About Me

I am a 26-year-old mother of two beautiful children and I have been married to a wonderful man for nearly six years now. Of course, he occasionally acts like a child but don’t all men? Outside of that, there isn’t very much to say about me. I made the decision to pursue history in college in 2015, just before my daughter was born. I wanted to do something to make her and my son proud, so I decided to enroll in college. I decided on attending Grand Canyon University after spending quite a bit of time thinking and looking at other options. Grand Canyon University had the most positives on my pros and cons list and I do not regret my decision to enroll. While I am not sure if my children are prouder of me or annoyed now, I know they will be proud of me in the future and that’s what counts.

I of course, have hobbies. Like most mothers I enjoy playing with my children, listening to them talk and reading them stories all day long and especially at bedtime. I also love reading, any type of fiction will do. I will read some non-fiction at times, but it is not my favorite genre. I also enjoy collecting figurines especially ones from shows that I like. Art is another thing I appreciate though I can’t drawn to save my life.

I’ve enjoyed almost all the classes I have attended at Grand Canyon University and I would have to say that Multicultural Literature has been one of my favorites. It has taught me so much about the different genres of literature and how each culture has something different to bring to the table that is the written word. Multicultural Literature to me is something that is very important as it brings us closer together as a people. Yes, it shows our differences, but I think it also helps to unite us by pointing out the things we have in common, thoughts, feelings and emotions included.

I hope that my children will be able to attend such a class one day. I want them to be able to enjoy the different types of writing that there are in the world. I want them to know that Chinese helped make poetry mainstream and I want them to realize where the haiku comes from and not simply focus on the fact that it is a poem with a five, seven, five pattern in regards to syllables. I want them to know that it is something that was introduced by the Japanese people, something that was important to their culture and I very much hope that it will be important to my children in the future.

Multicultural Literature is diverse and lovely. It is full of life and it is something that I hope will continue thriving for quite some time as while we are all the same and we all bleed the same color, we are at the heart of things very different, bringing gifts to the table that others may not. 

On Post Holocaust Literature: Writing and Poetry

Post-Holocaust literature was once thought of as something that was impossible to do. During a period of such turmoil poetry and literature were thought of as pleasures that were now useless or at the very least impractical. But writing can sometimes serve as cathartic and the writing by Jewish authors in a post-Holocaust world has also served as a viewfinder into a world that generations after may never know otherwise.

The stories featured this week were sometimes painful to read but in a society where the present echoes the past seemed almost necessary to be read. They broached a certain level of empathy and connectivity that many students may not have without visiting the Holocaust museum or having a direct connection to such events.

And while a lot of students may have read all or at least a portion of “The Diary of Anne Frank” there is still a lot to be learned from other works, particularly works of fiction which allow the reader to be further able to picture themselves as the character instead of feeling almost instantly as if the very thing they’re reading is happening to someone they love.

In “This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen, we as the audience are presented with a first-hand glimpse into what it may have been like for someone working at a concentration camp. In a rare move, the story is told from the point of view of someone who is not of Jewish descent themselves but an outsider looking in, of someone who has to be part of the clean up crew in a very grotesque and traumatic event. This character, we see in future passages is someone who has been put through an evil no one should have to face, one that has led him to resent the very people who have been sent there to die.

Humanity is a gift we must hold onto with all we have because if pushed we can lose it in a heartbeat.

So Real You Can Touch It: On Magical Realism

“To master magical realism, one must make the real seem unreal but, more importantly, make the unreal seem real.”
― Kevin Ansbro

mag·ic re·al·ism

noun

noun: magic realism; noun: magical realism

a literary or artistic genre in which realistic narrative and naturalistic technique are combined with surreal elements of dream or fantasy.

Magical realism is a genre of both writing and art that depicts surreal elements in a natural world, sometimes as if the magic truly belongs there.

It can be found constantly throughout popular culture, be it vampires living in a small town, behaving like everyday citizens (The Vampire Diaries) or a girl whose whole family grows wings, a feat that happens nowhere else in the book but is widely accepted as fact (The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender) and it as a genre in literature is only trending forward. Magical realism is here to stay believe it or not.

And don’t worry about teaching your students the right way to appreciate these wonderful works of literature. The excellent thing about magical realism is that while the magic is believable, it is done in a way that still allows for personal involvement and individual interpretation. No matter what, the reader is always in control. 

In Death Constant Beyond Love, a short story by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez the magical elements are incredibly tangible, touchable things. In a particular scene, the main character, a businessman is seen presenting artificial things to a town, things that wouldn’t benefit the town as much as he says. He does this in a way that is magical, that is so intriguing to the audience that you almost start to believe yourself. And yet, not everyone who reads this story will fall for the magical elements.

That is the power of reading. 

On Names and Roots

“Tigers Die and Leave Their Skins; People Die and Leave Their Names.” – Author Unknown

Dale Carnegie refers to names as being, “the sweetest and most important sound in any language,” and I could not agree more. Names are vastly important. They are who we are, holding dreams that our parents laid out for us and they are the biggest gifts we could have received from them outside of the gift of life. Names in a matter of speaking are the roots of us, as individuals, as groups. They are our first identifier and our main next to our appearances.

Names are important in every single culture although the importance may be for different reasons. As such names should be treated with respect.

“When I started as an actor? No, and I'll tell you why. I had already gone through that. My family is from Nigeria, and my full name is Uzoamaka, which means "The road is good." Quick lesson: My tribe is Igbo, and you name your kid something that tells your history and hopefully predicts your future. So anyway, in grade school, because my last name started with an A, I was the first in roll call, and nobody ever knew how to pronounce it. So I went home and asked my mother if I could be called Zoe. I remember she was cooking, and in her Nigerian accent she said, "Why?" I said, "Nobody can pronounce it." Without missing a beat, she said, "If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Michelangelo and Dostoyevsky, they can learn to say Uzoamaka.” – Uzo Aduba

In the story, Chike’s School Days the main character receives three names, John, Chike, and Obiajulu. All of these names must have very important meanings to Chike’s family but it is the last one Obiajulu that is the most impactful. Meaning, “the mind is at last at rest,” this name not only connects the main character to his native roots, but it holds the feeling of doneness, of completion for the family. It is the rest of the story that gives further context into Chike’s dual existence, to his having one foot equally in the door of Europe as well as the door of his homeland, Africa but it is in that first paragraph that we as an audience truly witness the groundwork being laid for the story.

In the short story, “Deep River” the importance of a name is also evident as the entire group chooses to go by the name of their Chief, the person of highest importance in their tribe. For as long as they can remember the people of the tribe have been Monemapee’s people until an incident involving the newest ruler splits the tribe in half. This fallout has a very big impact on the tribe as it leads to their identity being changed at the end of the story, not only in their thoughts and opinions but in their identity and name as well.

The impact that this change has on the people is very thought provoking and relatable. It makes you wonder what you might have done in the shoes of one of the tribe members. Would you have chosen to go with one leader or the other? Would you have been willing to change your identity for the sake of your people? Or would you have rather made a path for yourself?

The poet Leopold Sedar Senghor knows what it means to be part of a community with one foot in one door and one in another. It is in his poems, To New York, and Prayer to the Masks that we truly get a glimpse of what this dual identity means. In To New York Senghor provides us a love letter to his hometown, the city he has come to love despite its flaws. Prayer to the Masks provides us a glimpse of his dual life, of his roots in African and Europe, with Europe being tied at the navel. 

On Native American Spirituality

Spirituality is extremely prevalent in Native American culture. It is in their songs, their dances, and even their stories. Native American myths about Badger and Coyote have survived thousands of years and are as much a part of Native American life today as they were back then.

The story Yellow Woman by Leslie Marmon Silko presents a modern-day twist on the story of Badger and Coyote with the spirit of Coyote, or someone claiming to be him, taking who he claims to be Yellow woman, a woman whom he meets on the beach complete with her own family back home as well as her own name. Throughout the story, the woman attempts to find out who the man Silva really is all the while falling for his charms and being compelled by some means to follow him. It is up to the reader to decide whether this is a tale of manipulation and kidnapping or one of spirituality and reincarnation.

The Navajo Night Chant chooses to go a different, more traditional route. The speaker in the story is seen asking the Great Spirit for rain, corn and other things needed for a good harvest and life. As the poem goes deeper into detail we get the feeling that the Great Spirit is being worshipped and will be greatly appreciated for all that he is able to do, even all that he is not able to do as they know that the Great Spirit is with them regardless. Unlike in the Yellow Woman, the Great Spirit is not seen as a physical being.

The Yellow Woman brings about ideas of modern day stories focused on Shape Shifters, some of which have been inspired by Native American myths. Think of the werewolves in Twilight or the Skin Walker in Moon Called by Patricia Briggs, a book centered around a Native American character who can transform into a coyote at will. While the spirituality may not be as prevalent in these stories the determination and the curiosity sparked within the tales can certainly lead young high schoolers towards their nearest library on a constant search for the inspiration behind the tale.

An easy way to bring about interest in such a thing or to discuss the subject of spirituality with your class would be to have an open discussion on their own beliefs, possibly even creating a Venn diagram or a spreadsheet listing the differences and common themes within the religions/beliefs listed.

                                                                                  

Long Story Short: On the Importance of Short Stories

Have you ever wanted to write a cultural commentary on something? Maybe you weren’t sure of a way to put your feelings eloquently enough or perhaps you wanted to be subtle about the point you were attempting to get across but weren’t sure how to go about it. Well, whether your intentions are blatant and subjective or subtle and discrete there are examples all throughout literature.

“Diary of a Madman” is a short story by Chinese author Lu Xun. It’s main focus is on the diary entries of a man who seems to be going crazy. Suddenly, he sees everyone as being cannibalistic and out to get him.

“Man of La Mancha” is a short story by Taiwanese author Chu T'Ien-Hsin. It centers around a main character who after a fall seems to have developed a sudden obsession with death and in particular, how he might be thought of if one day he were to be found dead on the street.

Both stories focus on subject that are taboo and were especially taboo during the time that they were written. While the context of Man of La Mancha seems rather blatant in its focus, the context behind Diary of a Madman is rather subtle in its telling and perhaps could even be viewed as a metaphor for something else entirely, indeed one where the company is mad rather than the main character as the audience grows to think.

Summaries aside, both short stories prove that man is capable of amazing works be it subtle ones or not so subtle. It also shows that the short story platform is an excellent way to get a point across be it political like in Diary of a Madman or taboo like in Man of La Mancha.

Short stories have taken the modern world by storm, often showing up in anthologies such as Because You Love to Hate Me, a short story collection that focuses on the villains rather than the typical modern day hero or heroine but the ideas in short stories do not always have to be short to get their point across. There are plenty of modern day tellings that have some sociopolitical path to tread, for example, The Hate You Give, a story by Angie Thomas that tackles the Black Lives Matter Movement with taste and emotion.

If both Lu Xun and Chu T’ien-hsin were alive today I’m sure they would look upon the modern-day world of the short story, of the story in general with pride. Their artform has lived on. 

The Timeless Tradition of Ancient Chinese Poetry

Poetry is a timeless tradition that goes back to ancient China but not many people feel as excited about poetry today as they did in years gone by. Don’t fret, however, because poetry is not a hard thing to get into and while I would not recommend jumping straight into traditional classics, such as Edgar Allen Poe’s Nevermore or Annabelle Lee I would suggest a dive into the Classics of Poetry, a collection of poems compiled by none other than Confucius.

While the Classics of Poetry itself was compiled by Confucius the exact authors behind the works remain unknown. Still, the feelings behind the poems remain as strong as ever even after the millennia that have passed by. One glance at the poem Fishhawk is sure to transport you to a place where arranged marriages were not only common but where marriage to multiple spouses was the norm. Feel free to draw your own conclusions as you read this tale of a wanted married woman. Was she faithful to her spouse or did she stray? The truth remains in the eye of the beholder.

Or what about Quince? The poem proves that love is indeed the greatest gift. Or perhaps the gift is not great enough? The best thing about poetry is that you are free to interpret it any way you’d like. The feelings come across just the same.    

Question Corner:

Did Confucius Himself Write the Analects or Simply Compile Them? 

Was the Story of Ying Ying Based in Real History?

Homework Time:

Study the poem “Fishhawk” and analyze it for content? Describe Your Feelings.

Was the Story of Ying Ying Based in Real History?

Powerlessness & Choice

What do Camus, Akhmatova, Kafka and Goethe have in common? If your only thought happens to be strange names then you’re not in the right place. Or perhaps you are. Perhaps, what you need is a little adventure? A transformation of sorts perhaps?

Story Time

Cinderella didn’t have to end with her living happily ever after with the Prince. It ended that way because she made the choice to come out and make herself known. Metamorphosis by Kafka, a story that experienced its own sort of transformation was also set off by a choice, one that was brought on by a bit of loss. The character, Gregor finds himself in a bit of a difficult situation, not unlike our fairytale heroine Cinderella; he is tired of slaving away for others and having to pay back debts that are not his own has gotten to be a bit of a strain on him. Instead of finding his happy ever after with a princess, however, Gregor wakes up to find that he has transformed, not into a beautiful person with a pumpkin carriage but a bug. This loss of physical humanity that Gregor undergoes leads him down a path of more and more loss until eventually his own life is cut short. However, it also brings about the revival of his family. One could say that in this instance, the transformation story was really of his family. One could also say that this supernatural transformation could have been altered. Had Gregor chosen to put himself out there like Cinderella and made himself known, would he perhaps have still lost his humanity? Would Cinderella have remained with her stepmother and stepsisters had she remained in her room where she belonged? While these answers are unknown and potentially unfounded, the lessons they bring about are not.

What Lesson? How to Teach It?

The first thing you need to do when reading Metamorphosis is to have an open mind. Thankfully, this is something that popular culture has made very easy for high school children to do. With shows like Supernatural depicting transformation and giving glimpses into the battle of good versus evil (of God versus the devil in some cases), it is very easy to imagine what it might be like to one day wake up as one thing when you’d gone to bed as something else entirely. What might be hard to imagine, however, is how to digest it. Reading alone, especially skimming will not help a person truly get to know a story. A child, no matter the age must be brought into it and should dwell in it for a while. This can be done by asking prompting questions such as:

What Bible story does this make you think of?

Do you think Gregor’s transformation happened because he gave his troubles to the devil?

Would there perhaps have been an alternate ending had Gregor or his family held onto his humanity a little longer?

“Devil Take It All.”

These words uttered by Gregor at the very start of the story are the first domino hitting the second. These words start the true process of transformation.