Pat Mora's Why I Am A Writer

Berkenkotter discussed the issue that writer’s processes are unique, and why people should show close attention to them. Berkenkotter described that

Everyone knows what writing is to one extent or another, but we all have different definitions of how it should be done and varying degrees of seriousness about the art. We all have a process of writing, but each is unique to ourselves and our own experiences. Annie Dillard and Stephen King are two well known authors who have published many pieces, two of which describe how they view the writing process and let their readers get a peek of what goes on through their minds when they write. These two pieces are Dillard’s The Writing Life and King’s “What Writing Is.”

Mora was born on January 19, 1942, and she started her career as a poetry writer after her college education. She graduated from Texas Western College in 1963 (Academy of American Poets). Mora has had a long and influential poetry career, as she writes about her life and how she sees the two worlds she is a part of. Pat Mora was born in El Paso, Texas to a Mexican American family (Academy of American Poets). Mora shows her two heritages in “Sonrisas”, the people being compared in the poem show her two differing cultures. These two groups being compared are the American business women, and “señoras”, or Mexican women. Pat Mora uses her own life as a Mexican-American woman to write influential poetry. This poetry can connect with various people due to her multicultural background.

Mora was born on January 19, 1942, and she started her career as a poetry writer after her college education, she graduated in 1963 with a bachelor's degree (Academy of American Poets). Mora has had a long and influential poetry career, as she writes about her life and how she sees the two worlds she is a part of. Pat Mora was born in America, specifically in El Paso, Texas to a Mexican American family (Academy of American Poets). Her heritage is shown in this poem, because the people who are being compared are American business women, and “señoras”, or mexican women. Pat Mora uses her own life as a Mexican-American woman to write influential poetry that can connect with various people due to her multicultural background.

What provokes a person to write about his or her life? What motivates us to read it? Moreover, do men and women tell their life story in the same way? The answers may vary depending on the person who answers the questions. However, one may suggest a reader elects to read an autobiography because there is an interest. This interest allows the reader to draw from the narrator's experience and to gain understanding from the experience. When the reader involves him/herself in the experience, the reader encounters what is known and felt by the narrator. The encounter may provide the reader an opportunity to explore a

her reaction to the tragic news was as if she knew that this would affect the good name of all the Arabs (Nye, Blood). When something tragic happens that is associated with a minority group, society tends to blame the associated culture as a whole. Even if it had nothing to do with her family, she knew that it would completely change things for them. Mora never intended to split herself between two cultures. “Viewed by Mexicans as Alien,” is another example of how just because she had to adapt to her surroundings, her own culture viewed her as an alien (Nye, Blood).

In the poem Elena, Mora describes a woman who is dealing with the hardships of being a Spanish speaker in an English dominant country. The structure of the poem tells three stories: the way life was in

Writing may be an enthralling experience for one and a clever way to decompress for another. In general, however, writing has different purposes for a variety of people. “Why I Write,” written in the late 20th century by Terry Tempest Williams, describes various reasons for writing narrated from a female’s perspective. The short essay begins in the middle of the night with a woman engulfed in her own thoughts. She abruptly goes forth by reciting the multiple reasons why she continues to write in her life. Through a variety of rhetorical devices such as repetition, imagery, analogies, and symbolism, Terry Tempest Williams produces an elegant piece of writing that offers the audience insight into the narrator’s life and forces the audience to have empathy for the narrator with the situation she is incurring.

There are many aspects for my mind to conceive while reading the articles why I write by George Orwell and Joan Didion. There are many different factors in triggering an author’s imagination to come up with what they want to write, and why they want to write it. In most writings a purpose is not found before the writer writes, but often found after they decide to start writing.

Writing is a powerful tool for communication and connection. As an extension and expression of the mind, writing is as much about the mental processes of the author as it is about the final marks laid to paper. As we write, we hold in mind our own thoughts on the work, anticipate the reader’s thoughts, and think both in concrete and abstract ways in order to accomplish the task at hand. Whether an academic research paper, a novel, or text message to friends, writing seeks to engage, persuade, or impress concepts upon an audience. Like language and other art forms in general, the practice of writing is ever-evolving and is subject to cultural and contextual influence, expectations, and conventions. Each writer holds a theory

There eyes make her feel different like an outcast not wanted by anybody. The way they find hers and judge her so quickly, so harshly. Mora again supports that she is viewed as an outsider, a ‘legal alien’ by following that up with lines fourteenth and fifteenth. “an american to mexicans/ A mexican to americans.” These two lines have a strong meaning, and also supports the way she feels, nobody wanted her. She did not belong to either because they judged her based on the other half of her race. the other half of who she is. When in all reality race should not matter, should not affect one's judgement. Somebodys race makes them no better nor no worse than the next person. Moras next two lines sixteen and seventeen, have a strong meaning and the use of a metaphor. “a handy token/ sliding back and forth.” She is referring to herself or her character as a ‘hand token’, which I would assume is a metaphor that symbolizes that she slides back and forth between what feels like two completely different worlds just trying to fit in. To be seen for who she truly is. “between the fringes of both worlds.” Mora now very matter of factly states that to her or her character those lives are two different worlds completely. It also supports that she does not mix them together very much. In the next line Mora chooses to show an emotion in a way. I believe Mora chooses to wait so long before putting a real

If she was free to express her feelings, she wouldn’t have had to shove them aside and try to find other things to occupy her mind with. She finds greatest comfort when she writes, but her husband believes that it is bad for her to do so because it is too stimulating. She makes comments many times expressing how writing makes her feel better, that it would “relieve the press of ideas and rest me” (349) and that she “must say

Cultural identity is important in the poem and art, in the poem Pat Mora is still trying to figure out about who she is. Pat Mora senses that she does not fit in with the people around her, in her head she is an outsider. Even though she is a legal citizen, she envisions

Why does an author write about his/her feelings? Or maybe even why do they express their ideas? Jamaica Kincaid, the author of A Small Place talks about the struggles she experienced through her life. The key concept of her essay was various dealings she had during the British ruling in Antigua. Understanding her point of view may be difficult, but one may get an idea of her thoughts by looking through a Marxist, Postcolonial, and a Psychological lens.

The poem “Mothers and Daughters” is written by Pat Mora. Pat Mora is a contemporary award winning writer, who writes for children, youngsters and adults. She was born in El Paso, TX in the year 1942. She attains a title of a Hispanic writer; however, the most of her poems are in English. In her literary work, one can observe the different aspects of the immigrants’ lives such as language issues, family relationships, immigrants’ experiences and cultural differences (1187).