Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!
Play in the City 2013
![Anne Dalke's picture Anne Dalke's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-39.jpg)
|
Welcome to the on-line conversation for Play in the City, an Emily Balch Seminar offered in Fall 2013 @ Bryn Mawr College, in which we are addressing the question of how we construct, experience, and learn in the act of play. How is play both structured by the environment in which it occurs, and how might it re-structure that space, unsettling and re-drawing the frame in which it is performed? This is an interestingly different kind of place for writing, and may take some getting used to. The first thing to keep in mind is that it's not a site for "formal writing" or "finished thoughts." It's a place for thoughts-in-progress, for what you're thinking (whether you know it or not) on your way to what you think next. Imagine that you're just talking to some people you've met. This is a "conversation" place, a place to find out what you're thinking yourself, and what other people are thinking. The idea here is that your "thoughts in progress" can help others with their thinking, and theirs can help you with yours. |
Who are you writing for? Primarily for yourself, and for others in our course. But also for the world. This is a "public" forum, so people anywhere on the web might look in. You're writing for yourself, for others in the class, AND for others you might or might not know. So, your thoughts in progress can contribute to the thoughts in progress of LOTS of people. The web is giving increasing reality to the idea that there can actually evolve a world community, and you're part of helping to bring that about. We're glad to have you along, and hope you come to both enjoy and value our shared explorations. Feel free to comment on any post below, or to POST YOUR THOUGHTS HERE.
![Frindle's picture Frindle's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1262.jpg)
Rewrite: NW
This past weekend, I used the lens of existentialism (in particular, Sartre's view) to observe the relationship between Leah and Keisha, focusing mostly on the third section of the book.
After reading Mark's thoughts, I've decided that this weekend, I'd like to refocus the lens to contrast Satre with Kierkegaard (who is, after all, mentioned in NW) and observe the separation of Leah and Keisha (that is, where they are in the first and fourth sections of the book, both going through seperate crisis).
Because of this, the essay will focus more on the individual characters: Who Leah is when she goes through her pregnanacy scare, who Keisha/Natalie is when she is in her pregnancy v. who she is with Nathan v. who she is when she wants to turn Nathan in, and how she reconciles all of these different "selves" into one person.
![Cathy Zhou's picture Cathy Zhou's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1256.png)
renewed lens
For my last paper, my lens was the econimical cause in the depressed marriage relationship of Leah and Michel. I still want to use this lens but I want to relate some knowledge from the econ class I take in this semester.
![Grace Zhou's picture Grace Zhou's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1264.jpg)
deepen lens
Last time my lens are too broad and complex- the differences and similarities between Nat and Felix, and the reason for their difference- self respect.
This time I want to narrow lens to the similarities of Nat and Felix(sex with others,same opening narration of the chapter) to illuminate that no matter how hard they are trying to change, they are rooted in their fixed class and why Zadie smith wants to create these similar characters. Maybe because their similarities may reflect and apply more broadly- for the people try to change but can’t. The reason may be social class is solidified, they can’t move on. Maybe I want to relate this to the social solidarity by Émile Durkheim.
![nightowl's picture nightowl's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1260.jpg)
NW paper rewrite with new lens
My first paper focused on Shar and the number 37 in Leah's life in terms of randomness. My initial idea was of 37 as a lens, but that kind of formed into randomness being the lens. In my rewrite I want my lens to be Randomness and how people prefer patterns over randomness and try to find patterns in randomness. My examples might be the number 37, Shar, the beginning of Leah and Keisha’s friendship, the general plot/lack of structure in the book, and a possible explanation of why some people in class did not like or were agitated by the book.
![lksmith's picture lksmith's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1263.jpg)
Deepening My Lens
When I looked over my essay again after class and even when I origially wote it, I felt that I was only really touching on the surface of the existentialist view of Natalie/Keisha's identity crisis. When I rewrite my essay this weekend, I plan to focus on deepening the ideas I have already presented in the essay and looking closer at her situation to develop the paper more. In parts of the essay I need to shift the focus of my writing back to the main points I was trying to make, this will not only keep my paper on track but also give me the pooprtunity to dig deeper into the true nature of her situation. Overall, I plan to develop my ideas more and organize them in a way that will make them more impactful.
![natschall's picture natschall's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1267.jpg)
Narrower Lens
For this essay, Pia and I are thinking about using the lens of sexuality to analyze Felix and Natalie's characters, and how their sexual intimacy with others helps them find themselves. We had started going into this, but didn't go as deep as we could have. There is much more comparison to do with how alike their sexual experiences make them in how they identify themselves.
Natalie's section will focus more on her listings and why she chose to post them, while Felix's will look at how he is attached to Annie and what this does to his relationship with Grace.
![Taylor Milne's picture Taylor Milne's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1272.jpg)
Narrowing my Lens
Between the discussion we had in class and after re-reading my paper, I have decided that I would like to narrow in and shift my focus onto how Keisha/Natalie’s upbringing and socioeconomic background influenced her identity crisis, rather than just an accumulation of all the possible causes of her crisis. I plan on tightening my very long introduction and body paragraphs that relate to my new narrower lens. I then plan on finding more textual evidence as well as additional research to write new paragraphs that reflect my interest in Keisha/Natalie and her transformation, and how that relates to her socioeconomic status.
![pialikesowls's picture pialikesowls's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1268.jpg)
A New Lens
I feel as if Natalie and I didn't get deep enough into what could potentially be a very meaningful paper. We may have only gone skin deep and were too involved in the length of the paper rather than the quality of the paper. Though we did bring up a good point like Frank demanding Natalie to identify herself (and her failure to do so), the lens of identity is too large to fully analyze. While we are trying to talk about Natalie and Felix, I don't feel as if we compared them enough. Instead, we may have talked too much about the identity issues and made the paper into a summary rather than an a strong analysis.
As a result, Natalie and I will next time focus more on the sexual intimacy aspect of the identity issues. This way, we can focus on one small part of the identity issue rather than such a large lens. For example, the reasons why Natalie chooses to post listings and how she thinks the sexual intimacy will help her find herself. In addition, we could also discuss Felix and his intimate attachment to Annie and how this is hindering his chances with Grace.
![pbernal's picture pbernal's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1261.jpg)
New Lens
This past Sunday's paper, my lens focused on the acceptance of interracial marriage in Brittain. I took the issue of race and focused on how it's factor plays a role in relationship stability and function. I felt good about the paper and like I completed the task of using a lens, but I definitely could have deepen my argument by using the example of leah and michel's relationship and how it plays into importance with the novel.
For this upcoming paper, I'm not quite sure what my new lens might focus on. I have two ideas, one focusing on the social economic status of the characters and how it affects their romantic relationships as well as how race does. This option would be a lens focusing on the marxism lens. I could also choose to write based on my second idea, which would be on the lens of free will and analyzing the characters social status and their economic status and tie it in with the idea of stagnation.
![tomahawk's picture tomahawk's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1255.jpg)
Essay Re-Write with a New Definition of Agency
The lens I used in my last paper was agency, as defined by Sabina Alkirke. For the coming paper, I will continue to use agency as a lens. However, I will use Sherry B. Ortner's definition of it from "Thick Resistance: Death and the Cultural Construction of Agency in Himalayan Mountaineering." Ortner's definition will allow me to view agency as a more fluid form of power; people have agency when they already have some sort of power, and they use agency to expand on the power they already have.
![playcity23's picture playcity23's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1273.jpg)
Essay-Rewrite
For this essay-rewrite, Anne basically did all the heavy-lifting in our writing conference. My lens, "How we must be more cautious about blaming," is clear but needs to be used better.
The outline:
Subject- On the Notion of Blame and our Neurology: How Accountable are we for Our Actions?
Thesis: That the human brain is so complex, so much of a mystery to both us and scientists, that we don't know what to make of the chaos and disorder and mystery that goes on inside our own brains, much less other peoples. That is why we go to fiction. To get some sort of order out of the worldly chaos.
Part one: My rant about NW and my expectations for it.
Part two: How Zadie Smith might be trying to recreate all the internal chaos and mystery inside of us. Why doesn't she give us what we seek from fiction?
Part three: Add on/end with the Radiolab piece about blame and the poor man Kevin and his Kluver-Büsey syndrome.
![AnotherAbby's picture AnotherAbby's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1252.jpg)
Marxism and You: For Realtors
My last paper was very all over the board. I definitely don’t think I zoomed in enough with what I was saying, and my ideas were pretty scattered as well. This week, I’d like to totally change my lens and rewrite the paper entirely, using the Marxist lens, and focus on the living spaces of the characters and how that represents their socioeconomic status and defines them throughout the book. There’s a lot to work with there, from Felix and his father’s experiences in the community houses, to Natalie/Keisha’s big move, and even Michele telling Leah he doesn’t want their children to grow up in the flat they live in, with the sign out front, because it will define their lives. Plus, in general, the book does focus a lot on the neighborhood (as if the title wasn’t a tip off), so by comparing the living arrangements and way society judges the people living their per Marxist theory, I think I might have a much better paper.
![clarsen's picture clarsen's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1258.jpg)
Lens
Last weeks paper I focused on Leah and Michel's biracial relationship. This week I would like to broaden my lens and incorporate other characters that share biracial and bicultural friendships and relationships such as Frank and Leah, Frank and Natalie, and Leah and Natalie. I mainly wrote about how Leah and Michel's race pushes them apart but I think it would be interesting to add in other negative and positive factors in their relationship.
![Yancy's picture Yancy's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1278.jpg)
lens
In the essay I wrote with Amy last week, our lens is the relationship, especially the relationship between women. Amy asked me, “Is there true friendship between women?” and my immediate answer is, yes. The two girls grow up together, experiencing many things. The final result of their relationship is caused not because of the frangibility of the friendship but the change of their class. Then, in the second draft of our paper, I think the lens is ‘change’. Change in class, change in social states, change in economic condition, change in minds.
![ecohn's picture ecohn's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1259.jpg)
Essay Edits
For my last paper, I used the lens of structure. I looked at how ZS structured sections differently depending on who they were about, and how that person/character experiences time I also wrote about her authorial voice and inputs into the narration.
For this newer essay, I want to keep that lens, but elaborate more on where she does and doesn't do this. I also want to look more into the absurdity of the world, as presented through the book.
![Samantha Plate's picture Samantha Plate's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1270.jpg)
Revising
I plan to narrow my lens of existentialism to just that ideology the Kierkegarrd presents about the fullness of a moment and how it immulinates Kiesha's need for a dramatic event. I will examine this by only looking at a few moments in Kiesha's life that this is present and examining them more deeply.
![Phoenix's picture Phoenix's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1269.jpg)
lens depth
I plan to keep my lens of existentialism and deepen it by finding more resources on Kierkegaard and using them to lengthen my paper.
![Everglade's picture Everglade's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1277.jpg)
Be friends and don't care about the rest
That Leah and Keisha became best friends seems a result of some accidents: Keisha saved Leah from drowning in the pool, and later “a dramatic event” when they confronted Nathan Bogle together. Would they become good friends if these didn’t happen? I guess so. Caldwell is a small community. If not these two exact things, there’s still a great chance that something else dramatic might happen between them. Bought the same dresses and wore them to school on the same day. Or ran into each other on the street and one fell really bad and another accompanied her to the hospital. A lot of things that can possibly bond them as life-long best friends. On the other hand, they must’ve had this sort of interesting encounters with many other people as well. But they became best friends with each other, Leah and Keisha, so that’s not a coincidence, but a choice.
Their childhood friendship was “based on verb rather than nouns”. They liked each other because they spent plenty of time together and did fun things. That’s more like playmates. To me, true friends like each other not because they do fun things together, but because they appreciate each other, the person’s personalities and intelligence and passions. And even when they do boring things like waiting for a bus for an hour or studying all day, they don’t feel dull because each one is a delight to the other.
![AnotherAbby's picture AnotherAbby's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1252.jpg)
Something I stumbled across....
Zen Pencils 75: L.P. Jacks, Work and Play
http://zenpencils.com/comic/75-l-p-jacks-work-and-play/
A lot of the work Gavin Aung Thang does relates back to our class, but I thought this one was particularly relevent to our discussions. Also, Zen Pencils is just a fantastic comic.