In the New York Times, Professor Stanley Fish writes an article titled “Devoid of Content.”  In this article Stanley has quite a lot to say.  Fish focuses on one major qualm that he has, that being he is quite frustrated that students are not often taught to focus mostly on sentence structure or form, but rather to write freely, focusing on content and issues.  The Professor seems to have such a strong feeling about this that he believes the epidemic has spread to millions of students both on the high school and collegiate level.  Fish tells us about his curriculum that he personally teaches and how well it works for his students.  He tells us that he teaches them to put words into relationships, and that through that practice, the students realize important factors in sentence communication such as verb tense, plural and singular noun/pronoun usage, etc.  He finally claims that students suffer when they are given topics to concern their writing with, such as current events and political viewpoints, rather than concentrating on learning the proper structure that comprises any clear and concise writing first.

Mr. Collin Brooke retorts to Stanley Fish’s comments on his website blog, collinvsblog.net.  In this entry, Brooke says he is extremely insulted, as well as all writing teachers should be, at Fish’s statements.  The biggest insult comes with the insinuation that writing teachers and professors are incapable of teaching sentence/paragraph/essay form within the context of normal writing assignments.  Brooke lets us know that he believes Fish to be quite self absorbed and pompous and lacking in the understanding of a true writing class.  He closes with his final thought stating that he believes that learning form alone does not constitute a good writer that can accurately target a particular audience with practiced writing skills.

I believe both Fish and Brooke have valid points.  Though, I do believe Collin Brooke to have correctly stated an opinion I can agree with most.  Ironically, perhaps Brooke proved his own point correct when compared to Fish’s style of writing!  I do believe that correct sentence/paragraph/essay form and structure are absolutely necessary to help convey your thoughts correctly to your audience, but there is something to be said for the talent of practiced writing from the brain, heart, and soul of the author.  It is unfortunate, as both Brooke and Fish would agree, that there are students well below par when it comes to writing skills.  But at the same time, there are many skilled writers out there with great minds that combine both the aquired skills of perfect structure and great thinking in their outstanding writing to help give us all solid perspectives.

 

Fish, Stanley.  “Devoid of Content.” The New York Times. 31 May 2005. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/31/opinion/31fish.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin&oref=slogin.

Brooke, Collin.  “Fish in a Barrel.” Collin vs. Blog. May 2005. http://www.collinvsblog.net/2005/05/fish-in-a-barrel.html.

Harold Bloom has quite a cynical, negative opinion concerning modern America.  Unfortunately, he let’s all the readers of his article, “Dumbing Down American Readers”, in the Boston Globe know his thoughts.  Bloom seems very frustrated with modern readers and writers alike.  He grabs onto specific writers Stephen King and J.K. Rowling as his victims and lays into their supposed incompetence.  Bloom goes on to criticize these writers while slipping in other jabs at younger readers alike.  Bloom who is 73 years old is proclaiming himself to obviously be “old school” and is completely frustrated with his opinion that readers are dumb and becoming dumber by a majority of current literature.  Bloom then proceeds to “name-drop” all of his buddy’s names, which totals approximately 4 writers, in order to inform us which writers still have the level of charisma he is looking for in literature.  We all have a crotchety old family member somewhere in our lineage and whether they have a valid point or not in their opinion, it never seems to be expressed positively.  Here Bloom perpetuates that stereotype.

In a Moby Lives article, “The Bloom Is Off The Mark”, Steve Almond goes on to let us know what he thinks of Harold Bloom.  In Almond’s article he accomplishes two things:  he tells us why Bloom faltered in his message, and what the correct message should have been.  Almond explains to us that in Bloom’s criticism and blubbering about Steven King’s and Rowling’s inability to write uplifting literature for Americans, Bloom himself became hypocritical.  Almond also tells us that he himself agrees with Blooms original message of Americans becoming “dumbed down”, but goes more into depth about what exactly that entails.  He tells us that the message to be relayed is that literature is not guiding Americans towards informing themselves on problems in the economy, education, and consumerism specifically.  Almond is concerned that Americans are not being uplifted to confront these problems, but rather hidden from them in the name of profit.  Ultimately, Steve Almond would rather see Bloom state a much more positive twist on uplifting literature and it’s future, rather than tearing it down with a “no hope” attitude.

I firmly agree with Steve Almond’s thought of stating the realities of modern day America in literature.  I feel that Americans are not being subjected to the realities of what is happening in the world and are not being encouraged to educate themselves with classic thinking and modern facts.  Unfortunately, Harold Bloom, who seems to be a respected scholar, did not get this thought across well in his article.  I echo Almond when I say that Bloom became so caught up in his frustration with specific authors that he missed the mark with his initial grand topic.  I still am not sure why Bloom let himself get carried away with the criticism of Rowling and the name dropping of his acquaintances.  I do know that both Bloom and Almond have a great point in that Americans are loosing sight of great past literature, such as Shakespeare, whom they both noted.  I would love to see more people intellectually educated through literature past and present, but as Almond stated, I also fear the economy’s control on guided ignorance.

 

Bloom, Harold. “Dumbing Down American Readers.” Boston.com. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2003/09/24/dumbing_down_american_readers/

Almond, Steve. “The Bloom Is Off The Mark.” Mobylives. http://www.mobylives.com/Almond_Bloom.html

Why I Skateboard

By Pete Turner

I skateboard to feel free.  I skateboard to forget my worries.  I skateboard to remember my loves.  I skateboard to learn.  I skateboard to build faith in myself.  I skateboard to socialize with my friends.  I skateboard to relax my mind.  I skateboard to exercise my body, so that it stays fit.  I skateboard because it’s nostalgia to me.  I skateboard because it’s rejuvenating.  I skateboard to make a new day.  I skateboard to remind myself of who I am.  I skateboard to laugh.  I skateboard to yell.  I skateboard to let out all of my emotions.  I skateboard to gain awareness of my body.  I skateboard with my friends to learn about them and who they really are on the inside.  I skateboard to enjoy time with my fiance.  I skateboard to soak up the sun.  I skateboard to excel.  I skateboard slowly or quickly, which ever needs to be done.  I skateboard to improve my balance.  I skateboard knowing that I will fall.  I skateboard knowing that I will get back up from a fall.  I skateboard to numb my complaints.  I skateboard to grow up.  I skateboard to feel young again.  I skateboard because I still can.  I skateboard to observe nature.  I skateboard to enjoy the Lord’s creation and thank Him for it.  I skateboard to get excited.  I skateboard to express my creativity.  I skateboard to impress myself with my creativity.  I skateboard to be outside.  I skateboard to feel the breeze of the air.  I skateboard to create a breeze when there is none.  I skateboard to tell stories.  I skateboard to hear other skater’s stories.  I skateboard to honor my needs.  I skateboard because it grabs my attention.  I skateboard because it’s a culture I grew up in.  I skateboard because it reminds me of friends in the past.  I skateboard because it mercilessly shows me my current condition.  I skateboard because it’s dangerous.  I skateboard to feel my heart leap.  I skateboard to know I just escaped tragedy.  I skateboard to feel joy.  I skateboard because I am joyful.  I skateboard to feel love, life, and humility.  I skateboard with so much energy, every time, like I will never skateboard again.  I skateboard and will hopefully always skateboard another day.

I’ve discovered in life that I must pick my battles wisely.  Every wrongdoing does not need my personal correction or comments.  In fact, I’ve found many things work themselves out on their own.  Though, I do believe that there is a time to step into a situation, to stand up for someone or something you believe in, and try to make things right.

I worked in a corporate office environment for about 2 years as an indoor salesperson.  There were many positive qualities about working for a large corporation, such as receiving good income and great benefits.  Unfortunately, I also experienced the negative qualities that seemed to plague my office.  Among the bad decisions the company was making as a whole, there came a trickle-down effect that worked it’s way into my office stating, “if demand doesn’t increase, employee’s jobs will be eliminated”.

I worked along side a guy who was in a tight spot in life.  He lived with his girlfriend and was raising 4 kids with her.  They did not have any money in savings and were experiencing problems paying their rent, because his current income was not sufficient.  He expressed to me that he could not lose his job or else serious problems would arise concerning his entire household.

At that time, my boss had decided that if he could cause someone to leave on their own will, then he would not have to lay off any employees and have the company face paying unemployment for the discharged person.  For some reason, that I still cannot explain, he chose my coworker.

Day after day my coworker faced verbal abuse, awkward confrentations that borderlined physical abuse, and daily tasks that were demeaning and embarrassing.  After a month of that ridiculousness, I stood up for my coworker while he was being pointlessly criticized.  I told my boss that I didn’t understand or like what was going on.  My boss then instructed me to mind my own business, because the situation did not involve me.  I realized at that point, I would have to take a serious stand or forever be submissive.

I knew what was right and what I had to do.  I proceeded to tell the boss that I knew what was going on and that it interfered with my work, as well as the productivity and morale of the office as a whole.  I was immediately brought into a private office where I was told to stop talking about such things and that I should be quiet and not question the bosses motives.

By the next day I had made my decision.  I brought the entire situation before the district managers and human resource department.  The boss was dismissed from his job, which I found humorously ironic.  I also took the initiative and left my job, allowing for my coworker to take my position and earn the higher income he and his family deserved.         

There never seems to be a way to fully encompass ones character, ethic, level of experience, or beliefs in one or two words.  I find it hard just to enter that “oh so important” brief title on a resume about myself.  Or perhaps you’re faced with the situation where you’re put on the spot and asked to summarize a significant other with one word.  Would you really be able to fully describe all that you know and feel about that person?  Probably not.  But if we never tried to at least find something accurate to say, even if it’s the very romantic reply ”awesome”, we’d all eventually lose the favor and interest of those that are important to us.

I’m treating this assignment,”finding a name for my web log that describes myself”, as the opposite of that kind of a situation.  By telling you the story behind my blog name, I want to inform you the reader, as accurately as possible, how I see myself and why.  This view is not only my daily character intention, but also the daily product of my actions.  Let me explain.

I have grown up in a home where both of my parents have been faced with life threatening illnesses.  My mother had ovarian cancer and my father has Lupus.  My father has had this auto-immune disease since before I was born and my mother passed away in April of 2008.  In this home environment you learn quite quickly to lose selfishness and become a servant to others.  It’s not the fault of the one who is experiencing the illness that they need extra help.  In fact it could easily happen to any of us, so why be selfish about offering your care, love, and service?  I have found you learn quite a bit through this servant-hood.

As I have grown into the 26 year old man that I am now, I have maintained quite a few jobs in quite a few industries.  Fitness and wellness, sales, restaurant, and construction are a few of these industries.  In these work environments you find that you ultimately are there to serve others.  I’ve found, in retrospect, that the best part is that you gain from this service yourself!  Financially, yes. But more importantly you gain the knowledge, patience, and perserverence you develop from many days upon days in these service environments.

Thirdly, and ultimately, I’ve had a faith for many years that teaches servant-hood and the benefits to those around you.  The Bible teaches that if you first serve God, and then others through His will, you will be gaining much more wisdom than seeking and seeking alone.

I believe that through this servanthood, one is molded into a leader.  The knowledge and wisdom, the mercy and grace, the patience and understanding, and the strength and endurance that one gains and can apply best as a leader, is attained through serving others first.  I believe this because I’ve experienced it.  I believe this because I apply it to my life everyday.  I’m a servant to many, and I’m a leader to many.  This is why I have titled myself as a “servant-leader”.  It’s a title I believe I’ve been blessed with and one I will still seek to accomplish day by day.

I’m here!  I finally made it to my own weblog.  I’ve never really cared for the concept of the weblog when it is only used as a personal diary.  But with the purpose of applying the blog to a class, it seems like a much less self-absorbed activity!  I’m looking forward to what’s to come.