Blog Post #15: Fishbowl Discussions: Comments and Feedback

Friday: Group #2 (Responding to Grace Huang [http://huanggraceapenglish2015.blogspot.com]): The extent to which people can create or recreate themselves—is identity the result of free choice or is it something determined by factors out of our control (such as race, gender, or ethnicity)?

Hi Grace! I have to say, your contributions to the fishbowl discussion - and, naturally, your dumplings -  were extremely impressive. I didn't get a chance to ask you about them, but I believe that I noticed the distinct mark of ginger in the dumplings, which, as someone extremely uneducated on Chinese cuisine, was something that I had not experienced before. To put it briefly, the "jaiozi" were amazing; but, sitting there during the fishbowl discussion and trying your dish alongside everyone else in the class really reinforced notions you brought up regarding the connections we make in preparing and eating food. Cooking and eating really are, as you put it, "place[s] where friends join together in a common pursuit..." Whether that is pursuit is eating, preparing food, relaxing, preparing to exercise, or snacking during a discussion on Their Eyes Were Watching God, there is an innate sense of togetherness that results from embracing food and embracing those with whom you embrace food. If I were to give one piece of constructive criticism - trust me, it is hard to find - I would say that when you find the discussion reaching an "awkward silence," don't be afraid to stir the pot and throw in a new point of discussion; it very well could be far off from what you were previously discussing and it may not necessarily be strictly "on point," but that is sort of the beauty of these fishbowl discussions - they are what you make of them. Again, amazing memoir, amazing discussion, amazing food.

Monday: Group #3 (Responding to Blake Nissen [http://nissenblakeapenglish2015.blogspot.com]): How power or voice (or lack of power or lack of voice) leads to the representation (or misrepresentation) of certain groups—within communities, societies, the world, etc. Various ways people use and/or abuse power—some for basic survival and others for lives of excess.

Blake, I don't understand how - possibly the craze of eating so much at once - but I didn't get a chance to try your Parmesan Risotto; after hearing about its rustic and warm appeal in your food memoir, this is something that I regret. You so perfectly hit the nail in the head with your title, "Food Doesn't Discriminate," and I completely understand the notions of being out of place or lost in your elements that you discussed. Your presence in the Fishbowl Discussion was also executed very well - in many instances you seemed to lead the discussion and take conversation down a new avenue if things started to turn a little dry. what I liked most about what you said in the discussion on the comparative "power" behind beauty and voice - specifically in Their Eyes Were Watching God. You argued that the importance of beauty over voice depends on which part of the book you are discussing; this was a very keen observation and I completely agree with you, there is a marked complexity in following Janie's growth and seeing the reliance upon beauty in her representation of a woman or of an African American lose prominence to her voice as she finds it throughout the novel. If I were to offer once piece of advice, I would suggest using more concrete examples and evidence in your discussion; you did not have weak ethos, but in these discussion situations, it is important to validate what you say and provide support for your interpretations. Very well done. 

Tuesday: Group #4 (Responding to Riddhi Chopra [http://choprariddhiapenglish2015.blogspot.com]): Divisions, conflicts, and multiple forces within the self.

Riddhi, I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation and the Kheer you brought in for us to try. on your poster - very well designed, by the way - I especially liked your tweet, including the #badgirl; reading that, I can't help but imagine the MIA song "Bad Girls Do It Well" playing in the background as a young girl sneaks into the kitchen for the tempting opportunity to "sweeten [her] mouth." Your presence in the fishbowl discussion was equally impressive - I actually began the discussion taking notes on another speaker, but you were making so many thorough points that I started tracking you more than I was him. You first caught my attention when you discussed the value of the transitions in Janie's life; I had never necessarily thought about the points in her life in that context before, and doing so really allowed me to see many unique elements of her growth that I had not noticed. As readers, we often overvalue the obvious - in this case, Janie's three distinct relationships. You very clearly highlighted the importance of looking at the transitions between these relationships - times when Janie was alone - and used that new contextual lens to analyse Janie in a whole new light. From the Kheer to the Fishbowl, you performed amazingly well in these projects. 

Thursday: Group #5 (Responding to Alex Chung [http://chungalexanderenglishliterature2015.blogspot.com]): The role of performance in everyday life, particularly in the sense of taking on certain roles or disguising true personalities in order to assimilate to mainstream society.

I have to say, your food memoir was one of my favorites in the class. I know that I mention this when I edited your memoir, but your voice is so clear and so unique through the writing that it is almost like a small glimpse into the mind of Alex Chung - a nerd, loud and proud. I also have to say that, although not for the same reasons, I am most definitely a nerd too, and I think to a certain degree we are all nerds in some way or another. I did try the triple-Brewer coffee that you brought in, and even though I'm not a "coffee person," I most definitely understand why it can be addicting for some people. But, as you said, food, including coffee, can bring people together - whether it is scientists in a lab or a family or a class of AP Literature nerds, there is an innate sense of "communion," as Foster puts it, in eating and sharing food. Not only was your memoir excellent, your participation in the Fishbowl Discussion was top-notch as well. I tracked you in the discussion, so you already have my comments, but to be brief, I was very impressed by your bringing up the Great Gatsby and the notion of the "unreliable narrator." That really was taking source synthesization to a whole new level. Very well done in both the memoir and the Fishbowl discussion.