Time Reading Reflection

When times are filled with despair and unhappiness, we are driven away from the comfort of our mental home, and there is no greater relief than emerging one’s self into an activity or person that grants us a dry place to survive in life’s created storm. We turn to these things until the storm passes, and while we wait, we often discover something worth bringing back home. For me, my safe haven, my anchor, my shield against the rain, was reading books. Reading has opened many doors for me, planted seeds of new perspectives that I wouldn't have ever grew myself if I hadn't found the words and stories that nurture them. The luxary of reading has been taken away from many because of war, hate, and ignorance over the course of mankind, and I understand

As a product of South Central Los Angeles the expectations bestowed upon me were less than remarkable. I grew up in a system of public schools where textbooks and classrooms where infested with graffiti and marker lines by students with no intention to learn. As a child growing up this kind of environment I did what I saw around me. Ignored my education and focused on making friends. Both my parents worked full time jobs so time spent with them was limited, I never cared much for reading or writing as a child, books where never a gift; more of a chore that was taking up time from my true interested. It was by these guidelines that I never saw the true magic behind literature until now a grown up.

As a young, teenage girl my reading choices did not extend beyond romance novels by young adult authors. The assigned books or excerpts from my English classes did not interest me in the slightest or ignite any curiosity to move past that specific genre. However, when deciding to take a keener, more serious approach in writing, I became interested in expanded my knowledge in the literary world. Since my biggest source of inspiration is from Turner, the idea to venture out to observe what he read, and who he drew inspiration from came about. Luckily through various internet sources my questions and curiosity on the subject got answered. Through him came my introductions to Tom Wolfe, Scott Walker, and my personal favorite, John Cooper Clarke. Now the days of solely reading uninspiring works were lessening and a whole new world had been opened up to me. Poetry, genres that weren’t about love, and teens figuring out their lives piqued my interest more than before. Through those authors it gave me the chance to, not only expand my horizons, but get a better understanding in how Turner approached his own writing as you could clearly see a hint of similarities there. Without those suggestions, there is no doubt in my mind that I would not be as well read, or fully open to different literary genres as I am

The thin rustic pages scrape past my loose fingers as I sit engaged. My heart pounds harder and faster with every word my eyes pass over. My ears hear nothing, even within booming noise. My complete focus is on the book that lays in my hand with a laminated cover, and I have no choice but to submit to the content. My breath tastes of spearmint and the aroma of fresh paper floats past my nose. I couldn’t resist but delve into the worlds and mysteries that books hold. Once opened, everything around me becomes a distant blur. I am hooked. Books have always created an escape for creativity and fancies to run free. Books are used as a medium for reason. Books are formative to the development of human beings. In my instance, books changed my life.

In other words, reading literature goes beyond just the words of the author. As readers, we become more aware of what the narrator and of what the characters might be feeling. There are feelings that form our underlying base of who we are and a lot of the times we avoid them because they’re a constant reminder of what’s real versus what we want to think is real. From time to time literature may make the readers thing of something personal that gives us a sense of reality. Through John Updike’s Rabbit Run, Vladimir Nabokov’s Pale Fire, Margaret Atwood’s Happy Endings, James Joyce’s Araby, Patrick White’s The Vivesector, and Jorge Luis Borges’ Pierre Menard, Author of the ‘Quixote’ readers come to find a sense of reality within the characters portrayed through these works.

The Hours in which I served for JJP have been ones of great pleasure. This time has helped me guide others onto a path with a better future. In my experience I helped children struggling with school and was able to get their mindset on what it actually means to be successful. I told them how life can be hard without an education and how imperative it was to focus on school. I told them this out of experience because when I was younger I did not ever think about the future I just thought about the now and doing fun things. My older brothers spoke to me and helped guide me onto a path with college in its future and that is why I chose this organization. I chose it because this is a great problem in society today. We are so focused in our early

1.) My goal for the October TW #2 was a 7 and I arrived at this score goal by taking into consideration the scores on my previous timed writes and how much time and effort I think I will put into the preparation process. Personally, it helps my writing process and time management during the timed write to become more efficient when I plan out what I will write about to a degree.

As we look at the times in which we live in today, things have changed drastically, where women are entitled to more than they ever were. We still fight with certain stereotypes that our past has made unforgettable, or rather we will never be able to change. The significance of the cultural and historical aspects of literature, give a deeper meaning behind a time that we bare to witness. It gives us insight on the life, we never lived, and how

I must say that I really do have a greater appreciation for literature now than what I did in the beginning. I came into this course expecting to have to say things about stories that I didn't really believe. For example, in "Say Yes" the gray dish water could be interpenetrated as symbolic of a gray dull uninteresting marriage. However, in my opinion the dish water was said to be gray because that’s the actual color of used dishwater. I think there were several examples of getting things out of the story that the author didn’t really intend, and that was one aspect of literature I historically didn’t care for. However, after reading stories particularly “The Swimmer” I still think this, but weather the author meant for things to be interpreted in such ways I really had a fun time trying to decode each story and trying to get my own meaning from each one. I think how good of a time I had writing stories that I got my own meaning from was surprising. I

My learning with the Time4Writing course was a very positive one, I learned more things than last time, and I feel like I improved with my writing a bit. It was harder than the previous course I took, but still fun and educational at the same time. My teacher, Ms. Alexandria, was nice and helpful with the stuff I was having a hard time with. I had no problems with Time4Writing course or my teacher, so overall I had a great time with Time4Writing! I would love to do Time4Writing again!

The power and freedom that lies between the pages of novels has the ability to transport the readers to a new world, impart a wealth of knowledge to them, offer a new perspective, and so much more. The only limit on novel are the covers that bind them, the ideas within them can be cherished and shared forever. Although written in 1837, Emerson’s quote, “Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst” still holds true today. An avid reader or skilled author wields unparalleled power, power that can be used for a myriad of good, or infinite evil.

I feel like timed writes have never been an area of strength for me. Rather it has been an area that has challenged me, but I feel like I do not participate in timed writes often enough to improve significantly. One thing I did differently in this diagnostic essay is that I tried to question the claims presented to benefit my argument. For instance, I tried to give an explanation as to why students are not meeting ideal standards in their writing. As always, I see my strengths in being able to express my thoughts coherently. My area of weakness is having the pressure of composing an essay in 90 minutes. This is not to say I do not work well under pressure, but my experience with writing has made me work to the best of my capacity when not pressured

As the era of literature slowly declines, the expert critiques and praise for literature are lost. Previously, novels were bursting at the seams with metaphors, symbolism, and themes. In current times, “novels” are simply short stories that have been elaborated on with basic plot elements that attempt to make the story more interesting. Instead of having expert critical analysis written about them, they will, most likely, never see that, as recent novels have nothing to analyze. Even books are beginning to collect dust, hidden away and forgotten, attributing to the rise of companies such as Spark Notes. An author deserves to have his work praised, no matter how meager and the masses should have the right to embrace it or to reject it. As

My goal for the fourth quarter was to read a classic novel that I normally wouldn’t read. This quarter was a crucial part of my development as a reader. This was challenging for me because I never read classic novels unless it is chose for me to read. I don’t usually have any interest in books that were written in a different time period. Although I learned that a lot of the times, books that were written in history, teach us lessons that we can apply to our future. I also feel that this concept will apply in college. I am going to have to read books or texts that I have no interest in. Therefore, I feel that learning that I have to read books I don’t think I’ll like, taught me that maybe it’s just for a lesson that I have to read it. I will know there is some purpose for it.

My most memorable literary experience isn’t really one singular event, rather the reigniting of interest in sitting still and reading a book. Growing up, in elementary and middle school, I loved to read. I don’t know if being an only child and an introvert fed that interest or birthed it, but it was deeply rooted. Despite that, starting my senior year in high school and following into my early 20s that interest waned. Or rather was upstaged by other blossoming interests in my boyfriend, working full time, making big girl money and the independence that brought. And soon enough bars too. You can’t read a book in a bar.