Transformation of Writing

When I think of writing I think of the written page, the novel being the ultimate end to what writing is.  When I write I keep in mind a plot and a setting, along with form.  However, Bernstein points out the fact that writing did not always exist for the purpose of being documented and kept permanently.  Writing was once an aid in memory that was intended for a larger end.  Bernstein shows a different way of interpreting writing by focusing on the production and transformation of writing rather than the storage of the written word. For example, Bernstein says, "the means of language and cultural reproduction always become a means of production and variance, as what is "stored" is transformed by the means of its imagined storage--so that it is a matter of morphing more than storing"(508).  However, the fact that one form of technology of writing changes dramatically or replaces another is false.  Rather it does "shift the balance and writing registers the change"(508).  By technology of writing I mean alphabetic, oral, and even digital which have changed the shapes of writing over the centuries.

Drift

Analyzing "Blue Velvet"

"Blue Velvet: Re-dressing New Orleans in Katrina's wake" explores in every direction the complicated set up of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  The way the project is set up is nonlinear, combining music, maps, and an array of information shown through a display of words breaking apart and combing with new words taking you deeper into new realms of information.  It is important how complex and nonlinear this project is shown to us because the authors want to convey a mood of chaos and darkness to the reader, showing the growing rates of structural racism in New Orleans as well as how the tragic events that took place could be traced back to neo-liberal practices in the United States. 
The authors of this piece hoped that people would leave with a better understanding of what is happening in New Orleans, as well as leave with a dark mood, a sense of shock at how America works and what was at stake for New Orleans.  The fact that words like melancholic and neoconservative fall from the top of the screen suggest the sad state that New Orleans has fallen into.  The dark gray background and floating words on the waves seen on the main page suggest a dark mood and the haunting of Hurricane Katrina.   Charts on the Bush tax cuts and percentages of the social class of Hurricane Katrina victims drift by, evoking a haunting message as well as a scholarly view of struggle in New Orleans. 
A traditional approach to this outline of life in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina would not be as beneficial as a nonlinear, more chaotic approach because a nonlinear approach serves as metaphorical and more interesting than just words on paper without movement and music.  For example, the structural racism in New Orleans seems to come in and out of view, mostly hidden by the news just as words seem to disappear on the screen.  Words and charts flow by to give a visualization of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. 
The most intriguing parts of this work were the falling and disappearing words, as well as the nonlinear path that the information takes.  I could be exploring the project all day, finding new realms of information at each click and turn.  The drifting charts make the information more scholarly and real rather than claimed evidence in rhetoric.   The moving background with various shades of green and blue capture a sense of motion on water very well.  The whole presentation captures your eye with words falling and drifting every which way.  In my own work I would like to capture the eye with various motion techniques as well as invisible words that pop out after being within sight of the computer mouse. 

Fly

I really enjoyed the animation of the cursive f turning into a butterfly, flying around and spelling "fly".  I found it clever to spell a word that resembles the letter at the end.  Also, turning the f into a butterfly was clever, knowing that a cursive f looks like half of a butterfly.  What I want to learn on Flash is how to make my letter move around even more.

the Power of S

I made my short animation resemble an S turning into a snake because the personality of a snake is similar to the letter S.  For example, both seem to sneak around silently.  I made the S grow into a snake instead of flow into a snake to show the power of the letter.  The letter S grows to engulf most words in the English language. 

Planning for the Project

For my first project, I plan to show a small "s" growing into a large snake who eventually screams or regurgitates something in the end.  My reason for this is to show how it defies the label of being the silent letter by showing up more than any other letter in our alphabet.  It turns into a snake because i associate snakes with a silent, sly personality which also can be attributed to the letter S.  I feel that even though the pronunciation of the letter seems almost silent, it can be forceful in some situations where words begin with S such as Sun. 

S is for Silence

Tracing back the history of the letter S, I found that it first came about through the letter sigma in the Greek alphabet.  S is known as the symbol of silence by the Romans from the sound that comes from S when spoken.  First resembling the letter W by the Phoenicians, and the letter f in Old English, the letter S transformed its shape throughout time to resemble our modern day letter.  It is now one of our most frequently used letters in English. 
What interests me about this letter is the way it is shaped.  It has curves which are opposite of each other yet symmetrical.  Also, I find it interesting that it is called "the silent letter" when it is one of the most commonly used letters in the English language.  The S resembles a snake, whose personality is silent but deadly.  By showing an animation of an S turning into a snake, I feel like it could help others realize the potentiality of this letter.  
http://www.alphabetandletter.com/S.html
http://www.fonts.com/AboutFonts/Articles/Letterseries/index.htm
http://babelstone.blogspot.com/2006/07/long-and-short-of-letter-s.html

the Sly Slithering State of the letter S

The first thing that pops into my head when I think of the letter S is a snake.  Snakes fascinate me with their mysterious and intense state of being, causing me to imagine that letter itself as a slithering, creepy thing sliding across the page with its coils.  It doesn't matter if it's uppercase or lower case, both have two curves that are exactly the same yet facing away from each other.  The letter S is ready to strike while it still retains its composure, a symmetrical masterpiece sticking out on the page through its smooth personality.  The letter S can be forceful if it has to, but mostly spends its time calmly making words flow.  I've never seen S extremely happy, it usually rolls around in sadness and a placid state of peace.  It is the most human letter I know, seeping out of mouths as it's spoken and is constantly around words to add a sense of plurality and peace. 

Wrestling with Words

As a writer, I am deeply interested in the psychological and philosophical aspects of the mind, expressing dark imagery and life questioning messages in my poetry.  Most of my poetry is free verse or in sonnet form, basically unraveling my thoughts onto paper as I sit and think.  I play in a band as a drummer, so much of my writing deals with beats, whether it is poetry with rhythm in each line or actual images of beats(a beating heart, beating a drum, etc.).  I am a very passionate person, so when I write, I use strong imagery to portray the emotions I am feeling at the time.  I think hard about each word I write on paper, which makes writing a complex yet fascinating art for me.Writing is my only way of really expressing intense emotion and description.