I
enjoyed the nostalgic recollection in Eileen Myles' "Aunt Anne." The
way she spoke about time spent with her mother and aunt made me think about my
experiences, not with my mother, but with my grandparents. Myles stated early
in the poem that she liked her mother smoking… weird to think about having your
daughter approve of something frowned upon in today’s society. The small subtle
differences between lifestyles are what interest me most. Idiosyncrasies of
past cultures are incredibly intriguing to me. Even trying to piece together
little bits that I know about my grandparents' childhoods and the stories I've
heard from my parents I often reflect fondly on what it must have been like to
have grown up with a prior generation. I was semi-sad for Myles’ mother because
she didn’t know hers. My grandma didn’t know her father either. I have such
concrete memories of both my parents and grandparents, but back in the 1930s it
wasn’t uncommon for adults to die at a young age. I remember the way they
moved, smelled, laughed and said my name and for that I am eternally grateful.
I’m not entirely sure that invoking these types of emotions was the purpose of
her poem however Myles made me remember how much I appreciate having had a
close relationship with older family members. That being said I want to go in a
more positive, light-hearted direction for my project. I can only handle so
much seriousness.
Keegan,
ReplyDeleteThe inspiration and thoughts you have developed from Myles' work is great. I like that you plan to use a memory, similar to Myles', but take a positive spin on it. Some suggestions I have are to describe the small things that remind you of your grandparents. That may be their smell, their hugs, or the smile lines on their face. These detailed descriptions may allow the audience to feel the emotions you feel when you think of your grandparents; it will make your piece engaging and capturing. Overall I really love this idea because of the care and love you seem to have about the topic.
I like your point about the contrast between generations and cultures that Myles presents in "Aunt Anne." As far as your own story, talking about family members who have passed is hard, but there are definitely ways to be both nostalgic and light-hearted while sharing your memories. Maybe choose a specific moment from childhood that you remember fondly involving those family members and focus only on that moment and the details within it as though you are still living it.
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