Response to Visiting Graves.
From a craft perspective, what I took from this piece was the use of the timeline/road trip as a way to describe physical locations; the relationship between him and his mother; and concepts like familial relationships versus imagined relationships with the famous (who can feel closer than family) and also life/death. I think this is an interesting essay for AM and I to read because we are planning a road trip as part of this project. I hadn't thought of using a simple diary structure (Anniston, Alabama, November 14, 2012), but it works and simplifies things. We can discuss if we will use this for our collaborative piece.
Another thing I got from this essay is the use of observation. This writer is essentially writing what he sees, without elaboration. There's not a lot of rumination or research or information provided. But it works. In many ways, that's how I approach the art criticism I write for the paper. I write what I see. In doing so, you not only end up with a visual narrative - showing rather than telling - but also the reader is left to draw their own conclusions as to what the piece means. I think such a style also allows for lyricism, and frankly, can be easier to write. This is what I saw; this is what happened. Mood also comes through quite naturally.
Oh and one other thing: the writer's relationship to the south is marked by iconic, almost touristy settings: Graceland, Nashville, the Reverend Al Jones' church. It's interesting to think about what marks something as "must see" location. Sometimes the most unreal spaces stand out in our minds as "the real".
Ooh, good point about the road trip as a frame. We should discuss! One thing that struck me was the way he was traveling north, not south. I couldn't imagine where he was going. Ha. Also good point about his writing what he saw -- it leaves space for the reader.
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