"Between Art and Architecture" by Maya Lin

     I really enjoyed this article by Lin, which showed her thought processes as she designed the memorial, and how she felt about all of the skepticism surrounding it. Considering I know little to nothing about architecture, I was glad to be able to understand all of what Lin was designing, as she connected every arch and corner to different types of emotions. I was saddened to find out that the infantrymen were added at the end, when Lin, who came up with the design, wished them not be there. But it was obvious that it didn't completely ruin the whole memorial. I enjoyed how Lin wrote at the end of this piece that when she was visiting the memorial, she looked for a friends father and experienced the emotions she intended viewers to experience.

From "Blankets" by Craig Thompson

     As much as I wanted to enjoy this piece, and really tried to understand it, I just could not make complete sense of the comic. Maybe if I had read it from the beginning I would have better understood, but the drastic changes between Craig on the phone and the talking about ACT's and about nature was too scattered for me. I'm going to read it again a few times to see if I can get something more out of it.

Fron "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers

     This excerpt from Eggers' piece tells of a time in his life when he had to take care of his younger brother. Eggers' ability to let the reader into his head, and know exactly what he is thinking and how he is feeling. To have to take the care of your younger brother into your own hands after the death of both of your parents is something very hard to go through, much less write about. Though some parts of the piece seemed a little self indulgent, I admired the intimate quality of the piece.

Fron "The Winged Seed" by Li-Young Lee

     I really enjoyed reading this article. This take of Lee's childhood was very descriptive, and told of how he perceived the trip to the parishioner that his father brought him on. The language used by Lee thoroughly conveys how the trip impacted him, and lets the reader feel the same emotions Lee felt. Although I myself have not experienced the same things as Lee, I could relate to the emotions he experienced because of the vivid and creative way he described them.

I Was Stung by a Jellyfish?

     My parents have repeatedly told me the story of how, at the age of six, I was stung by a jellyfish at a beach in Naples, Florida. The only problem is that I have the most difficult time remembering it. As I try and recollect all of the activities of that day, I find myself creating pictures from what my parents of told me - nothing of what I remember. The story goes something along the lines of this:
     My family was taking a vacation in the summer of 1997. We went to the beautiful beaches of Naples, a fond pastime of my mom's who grew up an hour south in Everglades City. Meeting us there were my mom's four sisters and brother, and all of the members of their immediate families. It was a yearly tradition, and one of my favorite times of the year. I and my 13 other cousins would frolic on the sand and search for sand dollars.
     But this one specific year, the creature I came up with in my hand when feeling around on the ocean floor was not a sand dollar, or a shell, but a slimy, stringy, transparent creature. I held it, staring in awe at the alien creature in my hand. But before long, the pretty little animal started to create a hot, painful, stinging sensation that began traveling from my hand down to my arm. I dropped the jellyfish and screamed.
     So that's how the scene has been portrayed to me, although I can't help but feeling like some of it was fabricated.

Excerpt from "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert

     This excerpt from Gilberts book "Eat, Pray, Love" (which I have read in its entirety), is an in depth look into Gilbert and her sister's relationship. The way the author describes her sister is in a tone of awe and admiration. Gilbert sees Catherine as strong and brave, having many of the qualities she covets. She also notices the complex differences in their personalities.
      And as Gilbert tells us up front about her and her sister's adolescent relationship and then some, readers get to experience it firsthand from the dialogue of the two sisters when they are in Italy. Their ending conversation also tells a lot about their relationship, as Elizabeth reminds Catherine to call her when she gets off of the plane, and Catherine recognizes that this is her sister displaying affection, and responds saying "I know, sweetie. I love you too".

"But Enough About Me" by Daniel Mendelsohn

      This article delves into the raw idea of what a memoir is, and if it could ever possibly contain all truth and no fiction. As the author points out with the help of Freud and other authors, a memoir is completely subjective to the writer's recollection of their memories. If someone recalls a moment of their past in a certain way that they believe to be true, that doesn't necessarily mean that another person involved in their story remembers it the same way. Chances are, they probably don't. Once something has happened, unless it is caught from all angles on tape, and even then, the only remaining evidence of the complete truth of the event is in the minds of those who witnessed it. And as people interpret events differently, their memories in turn are stored that way. So what is true to one person may not seem so true to the other.
      And although Mendelsohn points out this subjectivity, we as readers continue to get very angry and offended when someone seems to be lying in their memoir. But the truth is, as Freud pointed out, that if a person were to try to write a completely objective memoir with no exaggeration or skimming over unpleasantries.
     Mendelsohn goes on to critique the memoir's history, in a pleasantly sarcastic way.