"Writing Through Snapshots"
Sydney Salloum
English 1102-062
Blog Post 1: What Is Good Writing?
"This I Believe"
Writing About Writing
From a young age, rules are taught on how to be a good writer, and what is “good” and “bad” writing. However, what is good writing? Writing is defined differently between every individual and style. “Rules” are put in place to aid writers, but which ones are right? Writing cannot have a universal definition, because of the many different views and ideas for writing. I see writing as a form of art and expression of ideas and feelings, not an analytical science that needs to be structured in a certain way to be deemed as “correct”.I do not believe that there should be a set of rules for all writing, because there are many different forms of it, making it hard to justify what is “good” and “bad”. For example, an individual could write their thoughts and feelings in a journal. These writings may not have correct grammar, punctuation, or even make sense to another reader, but they make sense to the individual and this is still a form of writing. However, published or shared writing should be able to move information, ideas, concepts, or stories from the writer to the reader in a way that the reader can visualize the images that the writer is trying to bring forth. It should be powerful and moving, not just a paper of empty words with no feeling and reason. I believe that if rules are to be set, then they should be set for each type of writing, not just writing as a whole.“There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work like magic.” -Diane Satterfield, The Thirteenth TaleThe above quote is an example of what I would deem as good writing. Although it does go against one the popular rules we were taught in grade school, the rules of full sentences, it still delivers a powerful message to the reader, and gives them the image that the writer wanted them to see.
I do not believe that there should be a set of rules for all writing, because there are many different forms of it, making it hard to justify what is “good” and “bad”. For example, an individual could write their thoughts and feelings in a journal. These writings may not have correct grammar, punctuation, or even make sense to another reader, but they make sense to the individual and this is still a form of writing. However, published or shared writing should be able to move information, ideas, concepts, or stories from the writer to the reader in a way that the reader can visualize the images that the writer is trying to bring forth. It should be powerful and moving, not just a paper of empty words with no feeling and reason. I believe that if rules are to be set, then they should be set for each type of writing, not just writing as a whole.
“There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work like magic.” -Diane Satterfield, The Thirteenth Tale
The above quote is an example of what I would deem as good writing. Although it does go against one the popular rules we were taught in grade school, the rules of full sentences, it still delivers a powerful message to the reader, and gives them the image that the writer wanted them to see.
Equality Between Differences
When my dad first moved to the United States, he lived in Texas. He was young- just about 16- and still getting used to the southern ways. His English was fluent, and he dressed as normally any typical American would. Sure, he was a little darker toned, and his facial features showed that he was not really from around these parts, but other than that, you would not even notice him. Yet, some people did.
On a particular summer day, my dad sat at a restaurant by himself, looking as plain as anyone else. However, a group of men noticed his slight accent when talking to the waitress. They approached him, asking him in heavy southern slang, “Are you from Iraq? You one of them bomb boys? With explosive shit taped to your back? You don’t like America, boy?” Of course, my father did not know how to answer, so he just ignored the men.
Once the men left, my dad decided to leave as well. Just as he was about to approach the entrance, a waitress pulled him aside and told him that the men from before were waiting for him outside. They had knives, and had grown in number, wanting to dispose their country of a terrorist. The waitress had my dad leave through the employee door in the back, where he could avoid the men, and get home safely.
Instances like these were not uncommon for my dad, nor the rest of his Lebanese family. They’ve heard remarks, and have been asked rude questions. Many of my family members changed their last name from “Salloum” to “Salomon” thinking it would sound more American. Even in school, growing up, I’ve heard racist comments and questions.
When I was in 6th grade, a classmate asked me if my family was close to Al Qaeda and if “we had ever met him” I’ve been told that my family is wrong for “being Muslim” and “worshiping Allah”, even though, my family doesn’t follow these beliefs. Many people didn’t come to ask about my family, because they had already assumed. When I would try to explain why a statement they made was false, they would look at me like I was crazy. After all, I’m just a crazy Arab with a terrorist father, what do I know, anyway?
No one deserves to be treated differently, especially to be treated for something they cannot change. We as people, deserve to be respected and to respect all people. We as people, are individuals with various traits of diversity that brings us closer together. We as people, make up our world with different genders, religions, sexualities, races, beliefs, and ways of living. These different values do not make us any lesser of an individual, but rather, make us more unique. We as people, need to embrace that, rather than shame it.
There should be equal love and opportunity for everyone- this I believe.
Everyone deserves to be treated equally- this I believe.
People should be judged by who they are, not what they are- this I know.
I’ll admit, this is not the first time that I’ve had to sit down to write a paper about myself and who I am during the first week of class. However, even after writing many essays and single paragraph pages of what makes me unique, I still pause at the beginning, trying to figure out what I want to share and what details would better show who I am as a person.
I’ll start at the beginning when I was growing up, because that’s always easier for me. I was a child of three, being the oldest. Being the first born meant that I did everything “for the first time”, and everything was new both for my family and myself. Not only was I the first child born in the family, but I was also the first born in the United States. Both of my parents came from different countries- my father from Lebanon, and my mother from Cuba. Because of this, growing up was somewhat of a struggle, because no one knew what was coming or what to expect. Until my late high school years, I grew up and followed in someone else’s footsteps, mainly my close friends or someone that I admired. Whether it was my favorite color, or my dialect, my traits were constantly changing with the people I was around. Since my parents did not grow up in the United States, it was hard to find a balance as a child where I was still the daughter of my parents and someone that fit in with my group of friends. A lot of my friends at a young age would question my upbringing because it was different from theirs’, and of course, as a kid, when something is different, its wrong.
Once I was older, I realized that by trying so hard to understand why my parents wouldn’t behave in the same way or let me do things that other kid’s parents did and trying to be like these other kid’s, I had lost my sense of self and was not acting as I truly am. Now I see that although, my values and ways of thinking can be different from other’s that were raised in a tradition American household, these traits also make me unique and have helped me find better friends, than what I had before. I’ve realized that by my dad pushing me to work with him as a child, rather than play, I’ve learned a lot of things in different subjects that many people my age wouldn’t know about, whether its electrical wiring or mechanics. My parents offered me many opportunities growing up to better myself in the future, and from these I’ve learned and grown in a way that is different than others. These opportunities have left with with a better understanding of responsibility, independence, and culture.
Something that remained constant throughout my life was my interest in biology and anatomy. My love for science (as long as there were no numbers involved; chemistry for example) has always pushed me in wanted to pursue a medical degree. I am currently at UNC Charlotte, continuing my education towards forensic pathology.
Being made into a sex object is not the only problem female artists are facing.
Credit is not being given where it should. For many female successful female artists, the media did not focus on her achievements, but rather, how the man supporting her made it all happen. Lady Gaga’s ex-boyfriend, Fusari, claims that it was he “came up with the moniker “Lady Gaga,”” (Idolater) and therefore, her whole persona. Similar situations have happened with Adele and her manager Jonathan Dickens and Beyonce with Jay-Z.
Early April of 2013, “ indie darling” Solange Knowles tweeted: “I find it very disappointing when I am presented as the “face” of my music, or a “vocal muse” when I write or co-write every fucking song, How can one be a “vocal muse” to their own melodies, storytelling, and words they wrote?” (fact mag).
Yea, She's Good For a Girl
“Although Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Madonna are essential ingredients of our modern culture, women musicians have had a very difficult time breaking through and getting the credit they deserve.” -Abbey Phillips
Claire Boucher took to her tumblr to post “I’m tired of men who aren’t professional or even accomplished musicians continually offering to ‘help me out’ (without being asked), as if i did this by accident and i’m gonna flounder without them. or as if the fact that I’m a woman makes me incapable of using technology. I have never seen this kind of thing happen to any of my male peers,” she writes. “I’m tired of the weird insistence that i need a band or i need to work with outside producers (and I’m eternally grateful to the people who don’t do this).” (fact mag) "I don't want to be molested at shows or on the street by people who perceive me as an object that exists for their personal satisfaction, I'm sad that my desire to be treated as an equal and as a human being is interpreted as hatred of men, rather than a request to be included and respected." (huffington)
Both Knowles and Boucher were said to have not even written their own songs by the media. Female artists are not getting their due.