Mary's comment on The Magic Mirror

I see that in The Magic Mirror Edward Hirsch is descrobing his childhood, constrained. Perhaps because his parents, having been lovers during WW II, clung to his childhood a little too much, in a controlling, overprotective way, with smothering affection. It is as though through "...the woman looking in the mirror..." while being looked upon--this is the theme of the painting and of the poem as well. It feels as though a Presence is constant and annoying, as though privacy is an illusion. It is upon the experience of responding emotionally to this portrait, that a sense of freedom and wholeness emerges.
I would like to use the painting of my choice as an experience of seeing that whichthe Impressionist Monet sees- in many of his works, such as the Cathedral paintings, the characteristic and theme of his works is his ability to draw atmosphere, with color and texturity. even vibrantly.
The unseen is seen; one only has to look.

billsresponseto magic mirror

Edward Hirsch uses jackson pollocks painting to describe images of a woman he sees and how she somehow takes him back to his childhood. the second page on our paper makes me think the painting may have stirred up some emotion about bad experiences and this painting may have helped him let go of these negative memories because of the way he was "walking through the skin of the mirror" and then he found himself "summoning all the wounded animals inside me, totems of childhood, and letting them go one by one" and then finally at the end he is "somewhere else,transformed, transfigured." So he "walked" through the painting and came out a different person............................/

Sean Brodie's Response to Zoanthropy

Zoanthropy by David Benioff was a strange and interesting story about a twenty year old boy living in New York, whose father is a heroic lion hunter, and he didn't like his legacy of killing lions. There were a lot of metaphors and symbolism in this story revolving around the boy, the lion, and the painting of Saint Francis. The boy whose name is Mackenzie Alastair Bonner was the narrator of the story, which told the story in the first person perspective. He was an animal lover and didn't want the animals to be harmed in anyway. He saw a painting of Saint Francis gazing upon the Heavens with bliss as if he was receiving the glory from God or enjoying the beauty of life in a museum. As Mackenzie walks into the bathroom to have a smoke, he meets a police officer named Louis Butchko who is a lover. They walk out the bathroom after a little chit chat to a garden courtyard with a fountain. Suddenly, an emaciated lion appears out of nowhere gazing upon the narrator and the police officer, drinks the water from the fountain, winks at him, and disappears. The people in the museum were terrified and the media and police were questioning witness about the incident, but they could not find the lion for it has disappeared. Mackenzie and Louis decided to go to the bar for a drink. They discussed about the lion winking at them as if it meant something and later discussed secretly that Louis was a lover. He talk about how women were different from men and the traits between the two sexes. Later, the boy watches over people in an apartment complex as if he was their guardian angel. He goes to sleep to dream that he was the lion he is looking for and with his pack watching cops pass by him at the museum, but goes underground to subway with rats infesting the area. There was a homeless man laying there and he walks towards him to comfort him and protect him. Louis later invites him to his one hundred and fifty dollar apartment which is a modified pigeon coop for living expensive for a person to stay in and tells him more about women. Mackenzie decides to take the bus back home but sees the lion outside the window and stops the bus. He gets off to see the lion but had fearful thoughts that the lion was going to kill him. He closes his eyes and gets down to the ground. The lion walks to him, breathes in his ear, and disappears. Afterward, he spies at the apartment complex again to watch what they people are doing. He looks into a woman's window to see a news report about the lion being found. The boy quickly rushes to the site where the lion is being seen. He runs into a crowd of people with cops surrounding the area, the media reporting the news, and his father with his rifle aiming at the lion. His father shot the lion and it roared terrifying the crowd. It uses its last bit of strength to climb a stairwell to charge at it's attackers, but slammed into a invisible wall. Mackenzie ran to the lion wanting to know what it wanted to tell him. It licked him and died. Later on the boy look out the window to watch Louis get intimate with the woman he watch over in the complex. The symbolism and metaphors of this is story is that the lion is like a guardian angel watching over him. Louis was talking about women as if Mackenzie as a animal lover should see how beautiful life is. Animals should be respected as much as women should be respected. Life is beautiful and love and peace is much better than the violence his father does for a living. He didn't like his father's legacy as if it was a symbolizes murder, violence, and blood shed. The boy wanted the lion to speak to him as if he imagine what it would say to him, but animals can't talk. Maybe the lion wanted to tell him that there are good people like him in the world, that I always had been watching over you, or maybe mankind has forgotten about love and peace, but Mackenzie is different and is a sign that human and animals can live together in harmony. When Mackenzie dreamed he was the lion he saw it symbolized how he was a guardian angel protecting and watching over people just like he was doing with telescope watching people in their apartments. It also shows him what it feels like to be the lion going through animal cruelty and being hunted by humans. It is like someone who isn't African American living in the horrible times of slavery, racism, etc living as a black person.

Tara's respnse to The Magic Mirror

I analyzed the painting before i read Edward Hirsch's poem. I was wondering how the title can relate to the picture and it took me a couple times to see the magic mirror. The artist used different techniques to reveal the women shown in the picture. I also think that he used certain colors to give you an idea of nature. The one women in the painting looks different than the one reflected in the mirror. "I have imagined it all in slow motion- their two bodies come together as one." It looks like the bodies are the same people but their faces are completely different. I see two different birds in this painting, but they are reflected in the mirror. The mockingbird of grief , the nasty crow." I see this allusion in the painting.

Sophie's Response to "The Magic Mirror"

In Edward Hirsch's "The Magic Mirror," he uses Jackson Pollock's painting to describe a troubled childhood and being released from the memories of it. The painting has a kind of tribal look to it, which Hirsch relates to the language he uses in the poem. For example, when explaining the transition he was making between remembering his childhood and being released from it he says, "suddenly I was summoning all the wounded animals inside me, totems of childhood...." Also, he uses the image of the mirror as a metaphor for the connection he makes with his past - "I was walking through the skin of the mirror into the unexpected country of childhood." Relating the mood or feel -the colors, the actual images, the way they're presented in the piece of art to the language, images, and metaphors or ideas used in the poem will be key in this assignment.

Tierra response to "the Magic Mirror"

I really enjoyed the way that the poet explained the peice by interpreting it through her own life experiences. She saw her life story within the painting which I uderstood clearer when i actually saw the painting. The painting has many differnt colors and strokes that represnt many emotions.The painting to me reminds me of a beautiful explosion because of all of the colors spaced randomly across the canvas. However all of the colors come together to become a representation of something greater. Therefore It made perfect sense why the painting could reprent pain and her ability to go through and come out on top. The poet talked about life experiences good and bad; but at the end of it all she is reunited...transformed and transfigured. I guess after looking at the painting one could see how the end result is beautiful even with the elements that represent the hardships in ones life. As far as the physical features of the painting, it was explained very well. It's simple abstarct that you really have to use your mind to translate what it could mean. so simply she explains the painting as "oil, granular filler, glass fragments brushstroked across the canvas".

Sabrina's response to

This week's piece was "Zoanthropy" from Tin House. I read the piece, and learned what the story was about. It was about a man whose father captured and killed lions that got loose in the city. The man went to view his beloved "saint Francis" and met a man working there who claimed to be the "lover." A lion was spotted at the museum and disappeared. The first man, Mackenzie Bonner, swore the lion winked at him, which instigated an obsession in finding the lion. After reading this piece, I did some research of my own. I looked up what Zoanthropy actually was - it turns out that this is a disease in which a person believes that they are am animal, a lower animal at that.
I took a look at Bellini's "Saint Fracis" and had some trouble interpretting the painting. I looked up an analysis or an interpreation of the painting and got a lead on some symbolism. After discovering some symbolism within the painting, I went back to the story and found some examples of the same symbolism, but in different forms. With that, I think the author used the symobolism from the painting in his story about the lion to relate the two in unision.

Jim's response to "Zoanthropy."

I didn't know what zoanthropy is but according to Webster's, it is a mental disorder in which a person imagines that he or she is a beast.
The main character, Mackenzie Alastair Bonner, describes Bellini's "Saint Francis" in great detail, even speculating about what the animals might be thinking as they watch Saint Francis gazing toward the heavens in rapture d bliss. He seems to use the painting to get his head straight on bad days, "When my corners got too chewed..."
The story jumps between the lion that is on the loose in New York City, and his quirky acquaintance with Butchko "...the Greatest Lover on the East Coast Not counting Florida- they're independent."
David Benioff is masterful with metaphors and imagery. I just never understood what the lion was trying to tell him at the end.

Blog direction for T 9/21

Hey Folks,

Here's a rundown of what I'd like you to do on the blog this week. Take a look at the photos of Bellini's "St. Francis" and Jackson Pollock's "The Magic Mirror." Then comment on how the authors this week have used them in their work: how do they describe them, what role do the pieces play in the story/poem? How can you take what th ey have done and use similar techniques in your own work?

Good luck.

Sophie's Response to "How Fast"

In Martha Rhodes' poem, "How Fast," she uses questions and the word "please" throughout to evoke emotion (in this case desperateness) in the reader. --these are the things I plan to use in my poem. I've read it at least 20 times now and I'm still not entirely sure of the specific situation being described. In the poem she implies a lack of bodily control. "...and my hands can you put your hands where mine should go?" This could mean the result of an accident leading to incapacitation (the fire). At first I thought the "you" she was addressing was the reader, but close to the middle of the poem she says "...how to rise in the middle of the night...Do I call for you even then?" This line makes me think she might be talking to a nurse, but when she says "...in this lot...." could she be referring to a parking lot, or a cemetery? So, is the speaker alive or dead? I'm still unsure, but the poem did a great job of evoking emotion, regardless of the certainty of the situation she is describing.

Peter Zega responce to Powder

the story Powder was very well developed. the plot starts off slow introducing us to the characters and the setting. the climax occurs at about the mid point of the story after it was properly set up so that it actually has weight behind it. the story ends after wrapping up in a satisfactory manner yet manages to leave enough open that the story lingers after your done reading.

Sean Brodie's Response to Powder

I find this story to be very interesting and inspiring. The father in Powder seemed to be very courageous, confident, and had faith. His character is like a father who works really hard and love his family more than life itself and wanted to give his son an experience of a lifetime. However, his wife wasn't happy with him taking their son out in the dangerous snow in such a late hour. He did not want his wife to through a fit at him. His personality really shine when he told his son that they will make it and never give up hope. He seemed to be very tactical with his driving skills and have experience with such a dangerous conditions. In someways he reminds me of myself. The son, the narrator of the story was very bright and always thinks ahead. He knew and wanted to get home early to avoid conflict with his mother. He also trusted and believe in his father. He seem to had fun with spending time with his father, the conflict with the snow, and his father's bravery. The story in someways remind me of the movie the Pursuit of Happiness. The bond between father and son was something I wish I had in life. I think the author Tobias Wolff was trying to give the viewer a lesson in always think ahead, be prepared just in case the worst happens, no matter what situation your in always have faith that everything will be alright, and a true father would do anything for his child.

In my story, I wrote about a fictional version of a birthday party I had when I was a kid. I mixed it up with a family members habit. The main character who is nameless in the story is the birthday boy and he ends up talking to a strange teen who gives him a cigarette. He smokes it and coughs severely. His parents call him to blow out the candles on his birthday cake. He does so, but the smoke is still in his lungs so he ends up coughing harshly again. His father examines him and takes him inside for a lecture. Sharing his story that when he was around his age. He smoke cigarettes, hung out with the wrong crowd, and did bad things. He was punish for it and turned his life around by going to church and became religious. He went to talk to the teen who gave his son the cigarette and threw him out of his party. Then he told his son that he should pray and believe in God and ask him for forgiveness and not to go down the path he went through. The similarity of that story is a life lesson and that is to always listen to your parents and do good in life. Stay way from the bad things and believe in yourself. For no matter what you go through in life. Everything will be ok.

Mark's Response to "Powder"

There's a lot of symbolism in Tobias Wolfe's Powder. What I really like about this piece is that there's a lot of of exposition without being an information dump. The writer conveys the father's spontaneity by talking about his last appearance at a jazz club, seeing Thelonious Monk. Not only does this give an insight to the reader about the father's parenting, but jazz itself is important, not a random choice, because it is equally spontanious.

The roadblock and the snow themselves are also both telling. The roadblock is a symbol of something that, clearly, shouldn't be crossed. After they pass the roadblock, the son's inhibitions are lessened, and he starts to enjoy his father's personality. The snow represents a change, something new.

In my piece for this week, I'm going to try to write outside of the first person narrative I'm used to, like Raymond Carver did in Neighbors.

Era response and inspiration from POWDER

The development of the character in the story is the kind of style that I can most relate to. I love finding more about the character by incorporating their past and their personality into the story instead of just having their biography being presented to us in the most simplest form, such as birthday, bad or good childhood, or blood type ect. Mr. Wolff was pretty articulate when it came to representing his characters well. He was able to reveal the personality and the past of the main character (the narrator), the main character's father, and the main character's mother by expressing his views and feelings by relating them to the current predicament that him and his father was in. Even though this was a sweet short story, I feel that I really know the character and his family well. I know that the main character is a boy who thinks ahead and is pretty aware of the relationship between his divorced parents and can also be blase to the predicament that his father has brought upon them by pushing to do one more rounds of skiing. I was able to obtain this knowledge about the character due to Mr. Wolff's crafty ways of incorporating the information into his story.

Mary's Response to "Washington Etude"

I think Elizabeth Alexander wrote a poem about suppression. "...Mushrooms appear in the park but you cannot eat them...", "...clear, sweet drops. I am a hummingbird."
and reference to a cat lapping cream (not milk) from a bowl suggest consumption of delicacies known to those who are privileged. By gender or race, yet again, duality,is eluded to, in the eighth stanza, where she says, "'''white...black-..." Interesting that the eighth stanza refers to opposite 'colors'(neither one is considered a color).
The ninth and tenth stanzas, "...Buttercups under my chin tell me all I need to know..." suggests much is assumed of her, as is, what do buttercups under her chin look like in comparison to another, or to "...other children playing outside my window..." "...Nothing blue occurs naturally in Washington, someone says, and I believe it..." suggest to this reader she is alluding to a reality she cannot prove, having not at this point in her life [perhaps] yet seen for herself.

Mary's Response to Powder

I like the tension Tobias Wolff sustained throughout this story involving a journey which was hazardous and potentially disastrous at any given second,as father the father drove his son through a snowstorm. Father and son plummeted forward through the unknown corridor of the mountain, now knowing what lie ahead. The desperation of there being no alternative to "the switchbacks and hairpins..." suggest duality of the father's sense of risk overpowering the consequences of his wife's anticipated "...hissing..." as anger/unforgiving disappointment.

Mary's Comment RE: Tara's Response about "Washington Etude"

I liked Tara's response that poet Elizabeth Alexander is possibly trying to hide what she really wants to say in regard to the stanza which includes "...mud-puddles surrounded by brambles and blackberries. That insight provoked deeper meaning about this work to me.

Tara's response to Washington Etude

Elizabeth Alexander has a really nice flow to the poem. She uses imagery in many different ways. "Dandelions are yellow one day, white the next." She pays attention to things in her environment and her suroundings like all poets do including myself. It seems like she gets a lot of her inspiration from nature. She also is trying to say that the world around you is always changing. "After rain, mushrooms appear in the park, but you can not eat them." I think she use rain to give you an idea of spring, which is also when the locust come out. The title as a major influence on this poem. It also rains a lot in Washington, which is why she used rain in the first line. "A mud-puddle surrounded by brambles and black berries is where God lives." This line through me off topic in the poem. I think she is trying to hide what she is really trying to say, I like to keep people guessing in my poetry as well. "Regard the flare of boming stars the cicadas maraca." I like how she brought back the sound of the cicada in the end, I could hear them rattling from beginning to end.

BJ's reaction to Washington Etude

The first thing i noticed about alexander's piece was that there was definitely a story unfolding. But as i read on another story and another story appeared before my eyes. She bounced so many times that at first i wasn't sure if this was a story or a random listing of seperate events that somehow came to mind at one time with pen in hand. The only consistency i could find was time. She definitely had a particular time in mind for each "story". These didn't seem to just be ideas or beliefs, they seemed like memories from times in her life. And as i read it and read it, i was actually a little sad because by not really understanding the events i feel like i never got to really know the author. i loved the here and there personification though. it allowed me to imagine simple things like "husks" and "stars" doing things far greater than they are capable. Which is relative to my poem written for this upcoming tuesday's class about a childhood incident. I think the thing that kept me intrigued also confused and that would be her line breaks. I also used these very untraditional yet important breakages as well. Overall it was a good read although i'm not quite sure what i was reading about.

Jim's response to "Powder"

The father seemed more adventurous while the son was almost compulsive in his need to plan everything ahead. I was amused at the hint of sarcasm when they didn't agree they would refer to each other as "doctor."

Sabrina's response to "Powder"

In Tobias Wolff's "Powder," the roles of the father and son seem to be switched. The son seems to be more responsible, mature and tight (for lack of a better word) while the father is basically the opposite: less concerned and kind of a loosey-goosey kind of guy. I am going to use this same sort of character development within the short story I am working on. Two of my characters will have charactersitics that are not stereotypical of their role. Certain characters are expected to take on a certain role. My characters will either somewhat switch roles, or just not completely take the role they are expected to.

jim's response

Tierra, I totally agree with what you wrote in your first post, about provoking an emotion in the reader, and making them feel what you are saying. This is possibly the greatest goal of a writer. Thank you for pointing it out.

Tierra's Response to "Washington Etude"

After initially reading the poem I was a bit confused on what the poet was trying to convey. It seemed as though the poet jumped around a bit.....so I kept on reading. Over and over again, feeling more at ease each time I read the poem. I began to tie some things together. Which brings me to admire the way the poem was so specific, with details, allowing me to feel and imagine exactly what the poem was about. For example......"They come to Northwest Washington by the millions and for days I crunch shed husks beneath my feet"......I couldn't help but imagine when I experienced the same when I was a young girl. it wasn't until I started to sense what was written, that I could wrap my mind around the concepts of nature and how it is perfect. How fast it changes and one may not notice. My favorite line is where she describes how she is put to bed to watch the daylight bow...... I closed my eyes and imagined that i was watching the same and again I realized that nature is where God Lives.

Tierra's Response to "Washington Etude"

After initially reading the poem I was a bit confused on what the poet was trying to convey. It seemed as though the poet jumped around a bit.....so I kept on reading. Over and over again feeling more at ease each time I read the poem. I began to tie some things together. Which brings me to admire the way the poem was so specific, with details, allowing me to feel and imagine exactly what the poem was about. For example......They come to Northwest Washington by the millions and for days I crunch shed husks beneath my feet......I could'nt help but imagine when I experienced the same when I was a young girl. it wasn't until I started to sense what was written that I could rap my mind around the concepts of nature and how it is perfect. How fast it changes and one may not notice. . The poet seems to bring the reader in which is how I choose to move a reader when I write. The best way to write is to be able to provoke some type of emotion in the reader.......you have to literally make a person feel what you are saying. That is my style of writing and that allows me to write about any thing I choose as long I'm able to reveal an emotion. My favorite line is where she describes how she is put to bed to watch the daylight bow...... I closed my eyes and imagined that i was watching the same and again I realized that nature is where God Lives.

Mary's Comment on It Is Forbidden

This Martha Rhodes' poem reminds me of a lover of spirituality, although respecting of both.,

places meaning of the religious associations of God in satirical perspective: "It being commanded to worship that occupier of the armed-chair, carver of pheasants..." It is as though the gestures and attributions of religious tradition are explored playfully. In the end, Ms. Rhodes cleverly connects an appreciation of the human relativity the Creator has to us, and how similar both are. I think this is a reflection of her appreciation of expression of her own spiritual awareness that "even you shall leave me [the Creator/God]"--it cannot be, purely because the need will always be there.

bills response to "it being forbidden"

I found this poem to be pretty intense. I think that Martha Rhodes conveyed a strong feeling of oppression in this poem. The line "his arms raised, our sisterly head shamed downward" made me think of an overbearing father interacting with his daughters. The message i got from this poem and this line in particular "and we remain in his house longer than we ought, for he prophesies even you shall leave me" was that no matter how hard you try to control things they will ultimately change and his daughters would grow and eventually leave him and his fear of being out of control and alone would become reality.

Sophie's response to Cartoon Physics, Parts 1 & 2

In "Cartoon Physics, part 1" I think Flynn uses imagery specific to children, linking it to ideas such as imagination, innocence and ignorance, basically what it is to be a child. In the very first part of the poem he tells us a ten-year-old "shouldn't know that the universe is ever-expanding, inexorably pushing into the vacuum...." using language that a ten-year-old would not understand, helping to make his point. "Cartoon Physics,"however, is used as a means to show how the world of a child works -- in cartoons we see things happen that would not realistically go without negative outcomes. But as a child there is a security in imagining oneself a hero, or making the decisions we don't truely have the power to make -- "...at which point the bridge will give, who will swim to safety..." and all this is a comfort to a child. The last piece, "She will learn that if a man runs off the edge of a cliff he will not fall until he notices his mistake," I think says something about the line between cartoon physics and reality. While he notices his mistake, he still falls, and reality doesn't always allow time for that kind of realization. You only get to be young for so long and a ten-year-old isn't going to dwell on ugly truths, but will learn in due time.

"Cartoon Physics, part 2" takes a much more serious, and certainly darker tone. In this poem Flynn talks of death, specifically his mother, and using cartoon physics as a way to show his mourning. For example, in pt. 1 the idea of sketching a door only you can enter is fun, even comical if someone else were to try to enter it. In pt. 2 however, the door is used to show a desire to be able to actually have that door, and to not only go through it, but have his mother go through it too, to have her back. The word choice shows the change in tone & age and in understanding of cartoon physics in relation to reality. For example, "I want her to come with me, like in a dream of being dead...." and "This desire can be a cage...." Both of these lines show sadness and understanding that what he desires is not possible. It also shows contrast between the way he talks about ignorance and innocence and imagination in pt. 1 -- you no longer able to be the hero, or choose where the bridge gives in, or who will swim to safety, as much as you may want to. The imaginative element is based in the desire for his mother's return to life, and with the knowledge that it will never happen now, far past ten years old, cartoon physics is not the same of reality's.

"Neighbors" by Raymond Carver

The story “Neighbors” by Raymond Carver is about a couple that is house-sitting for the apartment that belongs to the couple that lives across the hall from them. Bill goes across the hall to feed the cat and finds himself spending more than enough time in his neighbor’s apartment; trying on their clothes, taking their medicine, drinking their liquor, and laying in their bedroom. Bill’s wife, Arlene, asks him why he is spending so much time in their neighbor’s apartment. He claims that he does not realize he is spending so much time there. Meanwhile, at their own apartment, Bill’s sex-drive has increased and is all over Arlene like icing on a cake. Later in the story, Arlene makes her way to the Stones’ apartment to feed Kitty. She finds herself spending just as much time in their apartment as her husband. The story ends with the couple leaving the key in the couple’s apartment by mistake and locking themselves out.

This story is an example of how, not only couples, but people can get bored with their own lives, compare them to others, and find enthrallment in the lives of others. While we may not have the life we want, we may think we can find it in the lives of others. At the end of the story, the couple embraces each other in the hallway, almost in a realization of what they have been doing the past few days. This realization may have been an eye-opener to any issues or concerns within their marriage.

Tara's response to Carton Physics Part 1

I've never read a poem quite like this one, I think that Nick Flynn is a brillant writer. He uses sacarsm and a survival of the fittest theme to show that kids don't know a lot about the world. I also get the idea that he is saying, when one makes a mistake you have to take it and learn from it. "She will learn that if a man runs off the edge of a cliff he will not fall until he notices his mistake." He uses imagery in the poem that would confuse a ten year old. Kids are suppose to stay out of trouble, Nick Flynn disagrees. "Ten year olds should stick with burning houses, car wrecks, ships going down- earthbound tangible disasters." I think he is talking about what you see in real life compared to what goes on in a cartoon.

Sean Brodie's Response to the Neighbors

The story "Neighbors" by Raymond Carver is a fascinating story. The plot is about a couple who live ordinary lives, but have neighbors who often leave town for vacation, business, and to visit relatives. One day their neighbors were running out of town and ask the couple to watch over their house for them. As they left the couple went upstairs to their apartment, thinking they could use a vacation themselves. The husband Bill Miller, a bookkeeper enters his neighbors apartment and takes care of his duties his neighbors ask him to do. He walks into their bathroom and opens up their medicine cabinet with a medicine prescribed for Harriet Stone, his neighbor's wife. He walks into the kitchen to pour water into a pitcher to feed the plants. Afterwards, he looks into their liquor cabinet for a drink. He returns home to have an intimate moment with his wife. Each day when he comes home from work, he visits their apartment, feeds the cat, and meddles with their possessions. Later his wife Arlene, a secretary visits their apartment herself. She accidentally locks Bill and herself out of their apartment.

Basically the couple like meddling with their neighbors apartment because they have things in their successful life than they have. They wonder what it would be like to live in the Stones' shoes. Each time they go into their apartment, it gives them pleasure of excitement, try out new things, and intimate pleasure. We see today on Television or any form of media about how celebrities have luxurious homes and possessions but ordinary people don't have those quality of life. It is like would if an ordinary person could live in a celebrity shoes and play with the things they have in their home. Bill and Arlene Miller may not have what the Stones have, but at least they have each other; messing around in their neighbors apartment was the fun and excitement they needed even if it was for a little while. By doing this really help the couple's marriage and bringing them closer together.

jims response to "Neighbors" by Raymond Carver

The short story "Neighbors," by Raymond Carver follows the exploits of Bill and Arlene Miller as they apartment sit for their neighbors, Jim and Harriet Stone who are on vacation.
The Millers seem to have a great relationship with each other, but they admire the Stones for their quality of life.
In the Stones' absence they begin snooping around in their stuff, even drinking their wine and trying on their clothes. Mr. Carver is imaginative here and has Bill trying on some of Mrs. Stones things.
It's all in light hearted fun until they manage to lock themselves out, and we are left wondering how they deal with that.

Brittany's Response to Cartoon Physics pt. 1

I enjoyed these poems from what i could understand of them. I found it interesting that the words were, not in themselves, hard to understand but when gathered together I found myself having to consider their meaning. Flynn takes an interesting twist in the first one where he first states that children should not understand concepts like space; but in the same breath he states that a ten year old should be able to comprehend and predict burning homes and sinking ships. To me the universe is a bit easier to understand than tragedy or disaster because it is not a definite. The universe has infinite possibilities and plenty of room for the ten year old imagination to roam. While tangible disasters on the other hand are harder to explain the "what" and the "why". At least when it comes to space the answer to the why is one most ten year olds are used to
"Because i said so". But overall i loved both poems. They left me wondering if what i was gathering from them was the message he intended to send. Cartoon Physics kind of reminded me of abstract poetry if there is a such thing.

era on "Neighbors" by Raymond Carver

"Neighbors" is brilliant at giving us the feeling of the strangeness that Bill and Arlene felt as they slowly encompass their neighbor's home into their everyday life. Bill and Arlene was described to having a happy life for an everyday people with an everyday mundane job. They do show envious feelings towards their neighbors as they live an extraordinary life of traveling and incorporating pleasure with business. In the beginning of the story, it describes Bill and Arlene clinging onto little things that their neighbors, Harriet and Jim Stone, have given them such as the handmade tablecloth. Being exposed to the Stone's home, whose home is probably has a similar layout to the Miller's home, gave Bill a sense of a coolness and an excitement of integrating himself into his neighbor's everyday surrounding. He slowly touches things, gets himself drunk in Stone's home, and doing these things gave him the sexual excitement that he later expressed to his wife when he returned back home. Later on in the story, it shows a hint of addiction as the place is being described as somewhat of a euphoric place for Bill and later on to Arlene. The place was described with cool colours such as black and blue and it even gave a vibe of a more adulterous life such as the ash tray, the hawaiin shirt, the brassiere, and the pictures. As the couples discover more and more of these items, more they are into each other. At the end, they have found their excitement while the Stones were away.