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?