Monthly Archives: April 2021

I know we touched on it a bit in class, but I can’t stop thinking about the meaning behind the cat just being gone from the box. I/m not too well-versed in Schrodinger’s experiment, but just the concept that it … Continue reading →

With this class coming to an end, I have been thinking through all the literature we have read and discussed. And with that in mind, I think my favorite books have been Water & Power and Housekeeping. However, prior to … Continue reading →

Barthelme argues that fragmentation is the only way by which the reality of life can be conveyed. Life is a messy, convoluted, and multi-faceted experience, and any attempt to provide and order any meaning through the linking of events through … Continue reading →

We spent some time trying to decide if we agreed with Barthelme’s assertion that realism is a lie and that only fragments are trustworthy, and we came up with mixed opinions. Sometimes we thought we saw what he was saying, … Continue reading →

Both water & power and A Bestiary do not follow the plot-line of a “traditional story”, which can mean that they are more realistic in Barthelme’s definition. However, they are still organized according to the author’s goals, aka shifted from … Continue reading →

The use of fragments in literature is what creates a sense of insecurity in a story, where a reader can only follow the fragments to try and make sense of the story unfolding before them. In two stories, Water & … Continue reading →

It is undeniable that “Water & Power” is written to direct criticism towards the military branches of the United States. The majority of the criticism is presented by way of interviews with members of the military as well as firsthand … Continue reading →

I just finished reading water & power and all I can say is that military life is awful. One aspect that I found very interesting in the book is the perils of marriage. There was one interview in the book … Continue reading →

I really particularly enjoyed Steven Dunn’s attitude on writer’s block. I think the mindset he presents can really help to open writer’s up to breaks and not feeling restricted with the many labels that can come within writing. I think … Continue reading →

The last couple of books we’ve read have both been very unconventional in their make up. Dunn and Hoang both do away with a seamless narrative and instead opt for one that is more fragmented and that works through multiple … Continue reading →