Inventory and Genre listing
Instructional/conceptual (Nonfiction): Creative Writing for Dummies, Free Play
Classical (Fiction): Macbeth, Beowulf, Oedipus Rex, Romeo and Juliet, Frankenstein
Romance(Fiction): Romiette and Julio, The Perfect Play, Our December, The Last Song
Horror (Fiction): The Shining, Anna Dressed in Blood, In a Dark Dark Room (Poetry/Prose)
Young Adult (fiction): House of Night Series (Fantasy), Vampire Diaries (Fantasy), Hush Hush (Fantasy), Fallen (Fantasy), Hunger Games trilogy (Fantasy/Political), Night Circus (Fantasy), Ink Heart (YA/Children’s fantasy), The Last Song (Drama/Romance)
Fiction: Wicked (Fantasy/Political/Social), Coraline (Children’s Lit/Horror/Fantasy/coming of age), Catcher in The Rye (Coming of Age), The Outsiders (YA/Children’s Lit, Coming of age), The Great Gatsby (Drama), To Kill a Mockingbird (Drama/Coming of Age), The Wonderful wizard of Oz (Children’s Lit/Fantasy), The secret Life of Bees (Coming of Age), Life of Pi (Adventure)
Nonfiction: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Detailed:
Wicked – this book is a fantasy fiction in the world of Oz faced with political and social issues in which Animals, who have had the ability of speech, are stripped of their intellect as a result of the supremacy of the wizard. The novel features talking animals and extravagant characters with features ranging from size, color, and body art.
House of Night Series – This book is a young adult fantasy fiction piece that examines a world filled with vampires who openly live among the modern human. The series involves mythical creatures and several tropes of a vampiric storyline.
The Shining – Written by Stephen King, The Shining presents a world in which involves other worldly dimensions in which some characters may view and utilize as a form of a one way, receiving telepathy.
In a Dark Dark Room – This piece is a collection of short prose and poetry in the horror genre. Each story presented ghouls and mystics. This book may have single handedly began to shape my aesthetic and attraction to the quirky and horrific as a child.
Frankenstein – Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is a tale about a scientist who creates a monster who later is ostracized and rejected by society. I read this novel in High School. It spark my understanding of personal connection with characters that are devalued and why I have clung to book with similar characters in the past – Holden Caulfield, Pony Boy.
The Secret Life of Bees – This novel was perhaps the most realistic fiction pieces. As a drama, it follows the life of a girl who accidentally kills her mother with a gun at a young age and lives with an abusive father. This story opened my eyes to the cruelty in the world and provided me the understanding of exigency and why a piece of writing should be written and how crucial it is that world has such pieces of art to refer to on an emotional level.
Commonalities in Genre List:
-Presence of worlds with ranging believability (fiction)
-Lack of pieces with developed messages to society
-Lack of Literary Fiction
How I have read:
-to pull vocabulary
-for exposure
-for escapism
-For the Mimetic
-For figurative language
-For Class (to get it over with)
-To obtain knowledge
-To have things to talk about
-To look smart
What I think I want to read for:
-For The Thematic
-For The Synthetic
-For Purpose/meaning
- For exigency (societal/political)
Overview
It would appear that my dominant rhetorical stance is reading for mimesis (what's being told). I also read to "look good". This could be a push to start reading for the thematic in which I should use a value graph system. This will help me read for distinguishing controlling values. However, I should not be confused by exigencies such as a strong political issue in the era of a written piece. Although this is important, there is more to values than time frame and what is important during those times frames.
Proposal:
Robert Olen Butler’s From Where You Dream: This piece should help me explore the writing process and understand my writerly roles and possibly controlling values. I have taken a peek into a copy of this book and it seems as though it may simplify some concepts that are crucial to the writing process. I believe by understanding how writers write, I may be able to grasp how they want me to read.
Stephen King’s On Writing: I have read The Shining and am fascinated with King’s Style. I'd love to learn more about his style, life, and views on the writing process. I have reason to believe he will be brutally honest instead of simply encouraging as though a cheerleader to new writers.
Wuthering Heights: this novel is a classic that details the torture and love of obsessive fascination. Perhaps this piece will enlighten me, detailing the proper way to obsesses or simply enjoy something such as I enjoy fiction. How Do I protect it? Cherish it? Utilize it?
Little Women: this novel is the classic female’s novel that has a pressing Rhetoric Situation. I would like to read this for the sake of its esteem as well as the challenge to pick apart the text and go beyond what the summaries say this piece is about.
Dante’s Inferno: This is one the tales I have read excerpts from and never understood fully. I am enthralled with the concept of the inner circles of a hell; however, I would like to figure out the political stabs that this piece has executed.
Ovid’s Metamorphosis: I have been told to read this piece several times. It is a fictional story that explores the importance of personal experience and human existence. This interests me. I think it will serve as a challenge and provide insight on my experiences or lack thereof in life and make me question if what I have to show for is of any importance and what I have to do to make it important.
The following are books that have been recommended to me -
· Austen’s Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion – for a rich story and social understanding
· J.R.R The Lord of The Rings – for a rich world that is intricately detailed, a world that took a great imagination and lots of hard work
· The Mists of Avalon – My Creative Writing Professor recommended this to me.
· Moby Dick – I have often heard that everyone should read this piece. I would like to find out why. Why was this recommended to me so much? Why do people refer to it? What is the political situation being examined?
- Myths to Live By by Joseph Campbell - recommended by Dr. Kopp.