Do the following:
[RWS92A] Firstname Lastname RJ1Replace "firstname" and "lastname" with your own!
The reading journal is another tool, like the charts and summaries, that can be used to help you to remember and paraphrase readings during an essay exam.
Think of it as finding a way to spend time with the reading in a meaningful way. You can focus on any aspect of the reading: how it makes you feel, the quality of the argument, the paragraph structure, sentence structure. You could even grade it like we grade our essays.
It is important to stay close to the text though! Try not to go off on long tangents.
Below is an example of a reading journal that I'll do on the first essay we read about rap, just for both of us to get an idea of how this might work.
Anything goes in the reading journal (at least this one--others are more formal). Quote or not quote. Spell how you like--just write and think, and feel. You can be horribly cruel or adoring . . . you can say stupid things.
1802 This is on "Rap Fans Desire a More Positive Product" by Greg Jones on p. 146
I like this essay better than the other because it lists many positive aspects of rap. I think of rap as a sort of poetry. I've seen black people in the Subways of NYC jamming in the air rap songs. They seem far more alive than most of the whites... but at the same time I definitely feel like keeping my distance from the guy speaking forcefully, even angrily.
I really don't know much about the negative aspects of rap. . . There is the whole machismo thing. The music videos I've seen have tons of pulsating women dancing around the fat black rapper. Though many rappres (usher?) are muscly. But what if they are glorifying violence and drug use and objectification of women? I don't really know what to say about that.
1811 In Jones' article, he makes the case that Rap had or has many positive characteristics that were corrupted by the recording industry. I think.
He says "Rap music was the CNN for the poor and working-class blacks in America. Songs such as 'The Message' and 'Fight the Power' Raised the conscience levels of people and the need for social change in America" (146). . . I have heard "Fight the Power". I'm not sure "CNN" is really the best analogy. . . because CNN . . . well is just mainstream media. He wrote this in 2002. Not sure what other example he could use.
Then, he says "greedy, out-of-touch . . . execs took control of the art" making materialism the priority. Well this sounds a bit far-fetched. I don't think his sentence makes sense either. I know what he means to say.
Jones says we listen to music "Because it makes us feel emotions such as joy, sadness, motivation, or even relaxation." Hard to imagine relaxing to rap music. I cannot understand how people walk around jacked to their headfones all the time. I die for silence, and peace of mind, and they can't walk down a street without their headfones in. Not to mention the cars with massive bass. . .
1822 So, it affects the soul of an individual--Ha ha! Someone with headphones- a black woman, just walked into the room with her music on. . . rap it sounded like. She did turn it off now.-- I do think it affects the soul of the individual.... I don't listen to it.
Jones says he thought many things were good because because he saw images of them over and over again. . . like gang banging. What the hell is that---I thought it was gang fucking. I hope he didn't see -- and here it is in the dictionary!
1. a series of acts of often forcible sexual intercourse engaged in by several persons successively with one passive partner. 2. a violent gang fight. -v.i. 3. to participate in a sexual gangbang. 4. to belong to or participate in the activities of a violent street gang. -v.t. 5. to subject to a gangbang.
So maybe he was a kid seeing gang fucking all around him. Or just "participating in the activities of a violent street gang".
Either way, I don't quite buy what he's saying. I see cars all around me, and I think they're evil. Same with smokers. Well.
He says rappres admit to committing crimes on their records, thus promoting crime. I buy that. Earlier: "Blacks in America have many concerns such as police brutality, entrepreneurship, reparations, election reform, emplayment, uality health care, and quality education." and that the art form should reflect that. He sounds rather idealistic. I don't think I'd sing about that. . . I Like what Erinreich says on this better: "This is black anger-- raw, rude, and cruel"
I can relate to that anger. I shure don't seee myself singing about health care. What is this guy on?
1833 Jones says Record execs . . . don't want the positive images because they interfere with the millions they make off the deluded black young rappers. Seems possible. And some rappers sayd they were forcedto portray neg. images??? Forced??
And now he wants us to email and write letters to the execs, and not buy the violent songs?
Well alright-- I'm stopping here 1837 after about 30 min. . . but I think you get the idea. Spend time with the piece-- see what it makes you think, feel. Write that down. Have fun writing on terrorism!! The idea is, when you have to write an argument in class without the essay in front of you--you'll remember much more of it having done a journal. Furthermore, at least for me, while I like writing journals, I'd hate to make myself make a chart of plusses and minuses or even a summary. . . And what you can't get yourself to do won't help you at all. If you visit my ENGL 522 page, you'll see something related to this I came up with to help me spend time with the readings for that class. It is up to you!