Symbol http://bbemusic.com/images/large/the_beat_generation.jpg
CD Cover http://www.instromania.net/PHO/comp/W/comp%20-%20Welcome%20To%20The%20Be...
The Wailers http://www.instromania.net/ART/ART_W/WAILERS%20The.php
Berkeley http://www.abc.net.au/ola/citizen/imgs/prog8/freespeech.jpg
Music and Dancing http://www.beatmuseum.org/flix/images/beatgen2.gif
Fehrencghetti http://www.bardwire.tripod.com/coney.jpg
Brooklyn http://realitystudio.org/images/biography/hal-chase.jack-kerouac.allen-g...
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Howl http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0872860175.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Hippies http://www.thefarm.
City Lights Book Store http://www.fb10.uni-bremen.de/anglistik/kerkhoff/beatgeneration/CityLigh...
Acid Test www.lycaeum.org
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Beatles – All I Need is Love
Bob Dylan – All I Really Want to Do
Allen Ginsberg – “Howl”
Bob Dylan – Times Are a Changing
Grateful Dead – Let the Good Times Roll
Grateful Dead - Cocaine

The more I read “The Death March” the more disturbed I was by some of the gruesome acts that occurred. The title did hint at what was to come, but it did not fully prepare me. Furthermore, even though the whole ceremony was important, it seems like there was more sadness about the whole situation than happiness for what was being done. There was a good amount of suspense in the story that kept me on the edge as I read more. However, it seemed like everything turned out for the worse, at least for the time being. What I got out of the story is the importance of tradition within cultures. There would be no reasoning to perform such a painful, emotionally and physically, ceremony. One aspect of how the story was told that I enjoyed was how Chavez incorporated Spanish every now and then it gave the story more authenticity. I don’t know if the story is true or not, but if so, it is something that is very unique to a specific culture that I would definitely like to learn more about.

I found Gary Snyder’s poetry very unique in the way of how simple, yet elegant it was. I like his themes of the working man’s life and the outdoors because it evokes many images in the reader’s head. His uses all five senses in his very specific descriptions in “Getting in the Wood,” which was my favorite one out of the four. I was surprised when I reached the end of the poem because it seemed like it would go on forever because the words flowed so well together. I think Snyder is attempting to show how much is out there is the natural world, as well as compliment the people who still work manual labor. Nature is a fantastic part of this world that I think people are forgetting more about it as work and the city life seems to be taking priority in their lives.

In this poem I found that Bishop was trying to say that loss is going to happen; it is an expectation that one must accept. The important thing to gain from knowing this is that a person needs to learn how to master the art of losing in order not to be hurt so much by it. Loss is always going to hurt, but by mastering the art of losing one can prevent disaster. It is alright to feel sad, but anything less than total misery is an accomplishment. Also, I noticed how the things listed that she has lost increased with magnitude. I think she is trying to convey that no matter how great the loss, it is possible to endure it and eventually overcome the misery.

This class has been unlike any class I’ve taken here at UNC. I find that I am much more engaged in our projects than I am in any major grades for other classes because of the creativity of the assignments. By having the freedom to do projects on characters of my choice I am actually having fun doing big projects, which is something that I never thought would happen in college. There is no constant reading of books, memorization of information or constant paper writing. I thought at first that my analytical skills might suffer because of this, but the mixture of homework assignments and projects have broadened them.

Something I like a lot about the class that I am not used to is the semester-long revision of our assignments. I had trouble with this at first because I am only used to turning in a final work, and I found myself trying to perfect every project I have done so far. This is why I have turned in most of the assignments late. Even though I have worked extremely hard on all of the assignments, it surprised me how much I could improve them after I looked them over just hours following when I completed them. Furthermore, with all the assignments of my classmates posted on the internet I can see some of the aspects of the assignments in which they excelled and I did not think of at all. This allowed me to not only get the instructor's comments on how to improve my work, but to see the different things that other people did that never crossed my mind. I enjoyed the entire semester and hope to find another class similar to this one's style before I graduate.

Playlist

When given the playlist assignment, I first thought it would be simple to choose eight songs to illustrate the traits of a character. The internet is so extensive and it seems like there is a never ending quantity of songs available on iTunes. However, I found it very difficult to even find the character that I wanted to use for the assignment. My reasoning behind Howard Hughes was that he had such an intense, fast-paced life of ups and downs. There were so many aspects of his personality that I wanted to cover while keeping the playlist smoothly flowing from characteristic to characteristic. Selecting the first five songs was easy, but the last three became increasingly more difficult to fit the ones already chosen. I wanted to keep the genre of the music fairly similar because I thought the sound of the songs would help the playlist flow well. Furthermore, I attempted to find a variety of paces to the songs to represent the wide range of emotions and feelings felt by Hughes throughout his life. A difficult part of this project was that preparation was needed before the search for songs began, but you also had to keep your mind open to new ideas if you came across something that felt right. I found that I had jotted down so many random songs and notes to myself after a while that it made the selection process a lot easier. What I liked about this project compared to a paper was that I found my imagination constantly being used. Also, instead of just using words to describe the character, you first have to find a song to base those words upon. I felt that I improved many important skills in general from this project, including everything from improving my analytical skills to advancing my internet skills.

Original Playlist
Revised Playlist

Collages

To me this was the most difficult assignment because I imagined the collage that I wanted but could never seem to find the exact pictures that I envisioned. I would find a good set of pictures, but then one wouldn’t fit the way I wanted and I would have to start all over. This is why I think that this project has helped me become less stubborn and become more open to ideas with what is given to me. Also, similar to the playlist assignment, I realized preparation was key before beginning to search for images in this case. The collages were also a lot of fun to me. I usually get bored with doing a lot of work on one assignment for extended periods of time, but with this assignment I found that I could work on it for hours and stay focused. Furthermore, it improved my skills with Photoshop, which I was barely familiar with beforehand. I chose John Nash for my character collage because I thought using the layers in Photoshop I could accurately illustrate his attempt to forget the past while also showing that it still haunted him. The fading and replicating features also helped with the people and objects he was trying to dismiss from his mind. I am still working on my poem collage.

Collage of John Nash
Revised Collage of John Nash

Annotation Assignment

What I enjoyed most about this assignment was that we interpreted the poems as a group, instead of individually analyzing specific poems. With the whole class making a couple contributions to each poem were many different interpretations of the specific parts of all the poems. Seeing different meanings within the poems increased my analytical skills of poetry dramatically, making me read poems less literally and more broad-mindedly. The talk tool took analysis even further because it allowed us to respond to different classmates’ thoughts and begin a discussion concerning a confusing part of a poem. Annotating poetry has never been a strongpoint of mine so this group interpretation greatly helped me in how to pick apart and explain the meaning of poems. By analyzing so many of Emily Dickinson’s poems at one time I learned a great deal about their recurring themes and unique features: immortality and death, capitalization of nouns and use of dashes, and others. I also think this particular assignment was perfect for her poetry because of her ability to leave the meanings of her poems uncertain and open for interpretation. Furthermore, within a few short lines she expresses such extensive ideas and thoughts. This is perfect for a group assignment with individual contributions because in each stanza of each poem there are many words and ideas to examine and discuss.

“The Tint I Cannot Take is Best” – Discontent
“The Tint I Cannot Take is Best” – Array
“Struck I Was Not Yet by Lightning” – Bandit
“Struck I Was Not Yet by Lightning” - Maimed
“He Fumbles at Your Soul” – Naked Soul
“He Fumbles at Your Soul” – Scalps
“ My Life had stood – a loaded Gun” – Discussion
“My Life had stood – a loaded Gun” – Discussion on Vesuvian
“I’m Nobody, Who Are You” – Banish
“I’m Nobody, Who Are You” – Frog
“A Light Exists in Spring” – Color
“A Light Exists in Spring” – Furthest
“I Started Early Took My Dog” – Mermaids
“I Started Early Took My Dog” – Basement
“This World is Not Conclusion” – Philosophy Don’t Know
“This World is Not Conclusion” – A Species stands beyond
“ My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun” – And every time I speak for Him
“My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun” – Loaded Gun
“I heard a Fly buzz when I died” – Windows
“I heard a Fly buzz when I died” – Keepsakes
“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” – Strove
“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” – Drove
“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” – Discussion on Surmised
“Because I Could Not Stop for Death” – Discussion on Quivering and Chill

My Blog

The Beat Generation

Blog 1 is my reaction to the poem "The Race" and why it appealed to me.

Blog 2 is a comment on the importance of symbolism in "Hills Like White Elephants."

Blog 3 is a comment on the impact of Robert on "Bub" throughout the story of "The Cathedral."

Blog 4 is a comment on the use of sarcasm to make a strong point in "We Real Cool."

Blog 5 is a comment on the change that takes place in "A Death in Texas."

Blog 6 is a comment on the character of the Grandma is "A Good Man is Hard to Find"

Blog 7 is a comment on the short stories "Girl" and "Sweat"

Blog 8 is a comment on the short stories "A&P" and "I Stand Here Ironing."

Blog 9 is a comment on "The Lesson", “Betwixt and Bewildered", "Rites of Passage", and "Advice to My Son."

Blog 10 is a reaction to the poem "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop.

Blog 11 is an entry on the poems by Gary Snyder.

Blog 12 is my reaction to the short story "Death March."

Dealing an irrational paranoia of germs was a great obstacle to accomplishing his many goals in theater and the aircraft industry. The opening scene of the movie is one of the most important of the entire film because of the visible effect Howard's mother had on him as a child. She tells him, "You are not safe." This upbringing has led Howard to meticulous, debilitating habits to attempt to avoid germs, and at times he would go months without leaving a hotel room. Hughes was already a great airplane designer and movie producer; who knows how great he could have been if he had not suffered from this distraught paranoia. I chose “Destroyer,” by The Kinks to depict this unfortunate and horrible craziness.

Silly boy ya' self-destroyer. Silly boy ya' self-destroyer

Silly boy you got so much to live for
So much to aim for, so much to try for
You blowing it all with paranoia
You're so insecure you self-destroyer

(And it goes like this, here it goes)
Paranoia, the destroyer
(Here it goes again)
Paranoia, the destroyer

Doctor, Doctor help me please, I know you'll understand
There's a time device inside of me, I'm a self-destructin' man
There's a red, under my bed
And there's a little green man in my head
And he said, "you're not goin' crazy, you're just a bit sad
'Cause there's a man in ya, gnawin' ya, tearin' ya into two."

Silly boy ya' self-destroyer.
Paranoia, the destroyer

Self-destroyer, wreck your health
Destroy friends, destroy yourself
The time device of self-destruction
Light the fuse and start eruption

(Yea, it goes like this, here it goes)
Paranoia, the destroyer
(Here's to paranoia)
Paranoia, the destroyer
(Hey hey, here it goes)
Paranoia, the destroyer
(And it goes like this)

Paranoia, the destroyer
(And it goes like this.)

Though his paranoia of germs and mental breakdowns slowed his success down, Hughes refused to quit any projects or back down to anyone, indifferent to their high status. When he didn’t break the airspeed world record, he kept on trying until he finally did. When pilots in his movie refused to fly in the dangerous clouds he went up there himself and ended up crashing but got the shot he wanted. People said his Hercules aircraft wouldn’t make it off the water, and he proved them wrong. Even when the Senate unrightfully investigated him and his airline company TWA, he went into the hearing and successfully exposed a senator’s dealings with another airline company. Hughes never backed down to a challenge his entire life, risking any financial means or even his life if necessary. I picked Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” to represent this quality of Hughes’s character.

Gonna stand my ground, won't be turned around
and I'll keep this world from draggin' me down
gonna stand my ground and I won't back down

Well I won't back down, no I won't back down
you could stand me up at the gates of hell
but I won't back down

Howard Hughes was known around Hollywood as a womanizer and goes through several relationships in the movie. The reason I think this song fits so well is because it stresses how he always need a woman there for him, but she also needs to know how to hit the road because he needs his alone time. Furthermore, it stresses the importance of a lover who won't drive him crazy. Already struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder and other psychological problems, Hughes's life is already nerve racking and wearisome enough.

I need a lover that won't drive me crazy
Some girl to thrill me and then go away
I need a lover that won't drive me crazy
Some girl that knows the meaning of a
Hey hit the highway

There is no question that Howard Hughes was a perfectionist down to every last detail of his productions, creations, and his life in general. This meticulousness can be see constantly during the film. For example, while making his successful film “Hell’s Angels,” his director quit, he let the lead actress go, re-shot many large segments of the film, waited weeks for the perfect cloud formation, shot film at eight different locations and after three years of work only used 36% of the total film shot. He pushed everybody working for him to their limits, most of the times the end result being quitting or firing. I chose the song “Can’t Get No Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones because of his inability to ever to be satisfied with an imperfect or incomplete task. There is also a video clip underneath the lyrics that shows different parts of the movie and is a great example of his obsession with perfection.

I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no satisfaction
'cause i try and i try and i try and i try
I can't get no, i can't get no

Lyrics "Satisfaction"

To represent his perpetually fast-paced lifestyle I chose “I’m in a Hurry,” by Alabama. He would stay awake hours upon hours working on his projects, not taking a break until they were perfected. After one was done, there was always something else to begin immediately. He also had projects like the “Hercules” which was a side project that he worked on for all his life. Also, I think the line, “It's a race and there ain't no room for someone in second place” perfectly symbolizes how Hughes pushed himself to perfectionism. Some of his projects might have taken him a long time to complete, but he took very rare breaks unless he was having one of his mental break downs. Also he literally did “rush and rush till life’s no fun.” By the end of his life he was in the record books for many achievements in aviation and was accepted in Hollywood as a great movie producer.

I'm in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why

Don't know why I have to drive so fast
My car has nothing to prove
It's not new
But it'll do zero to sixty in five point two

[Chorus]

Can't be late, I leave in plenty of time
Shakin' hands with the clock
I can't stop
I'm on a roll and I'm ready to rock

[Chorus]

Oh, I hear a voice
That says I'm running behind
Better pick up my pace
It's a race and there ain't no room for someone in second place

[Chorus]

To represent the later years of his life I chose “Life in the Fast Lane,” by the Eagles. This song is about the fast-paced life that some celebrities choose to live after stardom and the negatives that come along with it. Hughes’s recognition began at a young age with his production of Hell’s Angels and from then on his life consisted of increasingly rising fame, making frequent public appearances at festivities and parties. As a middle aged man he became his mental illness got progressively worse and an addiction to drugs became apparent. I think one of the causes of him being such a wreck at not that old of an age was a direct consequence of his younger years being so stressful and taxing on his mind and body.

Eager for action and hot for the game
The coming attraction, the drop of a name
They knew all the right people, they took
all the right pills
They threw outrageous parties, they paid heavenly bills

Life in the fast lane
Surely make you lose your mind
Life in the fast lane, everything all the time
Life in the fast lane, uh huh
Blowin' and burnin', blinded by thirst
They didn't see the stop sign,
took a turn for the worse

His state of mind when he died was probably the same as it was his entire life: unsatisfied. This is why I chose “Satisfied Mind,” by the Byrds. Hughes was very rich for all of his life and his spoiling by his parents caused him to become an introvert at a very early age. Even though most of his money was made because of his constant desire to be the best in everything he did, I think the extraordinary amount of money he earned had an effect on his social life. He never had any real friends, only relationships. Without a single good friend in the nerve-racking environment he put himself through working nonstop, it would be hard to live a happy life. Instead of trying to make friends, he used his money to turn to drugs. These drugs, among other things, led to his decay in his later years and eventually his death that was most likely with an unsatisfied mind.

How many times have you heard someone say
If I had his money I'd do things my way
But little they know that it's so hard to find
One rich man in ten with a satisfied mind
For money can't buy back your youth when you're old
Or a friend when you're lonely or a heart that's grown cold
The wealthiest person is a pauper at times
Compared to the man with a satisfied mind
Once I was living in fortune and fame
I had all that I dreamed of to get a start in life's game
Then suddenly it happened and I lost every dime
But I'm richer by far with a satisfied mind

“Take it to the Limit,” by the Eagles captures one of the most prominent themes of Howard Hughes life. Everything he undertook, he pushed himself and all others to their last breath. This is why he was successful, but it is also why he did not have any friends or any long lasting relationships, and why the last years of his life were so miserable.

Lyrics "Take it to the Limit"

This poem appealed to me because within the first five lines Olds has already established a frantic, suspenseful tone that makes the reader want to find out what happens. She uses extraordinary imagery throughout the poem in describing her difficult and hectic situation, comparing her journey to “a fish slipping upstream deftly against the flow of the river” (14-16). The lines run smoothly together and enable the reader to travel with her every step through the airport. Something that struck me about this poem was the simple, yet eloquent, language used. The poem was so easy to read and understand compared for example to the next poem in the packet by Shakespeare in which I had to read some of the lines several times before attempting to figure out the meaning of them. However, the simple diction is intertwined with eloquent language which creates images to illustrate and explicate her changing situations and emotions.