A Rowdy Runs Through It

Well, as you all can tell, I love my dog. Today, I was longing for my beloved San Marcos river; I think Rowdy misses it too. I thought this picture might be a fun one to share in case anyone hasn't had enough of Rowdy yet. ; )

No, this is not his Halloween costume. 

This is River Ready Rowdy in his floatation device. 

It's Almost Howl-O-Weenie!

The Revolution's Legacy: Consumerism?

Hooray! I was excited to read this week! Richard D. Brown offers an excellent article and really got me thinking. Although the beginning of the article felt like the Wikipedia version of what we've been talking about all semester, there were some interesting (new) points. I loved his inclusion of the John Adams, "the people...have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefensible divine right to that most dreaded, and envied kind of knowledge, I mean of the characters and conduct of their rulers" (59). I could not agree more with Johnny boy. It's so difficult to separate fact from fiction these days, but over the last couple of weeks--with all of the Occupy movement talk--I really feel like this quote resonated with me, mainly because of his Adams' choice to use the word rulers. I asked myself, "Who is ruling us today?" Government? Media? Corporations? All of the above?

Last class, I think it was Tom who asked, "Was there ever a time in America when things weren't commodified?" My immediate answer (in my head) was "Not in America." And, I was right! Well...maybe not right, but I loved Brown's discussion of consumer culture on page 65:

Beginning in the late colonial period, a broad movement for social advancement was manifest in the goods Americans bought for their persons and homes. Men whose social aspirations had been blocked in the colonial era now sought to earn prestige and power by acquiring the accoutrements of gentility in their dwellings, furnishings, and dress and by displaying the proper appearance, manners, and reading tastes" (65). 

And today, I feel like knowledge has also become a commodity. The sociological study of 'cultural capital' relates to Brown's earlier assertion on pages 64-5 "In the new republic, good Christians were also called on to be active citizens. To perform their social duties properly, they needed to be informed about politics and history." If you didn't possess the correct knowledge, you would find yourself seen as less-than. On page 73, he also discusses how the Republican vision promoted cultural hierarchy that was based on "the refined cultural values of the well born endured in the matters of architecture and furnishings, in modes of dress and manners, and in reading." Has much changed? Also, did much really change from being born into aristocracy in England? If you didn't have the $$$ in America, you wouldn't be able to afford fancy living room chairs and beautifully crafted books! I couldn't help but think of the first few minutes of Fight Club when reading about this (why is it IMPOSSIBLE to find the original scene on the internet? All I can find is fanboy recreations, meh.). For me, the mimetic nature of wanting to appear cultured/wealthy is so much more prominent in Fort Worth than it was in San Marcos. Cookie cutter homes with Thomas Kinkade's in the living room and matching BMWs in the driveway is a bit too much for me sometimes when I drive around TCU. Maybe I'm just being a cynical **** (yes, that was going to be an alliterative phrase), but it's quite the change from my small town with a river running through it.

I would love to write a paper on Consumer Culture & Commodification from Colonial to Contemporary (how's that for C-word alliteration? Ha!). Perhaps, I'll do so for my end of the course paper?

I'm going to rip off Klay and end on a comic (sorry dude, mimesis is ingrained in me). Thought all of my fellow Theory classmates would appreciate seeing this little blip before our Publish And Flourish workshop in Neil's class tomorrow:

A History of the Book in America Introduction

Gross and Kelley were spot on when titling this book A History because even the Introduction is chalk-full of facts. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I started to miss Mr. Starr. The tone of the writing in this book made me fall asleep on the couch with my beloved beagle. I feel like starting, rather than ending with this book might have been a good idea, even though it's the later part of the time period we're talking about in this class. I felt like much of the information was a refresher, and maybe I won't feel so when we get into the actual chapters of the volume. I did find a few things interesting, though. The problems of geography and the amount of time it took for news to travel isn't something we have discussed very much in class (p.6). I also liked his straight-forward layout of the 1-3 areas of themes that will be discussed in the volume. All three seem pertinent and like there will be much overlap between the three throughout the volume.

There were two comments about the rise of print culture and the novel that I found particularly interesting. The first, is his discussion of book agents as people that were suspicious and perhaps, untrustworthy. There seemed to be no system of checks and balances and no way to really know if you were going to actually be published and or paid. Yikes!

Secondly, one of my areas of interest is Children's Literature; I find it fascinating that it took longer for American children's literature to develop. I took a course entitled The Golden Age of Children's Literature in which we read the following Children's books: Little Women (1868-9), Little Lord Fauntleroy (1885), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), The Jungle Book (1894), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), Alice in Wonderland (1865), Peter and Wendy (1911), The Wind in the Willows (1908), A Little Princess (1905), Tarzan of the Apes (1914), The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle (1920), The House at Pooh Corner (1928). I find it interesting that of the 13 'classics' we read for class only 4 were American (even in the late 1800s- early 1900s)! I found the discussion on pages 30-32 fascinating and think I might want to do some more research on popular children's texts during the time period listed for our course. Most of the books discussed I've never even heard of an certainly never read. I also found the rise in children's fiction chart of particular interest, since there is a rise and fall, but overall a steady increase (much like there has been the last 10 years).

3&4

Since I am presenting on these two chapters, I found myself reading like Klay. Carefully picking what topics I thought were relevant for my presentation. Overall, I felt like there was a plethora of interesting information within these 2 chapters (which you all will see because my handout is longer than it should be, whoops!).

I found the Ideology and Genre chapter more philosophical and critical, whereas the Literacy, Education, and the Reader chapter contained tons of interesting facts and information about literacy, education and readership during early America. Because I presented on Adorno and Horkheimer in Neil's Theory course yesterday, I found myself thinking deeply about our notions and definitions of Ideology throughout my reading. I was also fascinated by Davidson's discussion of the threat to authority and order novel reading posed, and how the production of the novel for the masses could be seen as a revolutionary tool. This is much more Benjaminian, but I began to think about all of the revolutions we've seen occur in the United States. Because Banned Books week was last week, I found myself considering what Banned Texts I considered revolutionary. "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg (one of my favorite pieces of American Poetry) came instantly to mind.  Davidson claims that literature can be Revolutionary and help the community recognize prejudices (racism, sexism, classism) and hopefully, help us to overcome unjust authoritative forces. I think that literature has this function, but I also think other forms of pop & mass culture help us to recognize and think critically about the prejudices permeating our culture. For instance,  I think it is important that we recognize that education and gender stereotypes still occur. I remember Teen Talk Barbie being pulled off the shelves in when I was younger (1992) because she said "Math class is tough" and my cousin desperately wanting one:
I'm an English Major...You Do The Math Barbie


Also, while perusing YouTube for Math-Makes-My-Brain-Hurt-Barbie, I found this ad for some creepy dolls! YIKES!
What To Show On Your TV During Your Halloween Party

Margaret Atwood & Drunk History!

Yesterday, I mentioned Atwood's innovative new book signing machine. Below is a link discussing the Longpen. This machine is different from the description I gave it in class. The e-signature technology I was thinking of has been developed by someone else; however, this is still pretty cool: 

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2007/06/margaret_atwood_signs_autograp.html

Also, as I've expressed numerous times, I don't have a great grasp on the history of this time period. My favorite way to learn about our Founding Fathers. Drunk History!

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/68f23e244b/drunk-history-vol-1-featuring-michael-cera-from-drunk-history-michael-cera-derekwaters-and-jeremykonner

There is a slew of these videos that include cameos from comedians like Jack Black, Michael Cera, Danny McBride, Zooey Deschanel, Will Ferrell, John C. Reily & others. If you like this video, there's lots of others that are just as entertaining =) So view them in your "copious free time" (as Neil likes to call it), and remember that these are hilarious, not accurate.

A Not So On Topic Response to Revolution and the Word & Larisa's Blog!

After reading Larisa's blog, I felt prompted the consider my own experience of Reading as Revolutionary.

I'm so glad that Larisa linked her Graduate School experience and personal identity to what she read as a child. Unlike Larisa and Callie, I did not grow up with Little Women (I didn't read until graduate school), Pride and Prejudice (embarrassingly, still haven't read) or Little House on the Prarie (I've never read). I was the 'weird girl' who loved to read stories about anthropomorphized animals (Hank the Cowdog, Bunnicula, Howliday Inn, The Wind in the Willows, The Secret Rats of Nimh, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Stuart Little, Abel's Island--apparently I had a thing for books with mice) and Science Fiction (Ender's Game, The Cat from Outerspace, Star Wars books, and comic books).


To the women in our class: Do you feel that reading positive (specifically) female protagonists had a profound effect on the woman you became? Men, do you feel like reading male protagonists was important to you in the same regard? I often see SF & Fantasy critics from the last 10 years arguing that there aren't enough female  narrators to entice young girls to read science fiction/fantasy. Other than Lyra in Pullman's His Dark Materials & the women of the Narnia series, I can't think of many children's/YA SF & Fantasy novels I've read that have female protagonists from before the 2000s. Now, young girls who like SF/Fantasy have Katniss (The Hunger Games), Hermione (not the protagonist, but close enough in the Harry Potter series) and Tolly (Uglies series); I didn't grow up with these girls! I grew up with boys and masculine animals (much like children are with Pixar characters today).

I remember the first paper I wrote in college. It was for my sociology class and it was about the toys we played with as children and how they gendered us. From the books I read to the toys I played with, I was very much gendered 'male.' My mom still makes the joke that she's never had a daughter (I have 2 younger brothers) because I was the child that liked to play with Ghostbusters, Batman, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, and Mighty Max; I think the most feminine toys I had were Littlest Pet Shop & GloWorms (moreso unisex), which again was because of my love for animals. I just wasn't into the American Girl dolls and books or playing house, so I always had trouble making girl friends (and, admittedly, still do... I like classic cars and comic books, camping and drinkin' beer--not that girls can't or don't like these things, I think they are still coded as more masculine than feminine). I still have never owned a Barbie, but have a pretty rad collection of stuffed animals--E.T. and Gizmo beings my childhood favorites.

Me as Peter from the Ghostbusters

This is not a Halloween picture, but a part of my everyday adventuring

I also view the novel as a revolutionary tool, but I wonder if I see it in a different light. I feel like I thought I could do anything that a mouse or a boy or a Ninja Turtle could do (I used to get on fights with this boy named Stephen in Pre-K because he always wanted me to be April and stay behind, but I wanted to be Michealangelo!) COWABUNGA!

I suppose I'm still sorting out what all of my childhood reading and playtime means. One of my areas of interest is Children's Literature and media/toys/advertising. The confidence Larisa has in her relationship with books and the women she bonded with from reading is incredible. Larisa's sentiment that she  knows America because of encountering such women is something that I have never felt (I think my closest moments have been with Dickinson, Morrison, Wharton,a nd Atowood who is Canadian), but I feel much more American and connected to male voices (Whitman, Ginsberg, Vonnegut, Bukowski, Steinbeck, Stegnar).

Steinbeck & I

To quote Larisa, "But what lesson I learned best of all was that girls and women could do anything they want, no matter the obstacles in their way (thanks to Caddie Woodlawn, Anne Shirley, and the Pevensie sisters)."

I have no idea who any of these girls are, but you are lucky to have known them! My list would include names of rodents and dogs, boys and men, and I feel lucky to have known them deeply too! Different strokes for different folks! However, I completely agree that novels are a blessing because they contain narratives that empower us, and I think Davidson and even Mr. Starr would too.