RRB 6

I loved these videos! I watched Michael Baumann’s Creating a Slam Poem, Michelle Day’s Composing Spaces, and Amy McCleese Nichols’ Composing Relationships and Experiences. There are so many wonderful things that were happening in each of these pieces, but I’ll just go through each one by one and talk about what I think it says about the cannons we’ve been talking about this semester. 

So I think Baumann’s is the most generic, which isn’t bad, in the representation of the Canons because he truly talks about each stage, specifically arrangement and delivery. I think my own composing process resembled his out of all the videos I watched. He did start with some collaborative actions, like discussing his ideas with a trusted confidant, but most of the writing process was between him, google, and a paper. (However, we have some key differences because most of the writing I do these days is research based and not as personal, but still fun!) Once he was satisfied with the arrangement, he focused on his style. The movements and inflections that were necessary to bring his piece alive. Even though he didn’t say it directly, I assume there’s a sense of memory in this as well, because he eventually settles on a certain way to perform words; where to pause or punch a certain word or make a vowel longer than necessary. I’ve always seen memory as a loose relation to familiarity with a subject or piece. In my own writing, I guess that transfers to being knowledgeable enough about writing in a confident manner. Baumann does directly talk about delivery and how it even changes his piece a little bit while he responds to the audience. I understand that, especially from an acting sense. (Small backstory: My freshman year I performed in a 10 minute play for my acting class and I had a line that was supposed to be funny, and usually the test audiences laughed a polite amount at it, but it wasn’t a big deal. On show day, the audience absolutely howled at this line! So I paused a bit before my next line and hit it harder than I had ever practiced, which is kinda risky, because the director had specifically asked me to do something different. But it paid off! It was one of the loudest laughs of the night and the director loved it! So that’s just an example of working with the audience to create a better experience). So I think his main point is kinda similar to what Dr. Whiddon says in a lot of his classes, the process of invention and revision never really ends until you turned the piece in or have finished performing the piece, etc. There is always a way to enhance or add, whether it be from the actual vocabulary or to the style and delivery. 

Day’s Composing Spaces made me think about the things I need in order to feel comfortable for an in depth writing session. I guess I’m similar to her, but there are other objects that bring me comfort that I like to have around. Of course, my computer is essential, but so are headphones, even if I’m not listening to any music. I think it’s a universal signal to those around me that I am not available for a conversation. While Day likes to cross her legs, I like having a blanket, even at Waffle House. I think she emphasizes that writing is an action that can honestly take place anywhere (that has wifi) and we can form the space that is conducive to that activity. I suppose she emphasizes the step before invention takes place: preparation. Or something like that. Taking care of our needs before we sit down before a computer. We also hear this from self help books too; you can work more efficiently in a clean space or that silence helps you focus. However, Day is pointing out that you can create a space for yourself anywhere, and kinda like in my soundscape, you can tune the rest of the world out (but I know that’s not really a realistic option for many people, but at least the space can be created.) 

The final video I watched, and probably my favorite is McCleese Nichols’ piece, Composing Relationships and Experiences. It made me so grateful and happy after I watched it because I began to think about all the people around me who sacrifice and work hard to help make my time at college a little bit easier. From my selfless parents to my kind professors and supportive friends. The men and women at the caf that strive to make me smile at every meal and the women at Waffle House who bring me candy because they think I need a bit more fun. My roommate pointed out that these contributions are not equivalent though, and I agree with that. My parents have sacrificed more for me personally than anyone on the list quite frankly, and I adore them for that, however I don’t think contributions should be overlooked even if they’re small. For my senior thesis, I am writing about democratic backsliding and I was talking (actually I was complaining) to a friend about how one of the theories I am studying is about the modernization theory which postulates that some nations are not democracies and are economically underdeveloped because they don’t have the culture to support such modernization. I find this theory to be arrogant, advocating cultural supremacy of the west, and slightly racist. I wanted to exclude it all together and not pay any attention to it. However, he told me that it was a major movement and there might be some validity to the theory. Perhaps there needs to be a certain culture that supports an economic model that we have. Valuing independence and private property as opposed to close familial ties and the overall survival of the community. I’m not really doing justice to his argument, but the bottom line is that he caused me to reconsider leaving out the modernization theory, and now it’s a big portion of my paper. I absolutely loved her emphasis upon the collaborative nature of invention. I think that extends to arrangement as well (I make my roommate read most of my papers and I read hers!). McCleese Nichols was able to present this concept that we’ve talked about all semester into basically a thank you letter to those who support her. I would love to do something similar. I want people around me to know how thankful I am for their support the last four years.