Swenson

I feel sorry about profesor Swenson when his wife found out he was sleeping with Angela because everything wouldn’t have happend if Angela didn’t have a game planned. He was an easy prey. Although, cheating is wrong there are some people who like to ruin people’s lives.

Blue angel poem related

I was looking through the poetry book and as I read “pencil” pg 120 it remind me of the profesor and how Angela’s writing was able to attract him. The pencil can write multiple things and sometimes it may lie but it always have a strong attachment towards other people.

Blue Angel #2

So Angela didn't feel the same way about Swenson. That's a shocker. In the book, it says Swenson has been dreading that moment when she reveals why she really slept with him but if he was worried about that to begin with, he should have just not dealt with her. I find some of Swenson's actions unbelievable sometimes. I get that there has to be some suspension of disbelief here but come on, this man's actions are not realistic at all. The minute he got involved with Angela, he should have wiretapped every conversation after that just to be sure that if the story were to get out, he could control it with evidence. Then again, Swenson acting like an idiot sometimes is more likely of a scenario than someone wiretapping every conversation they have with a student after they sleep with them.

Blue Angel

I don't understand why the group critiques Swenson holds is such a big deal. Swenson acts as if Angela might just kill herself or stop writing all together if her work was to be critiqued at least once. It's weird. Swenson has this protective feeling towards Angela. He wants to shield her from the realities of the world, or in this case, the class. That would almost be kind of admirable if he didn't sleep with her. Something that threw me off a bit was when Swenson said that Angela's work was better than anything that was critiqued that semester. I understand He "loves" her but at that point, he's just begging for people to prod and figure out why he really favors Angela so much.

Blue Anngel

I found it a bit interesting that when Swenson took his daughter to the computer store, that he took the same route, and it almost seemed as if though besides the difference in character, the car ride too and from the store was almost the same. I also think that Swenson views Angela as his ' version' of what he expected his daughter to be, (without the sex ofc...) I think part of the reason that he is attracted to angela is one, He views her as a younger female version of himself, and two, I think in some regards, she is the daughter that never took up writing, if that makes any sense... I have yet to read the ending of this book. but that is my thoughts on how Swenson views Angela...

When Swenson took off to see his editor Len in New York about Angela's novel, I think he felt that he owed that favor to Angela and he had no choice because he had slept with her. I think it was foolish for him as a respectable writer and professor to ask his own publisher about his student work. And not forgetting left on thanksgiving weekend when his daughter was finally coming home to visit. I also feel like he was threatened by the way Angela came off on him and he taught that she would probably try to blackmail him if he doesn’t talk to Len about her novel. After his trip to New York, when he took Ruby to purchase her computer at the same store, he took Angela to get her computer, he was thinking about how Angela knows what she wanted and Ruby doesn’t, he was trying to make himself feel better about what he did, like Angela was up to this standard more like a women and Ruby is just a child. Also, when I read this part, I had this kind of nervous feeling like how he was feeling in the store, what if someone who saw him with Angela comes up to mention he was here before with another young lady.

Blue Angel

Angela had already made plans to bring Swenson down if he was not able to give the novel to the editor. After he was called to the Dean, he found out that Angela had recorded their conversation. She had revealed another side of herself. All this time she had on a facade. It's downhill for Swenson now. After confessing to his wife, she was furious and she is went to Shurley's house. The same goes for his daughter who will not be spending Christmas with Swenson. He risked everyone including his career for someone that he was not obligated to give special treatment. I think since he lost motivation in writing his novel and how he saw so much passion in Angela's writing, he fell in lover with her. I guess it was his twisted psychology that if he tries to get closer to Angela, maybe something will spark in him. I may be wrong but he metaphorically saw Angela as the pen to his novel or the gate to new ideas? Anyways that's how I see it.

blue angel -swenson

I feel really bad for Swenson because when he got exposed with whole Angela situation, his wife leaves him he starts getting depressed, starts drinking and he loses his job.While Angela gets a book deal and having his editor tell him that he should give up fiction stories and write something about substance abuse. However I also feel like he kinda deserved it with his childish behavior and cheating on his wife instead of being honest with her and telling her what he has been feeling in the marriage and if that could have fix it together.

Group Critique

In todays group critique I feel as it helped me understand more of what I need to add onto my writing and what I am already doing good. I feel as the group critiques are beneficial and give good feed back to us.

group critique encounter

For group critique I liked the feedback that I got from the group and also the person who read it before. I made a mistake that I am happy I now know though because I thought I had to establish whether the poem I had written was real or not so I had it as non-fiction but I learnt that it should no be incorporated. Another thing that I liked was that everyone could understand what was being established in the poem. Someone also that they liked the suspense I gave as it kept them in the position where they wanted to read more. Conclusively I am pleased to know that what I meant to do was actually done and the concept was grasped so my mission was accomplished.

Group Critics

I think that is the best thing the professor has provided my class with. Usually in English class or any class only the professor may read your work or you'll only have one student say something from a swap. Being that a whole group reviews my work and gives me feedback is amazing. While they are reviewing my work I get to see some of what they have been working on to. I love constructive criticism so this is the perfect opportunity because there is always room for improvement. 

Group criticism

I like having different perspectives on my work because everyone thinks different and want to see my stories go in all types of directions.

group critique

today group critique really made me feel like i am going in a good direction with my writing.  I got feedback that i think will help me finish this piece and even start the next one. I am enjoying reading my group members work because they are all writing about things that are totally different from each other and it interests me because we are in the same group with such different ideas of what writing is.

Mosque Shootings Memorial

I wanted you to know about the memorial for the victims of the mosque shootings in New Zealand. It will happen tomorrow in the Holocaust Center from 12:30-2:30. Details below:

Swenson’s curiosity

From what I understand it would appear that even though what transpired between Swenson and Angela was wrong he was trying to “feel Angela out” meaning see where her headspace is at after they have had sex. It’s as if he was doing a mere observation of her, analyzing her; so as to see if she gave off some form of impression that she’d like to have sex with him again. He would have hope to determine whether there would be an end or it would be continuous. Angela however, pretended as nothing transpired between them but there were implications that something had changed because she had seemingly lost respect for him. She used cursed words as though she was now in some form of control. Her behavior altogether after what happened between them both placed some weirdness in the atmosphere. Things were never the same.

Blue Angel scene.

I feel like swenson is really falling in love with Angela that she’s really just all over his mind day by day it becomes a deeper obsession. He has deep emotions on this situation as to why she wont mention their sex. I’m a way before he didn’t know if things would become uncomfortable and unprofessional but now he’s making it that way. In a way from a girls perspective I feel like Angela wants to talk about the sex but she wants him to come out with it first. When she keeps coming at him with how he doesn’t call her over her “pages” Like any girl, it’s something deeper than just those pages because he just didn’t call her period. How do you just have sex and now even speak the littlest thing about it or even give a call? Maybe I’m reading to deep into it but i think that could be true.

Blue Angel- Swensons life

Swenson from beginning to end of the novel is dealing with many troubles. By then end of the novel it becomes overwhelming to even the reader. Working at a college where he does not enjoy his job, he has aspirations to be a writer and so he works towards it. His relationship with his wife  becomes stagnant and boring and essentially loses connection with his daughter due to who she chose to date. He then has sex with a student who uses him and exposes him, making him lose his family, his job, and respect for himself and people around him. Swenson's fall from grace is surely a sad one, but one he brought upon himself.

Blue Angel

Ted seems very confused, hes lost right now. He feels as if Angela is just using him for his connections and buisness status, she asks him if he can show some of her work to his publisher. Ted doesnt really know what to do.

Blue Angel.

I feel that from the bottom of page 185- 188, Swenson is losing his power over Angela. Swenson should have some authority over Angela, as a teacher, but you don't see that here. Swenson is saying that he'll bring in Angela's novel to his editor, but deep down he doesn't really want to, but he doesn't say no to her. If you read further in the novel then Angela curses Swenson out and he kinda doesn't do anything about that as a teacher. I also feel that Angela is trying to warm herself up to Swenson so that he does send her novel to his email. Further into the novel Angela admits that she slept with Swenson only so that Swenson would read and critique her novel. So perhaps this part shows that Angela is just using Swenson for her own personal gain, but Swenson doesn't pick up on that.

Blue Angel

In this scene from pages 185-190, It is the class after Ted and Angela had sex, and all of a sudden Angela asks Ted if he can show his agent Len her work that she’s showed him, and there’s growing suspicion in Swensen’s mind as to wether or not she’s simply asking for a favor, or if she’s using him for his links and connections to benefit her. As mentioned in the book, it appears to be that Angela could possibly be blackmailing him in favor for rewarding herself. As the book goes on, There’s growing suspicion and guilt by Swenson that his life is recked and ruined. It’s very ironic how in Angela’s novel there’s intimacy between a teacher and a student just how it’s going in real life for Swensen and Angela, and if Swensen shows his agent it could lead to suspicion and question to wether or not he’s sleeping with Angela, as it occurs later on in the book.

I agree with Swenson that people are the ones that usually get themselves caught. It seems to be human nature to express important or rule breaking things to people. When we don’t it can stress us out. Often people will even tell a stranger just to feel a sense of relief. It is kind of sad but I am always one of those people. I have a hard time keeping things in and usually just tell people how I feel or what happened. I feel like Swenson might slip up and do the same.

Blue Angel- Angela's plan

As we read on in the book, we find out that all this time, Angela has had a plan to use Ted Swenson for his professional connections. Being a young girl, it is quite impressive that she both is able to come up with a plan that goes this well and that she is willing to go the lengths that she did just in order to achieve what she wants. Swenson returns from New York and tells her the publisher wasn't interested in her story,  and that's when Angela yells at him and reveals that she herself has been recording their conversation and will take it to the Dean.

Blue Angel

I think that Swenson is going to end up telling on himself about having sex with Angela because he’s just always in his head about things and he already thought about talking to Magda about it. It’s only a matter of time because secrets like that don’t stay quiet forever.

Blue Angel

It seems that Angela has doubts that Swenson won’t show her novel to his editor.

Blue Angel

Swenson is surprised that Angela is upset he didn’t call her and the reason he’s surpised is because she wanted to know what he thought about the nextt part of her novel. She didn’t even mention anything about the sex. He’s beginning to believe that she had sex with him for a favor and I soon come to find out that it’s exactly why she did it. She confessed to Swenson she did it so he could talk to his editor about her novel,  after he returned from New York with bad news. I wonder if she’ll get him back for this by telling someone about the hook up and get him in trouble. It’s only going to get worse for Swenson.

Blue Angel, Week 4

There is an interesting moment on pp. 227-233 where Swenson takes Ruby to buy a computer at the same store where he took Angela on the day that he had sex w/ her. Look over this scene again and remind yourself of how you felt. I felt very tense reading it, but maybe you felt differently?

Other questions:

• Ruby tells her dad about an incident where a group of fraternity guys pee all over one of the guys' ex-girlfriends. We're in Swenson's head and so we know that, instead of feeling sorry for the victim, he feels sorry for himself and his daughter. Why?
• Ruby hasn't been introduced until pretty late in the novel. Why do you think that is? How does her presence affect your reading of the novel?
• How did you react when Swenson decided to go to NYC the day after Ruby came home? 
• In what ways does Swenson compare Ruby to Angela? How did you react as a reader in these moments? 
• What other questions do you have?

Blue Angel

It’s crazy how Swenson is willin’ To risk everything for Angela. His affection for Angela is blindin’ him from what’s happenin’ around him. He obviously doesn’t care about his students as much as he cares about Angela. He doesn’t give anyone else credit for how hard they have been workin’ on their novels. When Angela attacked Meg about her novel, he did nothing and just let it happen. But once the class started to criticize Angela’s work, he quickly came to her rescue. Honestly can’t wait to see what happens.

Victim

 “ It really hurt my feelings. I though professor Reynaud really liked my book. And then to find out it was because he just wanted to sleep with me” This is really shocking she knows how to play the victim really well. She knew what this book will cause on professor Swenson, she was the one who insisted in him going into her room. She likes to play with his mind and sadly the profesor world is falling apart.

Angela’s parents

In pg. 296  “No ones surprised by any of this. It’s all been arrange in advance”. This means that we were right about Angela  being that student who got involved with a teacher in the last school. In the meeting with the profesor  her parents were really trying to save Angela’s reputation by saying it was one of her friends. Now her parents don’t seen surprise because it already happend. This make me thinks her parents have psychological problems too!

Angela's shocking statement

I almost bursted out with laughter when Angela told Swenson that the tattoo she got on her upper arm was his name... Swenson was like: you're joking right?" Thereafter I came to realize that it Swenson was fortunate enough that she professed she was only joking. She went on to add that she had made a vow to God that she would put the image of a cracked egg with a little chicken peeping out if he helped her finish her first novel.

Swenson's prolonged overthinking

Swenson had this plan to go computer city with Angela however he didn't necessarily want to disclose it to his wife Sherrie. As he was laying in bed he calculated his thoughts and found himself rather ashamed by the fact that that he de did not inform his wife and struggled to do same.  I realize how he pretended to be asleep when his wife got up and when she was leaving how he thought of rushing to tell her. He thought of all kind different sort of way how it would have affected his wife if she discovered that he went out with her. In my head I'm like if this man has to overthink so much why not just indicate to your wife of your plan for the day but I figure that the fundamental reason why he did not want to do this is because he did not want to raise any suspicion.

Blue Angel

Something that surprised me is just how easily Swenson fell for Angela. He barely knew anything about her and the one concrete piece of information he got out of her turned out to be a lie according to the talks he had with her parents. I can't understand why Swenson would risk his entire career for Angela. Sure she's a good writer but is that reason enough to throw away his life? He even states that Angela is the least seductive person he knows and that her appeal lies in the effort she puts into not appearing desirable. I didn't realize how deep this affair went until I re-read page 187. Swenson actually feels sorry about not calling Angela and talks about the affair as if it were a relationship. When Swenson states "All the time", he ponders whether or not that was a declaration of love and that was enough to blow my mind. A declaration of love? Come on. I guess Swenson's infatuation of Angela is very strong.

Blue Angel

When Swenson had the meeting with Angela's parents and the topic of a  former teacher having an affair with Angela's friends but not her, it made me skeptical that either the Parents were lying or she kept it a secret. There is a possibility that Angela had an affair with her other teacher considering that she slept with Swenson. I have a  strong feeling that she knew this was going to happen with Swenson. If she didn't know then why didn't the book show her being unsure about having sex with Swenson or trying to resist it which she did not. Now that the deed has been committed, Swenson is going to live in guilt especially with Sherrie. It will eat him alive and he might end up telling her. Although he doesn't like his career that much, this was a big risk he took and it will end everything including his reputation. What's Angela got to lose? Nothing.

Blue Angel

I feel that since now Angela and Swenson have had intercourse she will blackmail him. That's basically his job in the palm of her hand she is now in control. Maybe that is how the book will end because the sexual suspense has already been revealed so that's my thought on that because it's clear they aren't suppose to be active together but I feel Angela used that to her advantage now what ever she wants is hers.

Swensons talk w/ angelas parents

I think that Swenson is starting to think that maybe Angela isnt who he thinks is. He recalls her saying that her father is dead but now its her 'father' talking to him about how much Angela looks up to Swensons writing

Blue Angel

      From the reading we got to see what really happened to Angela’s father and how he had emphysema the whole time she mentioned him being sick. She goes into a situation where Angela’s father was st the grocery store and he seemed to be getting winded and and had to sit down because he couldnt move all that well. As well as the interaction with Angela’s mother.

Scene of Angela parents

I feel this scene is important because of two things. One being that Swenson is getting into the fact that Angela might have been lying about her parents now because her “step”  dad seems to know everything about her since she was little. “ back when she first learned, i got her a computer”  to me seems like he has been around when Angela says he was dead. Another thing is i sense Swensons nervousness in the room asking questions because he doesn’t want to sound like a creep or maybe even the character of her story but come to find out Angela might has encountered things as so at her middle school.

Blue angel

Swenson is trying to get to know Angela, he ends up meeting her parents which he also does end up learning a couple of new things about her. He thinks something is off about angela as if shes hiding something.

Blue Angel

This section of dialogue is important because Swenson is starting to find out things about Angela. He's also starting to realize some inconsistencies with the little information Swenson knows about Angela. The fact that Angela's father showed up at the conference when we were made to believe he killed himself makes us and Swenson start to question Angela. Why did she lie about something like that? What does she stand to gain from it? The detail about the scandal involving teacher student relationships that was brought up by her parents may be the reason Angela is writing her story. Maybe it has nothing to do with Swenson and she's just remaining what happened with that situation.

BLUE ANGEL- Angela's weird sex story

In class we had the "pleasure" of reading Angela's strange sex story about a music teacher and his student. I put quotations around pleasure because it was uncomfortable for myself, my classmates and also the character in the novel. The sex scene that Swenson reads makes him question himself and his actions (sleeping with his student) and it gets very descriptive. They even misuse an egg that could have been used to feed someone.

Blue Angel

When Swenson meets Angela’s parents, I think he is trying to learn more about Angela from them. Swenson also mentions that he seems the resemblance between Angela and her step-father. They look alike, and they’re both clumsy which makes me wonder if Angela lied about her biological father killing himself, as she is known to be a liar.

BLUE ANGEL-Parent interaction

Later in the books, we see that Angela has informed her parents about a parent teacher conference and wants them to especially meet professor Swenson, for he only has good things to say about her. We see the awkwardness of the interaction die down and rise many times, like when Swanson begins to wonder in his head if Angela's father is truly not related to him and especially when he is informed that in her old school, there was a situation where one of her teachers had sexual relations with students and one of Angela's close friends. Swenson's mind is filled with questions from beginning to end.

Blue Angel

I think that Swenson is trying to figure Angela out but without actually asking her, but also he more curious to find out if the writings were true.

132-136

I’m this section Swenson and the audience get to meet Angela’s parents. Getting to know her parents gives us more information on why she is the way she is. For example, she wears heavy jewelry just like her mother. The stepfather is also clumsy when he ran into the door and Swenson sees how clumsy Angela is so he is skeptical that he may be her biological father. He also believes he resembles Angela as well.

Blue Angel (Movie)

After rewtaching, the scenes from Blue Angel I started to notice a few things. The professor came back to the Blue Angel to give back Lola's garment that was put into his pocket by one of his students. Throughout the scene, you can see how Lola was flirting with him continuously and he felt uncomfortable at first. Then she says "you should send me a postcard one day" later on in the film he's seen selling those same exact postcards of his wife. The movie just looks like a cycle to me, this isn't the first man she's treated like this. Who knows all the other clowns could be her ex-husbands.

Blue Angel, Week 3

Several of you have expressed the desire that Swenson won't sleep w/ Angela Argo. And yet he does. How did you react when you read that scene? Were you surprised? Why or why not?

Other questions:

• Swenson thinks after the sex scene, "Chicken soup! The adulterer's wife cooks him chicken soup. You couldn't get away with writing a scene so obvious and corny..." (177). And yet Prose is writing that scene right there. Does she get away with it? Why or why not?
• The sex scene is a kind of fulcrum, a point that pivots everything else. We've been heading toward this moment for over 100 pp and then it happens and changes everything. How do you see Swenson, Sherrie, and Angela now? What has changed? 
• After Swenson reads the sex scene in Angela's novel, he feels determined to prove that he's not the music teacher in her book, that he's better. What do you think?
• What does the broken tooth symbolize? 
• Now that the sex has happened, what do you predict will happen next? (If you've read ahead, don't give it away for those who haven't.)
• What questions do you have?

Library Session Answers

Prof. Mohess from the library responded to all of your questions. Check it out here. She wasn't sure how to answer a few questions, so feel free to ask me if you still have any. You can even post them here on the blog (and yes, you'll get blog credit).

A question I have found useful for my authors notes.

Group critique is going really great so far. I have gotten a lot of great feedback on my works, and I have used that feedback to go back and edit the works I am working on. But I am writing this for everyone in the class, and I have found a question that I have used on my authors notes that has given me the most critical type of feedback, and the question I put on my authors notes is this:

After reading my work, what do you think my major point of this writing is, or points?

Let me explain why I feel that this question should be on everyone's authors notes or at least a modified version of this question. When you write your works, you want to keep in mind that you are writing this for your reader to understand your points. If the reader is reading your works, and does not pick up on your points, then your writing is going to be pointless, no pun intended. In writing this question in your authors notes, what you are asking the reader to do is to tell you what they think you are writing on. If they pick up on your points, and what they write match what your end goal is for your work, then you have succeeded in writing your work. However, if what they write does not match what your intentions are with your work, then using what they think you are writing about, you can tweak your writing a bit. And just keep asking that every time you present your writing in group critique, so that eventually you will write so that the reader picks up on your points. If anyone has any questions on this just leave a comment, and I will try to clarify anything I can.

Writing my Non-Fiction piece

I started writing my non-fiction piece of writing for my collection, and I'm going to admit to you, its really not that easy. I'm not going to be writing a novel here, more like a 4-5 page piece. Let me explain my theme for my collection real quick. 

My theme for my collection is, Space exploration, and what I want the reader to grasp after reading my collection is that space travel is a great journey that we as humanity will be taking, yet throughout the collection I want to make the reader understand there is a certain way of going about exploring space. If you have ever seen the movie Avatar, by James Cameron, you will understand why approaching the idea of space travel carefully is an integral part of space travel.

Anyways, my intention with my non fiction piece of writing is to show the reader how humans should approach a new planet. I want to point out the fact that we should not go in and invade a new planet if its full of life, I want to write about how humans encounter a planet with life on it, and instead of invading it, we should research the planet and its life forms, and also find a way to communicate with the life form, whilst coming to some sort of agreement.

So given this information, I kinda need some help coming up with plot ideas, any suggestions would be great, minor or major, doesn't matter, I will take them all into consideration. 

Blue Angel

After watching the movie I realized that in the book it was mentioned that Swenson went to see the same movie (we saw in class), in the summer. He also named his novel Blue Angel. It is very ironic that this part is mentioned in the book. Like the Clown in the movie foreshadowed the Professor's future, the same way the movie itself foreshadows Swenson's developing relationship with Angela Argo. He's already sort of admitted to himself he is developing a crush on her and he's imagining an inappropriate move on her from what I am reading so far. Swenson's desire and temptations are growing stronger for Angela and it obviously doesn't seem like this will end well.

In the scene that was shown in class, it is clear that Lola was flirting with the Professor. It seems to me that the Professor is unaware of it at first because he's so awkward when he's around her. It also shows the how Lola notices this and she begins her manipulation on him. I noticed this when he started paying more attention to her body, but still tried to act like a gentleman. It kind of foreshadows how the rest of the movie will play out with him being manipulated by her, marries her and that leads to his downfall as a respectable man to someone who isn't worth anyone's time anymore.

I think the director is trying to show the physical tension between the characters. Hes trying to show that something might happen between the two. They seem to act flirty and comfortable around each other but at the same time a little a uncomfortable with each other. He clearly likes her and doesn't know how to act around her because she makes him nervous.

blue angel clip

In this clip I feel like the author is showing us the professor is nervous around her and he doesn't know what to say and how to move. You can tell by him just coming back to return her garment he wanted to see her again. I sense in a way that Lola treats all men the same that's just how i kinda feel i'm not to sure of it. Everyone around doesn't even say much they all just stare which is weird, especially that clown. The whole movie him walking around was funny but not funny if that makes sense. That clown stares at the professor in a strange way the whole time which he doesn't really look deep upon but little does he know that by the end of the movie he's going to become that clown. While he's head over heels for Lola it's like the clown is that warning for him but he won't listen.

Blue Angel

 Watching that part again I believe that Lola Lola is being flirtatious with the Prof.
 For example when she says"they all come back for me", and sat him down at the table where she dresses. I think the prof was actually attracted to her at the same time so he played along with the flirting.

Scene-Blue Angel

When the professor returned Lola said: I knew you'd be back, they all come back. It stood out to me this time around than the 1st time I watched it because it helps me to understand that that it appears as though she's quite familiar with reactions such as that of the professor.  She also seemed confident that he was not he was not back on business or official related terms however, he had the shorts that was in his pocket that he is now returning that was probably a partial excuse as to why he returned and it was interesting to me that he did not blame anyone or mentioned that he wasn't sure how it got there but made it apply as though he took it and the fault was his.

Scene from blue angel

There were clowns and people playing music, I didn’t really get that part. The student is blantantly flirting with the professor and even managed to make the professor drop her box of cigarettes on the floor, so he would see her legs up as he’s picking it up. There were a couple of men hiding and eavesdropping, I think that’s foreshadowing that people will learn what kind of relationship the girl has with the professor.

The Blue Angel

The Professor didn't have to come back but he found an excuse to see Lola again. When she offered him to stay, he didn't resist. The clown's constant appearance implied that this would be important in the next parts of the film. It turned out that the Professor would give up his career for Lola and be the clown from the beginning of the film. Him becoming a clown shows that he was seen as a joke to the people. It makes me wonder if the Clown from the scene we saw was also Lola's love and she moved on from him to the Professor. I noticed the Professor has always been sort of weak around Lola like she's taking control of him and he's under her shadow even though he has a high status in the movie as a Professor.

The Blue Angel

The professor came back to return her garment back but also because he was intrigued by her. It's like he fell under her spell the moment he met her. I noticed that the clown is strangely walking by, maybe trying to see whats going on between the two. I also noticed how the professor acts around her. He gets nervous and doesn't know what to say.

Scene from Blue Angel

In this scene of Blue Angel, the professor has to return the woman's undergarments to her and in this process, he is invited into her room. You can already sense that he has a crush on her but now he is nervous and you can tell because he dropped all of her cigarettes. Before he room door closed, the clown walked through her room to the other side. I feel like had significance because he eventually became a clown after marrying her. The clown look gloomy and sad to even work as a clown and this is exactly how Professor felt as a clown in the end.

Scene from “The Blue Angel”

I notice that the clown always look at the profesor and it makes me think that maybe he was Lola’s ex lover. Which is a foreshadowing of what the professor would end up being if he continues with her. Also the profesor didn’t came back just to give her the panties. This scene gives the clue that the profesor will not be able to resist not going to that place because she likes to provoke.

The Blue Angel

There's so much in this scene. Where to begin?

There's the clown who always floats around the scene, looking like an angel of death, a depressed prediction of what Prof. Rath will one day become. There is the moment on the floor where we have Dietrich disembodied, becoming just her legs, like meat for the consumption of men. There is the fact that his students are spying on him so though he's falling in love, he's viewed as pathetic and contemptible by the rest of the world (prefiguring when he becomes a literal clown at the end of the film).

Blue Angel

     What I notice form this scene in Blue Angel is the professor acting somewhat nervous around the dancer/singer Lola and the students that are also hiding under the floorboards in her room watching the two as they speak to each other. The professor initially went back to Blue Angel just to return one of her garments that he went home with the night before as well as apologizing for the way he acted. and his behavior. Lola seemed to be very flirtatious with the professor by the way she first greeted him and told her why he came back. She was persistent in asking if that was the only reason he came back.

Blue Angel Scene

In this scene I think that the the miserable clown that passes through the room and stares at the professor is like a foreshadowing of what he is going to be like in a few years to come.
I also think this is where the professor starts to develop feelings for Lola Lola because of how nervous he acts around her.

Blue Angel Scene

In this scene, it appears to be some prediction of things that will later occur in the film, as the professor comes back to see Lola Lola. Also, the clowns are repeatedly just looking at the professor staring at him.

The Blue Angel

In this scene, the professor comes back to see Lola Lola and I noticed something interesting. The clown that is seen in multiple scenes throughout the film, stares at the professor. Clowns are supposed to be happy and funny but this clown stares at the professor with a solemn look. It's like the clown knows what the professor is getting himself into but he can't warn him about it and that's what makes him sad. It's foreshadowing what the professor becomes by the end of the film. He becomes a sad clown just like the one we saw in the scene.

Collective Deadline Coming Up

The faculty advisors of Collective have entreated me to solicit more student writing. Even if you don't think you work is related to the theme "Growth," please submit. They're looking for more fiction, poetry and essays.

Film- Blue Angel

The essence of the film for me contained mix moods. There was intervals when it made me laugh or wanted to laugh, cry or feeling like same. I realized from the get go that Lola seemed flirtatious and seemed quite over friendly. I felt like even though somewhere along the line she seemed like she was giving the impression that she was into him, it wasn’t quite sincere. The attitude that the professor took on seemed to add no credit to him as a man and even so as a professor-a professionalism. One of the fundamental reason why the professor didn’t want his students in the club where Lola was is because he sees where it was impacting their young mind in such a way that displeased him. It affected the operation of his class. On the contrary, underneath he had fantasies about this girl. He had picture of here where he would blow on it to see her skirt get lifted. As time progressed the professor basically readjust his entire life that was cause him to fall eventually on a category where he didn’t even seem like he like his own life- that’s when things got sour. Rewinding a bit though, at x point he felt like he was so in love with this girl after numerous encounters with her, being in her presence, feeling entreated and led on by her. He eventually asked her to marry him- just before that point Lola was planning to go away for a year, “she professed.” Upon being asked, she laughed him to scorn. I actually didn’t know she was going to say yes. It would seem like she took him as someone who is awfully out of his mind for asking such a question. Imaginably the factors could have been the age difference for one as to why she laughed so hard and seemingly would have disagreed also it could have been that she didn’t see him seriously to the point he now wishes to take it, at that given time. Fast forwarding to the end part: she wasn’t so sweet anymore towards this professor. It seemed her pretense was coming to its closure. She began to let him seem and probably felt as though he was far from enough and rather distasteful. She treated him like crap. What I see that was done in this film, females often find themselves in the opposite predicament where a handsome young man or much older man would seem like gold to them as in the main attraction. He glittered their eyes and they would fall in love with the man and even want to run away with him

and or change their entire life to be with this man. It is rare where I see the man to the opposite by being so old and chase after a young female and the female ends up being the man’s sole lover. It happens in this age however, the professor would be like the sugar daddy as society would have it and   Lola would be the beneficiary. There’s a lot I could say about this film. It was quite interesting and rather bittersweet...

Library Survey

Professor Mohess has asked you all to take a brief survey. You can find it here.

Film

I really liked the film. It was very realistic with the meaning behind. When the profesor propose to Lola and she began to laugh I though she was going to say “of course not”. Also I like when the profesor start making voices of a chicken because it symbolized a lot how everything started. It also made me feel sad because I saw it as a sing for help but she was too busy with her new love.

Angela

I notice that Angela is the kind of girl who likes to dominate man. She enjoys using her writing to provoke her profesor to get advantages in class but she is not really into him.

Blue Angel and The Blue Angel

This week, we'll screen The Blue Angel, the classic German film by Josef von Sternberg. I believe that you'll see some thematic and narrative similarities between this film and Francine Prose's novel. As you're aware by now, Prose's novel and Ted Swenson's first novel are both named after von Sternberg's film. The professor is played by a giant of German silent and sound cinema, Emil Jannings. But the truly huge star in the film was Marlene Dietrich who plays Lola Lola, the cabaret performer. Dietrich was an unknown at the time (she has second billing to Sternberg), but this is the film that made her a star. She was an international film actress, singer, and sex symbol.

The Blue Angel takes place in Weimer Republic Germany between WWI and II. Berlin, where the film is set, was a haven of liberalism and sexual freedom in the 1920s-30s, esp. in the cabaret culture dramatized in the film.

Some questions that I have:

• Lola Lola is one of the classic femme fatales of cinema. In what ways does Angela Argo seem similar to her?
• In the film, the professor gets into a scuffle w/ a ship captain over Lola Lola. What is the purpose of this scene? Why does Lola seem to be attracted to the professor, esp. since she's so much younger? At what point does she fall out of love w/ him? How would you connect their relationship to Swenson and Angela's? 
• What do you make of the relationships that Swenson has w/ other women in his life: his wife, his daughter, Magda? In that lunch scene w/ Magda (pp. 76-84) why do neither seem to be hungry? In what ways are those relationships different than the one he is developing w/ Angela?
• What did you think about the fact that Ted reads Angela's "dirty" poems and then immediately goes and has sex w/ his wife? 
• What questions do you have about the film or the novel? 

Blue Angel

As I was reading the second portion of the reading assignment for Blue Angel, I had a thought. You see Swenson isn't working on a third novel, he seems to be more focused on helping students with their creative writing assignments. However, during the course of the book you can see Swenson focus more and more on Angela, and it hit me, maybe he thinks of Angela as a younger version of him, just in a female form. Now I haven't finished reading the second reading assignment, but it is interesting to think that perhaps Swenson isn't trying to have a relation with angela, but is jsut focused on her so much because he views her as a continuation of himself. Just a thought to think about, perhaps once I finish reading the novel, this might not at all be what he is trying to do, but maybe it is, and the author doesn't directly make that known to the reader.

Re group critique

I find that some persons like what I had for my writing as it was while others have suggestions and so forth which is totally understandable. I find that at times it can be confusing because just like poetry, other writings  about anything that someone does, I think  there will be multiple perspectives out there and not everyone will have the same take. Generally speaking, I think it is fundamental that a common ground be found somewhere in the whatever is being commented on or something because if not someone somewhere will always be fixing, fixing, and fixing because this person doesn’t like it, this person does, this person doesn’t and the list progresses... it can be confusing especially when you feel like you understand it, some does and some doesn’t. It would seem like a never ending process at fixing it to suit just about any and everyone at at large.

Blue Angel

At the end of the chapter, Angela is being one of Mr Swenson students acts too comfortable with him. She's being a flirt and in her writing, she mentioned about a student having a crush on her teacher. Mr Swenson is trying to figure out whether Angela is writing about him. There's a point of intimacy between the two. Mr Swenson is overthinking every move involving Angela. One time he was overthinking it was when she was going to walk in front of him, letting her body show and he didn't let it happen as he thought about it.

Group Critique

Today after group critique, I think I finally have enough feedback to finish one of my essays and also enough feedback to add a lot more writing to my foreword. It helps to read other peoples work so that you can see how they transition their paragraphs, I was having trouble with transitions but now after reading my partners work I think im okay.

Dead Chicken Theme in Blue Angel

Blue Angel is quite interesting of a novel, however there is this one theme that I think I picked up on, I am not sure however if it is actually a theme that the author meant to put in the book, however I can't help but think that this idea was put in intentionally. The idea is based off the mention of the kid having sex with a dead chicken. Throughout the first 63 pages it seemed that swenson has sex in the back of his mind, but when hr brings up having sex with his wife in the clinic that she works at, she kinda makes an excuse as to why they shouldn't have sex in the clinic. If you continue to read on, you come across the weird relationship in which swenson and angela start. All of this brings me to the conclusion that the kid having sex with a dead chicken is a representation of Swensons sex life, which seems to be dead. It explains why Swenson discusses the story with his creative writing class, and why it seems to come up throughout the first 63 pages. This of course is all speculation, but it is something to think about when you continue to read.

Blue Angel

It would appear as though Swenson was interested in what Angela wrote. As he came down to the part where he’s finishing, his expression is demonstrating that he probably read it before and she might have plagiarized. It would appear as though he picked up him phone because he was either going to verify what he found out or report it.

Blue Angel

       Towards the end of the third chapter in Blue Angel, the author begins to write about how close Angela and Swenson have become with each other and builds some context about their relationship. The way they act towards each other and even Swenson’s thoughts while he’s with her. From here it is safe to assume that Swenson and Angela will become more intimate or Swenson will put a stop before it goes to far.

Blue Angel

I feel like Swenson is intrigued by Angela’s novel. He really likes it and is surprised she could write something like that. He was skeptical at one point that she may have plagiarized. I have a feeling that he might get too interested and it could lead to something bad, judging from the cover of the book.

Blue Angel

After reading the first 25 pages of the book I was extremely confused. I have no idea what this book is talking about or where it is going. I tried to look for summaries to maybe help me figure out what I was reading but there are none online. If anyone can briefly explain to me what is going on or where to find summaries that might help me, please let me know!!

From the questions that professor Talbird has posted, this is what I THINK I know...

1. I think that Swenson has a comfortable relationship with Angela, I know that in the very beginning that were kind of joking around with each other. I think his relationships seem laid back.
2. I think this novel is written from a narrator and Swensons point of view. That makes the reader understand Swensons side of conversations and what not a little better then the others in the book.
3. Based on what I've read, I don't really know whats going to happen because I honestly don't even know whats going on at this point in the book. As I read on maybe I will have a better prediction of how the book is going to turn out.

Beginning Fiction: Blue Angel

Ted Swenson is a writer-in-residence at a liberal arts college in New England. It's a small town and everyone--not just the other faculty and students, but a waitress at a restaurant and the owner of the bookstore--know him and make assumptions about him, namely that he is working on his third novel. However, we, the readers of this novel, know something different. What does it tell us about this protagonist that he is teaching students how to write fiction and he no longer writes it himself?

Other questions:

• What do you think of his relationship w/ Angela Argo so far? His relationship w/ his wife? With his daughter? With his colleagues?
• What is the point-of-view of this novel and how does that affect the way you're reading it?
• Based on what you've read so far, what do you expect to happen? 
• What questions do you have so far? 

Poems

Reading poems helped me to express myself in an interesting way. Not everyone has to understand it at the beginning but after reading it many times you get closer to the meaning. I think everyone once in a while should seat and write something to developed your created side.

Deceiving Looks

                                                                  We all have them

Trying to keep them hidden 

Almost as tucking our own hem

Life is a given 

It must be treated as a gem

Looks come from where we are driven

Like a flower to a stem

Mistakes from our past MUST be forgiven

Don't you wish it could all be a rem

So much heartbreak that's misgiven

Trying to figure out what happen to the chem-

Wishing someone would just listen

My feelings soon will drive me to prison

Just to get away from the life I'm livin

- Chaela Parkes

"Today's Special"

The poem about 'today's special," without thinking or reading further ; one would probably think it's about food while one would think it's about something totally different. It goes on to say:
Today's special is all-natural rage,
grilled on a smoldering fire.
It's powerful flavor made subtle with age,
Today's special is all-natural rage. etc.

Smoldering means: when something is burning slowing with smoke but no flame.

To be honest I have ideas what it might mean but I cannot say that I'm sure that I fully understand it.
Once again I'll say poems I have been exposed to recently are harder to analyze correctly than I would have ever imagined.
This poem is on pg. 25 in the book "The best American Poetry," if anyone wants to help me pull it apart and better understand what it is trying to say.... It's not that I do not have any idea as to what it might be saying. I'm just rather uncertain....

How Poems Arrive

In the poem “How Poems Arrive” one very suggested theme was blind. He wasn't only talking about poems in general but he also listed some aspects of life. One of the examples he gave early on in the poem is how love is blind. And also with how most of the creations of poems happen on accident. She also describes how the majority of poems can be stuck up.

Poetry Questions

After reading Gioia I didn't really comprehend what it takes to write the best poem. I never knew really knew what poems mainly consists of until I've done a few lessons in poems in high school and some recently in this class. I never liked reading poetry at all due to the fact that comprehending it can go completely different ways. Making poetry seems fun since you're able to go anywhere when writing it. My favorite poem was Grief Runs Untamed and the one I struggled with the most is How Poems Arrive. Reading poetry teaches us basic comprehension skills, writing skills, and speaking skills. Reading a book of poetry was quite annoying at first but over time you can get used to it.

"Best Poetry"

Answering a question that Prof. Talbird brought up in his most recent post, "These are, according to Gioia and Lehman the "best" poems of 2018. Can you generalize about what it takes to write a "best" poem?". I'm not going to answer this question the way it was proposed, however I would like to explain my thoughts on why Gioia and Lehman picked the poems included in their anthology. I have a couple possible reasons as to why these consider the best poems of 2018. I think the major reason that they consider these poems the best of "2018" is that they challenge the reader. If poetry was easy to understand then it would not really be a popular literary genre to write in. Good poetry challenges the reader, as I mentioned in an earlier post, reading poetry is like trying to get in the mind of the writer, but only being able to see their face. Some poems you might not ever get the true point of. If you want a better explanation of why I think this, just think back to class, when we analyzed poems and, as Prof. Talbird stated in class, came to a consensus about what the poems meant. We came to a consensus because we could not figure out what the writer truly meant, which is why I think that Gioia, and Lehman picked these poems to include in their anthology, because these poems us force to think analytically. The second reason I believe that Gioia and Lehman picked these poems is because the writer's of these poems wrote them in such a way that truly brought light to the concept that poetry is a reflection of the writer. The consensus's we came to in class where about what the writer has intended on us reading. Sure some poems can be analyzed and the meaning pulled right out, but where is the fun in that? These poems demonstrate that the writer encapsulated the idea of hiding themselves behind words while also making their poems interesting to read and analyze. These are my reasons as to why Gioia and Lehman included poems in their anthology.

My experience writing my poem...

Let me just start out by saying writing poetry is a bit harder than I first thought it would be. When we had to write our own poems in class with the ABA, BCB, CDC rhyming scheme, I must say it was quite a challenge. However I started writing my own poem at home for my collection, and let me share my thoughts on it. I wrote a post earlier about poetry being a reflection of the writer, and I must say it does hold true. I will add to this view though, when I say that poetry is a reflection of the writer, most people might assume that the reflection is going to be in the time of the writer writing the poem. Let me clarify that, lets say person A writes a poem, person B reads it. Now, person B might come to some conclusions about what the reflection of person A is, however it does not mean it was a reflection of person A at the time that person A wrote the poem, perhaps it is a reflection of person A's core beliefs, and the persons dislikes and likes in life. For example my poem is about space travel, now one might come to the conclusion that space travel is great, and that I support the idea of space travel, however if you take a step back from dissecting the poem and look at the poem as a whole you might come to the conclusion that although I like the idea of space travel, I also like the realms of science and mathematics. So when you read a poem, perhaps take a step back and think about what the writer likes and dislikes. Anyways my second major point concerning poetry is that you as a writer will find yourself continuously going back and changing your lines, and how you structure and phrase your poem. I certainly did, and I am still looking back thinking about how to make my poem sound better. So my second takeaway is don't be discouraged because at first your poem does not sound "good enough", you'll just have to keep going back and fixing stuff up, every great writer in the world had to, and I am no "great writer" in history, so just imagine how many times I'm going to have to go back and edit lines and stanzas... Just some things to think about when reading, and writing poems.