Wk 4- Grove

[ginny]

This is another wickedly rough thing-- it's tied to the week 2 material. When I was trying to decide what to write that week, I got entirely fixated on the zoo thing-- that was what I felt I needed to write about, but I didn't know why or how. This piece is a bit of exploration around that idea. It may be something in a much edited form that I could fold into the week 2 material once it was edited. Grove Week 4 Notes.docx (14.66 KB)

[saburcat]

Ginny,

I don't think this piece is as rough as you mention. I think it works so well--the gorilla photo, the book, the idea of being in the cage. You write, "I’m configured to figure through links. This is how my brain works, linking one thing to the next thing, and on, trying to make connections, trying to find meaning, trying to understand. I do this because my memories don’t play like movies. My story is negative space. My story is not clear." Your piece with the orange colors seemed somewhat disjointed at times (not in a bad way), but I think it illustrates what you explain here...that you make these links that might not make sense to someone outside your head, but it makes sense to you. Or it helps you make sense. My brain tends to go from thing to thing in haphazard ways, so I understand to an extent what you mean, but I can also feel the confusion you feel about telling stories.

I also loved, "When my brother was unable to communicate, still unresponsive, I whispered to him “You’re going to let me know what you need, right?” like I do to my aging dog, anticipating and hoping she’ll let me know when it’s time to let her go. I try to hear what can’t be spoken, who and what can’t speak—I try to translate through my body because I’ve been that fucking trapped and voiceless." The use of "fucking" here was striking for me. I tend to use the F word like pepper...I dabble that shit on everything. But when I saw it from you, I was taken aback and I had to reread that section. Maybe you've just been circumspect in your pieces so far, but I felt like your need to put that word there mean this was a very important (fucking) point for the reader to get.

Also, the "giving a voice to the voiceless" and comments about animals. I'm right there too. I sometimes think it's why I write as honestly as I can, because I'm trying to give voice to MY voiceless self...but still, no one hears me.

Great piece.

Louise