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- Reading responses must be AT LEAST 200 words.
- Include your full name at the end of your comments. Unnamed comments will be deleted.
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- Reading responses are due by midnight on the night PRIOR to our discussion of the required reading.
"A believable voice notes how the self may or may not be inventing reality, morphing one's separate truths." (Karr p.49). This line goes into detail about how the projection of one's voice can give credibility to their memoir while engaging the reader at the same time. Anyone can write about anything in regards to their lives but Karr states that each writer needs their own unique "voice" to give personality to the memoir that is being written.
ReplyDeleteKathryn Ferguson does an excellent job of applying these concepts on chapters six and seven in her book. The voicing is consistently attentive to detail throughout both chapters, from describing the Ventura's family and the doings of the Evangelical church in their town, the movie project she is about to embark on and her journey through the desert which threatens to kill them through thirst. "I scoop it up but there is no touchable water. Like Mars. A beguiling, reddish landscape with a liquid past." Ferguson is consistent in using metaphors like this to project her own voice in the narrative and attempt to have us, as readers, experience the emotions she was feeling at the time she was writing about her experience.
-Eutimio Longoria-
In Karr’s chapter about voice she talks about how it is important to let your voice shine through just the written word. What is voice? Is it tone? Is it inflection? Is it diction? Karr says the it’s psyche, “how you think and see…” I agree with Karr. It’s easy align our words so we sound fancy or smart. Writers are incredibly talented at painting pictures of their landscape and surroundings but none of that connects with the reader as much as your own voice. If you are a sarcastic, funny person that should shine through your writing. The reader should feel like they know you the way your friends know you.
ReplyDeleteFerguson does an excellent job of this. Her thoughts seem to pinball off each other, much the way we think. She goes from making a movie, to motivational quotes, back to making the movie. And she does it in a way that feels natural. She also uses metaphors in her descriptions and she is funny and self-deprecating at times. On page 61 she says of herself “I am suspecting I wouldn’t make a good housewife.” It’s little things like this that truly let us see Fergusons voice.
Dawn Bustamante
In Karr's "A voice Conjures the Human Who Utters It" she states how every writers voice is unique and cam determine whether or not a memoir is a success or not for a memoir is essentially "100 percent voice" pg 35 she states that every voice is cleverly fashioned to highlight a writer's individual talent or way of viewing the world. Every writer is different and voice unique. The voice which she speaks of is the narrator which make the story riveting and makes even the dullest moments seem exciting and interesting. We all wear a mask and with each page we write in our memoir' s we rip the mask off and let everything flow out and express who we are as writers and as people. Having charm can make us or break us in writing a memoir. I think it's like flirting with a girl, a girl won't talk back or flirt back unless you use your voice correctly and add some charm to it. We can fail miserably or succeed with the "risk it for the brisket" type or move. I see memoir as something like that and Ferguson's WHOLE book can back that argument up. In her chapters, Ferguson's ways of speaking with metaphores and making movies makes her chapters enticing yet her whole book as well.
ReplyDelete-Marco Garza
Within chapter 4, Karr describes the notion of a voice and how critical it is within a memoir. Karr describes this as the highway for authors to describe who they are their show that to the individuals reading their work. Their voice must aptly display everything they are as a reader, and thus their voice must bear their soul. According to Karr, “but when he does, both carnal and interior experiences come back with clarity, and the work gains an electrical charge.” (pg. 35). Overall, the voice of a memoir should be a complete essence of those that write it.
ReplyDeleteFerguson’s chapter 6 and 7 completely connect with this idea on voice by Karr. These chapters describe the moments in which Ferguson travels to meet ventura on her movie. During this commute, she observes everything, she notices people watching her watch people, and she describes this to us. She also goes into depth on herself, which is supplied by the things she keeps on her fridge. All of these small notions may be insignificant when compared to what is happening, but they all help us further understand Ferguson as a person. For example, the quote from Helen Keller which she uses to calm herself during nervous situations, we can see how she views things with the mindset that new experiences are what life's about. This is also reflected with the quote from Jonathan Morris, which shows us that she also had a soft side. These combined together show us her voice, and thus show us her character. Thus, these two readings complement each other and how they progress ideas referenced in each one.
David Leal
In “A Voice Conjures the Human Who Utters It”, Karr explains to us the importance of giving our memoir a good voice that your readers will want to follow through the story being told. She even mentions that no matter how haphazardly a memoir is put together, if the voice is fully realized then that flaw may be overlooked by the reader due to how the writer is able to make something trivial seem enthralling. What this all boils down to is injecting some much needed life into your memoir by letting your voice shine through your work and not boring your readers with a paint-by-numbers narration of events. Both Karr and Ferguson are examples of this, as their voices are what define their work and give us good idea of their personalities. Karr can be sarcastic and witty at times in her work which Ferguson displays as well as being a lot more imaginative and descriptive. As what we’ve previously read in her book, chapters six and seven of Ferguson’s book effectively showcases her “voice” in that we get the feeling that the words we’re reading came from an actual person not only how she goes into detail about herself but also her constant thoughts and observations.
ReplyDeleteNarciso Garcia Jr.
In chapter 4 in The art of Memoir by Mary Karr, she focuses on the creation of voice. According to her a memoir must have a voice and it needs to be created. But how one may ask? Through honesty in which the author intends to show the truth without the intension of diluting it. This is a powerful thing because if the voice of a memoir is weak, then the readers will doubt the honesty of the author and piece of literature as a whole. She as the author has the opportunity and responsibility to allow us, the readers, to see things through her eyes. This opportunity should not have the reader doubting. Chapters 6&7 of The Haunting of the Mexican Border A woman’s journey by Kathryn Ferguson, Ferguson is able to create a voice through her experience. She lets us see her view point and instead of lying about her intensions she is open, especially when she goes to see Ventura. There is a point in the story where she intentionally asks “Mande” to avoid the advancement from Ventura in which she assumed was the scenario. She is extremely detailed in discussing her environment and recollecting her thoughts. As a reader I can see her willingness to be transparent. The desperation of water in page 67 is so vivid that I am just taken away by the imagery. She cared not of the condition of the water and greeted it with joy on sight. She captivates the reader in the richness of her words and leaves you sitting wanting to keep reading.
ReplyDelete-Benito Reyes
In chapter four Mary Karrs essay she explains that the voice in our writing is important. It is important because we want to make sure that there is meaning behind the story we tell that will keep our audience engaged through out the reading. Our stories must be honest and genuine. Every writer is different there for each one of us will portray our voices in a different way which makes our writing unique and it displays the type of individuals that we are through that. In "The Haunting of the Mexican Border" Furgeson displays a great example of showing her voice in her writing. She shares it through her writing by expressing her feelings and hides nothing. I thought it was great because through the writing she's able to show us a little about who she is as a person. I really liked the fact that she shared her thoughts and experiences when she got to Ventura. Besides that I liked how she went into great detail with her surroundings which made me imagine everything with a clear image.
ReplyDeleteLeslie Luna
In Karr’s chapter regarding the voice of a reader is where the written expresses his or her thoughts through text. Being able to express yourself through text is important, because you can connect with the reader and that only means that it will lead them to keep reading your work. When a reader connects with the writer, it becomes a different relationship, the writer can make the reader feel as they are grabbed by the hand and taken on the journey in the story. Once the reader connects with the writer, the bond becomes stronger and the voice of the writer becomes easier to understand.
ReplyDeleteFerguson has a connection with Karr’s chapter because of the way she describes her surroundings. She gives us a little about herself that may help us connect in a more personal level, and helps us understand things a little more. The way she speaks with her metaphors and the making of movies is interesting, as well as her being really descriptive in her work.
Both readings give examples of using their voices and portraying them through text, which leads to giving us an idea of how they are and their personalities as well.
-Claudia Anzaldua
Karr’s fourth chapter touches the topic of voice. She talks of the importance of every writer finding their own voice and, I really liked this part, how the best way to get there is by actually writing. Shocking, I know, but oh-so-true. She says that through the act of writing, you’ll be able to see what works for you and whatnot, but I also think that it’d be wise to ask someone else to read your work. As writers, we can’t always pick up on our own work’s inefficiencies so it helps to have a second opinion.
ReplyDeleteFerguson shows us her voice, let’s us read it rather, in a very lovely way throughout the chapters. My favorite part had to be where Ventura asks her to lie down on the road. The scene wasn’t depicted through actual dialogue, but I can hear her voice clearly in the description she gives us. Here, she’s given us this opportunity by setting up her credibility and voice with earlier chapters. We know she pays attention and cares for Ventura and being asked this question sets off a concern that is clear to the reader. Overall, Ferguson really convinces me that she has found her voice with her descriptions.
Angie Acuña
In Chapter 4 of The Art Of Memoir, Karr discusses that the voice we use when writing memoir should reflect our personality and not be us trying to pretend to be a completely different person. What Karr states is that if you write with a certain tone or personality, she expects you to behave this way when meeting you in person. This makes me think back to Moore when discussing writing with a "persona." Now I firmly believe that a person can speak and write very differently. Not because they're pretending to be someone they aren't. But rather because sometimes we're able to express ourselves differently between writing and speaking. I often feel I express myself much better when writing due to me having very poor social skills. You may see me as a very different person once I write out my feelings, as I tend not speak this way out loud. I often feel I'm not alone in this.
ReplyDeleteMichael McCormick