Midwinter Writing Festival

I went to hear Dr. James Levine.  He is the author of The Blue Notebook. His lecture was located in the Auditorium.  The room was about one-half full.  I went to this lecture because we will be reading his book in this class.  I had no expectations going into the lecture. 

            The primary focus of his presentation was his experiences in India.  Upon Dr. Levine’s arrival his first time in India he was kidnapped and held in a cement cell for four days.  He did not explain who kidnapped him or why.  It was an amazing story.  After he was rescued by the police he went to visit the Taj Mahal, and then he joined the team he was to work with in India.

            Dr. Levine described the day he saw a young prostitute writing in her blue notebook.  He wanted to see her notebook and she showed it to him.  She had no expression on her face as she gave it to him.  He knew later that it was wrong to ask to see it.  He then went on to describe how he wrote his book based on her, and how he got it published.  He wrote 1000 words a day for 60 days.  He had no agent and his young daughter suggested he get one. He did, and the woman who published his book had also published The Kite Runner.

            The one thing Dr. Levine spent time talking about was the Sparrow Program in India.  It was set up to pull children out of prostitution and educate them.  He described the school program that provides the education for the children.  Many have had success and gone on to college.

            Dr. Levine did not read from his book.  He just talked about his life regarding this book, and the experiences he has had in India.  He was soft spoken and energetic.  Unfortunately, he was sometimes hard to hear as he moved away from the microphone.

            The first question Dr. Levine was asked was what his training was to write a book.  He said he reads mostly magazines and was not a well-read person.  Since I have not read the book the questions and answers about the book did not have much meaning.  His advice about writing is to have no fear of anyone or anything, and to write without hesitation.

            The main thing I learned from his talk was about the terrible issue of child prostitution.  There are 300,000 child prostitutes in Mumbai.  The reason the children make good prostitutes is that they do not know anything different in life.  They start at a young age. There are also many child prostitutes in Minnesota.  Dr. Levine really cares about this issue.   I enjoyed him as a speaker.

Music of Figurative Language

The first song I chose is by the Black Eyed Peas:  "Where Is The Love"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc

BLACK EYED PEAS LYRICS: 

What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA fightin'
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love
The love, the love

It just ain't the same, always unchanged
New days are strange, is the world insane
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin'
in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love, the love, the love?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' our wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found
Now ask yourself

Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love?

Sing wit me y'all:
One world, one world (We only got)
One world, one world (That's all we got)
One world, one world
And something's wrong wit it (Yeah)
Something's wrong wit it (Yeah)
Something's wrong wit the wo-wo-world, yeah
We only got
(One world, one world)
That's all we got
(One world, one world)


Explanation: I think the writing in the song is clear. The writer is objecting to the lack of respect that people  have for each other. There is no need for war and people killing each other. The world needs more love.  The first three highlighted areas are personification. The fourth highlighted area is hyperbole. The fifth is personification.

 The second song was suggested by my dad. The song is written by Bob Dylan and song by The Byrds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS6OhC-4Zyw
The title is "My Back Pages"

Crimson flames tied through my ears (hyperbole)
Rollin' high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps (simile)
"We'll meet on edges, soon," said I
Proud 'neath heated brow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth ( personification)
"Rip down all hate," I screamed
Lies that life is black and white
Spoke from my skull. I dreamed
Romantic facts of musketeers
Foundationed deep, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

Girls' faces formed the forward path (alliteration)
From phony jealousy
To memorizing politics
Of ancient history
Flung down by corpse evangelists
Unthought of, though, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

A self-ordained professor's tongue
Too serious to fool
Spouted out that liberty
Is just equality in school
"Equality," I spoke the word
As if a wedding vow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

In a soldier's stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not that I'd become my enemy
In the instant that I preach
My pathway led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.
 Explanation: This is an odd song, but had some figurative language. I think it was about reflection on past protest and the fact the writer is more open minded to new ideas.