After viewing and listening to Dana Goia's talk, write to us about your "takeaways":
- What did you take away from what he said? What struck you, in particular?
- What are some specific things he said that surprised or intrigued you?
- What is your relationship to the place you live? (Do you know the name of the trees and birds outside your house?)
- How do you understand the concept of Sense of Place?
I think when he mentioned the whole history behind the english language and how it differentiates around the world was very intriguing to me, I'm big into history and you don't really get to hear about why our language is so different and how it became so diverse in history classes. My relationship to where I live is very good, I go for walks a lot around my neighborhood and considering my dad is a tree trimmer, I learned a lot about different types of trees, but I do know the different trees in my neighbors/my yard and my mother is obsessed with bird watching I guess, and I know some different breeds of birds that do sit in my trees. I understand a lot better now what the concept of Sense of Place is after watching this video.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Samantha! I'm happy to know that you get out and walk around your neighborhood and notice things. The first step is really putting your phone away and instead looking at the sky, trees, or even other people. You're on your way!
DeleteWhat struck me in particular was when Gioia said to stay present and alert in our everyday lives. For instance I do not know the names of trees or specific birds in my neighborhood. Yes I may notice them but I never take the time to decide and realize what types they are. It is intriguing because he said most people do not realize these things and that they lack the knowledge of the everyday world around them and how to describe the trees and birds right outside their home. Another intriguing thing was how the names of places we live in can give us a sense of place because they describe perhaps local landmarks, or the type of religion in that area. The way people may speak in California is based on their local ancestors and how they pay attention to the local world/climate/culture. The concept of Sense of Place basically means creating the culture and society in the world around us, and also understanding other places. Staying alert to things locally. When we travel to Italy or California, it’s usually to get a taste of that type of culture. We go to Italy to eat their type of food, and see the way they live. I feel the need to take his ideas into consideration now, to be more alert in my own surroundings.
ReplyDeleteDanielle: I love this line from your post, "Staying alert to things locally" and think it applies to the work we will do as writers in this class. Writing is an act of communicating our reality to others, of putting down thoughts and observations in a way so that others can feel and sense what we're sensing. I hope to help you become a master of this art!
Delete"Be a presence in your lives", was the most memorable quote from the Dana Goia video clip. I personally feel like I took in a lot from this clip. This was powerful to me due to the fact that I am in the category of people he described that does not really pay attention to the world around them. When he made the statement about a majority of the country not being able to name the birds and trees outside their house i realized I could not name them myself. I believe this whole videos purpose was just to open our eyes a little more as members of our community locally, and even as a country. The language, religion, buildings and street names all have a history of their own and we just go around from day to day without even realizing or acknowledging it. People like myself who just go with the flow daily should open our eyes and start seeing the world around us for what its truly worth. Doing so makes life worthwhile and more interesting. Everyone should aspire to have a sense of place.
ReplyDeleteElijah: I like this line from your post: "The language, religion, buildings and street names all have a history of their own and we just go around from day to day without even realizing or acknowledging it." As i was driving through Providence today, past DePasquale Square on Federal Hill, I began to wonder who this DePasquale person was. Why did they name the piazza with the fountain after him? Did he donate money or do something great or both? And, what is the origin of Federal Hill, anyway? Why did so many Italians flock to that part of the city? When did it become "Little Italy," as some people know it now? So...yes...everything that's contained in even a tiny little city block has a story...your job will be to search out the stories and articulate them for the rest of us!
DeleteI had some likes and dislikes of Dana’s speech. I found it intriguing when he said, “be present and alert to the world around you, and if you don’t like it, change it.” I liked this because I know for a fact that not many people are happy with their surroundings and the world around them. I also think that if one does not like the world around them then they should change it, such as moving to a new home or even moving away from certain climates or terrain. I think everyone should be happy with the world around them. Another thing I found interesting is when he said, “what we will not grasp in the world around us will be lost.” If we as people don’t appreciate the world around us and the atmosphere than what will make a person feel at home. If we don’t look at even a tree, landmark, smell, climate, temperature, and even terrain and be reminded of home than it is as if we have no memory of home. I did not agree with having to know the names of trees and birds because as long as you know your surroundings and appreciate the certain things that sparks a heartwarming memory of home or anything good than that should be enough.
ReplyDeleteJake: I am very intrigued that you began to use the word "home" in your post...I definitely feel that HOME is one of our most basic place-based sensory powered memories. For most of us, the idea of HOME Is a comfort. It is also interesting (and slightly sad) to think of those for whom HOME is a bad word, a bad memory, or a bad connotation. Finally, some folks don't have a home; I am thinking of the thousands of war refugees who are crowding into refugee camps in Somalia and Lebanon and other countries adjacent to war-torn ones. For those of us who have a strong powerful sense of HOME, maybe it is our obligation to share that memory--those images and sensory details--with others so they can feel it, experience it through our writing.
DeleteDana Goia’s speech really intrigued me to go out and take a better look at the world around me. The quote that stuck onto me the most about the speech was at the very end when Goia says, “What we will not grasp is lost”. This made me realize that in today’s society we are always busy with technology, work, and school, that we do not spend enough time exploring what is truly on the outside. Dana also says, “Be present in your own life and place, and if you don’t like it, then change it”. This intrigued me because as a society we should be taking part in changing what is around us if we are not happy with it. How happy can someone truly be if they are not present and are not able to retain physical aspects from the outside world? I believe that I have a good sense of place when describing my own home, even if it is not specific enough details. I do not know the names of all the trees in my backyard or the names of all the birds that are there as well, but I am able to use my sense of hearing, smell, and sight to capture the beautiful essence of the world around me.
ReplyDeleteKourtney: I like this line from your post, "How happy can someone truly be if they are not present and are not able to retain physical aspects from the outside world?" and it made me think of the importance of taking elderly folks outside for walks. My father is 93 years old, and I spent the weekend with him this past weekend. We went to an apple orchard to pick apples, we went to the cemetery to visit my grandparents, and we worked outdoors, in my parents' backyard, trimming my father's beloved grapevines before the frost hits them. We spent some time in each of the three days I was there outdoors. And, at the end of the weekend, my father exclaimed, "All that fresh air made me feel good! Like I accomplished something!" So...I think you're right, Kourtney! How happy can we be if we don't remember the outdoors, if we don't experience it.
DeleteEvery day we look at what’s around us but do we really see? Also, why is that every person views what’s in the world differently with different perspectives? These thought-provoking questions are fully explored in the Dana Gioia video. An important point made in the video is how humans have different perspectives. Some people may love the outdoors, the trees, and the birds while others may not enjoy it. The majority of people do not pay attention to the outside world and I am one of them. Though I am often outside playing sports, I would not be able to identify what kind of trees are near the courts or ball fields and what kinds of birds are in it. I have lived at the same house for 18 years and don’t even know what plants or trees are in my backyard. I never really think about the nature around me. The video also examines how every object has a culture and history behind it. However, not too many people are interested in discovering and exploring what the history of that object is. I suppose we are too busy with our lives to care. Finally, a quote that I took from this video is “Be a presence in your life.” This means that we should see, feel, hear, taste, and touch everything around us to really know and experience the world around us…the world we look at but don’t see. We are missing out on having a real presence in our own lives.
ReplyDeleteArty: This line that you wrote really hits the nail on the head: "I suppose we are too busy with our lives to care." I hope to motivate each of you to care a little more than you did when you walked in the room on that first day of class. :)
DeleteWhen he said, "We exist every moment of our lives in real places, in specific locations, with their own climate and terrain, their own history's and cultures".. It made me begin to realize and think more about how much more to the world there really is. It made me realize especially how unfamiliar I am with how much there is. I feel like maybe I'm actually missing out. We overlook so much just because it may not be specifically relevant in our every day lives. It is absolutely true when he says that we lack the knowledge of the everyday world around us and the vocabulary to describe it. It makes me feel like I need to be more aware, respectful, and appreciative of my surroundings because I just go about my day not even bothering to see the environments closest to me in a more meaningful way. It seems to be that the shade we see the world in is black and white. It's like our eyes are closed even though they are open. It's like we take for granted what there is to see around us. We need to value what is simply derated. We need to "have a real relation to the real places around us".
ReplyDeleteAlexis: I love the humility in your post; it is refreshing. Thank you! I love this line, "It made me realize especially how unfamiliar I am with how much there is. I feel like maybe I'm actually missing out." I can't imagine getting to the ripe old age of 90 and realizing, suddenly in a moment of panic, that you've "missed out." In my life, I try to avoid "missing out" by making use of every moment of daylight, by taking walks and noticing little things that others ignore, by writing poems and haiku and by inviting my friends to walk with me. It's not like we have to go climb Mount Everest or swim the English Channel. Just stepping out of your door and walking in a direction you've never walked before is an adventure. I hope to motivate you to take little adventures like this all semester to discover new things about your surroundings.
DeleteDana Goia’s TED Talk on Sense of Place was very interesting to listen to. I have heard many TED talks but none have made me think like this one does. One thing he said that stuck in my mind is, “The world looks different depending on how you see it, where you are, and who you are with”. This is very true because I have gone places with my friends and then gone back with someone else and the way I see it is completely different. For example, I have gone to the Boston Museum of Science with my aunt when I was younger and I thought it was amazing. Later I went again with my friends and thought it wasn’t as cool or I noticed things I hadn’t seen the first time I went. Another thing he said that stayed in my mind is, “We need to help create the world in which we want to live”. This stayed with me because I know so many people, including myself, complain about how something works and do nothing about it even though we have ideas on how to fix it. I think so many people don’t do anything about the things that upset them is because they are either too lazy to try or think that no matter what they do it won’t make a difference so why bother trying. When Dana talked about how most Americans wouldn’t be able to name the trees in their yard I remembered how every Christmas as my family and I are putting up our Christmas lights I have my own names for the trees and my father always corrects me with the appropriate names.
ReplyDeleteCathy: I absolutely love (and appreciate) how you gave concrete examples from your life to illustrate the points you make in your post. Excellent! Your example about visiting the Boston Museum of Science speaks to me; that same experience has happened to me, too. Things look a lot different through 43 year old eyes than they did through 20 year old eyes, you know? Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Cathy!
DeleteDana Goia’s talk about “sense of place” really opened my eyes to many things in the world around me. Although this poet talks extremely slow at some points and explains things way too vividly, he brought up many good points. The world can be viewed in many different ways by hundreds of people. It all depends on whom is seeing it and how you look at it. For example, he shows one painting that held many diverse meanings. While watching this part of the video, I paused it to see how I portrayed it and I was seeing if it was similar to what he said others viewed it as. I also stopped to think about how others from different parts of the world would view the things I found “normal”. Are they the same perspectives? Are they different? In addition, I found one line very engaging to me. Goia says, “If you don’t like the world, change it. Don’t tune it out”. The reason I find this quote so fascinating is because it pertains to our generation most specifically. We are the “now generation” and it is up to us to shape the world into the place we want to grow up in and where we would be proud to have our young ones live in. No one wants to be that person to change something or to speak up for what they believe in, but “what we do not grasp, will be lost”. Although it may be hard, we are the people that need to change what we believe is wrong and speak up and keep what is right. If we ignore it, nothing will change and nothing will become better. We can’t watch the world slowly pass by us, we have to be in charge and make it better than ever.
ReplyDeleteBrandy: You've hit on what may be the most important quote from the video: "Goia says, “If you don’t like the world, change it. Don’t tune it out” Technology and our cultural addiction to it has caused us to "TUNE OUT" lots of things. As a teacher, I have seen kids get into scuffles or fights and other kids, instead of helping, filming it on their phones. I have also witnessed rainbows in the sky, hawks circling overhead, and radiant red autumn leaves...on our very own RIC campus...when I was sure no one else was seeing them but me. After our 2:00 class gets out, go out onto the quad and notice how many people are looking down at their phones as they walk to their next class. Few people are talking or walking in groups. SO INTERESTING TO ME! Thank you for noticing it, too.
DeleteAs soon as Dana Goia began his speech on sense of place my pencil was immediately hooked to the paper in front of me. The first thing I wrote down was humorous; because he made me laugh. He asked the audience to put aside their "dreams of 'future happiness' and dwell," with him in the here and now, and then went on to describe his surroundings. I thought his language was beautiful and clever. He said, "The world looks different depending on where your seeing it from, it smells different, sounds different, and even tastes different," and this really resonated with me. It has been more recently that I have actually noticed how true this statement is. Its amazing how you can drive so many times by that same park by your house on your way to school but the moment you actually visit that place and breathe in the air blowing around you and touch the grass as you step, is when you actually see it differently. And every time you re-visit that place, whether it be a season later or a week; your senses change again. At least that's just one example I have experienced. I feel like it's so easy to ignore the tiny details of our lives as something minuscule and that it takes time to actually experience something as a whole. Whether it be realizing the tree in front of your house or the birds in it, like Goia said. I also agree when he says that our sense of place is vanishing, because yeah people visit ancient places and museums and other great places, but so many times do people not stop and enjoy their sidewalk and their surroundings intrigued or with as much enjoyment. Which reflects the loss of connection with ourselves and where we live. I left the speech with these six words ringing in my head; Alert, Know, Describe, Savor, Change, and React. I feel like that sums up the ideas of this speech and how we should approach our sense of place.
ReplyDeleteJarixah: You are such a good writer! Wow! Even your blog post has imagery in it that is getting my brain moving and seeing. Awesome! I like the example you give of driving by a park a million times but seeing it differently when you finally stop and walk around in it. It is amazing what can happen if we all choose to just slow down for an hour a day. For one hour, let's not rush around. Let's not check out watches or clocks. Let's go sit outside and listen for how many different birds we hear calling or singing. Let's go outside to count clouds in the sky, to see what shapes they make, to imagine. I think the world would be significantly different if more people decided that this was important daily "work." :)
DeleteI found Dana Goia’s talk to be interesting. I enjoyed the way was he was able to describe the pictures he was showing, I found myself able to close my eyes and picture the scene he was describing. As if the paintings were being painted in my own mind. I didn’t necessarily have my “eyes opened” to my sense of place per say. I believe this is just because I’m from the country and life tends to move a little slower. People where I come from are really able to take everything in, and truly digest their surroundings. During his presentation I found his comments on the English language to be quite note worthy. Towards the end of the video I found my self to be in strong agreement when he said “ be present in your own life, in your own place , be alert to the actual world around you know where you are, be able to describe it and savor it and if you cant savor it, if you done even like it, change it don’t tune it out”. I found this statement to be one that I wish I could tell so many people I know.
ReplyDeleteJoel: I could tell from the moment I viewed your digital intro that you are someone who like to bask in the beauty of the outdoors. Anyone who's a fisherman has to love Nature and being outside. Also, a fisherman is a master at noticing things. What time of year is it? Is the tide going in or out? Where are the fish feeding? Where are the seabirds flocking? What do the fishing reports say? What kind of bait is working for others? In fishing, there are SO MANY TINY DETAILS to pay attention to. If you are going to catch fish, you need to pay attention. So, I know you are a guy who won't "tune it out," Joel. And, I like that you now want to share Goia's powerful message with others in your life. Thank you!
DeleteI think that the video overall was very thought provoking. Dana made some good points about one becoming better associated with ones surroundings. Every person is different though. Not everybody likes being outside while others love it. I personally don’t hate the outdoors but I don’t love it either. I can tell you some of the names of the trees that are in my yard but definitely not all of them. I have no idea what kind of birds live in those trees either besides a woodpecker, robins, and an owl. I guess I don’t pay attention to my outdoor surroundings that well. I am never at my house and when I am there the last thing on my mind is that I need to get better acquainted with my yard. In all though I think Dana Goia made some good points. People are not as attentive to their surrounds as they maybe should be. If one doesn’t stop to take a look around once in a while they could be missing something extraordinary. If one stopped just for a moment to look around they may see the true worth of the places around them.
ReplyDeleteKaterina: The line I love from your post is this: "the true worth of the places around them." It made me ponder this: What IS the true worth of the places around us? Do you value the place where you reside? Is it worth something to you beyond its monetary value? What memories and feelings are tied up in a place? Places, like people, have histories and personalities. Walking into Providence Place Mall gives you a very different feeling than walking into the RI State House or walking into St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Why do these different places make us feel different? It's a cool concept to explore! Thank you!
DeleteCultural awareness is class given to soldiers that are ready to deploy overseas and its purpose is to teach and inform soldiers about cultural differences they’ll come across while in another country. I took this class when I first deployed to Kuwait in 2010. It taught me a lot of valuable facts that would latter help me when I came in contact with a Kuwaiti citizen. As I was taking this class I couldn’t help to notice how vastly the differences between where I’m from and where I’m going for example: it was considered normal for men in Kuwait to hold hands and sometimes even kissed without the need to be gay oriented while in Bolivia and many other countries this cultural aspect would be considered an act of homosexuality. Learning their way of life made me think about mine made me curious as to how much I knew about mine. Of course this was a long time ago and after that class I have raise any interest about who I am and the culture I live in until somebody asked me what are the name of the trees outside of my house. I don’t really have any trees outside my house but there are some on my way to school. Ii would say that my excuse to not knowing the name of those trees is because they don directly affect my every day commute. I don’t have to machete trees down in order to get to school or eat fruits taken straight from them and so I never bothered to know their name, Out of sight out of mind. That doesn’t necessary mean I don’t care and value what I have and what’s around me. It doesn’t mean I don’t love my mom or thank God for being alive, I just have different priorities. I might not be able to name every fricking tree out there but I can sure name all the Teletubbies. That doesn’t mean that my childhood is messed up compared to the person next to me, it only means it was different. I honestly think that Dana Goia is right thou some people don’t even care about the Teletubbies and neither do they know about the name of the trees. And when you get up to a point where you don’t know what’s happening around its time to take a few minutes to sit down and reflect. – Milton Basswerner
ReplyDeleteMilton: First, I'm glad you've shared your personal story with us, as I was wondering about your history after seeing your digital introduction. Now it's a lot clearer! Thank you! I love the examples you give here, from the cultural training you received in the military to your own personal knowledge and why it is what it is, you've illuminated Goia's point about PAYING ATTENTION. Good writers pay attention and invest the time to do so. Good writers care about investing this time because they also care about getting it right, making that image in your reader's head whole, bringing every aspect of a place or person or idea to life for your reader. Thank you, Milton.
DeleteOne thing that really struck me was when he said "when you are being most local, you become most universal". My interpretation of that is that when someone talks about something important or extremely familiar and comfortable to them, people find them easier to relate to, rather than someone talking about something they have no emotions towards. Like Goia said, I am not familiar with my outside surroundings in a sense that I don't know the names of the trees, the birds, etc. However, I do have an appreciation for my surroundings, and find the beauty in nature.
ReplyDeleteKatie: I like this line from Goia, too, as it speaks to another cool saying, "Think Globally, Act Locally." If you want to save the rainforests in Brazil, you might first start by taking stock of the trees in your local neighborhood or on your college campus. If you want to send kids in Africa used books, you might begin by first making sure that the kids in your local daycare have access to books. And, so on...noticing your local surroundings first...where you come from (!!)... instead of needing to jet-set off to Disney World to have an experience, is most important. Everything else is secondary...
DeleteI don't think the idea of being associated with where one lives creates the environment of home. I know what birds live outside my house, what trees stand, and how it all comes together as the living and existing world next to my window. However, it doesn't make it feel like home. I find that neither my dad's nor mother's house feel like home, they just feel like an extension of protection from the elements, a place I sometimes go when I have nothing better to do. Acknowledging their existence isn't what defines my idea of where I want to be and who I want to be there. I think it relies less on my knowledge of such and more on my being in such. My houses are houses and not homes. I have a home but it's a lot more figurative than the physicality what Goia seems to be asking. I understand I'm an abnormality in this.
ReplyDeleteWhat struck me in particular was the way he described the world around us and how everyone sees it in a different perspective. One thing he said was "The world looks different depending on where you see it from, depending on whom you see it with. It sounds different, it smells different, it tastes different." My relationship to the place I live is the environment. I live next to the water so I enjoy the animals I see, going to the beach and the nice ocean breeze. I understand the concept of Sense of Place as the feelings you have in a certain environment and how you observe it, as in the culture, the sights, the smells and so on.
ReplyDeletePS:This is Rachel Pace on Brandy's Tablet :-)