Reading and Writing- What's the Point?

Someone recently asked me why I love literature and writing so much. This happens more than I would have expected when first declaring myself as an English major. “Writing is just too boring,” they said. As a student of literature, you can guess that I was a little disappointed to hear their opinion of the written word. Despite how many times I have been asked this question, I feel that I can never give an adequate response right away. Fittingly, it is only when I am given the chance to sit down and express my thoughts through writing am I able to discuss my passion. Even so, I feel that my explanations are never enough; there is always more to why we are so intrigued by topics.

We write to remember, and to forget. We write to forgive, to explore, and to express. We write to make a mess, and we write to make cohesive sense of an event. No matter why we write, we do it. We pick up our pens and scribble, draw, or write random words. We write whole sentences, and paragraphs, and pages. We open our computers and tick tack away, watching the letters turn into words that flow from our brains to our hands. We create these words, these images, these stories, and these documentations. But they also create us. They move and shift us. They disturb us, and set us at peace. They infiltrate our thoughts and affect our interpretations. We bring a piece of ourselves into writing. Fiction or non-fiction, there is always some speck of who we are in our words. Our experiences and the memories of our experiences seep into writing, no matter how hard we try to remain distant.

I recently finished a memoir, The Memory Palace, by Mira Bartok that explores the untrusting nature of memory. Recent research by psychologists, as Mira tells, proves that the human mind is infinitely more complex than assumed. When we remember and extract a memory from our mental storage unit, we are often recreating things that might not have truly happened. Every time we retell a story, something happens to the brain’s neurons that create a chemical change. In our lives, we rely so heavily on our memories. They allow us to maintain our identity, to give us a sense of where we came from and who we continue to be. We use our memories as points of reference so we don’t feel lost or out of place. But what does it mean when current research is proving that memories are extremely unreliable? In a sense, we are being told that we create our own memories; what we believe to be held as factual and truthful may indeed not hold accountability.

I find this interesting, because it causes me to wonder about the genre of memoir and memoir-writing. If we create our own memories, our own stories, how can we believe the words a memoir-writer says? How do we know that what we have just read is true, and how do we trust them? In the end, it doesn’t matter. Unless you are a journalist or biographer, you don’t have to have one hundred percent truth. The memoir genre is beautiful in the sense that it combines both fiction and non-fiction. It allows you to take pieces of the past, things from your or someone else’s perspective, and create a story out of it- imagination and memory work together to produce an authentic story bound by perspective and intuition.  

So when I think about writing and literature, and why I love it so much, I remind myself that it’s like a key that unlocks so much more. It allows us to explore and experience things we may have never been given the chance to. For me, reading and writing is a mainstay, a source of lifeblood. No matter what your passions are, remember that writing can help you dig into the core meaning and purpose of their existence in your life. 

-Kathleen Bure

Cameron Storey- Edwidge Danticat Lecture

Edwidge Danticat spoke on her ties to Haiti in an elegant, yet emotional manner. Her tone, though it remained even, conveyed a great deal of powerful emotion. As she shared in the history of her people it became obvious her writings echo the history of Haiti and the lasting marks its broken past has left on the futures of its people.  The title she chose, “Love in the Time of Massacre,” helped to explain why her stories were needed. To Danticat, writing is not only a way to ensure that stories from the survivors emerge, but also a way to represent the transformation of emotions and attitudes in people. 

She spoke readily of how the brutality of her home country changed people and left them scarred. The violence in her land vastly overwhelming and seemingly unending, even after many escaped to the U.S.A. One story she told, that truly stuck out, was the notion of a people so hopelessly divided. She spoke of one particular massacre that centered on whether or not people could pronounce the word “parsley” the “right way.” The Haitian people were found out by their speech, and killed because of it. Language in this instance, Danticat explained, held an immense power over the people. Those who could fake a different dialect often survived. Those who couldn’t were killed. This word, “parsley” held such great power in that place, and this notion of language being such a determiner, helped to show Danticat the power in words.  

Danticat takes her role as a writer very seriously, her ties to her people remain obvious, and her willingness to share their struggle pure. To her, words unify and mend a part of what is broken. Though the struggle is real, words allow her to testify to its power and effects. This was apparent in the way she carried herself across the stage. From the moment she appeared she remained composed and spoke with dignity. She did not demand sympathy, but allowed for the stories to speak for themselves. Her language, her diction, carried the weight of disaster in a way that demanded nothing, but evoked deep empathy. Danticat represented a people and a fight that has lasted for generations, she did not demand an audience, but rather took the time to openly share. In her powerful language the depth of her ties to the Haitian people was heard. Through her words the meaning of her stories were felt instead of forced, and the power of her language felt. 

Literary Studies: The Radical Art of Learning How to Be

This is a video of the keynote address of the 2010 Streamlines English Undergraduate Conference which was attended by three Sigmas from UNCW.

The title of the address is "Literary Studies: The Radical Art of Learning How to Be." The speaker is the head of the English Department at the University of Dubuque.

It is one of the most profound and inspiring things I have ever heard. The reading copy of it was given to me by Dr. Barz.


-Kirk Barrett

Kirk Barrett- The Pittsburgh Conference

Last March, along with five fellow Sigmas, I went to Pittsburgh to the Sigma Tau Delta International Convention. The talent and humor of almost everyone I met was astounding, and if you were there and missed them, the students from Kuwait were the rock stars of literature—they’re panel presentation on pre-Islamic Arabic poetry was nothing short of exquisite. Combining pedagogy and beautiful language they wove a tapestry of words that showed an opulent literary tradition that is sadly absent from most Western education. In any case, the conference was amazing and an integral experience in my own educational path. Pittsburgh was my second conference presentation (the other being Streamlines, in Dubuque), and I hope to present papers at both conferences again before I graduate next May. If you have thought about going to a conference but are intimidated by the prospect, you are not alone. It can be a scary endeavor, but such trepidation is really an opportunity to let your literary courage get some exercise. It’s a privilege to have a paper accepted, and a wonderful experience to read your work in front of your equally trepidatious peers.

After returning from the Pittsburgh Conference, I received a letter from the national office of Sigma Tau Delta. They informed me I had won the Essay on Convention Theme award. Considering the topic of my paper presentations and essay, I am further humbled at the opportunities I have been given by UNCW’s English Department and local chapter of Sigma Tau Delta; my Wentworth Fellowship, Honors Thesis—and my personal writing for the past few years—is focused on the collapse of Jugoslavia and the Bosnian Genocide of the 1990s. It’s may seem an odd thing for a English major to study, but most of the literature surrounding it (films, especially) I have found to be visceral, genuine, compassionate, and incredibly funny. I hope my own work reflects at least some of this.

Below is the Essay on Convention Theme: “Beyond Words.”

An often-heard phrase in Bosnia is:

There is nothing to say about Srebrenica, you just have to go there.

In June, 2010, I journeyed to Srebrenica in the midst of travels through the Balkans. I sought to view the region as a text; without political agenda. I strove to use an unbiased perspective in the region in order to gain some understanding of the motives of violence and methods of survival. That emotional detachment from the subject of study disappeared when visiting Srebrenica.

The location of the worst genocide in Europe since 1945 is set in a geographic region of natural quietude and breathtaking beauty. Dinaric forests cover sharply-cut mountains interspersed with lush stretches of narrow valleys. Disguised among the mountain woods are mines that have been giving up their silver since Nero fiddled with the devil and Goth kids sacked Rome. After the massacre in July, 1995, Srebrenica has been a place of what may rightfully be called a preternatural stillness.

I visited with a native of Sarajevo who had family in the field at Potočari; their names inscribed in stone at the memorial among the 8,372 listed. In July, 1995, Sıdıka’s nephew was 7 years old. In June, 2010, he was still 7 years old; he always will be.

It was the first time in 15 years Sıdıka had gone to Srebrenica.

While she offered prayers under the open-air mosque, I took portrait photos of the stone monument etched with names of the dead. Afterward, we began the six kilometer trek from the memorial at Potočari back to the bus station in Srebrenica.

We walked together without exchanging words. The only sound was my boots on the asphalt road, my boots on the gravel shoulder, my boots on the damp grass and mud. Her gaze might have never lifted from the ground beneath her feet—I do not know; my gaze never lifted from where I stepped.

The wind occasionally spoke to the trees, the grass, the strip of black road. The wind spoke of where it had been, of what it had seen and heard. The wind spoke of how it felt about the terrain it had passed. The wind occasionally spoke in soft hushed gusts while we walked together.

The wind spoke of many things.

We remained silent the entire distance to Srebrenica.

There was nothing to say.

We just had to go there.

~*~

Chloe Miller-As You Like It: Travels and Plans for an English Major

This upcoming fall I will be traveling to London, England to study abroad at Roehampton University. Only a twenty-five minute bus ride to the heart of the city, Roehampton is one of the most beautiful campuses in London. The excitement to study English Literature in England is almost overwhelming. The prospect of studying Shakespeare where his writing actually took place and originated is unreal. I will actually get to go where all of these fantastic writers, like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, who I admire so much lived and wrote.

When I return to UNCW next spring of 2012, I have a plan of action to become a better-rounded, experienced, and involved English major. Studying abroad will be marked off of my ‘To Do List’, but there will still be a full list of things that come next. I will begin researching an internship to start, as a fulfillment of my Professional Writing Certificate and as a way of gaining more relevance and experience in a writing field. I will look in to obtaining a job at the University Learning Center as a writing tutor. Becoming a certified writing tutor will enhance my proficiency with editing and grammar.

I am so excited for the upcoming year. New activities, encounters, and experiences that will be here so soon, and I’m excited to plan for them. Anticipation and excitement are all I can feel! Only problem is how this excitement and anxiety for summer and traveling may be overshadowing my motivation to get through these final exams! Oh well! London awaits.

Meagan Culkin- A Look at Shakespeare's Italy

Last month I went to Italy for 12 days as a Wentworth Fellow. While there, I studied William Shakespeare, specifically focusing on his Italian-set plays. These included The Merchant of Venice, The Taming of the Shrew, Julius Caesar, and of course, Romeo and Juliet. I centered my focus on the culture and daily life, to determine whether or not I believed that Shakespeare himself had ever been to Italy. This is a common question among Shakespearean scholars, as many will call to question the general terms in which he so often sets his plays. "A city in Italy, A street in Verona, a town square"-- all of these are stage directions continually used throughout his works that caused me to wonder. I was able to take the trip with the help of UNCW and the Wentworth Fellowship and am pleased to say that it was the experience of a lifetime. Every day was packed full of museums, architecture, books, and food, all of which allowed me to learn and grow as a student and a person. This experience was nothing but beneficial, and I would recommend applying for a Wentworth to anyone who is even remotely considering it.

Casey Weaver: Hello from San Pedro, Belize!

I am here as a part of an international field experience where I will complete my last five weeks of my Secondary Education internship. Although I miss my kids at Hoggard High School dearly, I am learning a lot about the Belizean culture and education. My partnership teacher at San Pedro High School is Mrs. Giselle, and she teaches forms 3 & 4 (11th & 12th grade). For the past couple days I have observed and taken part in her lessons; in doing this, I have discovered several differences in public schools in America and San Pedro High School.

Dress Code

At Hoggard, the students are allowed to dress casually as long as it’s appropriate. No tanks, no undergarments showing, and shorts/skirts long enough for girls. In Belize, they have a very strict dress code. Boys are to dress in all white pants and collared shirt with the high school’s badge on the breast. Their pants have to be pocket less, so they can’t hold their cell phones, and they also have to wear white socks with black shoes and a black belt. Girls are to wear white dresses with a colored tie that symbolizes which form (grade) they are in: green-1st form, yellow-2nd form, blue-3rd form, red-4th form. Their dresses cannot be too tight and must be 1’’ before the knee. They have to wear black, closed shoes with white socks and they must wear a small pair of studded earrings. Girls are not allowed to wear make up at school and I actually witnesses a student receive a demerit today and was forced to wash it off.

Cell Phone Policy

At Hoggard, if I were to see a student with their cell phone, I usually gave them one warning and took it away if I saw it again. I would give it back to them at the end of the day, and that would be the end of it. In Belize, students are never allowed to have a cell phone while on school grounds. If caught, their first offense is for the teacher to take it and give it to the office to hold for one week. After the week is up, their parents can come retrieve the phone. For a second offense, the student would receive out of school suspension. Although this may seem harsh, I have yet to see a student with their cell phone out and it’s nice to avoid that distraction while trying to teach.

AIDS/HIV policy

This is a very controversial subject. In America, these diseases are mentioned but hardly ever dealt with because it’s not an issue at high schools. In Belize, it is a grave problem that requires all schools and administrators to discuss about prevention and treatment methods. Since the diseases are only contracted through the transfer of fluids, students are education with preventative methods. If a person is infected while they are enrolled in classes or teaching at the school, they will be allowed to continue classes or teaching without any type of discrimination. If that person if already infected, the others at the school will be notified due to the possible risk of infecting others through physical activities that includes coming in contact with body fluids. I observe in a classroom where a hand-drawn posted illustrated a boy and a girl kissing with the words ‘I am HIV +’. I asked my teacher what the picture referred to and she stated that even people with HIV deserve to be loved. This was very humbling because in America, if someone is diagnosed with such a disease, everyone is very cautious to avoid them and treats them like it’s contagious through breathing.

I have learned a lot at San Pedro already academically and emotionally and it has changed my perspective on teaching as well as life. I hope to soak up everything I can out of this experience and bring my findings back to America to share.