TOW #3: IRB Post, What Teachers Make by Taylor Mali

What Teachers Make by Taylor Mali is an insightful memoir about a poem of the same name. In 1997 at a New Years Eve party, a young, arrogant lawyer insulted the author by asking the unnecessary question of what do teachers make? The answer to this question was not given until the next day, when Mali wrote the poem, “What Teachers Make”. His overall answer was simple: teachers make a difference. In the book, Mali goes into a greater depth about all the elements in his poem. For each section of the book, there are back-stories and examples that reveal the purpose of every single line in his poem.

Mali, being a teacher for many years, now goes around touring the world teaching about the art of poetry. He went to graduate school for poetry but came out as a teacher; which makes his answer to the lawyer’s question much more meaningful. He used both of his passions to create his answer: teachers make a difference. Those four words are his whole purpose. This makes this book appealing to all willing to read it. It even states on the back cover: “What Teachers Make is a book that will be treasured and shared by every teacher in America- and everybody who’s ever loved or learned from one”. 

As of now, I am on page 57 of 197. In these 57 pages, I have learned about many of the teaching strategies Mali had used during his career. One chapter in particular that really appealed to the book’s pathos would be the chapter named “Calling Home”. This is about how Mali makes phone calls home to families to tell them GOOD things about their child. By doing so, Mali is able to allow parents to see a different side of their child they may have never seen before. I believe that this example helps Mali achieve his purpose of making a difference, because after receiving his phone calls, not only do parents feel good, but the student now has an even greater reason to do good. In the end, the teacher is the one who made the difference in that child’s life.

                             Taylor Mali reading this poem What Teachers Make

Tow #2: Visual Text, "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Mandy Moore

             Dance is living art; it can tell a story without using a single word.  Dance has the ability to do something words could never achieve. A turn of a head could have hundreds of different meanings. In the piece “I Can’t Make You Love Me” choreographed by So You Think You Can Dance choreographer, Mandy Moore, viewers can feel the pain of losing the love of their life. Dancers, Jenna Johnston and Neil Haskell, embody the characters of two people in the process of a breaking up. Neil’s persona is still madly in love with Jenna and is fighting to have her stay. Jenna, on the other hand, is ready to move on from the relationship.

            Many people have gone through tough breakups like the one portrayed in the dance. Mandy Moore wanted to create a piece that could be related to by countless amounts of people. Her purpose in creating this number was to show the struggle between the choices of breaking up and staying together. In the dance, the audience can see Neil struggling to have Jenna stay with him. In addition, Moore’s music selection of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” sung by Mark Masri helps emphasize the story she is trying to tell. Although, watching dances is not for everyone, this piece was made for anyone who has every experienced the battle with a breaking heart and the constant strive to keep the one you love from walking away.

            I believe that Mandy Moore was able to achieve her purpose of showing the strain of a break up. In the dance, viewers can feel the emotions of both sides of the tale through Jenna and Neil. Both dancer emote the two different sides of a relationships’ end. Most-likely having experienced broken hearts themselves, Moore and the dancers let these emotions shine through in the performance and the choreography. In my opinion, all these things are strong components of an effective story told through the art of dance.

TOW #1: "Bacchanalian Carnival: Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby" by Nathan Heller

           Gatsby. The beloved character from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby, has been reinvented through the eyes of director, Baz Luhrmann, in the 2013 summer blockbuster.  A Film and TV crique for Vogue, Nathan Heller, gives his opinion on the film in his article: "Bacchanalian Carnival: Baz Lurhmann's The Great Gatsby".  Heller is a Harvard graduate and has also written for “The New Yorker” and “The New York Times”. In this article, he shows his readers Lurhmann's bold take on Fitzgerald's well-known classic. Between the over-the-top parties, extravagant cars, and Gatsby's endless love for Daisy Buchanan, Lurhmann's take on the roaring twenties is hard to ignore.    

          Heller's purpose was to show his readers how Lurhmann was able to keep the familiar storyline of the novel, while giving it a modern makeover. For example- popular artists, Jay-Z and Fergie, did the movies music scoring. He believes that the film itself is " not a movie for Fitzgerald purists—or even, probably, their close relatives". Its unorthodox vibrancy is what gives the film so much appeal to begin with. Although the novel's purists maybe overwhelmed by the film, Heller shows readers how this film is perfect for those who love both the story of The Great Gatsby and the vibe of today’s modern society. Lurhmann was able to blend the two in a way that the film is far enough off from the original novel, that it becomes alluring to all. Even Gatsby sticklers can re-fall in love with Gatsby.

         Heller uses Pathos in this piece by explaining how the treasured masterpiece written by Fitzgerald could be altered to fascinate all who encounter it. I believe that Heller was able to achieve his purpose that Lurhmann was able to keep the familiar storyline of the Great Gatsby, while giving it a modern twist. He achieved his purpose by showing readers how even with the modern take, the same beloved characters of Daisy, Nick, Tom, Jordan, and, of course, Gatsby, were still the same as in the novel.  The characters are what, as Heller says: “the quiet eye of the hurricane, the center of its luxurious storm”.

http://www.vogue.com/culture/article/bacchanalian-carnival-baz-luhrmanns-the-great-gatsby/#1

IRB Introduction Post #1: What Teachers Make by Taylor Mali

         For my first Independent Reading Book of the year, I chose to read the memoir, What Teachers Make by Taylor Mali. The book is a tribute to "the greatest job in the world", teaching. What started out as a simple poem, whose name is the same as the book title, is now an insightful memoir on the joys of teaching. The poem was brought about when a rich man at a dinner party asked Mali the simple question: What do teachers make? The purpose of this book is to show the reader a teacher's perspective of a classroom in a humorous, yet, intuitive way. Mali also uses his memoir to explain why teaching is so vital to our society today. I was drawn to this book with the goal of acquiring a greater understanding on why teachers do what they do and how being a teacher has affected their lives. Every teacher I have had, has an effect on who I am as a person today. I am hoping that I will gain from this book a greater appreciation on what it takes to be a teacher. I also hope to learn how students have an affect on their teachers, just like how teachers have an affect on their students.

"Duh, Bor-ing" by Joseph Epstein

            “Duh, Bor-ing” by Joseph Epstein explores the different facets of boredom. Epstein uses personal accounts and others opinions on the idea of being bored throughout his piece. The essay starts out with a list of things that could be considered a bore. The author continues on by stating: “One cannot be human without at some time or other having known boredom”.

            Epstein was a teacher and apart of the peacetime army; both of which he considered boring at one point or another. A teacher, he claims, is someone who cannot say something just once; they sometimes repeat themselves more than ten times. Peter Toohey, a professor at Calgary University, is quoted many times throughout the piece due to the fact that he has written multiple novels on the idea of boredom, including Boredom: A Lively History. The topic of boredom was brought about by the author’s curiosity on the components and theories of being “bored”. 

            The purpose of the essay was to go into depth on the concept of boredom.  The author introduces a multitude of concepts and opinions on the topic.  Readers are mainly people who are also intrigued by the question “What is boredom?” The audience of this piece will gain a greater understanding on what it truly means to be bored.

            Everyone has experienced boredom at some point in his or her life. This familiar feeling that all of us have experienced allows us to connect to the piece through the rhetorical element of pathos. The author uses Logos all through the essay by quoting the viewpoint of other authors, teachers and philosophers, including Martin Heidegger and Joseph Brodsky, viewpoints on the topic.

            As a reader myself, I believe that Epstein did a fine job in accomplishing his purpose; which was to go into greater depth on boredom. He did so by sharing his own thoughts, facts on boredom, and by showing how boredom is being coped with in modern times. He noted that the invention of the iPhone and the iPad has created a distraction for people’s boredom. These features allowed me to fully grasp Epstein’s purpose for writing this piece. 

In "Duh, Bor-ing" by Joseph Epstein, it is explained how everyone is affected by boredom at one point or another in their life. 

"How Doctors Die" by Ken Murray

           “How Doctors Die” by Ken Murray explores the feelings of a doctor and his thought on death. The essay begins with Murray discussing the death of his mentor, Charlie. He was one of the best surgeons in the country but unfortunately was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Instead of pursuing extreme medical procedures, Charlie stayed at home with his family and friends until his death.  Doctors know enough about modern medical technology to know what to expect and when the treatment becomes unnecessary. It is the quality of life, not the quantity. Murray allows readers to feel the constraints of a doctor.

            Patients, doctors and the system- three things that answer the question: How do doctors administer care that they would not want for themselves? Being a doctor himself, the author uses death experiences of family, friends and patients to support his purpose. Murray’s purpose for writing this piece is to show readers that it’s the quality of life, not the quantity that ultimately matters.  He gives multiple examples throughout that show how the people who choose to not undergo the medical procedures and live their last few moments with their family live a happier and, in some cases, longer life.

            This essay was written for anyone curious about how doctors look at death. It gives readers a new perspective on life and how to approach it when faced with death. Murray uses logos throughout the piece by giving readers examples of deaths that the author experienced. His cousin Torch’s situation is a great example of how he used logos. When Torch discovered that he had cancer, he decided against heavy treatments and only took pills that controlled his brain’s swelling. In the end, Torch died happier and lived longer than he would have if he went through with treatments.

            I believe that Murray accomplished his purpose in showing readers how the quality of life is greater than the quantity. His essay gave me a new perspective on death and even on how doctors view it. The author’s strong diction and stories used throughout allowed his intention to be achieved. 

In “How Doctors Die” by Ken Murray, the people who died at home ended up having the better quality life.

"Killing My Body to Save My Mind" by Lauren Slater

          “Killing My Body to Save My Mind” by Lauren Slater is about a choice the author must make between her mind and her body.  Slater is on many medications for her depression, but her essay revolves around one drug in particular, Zyprexa. After taking the psychotropic for only three days her depression seemed to vanish. The only downside to this medication was the side effect of excessive weight gain. When Slater’s depression went away her appetite returned; before she knew it she had gained fifty-plus pounds. Her psychopharmacologist warned her about the side effect, but having a psychology degree herself, she ignored the hazard due to her desperation for happiness. Once she realized what Zyprexa was doing to her body she had to choose, happiness or health.

            Slater is placed in the situation where she has to choose the happiness in her mind or the healthiness of her body. Her purpose in this essay was to allow readers to see her struggle in making her decision.  At one point during the piece, Slater stated: “I wasn’t giving much thought to my increase in appetite or weight, [I] focused solely on how happy I was to have my life back”. After being depressed for an extensive amount of time, she did not seem to have a care in the world other than the fact she was finally happy again.           

            Depression and weight gain are two very common struggles for people today - especially women. By writing this essay, Slater was able to appeal to an audience who may be dealing with a similar situation to hers. Her conflict is what draws individuals to this piece.  

            Pathos is used throughout in order to keep readers interested and to connect them to the essay. I believe that Lauren Slater did a wonderful job accomplishing her purpose, which was to show readers her struggle in making the decision. In the end, she chose her mind over her body. I could tell that by choosing her mind she will live a fuller and happier life overall.  

In “Killing My Body to Save My Mind” by Lauren Slater, she must choose between her happiness and her health.

"The Good Short Life" by Dudley Clendinen

            “The Good Short Life” by Dudley Clendinen is about how the author looks at his life once he learns that he is going to die. Clendinen is sixty-six years old, gay and a recovering alcoholic. Also, he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ASL or Lou Gehrig’s disease. He is not negative or angry about his end. In a way, Clendinen is at peace - death is accepted. “[He] realized [he] had a way of life”.  His life was a good life and Clendinen is happy and appreciative about everything wonderful in it, including his friends, family, and daughter.

            Clendinen shows how life should be treasured. Once he learned he was going to die, he was not prepared. His diseases gave him this epiphany on his life; giving him the credibility sought after by all writers.  Even though Clendinen’s diseases will eventually cause his life to end, it also allows him to view his life in a new way. This new perspective on life is what brought about this essay.

            Anyone can learn from Dudley Clendinen and his view on life. He wrote this essay for anyone willing to read it. This piece shows how even with Lou Gerhrig’s disease, the author was able to be accepting of death and loving of life. The author used the memory of when he was first struck by the fact that he was going to die to appeal to pathos. This memory caused him to realize that he does have a life plan and “[he] can do anything, one day at a time”.

            The purpose of this essay was to express to the reader that he has a wonderful life, but he is ready for death. As the reader, I believe Clendinen did an astounding job of showing how death no longer scares him and he is in control of his whole life. The essay intrigued me and kept me interested throughout; but I think that end of the essay sums up the piece perfectly. “When the music stops… I’ll know that Life is over. It’s time to be gone”.

On Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Dudley Clendinen is Self-actualized because he has accepted the fact that he is going to die.

"A Beauty" by Robert Boyers

In the essay “A Beauty” by Robert Boyers, the motif of beauty is used throughout the piece.  The author advances the idea that beauty has power. He starts out the essay by introducing readers to his friend, Charles Newman, whom Boyers describes as “the most beautiful man [he] ever knew”.  As the essay progresses, the reader learns that Newman is cheating on his fourth wife. Boyers understood that Newman cheating on his wife was wrong, but somehow Newman’s beauty made everything seem acceptable. No matter how awful an action involving Charles Newman, he was still seen as beautiful.

What caused Boyers to write this essay was his friend, Charles Newman.  The author wanted to try and find the answer to the question: Why does beauty have power? Newman causes Boyers to wonder about the power of beauty and what makes it so alluring. To make himself creditable, Boyers uses his recollection of time he has spent with Charles Newman.  Along with memories he has of Newman, Boyers is constantly quoting other essayists’ ideas on the power of beauty.

 Readers are given a glimpse into the life of someone beautiful through the eyes of someone wondering about the power of beauty. Many people strive to obtain beauty and the power that comes with it. The question that Boyers has is one that many others have asked. People with the same question are the audience for this piece. Pathos is used throughout the essay because of his strong delivery that captivates readers and also because the story that he tells appeals to many.

I believe that Boyers succeeded in accomplishing his purpose of showing that beauty is power. This is because he showed that “If our sense of what is beautiful… always derives from some idea or impression of what is natural…then it was legitimate for me to think of my friend as beautiful, even where his behavior seemed reprehensible”. I was able to see his point while he kept quiet about Newman’s cheating on his wife. I was able to see the power of beauty work its magic. 

In Snow White, the power of beauty causes the Evil Queen to try and kill Snow White so that she can be know as “the fairest of them all”.