IRB #3 Introduction

This marking period I will be reading, Deep: Free-diving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us about Ourselves, by James Nestor. This book was recommended to me by a good friend of mine, who said it was an absolute must read. So far it seems really interesting in content, as well as a really well-written piece of literature. I also think it'll be a very unique book compared to others I have read because it blends the factual with the philosophical. Can't wait to get started!

TOW #16 IRB "The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe

For this cycle of TOWs I was able to finish the second half of, The Right Stuff, by Tom Wolfe. I definitely enjoyed the second portion of the book much more than the first. This is mostly because as I started to get to know the individual characters, it stopped feeling like a boring book about space and became something that I could really relate to. I think Wolfe accomplished something really special with The Right Stuff, because he took a series of historical events that could easily be boiled down to a list of bullet points recounting the facts, and turned it into something so much more than that. In this sense, he really achieved his purpose of both educating and entertaining his readers- his experience as a journalist definitely helped his credibility in the factual evidence, but also his knowledge on how to really appeal to people. It is the little things, like clever anecdotes in which Glenn supports his wife when she is too timid to let the vice president into their house, that really make the book an experience. Even though events like this have nothing to do with the space race, they are really powerful in revealing the nature of the seven men who were chosen for the program. From family-men Glenn and Carpenter, to bold Shepherd, the program was filled with strong personalities all tied together with "the right stuff". The second half of the book focuses around the right stuff needed for the group of seven to be successful, for example staying cool under pressure which was necessary both in space and throughout the astronauts rise to fame. It also continues to use strong imagery and anecdotes to detail the various flights, and the events that surrounded them. In addition to these two devices, Wolfe also relies heavily on the repetition of a meaningful phrase to achieve a thematic purpose. He constantly refers back to phrases like, "our boys always botch it," and 

"pushing the outside of the envelope," to make a strong point that will stick with his audience. I really loved reading this book, and I think I will definitely want to read more of Wolfe's work in the future. 

TOW #15 "The 3 Most Important Things in Life" (Section Two)

In the second section of his essay, The 3 Most Important Things In Life, Harlan Ellison transitions into a much more serious tone, while still playing off of his token sense of humor that was established in the first. His answer to the seldom pondered question of what the most important things in life are is very different than most other people's beliefs. He devotes the entire second section to violence, sandwiching it in between sex and labor relations. Although Ellison is an acclaimed writer both in the form of novellas, short stories, and screenplay- this is not enough to establish his credibility as someone who can reveal the true most important things in life. In order to gain the ethos needed in order to actually get his audience to buy into what he is saying, Ellison relies on anecdotes, and a very conversational way of writing.  

In this section, Ellison shares an anecdote in which he and a good friend of his went to go see a movie in New York. In the middle of the movie three people began to argue in the section in front of Ellison and his friend. As the situation escalated things got violent, causing one of the people arguing to get pushed off of a balcony. Rather than trying to aid the severely injured, if not already dead, person, the people in the theater just continued to watch the movie. In the conclusion of the section, Ellison writes, "Genuine, mindless violence is very important. Because there is no knowing when it will strike. And there is no escaping from it." This anecdote is essential to achieving his purpose as it exemplifies the point he is trying to make about violence perfectly. He demonstrates, through his personal experience, the importance and inescapable nature of violence. In addition, he is able to establish his credibility even further because it is a story of something he actually lived through and therefore he has the utmost authority on it. He continues to play on this with the conversational, often humorous tone that he uses. He mimics the men in the theater, using a range of swear words and very casual slang. By doing this, he creates an open dialogue between himself and his readers. 

TOW #14 "Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn" by Ai WeiWei

            Ai Weiwei is easily the most famous artists from China, and arguably one of the most influential figures in the world of twenty-first century art altogether. His reputation for controversial work has not only landed him a regular spot in the limelight, but also several serious arrests throughout his career. Featured in his most recent exhibit titled, "According to What?" is a series of three photographs taken of the artist in 1995. Titled, Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, Weiwei is shown dropping an ancient Chinese vase to the ground. Considering that the pictures have sparked lots of debate on almost every major media outlet, his audience has gone far beyond those who attend the small gallery where his work is held,
           This breathtaking triptych has a rich thematic meaning, as shown by the vast variety in interpretations throughout the last two decades. I believe that what Ai Weiwei is getting at with this piece is the tendency of history to takeaway from the precise social order that nations such as his native country of China strive for. This often causes governments to lash out, and either attempt to destroy or change history. The thing I found the most fascinating is that he chose to do the physical destroying himself, and in later work chose to alter similar artifacts. He often ridicules the injustices of Chinese society in his work, and I am relatively certain that this piece is no exception considering the fact that he literally smashes a treasure from ancient China to the ground. Through his juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern, and his strong allusion to the Chinese cultural revolution, Weiwei takes a strong stance and calls into question the validity of the version of history that is taught and the ways in which it is manipulated. Overall the photographs are rather simplistic, which help draw attention the dropping of the vase. However, it is difficult not to notice the disparity in Weiwei's contemporary garb in contrast to the tractional looking vase. This sense of juxtaposition is also played off of by the strong contrast of black and white. This, and his obvious reference to the events that took place during China's cultural revolution help him make a very strong statement, that I think is masterfully done. I am doubtful that I will ever forget this impactful piece of artwork, and I am sure many others would say the same.