"Still Life with Woodpecker" by Tom Robbins

"Still Life with Woodpecker" by Tom Robbins, is a book that I would most definitely suggest to other readers. It is very well thought out and extremely complex. Although it is a fantastic read it is definitely one for adults. Not because of it's content but solely because it is very philosophical and hard to grasp. In reading this very poetic and thought provoking book you may find yourself to be confused but it is ultimately an extremely enjoyable novel. The book is placed in the 1980's and features a deposed European royal family. The daughter, Leigh-Cheri is living now with her family in Seattle, but dreams of making the world a better place. Leigh-Cheri, a former cheerleader who got pregnant in high school, recently had a miscarriage and promised not togged pregnant again. She is a redheaded, vegetarian who travels all the way to Hawaii in order to partake in "Care Fest". Along the way she meets Bernard, a pyromaniac who is also known as "The Woodpecker". He is a self-proclaimed outlaw and the two almost immediately fall in love. When they return together back to Seattle, Bernard is finally caught by the police and Leigh-Cheri is distraught. So she locks herself in her attic in order to further connect herself to Bernard. In the attic she does a lot of thinking. With her pack of Camel cigarettes, Leigh-Cheri thinks about things such as aliens, consumerism, being redheaded, building bombs, the moon, her cigarette pack, conspiracy theories with pyramids and redheads and Thomas Jefferson, along with the repeatedly asked question of "How to make love stay". This book brings many social issues together, in making them a couple, through an act of love, and even through karma.

 First of all, when Robbins pairs Leigh-Cheri and Bernard together, many issues are mentioned or even just present. With Leigh-Cheri breaking her celibacy pact and them addressing anti-pregnancy methods that is just one half of the social issues. "The first time that she spread her legs for him it had been like opening her jaws for the dentist." Clearly, breaking her pact to god must have been hard for Leigh-Cheri but if she found herself in a situation where she felt loved then she could have broken that pact with almost anyone. This shows that even back then teen pregnancy was a problem and so was underage sex. With her present struggle it also suggests that because Bernard was older than her she was very uncomfortable at first. On the other hand, Bernard, who is wanted in all fifty states of America considers himself not a petty criminal but an out law. He most definitely takes pride in that. "Sharks are the criminals of the sea. Dolphins are the outlaws." This comparison shows how he imagines himself as a graceful beautiful creature, so to speak, whom everyone wants to watch but not all can find, versus a shark who no one wants to come into contact with or even just look at sometimes. It also shows how he separates himself from who he considers is petty, like regular criminals. Another way he shows himself as superior even though he has done considerably horrible things, mainly involving explosives and the death of innocents, is comparing petty cops and criminals to an infestation. "Society had a crime problem. It hired cops to attack crime. Now society has a cop problem." Clearly even when he got caught, Bernard is somewhat insane. He puts cops beneath him when they are the ones who protect people like his beloved Leigh-Cheri and the ones who have now successfully imprisoned him. This shows people's arrogance and inconsideration in the world, even if they are just a little mental

Secondly, Leigh-Cheri's act of love portrays the lengths people will go to in order to have love. It also reveals a bunch of theories and the thoughts other people can place in your head. When she locks herself away with only a hard mattress, a chamberpot, and a pack of cigarettes, Leigh-Cheri doesn't feel regretful and she starts to think. "I'll follow him to the ends of the earth,' she sobbed. Yes, darling. But the earth doesn't have any ends. Columbus fixed that." This shows how far people will go for something such as love. It also kind of shows how naive people really are. Just because you would go so far for someone doesn't mean they would go that far for you. Another way she felt during this experience is somewhat satisfied, like she didn't need to be with Bernard just connected to him somehow. "Funny how we think of romance as always involving two, when the romance of solitude can be ever so much more delicious and intense." Clearly, just thinking about Bernard and if he was doing as she was, made Leigh-Cheri feel good. Perhaps it was just the endless possibilities of thought but no one really thinks of love in this manner. This is an interesting perspective on how to feel because even though she was isolated, Leigh-Cheri definitely didn't feel isolated.

 Lastly, by incorporating Karma and ironic situations, Robbins addresses even more issues that really are present in the world. For example, Gulietta who was the former royal family's sort of caretaker went on strike after discovering cocaine and realizing if the family didn't start paying her for her work she couldn't get more. During her strike the families house was in peril without her help but they still refused to pay her. Sometime after Gulietta was found to be a secret heir and inherited a fortune. This shows how we should always treat people with a kind-hearted attitude because even if they are addicted to something like cocaine, they may be able to help us in the future. This story also shows that drugs are an ever present problem in the world and no one seems to really care about their recreational use. In terms of an ironic situation throughout the book, Leigh-Cheri so often "asks about how to make love stay". This is ironic because throughout the book she so often loses love even though she has already found someone that would stay in love with her until their demise.

 Overall, Tom Robbins so effortlessly adds in many social issues throughout this complex novel. He addresses love, drugs, outlaws, redheads and many more hidden topics. His characters are very original and complicated, all representing different social issues (Leigh-Cheri= sex/pregnancy, Bernard= Outlaw/pyromaniac, etc.) This book really makes you think about the kinds of people out there and how perspective really is everything. Can you make love stay?

YA Literature Argument Essay

All over the world, teens aged 11-17 are reading shockingly gruesome “Young Adult Fiction Books” or YA books. These books cover a vast range of topics and ideas. Some examples include self-harm, sexual abuse, and homicide, but it doesn't stop there. The endless amount of gory topics could even merit an “R” rating for a movie. So, the question is, do we want to allow teens expose themselves to these YA books? This has been an ongoing debate throughout society for years. Critics and authors have been battling it out in articles and live banning debates in schools and libraries across the nation. YA literature should be limited, like in movies, by enforcing age restrictions for purchase or library checkouts, because of graphic content, loss of innocence within teens, and the negative influences it presents.

First of all, most YA literature is much too graphic for certain age groups. There is always going to be those younger kids who desire to do what the older kids can, so naturally they'll read the same books, even if they are too graphic. However, being so immature for example, pre-teens, these books should not be in their hands let alone their minds. “Reading about homicide isn't going to make a man a murderer; reading about cheating on exams won't make a kid break the honor code. It has to do with a child's happiness, moral development, and tenderness of heart. Entertainment does not merely gratify taste, after all, but creates it.” Clearly, a single story is not going to make a person who they are, but by reading gruesome YA books, one after another, teens and even younger kids will grow callous and maybe even become depressed. Obviously no one can work up a truly genuine smile after reading of something like a gory death or graphic rape, especially not younger adults. Even younger children may be trying to get their hands on these books, which, in the long run, are bad for their development, and can adversely affect how kind and selfless they could grow up to be. Another thing it affects is children's taste. People who read graphic content grow to have YA fiction as their only reading preference. For example, mystery murder stories, or tales solely about homicide and finding the killer. No worries for the grieving family, no mention of any funeral. If this grows into a “child's taste” in literature then what can we expect them to become as adults? This graphic material must be restricted because of these long term negative effects.

Secondly, YA books introduce teens to new concepts or ideas that cause a loss of innocence. After being exposed to gruesome topics, teens aren’t just going to forget them. The stories will linger in their minds and once read, they can't be untold. “(In) the latest novel by 'this generation's Judy Blume,' otherwise known as Lauren Myracle, a close friend of the victim, is herself yet to recover from a sexual assault in eighth grade; assorted locals, meanwhile, reveal themselves to be in the grip of homophobia, booze and crystal meths.” and “Acquaints us with the concept of 'bag fags,' heterosexuals who engage in gay sex for drugs”. After reading this, you can experience how twisted books have become. It is known that sexual abuse is a realistic problem in the world and that Myracle's book tackles recovering from it, but in the eighth grade? No one desires to read about a twelve or thirteen year old being raped. It's sickening, depraved, uncommon, and younger readers should not be subjected to read such material. Also the concept of “bag fags” is not only offensive to some but also opens up new ideas and a pathway for obtaining drugs. Selling yourself suggests new ways for teens to get what they want when that shouldn't even be an option. Obtaining drugs also shouldn't be viewed as a normal everyday thing to do, as portrayed in Myracle’s book. It also can’t be that hard for teens to hold off on reading  the really graphic stuff. “Adolescence is brief; it comes to each of us only once, so whether the debate has raged for eons doesn't, on a personal level, really signify”. This shows that in the short time teens are at that age of innocence, they don't need to be exposed for, only a few short years of their life to YA literature and that they can wait until they mature individually. As teens, most have not experienced the horrible things in life and still hold that certain awe of innocence. Some may argue that most teens are already aware of these topics. However, if they already know such pain and sorrow why should we allow them to be exposed to even further? Also if they aren't aware, why should we allow them to be like the others just to have that youthful innocence taken away from them? By practically handing them these books, their dark contents will haunt them and linger in their memories forever.

Some may say that YA books give teens solutions for their problems, however the solved problems portrayed in stories negatively influence them. For example, “The cover [of the novel, “Scars”] shows a horribly scarred forearm- might trigger a sufferer's relapse.” Now the “horribly scarred forearm” is just a picture, but if only a cover of a book has the potential to make a teen cut their own wrists or “self-mutilate” then you can only imagine what the contents of such a book might make them do. One glance of a picture and a week reading, which might influence them more? Obviously teens could face images just like this in the world, but why should we make that possibility even greater? These books should not be in open to teens because the consequences are likely greater than the lessons that might be learned. No one wants teens, or even children to be influenced to foolishly harm themselves over some fictional story with fictional characters, so the only solution is to limit those stories. Another example of negative influence is, “Books focusing on pathologies help normalize them and, in the case of self harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures.” If tens, because of YA books, regard things like cutting and drugs as casual or normal then that shows they see themselves doing the same even if they learned someone else's solution. We don't want them to take that first step into something that can harm them, therefore limitation, till a proper age, is necessary.

Overall, YA books for younger teens should hold an age limit because of its long-term consequences. Without their child-like innocence and being exposed to graphic content that gives off negative vibes, teens could become a stiff, unkind, scarred generation, whose childhood was taken away from them. Unforgettable images, and graphic words are powerful, sometimes too powerful for teens and children to take in properly. It is every one's job to protect them from that. We don't want our future generation running the world with misperceptions and bad ideas embedded in their mind. It is little things like harsh literature that can change the future of the world because the children are the future.

"Obsessive Genius" by Barbara Goldsmith

 In "Obsessive Genius: the inner world of Marie Curie" by Barbara Goldsmith, the author teaches not only of Mme. Curie's career and accomplishments but also of her hardships and personal experience in a time where she wasn't considered equal. Goldsmith helps the reader really understand who Marie Curie was as an individual and takes us on her journey from birth till even after her death with her hard research and great description of Curie's feelings or actions. One thing the author does is quote Marie's relatives on stories shared within the family. For example her granddaughter, Helene Langevin-Joliot tells how Curie was extremely depressed after she lost her husband, Pierre. She also describes where the Curie's performed experiments and the equipment they used in the process for the reader to better understand the process to discover polonium and radium.

In doing so, Goldsmith hopes to make the reader empathize for and get to know Curie. She also wants to persuade the reader that even through discrimination, you can succeed. One way Goldsmith does this is simply by using the facts. For example, when Pierre met Marie he didn't want to marry her because he thought, as a scientist, she would just get in the way of his work but Marie ended up being the complete opposite of a distraction. "All my mind was centered on my studies. I divided my time between courses, experimental work, and study in the library. In the evening I worked in my room, sometimes very late into the night...the world of science, I was at last permitted to know in all liberty." This quote was intended for readers to really understand how dedicated she was to learning and succeeding in science. Clearly she, unlike women were labeled, was hardworking and would only help advancements in technology and other forms of study. One way she makes readers see the other side of Mme. Curie, however, is by showing her struggles, making her job sound unbearable and making Curie extremely relevant in this time of age. "Marie found herself coping with heavy workload and child care. This major problem has been ignored or glossed over in many Curie biographies. At lunch time and in the evenings Marie would rush home to nurse Irene [Her daughter]. When she could not yield enough mile to satisfy her crying baby, though finances were strained, she was forced to hire a wet nurse, an act which gave her a feeling of failure." In writing this Goldsmith not only makes readers understand Curie’s struggle but really lets them empathize and connect to her, whether that's because of a sense of failure, pressure, or even motherhood. Another thing Goldsmith sneaks in is that her biography is different than most because of her honesty to portray Curie as just another person with problems of their own, not particularly special even if she did win a Nobel peace prize.

This well written complex book has made it so that I can clearly see that no matter any one's accomplishment, everyone has been through some tough times and is, at it's simplest, human. This makes me think that if I can relate to someone as iconic as Marie Curie, then essentially I can relate to almost anyone. Whether that's celebrities, people of third-world countries, or anyone one from a different socio-economic background.

"Has Young Adult Fiction Become to Dark?" By Mary Elizabeth Williams

 In, "Has Young Adult Fiction Become to Dark?" By Mary Elizabeth Williams, the author wants us to know that YA books, unlike Meghan Cox Gurdon suggests, hold an essential position in society and should not, in any way be banned or limited by schools or libraries. Williams states that YA books can't be compared with the past to prove a point, that although YA books have grim topics, misery is already presented in teens' lives and that they are named young adult books for a reason whether that's to experience complicated situations safely or to learn about the reality of society.  To prove her points, Williams quotes Gurdon and counters her opinions with Gurdon's mistakes. For example, she quotes Gordon saying that some YA fiction is suitable for teens and that no book can drastically change a person, then faults her for saying that all YA literature should be banned. Williams go so far as to say that Gordon's only valid point is that YA books don't contain desirable topics, Another thing she does is, unlike Gordon, include the perspectives of actual young adult. For example she quotes one of her daughters who explains that they are not called children books, but young adult books for a reason. Williams also quotes teen blogger, Emma, who explains that books are the only safe way for young adults to feel and experience otherwise dangerous situations. Williams' examples show that Gurdon's plea to ban YA books is invalidly supported and that these books have a useful and already limited-to-inappropriate-age-groups position in the world.
                     
 Williams strives to persuade readers that Gurdon's argument is invalid and that YA books present more good than bad, therefore have no colossal reason to be banned because of their ability to suggest solutions and bring comfort to already suffering teens. One way she achieves this is by using condescending language to show Gurdon as naïve or inexperienced, For example, " Do we really have to have this argument again? All right, fine. Here goes. Contemporary literature has too much sex violence, and our kids need to be protected from its depravity. So says critic Meghan Cox Gurdon, in a scorching Saturday editorial about Young Adult lit for the Wall Street Journal titled "Darkness Too Visible." Let's roll up our sleeves and get to it, shall we?" This opening is intended to show readers that the controversy of YA books is something the author is well versed in and that by Gurdon writing another negative article about the books just adds to the endless amount of articles. This suggests that Gurdon is beneath Williams and she is foolish to present an argument that is so easily refutted that responding just becomes busy work. She also persuades readers by selectively quoting teens to show the perspectives of who these books would effect. For example teen blogger, Emma, expresses reading YA lit as it ripping apart all the private parts of us and then stitching them all back together again before w even realize they aren't talking about us. This shows that the people being affected by these books are eloquent understanding teens who just want to feel and experience. This gives Williams an advantage because most everyone can relate or empathize for this teen's wants and feelings.

Mary Elizabeth Williams' article has made it so that I feel as if even some of the best critics leave mistakes in their work and anyone can argue with them. It also has made me feel that YA books actually have a slight positive effect on teens because the ones Williams quoted seem more realistic and well-spoken. One thing i'd like to see however is more pro-YA book adult perspectives so that I can get a feel for how past YA books affected other adults and what they think certain topics are useful for (i.e. a former cutting character can help a still suffering teen cutter). Overall Williams really disproves Gurdon and succeeds in persuading me that YA books have a useful purpose for teens.

"Dirty Little Secrets" by C.J. Omololu

The book "Dirty Little Secrets" by C.J. Omololu is a young adult novel in which a teen struggles to hide her private life from the world. Lucy, the main character, is extremely embarrassed by her mother who over time has become a hoarder. But when Lucy comes home one day, her problems become a whole lot worse when she sees her mom dead on the floor from an asthma attack caused by the growing mold in her house. With her mom out of the way, however, Lucy can finally clean up the house before anyone finds out. In this complex "dirty" story the author uses the hoard of garbage and manipulates it to act as a sort of "archaeological dig" to make the reader empathize about the characters with buried forgotten memories.
      
 Firstly, when Lucy recovers some hidden items in the hoard of her house they bring back some joyful memories. For example, when Lucy finds her third grade teddy bear it brings back a certain memory. " It was a Girl Scout project- I even got my sewing badge for doing it. My mom used to make quilts a long time ago- she was a really good sewer, and she showed me what to do. I squeezed the bear's tummy... thinking about the nights Mom and I had sat with our heads bent over the effort of making the stitches... as tiny and uniform as possible." As you can see even though Lucy acknowledged that her mom was not a good one, they still bonded over things in the past and spent quality time together even if it wasn't recently. Another part of the story is when her mother heartwarmingly remarks, "Congratulations. You are now an official member of the top secret quilting society." Clearly her mom wanted to be a big, good part of Lucy's life and did once make an effort to do so. One last example of joyful memory is when Lucy uncovers a pair of her mother's scrubs she is reminded of what kind of person she was around her "people" (She was a nurse). " Mom always found the most obnoxious scrubs to wear because she said it made her people feel better to look at something cheerful. It had been weird to see Mom so efficient, so capable of taking care of other people." Clearly her mother, in her work place seemed to be a role model once. Lucy later even says that "I would remember back to the day I was proud of her (referring to watching her work)." Clearly the house is not only filled with garbage but memories to hold onto.
      
 Secondly, Not only does Lucy uncover things with great memories, she also discovers things that make her feel distraught, confused, and just downright angry. For example the most disheartening discovery in the hoard is when Lucy finds an envelope of bills. "I ripped the envelope all the way open and took out the papers that were inside. There were pages and pages of charges, and on the first page in big black letters was one of the largest numbers I'd ever seen in real life. I looked up at the date in the corner of the page. This statement was from six months ago, but even then Mom owed $48,562 to this credit card... The scholarships and grants I was chasing because there wasn't enough money to go to a good university without a lot of help. And this is where it all ended up... It had ended in late-night home-shopping bargains on stuff we'd never use" Clearly, finding something as big as this must be truly upsetting, Their lost opportunities were just because her mom was a shopaholic. This also shows that material things seemed to have mattered more than Lucy to her mom.

 Overall, The author takes advantage of the mother's hoarding problems and uses that to put meaning into a few of the things in her hoard. This affects the reader by making them feel empathy, good and bad.  Many people can relate to the author's use of old items because most people have items to remember things by, even if they are the opposite of a hoarder. For example, when you go on vacation you often purchase a souvenir. Basically, nostalgia is something everyone can relate to. By clinging on to items from the past you can relive those moments just by seeing them.

"Dirty Little Secrets" Synthesis Page

"Guess Who's Looking at Your Facebook Page?" by Alessandra Potenza

A numerous amount of people have some sort of social media account. Whether it's Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, people post a variety of things that state facts, opinions, etc. But do these people know that what they post may cause them to miss out on opportunities? In, the article, "Guess Who's Looking at Your Facebook Page?" by Alessandra Potenza, found in Upfront magazine, the article talks about how employers and college admission officers are increasingly looking at applicants' and employees' social media accounts. If they find anything unappealing while  invading your privacy, that could determine where you go in life. These employers and college admission officer shouldn't invade any one's social media accounts then judge them based on their posts or commentary.
               
  First of all, whether you are applying for or have a job, the employer of that that job may come across posts that would compromise your position despite that the posts are your personal opinions or pictures. For example, in Findlay, Ohio, "Kirsten Kelly complained on Facebook about the small tips she'd received from customers. One happened to be a former schoolmate and a Facebook friend. When the customer saw the post, she printed it out and showed it to Kelly's managers. ' I knew that they could have yelled at me or that,' Kelly, 22, told a local TV station .' But I didn't think they could fire me for posting that." One can understand how Kelly's post might offend someone, however as an opinion on her private Facebook account, she wasn't directly disrespecting any of her customers and shouldn't have been so rashly fired. On the more statistical side, "More than 90 percent of recruiters check candidates' social media profiles, according to a Jobvite survey of thousands of U.S. companies." Clearly, this is a widespread standard and no one is the exception or has complete privacy despite privacy settings.
                 
Secondly, college applicants are scrutinized and affected quite like employees. For instance, "At Pitzer College in Claremont, California, an applicant was denied admission because of offensive comments he had posted on Facebook about one of his teachers." No matter how offensive, the student most likely had reason for the offensive comments and even if he didn't that is his own personal opinion which shouldn't change his chances, if he is still a hardworking student, on getting in to a college. Sure the comments were disrespectful, but that doesn't imply that he treats everyone in the same manner. Clearly, the post was a mistake because of his denied admission but admission officers should also be empathetic in understanding, at that age, teenagers do a lot of impulsive things. One last point is that even if these student are not quite yet adults, they still have freedom of speech.
                 
Lastly, some may say that employers and college admission officers have every right to determine some one's position with what they post to social media. For example, " most admission officers don't have time to check every candidate online. But if something in the application raises a red flag, a Google search is likely to follow." Obviously, if something is concerning, you look it up but most people act differently in different environments. Therefore, if you view a student solely in their personal life then you don't really get to see them as a student. In the case of employees, most adults understand that in work you have to have a sort of professional character and on an  adult's social media account you will only see what they are like when they don't have the pressure of working on them.