Hi everyone!
So, I'm thinking that I'd like to focus my final project around the idea of the death penalty and the issues of power surrounding that issue. The opening writing assignment today was really helpful in kind of jump starting my brain about what exactly it is I want to do...basically, the following post is a repeat of the earlier assignment...I just free-wrote for 10 minutes about the issue and this is what resulted. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
Who decides who fries? Who fries first? Why do we fry them first? Did the last appeal get denied? Who decides the point of “last appeal”? Who decides who fries? Do the developmentally disable fry? Who’s developmentally disabled? What’s the lowest I.Q and who decides what the lowest I.Q is? Are more minorities fried? Who decides? Who looks at those statistics? Which prisoners who fry could afford their own attorneys? Which prisoners couldn’t? Who didn’t fry? Why?
I guess we should start with the definition of fried. There are two good types of being fried: the kind of fried where the result is a crispy, golden brown concoction like a potato pancake or a donut, sizzling in hot grease, trans-lucifying napkins upon contact—crunch and they’re gone. The other good kind of fried is when you are just absolutely blown out of your mind and the whole room seems to hum but you don’t mind. And you eat fried thing and they taste so delicious that it’s like you taste that fresh donut, coated in sticky white sugar for the first time, and it’s a revelation. It’s like life has never been so clear and new and exciting. Senses are heightened and dulled at once. Fried.
Then there is the bad kind of fried. The fried where you said good bye to your family two weeks before and now you are walking alone down a hallway. The funny thing is that there are similarities between the two types of frieds. Both of them heighten your sense and you experience things so intensely, you experience things as a fresh thing that you may never experience again. The bad kind of fried means you will definitely never experience them again. So enjoy that donut.
-Allison
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Hey Alison,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you took a risk and went for a blog that didn't exactally plan out your project. The word fried gives me a good image of the death penatly (thinking of the electric chair...ouch) but also so many other aspects in life. That's why I thought your free write was so interesting. The word "fried" gave you so many images of every day life. Like leaving your parents, or biting into a juicy donut. With this word, I see the corrolation between life and death. Life brings so many experiences and emotions whereas death is your final experience on earth. I'm not exactly sure where you're going, and I'm sure you're not either but at least these many images of "fried" could lead you to a great piece of art.
Allison, I love this free write it really got me thinking about the magnitude of how serious that decision is. I love your word play of alliteration, it sounded like a riddle that can get stuck in some ones head simply by reading ("who decide to fry?"). I also like the was certain words rhymes without the reader expecting it. In addition, I like the way how you address the subject, making it comical but have a weighty dept of solemnity. In addition, I love the repetition of the word fried and the different definitions you have it. You really painted a perfect picture of someone delighting in eating a fried doughnut. The line that stood out for me the most was the "trans-lucifying napkins upon contact".
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your freewrite, I never thought of the word 'fried' in so many different ways either. I think your play with language really forces the reader to wrap their heads around a lot of concepts that can just come from a single word.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in seeing where you're going with this. Are you going to find writings from death-row inmates that are about to get 'fried'? Are you going to just keep it fictional and maybe write what you think it would be like? I really like your idea of the death penalty, because it's been something I've always thought about. These people who are being killed had the 'power' over someone else's life, and now their power is being taken from them forever. I think it's worth exploring, but I don't really have any concrete tips to give you for it because I'm not very familiar with it. I think once you do research it will help. Actually, we have a really good family friend who is a prison psychologist, so if you think talking to him would be helpful, let me know - he's really awesome. Anyway, good luck and keep us updated!
Al- as always your writing has sucked me in. This, I must say, is one of the most disturbing selections posted, but nevertheless I couldn't stop reading. Your ability to combine those sensory details of taste with such a disturbing topic honestly made my stomach turn. I like what you are doing here, and I was waiting for the time when someone would finally post something for this class that seems a bit activist.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I enjoyed most about this segment was the rhythm. I couldn't stop bobbing my head with the questions. You string them along with a subtle use of repetition that helps to drive home the point. Who does decide? What does it all mean? In the end, it really does seem to boil down to that one question: why? I thought it was powerful and opinionated. While you have yet to take a major side either way, it is clear that the piece is leaning towards some kind of polarization.
One thing I am looking forward to is how you are going to tie in the Drop-Inn Shelter. If I remember correctly, you are one of the volunteers going to talk with people and help out. I wonder if you will conduct any interviews or what resources you are going to turn to. Will you always just free write from your own opinions? I wonder if you are going to turn this into a story or a poem or simply your thoughts and questions. Either way, great writing! So vivid and colorful. Good luck!
It's good to see a free write here. Having no plan is sometimes the best plan. When the nebula begins its ultimate trek toward becoming a star it is, yup, a nebula.
ReplyDeleteThe fried idea and the exploration of semantics is a powerful notion. Many an errant email has been taken way wrong because of the all important but missing vocal inflections indicating the speaker is in fact kidding. Just words aren't enough. There has to be some sort of something behind them. With regard to the death penalty, I'm afraid I have a pretty strong opinion and not much can sway my thoughts on that.
But...
If it's thinking you're wanting, ask folks who are personally involved with the death penalty instead of those who vicariously spout rhetoric from the safety of their arm chairs. It's always better to call on those with experience, such as myself in this case, to get as close as possible to that elusive truth. My experience is that my ten-year old cousin was kidnapped from her home and stabbed to death with a tired iron. So when you ask me about the death penalty, I say, in the case of her murderer, let MEEEEEE pull the switch.
So yeah, it's a fairly open subject that evokes many things in many people, so it can be a very fertile ground for growing a good final project. My thoughts are to get as close as you can to the source for the best, meatiest, no pun intended, stories and opinions.
Allison,
ReplyDeleteGreat free write! I laughed when I read this, and also thought differently about the sauteed onions I ate that night. :)
Another thing that comes to mind when you say "fried," is the idea of getting burned. This could be burned by something hot, like accidentally touching the curling iron, or eating pizza too quickly and burning the roof of your mouth. It could also mean getting "burned" by someone else. Someone saying something negatively to make you upset or to prove a point. This could play into the "Who decides what?" Why do people feel the need to bring someone down or "burn" them? Why do we decide to be nice to some people and not so nice to others. What makes the death penalty alright in some people's eyes and not alright in others?
Keep free writing and think of all the possible connotations of the word "fried." I think this will be a very insightful project. I'm excited to see where this leads.
Good luck! If I think of any other references I will let know you.
Mandy