Read Around Blog 2

After reading several of my classmates blogs, I found some very interesting views on the readings and activities we have done for class. One of my peers did an analysis of Qwo-Li Driskill's poem "Summer Haiku." Her focus on the language of the poem was fascinating and insightful. She saw the language as part of an easy going conversation. It's the type of language that would come up during a "comfortable silence" with someone we care about, to paraphrase her. I hadn't seen the poem in this form but I can definitely see where she's coming from. When I read the poem, I saw the language as word play, as a method for exploring the new fangled use of the English language. However, I can also see that it very conversational, a passing thought that arouses between friends. I also agreed with my peer on the view of the last line as one of a sensual nature. The line "cups my belly like water" certainly expresses an idea of closeness and harmony, and something erotic can easily be found lingering beneath the surface. I loved her analysis and her ideas and look forward to reading more of her ideas.

Another peer examined the article "Rape of the Land." He found the article disturbing and was amazed by the length of the corruption inflicted on both people's and their lands by corporations and the government. I completely agreed with him that this article was an eye-opener. I knew of the corruption and disregard for people's and their homelands that is harbored by certain large corporations and the government, but I had no idea of the extent. The idea that bombing occurred with the knowledge of it's harmful side effects near an island of people of this country is barbaric. The population was destroyed and still the government had the nerve to try and sweep it under the rug. "Rape of the Land" is an article that should not be suppressed but brought to the forefront so that other's will not live in the perpetual darkness that is tossed over by these corrupt corporations and the government.

The last peer blog that I read was reexamining the PBS special, "We Shall Remain." I completely agreed with her that the episode was an excellent portrayal of Native history intertwined with Western American history. Too often are the stories of the Native Americans put on the back burner, misrepresented, or credited to a mythological time that exists today only in Western movies. The directors, producers, and writers did an excellent job of portraying life shortly after the arrival of the Mayflower. My classmate also emphasized her interest in the tensions that existed between the Native American women and the Pilgrim women in the early colony. I also found this very interesting. You can see what the women are thinking as they work. For the Native American women, it is patience and then frustration as they try to teach the reluctant Pilgrim women how to cook and prepare food. For the Pilgrim women, you can see their religious tension mingled with their need to survive. There's a want on both women's parts to learn from the other for different reasons, but there's still the tension that their ways of life may be too different for them to comfortably mingle. A very fascinating observation.

My classmates have very insightful views and ideas and I look forward to reading more and hearing more of what they have to say on future topics.