I feel that Urban Bush woman was an exhibit of brilliant dancing combined with no real comprehension of what it should all mean. The dancing itself was exquisite. The name would lead people to believe that there are only women in this performance when in fact it is evenly split between men and women. There are many skillful sequences dance sequences, which will leave you wondering, how did they do that? I was less curious about how they did their actions but what they all meant. I felt that their movements were supposed to mean something but it was intensely difficult to decipher it. Words were few and far between and when the performers did speak it was either not in English or indecipherable. If one just focuses on the dancing however, you will be pleasantly surprised. The dancers were fluid in their movements and incredibly acrobatic. The props and set design are worth noting for their supporting roles. They were background elements and did not really stand out but they did their job.

            Urban Bush Women overall, was a disappointing show that did not do justice to a good concept. The original purpose was to reflect upon African life. This is noble goal but I would have liked to see it better executed. If the purpose of the performance was simply to be a dance exhibition than it achieved its goal. I am not saying that there should be a full plot with heroes and villains. I respect symbolic performances and I generally like the way the real ideas are expressed so creatively. That is what I was expecting from Bush Women but it is not what I received. I would recommend this performance for those who are only interested in skillful dancing. If you are looking to experience a true education about this culture than this is not the show for you.

Jeanette Striano was born the third of six children. One thing that was hardly a secret was the fact that she was not the favorite child. In everything from boys to schoolwork, Jeanette was judged very harshly. Angelina rarely, if ever, gave her the benefit of the doubt. She could never be her younger sister Adeline or her younger brother Al who were the true favorites of the family. She never tried to be either but she realized from an early age that Angelina demanded perfection of her. Jeanette’s willful nature did not mesh well with her mother’s expectations. There were certain ways that a young all-Italian girl was expected to behave. These guidelines were non-negotiable as far as Angelina was concerned. From an early age, Jeanette knew that there would be only one way that she would live her life: her way.

When Jeanette was in her late teens, 5^th Avenue in Brooklyn was known as a very eclectic environment. It was here that she chose to work in a classy dress shop selling dresses. She was quite good at it, too.  Legend has it that she was so charismatic that after 10 minutes of shooting the breeze with her, she would convince you to buy the Brooklyn Bridge. When Angelina Striano found out, however, she ordered her to stop immediately. Back then, a nice Italian girl was not permitted to work in a non-Italian neighborhood. She would work for an Italian employer or she would not work at all. Despite her mother’s objections, Jeanette continued to work in this store. She did not care that the employer was not of her heritage. She enjoyed what she did but she was really happy about the fact that she was well paid. She was proud to be Italian but to her it did not matter where she sold her dresses, as long as she got paid and enjoyed going to work.  She told her mother this and, in spite of the numerous arguments,  she eventually won the battle. The war, however, was in its infancy, as this was one of the first exhibitions of Jeanette’s willful nature but hardly the last.

The club was dark and smoky. Standing on the stage in front was a young twenty-something named Jeanette. She was crooning torch songs for the patrons to hear. Her voice was like that of an angel; she was the Italian version of Ella Fitzgerald and proud of it. She was at this club on a regular basis earning a little extra money and enjoying every moment that she was in the public eye. She loved to sing songs about love and destiny and used her voice to pour emotion into it. As she sang Wheel of Fortune by Kay Starr the crowd looked on in appreciation of her considerable talent. Jeanette did not realize, however, that her mother had discovered what she did for fun. Angelina marched down to the club that Jeanette was performing in and ordered her to leave. She told Jeanette that the only people who sing in clubs are sluts and wild women and as far as she was concerned this was not to be her daughter’s role in life. Jeanette enjoyed what she did and did not want to stop but she had to obey her mother’s wishes. She did leave, albeit reluctantly, but this was only round two. The much more explosive round three was just around the corner.

The height of the conflict between my grandmother and her mother came when there was a dispute over whom she would marry. Her mother set her up with a nice young businessman named Jimmy Russo. It was not really optional for my grandmother to say no, at the risk of forever disappointing her mother. She chose to marry Mr. Russo but she had a genuine problem. She did not want to upset her mother but at the same time she realized that she did not love Jimmy. She acknowledged that he was a very kind man but she would be doing him a disservice by staying married to him because she did not love him. She proceeded to receive an annulment and instead married a hard working roofer who was born in Prague. His name was Dominic Marvo and he eventually became my grandfather. To Angelina, this was a sin of the highest order. There was a virtual apocalypse in the Striano household and all kinds of arguments ensued. In Angelina’s legendary words, which have been passed down since they were uttered, “You are leaving gold to marry brass.” From this moment forward, Jeanette had lost all favor with her mother. This same displeasure carried over to my mother who was viewed as being the product of a marriage that Angelina did not approve of.

Jeanette’s relationship with her mother was one that would dictate much of her life. Jeanette always felt slighted by the fact that her mother made no secret of which children were her favorites. She made a decision, however, not to let this keep her down. She knew that she was going to do things her way and that was that. She was not going to allow anyone to tell her what would make her happy. Her happiness was her business and it would remain that way until she died in 2004. Jeanette may not have always been right when she pushed her own agenda but, at least, she was unafraid to back it up. She had the courage and spirit with which to combat her mother’s own forceful nature. She was always respectful of her mother but she also realized that she could not allow her to jeopardize her future.

            This exhibition covered many different facets of romance and beauty in the Renaissance. These included: courtship, marriage, childbirth, and erotica. One particular aspect that was very interesting was in the section based upon marriage. For a woman to be married to a man, the woman’s family had to give a sizable gift or a dowry. There were many examples of these on display such as intricately decorated plates and even some small musical instruments. As the wall information mentions there was a certain double standard because the man was allowed to just rent jewelry for the brides and then return it, while the bride had to spring for really expensive un-returnable gifts.

There was also a section regarding childbirth. This section was very interesting as it had on display several real cribs that were used back then. There was also a room devoted to erotica. There were several portraits of nude women that were painted by various artists. There was for example a portrait of a woman who was widely believed to be the mistress of Raphael himself. There were also pictures that were dubbed belle donne or “beautiful women.” These women were considered very attractive at the time but their true identities were never discovered.

            This exhibition was very interesting and taught me many new things about the Renaissance time period. I feel that these works of art are timeless and this is my favorite artistic period. I feel that the artists of the Renaissance are the quintessential artists of history. I learned much about love at this time and how it is different from today. The concepts were essentially the same but it was expressed through masterful works of art and creations of sheer beauty.

            One thing that struck me during Sam Freedman’s conversation with the class was the purpose behind his writing of this book. It seems as though he did not truly appreciate his mother when she was alive and now he is writing this book as a way of honoring her memory and repenting for his actions. The wasy in which he went about composing it was also very intriguing. I liked the fact that he said he had an almost fanatical attention to detail. This fact was something that I feel gave the work more validity and truth behind it. I appreciate that he gave the true details even when it may have been difficult. He expressed to us that in order to compile a good story about someone’s ife it needs to be done objectively. This can be tricky especially when it comes to family. He understood this but he also understood that accurate reporting means that there can be no bias in the work, lest it be flawed.

            I found Sam Freedman to be a very entertaining person to listen to. His ideas and thoughts upon compiling a good record of someone’s life are valuable tools that can be used in many facets of writing. I got the sense thathe really enjoyed undertaking this task. He also gave off a feeling of accomplishment. He seemed to be very content with the amount of time he put into this, and rightly so. This work is an excellent example of a comprehensive analysis of someone’s life. It covers the gamut of information and does so in an accurate and objective way. Sam Freedman’s advice is golden for any aspiring writer.

            I knew, even before I started, that for my project to have any effect at all, I had to show a multitude of areas. I knew that I would have success on major avenues with construction activity because many of these ads are found on the temporary walls of construction sites. The ones that instantly came to mind were 6^th (Avenue of the Americas), 5^th, and Broadway. To show a little diversity I knew that I should also go over to the West side around 10^th and 11^th. I also knew that it would be wise to really vary my pattern by going downtown by the Bowery. I also knew that I should vary how I took the pictures. I would take some shots in which the whole length of the ad wall would be capture and then I would take others that were close ups of individual sections. I did not want to have the same shot every time. I had to make sure to vary how I took them because more often than not the ads would be the same and I ran the risk of being repetitious.

            As I began to walk around Manhattan snapping pictures of entire walls of ads I found myself realizing how often I actually see these without actually registering that they are there. I found walls with the same ads repeated multiple times in blocks. The walls were completely saturated with advertisements for one thing or another, whether it was a new movie or an upcoming concert. I also discovered that these same advertisements were repeated throughout the city. It was staggering to fully comprehend just how many of these ad walls there are. I also made sure to find a few shots of those construction sites that did not want ads posted along their walls. They would have signs imprinted that would say “Post No Bills”. I wanted to document clearly that not every company or organization wanted to be conduits for mass advertising.

             Throughout my quest to locate these obtrusive displays of advertising, I saw that many people simply ignore them and I am among these people. At the same time I understood that the goal is not necessarily to hope that people will notice one specific ad, but to blanket the city in them so that by sheer force of numbers people would have to pay attention sooner or later. The reason that I chose this topic was because I realized that it is an every day part of life, but one that goes largely unrecognized. More often than not, I will not even notice that they are there but eventually through repeated encounters it registers in my head and that is the whole point of this tactic. I wanted to show that, for good or bad, these advertisement walls are a part of our everyday lives.

             As I traipsed around Manhattan, I discovered that I enjoyed snapping shots of city life. I liked the idea that I was documenting something that is tangible and real. I believe that this project has given me a better appreciation for photography as an art. I now understand the thrill that a photographer gets from snapping a shot and realizing that it is his or her ideas that made that unique view of real life possible. Photography is something that I have discovered that I have an interest in and I hope to pursue it later in life. One thing is for certain; I will never look at another advertisement wall the same way again.

I chose his breakthrough moment that came during the Wimbledon tournament of 2001. Roger played Wimbledon legend Pete Sampras and won a 5-set thriller. Second, I chose his triumph at the 2007 Wimbledon tournament. He beat his long-time rival Rafael Nadal to capture his 5^th straight Wimbledon crown to equal the record established by Bjorn Borg. The third moment that I chose was his devastating loss to Novak Djokovic at the 2008 Australian Open. He was suffering from mononucleosis at the time and this put a dent in his aura of invincibility. The final moment that I chose was Roger’s victory at the 2008 U.S. Open. This win was a revival of his career because after a very tough 2008 he was able to capture the last Grand Slam tournament of the year. This victory also put him 1 behind Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam tournament victories.

I felt that this collage shows the ups and downs that any champion encounters. It is interesting to see the defining moments of a career and how they affect each other. Roger is arguably the best tennis player to ever pick up a racket and he will go down in history as an all-time great. It is amazing to see all that he has done in his career as well as seeing the ups and downs that every champion has.

Much of the turmoil that results from such high stakes comes courtesy of the lead character, the genius behind the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer. We can see Mr. Oppenheimer’s conflict as he tries to reconcile the advancements he is making in science with the potentially millions of deaths that it will cause. His struggle is one of the highlights of the performance. He is the central piece to the story and all of the other performances pale in comparison with his. Oppenheimer’s unparalleled intelligence provides the fuel that makes this project go, but we are shown his conflicted nature. One of the most poignant moments of the entire performance comes towards the end of the first half of the play. We see Mr. Oppenheimer standing alone with the atomic bomb held over his head as he sings John Donne’s Holy Sonnet XIV. He stares up at the weapon born of his brilliance and as he sings it is as though he is controlled by his ambition. It seems like he understands the terrible power of the weapon but cannot and will not be diverted from his course; he is too far on his path to turn back as he nears its end.

            Dr. Atomic is of course, an opera and it is open to debate as to whether or not it should even be one. In any case, much of the audience’s appreciation for the story will be governed by their appreciation for the quality of the actors’ voices. Overall, the cast did an admirable job with a very difficult task. Their voices were worthy of an Operatic performance and the actors made their characters believable for the most part. The music did well to convey the tension that permeated the performance. It was appropriately dramatic but could switch to softer tones as well. For example, the music would become softer during Oppenheimer’s conversations with his wife. The costumes did not have to be elaborate for this performance and they fit the time period quite well, with all of the men in suits and hats and the military officials in their appropriate attire. Last but not least is the bomb itself. The weapon of mass destruction certainly did not have the polished look of warheads from Hollywood movies, but it was not supposed to. There were wires wrapped around it and such and this gave it an almost primitive look, which was exactly what it should have had, given that this had never been attempted before. Even though the performances were solid, the music excellent and the costumes authentic, the Opera could not be save from the fcat that it would have been much better off as a full-scale play.

            Dr. Atomic, while being an opera in definition, is more of a very well constructed history lesson. This is not to knock the performers who did a fine job with what they had to work with or with the music that was cleverly adapted to this event. The problem is with the idea that such a fine story had to be told as an Opera. The performance is by no means a poor one and your time will not be wasted for it does a fantastic job with what it is given. I simply feel as though the Operatic nature takes something away from what is otherwise a fascinating time-period in history. The Manhattan project was shrouded in secrecy for so long that seeing its true story is extremely gratifying. If you have a chance to go see Dr. Atomic do so, if for nothing else than the fascinating history of its subject.

            When waiting for Mr. Mermelstein to arrive I was quite unsure of what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to see that he was a jovial man who seemed to genuinely enjoy is job. He proceeded to show us numerous photos that he had taken. In his particular brand of photography he seemed to take many pictures of people up close. I was interested in his answer when the topic was brought up about his interactions with people on the street. Obviously there will be times when you run into someone who is not really inclined to have his/her picture taken but Mr. Mermelstein took this all in stride. He said that he tries to avoid confrontation at all times. He even remarked about how careful a photographer has to be because there will be times when he takes a picture of people who should not be with each other, whether it be a mistress or something similar. I was astonished by the courage that he has to have to brazenly walk around Manhattan snapping pictures of people in the street. I was also interested to hear him say that there were times when confrontations arose and one man even removed the film from his camera.

            I was also impressed by Mr. Mermelstein’s sense of the opportune moment. He seemed to have an uncanny knack for snapping pictures that capture a note-worthy moment in time. Photography seems to be his gift and he has an affinity for knowing which subjects to shoot. He expressed that it is not essential to have a subject in mind and that sometime sit is a good thing to just see where the day will take you and what subjects you will happen upon. I feel that Jeffrey Mermelstein captures the essence of what a photographer should be: someone who is adept at choosing the proper subjects to use as well as someone who is open to new ideas and different ways of looking at life. He had many pictures that were genuinely funny and he seemed to laugh at much of his own work. It was truly refreshing to meet someone who has found his passion in life and really enjoys what he does.

            I admired the way she conducted the informal interview after the reading and I was also surprised by some of her answers. One question posed to her dealt with whether or not she knew what the endings would be before she wrote the work. Her answer shocked me, as she replied that she did not think about it beforehand and let the story go where it would. I find this interesting because I always ike to know where anything that I am writing will end up. I realize that every writer has there own methods but I wonder if there is not some merit to the idea that the story does not have to be planned out and that the overall construction can just take its own course. This is something that I will try and implement in my own writing because when she said this she made it sound as though this made writing more fun. It may go against my natural inclination as an aspiring writer but it may be beneficial to not know where every story is going. I also found it interesting when she said that some stories and ideas remain unfinished. This is something else that I wish to use in my writing because I have never left a story unfinished and always try to make the best out of whatever material that I am working with. After listening to Francine Prose however, I have come to the realization that if the story is not working than it should scrubbed until a better way of approaching it becomes apparent. I also now understand that some stories cannot be finished and that it is important to accept this and realize that it is not giving up but understanding the concept is not working.

I feel that I have gleaned much from the reading with Francine Prose. I learned a lot abou how to conduct oneself as a writer and I hope that I may continue to grow as one. Authors like Francine Prose have much to teach young writers and I found her musings on writing to be very helpful, and I appreciated the candor and wit with which she delivered them.

            There was however, a lot to like in the way of how the film was presented. The use of animation to tell this story is one that I would agree with. There was so much in the way of special effects and flashbacks, that it would have been extremely tough to use live actors. Animation enables things to be done in the movie, which would not have had the same effect if produced through any other means. The music gives the performance a definite boost as it really brings the action to a fever pitch at times. The director also throws in an unexpected ending, which shows real life footage of the real-life story being told. This was a particularly powerful moment as it brings to the forefront what this movie was really about. There is a strong message to the film regarding the horrors of war and the how it causes suffering to all involved.

            Overall, Waltz with Bashir was an intriguing film but it was plagued with confusion. I had trouble knowing exactly where the character was supposed to be or what significance does the character that he is currently speaking to have. For those of you who do not mind sudden, unexplainable twists and multiple characters with varying levels of significance, or those of you who are interested only in excellent animation and a spell-binding score, then this is the movie for you. Otherwise, this movie does not deliver. It has its good qualities but they do not do enough to eclipse its flaws. I am genuinely frustrated by the awkward style of telling of the story because Waltz with Bashir does have a message to give to its audience, and it is one that should be taken seriously.