Directions:
Post the answers to the following questions here. Place your response or questions to Olympia above the answers. (You are not required to comment on your peers’ response for this assignment).
Discussion Questions
1. Setting: the story’s location in time and space.
What details about setting do you find in “Logic”? In what ways does the setting contribute to the story?
Consider the following:
a. Details indicating the time period of the story—season, era. (One such detail is in chapter 32.)
b. A change of terrain occurs in Chapter 32? How does this change affect the characters? What are the differences between one world and the other?
c. What do you know about the place? Is this factor relevant?
d. Gender roles indicate setting.
e. Do you see any inconsistencies or violations in setting?
f. What is the atmosphere? That is, what is the overall environment like, mentally as well as physically?
2. Plot: What happens in the story?
Briefly state the line of development. Is this story a rough-and-tumble thriller? Or is the development more subtle? Which scenes would you call most important and why?
3. Characterization.
Who are the characters? Are any of the characters flat or round? Static or developing?
Terms:
Flat – one-dimensional
Round – fully described
Static – a character that undergoes no essential change
Developing – experiences some substantial change in personal outlook or philosophy.
Is there an antagonist, someone definitely at odds with the central character?
Or there any stock characters (characters in stereotyped roles; for instance, the strong, silent sheriff; the innocent and helpless young person)?
4. Conflict
What is the struggle?
What are the 3 classic struggles we learned in high school?
5. Language
What symbols are used? How do we know they are symbols? What do they symbolize? Consider images in passages that contribute to the sense of the story.
Does the language, diction (word choice) remind you of a “kind” of writing?
What are examples of imagery (language that appeals to your senses)?
Choose two of your favorite phrases or sections, or respond to why you could not “see” things because of the language—were you indifferent?
How is language “misused” and to what effect?
One reviewer described Vernon’s novel “Logic” as a blues song. What do you think he meant? To really answer this correctly you should do an internet search on “the blues aesthetic,” and “Albert Murray + blues”
Vernon refers to a blues singer Robert Johnson on page 60. Below is a song by Johnson.
Kindhearted Woman Blues (take 1)
I got a kindhearted woman
do anything in this world for me
I got a kindhearted woman
do anything in this world for me
But these evil-hearted women
man, they will not let me be
I love my baby
my baby don't love me
I love my baby, ooh
my baby don't love me
But I really love that woman
can't stand to leave her be
Ain't but the one thing
makes Mister Johnson drink
I's worried about how you treat me, baby
I begin to think
Oh babe, my life don't feel the same Yo breaks my heart
When you call Mister So-and-So's name
(Break with guitar solo)
She's a kindhearted woman
she studies evil all the time
She's a kindhearted woman
she studies evil all the time
You well's to kill me
As to have it on your mind
6. What is the significance of the Anne Frank quote “Go outside, Laugh, and take a breath of fresh air,” a voice cries within me”?
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14 comments:
Ms. Olympia,
Let me first start off by saying how honored I am to be able to express my views on your masterpiece Logic. This was an amazing read. I was really blown away with the power behind the words and beautiful symbolism carried throughout the story. The ones that stood out to me the most was the continuation of fire usage and the birds. The fire symbolizes so much. Fire can either work positively in a situation or destroy at any given moment. I found each character to be perfectly written allowing this story to unfold in my mind. I was taken back at first because I don’t read many books or articles like this. I was amazed at the power and expression through each chapter. The language was inspirational and allowed me to understand the beauty behind the meaning. I loved how you opened the story with the quote from Anne Frank. This was very powerful in showing the fact that a child who was both blind and deaf could hold the understanding of the power of laughter. The innocence of children in our society today glowed through Logic. A few of my favorite quotes were: “Somebody told her that a woman without a map in her feet was running from a dream.” “It was no she or he….it was simply a victim.”(powerful) “A woman should always feel priceless, regardless of her surroundings”. Thank you for sharing your talents with students today. I look forward to your upcoming books!!
Setting: The story was set in the deep south of the Mississippi. Most of the story took place on particular lands owned by close neighbors rite outside of Valsin County. The time the story took place was never mentioned but is thought to be held around the time helicopters were introduced. We understand the slavery period but are not quite sure the actual date. We see at the end the helicopter is hovering over their heads. Each setting is described in a way to help the reader actually see the locations. For example, when speaking about the home of Logic, we understand the home was made of boards and wooden pieces either bought or found by her father. The boards are rotting away slowly from the inside first of this triangular framed home. Each board was perfectly laid except for one on the roof. We are told the house has a front porch that’s viewable by the neighbors. The roof is very high and the windows are very large. The continuous feeling of heat helps us to understand the time of year is either in the spring of summer. The plot of land is large and is surrounded by trees. There is a long dirt road separating the houses. A large pound can be viewed. This setting contributes to the story tremendously. I don’t think it could have been set in any other place. The deep south creates a sort of blues and sadness in its own. This story has that continuous feeling. In chapter 32, we read the characters have entered a change in terrain. “The Tallest” is familiar with this area and acts as the leader for Logic through this strange area. Logic is introduced to a change in her social views. She sees for the first time a black man strike a white boy as if commonly done. The child understands and was amazed by the differences creating almost another world for her. She is told not to drink form the W’s water fountain rather through the C’s. This side of town creates an overall warm and welcomed feeling for the two.
Plot: The story is centered on Logic, the 13 year old daughter of David and Too. We are introduced to the difficulties and unspeakable family problem with each character. Too works as a maid and midwife for the community members in Valsin County. She had the power to heal. When Logic was younger, she had fallen from the old oak tree outside the home injuring her with a large gash to the head. She never fully healed from the trauma and continues to live with a small mental problem. This problem is small, but is an explanation for most characters for her actions and little knowledge. She is raped by her father and carries his child through the story. Her neighbor is a prostitute who supports three children: The Tallest, curtis, and the girl. Through the story, Logic and the tallest develop a friendship allowing each of them to trust one another with their deepest secrets. In the end, logic’s child is dead in her stomach. She ends up killing her father with the gun that was always loaded in their home. This story line holds a continuous desire to know what the next step is. The progression is spaced out evenly and can be a little hard to understand at times due to the intense verbal relish. But, the relish helps the reader to understand the true thought behind each character. The scenes that I say are most important are the ones dealing with the emotions of each character. Every time it is mentioned Logic or children laughing, it is essential to the reader. It helps create this understanding for children and the power their laughter can do to this world. We need to understand the scenes where Logic was raped due to the total understanding of her pain and fear of the world. The scene where Logic and the Tallest are at the river in the circus-of-me is very important. This is where we understand the ending action. Also I think entering the city and experiencing the ‘new world” was important as well. This gave the reader hope for the ending allowing the real outcome to take our breaths away!
Characterization: Characters: David Harris, Too Harris, Logic Harris, Celesta (the doll) The Old woman, The Missis, The Man-made-of-paper, The Tallest, curtis, the girl, their mother the prostitute, the white woman in the city, the white boy in the city, his mother, Mister Bear, the insurance lady. Flat characters: curtis, the girl, their mother the prostitute, the white woman in the city, the white boy in the city, his mother, Mister Bear, the insurance lady. Round Characters: David Harris, Too Harris, Logic Harris, Celesta (the doll) The Old woman, The Missis, The Man-made-of-paper, The Tallest. Static: Logic Harris, Celesta (the doll), The Tallest Developing: Too Harris, The Missis, their mother the prostitute. The antagonist is in my opinion David Harris. Stock characters: Too Harris: the helpless little wife that can’t stand up for herself. David Harris: the evil father that is mean and destroys the family. Curtis and the girl: weak children following big brother. The while boy in the city: stupid and selfish for the coke. The old woman: wise and understanding of society and life.
Conflict: There is a continuous struggle for happiness from each character. There is also a continuous struggle to survive and live a normal life. Each character struggles in their personal way due to the social situation at the time. Logic and the children each struggle with the fact that this life is the only one they’ve ever known. Growing up in this situation creates them to mentally dissolve. Too has the conflict of man and wife. She is not loved by her husband and he doesn’t have the desire to love her the way she needs him to. Society and social positions create each character to experience extreme problems. 3 struggles: Love, hate, money.
Language: The symbolism is amazing in this story. It is all over the story. The ones that stood out to me the most was the continuation of fire usage and the birds. The fire symbolizes so much. Fire can either work positively in a situation or destroy at any given moment. Logic continued to have this feeling the entire story. Any minute I was expecting her to take the lead and destroy the situation by either telling or getting her justice. The end allowed this idea to be true. A perfect example of this was the fireflies. They created a warm feeling for her and the reader when present. Another situation was the Misses being deathly scared of lightning. At the opening of chapter 25, we read lightning struck the tree outside the Misses’ home. From that moment on, the story took a toll and began to introduce horrible acts being taken. The mentioning of kerosene running through the veins of the father allowed me to see his evil power. Another example of symbolism were the birds. In the beginning, the Tallest crushes the eggs form the birds nest. This was symbolizing the crushing feeling of Logic as he tried to rape her. He destroyed the eggs with his power and then tried to destroy her with his power. Logic was cracking the shells of the yard eggs at the time she found the fetus in the yard creating her to give up breakfast all together. When David rapes Logic for the readers first time, it is said in his gut he’d swallowed the nest of bird’s eggs he had crushed with the heel of his foot. The birds were so fragile as was Logic. They experienced the death of children and personal pain together.
Language: The language and word choice is so poetic. I love it. It helps me get a true sense of the situation and the emotions at the time.
Imagery examples: “Even in the summer, a breeze rode the space of her intimate bedroom, as she opened her mouth and caught it.: “The sun had risen into and unkept alphabet, the rim burning.”
My favorite: “Somebody told her that a woman without a map in her feet was running from a dream.” “It was no she or he….it was simply a victim.”(powerful) “A woman should always feel priceless, regardless of her surroundings”.
The Blues Song: I guess I can see the story as being like a blues song in the fact that it creates an underlying sad emotion. But I see calling it a “blues song” sort of belittles it. I think that’s just a cop out way of expressing the stories nature and power. The story is amazing and the way she writes blows my mind. I think of it more as a mental view from the deranged child. The beauty flows through the language and glows on the paper.
The Quote: It helps us to realize the power of childrens laughter. Ann frank, being blind and deaf, understood the need for it in our lives. olivia opens with this to help us understand the power it holds.
1) Setting: The setting took place in a rural area around the 1940's and 1950's. The setting also displayed feelings about Mississippi at that time; lower class, poor, and ignorance. Details about this setting were the mentioning of war, waterfountains, and a helicopter. I felt that the story occurred in the Springtime because of the example given of the berries that tasted like kiwi.
~A change of terrain occurs in Chapter 32 when Logic goes to the other side of the city. There were a lot of characters there, but noone spoke to one another. Everyone was very separate in this new world she entered. On the paragraph at the bottom of page 201 it reads that Logic was ready to leave the other side because there was such a loneliness in the world. Logic felt that where she was from it was more organic. This place was more concrete and constructed.
~This place tells us a lot about mood. For the time line this factor is relevant.
~Gender roles indicate setting in the way women are looked upon. In this story when certain jobs were called man's work and certain jobs were referred to as woman's work one is able to tell the time frame in which this story is centered upon.
~Some inconsistencies or violations in the setting were when the kiwi were said to taste like berries and the ladies were given abortions with hangers.
~The atmosphere was very depressing. Everyone in the story speaks of suffocating, having no avenue or exit. Alot of people find themselves in this situation and it can be very claustrophobic.
(2) Plot
~This story is not a rough and tumble thriller. Incredibly enough I find it amazing that Ms. Olympia dislikes plots, however I find it to be an admirable quality to step outside of the box and be so unique. The story is centered around a young girl, who although young has had every bit of innocence stripped from her. Each individual in her family has issues and takes a piece from her each time a coarse word or harsh action is done to her. I do not think she has psychological problems from the gash on her head, however I do feel that since her innocence has been taken as a child she expresses her feelings of anguish differently than an adult would. An example would be when she staples the dolls mouth shut. To me it signifies a child expressing how hard it is to remain quiet after such a horrific experiment.
(3)Characters
~Too,Tallest,Logic, David,Curtis,the misses,the girl,the insurance lady, the man made of paper, the old lady, George the prostitute, and Celesta. The round characters are David Harris, Too Harris, the Misses, George the prostitute, the old lady and Celesta. The developing character is the Tallest because he continues on even after is mother's death. He was transformed by it. The insurance lady, the man made of paper, Curtis, and the girl are all flat characters. The only antagonist I could think of would be David Harris and it seemed at times that perhaps Too Harris was also at odds with Logic.
(4) Conflict
~The overall struggle within this story is for freedom, happiness, and salvation. Three classic struggles I learned in high school were life, dignity, and happiness.
(5) Language
~The symbols used in this story were comparisions of David Harris to fire, fireflies, burning, kerosene, matches, and heaven. Fire was used a lot to symbolize happiness and pain in this story. We know they are symbols because of how the passages are written in the story. One images a passage that contributes to the sense of the story is on page. 76, when the insurance woman was described as dead. This symbolizes her business being death.
~Page 229 is an example of the language and wordplay not being great but the imagery being wonderful. When the author compared the semen to sailors and not like butterflies I was a bit confused. Also on page 239, when David Harris looked at Geeorge's grave and asked, "Why you wreck it?" Cause I ask you for some sugar? Another example was when Logic was told you got your daddy in you and she said I know.
Logic was seen as a blues song because it is a play on words. Everyone relates to the blues just as people could relate to this story. Continuity is the function of blues and this story because they both show you that life can go on even after horrible events.
Jeannie K. Holmes
October 18, 2007
Logic Assignment
1. Setting
Logic is set in Valsin County, Mississippi, as stated on page seven. Clues that contribute to the characters of this setting are found throughout the story. It’s a lower-income area where the residents strive to make a living and provide shelter for their families with the materials found at hand. For example, David Harris, Logic’s father, built their house and it’s described as being made of boards that “were rotting from the inside” (Vernon 8). It’s further described as being a “triangular house” and “he had set each board perfectly into the map of the house, except one that lay unevenly on the rooftop; he had found it on the side of the road. A metal loop had been hammered into it, chain looped through the center. Steel.” (Vernon 8) The setting, as being that of an impoverished rural area, contributes to the overall desperation felt by the characters throughout the story and heightens the conflict between them. The apparent weight of carrying the upper social classes on their backs pushes the characters further into their individual senses of hopelessness.
Part A.
The season in which the story takes place is the summer and while no date is given for the events, the reader is given clues to the era – separate drinking fountains for whites and African Americans, a helicopter, lightning bugs are plentiful – that would indicate the events take place within the 1950s.
Part B.
The setting changes in Chapter 32 when Logic and the tallest travel “to the other side, into the heart of Valsin County, Mississippi.” (Vernon 195) The change affects the characters in that they are forced to act differently. The tallest tells Logic to “stay to your own business” (Vernon 201) and Logic finds “a loneliness in the world” (Vernon 201) because it seems that the town’s inhabitants rarely interact with one another, unlike Logic’s small community where everyone knows and speaks to everyone else.
Part C.
It’s a town with “long cars and medium-sized buildings and the pharmacy and women who baked loaves of bread and carried them in cloth.” (Vernon 195) The town is also “packed with cars and newspaper boys and Mister Bears and Miss Tildas.” (Vernon 201) This factor is relevant to the story in that it shows the difference in the wealthier, and predominantly white, side of the county and Logic’s poorer, predominantly African American side of Valsin County.
Part D.
Gender roles indicating setting are the maids who are African American, white women wear white gloves and high heels, and the tallest must hide the fact that he wears dresses and heels.
Part E.
I found no inconsistencies or violations in the setting. During our classroom discussion, some had mentioned the kiwi fruit as being out of place for the era. If the era is indeed the 1950s, this is not an inconsistency because the kiwi was first introduced to the United States from New Zealand during the mid to late 1950s.
Part F.
Overall, the atmosphere is one of oppression and depression. Everything and everyone in the story seems weighed down by the bleakness of their surroundings.
2. Plot
Logic Harris is the victim of her father’s repeated sexual attacks and her mother’s blind selfishness and denial. After falling from a tree, Logic’s behavior changes to the point her mother, Too Harris, wishes the child had died from the injury she sustained. Surrounded by uncaring and self-absorbed adults, Logic finds herself pregnant with her own father’s child and turns to her only ally in rural Valsin County, a boy she knows simply as “the tallest”. But when he is unable to help her, Logic finds the strength within herself to seek justice for her lost innocence.
This story is not a rough-and-tumble thriller. Its development is much more subtle, to the point that there is very little plot to be found within its pages. Conflict, both personal and external, abound within the story, but very little adds to the overall plot and turns the story into more of a character study than a traditional action-driven novel. The most important scenes are when Logic falls from the trees, when she is stapling Celesta’s mouth closed, when she asks “the tallest” for help in freeing the butterflies within her stomach, and when she shoots her father.
3. Characterization
The characters within the story are Logic Harris, Too Harris, David Harris, George the prostitute, the tallest, curtis, the girl, the old woman, the ex-con, and the Missis.
Flat characters – curtis, the girl, the old woman, the ex-con
Round – Logic
Static – George, Too, David, the Missis
Developing – the tallest
Antagonist – David is at odds with Logic and most other characters within the story.
Stock characters – The white women on the streets in town who are concerned with their maids’ behaviors and whether or not its appropriate to give them gifts. The insurance lady who is concerned with making a sale. Logic is in some ways the stereotypical young girl who’s being abused and is unable to change her circumstances. George is also a stereotypical “harlot-next-door” who’s doing whatever is necessary to survive.
4. Conflict
The struggle is for the characters to reach a level of awareness outside of their narrow scope of perception – “the circus of me” – and help a young girl who is unable to help herself.
5. Language
I’m a visual reader, meaning that I “see” characters and events in my mind as though watching a film when I read. I found the disjointed language within this story hard to understand at times because it didn’t allow for clear images. Therefore, I was left feeling distracted and uncomfortable after reading any section of the story. The only example of clear writing I found to which I could connect follows:
“Secrets lie dormant in Mississippi. You never know the full truth about anything. There is what your folks choose to tell you and what you yourself discover. One or the other is poisonous, vain.” (Vernon 173)
I connected to this passage for two reasons: 1) I’m a Mississippi native and fully understand that secrets do indeed lie dormant within that state; 2) Everyone is told certain “truths” and given certain beliefs by their families when they are growing up. Eventually, we all discover these “truths” and beliefs are not entirely factual. Its part of our growth from dependent child to independent adult and part of discovering who we are as individuals outside of our immediate family sphere.
6. Anne Frank Quote
Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl, lived in hiding for two years during World War II. She and her family remained locked within a small attic over her uncle’s office, listening to news of the war on the radio, and being passed information, food, and medicine by a small group of people determined to help the Franks. Ultimately, the Franks were betrayed to the Nazis and they were arrested and Anne’s diary was eventually published after the war by her uncle.
The significance of the quote – “’Go outside, laugh, and take a breath of fresh air,’” a voice cries within me” – is in one of a young girl suffering in silence. She, like Logic, wanted to escape her situation but was unable to help herself. Anne lived a miserable life, surrounded by the constant threat of violence, which was tragically cut short. However, her voice and thoughts in the words of her diary have survived, and therefore, so has she.
Bridget Whalen
Ms. Olympia,
Your book is unlike anything that I have ever had the pleasure of reading before. I must admit that most likely if left to my own devices, I would not have picked the book up off a shelf to purchase and read on my own, which after reading it I have discovered would be doing myself a great disservice. This book was truly amazing. It made me uncomfortable when reading certain parts which is a good thing. To write about a topic such as incest is to take on a very heavy subject and it needs to be handled in a certain way. You handled it beautifully. The language you use and the way you play with words makes your writing eloquent and appealing to the senses. Every passage was a pleasure to read with your powerful way of writing yet it did not take away from the subject at hand. While Logic was a deep book on a rather unpleasant subject, I still found reading it to be nothing short of amazing.
QUESTIONS:
SETTING:
This story is set in rural Mississippi in Valsin County. It is in the lower class area of the county. This story takes place in the 1950's or 60's. Obviously before the time of the Civil Rights Movement because of the Colored water fountains and White water fountains that Logic and The Tallest encounter in the city.
The change in terrain occurs when Logic and The Tallest go to the city. This has an effect on Logic because she had never been past the Oak tree before this event. She sees things she has never seen before and undoubtedly this opens her eyes to new things.
The overall mood of depressing. There is a theme of suffocation throughout the book, a feeling of not being able to escape.
PLOT:
The story centers on a teenage girl named Logic who is involved in an incestual relationship with her father. Due to this relationship she becomes pregnant. She suffers much trauma from this relationship and in a way is forced to grow up when she is too young to handle such situations. The novel ends very sadly with Logic shooting her father and then in turn, jumping off the roof.
CHARACTERIZATION:
Logic, David, Too, The Tallest, George, The Missis, The Ex Con, The Old Woman, Curtis.
Round Characters: Logic
Flat Characters: The Ex Con,The Old Woman,Curtis
Static Characters: George, The Missis, David, Too
Developing: The Tallest
Antagonist: David
CONFLICT:
The conflict is within each character to find an inner peace and happiness. The external conflict is between Logic and David.
LANGUAGE:
I loved the language in the book. The way Olympia worded certain things and referred to certain people was amazing and aesthetically pleasing for me to see and to read.
It is also easy to see why someone would refer to Logic as a blues song. This story is of a serious nature which so are most blue songs. It also gives someone the sense that they are not alone if they are suffering through the same situations as the characters in the book. And for some people, like The Tallest, it shows that life does indeed go on. This is why The Tallest comes out to be the 'Blues Hero" in the end.
Quote:
The Anne Frank quote is relevent because it holds true both for Anne Frank and Logic. It gives a sense of being trapped, wether physically as in Anne Frank's situation or mentally as in Logic's. Both of them simply want to be normal young girls but are living lives that are filled with hurt and dangerous situations.
Whitney Hubbert
October 18, 2007
EH 468
Professor Alford
“Logic”
Ms. Olympia,
I must admit I did enjoy your book. I am the type of reader that makes my final decision on which book to buy based on how it looks. I am a visual person and like color. The cover of your book was black and white, nothing like what was on the inside. The language you used in the book was challenging, but interesting. I did not want to put the book down. That is a compliment!
1. The story took place in Valsin County, Mississippi during the 1940’s or 1950’s. It was a rural area with citizens in the lower class.
In chapter 32, I noticed the setting was during the spring. I noticed this because of the berries that were described.
When Logic went to the “other side,” more characters appeared. However, no one directly spoke to each other. Everyone was divided, and there were rules to follow. The “other side” tells me a lot about the time of the book.
You can tell how women were looked upon during this time. There was men’s work and women’s work. You did not dare try to change these rules.
One inconsistency I noticed was how the berries were described as tasting like kiwi.
The atmosphere was much separated. The people were stuck in there situation, and it was suffocating to them.
2. The story has a very subtle sense to it. There seems to be no plot at all. Logic finds herself pregnant with her father’s child. She is so traumatized she ends up shooting her father and then she jumps off a bridge.
3. The characters in the story are Logic Harris, Too Harris, David Harris, George the prostitute, the tallest, Curtis, the girl, the old woman, the ex-con, and the Missis.
Logic - Round
Curtis, the girl, the old woman, the ex-con - Flat
George, Too, David, the Missis - Static
the tallest - Developing
David is at odds with Logic and most other characters within the story – Antagonist
The insurance woman who is concerned with making a sale. The white women on the streets in town who are concerned with their house cleaners’ behaviors and whether or not it is appropriate to give them gifts. Logic is in some ways the stereotypical young girl who is being abused and is unable to change her circumstances. George is also a stereotypical “harlot-next-door” who is doing whatever is necessary to survive. – Stock
4. The conflict in the story is to help a young girl become aware of things happening around her and within herself. It is also to help the town realize there is more to life.
5. The language used in the story was very interesting to me. The way Ms. Olympia described some of the characters was very descriptive, but other characters and scenes were difficult to understand.
6. Anne Frank’s quote is significant to Logic because they both relate to each other. Logic is trapped, in a sense, to keep this secret about her and her father. Anne Frank was literally trapped in a room and forced to keep quiet abo
Dear Olympia,
I loved Logic. It was a completely new, completely refreshing style to read for me. Most of the novels I’ve read lately have been written in a candid, almost sarcastic voice. I wasn’t sure at first, because I just wasn’t use to it, but by the end of Logic, I was flipping through the end of the book to see if there were any hidden continuations of the remaining characters’ storylines. I didn’t want it to end. I have no criticisms, but the story made me wonder, ‘How would this story have been different with a different setting.’ The setting was so important to these characters and the life you created for them. How would this story read in the Midwest, Atlantic, or Pacific coasts, New England? The subject matter is tragic, but I’m sure something like this (maybe not the outcome) has happened everywhere. Your story really made me think of settings and language in ways I haven’t questioned before. I look forward to reading more of your works.
1. The setting is Mississippi, pre civil rights, in the spring to summer months. The setting contributes immensely. Southern heat is used in many chapters to add to the mood. Hot, sticky, sweaty. Mississippi aided the dialogue.
a. The heat. The water fountains with C's and W's. The action and reaction of Tilda. The berries.
b. I'm not sure whether or not visiting the city changes the characters at all. It does give the reader more substance to draw a time period, which has yet to be given. The differences in the two worlds is what helps us define the era more accurately. Up until this point, the only other white person in the story has been the Missis. Taking these characters and placing them in a larger, more diversified world helps place them in an era.
c. Mississippi, and the south in general, during this time was a culture all its own. It affected everything in the story, yet the story could have been told from any perspective, any place.
d. Yes, but I'm not sure it is completely accurate. With the tallest, he is a character that is in between man and woman. However, there is a sense of man's work and women's work in the story.
e. No, unless we find out that it was really set in the winter. I do wish that something had happened in the city. It would have been irrelevant to the story, but it would have been nice to see Logic drink from the wrong fountain, to see the reactions of the people. Was this the time for change? More insight to the other world and its ideas might help define the time more efficiently, but the time really doesn't matter that much to me in this story. Not as much as the subject matter.
f. Its hard times. Hard times for everyone. By the end of the story, everyone is mentally and physically drained, exhausted. Something has to give, and does.
At least Logic got to shoot the bastard. That raised my spirits a little.
2. Plot: The development is very subtle. The most important scenes to me are the ones where either Logic is with David, or Logic is with Celesta. Logic's doll has her mouth stapled shut, and I'm constantly waiting for someone to lift up its dress to see some kind of damage. The tension in these places leads up to the end. I think that there is a plot brewing throughout, but it is subtly woven throughout a storyline describing life for these characters, death for them as well.
3. Characterization
The missis is a pretty flat character for me, maybe purposefully. She never quite makes it into being as the others. George seemed flat at first, or static, but not after the kiss before she took in the man who got her pregnant. The tallest seems to still be developing to me. Dressing up in women's clothing doesn't tell me he has decided one way or another yet. Just seems like he’s mostly confused because of the view he has toward men in general. It would be hard not to hate men and not want to be one if your mom was a prostitute and you had to see and hear it all the time. Adds so much depth to his character.
David's the antagonist.
The missis is a little stereotypical, but quirky enough to fit roughly. I guess nudity would make up for lack of air conditioning, just a little strange.
4. Conflict: The conflict is with the secret that Logic shares with David. Every character in the story seems to be struggling with something. Other conflicts would be in their backstories.
5. Language: The main thing about the language that I really enjoyed was the use of little play-on-words in just about every chapter. I found humor, in some of them, and I think that was pretty hard to do given the subject matter.
It reminds me of poetry. The way it reads, its rhythm, reminds me of poetry.
Blues is sad, but you can relate to the pain. Even if what has happened to the singer has never happened to you, the sadness is familiar. Everyone knows sadness, and so seeing and sharing that common bond helps us find closure, or comfort in knowing that we are not alone. This story is like a really, really, really, really, sad blues song. The only difference might be that with Blues, many times the comfort is knowing that they made it through their tough time. The characters who had the major conflicts in this story all died.
6. Anne Frank was probably in the middle of a life or death situation when she said this, so I think the idea is for everyone. Even in the toughest times, we should relax, take a step away and try to find to find something to smile about. Many times, finding happiness in small things might be the difference in survival, on many levels.
Kathryn Garikes
EH 468 101
Dear Ms. Olympia:
I found this novel to be an interesting, complex read. I enjoyed the majority of the language and I really enjoyed the visual imagery evoked from the symbolic wording.
Setting:
The story was set in the rural South of Mississippi. The atmosphere is hot, dusty, and suffocating to the characters. The feeling of suffocation contributes to the sad, hopeless feeling throughout the novel. The land is vast and desolate, and while the actual date is never mentioned, the locations and scenery aid the reader in understanding the times. The invention of helicopters is apparent at the end of the story, and this information lets us know that the novel takes place in the 20th century. The majority of the story occurs in the rural environment, however, Logic does visit the city where people do not speak to one another and everyone is seperate. This is a huge change from her rural farmhouse.
Plot:
The story is based around Logic, who is the daughter of Too, a maid and midwife, and abusive father, David. Her father rapes her and Logic prcoceeds to carry his child throughout the novel. Their neighbors are a prostitute with three children, Tallest, Curtis, and the girl. Tallest and Logic become close friends, sharing intimate secrets. The story closes with Logic's baby dying inside her stomach,and Logic shooting her father with the household gun. The story is not a rough and tumble thirller, but does contain continuous, subtle devolpment. The scene's that I think are most important are when Logic is raped and the operating room in general. Nothing postive ever occured in that room. Logic visiting the city is very important, because it opens her eyes to a whole new world. The ending is also very important and a huge step for Logic. Overall, the book has a steady progression of events that kept me interested in reading.
Characterization:
Round Characters:
David Harris-Antagonist/stock, Too Harris-stock character/static, Logic Harris-helpless young person; Central character/static, Celesta-the doll/static, The Old Woman, Prostitute/static, The Tallest
Flat Characters:Curtis, The girl, The Misses/static, The Man Made of Paper, The White woman in City, White boy in City and his Mother, Mister Bear, and the Insurance Lady.
Conflict:
Throughout the novel, each character is trying to obtain happiness and live a normal,ordinary life. Each of the characters faces different battles because of their social status. Logic is dealing with a horrible home-life, but knows no other way. David does not love Too, so she misses out on being loved. The lack of love and money within the characters creates conflict.
Language:
Symbolism can be seen throughout the novel. Fire is used over and over agian to symbolize pain and happiness, depending on which character is being discussed. David uses fire in a negative, frightening way-"Kerosene running through his viens." The Fireflies create a warm, safe feeling for Logic. The lightening that struck the Misses' tree nearly scared her to death. Birds and eggs are also symbolic. Logic and her fragility can be compared to the bird's eggs.
Language(style):
I found the language, while beautiful, to be difficult to understand at times.
Imagery:
Logic was told that "you got your Daddy in you." I immediately feel sick to my stomach when I read this passage and understand the meaning of this.
Favorite Quote:
’Go outside, laugh, and take a breath of fresh air,’” a voice cries within me” Anne Frank first made this statement. I love this quote. Anne Frank and Logic are so similar, both are young girls living a life, in which, they can not escape. Anne Frank used her diary and Logic used her mind.
Blues: The entire story is centered around Logic, and her inabilty to escape her hopeless situation. Her life is like a Blues song. Life goes on even after something horrible happens and your heart keeps on beating as well. One of the main reasons I enjoyed this book was because although I have never personally experienced what Logic did, I do understand pain, a feeling of hopelessness, and sadness.
LaWanda Jones
1.Setting:
The story is set in a rural Mississippi town. The setting contributes to the story greatly. The way the characters interact with one another gives a familiar feel to the reader. You get the feel these characters come from a small town where everybody knows everybody. The details in the story that give hint to the season and time are when we are told in the story that it is July and Logic is eating the berries which gave me the idea that the story takes place in the summer. The time indication is seen with the helicopter passing through which gives the idea that the story is set between the 50s and 60s. Another hint to this is the fact that the Jim Crow Laws are in place. The change in the terrain occurs when Logic and Tallest go into the city. We are taken from a small town with a few people to a huge city with many people. The major change that stood out to me between the two places was the racial tension is high. The gender roles did not indicate time and era to me because we can find these characters in rural town any time.
2.Plot
The story centers around a young girl who is molested. We follow the young girl and meet the people around her who also have their own problems to face. I remember we were told in class that Ms. Vernon really does not focus to much on plot. This makes the story one the reader has to look deeper for meaning and understanding.
3.Characterization
The characters in the story are David Harris (Logics father), Too (Logic’s mother), Logic Harris, George (their neighbor who is a prostitute), the tallest (Logics friend/ George’s son), curtis (the tallest’s brother), the girl (the tallest’s sister), Celesta (Logic’s doll), the misses (Too’s boss), the old lady (looks after George’s kids), the man made of paper (one of George’s customers), insurance lady, the ex con (worked on the Harris’s fence), Mister Bear, newspaper boy and his mother, Tilda and her friend, The flat characters are: the man made of paper, insurance lady, the girl, the newspaper boy and his mother, Tilda and her friend, and Mister Bear. The round characters are: Celesta, George, Too, David, the misses, curtis, the old lady, the ex con, the tallest, and Logic. There are many static characters in this story: Too, Logic, curtis, David, etc. The only developing character in this story is the tallest who we see developing who he is and becomes deeply affected by the death of his mother. At the end of the story the tallest is the only character who learns anything and moves forward with life. I would say the antagonist is David. Usually readers are given situations throughout a story that causes them to dislike the antagonist. I disliked David not only for molesting Logic but the way no one else seemed to matter to him except himself. I see no stock characters.
4.Conflict
I really can’t place this story in one of the 3 struggles we learned in high school (man vs. man or himself, man vs. nature, man vs. God or the supernatural). That is a question I’ve wanted to know the answer to since reading the story.
5.Language
The symbolism used in this story was great. There were so many but the two that stood out to me were fire and the color red. The use of fire in the story could symbolize a good feeling to a character; for example when Logic is happy and comforted by seeing the fire flies. It was also used to symbolize fear and guilt in some of the characters, an example is when David swallows a fire fly and hurries to get it out saying how his veins were filled with kerosene. The color red I’m still not too sure about. We encounter it as the story begins, “The red is a verb. The red is a shout”. I think it could represent sin because of the instances in the story the color red is mentioned. There is also talk about blood throughout the story. There were many times in the story I couldn’t picture what was happening because it switched around so fast. One example is when we are introduced to George’s children. Before I could get a good grasp on what tallest was doing we had already been switched to what curtis was doing. Then further reading help me see that tallest had humped the girl from behind. I can see why the story would be compared to a blue’s song. The Blues is a way for the songwriter to express his sadness on a situation. The melody often used in blues songs is one you would normally find when listening to a spiritual hymn. The songs were not formed in a particular structure. It was unique to the songwriter because it was a personal experience. I see this throughout Logic.
6.The significance of the Anne Frank quote in my opinion is Anne Frank was also a young girl who was seen by others as a second class citizen. Logic like Anne Frank was forced to grow up and deal with the harsh realities of life.
Ms Olympia Vernon,
First off I would like to say it was a great pleasure reading your book. It was the first time I was ever challenged as a reader. I read with my imagination because it is so vivid, so when I read I am able to see things play out like a movie. I underestimated your talents as a writer and was prepared to read a novel that would give me a plot and set every aspect of the story at face value. It was really interesting how the characters were not given full blown descriptions but I was able to follow along with their personalities. I really enjoyed reading Logic after a sat down a second time and looked past the pages to the world presented to me through your writing style.
I really do not know if you will truly read these letters or not but if you do not mind I have a couple of things that I would like or you to clarify. First is the fact that curtis’s name is not capitalized. I remember in the story Logic saying that he really didn’t matter to her, is that why? Was he that unimportant that his name was not even capitalized. Also what did the color red represent. I noticed when it came up it was usually when speaking about something not very good. I took it to represent sin or something of that nature. I’m still a reader learning to think outside the box so I would really love to hear about these instances and others you are willing to share.
There is one thing in your story that touched me on a personal level. The doll Celesta was so important to Logic not only as a friend but the only person that she could tell things to. I remember when I was little my grandmother told me that it was good to talk to babies about your problems because they would never judge only listen. So I would talk to my baby dolls when I was sad or just needed someone to talk to. That’s why I understood the reason for Celesta being in the story. I really loved the way Celesta played a big part in the guilt of the parents. Logic told Celesta her secrets and the parents were afraid that she would come alive. Celesta knew the families dark secret and that unnerved Too and David. I’m certain Too knew what was going on. It’s obvious in the way she treats Logic at times. She was just as guilty as David.
Logic was one of the best books I’ve ever read. The characters are so life like and so are their situations. My family originates from Yazoo City, MS so I could see these people living down the street from my great grandmother. It was truly a privilege to be able to read your writing.
Felicia Hall
EH468
Logic Assignment
October 19, 2007
Ms. Vernon:
Reading Logic has stretched my mind beyond anything I have read in my college career. You have an amazing control over English language, grammar, and mechanics. Excellent novel!
1. Setting:
This story is set in rural Mississippi in the late 1940s or early 1950s during the summer.
(a) Details about the setting include segregated drinking fountains (before the Civil Rights Movement) and a helicopter. The biggest clue as to the time in which the book is set in is the mention of a war. Valsin County is portrayed as a poor area where the families are desperately working simply to make ends meet. It is a gloomy place in which none of the characters seem to dare to hope that their situation can be better one day; everyone is simply accepting of the hand dealt them by life. The heat of summer is mentioned several times using words with negative connotations. This sweltering adds to the feelings of the suffocation of the characters must be feeling in this small community.
(b) The setting changes in Chapter 32 when two of the characters go to the city of Valsin County (“the other side.”) It is immediately obvious that life in the city happens at a much faster pace than in rural Valsin County. In the city hardly anyone speaks to each other, which is in stark contrast to the close-knit, familiar community in which Logic lives. There is also a heightened sense of racial tension in the city. This is most likely due to the fact that Logic’s hometown is made up entirely of blacks, while there is a mixture of cultures in the city.
(c) The history of racial tension in the Deep South between blacks and whites during this time period was destined to peak in the next decade or so. This factor is relevant because it adds to the readers’ awareness of the underlying current of emotion that must be flowing between the characters, though it is never directly discussed.
(d) The gender roles are quite evident throughout this story. There is a clear line between what is considered “man’s work” and “woman’s work.” The only way for a widow to make enough money to support her family is to prostitute herself on the side. The man of the house has the final say on every issue. It is clearly a very patriarchal society. These gender roles are consistent with the story’s setting.
(e) One inconsistency I found is the incident in which Logic describes the taste of berries as being like kiwis. I do not believe that a person in this setting at this point in history would have been likely to have ever eaten (or even seen) a kiwi fruit. I thought that the idea of the cross-dressing “the tallest” was a bit out of place with the rest of the narrative.
(f) The atmosphere is very bleak and hopeless (mental.) The continuous descriptions of heat and dust give the sense of barrenness and futility (physical.) The characters seem aware of their dismal situations, but lack the ability to do anything to change it. Readers may hastily judge the characters for not trying to effect a change in their lives, but, upon further reading, it is evident that the characters do not believe there is anything that can be done for their situation. Simply put, it is a wasteland, both physically and mentally.
2. Plot:
This story centers on a 13-year-old black girl named Logic, who possibly has a head injury as a result of falling out a tree. This, coupled with sexual abuse by her father, has led Logic to talk very little and to laugh at inappropriate times. Her mother, Too, willfully ignores this abuse and her daughter’s pregnancy (Logic calls this “butterflies in her stomach”) by throwing herself into her work as a maid and a midwife; it is apparent that Too sometimes wishes that Logic had died in her fall from the tree. The family lives in a house made of rotting boards in the shape of a triangle built by the father, David. Logic has only one friend, her neighbor, “the tallest.” She asks for his help in getting rid of the butterflies in her stomach, but he is unable to do anything to help her. Logic eventually realizes that no one is going to help protect her from her father, so she takes matters into her own hands and kills David with his own shotgun. The novel ends with Logic climbing to the top of her house and jumping off, trying to get to heaven by looking up.
The line of development within the novel is certainly subtle. Throughout the story, we see time and time again how no one will come to the aid of Logic because they are too caught up in their own dire existence. As Logic learns this, she realizes that the only person who can help her is herself; she must take action to effect a change in her life.
The scenes I believe are most important are as follows: every scene with Celesta, Too tending to Logic’s head wound, and the last scene with David and Logic in the kitchen.
3. Characterization:
Flat Characters- the girl (the tallest’s sister), curtis (the tallest’s brother), insurance lady, man made of paper, the old woman, the ex-con
Round- Logic (protagonist) , the Missus
Static- David (antagonist), Too,
Developing- the tallest
I did not notice any stock characters.
4. Conflict:
The central conflict in the book is between Logic and her abusive father, David. It also seems that there is a sort of conflict between Logic and all the other characters besides the tallest because no one seems to want to help Logic; they would all use her for their own gain if they had the opportunity.
Three Classic Struggles: person v. self; person v. society; person v. person
5. Language:
The word choices made in Logic remind me of poetic writing more than prose
Symbols and Imagery Used: heaven, heat, butterflies, fireflies, wind, burning, fluttering, dust, the color red
I had a very hard time getting through this book. I am a very literal person, and in order to remotely grasp the novel, I had to reread many passages several times. The fragmented sentences and the disjointment from the point of view from person to person were the most confusing. I am proud of myself for finally figuring out that the “sacrificial lamb” talked about in the prologue was Logic.
One thing I did enjoy about the misuse of language: curtis without capitalization in an effort to symbolize just how unimportant he was….brilliant!
Blues Song:
"The blues is a device for transcending, or at least coping with, adversity.” (Murray)
Murray goes on to say that you sing the blues in order to get rid of the blues. Perhaps this sad story about Logic is an attempt to rid someone (Vernon?) of the blues. I think it is interesting to note the difference between Logic and the tallest. Logic cannot find a way to cope with all that has happened to her, so she kills herself. The tallest has gone through many hardships as well (particularly his mother’s death), yet he continues on. This is the true nature of blues music: to live through the pain and live to sing about it.
6. Anne Frank Quote:
Both Logic and Anne were trapped; Logic mentally/emotionally; Anne physically. Anne wanted more than anything to be able to leave the silence of the attic to be free to go outside and laugh; Logic wanted to be free of the butterflies in her stomach and the abuse of her father. Anne never truly got to be free, dying of typhus in a Nazi concentration camp; it is arguable that Logic was able to be free in her attempt to get to heaven from her roof. It is also arguable that Logic was never able to be free because death was the only way she could deal with everything that had happened to her.
Logic Assignment
Sanavieai Brazeal
I must say that I enjoyed reading this novel. At first I read straight thorough it because I had to for my fiction class. I was confused when I read certain chapters. I felt like the story was jumping out of sequence. I was trying to get a good understanding on what was happening in the book. I read it again because I wanted to grasp the meaning and to gain an understanding of the book. Olympia Vernon you certainly wrote a good book. I have never read fiction novels but now I have an appreciation for them. Your novel opened my eyes on something new and exciting. I have always read romance and erotica. But reading your novel has giving me insight on a type of reading that I never thought I would read. Thank you for your writing and continue to write what you love.
Discussion questions
1. Setting: The novel is set in Mississippi in the deep southern areas. It sets the tone for the story and shows a persons attitude from back then. We find our characters Logic, David Harris, Too, George and her children tallest, curtis, the girl, and the baby. In the beginning Davis is loading his pistol. Logic believes that there are butterflies floating in her stomach. In the novel the gender roles play a key part in how things are. The women cook and take of the house while the men take of the outside labor. As far as inconsistencies, I noticed that one of the characters said that the berries tasted like kiwis, and that the kids of George had lower case names.
2. Plot: The development took its time developing throughout the story. From the back cover I didn’t know what to expect. Logic is mistreated by her parents and we find out that her father is raping her. And in the process we find out that the butterflies in her stomach is a baby. We see that her father is not happy with his wife Too. George is a prostitute who has frequent visitors. The only people that really show Logic any compassion is tallest and Missis.
3. Characterization: The characters carry the story along. Logic is the main character. Her parents include David and Too Harris. The next door neighbors include George the prostitute with her children tallest, curtis, the girl, and the baby. Missis is a lady who, Too and Logic cleans up for. The tallest is a developing character in that he is finding out who he really is and embracing that he is a homosexual. On page 47 David witnesses the tallest having sex with a slave. He couldn’t see if it was a boy or a girl. David states that he wishes that he could have the honesty of the tallest for doing things out in the open.
4. Conflict: Logic is a little girl that is crying out for help on the inside. No one pays her any attention as she goes through life. She is being raped by her father and mistreated by her mother. Her only confidant really is tallest. He tries to help her by getting rid of the “butterflies in her stomach”. The three struggles I learned in high school are boys are cruel, you might get pregnant, and maintain your school work.
5. Language: The writer was not ashamed to have sexually referenced words placed into the novel. As young as Logic was, she knew what some words meant and didn’t mind saying it. The author does not mince with writing and she is straight up in her characters speech. When George, the prostitute, has a visitor he is called the “man-made-of-paper”. He is called this because he is a man of wealth and means. As Logic is walking outside, a woman drove up in a Ford. Logic says that the lady is dead. In actuality, the lady is there to sell life insurance. That is how she characterizes the lady. In chapter eighteen tallest tells Logic that his mother has presidents inside of her. I was thinking that since she was a prostitute that maybe she caught a sexually transmitted disease. But tallest says that it is kidney stones that she has. The most vivid and descriptive chapter for me was chapter 26, and in it tallest was about to give Logic an abortion with a wire hanger. That was the most profound scene because I felt like I was there in the wings witnessing the whole thing.
1)Setting
The setting takes place in a very rural area, possibly during the 1940s. The family is that of a lower income one. There is a sadness throughout the entire novel, and it comes from the sadness of this rural area.
-In chapter 32, the reader finds a change in the season. It now appears to be spring time. There are berries.
-In the beginning we find the characters in this rural area where no one is really talking to each other and then we end up in this sort of town area, it's noisy and there are lots of people.
-It is an urban area, and it is a lot noisier than the rural area where the story originally began.
-Men and women appear to have certain jobs depending on what sex they are.
-The overall environment seems to be very hot and suffocating. There appears to be no exit...no freedom.
2. Characters
Logic, Too, David, George, Tallest, Mrs. Curtis.
-Flat characters – curtis,
Round – Logic
Static – George, Too, David
Developing – the tallest
Antagonist – David
4) The overall struggle in this novel is that of freedom.
-3 classic struggles in high school? Acceptance, Growing up.
5)Life can sometimes be seen as a blues song. Everyone has struggles and certain things that are difficult to get through, but one must persevere and push on through.
A Letter to the Students of Bruce Alford:
From Olympia Vernon
11:22 a.m., Nov. 6. 2007
It is Good he is not here.
My dear ones, I thought yesterday of how this should begin…so much happened yesterday…I was aboard a grand ship and there were others; but, they were a blur.
So it should not begin.
I could not sleep last night for thinking of the image(s) in my mind and how…I don’t know…yes, so much happened yesterday and now, I can only remember a boy with freckles who wore a University of Michigan t-shirt.
But I am here, now, and am just returning from a Master Class; an orchestra played and there were students there buzzing about, young like you and alive….like us….and I carried with me a little journal that I’ve been carrying around at night and there are faces in it of women who have endured, their faces turned to him.
So I was invited to sit on the stage with others who had come and heard and were invited and I had not---at all---wanted to sit there. You see, I cannot write with others, personally or privately, wilting over my shoulder. So I wrote, anyway, until….I wrote and I am sending this to you; so, you will know what space I am enduring now and that Logic, as any and all things I shall ever write and any and all things I shall never write again, is a violin.
* * *
No one ate it.
There is a cellist; a girl in pink; a woman, gray-haired & fastened about; a bulge; a cheek; something said of honey, smoke.
Of course, I come to you as only in my coming could I. I’ve read your notes & letters & have imagined dearly the great cloud of youth looming.
Now, I write with a heart heavy with some indescribable feast & I know not who sits there or whines or pants or divides.
Oh, dear reader, the orchestra is playing & the girl in pink is somewhere in this; I smell the scent of peace, for only last night did I shed a tear….but now the orchestra is playing & there are people here---with me---and I cannot complete this thought---or that one----with such buzzing…but what a buzz it is I need….so…right now…a buzz.
I cannot remember the world that captured me, but can recall the odor of it. But I should not say odor. It sounds so detached from its purpose…
* * *
I come to you now with a buzzing heart. So much rests & craves within it & to come to you now, as a leaning tower….I’m sitting, now, in the midst of a great orchestra and this orchestra will play soon and I will feel something I need.
A violin does something to the bones. It is not matter-of-fact or pitiful; it does not whine or bruise.
There is no static in that sound; nothing is absent. Nothing of the world is absent or without divinity.
There is that which does not cause one to suffer; there is that string & this one & there is that face and temperature; there is that one face and this one & for (this) absence, one endures and creeps knowingly behind the optic nerve & something unbeastly is rewarded & there is the face & the sound of its reward; the parted mouth and lips; there is the lowering of this sound & it happens---a heart; a liver; a face is transformed & there is no face and heart & liver like it.
Let someone move his shoulder; let him lift; create; give me this Divinity; let him not speak; let me.
Let me be nude.
Let me…speak.
And for this sound, what string is it? What voice & time & throat must I?
And so it is without disaster but Divinity solely---that one must speak or should---at all.
Let them, all of them & they, speak from the shoulder, let them turn their faces & let the heart & liver & face endure this cause.
For yes, it is there, isn’t it?
Where great things are? And I am nude and you, you are nude & we can dance dancers & lovers & feast here upon the throat with our throat & hands here…with our face…the girl in pink is a shadow….and of this something is created & taken from the shoulder; a broach? A terrific bone? Something here is taken & it must be a bone or something like it.
We must be, in our nudity, coming forth with those divinities…which we know & do…transcend. Yes, it must be the shoulder----what was it I was told?----not to bend…no, no, not to bend, but to stif…no not to stiffen the fingers as one does (as I do) with the pen…but how can it be held without passion…these nerves can be stiffened and should…so, they play…on & on & throughout.
1st piece (movement) has ended.
…
Where will we sit now?
The chair?
The splendor?
The divine matter?
Sit where?
Where must we?
And so, it is but a faster kind & my breath hath not the research to chase or bend…it must it be chased?
I’d become weary with it, you see…and yes, he is much faster than…is there anything at all to compare it to, when all seems a simultaneous whisper of one’s ability to chase, to do so with laughter.
Is there such grace in the world that one’s arm must never be stiffened? That one must never be chased & hunted down….(they pause)
Give me some of it.
I have never tasted…been in this…what is it that a woman (be)companies when she has, indeed, sat in her chair, her face asunder, & there is no pink there, nothing fleeting….this chair; taste; fit; face….all are hers & if they be hers then let them come forth and build their own chairs & ships; let them sail; let them sail & sit; let them drink tea on the shoreline with their faces unpainted & incredible; let them….the movement has ended (applause; applause;).
Thank you and (continue to) speak
Olympia Vernon
Ms. Olympia,
I love how you opened the story with Anne Frank's quote. This quote really stuck out to me because I can strongly relate to it. When Frank said, "Go outside", I interpreted it as she was saying to go outside the box, go outside the norm, go outside your troubles, go outside the state that you are in, go outside your normal way of thinking, go outside the traditions, go outside the daily routine of life; step outside of this ordinary world, and do something different and extraordinary. Explore another world; get in the zone, in a trance; let yourself go, hang loose, and feel free. When Frank said, "laugh", I thought about the book of Proverbs when it says that laughter makes the heart merry. It is like medicine for the soul. When you are sick you take medication to get well. Laughter is a form of healing for the mind, body, soul, and spirit. When she said, "take a breath of fresh air", I thought about relaxation, release, letting go, breathing, restoration, rejuvenation, refreshment, renewal, and revival. She ended the quote saying, "a voice cries within me." Crying is a form of release. It sounds like there is a struggle to break free from setbacks, bondage, poverty, pain, past hurts, fear, heaviness, people, or whatever it is that is possibly hindering her. What inspired you to open the story with this quote? What was it about this particular quote that made you decide that this was going to be the opening for the story?
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