Time Beings

The chapter, "Let it Snow" by Sedaris, is yet another example as to why Sedaris' book is not what it seems. My expectation for this chapter was for Sedaris to reflect on a childhood snow day spent with his siblings. Rather, Sedaris tells us the comical, yet troubling, account of a snow day spent trapped outside his house. Clearly feeling overwhelmed and exhausted from the pressure of having to entertain children during a blizzard, Sedaris’ mother takes an atypical approach to parenting–locking her children out of the house. “Selfish mothers wanted the house to themselves, and their children were discovered years later, frozen like mastodons in blocks of ice” (Sedaris 88). Sedaris and his siblings respond to their mother’s cold heart by having their sister Tiffany lay in the street, hoping she’ll get hit by a car, which will of course, teach their mother a lesson. The chapter ends with Sedaris’ mother trudging outside in no snow gear to go and get them, and the children as

 In the poems written by Smith and Sanchez, readers are confronted with a clear theme: the need for social change.  However, both poems take different approaches in commenting on this issue, as "Dinosaurs in the Hood" focuses on portrayal in the media in acting on double-time, and "For Sweet Honey in the Rock" focuses on a more urgent form of double-time.   Smith's poem develops the characteristics of an ideal movie--an ideal fictional, yet revolutionary cinematic narrative.  Like Sanchez' poem, which is more directly about a battleground, this film he describes is like a revolution: "where a cop car gets pooped on by a pterodactyl, a scene / where the corner store turns into a battle ground" (stanza 2).  Smith imagines a movie that "is not a vehicle for Will Smith and Sofia Vergara" (stanza 3), which suggests that it needs to be relatable and a social commentary on the social challenges/inequalities of minorities in society.  He also ass

 During my reading of the second half of Hamilton, I was completely captivated on the scene entitled SAY NO TO THIS which depicts Hamilton's struggle about cheating on his wife with Maria Reynolds but ultimately falling into his desire of lust and then trying to hide the fact by paying James Reynolds. I personally believe that the scene holds great importance because it clearly depicts the weakness of the human mind as the ensemble acts as the voice of reason but Hamilton succumbs to his lust.     To start off, Hamilton begins with a prayer to God to "show him how to/ Say no to this" invitation by Maria as "her legs spread and said stay" (176). Hamilton immediately going into prayer in order to try and resist his lust shows how quickly he became pulled into his lust because praying to God can often be seen as a last resort to people when everything else has failed and they put it up to the Lord's power to save them. In this specific case, we can infer that H

  Danez Smith’s poem “Dinosaurs in the Hood” is a fascinating examination of the role that time plays in conveying stories, specifically through filmmaking.     In his work, Smith envisions a movie in which Black communities fight dinosaurs and emerge triumphant.     As I read and listened to Smith’s work, I began to consider the way in which time plays a role in how we as viewers understand and respond to a person’s story.     Those involved in the production of a movie are given, roughly, a two-hour time frame to convey the intricacies and details of a story.     Smith compares the ways in which that brief and important period of time can convey either an uplifting or degrading story about the Black community.     In his poem, time is of the essence.     From the opening scene of his imagined film to its ending, Smith focuses on how the brief movie-going experience can convey a much longer, deeper, and more impactful story. In the second stanza of his poem, Smith writes, “Don’t let T

In recent years there has been much needed and overdue focus on diversity  of Academy award winners and  nominees , specifically since the 2015 Oscars .   There are  actually new   diversity rules that will take place in the coming years.   I think it’s important to hold Hollywood accountable in  creating films that are diverse in both casting a s well as  behind the scene s  like in production and whatnot . However, the issue of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups  in film  is more complex than simply  how diverse a film production  looks .    A solution to underrepresented racial group s ,  specifically black Americans ,  has been to create movies that are  generally focused on a common experience or struggle faced by the entire race .  Or ,   if  a struggle or painful experience is not  the focu s ,   th e n  racial  stereotypes are usually portrayed. The point that Smith  elaborates on  is to give  black people and people of color the freedom to act in movies that aren’t focu

     "Dinosaurs in the Hood" by Danez Smith immediately stood out to me. Its words, references to current social justice problems, and pop culture create such a clear and standout story. Smith urges society to stop allowing real social issues be portrayed in movies and tv by famous actors. This never-ending cycle takes away the validity away from these situations, and replaces it with glamour, fame, and seemingly impossible outcomes. If we are going to properly show real-world issues, we need a real-world cast–heroes who aren't famous, rather they come from broken homes, different races, and are all sorts of ages.      Smith's ideal movie  alludes to the fact of racial injustice is understood through film. There are so many stereotypes surrounding race driven films. Smith is tired of seeing mainstream actors like Will Smith play the hero in a story that is cheesy and unrealistic. These movies end with some sort of progression, but in reality, that usually isn't a