“A Man of all Seasons” compared to “Opposite of the South.”

I think, ironically, these two pieces are the opposites of each other.  Kourtney’s piece is about seeing a man that we all see as a priest, but who is a really extraordinary person, where Birkerts’ piece is about him trying to self-identify himself. Mark Andrew Moore seems like the person that is taken for granted a lot and people don’t usually see his true uniqueness—everybody is caught-up on the title of priest, so they think that’s all he is. Birkerts seems wildly confused about his place in the world and in some ways feels like he has to identify himself based on where he comes from versus looking at his true self to just be. I like the idea of titles (Priest and Northerner) as modes of misperception, as if these titles are self-explanatory and any other title that these people could be given would be contradictory. 

Ned the Bus driver

Long, white beard, starting from sideburns and reaching to the middle of his bloating stomach: two of the most notable traits. Not necessarily tall, but not short; he’s probably around 5’9”.  He’s usually in a sitting position from my view. And if it weren’t for the heather grey uniform t-shirt he wears, you would almost think he was quintessentially Santa Claus. In conversation, his voice can either give a scruffy, raspy feel or the soothing kind that could lull a baby to sleep. You can get the impression of his hardships, while taking comfort in his words. Eating on the bus during his routes is essential. A spill of coffee on the shirt or sticky finger, while driving a bus presents the odor of staleness: breaks are rare and taken too quickly. Often find myself thinking: “How did you become a bus driver?” The sad reality that misfortune placed him in a job, he does not love is never shown in his eyes, only joy. He wears multifunctional glasses that are tainted yellow to work perfectly for driving in the sunshine. His eyes are revealingly genuine by the wrinkles that are present by smiling often. The kind of laughter that causes you to laugh although you may not find it funny: big, horsey, jolly. “HO HO HO!” The Santa Claus effect breaks in, when I exit the bus to say “Have a good day” and he responses “Oooh, some days are just better.” 

Response to Whoredom Kimmage-Mahoney

I like how Mahoney was able to depict the Irish based on their accent and how they could always guess if she was an American. I don’t know whether or not she was trying to contrast Irish men from Irish women by using the anecdotal piece about the fisherman and the gay women she meet in the pub, but I think it gives the idea that being gay is something that is misunderstood? I also like her apprehension to go to a gay bar because she was straight and compares her apprehension to what these gay women feel everyday. I think this piece shows how stereotypes are formed even within the gay community because Freddy and several others wanted Rose to self indentify with “gay” or “bisexual”. This piece definitely shows how different personalities come together to be a community where everyone is similar, but my question is Rose really taking something form these people or just telling a story about this one time she went to a gay pub in Ireland?

Response to Shadow of Nation- Smith

 I feel like Smith is telling us the premise in the beginning of the piece and then centers it around Jonathan Takes Enemy. I guess the real significance of this character is that he made a decision to start his life with what he wanted to do: going to college to study and play basketball. I was confused by Smith’s tone in the beginning because it sounds like he is describing player after player that had athletic talent and wasted it on booze. This definitely sets up the contrasts between Takes Enemy and these other players but I also think Smith is partly making light of probably troubled teenagers’ deaths. In parts, I found myself asking what is so special about Takes Enemy? But, I think the best way to answer that is to realize that he comes from an Indian descent and that he lives in America where whites are the majority. I felt that Smith wanted to feel like Takes Enemy felt like he didn’t have a place between the two. He was trying to find something within himself and I guess Smith was trying to show that in the end, I just don’t know whether I believe it or not. I felt like he was trying to put a bow on a depressing story.