This book contains many creative essays. Some are one to two page long observations that give pretext to the story that is told so vividly afterwards. Some stories are more personal to Cooper as you continue reading and those stories are what make this book as great as it is. The essays about his relationship with his father are very good and detailed but the longest entry is entitled "The House of the Future". It is thirty pages long and it is very beautiful. There is another essay that stands out in this book, which is about the death of his older brother. I could not put the book down during the essay about the death of his older brother.
The language and images are extremely vivid, and the stories are enveloping. I love the quote at the beginning of "The House of the Future" that says " each of my buildings is a further step in my search for clarity."The underlined word in this section title says A Reminiscence which gives the idea that this one of the personal stories from Bernard Cooper. This leads me to believe that the buildings are metaphorical for the creative essays that he's writing to gain clarity within his life which is very interesting. This story in particular lead me to appreciate the imagery, details, and creative intensity of Bernard Cooper's work.
The description of the House of the Future was unique. I like the sentence that states " The cruciform floor plan of the House of the Future-three bedrooms, two baths-had this caption beneath: "The winged design of your new home assures full daylight for every room."I particularly enjoyed the sections where Bernard Cooper braided his thoughts about art and architecture, through his impressions of childhood. This is a great collection for demonstrating how the power of an essay is not dictated by length but by the creativity and fullness of literary composition. I really liked how in the House of the Future he talked about many different houses like the Dog house and Fire house.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Maps To Anywhere
The essays in Maps To Anywhere plot terrain that is familiar and strange in prospective. He begins by writing on subjects ranging from his family to the origin of the barbershop pole. Bernard Cooper also goes into the glimmering surface of the southern California landscape. While doing so, he observes the collision of the American Dream with the realities of everyday life. From the fragments, he discovers landmarks by which he attempts to make sense of contemporary America.
The book was exciting to read for the precision of language. I particularly enjoyed the sections where the author tied together his thoughts about art and architecture through his impressions of childhood. His book was also enjoyed because it's a great collection for demonstrating how the power of an essay is not dictated by length. Really the power of an essay can be fulfilled through many literary techniques. Techniques such as language, style, and description. I particularly like the part of the story that says "Once, Life magazine featured " The Great Cathedrals of Europe," and what I saw, or tasted rather, after turning the pages and licking my index finger, was the bitterness of ink, a flavor that matched the photographs of expressionless death masks, prostrate statues, apothecary jars in which slept silvers of the saints."
That particular line struck me as I read because usually people experience things like that but wouldn't speak of it in an essay. This is one of the many differentiations that Copper points out within creative essay writing. Creative essay writing seems a lot more interesting than the essay writings that I have been introduced to before. I now look forward to writing my own essays and hopefully it is as creative as Cooper's.
The book was exciting to read for the precision of language. I particularly enjoyed the sections where the author tied together his thoughts about art and architecture through his impressions of childhood. His book was also enjoyed because it's a great collection for demonstrating how the power of an essay is not dictated by length. Really the power of an essay can be fulfilled through many literary techniques. Techniques such as language, style, and description. I particularly like the part of the story that says "Once, Life magazine featured " The Great Cathedrals of Europe," and what I saw, or tasted rather, after turning the pages and licking my index finger, was the bitterness of ink, a flavor that matched the photographs of expressionless death masks, prostrate statues, apothecary jars in which slept silvers of the saints."
That particular line struck me as I read because usually people experience things like that but wouldn't speak of it in an essay. This is one of the many differentiations that Copper points out within creative essay writing. Creative essay writing seems a lot more interesting than the essay writings that I have been introduced to before. I now look forward to writing my own essays and hopefully it is as creative as Cooper's.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Essay Introduction #1
In this weeks readings I was able to further understand the creativity that is involved in writing essays and any literary work of art. It was in this weeks reading of Essay Introduction that I once again saw a small nothing make me realize a lot of something. Writing is so complex but in the form of simple text so that all complexity is lost within the easy understanding given by these complex thoughts, ideas, and styles of writing. There were even more amazing insights given by the editor's edition of the Preface but still they explained the same concept that is needed to write great essays. Essays are different from other writing styles because there is no room to linger and everything should align literarily. Though there is still room for all the creativity that writers want to explore and readers want to enjoy.
In the Preface of the story I was shocked to be reading a story. Mainly, because this reading was explaining the art of writing essays so I was expecting to get the directions and then maybe see an example of what I was asked to portray. Instead it starts with an example that also explains while the story is going along which is very intriguing because as your getting the directions you see hand and hand how it works together. How even though this was story explaining how a young lady wanted to see a painting that she was obsessed with, you also see how when she gets to seeing the painting it's small with a huge value to everyone. That is the same way an essay should be, as she explains by letting you know that in that small portrait, still lied the amazing feelings towards the work of art. To me that means that even though an essay is not as detailed and long as a book it should give you the same tingling of a book that could go further in depth.
Then the editor follows by explaining that there is a get in and get out feel for essays because you want to fulfill all requirements with less writing which is a lot of work. It isn't easy to understand that you have to maximize and minimize your work all at the same time. You are to maximize your creativity, skill, and imagery while minimizing the length of writing that your composing. Even with the challenge presented in this style of writing I'm certainly ready to succeed its expectations. Writing has become so fun in this course because of how creative the style of writing can be when applied correctly.
In the Preface of the story I was shocked to be reading a story. Mainly, because this reading was explaining the art of writing essays so I was expecting to get the directions and then maybe see an example of what I was asked to portray. Instead it starts with an example that also explains while the story is going along which is very intriguing because as your getting the directions you see hand and hand how it works together. How even though this was story explaining how a young lady wanted to see a painting that she was obsessed with, you also see how when she gets to seeing the painting it's small with a huge value to everyone. That is the same way an essay should be, as she explains by letting you know that in that small portrait, still lied the amazing feelings towards the work of art. To me that means that even though an essay is not as detailed and long as a book it should give you the same tingling of a book that could go further in depth.
Then the editor follows by explaining that there is a get in and get out feel for essays because you want to fulfill all requirements with less writing which is a lot of work. It isn't easy to understand that you have to maximize and minimize your work all at the same time. You are to maximize your creativity, skill, and imagery while minimizing the length of writing that your composing. Even with the challenge presented in this style of writing I'm certainly ready to succeed its expectations. Writing has become so fun in this course because of how creative the style of writing can be when applied correctly.
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