Antonia’s Blog

I have mixed feelings on the narcissism article. On the one hand, I completely agree. Having been born in 1988, I obviously have no idea what things were like pre-1982, but I’m not surprised to hear that I am part of what is labeled “the most narcissistic generation in recent history.” I’m not sure what the cause is. Are we really to blame? Or has some outside force come in and corrupted us? I find it interesting to note that the article mentioned sites like myspace and youtube as possible fuels for the issue. I think it’s true to say that by meeting other people online, it is easier to avoid making deep connections - it all seems much more superficial.  The more I think about it, though, the more I start questioning why it’s so bad to see oneself as special. I don’t necessarily believe that claiming “I can live my life any way I want to” translates into “excessive self-love.” Mentors teach us that we can be whoever we want, from an early age - not to promote narcissism, but to provide encouragement. I’d rather go into life with the view that the world is my oyster, rather than thinking that I’m doomed to failure.   Also, as a writer, the notion that MY opinion is important is one of the most encouraging things. The anxiety that what I have to say is boring and unoriginal is something that often holds me back - everyone else telling me the same thing would have disastrous consequences for my writing, as well as my self-esteem.

Corbett seems to believe that imitating (by means of copying text directly) is a good way of improving one’s own writing, because by acquainting oneself with different forms of writing, one can take on the positive features of other writers’ texts. Corbett claims, however, that if one writer is used over and over again, it is easy to lose one’s own voice, because one will tend to adopt the other writer’s voice as one’s own.  I think I can see where Corbett is coming from. I’ve never really heard of/tried his method of copying other writers’ passages down, but I can see how it could be helpful. However, I think there is a fine line between being influenced by others, and completely stealing from them. I think that I’d probably start plagiarizing phrases, instead of taking on the writing style as a whole, which I really don’t think would make me a more effective writer.

Please post your comments to my participation in the workshops here.

How does race (as a concept, an issue, or a part of your identity) affect your writing — how you write and what you write about? If you find that you never think about your race as a factor in your writing, what does that suggest to you, e.g. about your own racial identity, about race as a social category, about how you’ve learned to write… [and so the possibilities go]?   I’ve never really thought about it much. I guess when you’re not part of a minority, there isn’t the same “look at me and how I’ve overcome diversity!” undertone to writing. I suppose my lack of racial experience and unity can sort of be limiting, in a way. I mean, I don’t really have much of a common bond with any racial category, so I can’t draw on that when I write. On the other hand, I guess this lack of racial awareness allows me to focus on other themes, without having to get past the race stuff. I don’t even know.In a way, the whole concept of “racial awareness” seems sort of contradictory to me. I mean, on the one hand, we’re supposed to sort of overlook race/other physical differences and see the person inside. But then there are all these things like MLK Jr day to remind us about our differences. I don’t get it.