Blog post # 8

Art in Nigeria

Nigeria has been identified as having the largest number of creative artists in the fields of both visual and performing artists. Although, the importance of the artwork from Nigeria was not seen by the rest of the world until after World War II. Since then Nigerian artwork has been placed in museums all around the world and Nigerian art work has become a part of "mankind's cultural heritage." Most of the art that was produced in the early years in this country focused on religion and spirituality. Over time the art in Nigeria evolved and started including practical and decorative forms. Popular forms of art include: sculpture, masks, textiles, and pottery.

One famous artist in Nigeria by the name of Ada Udechukwu studied under Chinua Achebe. At the University of Nigeria she earned her masters degree in english and literature in 1981. Ada Udechukwa is both an artist and a poet. After earning her degree in english and literature she started painting. She started with painting on fabric and painting designs on clothing. In 1988 she started using ink and water color. Examples of these paintings are posted here. These paintings are ink and wash on paper and are about 16 x 12in. each. These paintings portray a much more personal meaning than a lot of her other work. The one to the right is a self portrait of Udechukwa. Udechukuwa's work looks at the interracial and intercultural identities both within Africa and outside of Africa.

  

http://www.onlinenigeria.com/artsandCrafts/

-        http://traveltips.usatoday.com/information-traditional-art-nigeria-39986.html

-       http://www.nga.gov.ng

hhttp://www.nmafa.si.edu/exhibits/selfP.htm 

A Single Story

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED story was so eloquently spoken. She portrays a message that everyone in our society today should definitely be reminded of every once in awhile. Not only does she speak so beautifully, but also she speaks with truth, compassion and intelligence. Adichie has so much insight on the idea of the danger of a “single story,” and also acknowledges the fact that she is guilty in the single story as she describes her experience in Mexico. She too, has been caught up with stereotypes and felt quite surprised when she was in Guadalajara. She describes her feeling as being “overwhelmed with shame.” Prejudice is something that is very hard to escape from in the society we have all grown up in. Whether or not one wants to admit it, we all have formed some bit of prejudice against certain groups of people. As individuals, as communities, as societies, and as a world all together, we need to work on clearing these preconceptions about people. Individuals should not be grouping certain types of people under one umbrella, because no individual is the same. We need to let our ignorance of our single stories go. When Adichie came to America, she shocked her roommate. Her roommate couldn’t understand how she had just moved from Nigeria and was able to speak English so well. She was also shocked that Adichie knew who Mariah Carey was and knew how to use a stove. As Adichie put it, her roommate had a “default position towards her” and felt as if she had to feel pity for her before she even knew her. Her roommate knew one single story of Africa. She had one idea, one conception. She didn’t know anything. And everything she thought Adichie represented was incorrect.

“Power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person.” - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Blog Post 6

My Role as a Writer Learning to Write...

...."The Science of Scientific Writing" by Swan and Gopen --

The Science of Scientific Writing wants to the reader to understand that writing must be presentable. And that simple reason right there is why readers tend to get lost. Writers often present themselves in a way that is not understandable to their audience. As a writer, one should not try and feel superior to their readers. If there is not enough context the reader may become confused. Also, if the writer is trying to be better than the reader it may make them feel badly about themselves. As a writer, Swan and Gopen make a good point that text can be interpreted by the readers much more easily when it is placed where the reader expects to find it. Writing must have concrete order and flow. Does the first sentence of the paragraph connect to the last? Does the first sentence of the essay connect to the last? Gopen and Orwell also warn writers to not put all the exciting material in the start of a piece. The ending is just as important as the start because it is the impression the reader leaves off with. As writers, we want to leave the reader with positive feelings towards our work.






...."Politics and The English Language" by George Orwell--
Although Orwell spends plenty of time essentially warning his readers about what not to do in your writing, he is not attempting to scare writers from writing, but rather he is simply being practical. Orwell wants to empower his readers to think clearly and simply. He also wants his readers to look more closely at careless writing.As writers, we have the power of language and Orwell seems to be advising that we take full control of that. In the essay, Orwell states that true meanings are not revealed in many writings because of simple phrasing and wording errors. After reading Orwell's essay I would advise other college students to think about there meaning first, and then choose the language to match that. With that in mind, I would also advise college student writers to truly keep it simple. Don't try and trick your reader by using words with hidden and unknown meanings. Use words that you as a writer, and your readers can really understand. Rather than choosing the bigger, more vague, and foreign words, just keep it simple and specific.

#simplicity is key 

Photo Essay

Here and Now

        

Lloyd Hall Scholars Program

I knew I wanted to be apart of the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program, but everything it has to offer truly did surprise me. It is so amazing to be apart of this community and I really did not realize how much it would help me throughout my freshman year. I came from a very small high school and LHSP in so many shapes and forms has given me a place to feel like I am apart of a tight knit community. Teachers to make true relationships with, classes that are intimate, friends and scholars that are like minded, clubs to share ideas with such creative people, a beautiful place to live and many more special things.

Nichols Arboretum

After being at Michigan for a month I still have much to explore in the infamous arb. Prior to coming to Michigan I heard some things about this place from friends, but I really was unaware of what was inside here. It has already become my favorite place to run on campus because of its unbelievable amount of beauty. Although I've ran here multiple times, I feel like there is still so much to see and explore. I also want to spend time in there, other than when I want to go on a nice run. It seems to me that so much creative thinking could be produced inside the arb. 

GAME DAY

Since I have arrived at the University of Michigan this most fits the "idea" I had before I came. Having the most amazing tailgates anyone will ever experience, waking up at 7.30am after going to sleep late the night before and learning the Michigan fight song. All I've heard before coming here is that the school spirit is so incredible and contagious. Everyone, in there own ways, has proved that to be right. GO BLUE.

Revision

Usually when writing a first draft of a paper start one of two ways. Either I write an outline if I have an idea of what I want to talk about, or I simply write my thoughts down as they come to me. Usually my first drafts tend to be very rough and I believe my writing is much better with multiple revisions. The first time through I usually read the paper in its entirety to remind myself of everything I wrote because I believe its best to revise on a fresh note, not right after I write the first draft. Then I like to look closely at my thesis statement and topic sentences to see if I have created somewhat of a structure that is starting to flow. After that I like to look for evidence in each body paragraph and see if its meant to be there and if its necessary in the paper overall. Does it make it stronger? Does it add to my argument? It also helps me alot to have someone else read my paper to get another fresh set of eyes to view the paper overall, but also fix the small things that are easy to jump over in your own paper.

2nd blog post - 1st essay thoughts

September 16, 2013

1. A Good Man is Hard to Find

• The title of the story refers to a conversation the grandmother has in the story with Red Sammy. 
• "It isnt a soul in this green world of God's that you can trust."
• "I remember the day you could go off and leave your screen door unlatched. Not no more."
• The grandmother and Red Sammy discuss old, "better" times. 
• Flannery O' Connor seems to constantly glorify the past throughout the story 
• Flannery O' Connor seems to constantly glorify the past throughout the story 
• When the grandmother has her horrible thought that she has been "vividly" describing the wrong place, it leads to the downfall of the entire story when the family gets into a car accident. Right before the grandmother comes to the realization that the house was in Tennessee, the past is again glorified when she remembers when there were "no paved roads and thirty miles was a day's journey."

2. The Trespasser

• Juxtaposition between the daughter and the trespasser
• both young girls that have so much in common, but also are so different.
• Bonnie Jo Campbell makes the reader feel sympathy for the trespasser 
• everything that the trespasser represents is exactly what the daughter has had her parents to protect her from 
• "It is the teenaged daughter, the swimmer, the honor student, who discovers her own missing mattress on the river-side porch..."
• Why does Campbell list these things about the daughter? What is the significance?