5.08 Free Choice Blog

The Shining by Stephen King

Chapter 1
In the first chapter of the book, we are introduced to Jack Torrance. He is at the Overlook, a hotel in Colorado. He's being interviewed for the the job of being the hotels caretaker during the winter. We learn that Jack has had a difficult and shady past, including alcoholism, being fired from his teaching job for beating a student, and a time when he accidentally broke his son Danny's arm. This foreshadows that Jack can be a very troubled man. We are also introduced to Stuart Ullman, the manager of the Overlook and a man whom Jack has no liking towards what so ever. Ullman went over the Overlook's history and disclosed to Jack that the previous winter caretaker was also an alcoholic. He had murdered his wife and both his young daughters in a drunken rage, perhaps from cabin fever, and then killed himself. Ullman knew about Jacks troubled past and was seeking reassurance, as well as admitting a warning, that the 5 months of the winter could be long and harsh, with little to no communication with the outside world. Jack reassures who he refers to as the officious manager, stating that he hasn't had a drop of alcohol and that his family won't be subject to such an extreme case of cabin fever, because they are all very intelligent people who will have much to amuse themselves with, and that the job is the opportunity his family needs to become closer. 


I was very intrigued after reading this first chapter. I was familiar with the plot and film, so I was curious to see if the book was any better. I actually finished the book and liked it better than the film. The organizational pattern I noticed most heavily was chronological order, used when Ullman was explaining the history of the hotel, and when Jack was thinking about his past. 

The authors intent for this first chapter was to introduce one of the main characters, the main setting, and also to foreshadow events in the book. 

4.08 Free Choice Blog

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Chapter 1

For this assignment I read the first chapter in the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, titled “A scandal in Bohemia.”  The chapter opens up with Watson, a writer, medical practitioner, and close friend of Holmes.  The two of them have grown apart since Watson’s marriage but Watson has kept tabs on the many mysteries Holmes has continued to unravel.  Holmes is described as “the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen,” with a cold and precise mind that could discover what most people overlooked.  One night after Watson was returning from visiting a patient he found himself on Baker Street, where he and Holmes used to live. He decided to pay him a visit, for he had been missing his old friend and wanted to see how he was doing. The two talked as if no time had passed, and Holmes was very much the same. He was still singularly introspective and subtly glad to see Watson. Holmes introduced his latest mystery, an anonymous note left to him asking for his assistance, with the writer of the note paying him a visit that very night.  The mysterious visitor initially came disguised, but Holmes figured out it was Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond Von Ormsten, Grand Duke of Cassel-Felstein and hereditary kind of Bohemia. He came to Holmes about an Irene Adler, adventuress whom he had been acquainted with and become intimate.  The problem was that he was courted to Clotilde Lothman von Saxe-Meningen, second daughter of the King of Scandinavia, at the time. They had exchanged letters and photographs in which could ruin his future, but when he asked Irene for them back, but she has threatened to send them on the day the marriage will be publicly announced. The chapter ends with the soon to be King of Bohemia leaving the house, and Holmes inviting Watson over again for the next day to discuss the case.

Personally I was very intrigued with what I read, I enjoy mystery books and Sherlock Holmes is a classic story. I also enjoyed the movies, and that is what drew me to read the book.  I am excited to find out how Holmes plan to help the soon to be King and solve the case. The author used many of the patterns of organization, some including chronological order, order of importance, and cause and effect. I believe the authors intent was to tell a story. 

3.07 Free Blog Choice

Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami

Chapter 1

In the first chapter of this book, readers are introduced to the three main characters: Sumire, a man only identified as K, who is the narrator of the novel, and Miu. The story is set in Tokyo.  K and Sumire met in college, but while she dropped out to pursue being a novelist he became an elementary school teacher. They met accidentally but eventually began to spend a lot of time together, deep down they were very lonely people and they felt they could only trust each other. Sumire never viewed K in a romantic way, their relationship was platonic, as had been most of Sumires relationships with men. She had never been in love, or really cared about it until she meets Miu at a wedding reception. Miu is a much older woman than Sumire, and everything she is not. Sumire is messy and average looking, wearing clothes that are mismatched and many sizes too big, while Miu is beautiful, elegant, and classy. Here the narrator uses a lot of compare and contrast in his organization style. The two began to get to know each other and it becomes known that Miu is a busniess woman, who imports and exports wine from different places in Europe. Sumire explains to her that she wants to write, and has never really had a real job in her life. The two bond over a love of classical music and by the end of the night, Sumire has a new job to attend to and has decided she has finally fallen in love. The chapter ends with Sumire calling K to explain to him everything that has happened, and her being very confused about what she is to do next.

I enjoyed the first chapter of the book because it was a good introduction of all the characters and of the setting that left me wanting to know more. I also found a quote that I really liked; it was when Sumire was talking about her writing."My head is like some ridiculous barn packed full of stuff I want to write about. Images, scenes, snatches of words... In my mind they're all glowing, all alive. Write! They shout at me. A great new story is about to be born- I can feel it. It'll transport me to some brand new place. Problem is, once I sit at my desk and put all these down on paper, I realize something vital is missing. It doesn't crystallize- no crystals, just pebbles, and I'm not transported anywhere."  The narrator mainly used compare and contrast organization is his writing, touching on the differences between his self and Sumire and also between Sumire and Miu.  

2.07 Free Blog Choice

Outside the Citadel, Social Practice Art Is Intended to Nurture
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/24/arts/design/outside-the-citadel-social-practice-art-is-intended-to-nurture.html?ref=arts&_r=0
This article is talking about a new movement in the art world known as “Social Art” that approaches the question of what is art, in a unique way. Instead of creating pictures on canvas artists are actively making changes in their communities. It encompasses a mix of performing, political activism, community organizing, environmentalism and investigative journalism. Personally, I think the movement is genius and a great catalyst for social change. Art is not defined by one specific medium, there are endless amounts of styles and things to work with, and social artists are using this to actively help communities. If I were to create notes from the reading I would probably make a thought bubble or web. There are a lot of connected details throughout the article so I think it would be best to organize it visually.

Someone Has Stolen One Of The Final 'Breaking Bad' Scripts From Bryan Cranston
http://www.blackbookmag.com/someone-has-stolen-one-of-the-final-breaking-bad-scripts-from-bryan-cranston-1.60328?PQId=1.46682
This article is about  how Bryan Cranston, who plays Walter White in the hit AMC show Breaking Bad, recently had his car broken in to, with one of the final scripts of the show among the items stolen. An informant who was working on a case found Xavier McAfee guilty, after he had been bragging about the burglary in a local bar. Personally, I was very surprised that someone would go to such lengths to find out the finale of the show. Had Xavier posted the script online, he could have ruined the show for everyone! I think a list  in order of importance would be best for notes on this article, because it would organize the details of what transpired, presenting the most important details first, and the less important ones last. If the article was written introducing Xavier McAfee instead of Bryan Cranston, the main idea of the article might not have been as obvious.

About a Guy: Harmony Korine
http://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/features/harmony_korine
This article is about what inspired the director Harmony Korine to create his new film, Spring Breakers.  Also famous for directing the movie Kids, he talks about the differences between the teen generation back then and now, because the differences are evident in both movies. He also talks about how he went to different hotels in Florida during spring break to write his script. Personally, I liked the article because it made me want to go watch the movie in theaters. Korine described the movie as being more of an emotion, and an experience, rather than fitting into a genre, and I love films like that. I think the best way to take notes for this article would be three column notes because it was an interview, so someone who is taking notes can put the questions for the director in the first column and his answers in the third. For the picture/graph the person who is taking notes could put pictures from the film that go with what the director was talking about in his interview.

Dream Big, Girl
http://theater.nytimes.com/2013/03/24/theater/matilda-arrives-on-broadway-with-big-dreams.html
This article is about the upcoming Broadway musical of the Roald Dahl’s Matilda. It talks about how producers and screen writers are struggling to find a balance between staying true to Roald Dahl's philosophy and being a conventional Broadway show, not to mention the cost of a big show like this one is meant to be. Personally I am not very excited that Matilda is being made into a musical because there is already a movie. The book is wonderful and one of my favorites, and the movie is a wonderful addition to the story, but I think a musical is just overdoing it and would be an exploitation of the story. If I were to create notes on this article I would use an outline because there is a lot of important information throughout the article that would be easier understood if it were summarized, but still kept in the same order the article presented it in.

128 Beats Per Minute: Diplo's visual guide to music, culture and everything in between
http://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/features/diplo_128_beats_per_minute
This article is an interview with Diplo to talk about his book. He touches a range of other topics as well, from his frequent flyer miles to the time he spent in India. I enjoyed the interview and I found his stories of traveling to be interesting and funny. If I were to create notes on this article I would create a list ordered of importance, with him talking about his book first and his experiences with travel last, because many of the details in the interview are not necessary to convey the main idea. The main idea is to talk about his book.

1.3 Materials & Free Choice

My result in the What Kind of Reader Are You Quiz was the drama genre. I think this was accurate because I enjoy reading material with more serious content, such as books on poetry or spirituality. I prefer this genre over books that are just for entertainment because I like learning something from the material I read. Whether it be an interesting fact, another perspective, or a vocabulary word, I like to absorb it all. One of my favorite books is On the Road by Jack Kerouac, and it has similar themes to the book that I chose for this assignment.

The last thing I read was a book written by Nick Miller called Isn't it Pretty to Think So. I really enjoyed this book because of the plot and the reoccurring themes through out the book. It's about a recent college graduate Jake Reed who is struggling to pursue a career in writing, but his life changes when he spontaneously receives a $50,000 inheritance from his deceased grandmother. He uses the money to travel around California and experience life outside of his hometown. Along the way he meets fascinating characters, all with different schema's of the world around them, helping him discover his own.