The entire creation of this narrative has allowed me to think more critically as I write from my own personal experiences, using and evaluating the writing we have read from comic memoirs like Stitches and Spinning. I was also able to practice writing as a process, continuing to edit my work even after the final comic was drawn. By doing so, I was able to approach my essay through another lens, which helped me to reconstruct my essay to highlight the main points that became visible during the visual aspect of the project.
Returning to my project after having created the comic made the message that I was trying to communicate a lot more visible, and I was able to easily pinpoint how I needed to better organize my essay for it to convey what was shown in the illustrations.
I see my narrative to be placing most emphasis on how my AP Lang teacher impacted my reading and writing experience most positively. So, I tried to refocus my essay in a way where it doesn’t make my elementary and middle school experiences too overpowering. I also tried to steer away from my writing to be so chronological, which is why I edited most of the paragraphs before I got into the quarantine/zoom class experience.
The rhetorical situation for my mix is “making pancakes in the Complex kitchen at 5 AM.” My roommate and I have done a lot in the kitchen of complex, from making quesadillas and pancakes to baking a whole birthday cake. I decided on a mood shift I wanted to create that follows how Carolina and my mornings go.
We usually chef it up in the morning, so I started with some light-hearted, cooking-inspired music (Le Festin from Ratatouille and Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast by Pink Floyd), followed by some silly dancing music. There is an instrumental interlude (Everything Happens To Me – Live by Joe Pass) for enjoying our food, then some more thoughtful, introspective music for when we talk about our plans for the day or what our week has been like so far. My mix conveys the feelings/moods/behavior I go through while cooking at 5 AM–still half asleep, maybe a little out-of-it, but having fun.
The nature of this three part literacy narrative has presented a perfect opportunity for me to think introspectively throughout this semester. The topic of how my journey in reading has molded me growing up is something I have rarely thought about. I think this was reflected in the flaws of my first narrative because I focused way to much on now and not enough on how I got here. One of the biggest edits I made for my final narrative was to expound upon my transition from books to reality. I was inspired for years by the fictional characters in the literature I read growing up, but it took some special role models in the real world for my eyes to be opened to my true potential. In my final version, I made sure to emphasize that critical transition so that my childhood experiences with literature could be better understood as a cause for my development. My experience with trial and error in my writing this semester follows the learning outcome of writing being a process. The sketching of this narrative was also monumental in my understanding of that transition that I had from books to reality. The process of examining some of my classmates’ narratives allowed me to compare with stories with that of others. I was also able to take their advice and encouragment to improve my own narrative. For example, Tofi complimented my targeted capitalization of words of emphasis in my sketch, so I made sure to add even more of that to my final version. That process followed the learning outcomes involving being collaborative with my classmates and evaluating the ideas of others.
Me and my roommate play songs on the speaker every day, but there has been a lot of exams coming up which has caused the atmosphere in the room to be quiet and stressing. Because of this, I want to make a playlist that would create only good vibes in the room. One restriction I gave while making this playlist is to choose songs that both me and my roommate know and are able to sing along to. When creating the playlist, we tried to think of songs that gave more of a relaxing effect. As we added more songs, we realized that the songs we chose became more intense. Even though the songs became more fast-tempoed, it was still able to lighten the atmosphere of the room, in fact, it may have been even better than choosing relaxing songs. For the last song, we decided to support our fellow Emory student’s music career (and we thought it was a fun song). Overall, this playlist is made to be a refreshing playlist if anyone feels bored or stressed. In the future, I would keep adding new songs and update the playlist as it is a playlist that could be played anywhere anytime.
The rhetorical situation that I’m addressing is the “stick season”, which describes the period of time between late October and early December. During this time, the leaves start to fall, the weather gets colder, and you start getting this weird, yet familiar, happy-sad sensation. The specific rule that I set for my mix is that all of the songs have to be 2 words (with the exception of “Motel 6”). I think that there is no way to really “solve” the problem that my rhetorical situation presents, rather it’s a matter of validating and sitting with those complex feelings that overcome you during this time of year. So, I ordered the songs going from most happy to most sad, following the path of emotions during “the season of the sticks.” I hope that my mix conveys the natural course of how humans respond to changes in the environment… weather and all.
I wanted to make a playlist with songs that had to do with driving a car, so I searched through my music to find songs that fit this category. The only requirement I made for myself was that there had to be the word “car” at least once in the song, not including the title. When compiling the mix tape, I realized there was a wide variety of songs of all different genres. There were some country songs, some sad songs, and some upbeat songs. I decided to organize the songs from saddest to happiest. The intent behind this was to create a mix tape for people who are having a bad day and need to go on a drive to clear their head. The songs will start off slow and sad, allowing the listener to get any tears out. The tempo and beat slowly begins to build; the middle songs consist of chill and peaceful vibes. The songs at the end are primarily country and songs you can sing to. With the happy songs at the end, the listener can return home in a much happier state of mind than before.
Recently I became friends with someone from the north who is new to country music. When I saw the prompt for the sketch, I knew I wanted to make this playlist for them because of my passion for the genre. As a Nashville native, country music courses through my veins. I love the calming nature of the music and the simple lifestyle it endorses. I was able to make the mixtape cover using stock 3D models on PowerPoint. It is meant to represent the country lifestyle I hold dear and shares inspiration from album covers by Riley Green and Morgan Wallen. The most difficult part of this assignment for me was only picking one song from some of my favorite artists to add to the playlist. But, I was still able to pick some of the most iconic and classic country music songs that are a must-listen for those interested in the genre. This was one of my favorite sketches of the year because it allowed me to feel connected to my roots and share a passion of mine with others.
The rhetorical situation I’m taking listeners through is one that resembles the love cycle that everyone is bound to experience. It has 6 main phases which are meeting someone, falling in love, dating/solidifying a relationship, the relationships struggles, there’s a breaking up, and finally each party ideally moves on. I wanted each song I chose in this mix to explicitly mention love as I feel it helps connect listeners to this “love cycle” more deeply, encouraging them to really contemplate a situation in which they were in love and the story of it going awry if it did. The choices I made regarding song selection are made to take the listeners through each phase, for example, in the “breaking up” phase of the love cycle, I used the song Strange by Celeste which talks of the strangeness of how two people can move from “strangers to friends, friends into lovers, then strangers again.” From this song selection I wanted listeners to be brought into the melancholic state following a break up when two partners become cold, almost complete strangers, towards each other. As for the cover of my mixtape, one of the choices I made and would like to point out is in the left group of hearts that have become incompatible after they broke up. This communicates the idea that once a strong bond between two people is broken, it’s hard to reinstate that connection as the two parts don’t fit together anymore. My mix conveys the idea that the process of falling in and out of love is a continuous cycle that follows a general pattern. It does so by highlighting each of these major phases through the collection of sounds and lyrics that induce deep thought of love. Hearing others feel this strong emotion encourages listeners to contemplate how this feeling has found its way into their own life. This pattern is called the “Sadder Cycle of Love”. Breaking this cycle is congruent to one finding their true love.
Embarking on the literacy narrative project, I was challenged to weave my personal experiences with reading and writing into a coherent and engaging narrative. This task resonated with the course outcome of composing texts in various genres and modes. The project demanded a balance between narrative storytelling and reflective analysis, integrating personal anecdotes with a broader exploration of literacy. This blend of genres enhanced my ability to communicate effectively in diverse literary forms.
In addition, the literacy narrative project exemplified writing as a recursive process, aligning with the course’s third learning outcome. Crafting this narrative involved multiple stages of drafting, revising, and refining my thoughts. This process was not linear; it required revisiting and reevaluating my experiences, demonstrating the iterative nature of writing and its potential for personal discovery and expression. In the first draft of literacy narrative 1, I had difficulties balancing the writing process with my own reflection and thoughts. The literacy narrative comics helped me a lot with consolidating my ideas and contents. In the comics, I try to use as less words as I can to explain the context and convey my ideas clearly. Therefore, when doing the literacy narrative part 3, I can better concise my words and narratives. When finding a clearer theme of the whole essay, I also have a more evident outline of my reading and writing journey.
Writing the literacy narrative was an enlightening experience that extended beyond the realm of a simple assignment. It was an opportunity to introspect, analyze, and articulate my journey through the world of literacy. This process not only met the learning outcomes of our course but also provided me with valuable insights into my own development as a reader and writer.
Inspiring from the example “a mix for a good friend who had just went through a bad breakup”, my mix tape centers around the universal theme of love and romantic relationships, a subject that resonates deeply with most people. “Love Tale” was envisioned as a narrative arc, taking listeners through the euphoria of new love, the complexities of deepening intimacy, the turbulence of relationship challenges, and the introspective aftermath of a breakup. The intent was to create not just a playlist but a story that resonates on an emotional level, reflecting the highs and lows of romantic endeavors.
The mix tape has a chronological narrative: the songs were carefully sequenced to mirror the timeline of a relationship. For example, “Call Me Maybe” initiates the mix with its portrayal of initial attraction, while “Can’t Help Falling in Love” signifies the deepening of feelings. Each track was selected for its ability to evoke the emotions characteristic of each relationship stage. “Love Story” by Taylor Swift, for instance, captures the idealistic and dreamy nature of budding love, whereas “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran represents the maturity and depth of a more established bond. In order to ensure the genre diversity: I included a range of genres. From the pop sensations of Carly Rae Jepsen to the classic allure of Elvis Presley, the mixtape traverses various musical styles to ensure wide appeal. To maintain a rich tapestry of voices and styles, I deliberately chose not to repeat artists. This rule was crucial in ensuring a varied and dynamic listening experience, showcasing different perspectives on love and relationships.
In aligning with the chronological narrative, the mixtape starts with the bright and hopeful beginnings of love, gradually transitions into more profound and complex emotions, navigates through the struggles and misunderstandings, and culminates in the reflective phase of breakup and moving on. Each song was a piece of the puzzle, chosen for its thematic and emotional relevance to the stage it represented. The song choices were deliberate and purposeful. “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri, for instance, was selected for its portrayal of enduring love, symbolizing the commitment phase. In contrast, “Gone” by Rosé and “Love Me No More” by LinG articulate the pains and trials of a relationship under strain. The final songs, particularly “Someone Like You” by Adele, offer a powerful closure, encompassing acceptance and hope for future life.
Though not an explicit argument, “Love Tale” posits that the experience of love, in all its stages, is an integral and enriching part of the human experience. It subtly argues that each phase of a relationship, joyful or painful, contributes to our personal narrative and growth. The mix tape, in its compilation and progression, suggests embracing the full spectrum of love’s experiences.
