Silent Dancing By Judith Ortiz

The Artslink Queensland production of Ruby Moon by Matt Cameron can be described as an example of the Australian Gothic dramatic style. Ruby Moon, set in picture perfect Flaming Tree Grove, is about the tragic dilemma of a couple, Ray and Sylvie, trying to cope with the earlier disappearance of their young daughter, Ruby, while on the way to visit her grandmother at the end of the cul-de-sac (Queensland Education, 2014).

Have you ever experienced a moment that changed your life? Well, “Dancer”, by Vikie Sears illustrates this concept through three key devices in literature. Moreover, the author’s exceptional use of literary devices improves the effectiveness of the story through symbolism, dialogue, and character.

"Perpetual Motion" by Tony Hoagland discusses the same idea of desiring an escape from reality and it becoming compulsive over time. As a result, it may lead to a permanent separation from reality as the need for separation, rereferred to as, a contagious disease, takes further refuge inside a person's mind. The narrator of the poem initially desires a destination beyond their reality, which, in their case, is Saturn. This need for an escape is beyond their control and has become compulsive in a similar way to how my anxiety dictates my life apart from society. The narrator has no control over it and their separation has now become subsequently linked to a disease that they have contracted.

There seems to be a clear and concise message that Hellen Zenna Smith tries to get across in her novel Not So Quiet. That message implies no matter the war, it is a grizzly and destructive force and it can shake free even the deepest-rooted forms of social norms and values. Smith emphasizes this idea straight from the first part of the novel when Tosh shaved off all of her hair (14). She described how necessity took over in these women’s lives. This necessity caused most of the women to look at their roles in society differently. Some of the values and norms that are questioned in the text are, nationalism, femininity, sexual morality and social standing.

First of all, the setting of this novel contributes to the Rivera family’s overall perception of what it means to be an American. To start this off, the author chooses a small American city where groups of Latino immigrants with their own language and traditions, lived together in the same apartment building. All these immigrants experienced similar problems since they moved from their countries. For example, in the novel after every other chapter the author

Mrs. Fox, by Sarah Hall was published in 2014. Mrs. Fox is a short story by Sarah Hall about a woman who turns into a fox during her pregnancy, much to the dismay of her husband. Mrs. Fox describes a woman who is not satisfied with her life with her husband, Mr. Fox. They both remain detached thorough the story. When Mrs. Fox turns into a fox, Mr. Fox does not understand why his wife was not happy or satisfied in her human life. Sarah Hall does a wonderful job of displaying out an unusually intriguing setting, a breath taking characterization of the two main characters Mr. and Mrs. Fox, and she displays a dark and modern theme, rightfully earning the BBC National short story

Ghost Singer by Anna Lee Walters is a tale of the historical injustices suffered by Indigenous peoples and the modern consequences of those injustices. Although it is clear that the spirit people in the novel serve as the most outwardly fearsome people in the novel, it is important to take into account the overall systemic injustices that the characters of Native American heritage suffer under throughout the histories presented in the novel. Walters addresses fearsomeness and sympathetic characters through the use of dangerous characters and situations presented directly and indirectly to the characters. The fearsomeness of the characters and the sympathy felt for the characters is dependent upon the perspectives of the readers since these fearsome figures are “a cultural construct and a projection” of that cultures fears (Cohen 1). The fearsome figures in the novels are presented to initially be the spirits haunting the artifacts, but upon closer examination the larger more entrenched issue of outdated models of thought in relation to Indigenous peoples appear to be the most important fearsome figure. The protagonist of the novel is dependent upon the views taken, and the fearsome figures that the historians, such as David Evans, and characters are attempting aid the spirits, such as George Daylight. Walters addresses the fearsome nature of a system dependent on examining and judging indigenous societies based on white values, which is problematic since both cultures do not

Holding Onto the Air an autobiography by Suzanne Farrell takes the reader backstage in the dramatic life of the world-renowned Balanchine ballerina. From her childhood in Cincinnati to her retirement from ballet in 1989, Farrell's story is truly a remarkable one. The book describes at length her time with the New York City Ballet as well as her complex relationship with the legendary Balanchine. Although Mrs. Farrell goes a bit too far into the ballet descriptions, her beautiful imagery allows reader to experience the joy of performing on stage.

The article 'Showing Off' by the Scottish writer Janice Galloway describes how she overcame obstacles in her life to become a writer and shows that even if you are not blessed with the best oppurtunities in life and suffer from prejudice, it is still possible to achieve your goals. Through the clever use of language and technique, Galloway presents her writing in such a way that it has a great deal of inspirational impact on the reader.

The British choreographer Wayne McGregor is born on the 15th of November 1970. He is known for his contemporary style of dance and has a unique movement quality. He teaches for Trinity Laban conservatoire of music and dance. The choreographer has his own major dance company and over the many years he has worked with many successful companies such as San Francisco Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, English National Opera and lots more.

Oscar Casares was born and raised in the southern town of Brownsville, Texas; also the setting of his short story “Mrs. Perez”, which captures the life of an elderly woman who discovers a new life- literally and figuratively- after her husband’s death. Casares uses the story structure of flashback as a style element to influence the interpretation of the story. The author’s style can be seen in the story’s flashback which shows the time sequence jump from present day, to a time in Mrs. Perez’ past. “After the girls started school, Lola found a job as a receptionist at a doctor's office”.

Cisneros' The House on Mango Street is a novel about the importance of not forgetting where you come from. Esperanza, a young Latino girl and the story's main character, wants to

With the 1960s came a need for change, as an immense amount of smog and toxic chemicals used in agriculture and industry caused, the blue to fade away from the sky and water in America. Rachel Carson provided the catalyst for this change with her book Silent Spring published in 1962, which revealed the harmful impacts of pesticides on almost all wildlife and human beings. People reading a book wouldn’t be enough, though, for twenty million Americans came together on April 22, 1970, to celebrate the beauty of Earth and raise awareness about increasing concerns for the environment and declining quality of life. (maybe add a sentence about structure and diversity of the movement) Without these key events leading to the Environmental Movement’s diversity and unique structure through the 1970s, American values in politics and way of life would not have been able to change.

Ronald Reagan once said, “We fought a war on poverty, and poverty won.” I read the book, Dancing in the dark by Morris Dickstein. This book was about the great depression, and the impacts it had on American life. The traditional thought of poverty, people dying of hunger and people lying in the roads, has been erased. America has abolished poverty by the traditional standards but the thought of poverty and what it is has changed. In America we consider poverty to be spending all your money on bills, so you have no money left for food to feed your family. We consider poverty to be just being poor. One-Third of our population makes less than $38,000. This is not enough to be able to be above the poverty line. Anything below this

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Ghosts” is a short story centered on a dialogue between aging professor James Nwoye and Ikenna Okoro, an acquaintance whom he had thought long dead. Through their conversation, we gain perspective on Nwoye’s history (specifically, during a civil war), and though no action takes place in the present, we experience the events through the lens of his memories. “Ghosts” is unusual in that this primary sequence of events does not take place in the story’s present, which involves characters that do not appear or speak in the story, driving the plot forward through Nwoye’s memories and creating a timeless, surreal mood that illustrates the mindset of the narrator.