Suprisingly Original...I Think

Martha- Personal Narrative Tanya- United by Naomi Shihab Nye week 5

Personal Narrative My personal narrative is going surprisingly well. I thought I would run into a lot more problems than I have been. It was difficult to find a topic to write about, but once I did, I really got into it. I just wrote down what I was thinking, and then edited out what I deemed unnecessary afterwards. I really enjoy writing this, because it’s so interesting to go back to a point in my life and really get back into what I was feeling at the time. As for problems, I did struggle a little bit with making the scene really come alive. I also struggled with putting what I wanted to say into words that fit the paper. On top of that, I had some struggles editing out what I deemed unnecessary, because there were definitely times where I repeated myself. Even with all that said, this has still been going really well. I’m so excited to start revisions and see what the final product looks like.

This week, I read a play called The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis. The play takes place in purgatory and is about giving Judas Iscariot a trial in the afterlife. In general, I really liked this play. Overall, it was entertaining and quite funny. The characters were pretty developed, and the author made them his own, which was interesting to read. It was a very original idea, and the play feels very fresh. The play was originally performed Off-Broadway in 2005. I’d really like to see a production of this play, because I think I’d be very interesting to see how it is staged. The only negatives I can think of are that this play is good, but not amazing, and didn’t really blow me away or anything. This isn’t really a negative, but something to be aware of, there is a lot of swearing and the humor can be quite vulgar at times, so do with that information what you will, just something to note if you plan on reading it. Overall, I’d recommend it, it was very entert

Dear nine-year-old, I have so much to tell you. I don’t even know where to start. I think the best place to start would be the most important place: I’m going to tell you what I wish someone had told me when I was nine. First of all, you are you, and you need to absolutely love the person that you are. I know everyone says this, I know you hear it all the time, but this is my take, and something that is important to me. And I’m speaking from my experience. Now, for all you nine-year-olds out there: be yourself. Be completely yourself, be every version of yourself, and please try new things along the way. Believe me, I get it’s hard, but please stop hating yourself. You are going to face so much more than you know. Abandon the thought that growing up is like it is on Disney Channel , because it’s not. You’re going to go through a lot. I don’t know exactly what you’re going to face, but I can say that loving who you are is one of the best things you can do to be prepared for when eve

Week three comments Naya-Milk and Homey:  Milk and Honey by Naya Martha- Every Day by David Levithan:  Every Day by David Levithan by Martha

When God Happens  by Mike Rosen For my post, I watched poet Mike Rosen perform his original slam-poem When God Happens , which is about 9/11, and his experience. First off, this poem is stunning in every sense of the word. It is  beautifully written, and Mike Rosen's emotional performance just makes you feel the impact of the event and what the hard reality is ten times harder. I have included a link to his performance, and I would highly recommend watching it. His poem hit me hard, and by the end, I was moved to tears. So, at this point, you might be asking yourself, what is it about this poem that had me so emotional? Well, this poem's message was simple, but important: hate gets us nowhere. In his poem, Mike talks about how he was young when 9/11 happened. Mike's father didn't work near the towers, but Mike didn't know that at the time and he was so worried that his father would never come home. After 9/11, the United States invaded Iraq. We started a wa

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp: Update #1 Last time I wrote a reading response, I talked about a book called  This Is Where It Ends  by Marieke Nijkamp and I was enjoying it quite a bit. If you are interested in what the book is about, please refer to the entry "Reading response #2". Essentially, my thoughts have not changed. This book is thought provoking and a quite powerful read. As I am nearing the end of the book, the  intensity is heating up, and I find it even harder to put it down than I previously did. One of my favorite parts of the book is the writing. Marieke Nijkamp's writing flows very well and is very easy to read, but is still complex and quite emotional. She really makes you feel. Another element of the book I love is, like I said previously, the characters. As I near the end, the characters have been through a lot, and I feel like I've been through it along with them. The characters have really changed and developed by the experien

I wake up. The light shines through my bedroom window unto my bed as it lights up the rest of the room. I get out of bed to get my cellphone. I open Instagram and look through my feed. One of my favorite composers, Joe Iconis, posted an Instagram picture of himself outside of the theatre that presented my favorite musical of all-time, Be More Chill . Joe Iconis wrote the music for it, and he is so incredibly talented.  Anyway, the show only ever ran for a month, so very few got to see it. But, the photo caption implied that the show is coming back. I am so incredibly excited! My favorite musical might be coming back and I might get to see it live! I’m so excited, and am hoping for the best.

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp  I am currently reading the novel This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. The novel is about a school shooting and it focuses on four different characters’ perspectives. Some things I noticed are that the book is very intense and is written very frankly; it does not shy away from the harsh realities of the grim situation. One of my favorite parts of the book are the different characters though.  Each character feels unique and I really care about each of them and their stories. The book is very fast paced and keeps you wanting to read more. There are some times where I am reading it and I can barely stand to put it down because I just want to know what happens to the characters. I care a lot about the characters, and I want them to all be okay in the end. I am excited to continue reading and find out what happens next.