https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c Made with a dash of wit en-us 2020-09-03 04:19:25 UTC 2020-11-20 16:50:50 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f4da.png nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/716967171 I felt a deep connection with this piece immediately. The style itself was new- a rather 3rd person approach to personal creative nonfiction. I enjoyed that it was about life through this girls eyes but that it felt like it was through my own... if that makes any sense. The facts about female species was also fascinating and I think for a boy to read it they would be almost alarmed at how girls minds work. The line that caught me and pulled me in was, "At least that’s how your gym teacher makes it sound, like your tunnel down there is studded with gems so precious you need an armored car in order to make your way safely through the world. Like you should die rather than hand over the key." ]]> 2020-09-03 04:21:11 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/716967171 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/716981914 This was a very moving piece. I felt the desire to fit in from the narrator and the cruel pain outcasting can be. The pain was so well written in description of this initial strike to the concussive results. The receiver trying so dearly to keep his cool and not look like a "total loser" at the end reminded me of grade school and how much it means to some to "fit in". The overall description the author uses in this piece was the most attractive part for me as a reader.]]> 2020-09-03 04:31:07 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/716981914 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/716989897 This piece was very reflective. I liked the traditional first person narrative and the story feels relatable while I read. The structure of time jumps to convey each memorable experience with the white supremacy and racism in the narrator's life also made a much more interesting read. I thought the fact that a bunch of teens dm'ed a white supremacist a bit funny at first but it is all sheer curiosity and to remove the blame these teens put on themselves if they ever made a risque comment on minorities. A line that stood out to me was, "There was the time in second grade when our teacher told us that a black kid—the only one I’d ever been in class with—was to join us, and we had to be nice to him because he was different. Or how our elderly neighbor—who went to our church—said that “those niggers in Peoria are no better than animals.”" simply because I have heard things like this growing up and it connected back to my life and gave me a sinking feeling.]]> 2020-09-03 04:36:17 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/716989897 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/717003230 The layout of this story was the most interesting to me- it reminded me a bit of blogging. However it was heart retching to read the pain of recovery, or the process that the narrator seems to convey that never comes to. It seems as if the process, the incident, recovery, and aftermath are all nothing short of a let down. it all just remains as hurt. The language used is very professional or medical in nature, even when talking about her husband- it is a side note like a warning label.
Not my favorite style I've read so far but I still enjoyed how different the layout was and the emotion of Jepsen's writing. ]]> 2020-09-03 04:44:40 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/717003230 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/719568936 This piece showcased that location changes everything for someone, in particular this black women's lifestyle. She goes from a curiosity, to a monstrosity, and feeling welcomed to a threat, even when she is the one being threatened by imagery and attitudes like confederate flags and conversations. 
The tone of this story was what drew me in she clearly shows through language her love for the midwest, even though she resents it- it is still home to her. I can identify with that personally which I feel is always a plus in reading another's work. Her attention to detail was what I found most beautiful, I could imagine it all and I could feel all her feelings, deeply. 
My favorite line was in her last chunk of text when reflecting on her city friends questions on why she lives in places like the midwest small towns: "I say that the Midwest is home even if this home does not always embrace me, and that the Midwest is a vibrant, necessary place." because even though she wants a better place she is taking her time to get there. She perseveres through these Midwest towns towards her "say when" moment.]]> 2020-09-03 21:53:58 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/719568936 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/719603960 From the overwhelming hopefulness and joy from the start of the piece, all I anticipated was the "uh-oh" moment. The tragedy, the let down. Because we've all been there- had this big hopeful great moment that crumbled beneath us like a not-fully frozen lake under your planted feet. 
The set up of this was neat- kind of reminded me of something I'd write. the numerical setup kind of added to that anticipation of what is going to break this girl. She felt so confident and strong and here comes the wave of defeat. Of this broken illusion. I connected deeply to this piece because I know how cruel people could be behind your back- even if it seems "harmless" like how surprising someones intelligence is due to the way they look. Which is something I will never understand- the outside doesn't determine this inside. We are so much more than surface and I feel like she tries to emulate that in 4 when referring about not feeling her body anymore in her dream pool and feeling only the presence of friends. 
The part that was the most crushing however was where the defeat she felt took away from her first sight of snow being magically pure and astounding like she was hoping for. The calm of reading that last paragraph just sunk my heart, it felt numbing. just as she surely felt in those moments. 
Great piece, maybe my favorite so far. ]]> 2020-09-03 22:22:31 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/719603960 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/773957063 This poetry is a style I really like. I love the "full circle" effect of it. How Rekdal starts speaking about the Lynx's eyes and finishes with them. The most vivid imagery I pulled from this piece was the carcass of the lynx and her feeling of how strong this moment resonates in her mind. I pulled that the animal lives and she feels connected to the fear it felt because of her fear of being changed matched it until that moment. This piece was broken up in places I felt made you re-read each line and truly linger on the descriptions. I found it to be a very compelling poem about recognizing yourself in the world around you and how much it changes us when we do.]]> 2020-09-23 22:29:52 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/773957063 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/773968030 I will simply start off with saying I did not like this poem at all. I reread it several times and I feel nothing. Maybe it is the style or layout I don't like, or the use of language. Something about it isn't for me. That being said this poem does use many literary devices known to poetry, specifically repetition with this idea of fire. She is painting a picture of her life, the city she grew up in. The warmth she may feel towards it the imagery of the rust on building and the sunsets.]]> 2020-09-23 22:38:06 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/773968030 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/774113380 This was a beautiful piece about the end of our lives. The separate stanzas display different more elegant possibilities to your life "flashing" which is emphasized. Although Collins doesn't refer to it much each scenario and the adjectives used to describe them are lengthier than this eminent "flash". The whole poem circles around this fact and how meaningless that last moment is like a fish swimming by too quick and I love how he describes this. The set up here lends itself to each individual thought having its own stanza much like topics of an essay. It is structured but also flows back to the beginning connecting drowning to your life ending and nature taking you back. He doesn't believe in a bright light and it has nothing to do with your life which I agreed with, or at least felt the same about as I read over this poem several times. The use of metaphors here is also lovely, comparing the flash to fireworks or memories like slideshows when being played over. Overall a very moving piece for me. ]]> 2020-09-24 00:16:45 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/774113380 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/774359239 This poem gave me huge Rupi Kaur vibes and it felt very mainstream in the poetry world. The set up is a bit chaotic like it was originally written in open space on a journal page or on the back of a napkin while in a bumpy train car. But it is placed meaningfully. Every break leaves me rereading the previous line and reading slower at the stand alone lines. it is interesting where Smith refers to your mouth as a gun, because yes, words are most of the time our only ammunition in protecting ourselves and what we believe in. He uses the world Prayer and later refers to us as a Miracle which are both typically religious in association but it kind of draws this holiness to the reader and makes it feel like you are on a pedestal. He also says when prayer doesn't work: dance, fly, fire. Fire immediately takes you back to the gun metaphor and the idea of firing ammunition or your words here. He puts a lot of thought to connecting "you" to this powerful presence which is very amazing with such few words. Loved this poem! ]]> 2020-09-24 02:12:35 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/774359239 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/774376331 Aah, the description here! Koosher has a knack for it and it is obvious. Like just the first few lines describing his grandmother's walk from sound to appearance is intense. This poem took several read throughs for me because it is only one stanza or chunk with no split and it could only be intentionally that way. The imagery gets a bit confusing for me but it is still vivid down to the swinging pan hanging to dry. Kooser uses a lot of alliteration in this piece that rolls each line onto the next. There is also a bit of repetition in the lines when he is describing which plays lovely with the alliteration and paints a pretty picture on this scene. ]]> 2020-09-24 02:21:55 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/774376331 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/817219518 I really enjoyed this story. It is a different take on a werewolf story about a protective and anxious father for his changing son. The tone definitely displays a very worrisome or cautious tone, almost fearful but also reassuring and you understand the dad is just trying to contain his son and not risk losing him to his werewolf tendencies. He seems like he isn't ready to come to terms and let him son fend for himself. Almost a bit of a helicopter parent versus an angsty child ready to run free. The POV is third person subjective considering we only know Clark's view of the world and his feelings, drives, etc. I think the narrator chose this to avoid relieving tension. By knowing everyone else's desires or thoughts on the matter Clark's would get murky and be less stressed. The conflict here seems to be Clark's desire to protect and monitor and "save" his son from the outside world and his son's innate instinct while in werewolf mode. It ultimately leads us to him deciding to let him go or hold on tight and fight his son until morning which he ultimately choses to do. Looking at the opening and the ending lines you can feel how much Clark will do for his boy and how much he cares to confine him, for his own good it seems. Overall this story bring out that theme of what family will do for one another. he will protect him at all costs even if it is easier to just let go. 

]]> 2020-10-09 16:07:29 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/817219518 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/817287069 Another interesting piece! Probably my 2nd favorite of the bunch. I love first person POV because it transforms the reader into the position of the protagonist and it gives you a great sense of feeling, or tone, in comparison to third person at times. You feel part of the story rather than a voyeur I suppose is what I mean. The use of dialog in this piece is pretty much just her relaying the conversation, it isn't written with quotations she is more explanatory of each part of their conversation. There is more ruminating on each line this way in my opinion. The plot follows the narrator (I) on a craigslist journey to meet a ghost that inhabits a rocking chair and inquiry on whether it would like to join her collection or not. The narrator interacts with the ghost, whom the current owner finds creepy (all ghosts not specifically this one), but by the end she finds out the ghost that inhabits the rocking chair wants to stay with her current owner and the owner and the ghost share a moment of newfound respect. The narrator leaves happy knowing a ghost is in a place with someone that they both enjoy. The movement towards the climax is this creeping wonder in your mind if the ghost is going to be malicious since it is thought of earlier on in the story, but at the climax we find that the ghost wants to stay with it's current owner and that she is actually a nice ghost and brings luck and good omens to the owners life. The opening and closing line both go back to this haunted chair that is indeed a good spirit and how the owner knew and kind of realizes it in the end. The theme seems to be about respect in a way like understanding differences (in this case on different planes of existence) and respecting and forming a bond that benefits both parties. ]]> 2020-10-09 16:26:28 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/817287069 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/817343538 I KNEW FROM THE START BELLE WAS GONNA BE DEAD! I loved this piece it was so anticipating to see where it was going to go. I had a feeling it was going to end the way it did but man it was so good! The POV is third person objective, I think. Objective and Omniscient are at times hard for me to pick apart. That being said, the narrator does a superb job of describing this world around the Beast. The castle and its few clean areas amongst the shambles of a once great fortress, the absence of the servants and even the eerie reasoning behind them "leaving" or perhaps being turned into objects about the castle (as the would've if Belle didn't break the curse). The adjectives when describing Belle's body or movement/ lack their of: motionless, listless doll, a fly landing on her cheek that she doesn't whist away... are all great descriptions eluding to a lifeless body, a very Norman Bates kind of Beast is displayed here. Caring for a Woman he loves like she is alive, knowing she isn't. It is perfectly creepy! Beast is also being portrayed as a bit of a clumsy, sweet, caretaker, which is not anything like his outer appearance. He still seems to be in love with Belle and changed like he was by her(if you know his mean, cold manner from the original story). The opening shows this kind of hopeless attempt at a creature preparing something delicate (eggs, tea, etc.) and the end lines shows again this hopeless attempt to get Belle's (Beauty's)love, even in death. It emphasizes that hopelessness that we as readers feel for Beast, despite it being creepy! I think the theme overall is about hopeless romantics. My favorite story in the bunch!]]> 2020-10-09 16:43:17 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/817343538 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/817408039 This apocalyptic story following an older woman guarding her diner from what I only make out as zombies or nuclear deformed humans? The tone is very stressed, almost pissed off, about her situation, understandably. The details that Patel uses to describe Marcie's world and backstory give us a strong connection as to why she reacts at the climax the way she does. A woman stricken with losing her daughter and the world she knew, all her customers, a business she loves, to the point where she is holding on to the supplies that she needs to make her daughter's favorite meal. It relays this theme of keeping memories alive for her, even by letting a random girl in for a plate of waffles. I honestly was waiting for her to like blow the girls brains out with her shotgun or eat her or something but the story was more realistic in the flashback of "needs more syrup" and the girl having too much left on her plate that triggers her to flip out and expel the girl from her shop and funneling back the remaining syrup. It is a crazy moment of holding on for her. Reminds me of early on Carol from The Walking Dead (I haven't watched in a couple years. Just from the written details of how Alice jokes about how "they" can't read the closed sign or describing the outside world as riffraff. Also explaining Alice look coming in from the outside world dirty versus the clean inside of the diner. Everything small helps paint that bigger picture]]> 2020-10-09 17:02:28 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/817408039 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/945724802 I found this layout so interesting! I never got to read something in this style of media and I just loved the flow and how the background scenery and images changed along with the developing of the story and evidence. I also like the "page numbers" listed at the top so you could jump to a specific area of the page along with the video clips. The story itself is crazy that this man just died in a beautiful place and it is such a mystery. Did he lay himself there because he knew he was going to die, was he murdered and laid there? Did someone pick pocket him post mortem? And why poison? I think the most difficult part of this type of writing media has to be the layout of the site and the flow. I don't know how to make a site but this one is beautiful and I have to imagine difficult to pull off but that amplifies the story immensely. I love crime and mystery so this stuck out to me. I found the layout of this whole investigation amazing and I hope they figure out what happened to him because I am dying to know! ]]> 2020-11-20 15:41:14 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/945724802 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/945816313 I'm not typically an avid blog reader, although I used to have a tumblr which is basically a photo glamourized version of blogging. I love reading the personal things, feelings, opinions and advice of other people though when I'm trying to understand things myself. I was drawn to 1x because it is a photography/ art blog and I am a photographer so it piqued my interest. I chose this post by the title of most read for the month and as I read and watched the video clip I smiled and giggled because there is a light hearted tone to this blog post on the topic of coronavirus and how everyday brings something new but we should still make the days count. I loved the attached gallery of images that all had this idea of like a last hope or beauty in the mundane or loneliness. My personal favorite is about 3/4th of the way down the post it is an image of a girl in blue with a mask and she has a bunch of baby's breath in her hands against her chest and pouring from her mask and I just thought the image was beautiful and it made me think of how a mask may not be desirable to have to wear right now but the beauty is that it is keeping the outside world and others safe so life can flourish despite this pandemic. Overall I will probably keep up with this blog in the future! ]]> 2020-11-20 16:00:48 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/945816313 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/945980989 I love this story games! I used to play them all the time with my cousins as kids and it was very nostalgic. From the beginning it was SUPER uneasy feeling and I knew it was gonna be something creepy or horror related. I started playing and my first time through just about where its almost midnight I got a 404 error link so I retried and picked a couple different options although sticking with all the ones I remembered picking before because I wasn't sure if that changed the storyline much but I chose the best friend as Brandon and my story went from there. It was eerie and when the uncle arrives the screen just shows an undefined error and a crazy line of almost demonic text until the story credits pop up accompanied by creepy noises. I'd love to play again and make different choices because I am sure that might change the outcome but I loved this interactive storytelling and I'd never consider this as "reading" but it truly is a story and a fun/ interesting take of one at that! loved this one the most I think!
This form seems like it must be the hardest with the coding and the art that has to go into it as well]]> 2020-11-20 16:33:42 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/945980989 nicolerenate97 https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/946037839 OH I FOUND A NEW PODCAST TO LISTEN TO!!! I love mysteries so much and this one so far is incredibly executed. I love this weird disappearance story. I think her attachment to it also helps drive listeners with the story. I think this is a difficult type of literature to create especially what Limetown is; she uses a bunch of different audio which editing and clipping is tedious and speaking yourself can be difficult. I love this type of podcast though. I think what happened in Limetown is so weird and unique and the fact that there is no explanation! WHAT?! Ugh it's amazing to learn about these things I'd never would've if this woman didn't decide to make the podcast. It is so important to tell these stories because it spreads awareness and maybe someone will here and be able to help. I'm so excited to listen on! ]]> 2020-11-20 16:44:45 UTC https://padlet.com/nicolerenate97/6ltlaqulbig60j5c/wish/946037839