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I agree that I was pleasantly surprised at how much the host stressed turning on the captions and reading the transcript. It’s clear that a lot of meaning went into writing the lyrics of the songs and we were meant to digest them in order to fully understand the significance of Antigone in Ferguson.
Speaking of the performers, I was surprised to see Moses Ingram in the role of Antigone. I just made a blog post recommending The Queen’s Gambit, and Ingram is one of the actresses there too. I especially liked her performance and her way of delivering the lines.
Your point about the lack of movement unfortunately rings true. One of the most interesting parts of a play for me is how the actors make use of the stage, and how one stage gets transformed into many different scenes using props. On top of that, I could see some of the actors reading the script from their computers which brought down the authenticity a bit.I like your point about what Daniel’s motivation and goal is in terms of his music. (Sort of intrinsic vs extrinsic.) It seems that just like our class focuses on the connections between people and art, Daniel also works towards that with everything he does. I think even with how he conducted himself in our Zoom class, his goal wasn’t just to show off his work to young students. Rather, he wanted to engage with us in a back and forth conversation, where we could learn from him and he could learn from us. And that quality of engaging with others is seen in his work too. When he works with the visually-impaired, his goal is not to receive recognition as an artist alone, but to help these people share their stories in creative ways and build off of what comes from them. I think it’s a really commendable trait for someone to let go of vanity and really care about their work in the context of connections and other people.
@Ash I’ve also seen the sculpture in the Barclays Center so many times and never thought to find out who the artist was! I said this in my own post but it really goes to show the many connections there are between New Yorkers. I think I’ve even seen her sculpture in Princeton and in Philadelphia as well as I’ve been to the two places where her sculptures stand.
I think that although it would’ve been great to be standing in front of one of her sculptures while Ursula spoke, there’s something to be said about how we were able to view tens of different pieces at once and “travel the world” through all these pieces that are located in different parks, galleries, and museums. That being said, of course I’d love to be able to feel the cedar and the graphite in person.I think your analysis about the symbolism behind wood is super interesting! Ursula’s sculptures are big and sturdy, akin to wood houses. Inside of her sculptures, everything is calm and sealed in, while outside people touch the sculpture and leave fingerprints on it. It seems that Ursula feels a comfort in the cedar. There’s also the connection between the wood and that used in Poland. The documentary described how most houses in Poland have firewood in large amounts, seeming to hint that wood is in Ursula’s blood.
Isn’t it interesting how Ursula describes the cedar as very neutral and workable, sort of like paper, and yet she makes it very rugged, with lots of different edges, indentations, and incisions? She changes the whole identity of the medium and I’d assume that’s something that fuels her passion for cedar.
I too was reminded of Tara’s answer about titling work. From a non-artist’s perspective, we assume that everything related to art has meaning, down to the name. But for the artists we’ve spoken to, it seems like naming is more of a burden and just a formality.Group members: Katherine, Javier, Eric, Jane
Main Question: How is Harlem’s soul food a connector between New Yorkers?
Our group chose Harlem because of its favorable location for Eric and Katherine, Jane’s ability to cook, and Javier’s love of jazz music, which is strongly embedded in the culture of Harlem. Using these elements, we will create a film that tells the story of how this neighborhood’s soul food has impacted each of us as four different New Yorkers, using jazz music from Javier and photography of Harlem from Katherine as a device to tell the story.
Medium: Film
Breakdown and Next Steps:
Javier: Will create a storyline answering the main question, Will provide the jazz music to go along with the film
Jane: Will cook soul food (southern fried chicken and two sides), that will serve as a connector between all four of us New Yorkers
Katherine: Will take photos and video footage in and around Harlem
Eric: Will edit our videos, photos, and music into a cohesive film (about 3 or 4 minutes)Anna and Ash, I also think it’s so interesting how many different “New York City in the 1970s” we have seen. In “Smoke” there’s a palpable grit, something very New York about everyone’s Brooklyn accents, constant smoking, and the connections made. In Let the Great World Spin there’s grit, but we see more diverse snippets of life from people of different classes and backgrounds. I think In America both follows and breaks the patterns of the other readings/movies, with more of a focus on immigration and acceptance as you both mention. For the first time we see the perspective of immigrants who are still getting accustomed to NYC, unlike Corrigan and Ciaran whose stories didn’t really speak about life as an immigrant in the 70s. The tenement the Sullivan family lives in brings together so many people who were typically shunned in society at the time, from AIDS-afflicted Mateo, to drug addicts, to transgender individuals. It’s a different view of NYC and speaks to how NYC began to change from the 70s to the 80s, as you both mention.
@Cory the air conditioner scene was my favorite in terms of an acting performance from Johnny. Everything was sort of perfectly set up to convey just how hot, tense, and climactic the scene was. I could almost feel the sweat glistening on his forehead, and the struggle to get the air conditioner up the stairs was so palpable and real, I felt like running up to Johnny and helping him carry it. When Johnny tried to plug in the AC but had the wrong outlet type, his outburst of rage and frustration actually scared me a little bit, and I felt like I was one of his daughters, watching worriedly as my father was struggling. Of course Johnny gets beaten down again and again, not having enough money and having to go back home to get some bottles to recycle and make up the change. And yet, when Johnny gets the beer bottles from Sara, Sara and the girls exchange a look of laughter, making light of the situation and make me feel less tense. I think that all the characters in that scene, and especially Johnny, were great at making me feel the mood.
In my opinion one of the more effective storytelling choices is the sequencing of scenes (when different scenes are spliced together).
This technique first becomes noticeable when Johnny and Sara conceive their child, about 30 minutes into the movie. The movie cuts between the conception scene, Mateo, and Christy and Ariel sitting in “Heaven” as thunder begins. Whereas Johnny and Sara are seen creating a new life, Mateo is seen destroying his painting by slashing it with a knife. The sudden thunder and name of the parlor serve as a background for these two scenes, which I thought implied some sort of mysticism is linking the conception of the baby and Mateo’s life, symbolic of the cycle of life. Mateo uses “blood” to create a handprint on a clean canvas, just as Sara and Johnny finish creating the baby and the thunderstorm reaches a climax. The idea that Mateo’s fight with death is linked to the birth of the new baby is really highlighted by how fast the movie cuts between each scene and how the music builds up the suspense until everything is released.Later on, the same technique is used when the baby is born. We see her unresponsive and unable to cry, and then we cut to Mateo who is on the verge of death. As Mateo utters his last words, it’s almost as if he breaths his last bit of life into her, waking her up from death while he enters it. As Johnny and Sara hold the baby’s hands, the baby, Mateo, Johnny, and Sara all seem to be connected by some mystical force, until Mateo and the baby both let go, finally descending into their worlds. Once again, the sequencing of films helped emphasize the connection between life and death, as well as this new baby and Mateo.
Another effective storytelling device was the utilization of character POV, specifically with Christy and her camcorder. At one moment, Johnny and Sara are having a conflict about whether to tell the girls about the baby’s health. Through Christy’s camcorder, we see Sara lie that the baby is kicking, while Johnny tells the girls he can’t feel anything. We see a zoom in of Johnny and Sara’s faces; there’s anger in her face and disappointment in his. The use of Christy’s camcorder as a POV should theoretically represent childhood innocence, but her view is often tainted because of the reality of the conflicts her family faces. I think this scene help show how mature Christy is, and builds up the tension between Johnny and Sara as well.
(430 words).Chris, I just found McCann answering questions about writing in Tillie’s voice here. I was also really interested in your point about McCann falling into the stereotypes of single motherhood. Almost every main female character in the novel is a mother, apart from Lara, despite all their varied ages and backgrounds. However, Solomon is the only father, and not a great one as you said. The female character arcs therefore revolve a lot around motherhood, from Gloria and Claire’s losses, to Adelita’s kids, to Tillie and Jazzmyn’s relationship. But the male perspectives are more uninhibited by the restraints of parenthood.
I felt the same way reading about Corrigan. My first reaction was sort of similar to Ciarin’s, as if Corrigan was letting others take advantage of him too much. However, as I read on, I thought there was something wrong with how quickly I criticized Corrigan, a man with pure intentions. It’s unfortunate how we’ve been conditioned to view Corrigan’s way of life as wrong.
Solomon seems to represent capitalism really well. He’s given the option every day to do good, and yet he avoids it. Even on the day of the trial, Tillie’s case means nothing to him, and rather it’s just an obstacle before he can put on a performance with the tightrope walker. I liked your comparison of Corrigan and Solomon, two men of the same background who lived such different lives.I felt the same way about Corrigan, that he seems to be punishing himself for all the wrong in the world. By society’s standards, he “lowered” himself down the social strata and chose to live in the projects, extremely minimally. Corrigan reminded me in Claire in that sense. Both are born white and well-off, and both have some kind of shame in their class and wealth. Claire tries to hide her lifestyle and penthouse from her support group, and Corrigan gives away all his money and chooses to live poor. I also agree that if Corrigan had the chance to go back in time, he probably would still go and pick up Jazzlyn from court.
I really like how you analyzed Thomas’s control over his identity. I think the scene where Thomas finally reveals himself to Cyrus shows how well he was able to manipulate others’ perceptions of him. He goes through about 3 different names before finally saying his full name, Thomas Jefferson Cole. I think Thomas hides behind different personas so that he doesn’t have to be vulnerable and expose himself. This way he can stand back and observe others from afar. A lot of the characters lie about their identity, as you pointed out, so that they can form relationships with others without them knowing the full truth. Everything isn’t always what it seems with our characters, and perhaps New York as a whole.
I appreciate how you connected New York City into your response. Yes, all the characters were interconnected, but you can contextualize that within NYC, where every individual’s actions can cause a chain reaction. And when Auggie shows Paul the photos, it seems that Auggie shows Paul the importance in the details and small mundane interactions in NYC. He reminds Paul to live in the present and “slow down” to appreciate his surroundings. I also agree with your point on The Butterfly Effect. Another mutually benefitting relationships was Auggie and Ethel. Auggie pretends to be Ethel’s grandson to bring her joy on her last Christmas, but Auggie also needs the company of Ethel to help his loneliness.
