The Heart of Writing

The Language of Desire

"Language does not exist apart from thought, and thought does not exist apart from language; they are one and the same."

James Berlin--Rhetoric and Reality.

     What do you want?  What gets in the way?  How do you get there?  What defines your journey?

     Desire is a language we all understand...  or struggle to understand.  For the purpose of this discussion, however, we will stand outside the weight of this word and examine.   We will ask ourselves:  What does it mean?

     Consider the numerous narratives that stand before you--school, career, family, relationships, and the persistent demands of self-discovery. Consider the narratives that have carried you to this place:  the scope of your lived lives, the streets, the houses, the communities and families that have dressed you, built your belief systems, formed your values.  How do these elements of language continue to define you?  What part of you strikes out against them?

     This conversation can be broad and far ranging, but always in the spirit of discovery.  I encourage you to ask difficult questions but maintain a vigorous atmosphere of inquiry.  Paulo Freire, the great liberation theorist writes:  "Hope is rooted in men's incompletion, from which they move out in constant search--a search which can be carried out only in communion with others.  Hopelessness is a form of silence, of denying the world and fleeing from it."  As your moderator, I will steer the conversation towards this communion and into the nuts and bolts, the foundation and framing, the structure and manifestation of this language of desire.  I ask you to do the same.

     As always, please maintain an atmosphere of community and support.  We are attempting to develop an "academic" approach to an unacademic topic.  In other words, you can disagree, but respect each other's opinion.  Be supportive and generous with your discussion.

     So, once again, what do you want?  What gets in the way?  How do you get there?  What defines your journey?

The Language of Film

"Language does not exist apart from thought, and thought does not exist apart from language; they are one and the same."

James Berlin--Rhetoric and Reality

 

For this month's topic, a student committee has chosen to discuss the language of film.  We will consider this "discussion group" an experiment, and I will leave it up to your invention and energy to push the conversation into stimulating territory.  As I moderate this conversation, however, I will challenge you to maintain an energy of "critical thinking".  Rather than just discuss whether a film was "good" or "bad", or whether we should all go out and watch a specific film, this discussion should be committed to a spirit of investigation.

Throughout your discussion, I will suggest a few questions for you to consider, but you are not obligated to answer them.  Simply use the questions as an opportunity to deepen the analysis and your conversation.

Finally, read the above quote by literary theorist and historian, James Berlin.  As you begin your discussion of movies, you may describe the stories, the action, the conflicting elements, but remember that you are considering an art form that uses "symbolic language".   This visual language of film contains immense power to capture and maintain the audience's attention, but also communicates vital information about the realities of our world... or, the illusions of reality.  In your discussion, consider what reality is being reflected.   Consider how the central conflicts of film represent aspects of our world, sometimes social, other times political, perhaps psychological, or frequently revealing our inner conflicts, our desires, hopes and dreams.  Whatever the thematic direction, allow yourself to branch out and take risks as you consider the implications of the content and the deeper layers of meaning.

While you share your valuable thoughts, please maintain an atmosphere of community and support.  We are attempting to develop an "academic" approach to a frequently "unacademic" medium.  In other words, you can disagree, but respect each other's opinion.  Most important, continue to ask yourself:  What is the language of film?

The Shape of Language

"Language does not exist apart from thought, and thought does not exist apart from language; they are one and the same."

James Berlin--Rhetoric and Reality

Let's launch this discussion with a conversation about "language."  How does language define our reality?  Move the definition of language beyond words and text to all forms of language--the language of our world.  Consider the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, the ambitions that define us, the stories that we choose to tell (and the information we leave out), the music we listen to, the movies we watch, our belief systems, our desires, fears, and insecurities.  How do these languages shape the person, the man, the woman, the son, or the daughter?  How do these outside influences give shape to our personal narratives?  

This week, force yourself to become aware of language.  Take an hour to explore your community or city with a notebook and pen.  While you're on this scenic tour, take in the sights and sounds of language.  Notice how text is used in your communities... street signs, advertisements, graffiti, storefronts.  Notice dialogue between friends and strangers and your elders.  Observe body language and facial expressions.   Watch how language shifts as you move into different settings:  A cafe, a club, a party, the classroom, a bank, your job.

In your post, describe a scene as it unfolds.  Choose a gas station, a market, a soccer game, a bus ride, a street corner, a movie theatre, a clothing store.  When you submit your observation, however, include more than striking scene description or dialogue.  Attempt to notice what language emerges from the environment.  How does it inform or shape your personal reactions? Consider how your own life experiences, attitude, beliefs, doubts, or wants color your reflection. Most important, make the connection and find the shape of language.

The Beginning of Language

We're going to begin this conversation with a discussion about sinkholes and horror movies; minefields and bottomless cliffs; zombies and screaming cheetahs.  I'd like to hear your thoughts and memories about learning the writing craft.  Here's the central question we will consider:  Where do you get stuck in the writing process?  Or... where do you hit roadblocks in placing words on the page?  I'd like you to be imaginative about your responses.  In other words, let's look beyond easy answers.

Many of us struggle with grammar and punctuation, organization and argument.   I'd like to know why.  Others struggle with just getting words down on the page in some understandable fashion.  Why?  One way to enter this topic could be to think of experiences that illustrate early or even recent memories of learning writing skills.  Another possibility could be to volunteer a reflection.  What happens when you sit down with a pen or at a computer and face the blank page/screen?  What does your head say to you?  Fear?  Anger?  Disgust?  Insecurity?  Frustration?  Do you want to kick a dog?  Kill a goat?  What?  Or, perhaps you feel no anxiety and are a super charged writing machine.  If that is the case, we'd like to know your secret.  Whatever your answer, please dive deep.  Be fearless in your examination.

Our goal is to understand how we get snagged in the writing process.  Along the way, we might begin to discuss what skills lie at the heart of the writing craft.  This is an opportunity to share your thoughts with others and receive some input, and, perhaps, find some common ground.  This conversation has no limit except the presence of grace and good taste.

So, once again:  Where do you get stuck in the writing process?