Goldberg

Claim your Writing-
I agree with what was said here. I never thing my writing is any good, although it may not be great it is still good...I think. It goes back to the old saying that we are our toughest critics, we don't want to be over confident. Being humble is one thing but thinking that all of our work stinks is more than likely being too tough on ourselves.

Trust Yourself-
I agree with what was said, "If your not sure of something, put it away for a while. Look at it six months later. Things will be more clear." There has been many things in my life where I couldn't figure something out or it didn't make sense. Once I put it down for a little while and came back to it later, I seen where my mistake was or where I needed to go to further what I was doing. With writing I feel that it is the same way. Stuck at a passage, don't know where to go next, or finished and think it sucks. Laying it down for some time, and looking at it later with a clear head will make a huge difference.

The Samurai-
Reading this title I thought it might have been something really exciting. But it turned out to be, just cutting out the parts of a work that do not work well. Which makes sense, why have crap surrounding a good part of a work. Taking a writing workshop/course with Goldberg seems like a great experience to those who want to make their writing great.

Reading and Rewriting-
This section kind of goes along with the "Trust Yourself" piece, in the sense of rereading your work some time after writing it. While writing it you are too close and critical of it. Spending time away will make you more objective and be able to see what you have really written. Goes from trust yourself to "The Samurai" hacking away at the bits that suck and making truly good or possibly even grand pieces.

I Don't Want to Die-
My first thought after reading this title was who does? I always imagine someone saying something inspiring right before they die. I also get a weird feeling at funerals that the deceased person is going to jump out of the casket and yell "just kidding you guy, look at all your saps crying and what not" terrible thought I know, blame it on the movies. Saying exactly what your thinking or feeling in writing I think would make a real genuine piece.

Wreckage of Reason

Cottage Life- Masha Tupitsyn 

The beginning part seemed to be talking to mother, but using her (narrator's) body for the description. Went on to describe a male and showing him herself for the first time. Which she went on to describe about how hard it is to take off her shirt because of a birthmark on her breast. But would much rather show everything else, because of her self-consciousness. 

it was a very short story but was very descriptive. In describing the attic one could almost feel like they were in a musty/dusty attic.

The Woman- Nina Shope  

This one describes the relationship in what seems to be of two women, and them playing doctor.

It used a lot of words I was/still am unfamiliar with. The story seemed to jump thoughts a lot, which made it hard for me to follow.

The Derech-Rosebud Ben-Oni

The conversation between a gypsy woman, and an Arab man? They talk about the differences between gypsies in different areas, and whether or not a language exists. She at first seemed as if she was arguing with him. It seemed kind of like a debate, but they seem to have turned around in to a couple? Nothing really about this story seemed unique, just a story written like a traditional story. But used words from other languages that I do not know, which made parts of it hard to understand without looking them up. Sometimes one could gather the meaning from the context and the words preceding it.

You a Love/War Story- Summer Brenner

Beginning started out like any other story of a love that has lost its luster over time.

I think this was apart of the story, it went on to letters being written to Frankie and his family. Then turns into a job-opening ad. When the story went to this it was really hard to figure out what was going on. 

Black Wings- Amina Cain 

This one seems to jump around a lot, which makes it hard to follow. The story is also strange in my eyes because the woman says that she is asexual, finds a man to just read with. The man agrees to only read books with her and doesn't think about her often. Most men wouldn't want to be with a woman who is asexual; at least I wouldn't think so. At the end she says that she doesn't know what she is (asexual or not) which is a stereotype of women, they don’t know what they want.

  

Prairie

I'm not sure if it was apart of another story or not, it seemed to be separate from the one before it. 

Each of the sections (3 of them) were separated by roman numerals. The first section was and was not very descriptive. Talking about the skin folds on his back that resembled the human brain. I thought it was kind of weird that the caption tried to buy, what sounded like a belt made from the mans skin. I'm not sure who would want a belt made from human skin, kind of gross. 

When I read I try to place myself in the story as kind of a third party watching from a distance. This story though was hard to do. Probably because it belongs to another story, but doenst seem to go with the one before it. It kind of drops you in, in the middle of the story. Making my mind wander and make up things that could have happened before the start of the story.

The second part seemed to be kind of like the crusades, and making everyone they encountered believe in their religion. And writing about their excursion on scrolls made from human skin? Another gross section.

The third section, seemed like a HOT day. When the man approached claiming to raise the dead a man cut off his head? I guess leaning to the church's inability to accept anything but what the bible says. (I'm not bad mouthing the bible or the church by the way, just interpreting) 

Very peculiar story though.

mystery stories-sharon krinsky

all of these stories evoke feeling and images. they are pretty descriptive, and very short. which for me makes my imagination run a little because my mind is not satisfied with the shortness of the stories. some parts of the stories make me ask why? like in the red coats, why did they wear 2 red coats? why 2 coats in general? was it cold? snowy?
the indian man is just really short, like a fragment of a longer story. it didnt seem to say much and just made me wonder what else could be or is going on.
i suppose thats the reason they are called the mystery stories.

survivors-kim addonixio

this is an interesting story, because this happens often when one person is sick and on their death bed. their significant other always seems to say, "take me instead". it makes sense i suppose that one person would be willing to take the place of the other. then there is the case of survivor's remorse after the significant other is gone, feeling that it should be them who was the one to go. having to deal with the family and everything that comes with a loved one dying is difficult, especially in a situation like the one in the story, where the family didnt approve of their lifestyle. then having to do something with all of their stuff. i think it puts in mind a difficulty that almost everyone has faced and puts another view on it.

More Ed Roberson

after talking more about City Eclogue in class the other day. discovered that there is a lot of poems that reel me in. although not having visited many big cities other than Detroit, most of his city references tend to go over my head.

Short story

The bar is dimly lit with, sports and alcoholic advertisements on the walls. Not the cleanest bar, one of those some would call “a hole in the wall”. The smell of booze and fried foods in the air, it is kind of loud with people talking over the music. Patrick walks in; he is kind of a regular going to this bar about 2 or 3 times a month. He sits at his regular table and orders himself a Labatt blue, his beer of choice. While sitting and enjoying his beer after a long week, one patron who is there about every night approaches him, Patrick cannot stand this fellow. The man is very drunk and ends up spilling Patrick’s beer all over him. He had to go home and change his clothes, deciding to stay home ending his night early.