Kifah Hannah Lecture

I was interested as to what Kifah Hanna was going to discuss, as I had minimal knowledge of Levantine literature or homosexuality as it related to arabic literature. When she mentioned the androgyny that was utilized in the works of the authors that she discussed, I was especially intrigued. Androgyny, or a space in which a person is neither characteristically 'male' or 'female', but maintains a biological sex, is a nice space in which to explore identity in its purest form, unobscured by societal constructs of gender. Oftentimes we only see ourselves within the female or male context, and for the main character in one of the works Kifah discussed, deviating from his masculinity and exploring his sexuality within a more feminine context was helpful. It broadened his perspective on his identity and caused him to be more accepting of his own sexuality.

Thinking about how ethics and desire played a role in levantine literature makes me think about how sex is treated in the States. It seems that sexuality and sex itself are see as taboo, although both concern everyone, even the asexuals. Why is it that something so natural and inherent to all of us is somehow made wrong, foreign, unwanted? How is our biological sex twisted into this strange set of societal norms known as gender? I see gender as separate from biological sex, as gender is seen differently according to what society you live in. In America, we seem to be very considered with making the line between girl and boy so thick you are inclined to believe that "men are from mars, women are from venus."

The lecture brought up these thoughts for me as I pondered what these issues meant in a context more familiar to me. I also thought about the stories that Kifah had us read, and how the severity of the censorship that these authors faced, especially the author of I Live, is not even that crazy to me, because you see censorship like that every day in some parts of the country. People feel as if they need to hide their sexuality, their lifestyle, etc. or else they will face societal repercussions. Sure, there usually isn't one action that occurs, but the silence is sometimes worse.

Overall, the lecture series this spring was a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed Steve Almond, Dr. Brown, and Jodie Mack's visits, but all of the lectures were valuable and gave me something different to think about.

Jodie Mack, Yard Work is Hard Work

I was amazed at how many people came to Jodie's screening/lecture- definitely the highest attendance of any lecture! I could understand why, as I was excited to hear from a filmmaker and see her work. Animation is a really interesting medium- it requires a serious passion and commitment to follow through with a project, the same makings of a long lasting relationship! Seeing an animation that is a serious work such as Yard Work is Hard Work was truly impressive.

The subject matter of the film was very applicable to the class. It tells the story of a young couple whose ambition came to haunt them as harsh economic reality set in, and sets it to the tune of a musical. I thought the musical/animation hybrid provided an ironic twist to the story, as it gets quite gritty and real, and a musical animation is about as far from "reality" as possible as film formats go. However, I think that's also how a situation like that is experienced- there's this naive optimism, that despite the problems the love that the couple shares will be the answer. Everything will end up being rainbows and butterflies! Of course, that usually doesn't happen, but the aesthetics and creative choices of the film enhanced the idea of this optimism, and enhanced its presence to me.

I also liked the ambiguous ending of the film- the couple doesn't have an epic break up, but they also aren't together in the way they were at the beginning. The break up is a subtle one between naive optimism and the relationship- they've been through something very real and tough together, so their relationship is automatically different. They are no longer the same, but that's not necessarily bad- sometimes it's even better. If they can survive the yard work, they are much more prepared for the next challenge they will face.

Garren Small, Fires Dare to Ignite

One poem that Garren read that really stuck out to me was about a father and daughter- I don't remember the name of the poem. It reminded me of a certain freudian primal desire for love that starts with the parents- for your parent to recognize you, see you as special, and have a devout love for you. These are the lines that, to me, had this theme:

"Working man vein hands

  Daddy, look at me.

  Ain't no telling where those fingers been."

There was also a theme of old vs young desire- how the father has the desire for a more individual, independent life as he had spent years putting selfless energy into his daughter, and the daughter does not have that sense of self and desire for independence yet, so she is especially tied to whatever the father is doing. 

I'd say my favorite poem of the night was "along the row." I think this poem, as Aven said, asked the question: "are we lonelier when we are with someone than when we are actually alone?" The following lines spoke to this:

"everybody dies of loneliness

 says the prophet on his bus tour

 your best friend

 will betray you

 between envy and desire"

"He wants to explode it to her.

 He wants to whisper it to her."

These lines speak to sexual desire and also romantic desire- the desire to be both a sexual being and also a romantic, loving being and for the two to coexist. To explode with a whisper, in a sense, seems hard to do, as the actions oppose one another, but the experience of love is often like this- two different people trying to align, trying to manage the sexual with the romantic. 

Love and Desire: It's Only Biological

It took me a few days to process Dr. Brown's lecture- it held my interest feverishly for its entirety as I've always been curious about how love and desire work in our brains. The message of the lecture was a romantic one- humans need love in order to have a good quality of life, without it we face a certain emptiness that makes everything else in life feel much less fulfilling. When love is in your life, you feel better about your work, your friends, and everything else you are passionate about. Sure, you can be happy without romance, but there's something very special about that first stage of a romance that makes the world an exciting, beautiful place.

Love is literally a drug- Kesha actually had a point! I always believed that love was akin to crack in the way it wholly possesses your brain, forcing you to always be multitasking with your thoughts as most of them are devoted to the lover in your life. I know that love and even lust have that effect on me. Recently I've been talking to someone and the flirtation/possibility of a romance have been distracting me and it's quite nice but frustrating! I need to be able to finish out my senior year but this person has made his way in, leaving me nervous and excited for what will happen next.

Django Unchained & Desire

As I had seen Django Unchained before, I was interested to see what Dr. Reed had to say about how the film is relative to the theme of love and desire that we've been exploring all year. When I first saw Django, I felt that Django's fierce desire to usurp his unfavorable position in society by using the same means that were used to oppress him (violence) was interesting. It was interesting because in all the years that slavery has been in our past, no film quite like Django has been out there, representing this desire for revenge so strongly.

Something else about the film that was interesting was Django's desire to do whatever it took to get back to his wife Brunhilda. Django joins the character King Schultz in order to make this possible- so in order to capture that love he desires he must utilize this friendship, as Schultz possesses the skills he needs to enact this violence. Also, the fact that Django calls her his wife, when slaves technically could not have wives, makes this theme of love deliberate.

Through this film, Tarantino explores what it takes to survive when there are multiple elements fighting against you. Does it take brawn and ability, which Schultz possesses? Or does it require the continued feeling of love for someone and desire to nurture that love, which is Django's mission? I don't know whether Django would have been so successful if he hadn't had both. The friendship between Schultz and Django makes both of them better, as Django becomes stronger and Schultz finds a greater purpose, a passion behind his work.

Dr. Freund's Lecture

(this is based on the audio recording, I unfortunately couldn't see the artifacts!)

I think what is really interesting about artifacts is that they contain the perspectives of these ancient people in pictorial form- Dr. Freund discussed the images carved onto various artifacts and their significance. These little etchings can really provide a window into the desires of these people- what they carved must have been important to them, and although we cannot really know what that importance means, we can learn from trying to figure it out.

I thought Dr. Freund's revelation of the process of figuring out what artifacts mean was especially interesting. Asking "What does that artifact say, without the context?" and then "What does it mean, within its context?" in that order is helpful when approaching any symbol for the first time. First, you see the symbol as a visual and then as a story, something deeper than its appearance that can be utilized in various ways. You can start to think about how the context is evident in the symbol, and if the symbol effectively tells the story of the context.

Before hearing this lecture, I didn't fully understand how religion factored into the perception and use of images as symbols. Usually we think of a symbol as belonging to a particular religion- their symbol of the purity they desire as a religion and the values they strive to embody, but one symbol could be used by multiple religions and mean something different to each of them. A symbol could have an erotic meaning to one religion but not to other religions who may use the symbol in a different way. I thought this was really interesting- a religion seeing the Cupid symbol could see the childlike Cupid as desire in a pure form, and another religion could see it as an erotic symbol of Eros, with the arrow and its physical implications (the arrow piercing its subject as love physically and emotionally "pierces" you).

I would have liked to see the artifacts, as I'm sure seeing them as Dr. Freund talked about them would enhance my experience, but I knew what some of the more popular symbols that he talked about looked like (such as the cross, Cupid) so it made it a little easier. I liked hearing about these common symbols in a different way than I'm used to- most people think of the cross as just a religious symbol but not as a symbol that's been used in multiple religions and could also symbolize death, love, etc.

Before Sunset

I was anxious to see this film, as Before Sunrise was so great and one of my favorite romantic films that is actually romantic and oddly realistic in its lack of the "forever" concept. I say oddly because you would think a film about two young people and their one-night tromp around Vienna would be unrealistic- but the film makes sure that doesn't happen. People meet by chance all the time and sometimes that spontaneous, instinctual connection happens. With Jesse and Celine, you believe the sped up progression of the relationship. I did think they would find their way back to each other, but needed some time to age and build more solid foundations, become more "adult".


"Do they get back together in 6 months?"
"It's a test of whether you're a romantic or a cynic."


I loved how the film started with Jesse addressing his critics at the book signing- it reminded me of how some of the movie's critics might have responded to Before Sunrise. I think Jesse would consider himself a romantic, truly appreciating the romantic quality of the time he spent with Celine. However, a lot of people may look at their story and make assumptions about the existence of a future- they must end up together! Do they end up together? Why didn't they end up together? Why did they just carry on with their lives and leave their romance in Vienna? Surely such a great connection must be forever!

When Jesse and Celine reunite, it feels as if they picked up where they left off. They discuss politics and what has happened to their "selves"- it appears that their paths could have crossed but didn't. I think it would have been interesting if they had run into each other in American territory- would the romantic element be so strong? The cozy European backdrop to these films adds to that slightly carefree romantic quality.

It feels as if these actors are truly their characters, infusing their lives into the characters' stories. Their desire for something different, for a different past, perhaps, is evident throughout the film. This is especially seen when Jesse is discussing his marriage. He always really wanted Celine but knew that wasn't realistic, just like assume this high quality of romance is not always going to be there. Nothing is really forever, even marriage (which many people assume and take for fact that it is). Marriages almost don't account for the amount of change that happens throughout life. How can you always desire one person all the time? Desire changes just like we do and I'm sure the reality of marriage is hard at times (I can safely say this through my observations of marriages around me).

That's what made Jesse and Celine's night so great- there wasn't a great amount of change and there was no pressure, no promises, no commitment. Now that these characters are older and have made some commitments, they understand the poignancy of that night even more. They get what commitment can do to you, how desire can thrill you in a particularly powerful way when you haven't felt it in so long, held by this promise of forever (forever in marriage for Jesse and forever in independence for Celine).