious that we might be lacking. Warren Berger explores this feeling in his opening to “A More Beautiful Question,” and he invites us to feel more comfortable with not having all of the answers. He opens with an act he saw given by a stand up comic. The performer’s skit described the feeling we get when a child persists with the question “why?” He says, “What makes it funny, though, is the comedians brutally candid description of how frustrating it can be to be on the receiving end of the kids questions. The adult, in this case, becomes exasperated, insecure, aware of his own ignorance, and reminded of his insignificance - all because of that word Why.” Interestingly, people have been struggling with the question “why” since the beginning of time, and it stems from a need for identity. Creative thinking made us aware that we have great power and limitations, but this new cognizance brings forth deeper questioning. We ask why we are and what we are because we are on the search for who we are.
Greenblatt certainly is not alone in this struggle for identity. When we are questioned, we become defensive and suddenly self conscious that we might be lacking. Warren Berger explores this feeling in his opening to “A More Beautiful Question,” and he invites us to feel more comfortable with not having all of the answers. He opens with an act he saw given by a stand up comic. The performer’s skit described the feeling we get when a child persists with the question “why?” He says, “What makes it funny, though, is the comedians brutally candid description of how frustrating it can be to be on the receiving end of the kids questions. The adult, in this case, becomes exasperated, insecure, aware of his own ignorance, and reminded of his insignificance - all because of that word Why.” Interestingly, people have been struggling with the question “why” since the beginning of time, and it stems from a need for identity. Creative thinking made us aware that we have great power and limitations, but this new cognizance brings forth deeper questioning. We ask why we are and what we are because we are on the search for who we are.
(https://www.booooooom.com/2017/06/02/fragmenta-by-artist-micaela-lattanzio/)
“Fragmented” by artist Micaela Lattanzio. An ongoing series of collages exploring the fragmentation of female identity by Rome-based artist Micaela Lattanzio.
“Fragmented” by artist Micaela Lattanzio. An ongoing series of collages exploring the fragmentation of female identity by Rome-based artist Micaela Lattanzio.
In the 16th century, we see people trying to own their identity through Renaissance Self Fashioning, and following this, we see an increase in regular people developing their own identities through their likes and dislikes. On one hand, more accessible art is great, but it does not solve the problems of the masses. As A.O. Scott says, “leveling of old taste hierarchies does not resolve the problem of cultural authority and does not necessarily make us any freer.” He reminds us that “We can’t, after all, escape from the facts of language, geography, class, gender, and belief that condition what we see, any more than we can will ourselves into another time.” Even if art gives the illusion of a moment free of social status, art reflects the human world. A.O. Scott’s thinking is aligned with Geertz who said “There is no such thing as a human nature independent of culture.” In the modern world, these bold statements tempt our argumentative sides, but in reality, they are almost indisputable. Even if someone seems to escape culture for a split second, they ultimately are trailblazers for a change of culture and not cultural escapists. People who do not conform to society, shape our culture, not defy it.
Picaso’s self portraits ages 18, 25, and 90. (https://www.reddit.com/r/continuityporn/comments/4fwcv1/picassos_selfportraits_18_25_90/)
And perhaps, it is this ongoing struggle that draws us to art. We seek out what we cannot find within ourselves. We look for answers that are not revealed in science, and we long to clarify the world’s complexity. We look for clear answers in the abstract because maybe this will allow us to understand who we are in this world. A.O. Scott says, in his novel “Better Living Through Criticism,” “Art is like a gateway drug, an initiation into a mode of existence more rarefied and more intense than the everyday . . . The momentarily disruptive impact of art on the equilibrium of everyday life.” And when you couple this thinking with that of Greenblatt who says, “So from thousands, we seize upon a handful of arresting figures who seem to contain within themselves much of what we need, who both reward intense, individual attention and promise access to larger cultural patterns, ” we can almost surely conclude that art is what allows us to unlock our identities. Unlike everything else, we seek out art for non primal reasons. We want to experience something beyond nature. Art is the key to each present moment of uncertainty. Or is it?
As A.O. Scott says, “The answer is a perfect tautology: we are here because everyone else is here too, and has already been here.” Perhaps art is the science of capturing identity because we cannot do so through quantitative research. Art is not identity, rather it is the product of curiosity. Just like science, we seek answers through experiments. Only with art, we have far too much data, and we have not been able to synthesize it to truly understand why we are here.
As A.O. Scott says, “The answer is a perfect tautology: we are here because everyone else is here too, and has already been here.” Perhaps art is the science of capturing identity because we cannot do so through quantitative research. Art is not identity, rather it is the product of curiosity. Just like science, we seek answers through experiments. Only with art, we have far too much data, and we have not been able to synthesize it to truly understand why we are here.
Cover Letter - Part 3
As I worked through my third editing process of my formal writing piece, I aimed to add clarity and content. As suggested by my peer editor, I added and changed some of my language, so the reader could more clearly follow the connections in my map and writing. I also fixed careless spelling errors. It was suggested by my peer reviewer to add more clear argumentation of why I think identity is the central theme of the summer reading texts, but, I feel that information belongs in my cover letter rather than directly in my piece because I want to maintain my writings stylistic integrity.
I choose to make my map and formal piece about identity because I strongly believe all art is a search for identity. The three writings we read talked about people questioning their place in the world, even though they did this is different ways. The concepts explored in detail in each piece differed slightly, but they connected in an interesting circular way. I felt that this connection was powerful, beautiful, and interesting. What better inspiration for writing?
Cover letter version two ( an important part of my process):
In the process of editing my formal writing to fit the assignment, I decided to essentially keep it the same. I was originally confused by the direction, and I thought we had to emulate Popova’s style in our own formal writing. When I found out that we did not need to do that and we simply needed to make an argument for why our concept map was valid, I felt my piece already did this. Despite the fact that it does not directly reference my concept map, I modeled my piece on my concept map. I feel that my brain picking does a nice job of talking about all of the important concepts within my map, and I feel my writing definitely speaks about the main idea of my map which is identity.
I feel in order to do my writing justice, the reader should read my original cover letter. I thought that the cover letter was supposed to explain how I emulated Popova’s style with in my writing, and therefore it describes a large part of this writing process for me. Here is my original cover letter :
In my remix, I attempted to implement Popova’s Brain Picking style of writing. I started with a story because I found that Popova often does this to introduce her topic. As I developed my point, I used quotes from a variety of thinkers to enhance and support my claims. I strived to write a piece that would make readers think and draw their own conclusions rather than feeding them mine because I feel this is was Popova does. Additionally, I placed art pieces throughout my writing like Popova. I chose the pieces to connect the new and old art world to an issue that has existed as long as history has been recorded.
I choose to make my map and formal piece about identity because I strongly believe all art is a search for identity. The three writings we read talked about people questioning their place in the world, even though they did this is different ways. The concepts explored in detail in each piece differed slightly, but they connected in an interesting circular way. I felt that this connection was powerful, beautiful, and interesting. What better inspiration for writing?
Cover letter version two ( an important part of my process):
In the process of editing my formal writing to fit the assignment, I decided to essentially keep it the same. I was originally confused by the direction, and I thought we had to emulate Popova’s style in our own formal writing. When I found out that we did not need to do that and we simply needed to make an argument for why our concept map was valid, I felt my piece already did this. Despite the fact that it does not directly reference my concept map, I modeled my piece on my concept map. I feel that my brain picking does a nice job of talking about all of the important concepts within my map, and I feel my writing definitely speaks about the main idea of my map which is identity.
I feel in order to do my writing justice, the reader should read my original cover letter. I thought that the cover letter was supposed to explain how I emulated Popova’s style with in my writing, and therefore it describes a large part of this writing process for me. Here is my original cover letter :
In my remix, I attempted to implement Popova’s Brain Picking style of writing. I started with a story because I found that Popova often does this to introduce her topic. As I developed my point, I used quotes from a variety of thinkers to enhance and support my claims. I strived to write a piece that would make readers think and draw their own conclusions rather than feeding them mine because I feel this is was Popova does. Additionally, I placed art pieces throughout my writing like Popova. I chose the pieces to connect the new and old art world to an issue that has existed as long as history has been recorded.
Formal Writing Version 3
When asked to mouth a few words to the man next to him on an airplane, Stephen Greenblatt could not do it. “To be asked, even by an isolated, needy individual to perform lines that were not my own, that violated my sense of my own desires, was intolerable.” Suddenly, “The human subject itself began to seem remarkably unfree, the ideological product of the relation of power in a particular society.” Reflecting on this event, Greenblatt says, “I want to bear witness at the close to my overwhelming need to sustain the illusion that I am the principal maker of my own identity.”
Greenblatt certainly is not alone in this struggle of identity. When we are questioned, we become defensive and suddenly self conscious that we might be lacking. Warren Berger explores this feeling in his opening to “A More Beautiful Question,” and he invites us to feel more comfortable with not having all of the answers. He opens with an act he saw given by a stand up comic. The performers skit described the feeling we get when a child persists with the question “why?” He says, “What makes it funny, though, is the comedians brutally candid description of how frustrating it can be to be on the receiving end of the kids questions. The adult, in this case, becomes exasperated, insecure, aware of his own ignorance, and reminded of his insignificance - all because of that word Why.” Interestingly, people have been struggling with the question “why” since the beginning of time, and it stems from a need for identity. Creative thinking made us aware that we have great power and limitations, but this new cognizance brings forth deeper questioning. We ask why we are and what we are because we are on the search for who we are.
Greenblatt certainly is not alone in this struggle of identity. When we are questioned, we become defensive and suddenly self conscious that we might be lacking. Warren Berger explores this feeling in his opening to “A More Beautiful Question,” and he invites us to feel more comfortable with not having all of the answers. He opens with an act he saw given by a stand up comic. The performers skit described the feeling we get when a child persists with the question “why?” He says, “What makes it funny, though, is the comedians brutally candid description of how frustrating it can be to be on the receiving end of the kids questions. The adult, in this case, becomes exasperated, insecure, aware of his own ignorance, and reminded of his insignificance - all because of that word Why.” Interestingly, people have been struggling with the question “why” since the beginning of time, and it stems from a need for identity. Creative thinking made us aware that we have great power and limitations, but this new cognizance brings forth deeper questioning. We ask why we are and what we are because we are on the search for who we are.
(https://www.booooooom.com/2017/06/02/fragmenta-by-artist-micaela-lattanzio/)
“Fragmented” by artist Micaela Lattanzio. An ongoing series of collages exploring the fragmentation of female identity by Rome-based artist Micaela Lattanzio
“Fragmented” by artist Micaela Lattanzio. An ongoing series of collages exploring the fragmentation of female identity by Rome-based artist Micaela Lattanzio
In the 16th century, we see people trying to own their identity through Renaissance Self Fashioning, and following this, we see an increase in regular people developing their own identities through their likes and dislikes. On one hand, more accessible art is great, but it does not solve the problems of the masses. As A.O. Scott says, “leveling of old taste hierarchies does not resolve the problem of cultural authority and does not necessarily make us any freer.” He reminds us that “We can’t, after all, escape from the facts of language, geography, class, gender, and belief that condition what we see, any more than we can will ourselves into another time.” Even if art gives the illusion of a moment free of social status, art reflects the human world. A.O. Scott’s thinking is aligned with Geertz who said “There is no such thing as a human nature independent of culture.” In the modern world, these bold statements tempt our argumentative sides, but in reality, they are almost indisputable. Even if someone seems to escape culture for a split second, they ultimately are trailblazers for a change of culture and not cultural escapists.
Picaso’s self portraits ages 18, 25, and 90. (https://www.reddit.com/r/continuityporn/comments/4fwcv1/picassos_selfportraits_18_25_90/)
And perhaps, it is this ongoing struggle that draws us to art. We seek out what we cannot find within ourselves. We look for answers that are not revealed in science, and we long to clarify the worlds complexity. We look for clear answers in the abstract because maybe this will allow us to understand who we are in this world. A.O. Scott says, in his novel “Living Better Through Criticism, “Art is like a gateway drug, an initiation into a mode of existence more rarefied and more intense than the everyday . . . The momentarily disruptive impact of art on the equilibrium of everyday life.” And when you couple this thinking with that of Greenblatt who says, “So from thousands, we seize upon a handful of arresting figures who seem to contain within themselves much of what we need, who both reward intense, individual attention and promise access to larger cultural patterns, ” we can almost surely conclude that art is what allows us to unlock our identities. It is the key to each present moment of uncertainty. Or is it?
“The answer is a perfect tautology: we are here because everyone else is here too, and has already been here.” - A.O. Scott
“The answer is a perfect tautology: we are here because everyone else is here too, and has already been here.” - A.O. Scott
My concept map is centered around Identity. As I read “A More Beautiful Question,” “Better Living Through Criticism,” and “Renaissance Self Fashioning,” I found that they all involved the search for identity. This search was in a complex relationship with many outside factors that were all connected in some way. Our sense of identity essentially comes from four main things: our understanding of the world, our understanding of who we are in the world, our understanding of our power and limitations, and our almost uncontrollable social status within society. Branching off from that are the subcategories which connect each piece to the nucleus of the map.
COver Letter - Part 2
In the process of editing my formal writing to fit the assignment, I decided to essentially keep it the same. I was originally confused by the direction, and I thought we had to emulate Popova’s style in our own formal writing. When I found out that we did not need to do that and we simply needed to make an argument for why our concept map was valid, I felt my piece already did this. Despite the fact that it does not directly reference my concept map, I modeled my piece on my concept map. I feel that my brain picking does a nice job of talking about all of the important concepts within my map, and I feel my writing definitely speaks about the main idea of my map which is identity.
I feel in order to do my writing justice, the reader should read my original cover letter. I thought that the cover letter was supposed to explain how I emulated Popova’s style with in my writing, and therefore it describes a large part of this writing process for me. Here is my orginal cover letter :
In my remix, I attempted to implement Popova’s Brain Picking style of writing. I started with a story because I found that Popova often does this to introduce her topic. As I developed my point, I used quotes from a variety of thinkers to enhance and support my claims. I strived to write a piece that would make readers think and draw their own conclusions rather than feeding them mine because I feel this is was Popova does. Additionally, I placed art pieces throughout my writing like Popova. I chose the pieces to connect the new and old art world to an issue that has existed as long as history has been recorded.
I feel in order to do my writing justice, the reader should read my original cover letter. I thought that the cover letter was supposed to explain how I emulated Popova’s style with in my writing, and therefore it describes a large part of this writing process for me. Here is my orginal cover letter :
In my remix, I attempted to implement Popova’s Brain Picking style of writing. I started with a story because I found that Popova often does this to introduce her topic. As I developed my point, I used quotes from a variety of thinkers to enhance and support my claims. I strived to write a piece that would make readers think and draw their own conclusions rather than feeding them mine because I feel this is was Popova does. Additionally, I placed art pieces throughout my writing like Popova. I chose the pieces to connect the new and old art world to an issue that has existed as long as history has been recorded.
Formal writing Second Go - A product of who knows what
When asked to mouth a few words to the man next to him on an airplane, Stephen Greenblat could not do it. “To be asked, even by an isolated, needy individual to perform lines that were not my own, that violated my sense of my own desires, was intolerable.” Suddenly, “The human subject itself began to seem remarkably unfree, the ideological product of the relation of power in a particular society.” Reflecting on this event, Greenblat says, “I want to bear witness at the close to my overwhelming need to sustain the illusion that I am the principal maker of my own identity.”
Greenblat certainly is not alone in this struggle of identity. When we are questioned, we become defensive and suddenly self conscious that we might be lacking. Warren Burger explores this feeling in his opening to “A More Beautiful Question,” and he invites us to feel more comfortable with not having all of the answers. He opens with an act he saw given by a stand up comic. The performers skit described the feeling we get when a child persists with the question “why?” He says, “What makes it funny, though, is the comedians brutally candid description of how frustrating it can be to be on the receiving end of the kids questions. The adult, in this case, becomes exasperated, insecure, aware of his own ignorance, and reminded of his insignificance - all because of that word Why.” Interestingly, people have been struggling with the question “why” since the beginning of time, and it stems from a need for identity. We question why we are and what we are because we are on the search for who we are.
(https://www.booooooom.com/2017/06/02/fragmenta-by-artist-micaela-lattanzio/)
“Fragmented” by artist Micaela Lattanzio. An ongoing series of collages exploring the fragmentation of female identity by Rome-based artist Micaela Lattanzio.
“Fragmented” by artist Micaela Lattanzio. An ongoing series of collages exploring the fragmentation of female identity by Rome-based artist Micaela Lattanzio.
In the 16th century, we see people trying to own their identity through Renaissance Self Fashioning, and following this, we see an increase in regular people developing their own identities through their likes and dislikes. But, as A.O. Scott says, “leveling of old taste hierarchies does not resolve the problem of cultural authority and does not necessarily make us any freer.” He reminds us that “We can’t, after all, escape from the facts of language, geography, class, gender, and belief that condition what we see, any more than we can will ourselves into another time” His thinking is aligned with Geertz who said “There is no such thing as a human nature independent of culture.” In the modern world, these bold statements tempt our argumentative sides, but in reality, they are almost indisputable. Even if someone seems to escape culture for a split second, they ultimately are trailblazers for a change of culture and not culture escapists.
Picaso’s self portraits ages 18, 25, and 90. (https://www.reddit.com/r/continuityporn/comments/4fwcv1/picassos_selfportraits_18_25_90/)
And perhaps, it is this ongoing struggle that draws us to art. We seek out what we cannot find within ourselves. We look for clear answers in the abstract because maybe this will allow us to understand who we are in this world. A.O Scott says, in his novel “Living Better Through Criticism, “Art is like a gateway drug, an initiation into a mode of existence more rarefied and more intense than the everyday . . . The momentarily disruptive impact of art on the equilibrium of everyday life.” And when you couple this thinking with that of Greenblatt who says, “So from thousands, we seize upon a handful of arresting figures who seem to contain within themselves much of what we need, who both reward intense, individual attention and promise access to larger cultural patterns, ” we can almost surely conclude that art is what allows us to unlock our identities. It is the key to each present moment of uncertainty. Or is it?
“The answer is a perfect tautology: we are here because everyone else is here too, and has already been here.” - A.O. Scott
“The answer is a perfect tautology: we are here because everyone else is here too, and has already been here.” - A.O. Scott
Cover letter - implementing popova's style
In my remix, I attempted to implement Popova’s Brain Picking style of writing. I started with a story because I found that Popova often does this to introduce her topic. As I developed my point, I used quotes from a variety of thinkers to enhance and support my claims. I strived to write a piece that would make readers think and draw their own conclusions rather than feeding them mine because I feel this is was Popova does. Additionally, I placed art pieces throughout my writing like Popova. I chose art that I feel parallels that identify has always been questioned.
A Product of who knows what.
When asked to mouth a few words to the man next to him on an airplane, Stephen Greenblat could not do it. “To be asked, even by an isolated, needy individual to perform lines that were not my own, that violated my sense of my own desires, was intolerable.” Suddenly, “The human subject itself began to seem remarkably unfree, the ideological product of the relation of power in a particular society.” Reflecting on this even, he says, “I want to bear witness at the close to my overwhelming need to sustain the illusion that I am the principal maker of my own identity.”
Greenblat certainly is not alone in this struggle of identity. When we are questioned, we become defensive and suddenly concise that we might be lacking. Warren Burger explores this feeling in his opening to “A More Beautiful Question,” and he invites us to feel more comfortable with not having all of the answers. He opens with an act he saw given by a stand up comic. The performers skit described the feeling we get when a child persists with the question “why?” He says, “What makes it funny, though, is the comedians brutally candid description of how frustrating it can be to be on the receiving end of the kids questions. The adult, in this case, becomes exasperated, insecure, aware of his own ignorance, and reminded of his insignificance - all because of that word Why.”
Greenblat certainly is not alone in this struggle of identity. When we are questioned, we become defensive and suddenly concise that we might be lacking. Warren Burger explores this feeling in his opening to “A More Beautiful Question,” and he invites us to feel more comfortable with not having all of the answers. He opens with an act he saw given by a stand up comic. The performers skit described the feeling we get when a child persists with the question “why?” He says, “What makes it funny, though, is the comedians brutally candid description of how frustrating it can be to be on the receiving end of the kids questions. The adult, in this case, becomes exasperated, insecure, aware of his own ignorance, and reminded of his insignificance - all because of that word Why.”
(https://www.booooooom.com/2017/06/02/fragmenta-by-artist-micaela-lattanzio/)
“Fragmented” by artist Micaela Lattanzio. From a series of collages exploring the fragmentation of female identity.
“Fragmented” by artist Micaela Lattanzio. From a series of collages exploring the fragmentation of female identity.
In the 16th century, we see people trying to own their identity through Renaissance Self Fashioning, and following this, we see an increase in regular people developing their own identities through their likes and dislikes. But, as A.O. Scott says, “leveling of old taste hierarchies does not resolve the problem of cultural authority and does not necessarily make us any freer.” He reminds us that “We can’t, after all, escape from the facts of language, geography, class, gender, and belief that condition what we see, any more than we can will ourselves into another time” His thinking is aligned with Geertz who said “There is no such thing as a human nature independent of culture”
Picaso’s self portraits ages 18, 25, and 90. (https://www.reddit.com/r/continuityporn/comments/4fwcv1/picassos_selfportraits_18_25_90/)
And perhaps, it is this ongoing struggle that draws us to art. We seek out what we cannot find within ourselves. We look for clear answers in the abstract because maybe this will allow us to understand who we are in this world. A.O Scott says, “Art is like a gateway drug, an initiation into a mode of existence more rarefied and more intense than the everyday . . . The momentarily disruptive impact of art on the equilibrium of everyday life.” And when you couple this thinking with that of Greenblatt who says, “So from thousands, we seize upon a handful of arresting figures who seem to contain within themselves much of what we need, who both reward intense, individual attention and promise access to larger cultural patterns, ” we can almost surely conclude that art is what allows us to unlock our identities. Or is it?
“The answer is a perfect tautology: we are here because everyone else is here too, and has already been here.”
- A.O. Scott
“The answer is a perfect tautology: we are here because everyone else is here too, and has already been here.”
- A.O. Scott
maping the concept
My concept map is centered around Identity. As I read “A More Beautiful Question,” “Better Living Through Criticism,” and “Renaissance Self Fashioning,” I found that they all involved the search for identity. This search was in a complex relationship with many outside factors that were all connected in some way. Our sense of identity essentially comes from four main things: our understanding of the world, our understanding of who we are in the world, our understanding of our power and limitations, and our almost uncontrollable social status within society. Branching off from that are the subcategories which connect each piece to the nucleus of the map.