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I attended MICE on Saturday, December 6th! I really enjoyed my experience. However, it was a very welcoming community of artists with the same shared interests and passions. It was a lot busier than I thought it was going to be. The vendor hall was quite crowded, even making it hard to walk around. I would have loved to speak to more indices artists but unfortunately there was just no time. However, I got to flip through some of the vendors graphic novels and short stories as well as buy some stickers. I love supporting artists. Artists support artists! I stopped at one booth and bought a rat dressed up as kind of a prince sticker, which was very unique. I also loved seeing Huda Fahmy at the artist tables, because I have followed her on instagram for so long. It is so awesome to see artists that post comics on instagram get their books published, and I hope the same happens to many other artists at the expo that printed out their comics themselves! Also, I visited the station that was selling ND Stevenson and Scott Mccloyd books for signings and I bought the Nimona special edition so I could get it signed by ND Stevenson! I got it signed in the afternoon and it was very surreal. I have been following ND Stevensons work ever since 2020 when they were the executive producer of She Ra and the Princesses of Power on Netflix, as well as when Nimona originally came out. It was lovely to tell him how he has inspired me, and I am very excited to see what graphic novel projects he does next. He has a graphic memoir out that I am dying to read. Everyone put so much time into their booths and artwork, many artists traveling far to table at this event. I was very shocked. Even two girls I met had booked a hotel to stay in Boston for the convention. Besides the vendor hall, I also attended two events: Moments that matter,character development in comics and the collaborative comics adventure workshop. The panel was very insightful into the Indians artists ideas about their own work and how they use their characters to progress their stories. I loved hearing them additionally talk about their artistic choices with style and color. Each was very passionate about their projects, which I appreciated. As an artist myself, I really enjoy hearing the story behind specific artistic decisions. The more I learn about art, the more I enjoy these types of discussions that to be honest, I probably would have found it boring a few years ago. They spoke on what experiences from their lives inspired the stories, how the characters develop the story, and much more. It was very inspiring especially because of the current development of our own graphic memoirs. The collaborative comic workshop was a tad disappointing- I thought we would do more, but it was not as interactive as I thought it was going to be. However, I still drew a cute red panda and teacup. I think making comics can be a very individualized experience as well as a collaborative one. Overall, I really enjoyed the community of mice and the event itself. Everyone was very kind and there was such a vibrancy of community. I felt safe, at home, and supported. It was definitely a no judgement zone. I wish I had more money to buy more books, but maybe next year! I would love to attend again. And maybe even someday I would love to have my own booth.

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Penny (Parinda Chalermthiralert) - Self Care Journal CP

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Penny (Parinda Chalermthiralert) - Self Care Journal CP

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Self-Care Journal

1. What challenges are you facing this week? (feel free to be vague about this if the topics are private)

I have final exams coming up for Calculus and Microeconomics, so that is stressing me out a lot these days. I also had lots of assignments due this week from my Pitching Ideas for Success (business pitching) class and writing class. I’m also having trouble sleeping and a hard time keeping up with a consistent sleep schedule, however, I am really trying to improve that, as it is especially important to stay healthy and take care of myself during final exams and heavy study days.

2. How is your stress level?

My stress level out of 10 would be an 8/10 right now, which is higher than my average stress level. This is due to exams and many major assignments due at the same time, and it makes me very stressed. I also feel that I still have a lot of studying to do to fully prepare for all these exams. Usually, my average stress level is 5/10, which is okay and normal, but now it has gotten more stressful, so I definitely need to find ways to lower my stress level.

3. What are you already doing this week for self-care (if anything)?

I am trying to exercise more and go to the gym. Doing workouts help me release stress and allows me to focus on myself and calm/relax my mind. I’m also trying to eat healthier, and stop binge eating snacks in the middle of the night. Additionally, I’ve been doing more BU fitrec drop-in pilates classes that are free and very effective; it’s great for my mind and body as it helps ease and relax my brain from thinking of the exam stress, as well as allows me to move my body and train my body strength.

4. What positive changes could you make to your self-care routine?

I want to make it more consistent and a daily routine, rather than doing it just a few days and then going back to bad habits. I could create a self-care task tracker, so I can track my daily routines in a consistent way. For example, I could have a tracker where I put a list of habits for each day e.g. sleeping 7-9 hours a night, exercising for 1 hour a day, drinking at least 1.5L of water, and check the box if I did that task that day. I also hope to meditate more in the early morning and before I go to sleep. In addition, other positive changes I would make to my self-care routine would be calling and facetime my family members and friends more often, it would be a nice way to really relax and talk about our lives to one another.

Word Count: 424

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Feedback on Feedback Paper 2 - Evan Collins

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Feedback on Feedback Paper 2 - Evan Collins

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Self Care Journal - 12/9

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Feedback on Feedback Paper 2 - Amritjeet Singh

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Feedback on Feedback Paper 2 - Amritjeet Singh

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After reading all of the comments left by my Professor on my Paper 2, I realized how much more I understand from what I did and what I need to improve.

The comment "why not? will they lack understanding? or perhaps they lack the emotional maturity?" showed that the claims I made were not backed up with enough evidence. I did well with confidently presenting my arguments in a logical and organized manner; however, I realized I need to clarify why exactly I am making those claims in the first place. For example, I mentioned how adults think children should not discuss emotional or controversial topics, such as illness, but I never explained why. Other comments focused on providing a stronger transition from Stitches to Fun Home, to which I agree because I could have integrated the sources throughout the story in a better way. I also now understand why my counterargument was slightly hard to understand; my idea was there, but it was too vague and needed a more concrete explanation.

The note about using an example from fiction rather than real research taught me that I should not treat narratives as evidence unless I have a compelling reason to make the comparison in the first place.

The biggest piece of feedback was that my conclusion stayed too close to a summary, rather than a proper concluding analysis and takeaways. I simply restated my main points instead of explaining further on my argument and why it mattered to both the reader and the overall plot. I also see how mainly applying Kelly with Small might have strengthened my essay even more.

One of the strengths my Professor pointed out was that my evidence selection and close reading skills were very strong. I format well and analyze visuals effectively. Despite these strong points, I need to work on making sure every claim is specific and supported thoroughly. I also need to make sure to use stronger counterarguments and more forward-thinking conclusions.

Moving forward, I will make sure to build clearer transitions and logical flow, craft more analytical conclusions, and provide counterarguments.

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I went to M.I.C.E. on Sunday, December 7 at around 12:30pm. I decided to attend the panel at 1pm “Unspoken: A Conversation About Wordless Storytelling”, then the 2pm panel “Robots: Friends, Enemies, or Lovers?”, before visiting the presenter’s tables. The crowd was more diverse than I thought; I didn’t realize that it wasn’t just an event for BU students, so I was surprised to see older adults and young children. The space itself was nice because it was open, I appreciated the amount there was to see, especially with all of the tables set up in a circular position. There were a lot of people, but many of the artists had overhead displays so you could see what their art looked like even if it was crowded. It was a bit loud, but the environment was friendly and there was also a calm space.

The first panel I visited, “Unspoken: A Conversation About Wordless Storytelling” had four panelists and a moderator who asked guiding questions. EB Sociales spoke first about being able to express his emotions better through images instead of words to have readers connect with feelings rather than specific issues. Alex Kostiw focused on book making without words and discussed the idea of using landscapes to show movement throughout instead of words to transition. Also mentioned was the dummy process, which allowed her to visualize her work more. Jesse Lonergan’s takes were especially interesting to me because I thought he was the least media trained of the four speakers. He talked about his work Hedra and Drome, but mentioned that he didn’t particularly think about making his work wordless. He simply started with no words and then felt like any words he added would have too much weight and implication, so he continued with the wordless theme. He mentioned that you can express more with words, but that sometimes they can actually ruin comics. Comics are delicate and having words locks in the interpretation and makes things more real and concrete, limiting visual ideas. He compared words in comics to when you have a fight with someone and end up having fun after, just for the person to say “wow, we’re having fun aren’t we”, which ruins the mood. Overall, he noted that panels just show options and are up to interpretation; they don’t necessarily have to mean anything. During the panel, there was also reference to Scott McCloud’s panel setup and Fun Home being very wordy!

The second panel was “Robots: Friends, Enemies, or Lovers?” and I thought the structure was more organized. The moderator clearly outlined the questions she wanted to ask the panelists on a slideshow, so I was better able to keep track of what the discussion was focused on at any given moment. Two of the questions I thought were interesting were “what can robots offer that humans can’t?” in terms of getting messages across in comics, and “what robots have influenced you?”. There were also four speakers and they each took turns discussing their own writings in relation to the question, as well as made more jokes, so the atmosphere was more comfortable. Court Normandin discussed the difficulty in identifying with romance stories, and how using robots can make it more distant and easy to write. Robots allow exploration of intimacy from a perspective that is not necessarily too serious or heavy. Diansakhu talked similarly about robots being able to emote or show feelings; she noted that it is easier and less stressful to write because it’s a character unknown and unfamiliar for the reader. Since robots have few ideas of social interaction, there is more audience empathy, which can make the response sweeter.

The presenter’s tables were also interesting, I found that the two rooms were both jam packed, and there were so many diverse kinds of art. I was drawn to the more “cute” art, and really liked the ducky comics, which let you draw ducks on a sheet of paper. I enjoyed seeing the different animation styles! I also saw something niche, one stand had a miniature shopping cart for quarters if anyone wanted to leave a tip, I thought it was so cute. There was one white board across the span of one room that was filled with different animations and drawings, and overall there was so much color and liveliness in the room. I appreciated how all the artists had comics or small pieces to purchase as well.

Overall, I thought the expo was fun, it was a little bigger than I expected and the speakers were more organized than I thought. I also ended up buying Nimona and getting it signed by ND Stevenson, because my dad loved the movie on Netflix! I had a lot of fun and learned that the comic community is bigger than I imagined.

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11/30-12/7 Weekly Self-Care Journal: Evan Collins

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11/30-12/7 Weekly Self-Care Journal: Evan Collins

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I attended the portfolio drop-in writing center workshop on December 3. I haven’t focused a lot on my portfolio yet, so I just wanted to stop in and get an idea of what the requirements are and how I could go about starting the portfolio. I wanted to get an idea of what people have done in the past with their portfolio’s style and design. I also just find the idea of the portfolio sort of ambiguous. Overall, I thought the event was helpful. There were about four tables full of people, so it was pretty crowded, which I thought was unexpected because the last workshop I went to had a much lower student turnout. It was also less of a drop in than I thought, since all the students were sitting down, not walking around to stations or tables. I didn’t run into anyone I knew, but everyone was friendly and willing to talk about their portfolio. I thought that was really helpful because not only did I get to speak with the people who worked at the writing center who could help me with the mechanics of the assignment, but I also got to hear the perspectives and ideas of other students. The space itself on the 3rd floor was nice, it was a secluded area somewhat hidden from the bigger communal area, which was nice because I felt like it was more of a classroom setting where I could be more comfortable discussing. The space was open though so I could get up and move around. The portfolio event was run by a few individuals who circled the tables and answered questions, and I recognized a woman who I’d actually met before at a previous event. During the workshop, people just asked clarifying questions and the requirements were reviewed. It was less intense than I thought it would be because I think many students hadn’t started the portfolio yet or were just in the beginning stages. People came in to talk briefly and then left, and some people just sat there silently, so it was a lot less structured than I expected as well. I spent some time just talking about the portfolio’s basic expectations because I hadn’t started as much as other students at the table. At the event I wouldn’t say I learned a lot per se, but I was reminded that it’s very important to adjust the permissions on the google docs and pieces so others can view the portfolio. The discussion leader mentioned that that was an issue that people commonly run into. Mostly, it was simply a reiteration of what the assignment was, and I found it beneficial just to get a more tangible idea of what to do. The assignment sheet on Blackboard already mentioned a lot of what was discussed, so it did feel repetitive, but I think it was still good to go and get a physical conversation going. I think it made the portfolio feel more approachable and I can work on it more comfortably at a later date.

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Celebration Of Multilingual Writing CP - Angelina

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Celebration Of Multilingual Writing CP - Angelina

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Making Nonfiction Comics CP Kate Tschumperlin

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Making Nonfiction Comics CP Kate Tschumperlin

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Making Nonfiction Comics CP Lena Karcher

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Making Nonfiction Comics CP Lena Karcher

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Celebration of multilingual writing CP Lena

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Celebration of multilingual writing CP Lena

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 Celebration of Multilingual Writing - Nancy Fang

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 Celebration of Multilingual Writing - Nancy Fang

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Reflection on Celebration of Multilingual Writing

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Reading Notes - Kelly "Mirrored Discourse"

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Reading Notes - Kelly "Mirrored Discourse"

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1. For the reading notes on Kelly's essay, I jotted down all the important and key concepts that were discussed. Kelly separated her essay into different sections, and hence, I separated my notes into separate sections as well in order to stay more organized. I made sure to include any numerical values or key vocabulary that were included in Kelly's essay into my reading notes in order to be more detailed. I kept the overall style of my notes relatively the same by writing easy-to-understand notes and in a bulleted format, although no actual bullets this time. I also started each new section with an overall theme/topic statement, which was mentioned in Kelly's essay as well. I took notes in this way because I knew I would need to go back to these notes in the future, and having these topic statements will keep me more organized for my paper later this week.

2. I am definitely using this source in my upcoming paper because it touches on a lot of analysis points, which helped me understand the style and formatting techniques that graphic narratives tend to use. For example, Kelly touches upon the shared effect, the idea that both the daughter and father felt similarly, despite them not sharing their identity crises explicitly. These key topics and discoveries are exactly the type of information that I would like to add to my paper. It also gave me ideas about what topic or overarching question I might want to write about in Paper 2. Kelly's essay gave me ideas about gender identity, emotional distancing, and family structure separations.

3. What stood out the most to me during my note-taking process was the way that Kelly integrates and analyzes so many of the sources that were included in the actual essay. Also, since Kelly uses a lot of new vocabulary that I hadn't known before, I was forced to individually search and understand them, such as cross-discursiveness. This, however, is a very good thing in my opinion because it forced me to learn and actually understand the topics in Kelly's essay, rather than just mindlessly taking basic notes. Her advanced vocabulary also allowed me to make more organized notes.

4. I would like to take notes like this again because it's always been the way I have been taking notes. I like to sometimes change the bulleting formatting and overall structure of my notes, but generally, taking simple and organized typed notes works much better for me. Next time, I was planning on using marginal notes in my readings because I feel they work better with reading comprehension and overall just enjoying the readings, rather than trying to make my own notes. I also have not tried color-coding any of my notes, so that is also something that I would like to try.

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Reading Notes - Kelley _Mirrored discourse in Alison Bechdel's Fun Home_

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Nancy Fang: Reading Notes on "Mirrored discourse in Alison Bechdel's Fun Home" by MJ Kelley

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Nancy Fang: Reading Notes on "Mirrored discourse in Alison Bechdel's Fun Home" by MJ Kelley

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1. For the reading notes on Kelley’s essay, “Mirrored Discourse in Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home”, I used a mix of highlighting and marginal notes as my approach. I did something similar in my other reading notes, but this time, the different colors from highlighting symbolize what text comes from which authors. For example, Kelley starts by mentioning Modern Fiction Studies’ and the points contributed from that reading. I highlighted those main points of contribution in red. For the information provided by Bechel’s actual memoir, I highlighted those in yellow and did a long yellow marginal line when Kelley is summarizing events in Bachel’s comics via words. As for the contributions from Kelley himself, I highlighted the key points he made in green. There was one instance where I highlighted in blue to indicate where Kelley explains what the “Stonewall incident” was, and another instance where I underlined text in dark red. Those indicate areas where I am especially confused or disagree with Kelley.

2. I do not think I will be using this source in one of my papers because of all the other sources Kelley references within the essay. Personally, this essay seems to assume that the audience has a strong grasp of these other sources, which I do not have. While it did not give me any ideas about a potential paper argument, there were points when reading the essay where it seemed the author was seeing his argument in insignificant details.

3. What stood out the most during my note-taking process was how many sources were referenced in the essay. It got to the point where I didn’t have enough colors for all the new sources being introduced. As for my reaction to his source, I found the writing system hard for me to grasp, with all the long sentences and descriptive terms used. Typically, when annotating, I like to change words I don’t understand to easier terms for myself. Within this text, there were so many that I could not change all the terms to ones I knew.

4. I would take notes like this again because it best resonates with how my mind works. When taking written or typed notes, I tend to overload on information, making it inefficient and useless when reviewing. By taking marginal notes, I can directly see what I'm referencing and review the text, making it time-efficient. I also like to have colors to contrast the heavy black and white chunks of text on the page.

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9 Kelley Mirrored discourse in Alison Bechdel s Fun Home

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Feedback on Feedback (paper 1)- Caitlin Lee

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10/14-10/17 Weekly Self-Care Journal: Ava Ouhadi 

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10/14-10/17 Weekly Self-Care Journal: Ava Ouhadi 

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close reading (Fun Home- Alison Bechdel)

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WR120 - Bechdel Close Reading CP - Google Docs

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Honeyman "The Lies We Tell Sick Children" Reading Note

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Honeyman "The Lies We Tell Sick Children" Reading Note

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1. For this specific work, my approach to note-taking was writing down important information that supported the thesis/argument. From the get-go, it became apparent that the author was arguing the importance of being honest and transparent with sick children not only about their own mental and physical health, but because of the importance of consent in their own treatment. I took notes of arguments and evidence that supports the argument. For example, I thought it was important to note the blindsiding that takes place in children’s literature like with the story of Sadako. Additionally, I found the cases of Jaymee and Cassandra to be very important pieces of information and evidence to support the argument that ill children should be informed of their condition and be allowed to make choices for their treatment. I think this style of note taking I used was helpful for this specific source.

2. I could see myself using this source in one of my papers. First off, I completely agree with the argument, so it would be a way in which I could support my argument. Additionally, I think the topic of this source is such an important one that seems to be forgotten or ignored by so many adults and people in power. More people need to be aware of the damage that withholding information from a sick child can have on the child. I would love to use this as a source in my paper to argue about the importance of informing ill kids and allowing the choice to make consent for certain treatments, especially when the child is terminally ill.

3. I think what stood out to me the most was the cases described in the source. I found them to both be so shocking and sad. The case of Jaymee, I couldn’t help but feel heartbroken for a child who learned about the extent of her illness through a publicized court case. On the other hand, I find the case of Cassandra to be appalling. The fact that a 17 y.o, someone a year from being a legal adult, can not make decisions about her own treatment. Both these cases anger me and point out the importance of honesty with sick children. I also found certain facts revealed, such as the fact tat many children are aware of the extent of their sickness but of that truth to protect their parents, really sad and heartbreaking. It should not be a child’s burden to protect their parents from the truth.

4. I would use this style of note taking again in the future. I think this is a good style used for sources with a lot of facts. While a lot of the story-telling aspects of this source are left out of my notes, I think it still is a good way of taking notes since it highlights the arguments which I think is more important. This style of notetaking makes it easy for me to participate in class by stating my opinion and then providing arguments from my notes to support my argument.

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Honeyman “The Lie We Tell Sick Children” Notes (1)

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1. I chose to type my notes for Honeyman’s work because I felt it was the best method, especially considering the word length of this particular work. I chose to change the formatting of these types of notes just slightly this time. I listed all major points that I felt were most important to note during the reading process, and I also included individual examples provided in this reading. Whenever Honeyman provided examples from different authors’ texts, I would take extra time reading over different novel summaries and analyze what Honeyman wanted to take away from their specific formatting and themes. I also stuck to my previous formatting style by using sub-bullets along with my main points.

2. This paper provided me with some initial ideas for what I could write about in my second paper; however, nothing concrete emerged. Despite this, I am considering using this work as a source in my paper because it goes very in-depth into some advanced aspects of morality, death, and overall illness. I was also considering how, since I need to use a couple of literary and scholarly works in my second paper, Honeyman fits into his role as someone who exposes the darker side of societal pressure and overshadowing.

3. During my notetaking process, I realized that I was struggling just slightly in understanding Honeyman’s analysis and scholarly level of writing. I am not used to reading different scholarly work, and hence, it took me some time before I understood how to dissect the work into the most organized way possible. I also realized how common Honeyman’s conclusions were in the real world. I can remember countless situations from my own life when other people have tried to interrupt each other to avoid talking about a controversial or heartbreaking topic. This issue does not just have to be surrounding illness or death, either; any uncomfortable topic tends to be avoided by the majority of people.

4. I would like to continue taking notes like this in the future, just because of its simplicity and straightforward pattern. If I ever needed to go back to reference a main point or understand one of the more important book references by Honeyman, this style of writing and note-taking is very effective. When I was writing paper one, I remember constantly going back to my bullet point notes and being able to quickly sort through the notes to find what I needed to include. For paper two, I would like to continue the quick reference method through this note-taking process.

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Honeyman _The Lies We Tell Sick Children_ Notes

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Honeyman reading notes questions (audio)

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Honeyman reading notes questions (audio)

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Honeyman- "The Lies We Tell Sick Children"  Reading Notes

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Honeyman- "The Lies We Tell Sick Children"  Reading Notes

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CP: Larkin “Absent Eyes,Bodily Trauma, and the Perils of Seeing in David Small’sStitches”

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CP: Larkin “Absent Eyes,Bodily Trauma, and the Perils of Seeing in David Small’sStitches”

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The approach in note-taking I chose to use for this course was highlighting key concepts to form strings of words and marginal notes. When note-taking, I like to “dumb down” the information in the text by highlighting the key recognizable words needed to explain the main concepts from the text. I sometimes cross out words that I don’t understand the definition of and replace them with a more universal word that conveys a similar meaning. When stringing these highlighted words, I tend to make marginal notes for myself to better understand why I highlighted these clusters of words. One thing about my notes is that I like to keep them colorful, mostly for being able to retain my short attention span when reviewing the notes in the future. The different colors also represent the change in idea or help group clusters of words I highlighted to indicate when a string of words ends or begins. When I have the same color (for example, yellow) but in a different shade, it indicates to me that the highlighted text is in the same “word cluster” but under different subcategories.

I think I might use this source in one of my papers because it shows different interpretations of what David Small is trying to depict in his book Stitches. I hope to apply this paper as a counterargument when I interpret David Small’s book for myself.

What stood out most during my note-taking process was how the author connects various panels of the paper into the overarching idea of birth and death. I had never seen this theme before, and it is smoothly brought back even when discussing other ideas. I also loved how the author summarized the book while also providing full-page panels so the reader can read for themselves what is being analyzed. I hope to use a similar strategy when completing my paper.

Personally, I would take notes like this again, as they are time-effective and ensure I can understand the reading when referencing it in the future. The main problem I have with other note-taking strategies is that I spend too much time writing every single detail of the reading, causing me to spend hours just trying to finish the reading. While those notes are often very comprehensive, I don’t go back to them because of how intimidating they look. It’s often a big block of notes where I lose track of where I got the information from. By using different colors and putting minimal marginated notes, I am more willing to read through my notes and review the text. The only drawback for this note-taking strategy is that it is less detailed than other note-taking strategies that I have used, but I think this disadvantage is acceptable when compared to the other advantages it brings me.

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CP: Larkin "Absent Eyes, Bolidy Trauma, and the Perils of Seeing in David Small's Stitches"

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CP: Larkin "Absent Eyes, Bolidy Trauma, and the Perils of Seeing in David Small's Stitches"

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Small’s Stitches starts as therapy - it shows childhood abuse through images more than just words.

His mom’s “little cough… slamming of kitchen doors” sounds calm, but the picture of her eyeless face makes it terrifying.

Text hides what the image exposes.

Her blank glasses mean she can’t see or be seen, representing denial, repression, and a lack of empathy.

Dad drawn with eyes closed - chooses not to see.

David and his brother have eyes; they still feel, but parents’ blindness isolates them.

“Mama had her little cough…” (p.15) shows how the tone of neutrality hides deep fear - he narrates pain without emotion.

Illness replaces speech.

His body “talks” through sickness since no one else listens.

Eyes become symbols for connection, truth. Mirrors, headlights, whirlpools all look like eyes: seeing is everywhere but never safe.

X-ray scene: father’s “weapon” burns through him; light becomes violent. His face is reduced to a skull - seeing turns into annihilation.

The X-ray with the toy cowboy → links birth, death, and fear of what’s “inside.” He can’t name what he sees - the text cuts off with ellipses.

The fetus sequence repeats the same fear. Seeing the fetus = seeing death and his own “lost child” self.

“Her silent fury was like a black tidal wave” (p.46) - ellipsis shows fear too big for words; picture finishes what language can’t.

Mrs. Dillon's scene - first time he’s seen with care, turns to shame when she notices his tumor. Being seen becomes humiliation.

“Your mother doesn’t love you,” therapist (White Rabbit) finally names truth. Fantasy image (rabbit) makes pain bearable.

Last scene: he touches his mother’s face, sees her eyes, one tear falls - he finally sees her as human!!!

Returns to fetus in jar: small, powerless now. He can look without fear.

Writing and drawing the memoir = reclaiming voice after silence.

In short: Small uses the contrast between words and images to show how trauma hides beneath silence. The absence of eyes, mainly his mother’s, symbolizes denial, blindness, and emotional disconnection, while seeing becomes both dangerous and necessary. His art turns fear into understanding: he regains control of his story by drawing what he couldn’t say. Being able to see his mother truly and let himself be seen shows his movement from repression to recognition and healing.

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“Absent Eyes, Bodily Trauma, and the Perils of Seeing in David Small’s Stitches” - Ilana Larkin

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“Absent Eyes, Bodily Trauma, and the Perils of Seeing in David Small’s Stitches” - Ilana Larkin

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1. I chose to take notes in a mindmap style. I drew bubbles around main ideas, authors such as McCloud and Frank Cioffi, or themes such as silence and voice, seeing/vision, and intergenerational trauma. I color coded recurring relationships in my notes; for example, the style/depiction of eyes heavily related many of my notes, so I highlighted those in pink. I drew branches to connect main ideas and wrote my own side-notes in orange, blue, and green, with orange representing notes about the drawing style, blue representing definitions and questions, and green representing notes related to writing style.

2. Yes, I think I might use this source in one of my papers. This source explained many implications of Small’s “disjunctive image” style, which connected to and supports a lot of my previous ideas/interpretations about the text. I could use many parts of Larkin’s piece to support my analyses. For example, Larkin heavily discussed how Small uses the change in eye style to communicate the theme of seeing/blindness and truth, and to emphasize moments of character change. This gave me the idea to include the Rabbit Scene in my paper because I have many interpretations of that scene, although I’m still not sure what my main argument will be about. Larkin’s explanation of Small’s choice to draw realistic eyes in some scenes and blank eyes in others relates to my interpretation of the therapist rabbit because I believe that the rabbit’s hyperrealistic eyes, especially on the panel with only his and David’s eyes, symbolize David gaining the capability to see the truth of his past, facing the fact that his mother didn’t love him.

3. During the notetaking process, what stood out to me the most was Larkin’s constant connection to the themes of survival, death, and self-preservation. While taking notes, I found myself frequently highlighting my notes in purple (corresponding to those themes). These themes connect especially to the depiction of body parts and the fetus, which Larkin revisited when discussing the ending. I also noticed that Larkin references multiple medical/psychoanalytical theories in her arguments, which I hadn’t thought about before.

4. I would take notes this way again because the color-coding and branches/bubble format makes it easy to organize my thoughts and direct quotes from the text. The mindmap format is especially helpful for grouping themes together, which is heavily applicable to Stitches because it contains so many different yet related themes. Color coding my notes associated with pictures/drawings versus those associated with words also helps me get a sense of which one most of my ideas are related to, which I will keep in mind when choosing which parts of Stitches (mostly drawing, writing style, or both) I want to analyze in my essay.

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Honeyman "The Lies We Tell Sick Children" - Reading Notes by Penny Chalermthiralert

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Honeyman "The Lies We Tell Sick Children" - Reading Notes by Penny Chalermthiralert

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1. For my reading notes on Susan Honeyman’s article “Lies We Tell Sick Children: Mutual Pretense and Uninformed Consent in Cancer Narratives,” I decided to use typing notes to make a simple table format on my laptop in a google doc. I liked this method because it let me split everything into columns—arguments, themes, quotes, and solutions—so I could keep my thoughts organized as I read. When I found something interesting or important, I could type it straight into the right spot instead of writing down random things in the margins or trying to highlight everything. Having it all in a table honestly made it a lot easier to study for later and helped me not feel overwhelmed by all the information.

2. I definitely think I could use this article in a future paper. Honeyman really goes deeply into why adults often avoid telling kids the full truth about being really sick, and she shows how this happens repeatedly in books and real life. She argues that adults think they are protecting kids, but in reality, they are just making it harder on the kids emotionally. This gave me a few ideas about paper topics, such as exploring how honesty could make things better for sick kids, or why stories about “brave” sick kids can end up making things worse by hiding the truth. The quotes and examples were really strong and would work for being good evidence for an argument.

3. What stood out most when I was taking notes is just how common it is for adults not to be honest with kids about serious stuff. It was honestly kind of shocking to read that it happens so much, not just in stories like The Fault in Our Stars but also when doctors and parents are dealing with real-life sick kids. I noticed that a lot of the time, kids know more than the adults think, and keeping secrets just makes everyone feel more alone and isolated. There was also this point she made about how sometimes kids end up having to protect their parents’ feelings instead of the other way around, which felt really unfair and not a right way of life in the responsibilities and roles of a caregiver and the child.

4. I would use the table note-taking method again for sure, especially for articles like this with lots of complicated points. It helped me see the big picture and also remember the small details, including taking out useful quotes. The only thing that did not work perfectly is that sometimes I wanted to write my first reactions or questions but didn’t have a spot for that in the table. Next time, I might try combining this style with some margin notes or just jotting ideas down in a separate notes app as I read through, so that I don’t miss anything. Overall, using and creating the table on a google docs through typing notes helped me keep everything clean, organized and really helped when I go back to study or think about what to write for the next paper.

(512 words)

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09/29-09/03 Weekly Self-Care Journal: Ava Ouhadi 

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09/29-09/03 Weekly Self-Care Journal: Ava Ouhadi 

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Stiches by David Small Close Reading - Amritjeet Singh

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Stiches by David Small Close Reading - Amritjeet Singh

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Close Reading_ Stiches by David Small - Amritjeet Singh

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Stiches by David Small Close Reading- Ava Ouhadi  

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Stiches by David Small Close Reading- Ava Ouhadi  

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Rishika Rastogi: Positionality Reflection CP

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Rishika Rastogi: Positionality Reflection CP

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Parinda (Penny) Chalermthiralert: Welcome Event (ELL Students) CAS Writing Center

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Parinda (Penny) Chalermthiralert: Welcome Event (ELL Students) CAS Writing Center

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09/15-09/19 Weekly Self-Care Journal Reflection: Ava Ouhadi 

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09/15-09/19 Weekly Self-Care Journal Reflection: Ava Ouhadi 

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Welcome Event (ELL Students) CAS Writing Center - Erynn Lee

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Welcome Event (ELL Students) CAS Writing Center - Erynn Lee

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CP Keen "Novel Readers and our Empathetic Angel of Our Nature"

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CP Keen "Novel Readers and our Empathetic Angel of Our Nature"

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Keen "Novel Readers and our Empathetic Angel of Our Nature"

Narrative empathy = feeling with characters, perspective-taking through stories.

Keen questions whether this actually makes us better humans.

Nussbaum + others say novels create good citizens → Keen says: not enough proof.

Plato = suspicious of emotions in fiction; others thought empathy = moral growth.

Research boom after 2007: brain science, psych, lit, mirror neurons.

Keen’s main critique:

Reading doesn’t happen in isolation.

Wars/genocide in the 20th c. → clearly novels didn’t stop violence.

Studies often mix reading w/ role-play, group talks, charity prompts.

People sharing books (teachers, parents, friends) matter more than the book alone.

Immersive reading (“transportation”) is the game-changer.

Dan Johnson: if you really visualize the story, you help more (marker spill test).

Perspective-taking prompts don’t work as well as immersion.

Fantasy/escapism (Harry Potter, Twilight) can also build belonging + empathy.

Canon bias sucks → high lit (Dickens, James) always gets credit, but most readers consume popular fiction, romance, fantasy → that’s valid too.

Steven Pinker (Better Angels): violence is declining over history.

Attributes it more to law, gov’t, education, commerce, reason than empathy.

Novels may have nudged perspective-taking in the 18th century → helped human rights thinking.

But empathy is fickle (triggered by cuteness, kinship, etc., can flip to cruelty).

Fiction doesn’t only spread virtue → also fuels cruel humor, toxic narratives, YouTube injury “comedy.”

Real-world case: Changing Lives Through Literature (convicts read/discuss instead of jail).

Recidivism drops from ~45% → <20%.

Shows fiction can spark self-reflection, but prob the social setting (judges, peers, professors) does just as much work as the stories.

Takeaway: novels can inspire empathy, but the real power = how people share them,

discuss them, and use them in context.

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Novel Readers and the Empathetic Angel of Our Nature Notes - Amritjeet Singh

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Novel Readers and the Empathetic Angel of Our Nature Notes - Amritjeet Singh

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1. For Keen's reading, I returned to my original way of note-taking. I noticed that Keen's writing style and vocabulary, and just the way he analyzes other authors' works, are very advanced and sometimes a little difficult to understand to a great extent. Since I saw this trend in Keen's writing style, I thought it would be better to take handwritten notes so that I could better comprehend his message. Usually, handwritten notes also tend to be a way for me to slow down my reading speed, which can be very useful for higher-level texts, such as Keen's. My note-taking method stayed relatively the same, with minor changes. I would summarize Keen's key messages or paraphrase his key quotes. If I felt further analysis was needed for the quotes, I would write down those notes underneath in a separate bullet point.

2. I do not think I would use this source in my paper, simply because it relates to topics that may not exactly match what I have in mind for my paper. This source, in particular, deals with how people transform their emotions based on literary works, not so much with our perceptions of race and the nuances of racial stereotypes. I would use this source if my paper's topic were about the psychological aspects of our methods of thinking about ideas of race, or of that nature.

3. During my notetaking process, I noticed the sheer amount of references that Keen utilizes in this source. He explicitly mentions a plethora of literary works and authors that he may or may not have agreed with in the past. Some authors are referenced to prove Keen's point that fiction reading does not transform someone's moral standards. Other authors, however, are mentioned to give the other side of the argument as well. This was most clear when he argued that there have been many times when people's lives have been changed by certain books and stories. He also mentions the great effect that literature can have on young children and how they view the world. Nevertheless, he still argues that fiction reading does not necessarily correlate with elevated stages of moral standards. He reasons that it is very difficult to separate literary works and the emotions they evoke from the real-world experiences we have had and the sociocultural frameworks we grew up in. I do have to disagree to a certain extent with Keen, however. Fiction reading may not totally transform one's moral standards, but other pieces of literature might, especially in non-fiction themes and/or religious texts. They have their own separate and much more ingrained effects that apply to even the most ordinary of people.

4. I would love to continue taking handwritten notes; however, I want to use other methods as well in the future. I was thinking about using a diagram and/or charts to categorize my notes, based on their respective themes.

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Novel Readers and the Empathetic Angel of Our Nature Video Reflection-Ava Ouhadi 

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Novel Readers and the Empathetic Angel of Our Nature Video Reflection-Ava Ouhadi 

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Novel Readers and the Emphathetic Angel of Our Nature Notes-Ava Ouhadi 

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Novel Readers and the Emphathetic Angel of Our Nature Notes-Ava Ouhadi 

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Novel Readers and the Emphathetic Angel of Our Nature

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Lynda Barry Diary Exercise #1-Ava Ouhadi 

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Lynda Barry Diary Exercise #1-Ava Ouhadi 

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The first image on the left was an image that came easily to me. I have this routine everyday where after I finish eating breakfast in the Warren dining hall, I take my Stanley and make my iced coffee. In this scene specifically, I am adding 2 pumps of caramel syrup to my cup filled already with ice and coffee. I thought that it would be a good idea to draw something that I do almost everyday for my first ever Lynda Barry diary exercise. Going into the image a little more, this is the coffee station near the conveyor belt that we return dishes to. There is a boy behind me waiting in line. In front of the coffee station is the pizza station and the area with a bunch of toppings (I think that is the layout of the dining hall but I am not positive). I think eventually, I won’t continue to do this everyday as I start getting tired of the coffee flavor I make. However, I like doing this instead of buying coffee everyday because it saves me money.

In the second image on the right, I drew myself, younger, but in the same position. The first things I changed about myself were my height, hair, and outfit. I think the difference in height has an obvious reason, but the change in hair is because I always had a short bob as a child. Also, I am wearing a dress because as a child you would only find me wearing dresses, I hated any type of pants. Coming up with the idea for the image was not difficult. Because the image on the left is something in my current everyday routine, I thought I would draw something that was a part of my everyday routine as a child, and I thought of my playhouse. My playhouse, shared with my older sister at the time, was my favorite thing. It was a generic plastic house filled with me and my sister’s toys. Our playhouse was kept outside because the weather in Guam was always warm and a good place to spend time. I also think my parents would rather have me and my sister make a mess outside the house than inside. Our playhouse was in the backyard, near the area with all the plants. It wasn’t in the grass, it was in the paved area under the roofed backyard area, I remember. Drawing this scene made me feel very nostalgic. Being at home, living with my sister, being a carefree child, I miss all these things. In the moment, you never think of the future, just playing with your toys and having fun. Now that I’m older, I miss it so much. I miss being with my parents, I miss living with my sister (who has been in college for the past 3 years), and I miss the comfort of my home. Although I do miss my childhood and look back at it with so much fondness, I am also very excited for the next chapter in my life.

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Open House CAS Writing Center Reflection

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Open House CAS Writing Center (Sept 10) - Penny 

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Open House CAS Writing Center (Sept 10) - Penny 

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09/08-09/12 Weekly Self-Care Journal Reflection: Ava Ouhadi 

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09/08-09/12 Weekly Self-Care Journal Reflection: Ava Ouhadi 

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Passmore Close Reading - Amritjeet Singh

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Passmore Close Reading - Amritjeet Singh

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Close Reading Passmore _Your Black Friend_ - 9_12_25

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Rishika Rastogi: Close Reading Of Passmore 

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Rishika Rastogi: Close Reading Of Passmore 

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Close Reading ("Montana Diary" - Whit Taylor)

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Close Reading ("Montana Diary" - Whit Taylor)

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Close Reading (Montana Diary- Whit Taylor)

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Close Reading ("Your Black Friend" - Passmore)

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Close Reading ("Your Black Friend" - Passmore)

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Close Reading (Your Black Friend" - Passmore)

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Open House Writing Center Workshop - Erynn Lee

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Open House Writing Center Workshop - Erynn Lee

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WR120 - Close Reading CP Passmore - Google Docs

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Passmore "Your Black Friend Close Reading Notes

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Passmore "Your Black Friend Close Reading Notes

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Bonilla-Silva: "The Central Frames of Color-Blind Racism" - Reading Notes by Amritjeet Singh

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Bonilla-Silva: "The Central Frames of Color-Blind Racism" - Reading Notes by Amritjeet Singh

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1. I wanted to try taking notes differently this time, so I typed my notes on Google Docs. It was definitely easier and faster to take notes this way, probably because I can type at a relatively quick pace. I took all my notes as bullet points; however, I added sub-bullets if I wanted to expand on the quote or summary further. The sub-bullets acted as a way for me to include more in-depth comments and analysis points.

2. I added quite a few quotes in my notes this time because I felt this was a source that I might be able to use extensively in one of my papers. It touched upon a wide range of material and topics that are not only intriguing but also realistic at the same time. I was able to understand almost everything this source was attempting to elaborate on because it discussed the same arguments that occur in political debates (conservative vs. liberal), which I tend to watch often.

3. It was interesting to me how, although the author did not revolve his arguments around political ideology, he was still able to touch upon a lot of those topics. When I watch political debates between conservatives and liberals, it's interesting how both sides have such different views on the same issue. Bonilla-Silva simply gave the reasoning as to why this occurs and how, depending on the issue, political ideologies and philosophies are twisted to fit certain people's own standards and understandings regarding race. Silva's usage of real-world examples also stood out to me during my note-taking time. He, at first, gave political and racial explanations as to why certain people may say or do certain things, but he also goes into real-world examples to show this realistically. He gave examples from interviews of how, although people may not call themselves racist, their beliefs may not reflect those statements.

4. Experimenting with both hand-written and typed notes, I feel they are both really effective, but only at certain times. For example, if the article or chapter that I am reading is very long, I feel typed notes are a better option. If the reading material is brief or reasonably long, it is better to handwrite notes, so that I can absorb what I am reading effectively without spending an atrocious amount of time reading. The other benefit of having typed notes is that they can never truly get lost, as in the case of handwritten notes. All I have to do is search for the notes' name, and it will pop up for me to view.

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Bonilla-Silva _The Central Frames of Color-Blind Racism_

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1. The approach to notetaking I chose was handwritten notes. I find that physically writing in a notebook helps my understanding of topics, as I am forced to be concise and get to the point the author is trying to get across.

2. I think I might use Bonilla-Silva's "The Central Frames of Color-Blind Racism" in one of my papers because I appreciate the direct explanations and examples given. Bonilla-Silva outlines clear frames, with multiple quotes for each, along with analysis and direct reasoning. I think in an essay it would be helpful to have arguments regarding the justification of racist actions or racist ideology, and having different examples of defense mechanisms. I was intrigued by the inclusion of different demographics; people of all ages and genders used the same frameworks.

3. What stood out the most during my notetaking was the author's directness. I enjoyed the analysis because I felt that there was no fluff added for the sake of making a "fancier" argument. Bonilla-Silva remained objective, and focused on describing a) the frameworks of color-blind racism, b) the people that perpetuate New Racism, and c) the culmination of the four frames in a mix that proves detrimental to society's perspective and action towards racism.

4. I would take notes this way (handwritten in a notebook) again. I find it easier to keep my thoughts linked and focus on the major points being made. I find digital materials can become distracting and I think it's more difficult to keep my place in the reading when I'm jumping back and forth between tabs, or even in split screen. Overall, I think it's helpful to keep my notes concise and accessible.

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Grace Whinnery - Bonilla-Silva Reading Notes

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Grace Whinnery - Bonilla-Silva Reading Notes

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CP Reflection Questions

1. For this source, I typed the notes on my laptop in a Google Doc using bullet points. When I type notes occasionally I’ll use a more complicated heading system with different types of bullet points, but for this assignment I didn’t feel that was really necessary.

2. I might use this source in one of my papers depending on the subject matter. I think it was really interesting and I agree with a lot of the analysis that it did, but since I did agree with a lot of it I don’t know how much I have to say that would truly be in conversation with the work. A lot of agreement doesn’t help a good argument paper. However, if the paper was going to be on the topic of race in general I would like to use this source because I appreciate how it uses specific examples to show how racism is still prevalent today, it just looks and sounds slightly different.

3. What stood out the most in my note taking process was the difference in the amount of notes I took throughout this specific passage. In the opening pages there were a lot of definitions and other things that I needed to emphasize in my notes to contextualize the rest of the passage, but towards the end when the author was exploring examples I didn’t have to take as many notes, as the examples were simply demonstrating and re-emphasizing the ideas stated earlier. The style of the passage was also very analytical and scientific a lot of the time, which was really interesting to read in the context of a humanities course.

4. I would take notes this way again. Using a laptop and a doc is more convenient for me because I have an unfortunate tendency to misplace my physical notes, and keeping them all on a laptop means that I can search for docs if I can’t immediately find them, and I’m much less likely to forget my laptop when coming to class than one of several notebooks. That being said, I don’t dislike having physical notes, and I do find I remember things better when I write them down, but I also figure that being able to find and reference my notes is still better than the slight memory benefits. In upcoming semesters I might use a better notebook system (probably color-coded like I’d do in high school) to keep better track of my class notes, but as a freshman right now having everything in one place is nice.

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"The Central Frames of Color-Blind Racism"- Bonilla-Silva

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"The Central Frames of Color-Blind Racism"- Bonilla-Silva

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1. I chose to take Cornell Notes. While reading, I wrote key words in the left column and corresponding ideas and definitions in the right column. I noted questions to recall the most central points I wrote on the right, as well as my own questions connecting one concept from the reading to another, or to ideas from separate books/articles I’ve read in the past. Also, I wrote down supporting quotes and statistics in the right column. At the end, I summarized the main points.

2. No, I don’t think I will use this source in one of my papers. Bonilla-Silva explains the four frames very clearly and in detail through real interviews, so no points of argument or discrepancy came to mind. His statements and analyses of the case studies gave me a much better grasp of color-blind racism, but didn’t really provide any opinions I would argue against/disagree with.

3. The way Bonilla-silva breaks down concepts and terms stood out to me. I found it really easy to comprehend the definitions, and he made very clear distinctions between similar terms with slight yet important differences. For example, he uses real statements from case studies to clearly illustrate how abstract liberalism is rooted in liberalist ideology, but utilizes vague and fabricated relationships between liberalist ideas and racially-motivated actions to justify them. I also noticed that the primary evidence being case-studies sparked many unanswered questions. The results of the case studies, especially the respondents’ attempts to justify their statements, constantly surprised me. I am very interested in the relationship between the government, both the development of modern government and how people make policy-related decisions today, and the four frames. I never realized how seemingly positive American principles, like equal opportunity and individualism, can be used to justify racism. I’m curious about what other seemingly positive principles in America and in other parts of the world are weaponized in this way. Through his use of case studies, Bonilla-silva connects the four frames to a wide range of debated topics like these.

4. I would not take notes this way again. Cornell notes have been very useful for me when it comes to scientific or historical readings because they make it easier and more efficient to retain the information. However, I don’t think they are as effective for forming arguments based on a reading or for taking notes about style/figurative language. A note-taking method that involves directly annotating or highlighting text allows me to pay closer attention to an author’s use of language. Also, Cornell style note-taking places an emphasis on concise wording, whereas I like to write down lots of supporting direct quotes for main ideas. Next time, I will try sketchnotes or return to mindmapping or marginal note-taking. I think these styles push me to be more detailed and think more creatively about the text I’m engaging with, compared to Cornell notes/

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notes for "The Central Frames of Color-Blind Racism" by Bonilla-silva

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Whit Taylor's Montana Diary Close Reading

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Whit Taylor's Montana Diary Close Reading

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1. My approach to notetaking for this chapter is digital cornell notes/marginal notes on my iPad. This method makes it easy for the reader to see the points being made and the explanation/justification of the term on the right.

2. This could be a helpful source to use in one of my papers as it has lots of debates on racial equity/inequity as well as different perspectives on Jesus beliefs.

3. The author's writing stands out as they use many figurative language like metaphors and symbolism to highlight crucial ideas to the reader and further create imagery.

4. I think next time, I would highlight the chapter instead and annotate it to deepen my ideas and make it easier to follow with along the text.

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Definitions & Racism and White Supremacy

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Definitions & Racism and White Supremacy

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Kendi "Definitions" Questions - Erynn Lee

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Kendi "Definitions" Questions - Erynn Lee

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Rishika Rastogi Kendi/DiAngelo CP Reading Notes

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Rishika Rastogi Kendi/DiAngelo CP Reading Notes

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Kendi "Definitions" Notes - Amritjeet Singh

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Kendi "Definitions" Notes - Amritjeet Singh

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1. My notetaking method tends to be handwritten notes. I will read half a page and try to summarize what I understood up to that point. If at any point I find a quote that I connected with or I feel would be useful to use in the future, I will usually include those quotes in my notes as well. My method is less about the notes and more about testing my retention, as in how much I actually absorbed while reading. This is one reason why my notes tend to be very short in length.

2. Depending on the topic of my paper, I feel this would be a very useful source to use. It deals with a lot of controversial and complex themes that I feel a lot of authors tend to stay away from, such as the complexities of racial inequality and the historical understanding of race as a whole. I loved it when Kendi mentioned how Christianity has been reduced to a radical White form of belief in which Jesus' true teachings and depictions are distorted to fit a certain type of stereotype that may not benefit everyone, especially those who need that support the most. This is supported when Kendi mentions, "'any gospel that does not want to go where people are hungry and poverty-striven and set them free in the name of Jesus Christ-is not the gospel.'" This source would be great to use for papers that deal with race, historical inaccuracies, religious depictions/evolution, differences in demographics, etc.

3. During my notetaking process, I realized that Kendi used a mixture of 3rd point point-of-view and talking about his own experiences with racism. He also uses a lot of storytelling and figurative language to connect to controversial themes. Kendi is very careful to be precise in his message while also elaborating on the themes in a detailed manner, enough to get the reader thinking about complexities that he or she may not have realized earlier. One example of this would be the mention of climate change and the differences in demographics. Kendi explained how the underdeveloped Blacker South suffers the consequences of the more developed Whiter North. These contrasts are one example of how Kendi elaborates on his ideas while highlighting lesser-known thoughts about ideas.

4. I have been using this style of note-taking ever since I was in middle school, so I do not think I will be changing this method any time soon. This style of note-taking has almost always helped me retain the content I needed to learn for my classes while also helping me be more organized. The only other type of note-taking I have used in the past has been typing notes on Google Docs, for example. I use the same methodology, but the formatting changes slightly.

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1. The approach to notetaking I chose was typing notes. I found using a split-screen to read the text and type notes was the fastest way to get down all of my ideas. I also found that it was the easiest way to go back and add additional thoughts into previous sections of notes.

2. I think Kendi’s “Definitions” could be used as a source in one of my papers. Kendi has interesting points and examples about racism being present in several parts of life, especially in ways that I had never considered before. These points are also well explained and drawn out for the reader to understand and follow. For example, the point made about racial inequity in climate change surprised me, as I had never thought about how a struggle that seemed universal could affect a racial group more than another. These ideas highlight the deep-set nature of racism in our systems, and the need for more self-reflection and awareness to truly rebuild on the basis of equality. “Definitions” made me more interested in what other ways racism is rooted into our societies, and in what ways people can be more conscious about being an anti-racist.

3. What stood out the most during the notetaking process was the author’s use of personal narrative and anecdotes to strengthen their points. The first part of the text told the story of the narrator's parents and their journeys in discovering an empowering Black, Christian community, after being subject to Evangelical church teachings that focused on the wealthy and white. This narrative created a natural pathway into talking about the way that other systems are infiltrated with widely accepted and overlooked racist ways. Anecdotes about the narrator’s grandparents were powerful because it showed the recency of many racist practices, and how many people are still struggling under racist policies.

4. I would take notes this way again. I found it to be efficient and effective in both writing down my thoughts and organizing them in a way that is easy to understand and look back on. Using digital materials also makes it easier for me to save my progress, and return back to past assignments.

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WR120 - Kendi _Definitions_ Reading Notes - Google Docs

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DiAngelo's "Racism & White Supremacy" Reading Notes - 9/8

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DiAngelo's "Racism & White Supremacy" Reading Notes - 9/8

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1. I took handwritten notes in a notebook because I find it easier to group my thoughts with quotes, topics, and sections. I had bullet points for each section of the chapter, with sub-points for the points I found fascinating, examples, and summarized ideas. I used arrows to connect chronologically and link my thought process throughout the reading.

2. I would use DiAngelo’s writing as a source because I think his diction is clear and his ideas are original. I appreciate his use of multiple examples throughout the piece, and think his perception of race is well supported by evidence. His reasoning is succinct and probes deeper questions about the institutionalized nature of racism. Broadening the issue away from individuals allows for there to be less offense on specific people, and can allow us to look at our government and other societal institutions more objectively, allowing for more incentive to seek changes.

3. DiAngelo’s style of writing was more objective and calm than I would expect. Often discussions about race are more passionate, especially coming from individuals who are more impacted by racial prejudice, or those defending the institutions that perpetuate racism. DiAngelo’s arguments were rational and his examples were given to help the reader think more logically and empathetically.

4. I would take notes this way again, mostly because it is my primary method of taking notes for reading. It works well for me because I can focus on getting down only the most important points and thoughts I have instead of typing as much as I can.

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1. I chose to take a note format that was akin to building up a pyramid. The initial notes are broader, with general observations, and then it goes into depth later on with quotes, picking apart what I interpreted Kendi to be conveying with his words.

2. "Definitions" would be a source that I would definitely use in possible future papers. It takes on the effort to explain what we are too lazy to observe ourselves with statistics and word by word definitions, forcing readers to recognize the true face of racism. These components of 'teaching the reader' makes me wonder whether simplifying the process of sharing info-like one is teaching elementary schoolers-would help us remember information better. The takes he has on antiracism are not common (from what I have seen), but they are sound, so I would love to spread those ideologies further. Self-consciousness is something I believe to be undervalued, therefore encouraging it would fulfill my selfish interests.

3. My initial aversion to the idea of blacks still being marginalized to the extent of what Kendi described had made me uneasy. At surface value, I just thought they were not too bad off, because many of them rose to heights that were unprecedented in the past. Yet, I put more thought into it and realized that it should have been obvious that it was not that simple. When I was taking notes and placed more importance to Kendi's 'definitions', I saw more of the truth of blacks not starting at the same line as whites, whether it be for health, education, income, or expectations. It was not only about the statistics provided, or Kendi's definitions, but real-life observations of the stigma surrounding the black community, that I had dismissed as something normal. In reality, that was ignorant racism.

4. I would take notes like this again, although not every time, since I wish to explore more. I prefer writing down my own thoughts and then referring back to the actual text to see whether or not there were subtle patterns that gave me feedback of my understanding. This way, I could gain further insights from the author and myself as a person.

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1. I chose to take marginal notes and directly annotated the text. As I read, I used different colors to highlight parts that stood out to me and wrote my thoughts in corresponding colors. I used pink to represent general thoughts and clarifications, orange to represent figurative language and stylistic choices, blue to represent definitions, green to represent possible research and argumentative topics, and red to represent questions.

2. Yes, I think I might use this source in one of my papers because it challenges and defines prejudice, discrimination, and racism in surprising ways. Before reading this source, I hadn’t thought deeply about the differences between the three terms. DiAngelo makes really clear distinctions between them, which I now comprehend and see in a different light than before. Before, I hadn’t thought of racism as inherently institutional and something that only emerges when a population has access to power and policymaking. I am also interested in how racism manifests in the entertainment industry and becomes further embedded in our culture: “Those who write and direct films are our cultural narrators; the stories they tell shape our worldviews” (31). This topic specifically made me think about recent film recreations such as The Little Mermaid and How to Train Your Dragon, where black actors were cast in traditionally white roles. Although these seem like efforts to diversify movies and increase black representation, I believe that they are lousy attempts. Replacing white characters with black actors merely alters appearances, but doesn’t take into account the context of the story and the external treatment of those characters as they were written. A better approach is to write whole new stories about black protagonists, written by black people. This way, the depiction of the character and their experiences would be much more accurate and representative.

3. During the notetaking process, DiAngelo’s style of repetition stood out to me. Annotating directly beside the text made me realize how often I was highlighting words like “systemic,” “institution,” and “norm.” She constantly draws back to these words, underlining that racism makes up our institutions and establishes white people as the norm, while separating out black people as not the norm.

4. Yes, I would take notes this way again because unlike mindmapping, it is easy to see the chronological order of my notes and what section of the text they correspond to. Directly highlighting the text also made it more convenient, However, marginal note-taking does not create as clear a visual as mindmapping when it comes to repeated ideas throughout the text since the notes are spread across multiple pages rather than condensed together onto a few pages.

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1. The note taking style I chose to use for this source was highlighting and writing marginal notes. I highlighted text that I thought was important or interesting, and I wrote my response through reactions, thoughts, or questions in the margins of the paper.

2. Yes, I would use this source in one of my papers. I really enjoyed how the author connected their parents’ experiences with Black Christianity with their own anti-racism journey. This radical reading of the Gospel really stuck with me, because I was raised in the church and attended Catholic school. I want to further explore this “Christianity of the enslaved” and the African-American perspective on Christianity. I was also interested in the idea of “antiracist” not being a thing someone can be, but something that people must continuously strive to be through their actions.

3. Something that stood out to me about the style of notetaking itself was how I benefited from printing out the source and writing directly on it. I think I understood the information better that way versus reading it from a computer screen and typing my notes on a doc. Something about the source that stuck out to me was the idea that the only counter to racist discrimination was anti-racist discrimination. I think that most peoples’ response to racism is to say “stop racist discrimination” instead of using anti-racist discrimination to level the playing field and increase equity. I liked the quote from President Lyndon B. Johnson’s speech about how it isn’t fair just to free someone, you have to make sure that they can actually support themselves and have a fair chance. Another thing from the source that really struck me was the fact that white people live longer than Black people, a physical proof of the effects of racism. It is horrible to see statistics that prove how our government systemically discriminates against people of color.

4. Yes, I would take notes this way again. I really enjoyed reading the source on a real sheet of paper, although I did not enjoy paying to print it. I think I was able to better understand the information by physically highlighting it and writing my response directly on the page. I like how my notes are directly on the source, instead of on a separate document. When I reread it, I will be reminded of my initial thoughts and reactions. It will also be easier to cite information for a future paper because I have key parts of the text highlighted.

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1. I chose to take notes in a “mindmap style.” As I read, I wrote down main ideas and drew “branches” connecting each idea to supporting direct quotes. I used different colors to highlight specific parts of the quotes and noted my thoughts in matching colors. I used orange to represent figurative language/writing techniques, pink to represent specific ideas, blue to represent definitions of unfamiliar words, and green to represent possible research ideas or questions. If multiple main ideas related to each other, I connected them with a “branch.”

2. Yes, I may use this source in one of my papers because it draws many connections between race/identity and other topics, which interests me. Kendi also gives lots of historical context and statistics, which could be useful when writing a paper. Kendi’s reflection on his faith growing up, “This new definition of Christian life became the creed that grounded my parents’ lives and the lives of their children,” made me wonder what factors determine the degree to which children follow or rebel against the faith of their parents (17). Another potential topic could be about the moral arguments of affirmative action, which relates to Kendi’s statement, “The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination” (18). I strongly agree with this statement. I’m also interested in researching how climate change disproportionately affects minorities and how medical research on minority populations is severely under-represented in the world. I believe that these topics are not focused on enough.

3. I noticed that Kendi uses lots of figurative language to connect ideas and draw parallels. For example, he reinforces how students are standing up against the status quo created by the evangelical church in his opening line: “Afros that shot up like balled fists” (13). I also noticed his contrasting use of short/blunt diction following longer sentences to underline key points.

4. Yes, I would take notes this way again. I really appreciate how the “mindmapping” style encouraged me to group different parts of the reading into certain ideas, which helped me better visualize and break down Kendi’s complex points. My system of colorcoding also helped me better organize my thoughts. I think that mindmapping worked particularly well for this excerpt because Kendi seemed to focus more on ideas and definitions rather than anything chronological. For a reading where chronology matters, I probably wouldn’t use mindmapping because it would be difficult to identify what order I wrote each note in. Also, formatting the “mindmap” style of note-taking is more difficult/tedious than writing traditional notes running down a page.

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Caitlin Lee intro