Showing posts with label Nicolás V.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nicolás V.. Show all posts
Nov 24, 2014
Aug 25, 2014
Jul 7, 2014
Post-reading-and-feeling-a-teenager-again syndrome
by Vincenti Cortez, Gustavo Nicolas
No, this is not a real syndrome. No, you won't feel like a teenager reading this essay either. What may make you come back to the spring days of your life is "Post-Ironic Stress Syndrome" by the American writer Tricia Sullivan. This sci-fi story is just one brick on the wall in Jonathan Strahan's anthology, ''The Starry Rift: Tales of New Tomorrows." Sullivan's collaboration revolves around the life of a 1994 teenage girl called Maja and her role in space warfare. Shifting all the time from ordinary life to the battleground border, the plot is reminiscent of the 1950s sci-fi; but even when this may suggest you that Sullivan's work is outdated, it strongly stands as an appealing and modern reading for young adults.
Just take a look at the main character. Although her age is not clearly stated, Maja is said to be above the age of thirteen and under the age of eighteen. This tells us that she has already reached adolescence. And as a typical tendency of teenagers, everything that she shares with us is focused on her. These two characteristics coincide with Robert C. Small Jr's report about the features of young adult literature. But this is not any type of young adult literature, this is one of the modern type. Maja does not repress herself either when eyeing Cute Blond Guy up or when using slang expressions repeatedly. "Take that, ya sonuvabitch," or "Diego could only find his own butt by smell" are just some of the examples we can find of her unrestricted vocabulary use.
Another unconstrained issue is the usage of imagination when she shares moments with her father. Yes, when she is not involved in space warfare, she lives with her parents, Dave and Tracey; and when she approaches the former, she uses her teenage creative abilities to anticipate answers like "I’m thinking about having a sex change," or "I’ve decided to leave you all and move to Nepal." These are dialogues that never take place anywhere else that on her mind. Her speech definitely reflects teenage modern inventiveness.
Nonetheless, young adult literature does not only focus on the colloquial and innovative aspects of teens, it also takes into account the existential questions they ask themselves such as, "who am I?", or "where do I fit in?" And this is not ignored by Sullivan. Maja does not find her place in society. She is a friendless girl who only finds her place when using the 'M-ask', a device that takes her to M-space where she can fight against different enemies. And the fact that this accessory is a mask ought to have a hidden meaning. The search of self has always been the theme for young adults, but nowadays it has become more evident. As Maja looks for a place to belong to in M-space, up to date teenagers use social networks as the M-ask to find their place in the world. Besides, science fiction and short stories remain firm teenage favourites. Sci-fi represents a way to escape from the pressures of common life. But those escapisms can't last forever. So brevity complements the combo. Short and engaging is the secret of Sullivan's story's attractiveness for teens.
Thus, being a short sci-fi story, with the use of informal language and extraordinary creativeness, Post-Ironic Stress Syndrome portrays everything that today is shared among young adults. No syndrome will affect people when reading it, but anyone who carries out that task will effortlessly find a connection between this piece of literature and adolescents lives today.
No, this is not a real syndrome. No, you won't feel like a teenager reading this essay either. What may make you come back to the spring days of your life is "Post-Ironic Stress Syndrome" by the American writer Tricia Sullivan. This sci-fi story is just one brick on the wall in Jonathan Strahan's anthology, ''The Starry Rift: Tales of New Tomorrows." Sullivan's collaboration revolves around the life of a 1994 teenage girl called Maja and her role in space warfare. Shifting all the time from ordinary life to the battleground border, the plot is reminiscent of the 1950s sci-fi; but even when this may suggest you that Sullivan's work is outdated, it strongly stands as an appealing and modern reading for young adults.
Just take a look at the main character. Although her age is not clearly stated, Maja is said to be above the age of thirteen and under the age of eighteen. This tells us that she has already reached adolescence. And as a typical tendency of teenagers, everything that she shares with us is focused on her. These two characteristics coincide with Robert C. Small Jr's report about the features of young adult literature. But this is not any type of young adult literature, this is one of the modern type. Maja does not repress herself either when eyeing Cute Blond Guy up or when using slang expressions repeatedly. "Take that, ya sonuvabitch," or "Diego could only find his own butt by smell" are just some of the examples we can find of her unrestricted vocabulary use.
Another unconstrained issue is the usage of imagination when she shares moments with her father. Yes, when she is not involved in space warfare, she lives with her parents, Dave and Tracey; and when she approaches the former, she uses her teenage creative abilities to anticipate answers like "I’m thinking about having a sex change," or "I’ve decided to leave you all and move to Nepal." These are dialogues that never take place anywhere else that on her mind. Her speech definitely reflects teenage modern inventiveness.
Nonetheless, young adult literature does not only focus on the colloquial and innovative aspects of teens, it also takes into account the existential questions they ask themselves such as, "who am I?", or "where do I fit in?" And this is not ignored by Sullivan. Maja does not find her place in society. She is a friendless girl who only finds her place when using the 'M-ask', a device that takes her to M-space where she can fight against different enemies. And the fact that this accessory is a mask ought to have a hidden meaning. The search of self has always been the theme for young adults, but nowadays it has become more evident. As Maja looks for a place to belong to in M-space, up to date teenagers use social networks as the M-ask to find their place in the world. Besides, science fiction and short stories remain firm teenage favourites. Sci-fi represents a way to escape from the pressures of common life. But those escapisms can't last forever. So brevity complements the combo. Short and engaging is the secret of Sullivan's story's attractiveness for teens.
Thus, being a short sci-fi story, with the use of informal language and extraordinary creativeness, Post-Ironic Stress Syndrome portrays everything that today is shared among young adults. No syndrome will affect people when reading it, but anyone who carries out that task will effortlessly find a connection between this piece of literature and adolescents lives today.
May 26, 2014
“Chicken”
Written by Kathy Stinson
(Reviewed by Aldana Pires, Eliana Romero and Nicolas Vincenti)
Gone are the days when chicken was a game between car drivers. Canadian writer Kathy Stinson brings a new compilation of short stories for adolescents called “101 Ways to Dance”, and “Chicken”, the third story from the book, presents an innovative version of the game.
Once the kids had finished painting the church basement and everyone had gone home, the main female character and Bram, a boy who was rumoured to be expecting a child, were left alone in the place. Challenging, he asked the girl if she had ever played chicken, and supposing that he was talking about the game with cars, she replied that she had never played it. Certainly, Bram was not proposing a car competition, instead, he was giving it a twist: each of them had to put a finger on the other’s forehead and move it down until one of them said “stop”; whoever said it first was the chicken.
Playfulness takes control from the very first image the tale draws in your mind; then it merges yourself into a stream of consciousness, and finishes up setting a climax for an open ending. Attractive themes such as sexual desire and curiosity are just some of the spicy condiments of the story. Furthermore, chicken will be read in a blink of the eye, which is essential for modern times when young adults’ attention has a short span. As if this was not enough, the story breaks your expectations. Do you think that it is obvious who the chicken will be? Well, don’t be so sure about that.
Nowadays, the law for teenagers is not to read, but we bet they won’t resist this entertaining and catchy story. Its shortness and defying atmosphere provide reasons for its effectiveness. A five-star badge for Chicken!
(Reviewed by Aldana Pires, Eliana Romero and Nicolas Vincenti)
Gone are the days when chicken was a game between car drivers. Canadian writer Kathy Stinson brings a new compilation of short stories for adolescents called “101 Ways to Dance”, and “Chicken”, the third story from the book, presents an innovative version of the game.
Once the kids had finished painting the church basement and everyone had gone home, the main female character and Bram, a boy who was rumoured to be expecting a child, were left alone in the place. Challenging, he asked the girl if she had ever played chicken, and supposing that he was talking about the game with cars, she replied that she had never played it. Certainly, Bram was not proposing a car competition, instead, he was giving it a twist: each of them had to put a finger on the other’s forehead and move it down until one of them said “stop”; whoever said it first was the chicken.
Playfulness takes control from the very first image the tale draws in your mind; then it merges yourself into a stream of consciousness, and finishes up setting a climax for an open ending. Attractive themes such as sexual desire and curiosity are just some of the spicy condiments of the story. Furthermore, chicken will be read in a blink of the eye, which is essential for modern times when young adults’ attention has a short span. As if this was not enough, the story breaks your expectations. Do you think that it is obvious who the chicken will be? Well, don’t be so sure about that.
Nowadays, the law for teenagers is not to read, but we bet they won’t resist this entertaining and catchy story. Its shortness and defying atmosphere provide reasons for its effectiveness. A five-star badge for Chicken!
May 5, 2014
Crossed Positions (TV proposal)
´Dear Sir/Madam
We are writing in order to present you our brand new idea for a television show. As we have been informed, you are looking for an entertaining, exciting and catchy programme directed to teenagers, and we are sure we have just what you are looking for.
Mainly, the show would be a weekly hot debate held by teenagers. We believe that the programme will create a sense of belonging among adolescents because it is meant to be a free space for them to express any idea they want.
As it is already known, teenagers can get really passionate in their stands, so we suggest having a presenter who will act as a mediator when the debate gets too heated. The name of the show would be “Crossed Positions.” Besides, we have thought of a slogan to be said by the presenter; it would be, “Crossed Positions: the only place without restraints.”
Furthermore, we are strongly concerned with the power and influence that social networks have on teenager’s lives; and we are aware of the popularity of these communicative tools, so we would propose our young adults to choose the topic of each debate online. They would be also able to join the debate and share their ideas through Facebook and Twitter, among other communicative channels.
Although our main objective is to make an enjoyable, pleasant and relaxing show, we wish the topics of the debates to be related to common problems concerning a teenager, such as ethical values, dysfunctional families, eating disorders, development of sexuality, substance abuse and bullying, and so forth.
We look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible. Any suggestion or idea will be evaluated with gentle and positive disposition.
Yours faithfully,
the ideas-producers company.
We are writing in order to present you our brand new idea for a television show. As we have been informed, you are looking for an entertaining, exciting and catchy programme directed to teenagers, and we are sure we have just what you are looking for.
Mainly, the show would be a weekly hot debate held by teenagers. We believe that the programme will create a sense of belonging among adolescents because it is meant to be a free space for them to express any idea they want.
As it is already known, teenagers can get really passionate in their stands, so we suggest having a presenter who will act as a mediator when the debate gets too heated. The name of the show would be “Crossed Positions.” Besides, we have thought of a slogan to be said by the presenter; it would be, “Crossed Positions: the only place without restraints.”
Furthermore, we are strongly concerned with the power and influence that social networks have on teenager’s lives; and we are aware of the popularity of these communicative tools, so we would propose our young adults to choose the topic of each debate online. They would be also able to join the debate and share their ideas through Facebook and Twitter, among other communicative channels.
Although our main objective is to make an enjoyable, pleasant and relaxing show, we wish the topics of the debates to be related to common problems concerning a teenager, such as ethical values, dysfunctional families, eating disorders, development of sexuality, substance abuse and bullying, and so forth.
We look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible. Any suggestion or idea will be evaluated with gentle and positive disposition.
Yours faithfully,
the ideas-producers company.
Oct 16, 2013
The lion’s den
by Pires, Aldana and Vincenti, Nicolas
The reissue of ‘The Lion King’ as a 3D film, and its subsequent 3D Blu-ray release back in 2011, brought the film back into discussion. It definitely stands as one of the most successful and well-received Disney’s classics of all time: it ranks 2nd in the list of the highest-grossing animated films, and 20th in the list of the highest-grossing films of all time. Moreover, the film has an overall approval rating of 90%, and thus, its re-release was not a surprise.
Its success can be partially justified by the apparent messages to children: on the one hand, the idea of being willing to obey parent’s orders, and on the other hand, the notion of growing up and, as a consequence, of being responsible. But the question is, are these the only messages of the film?
Certainly, there’s something really important to consider that needs to be brought into focus. The Lion King does not only encourage being obedient and assuming responsibilities, but it also stands for the notion of white supremacy and black segregation.
The golden lions from the royal family depict what is good and civilised, while the antagonist, Scar, being a lion from the same family himself, has a darker tone. This representation of evil characters as the ones whose fur colour is non-golden also applies to Scar’s hirelings: the hyenas. The indicated latent fact may look silly and irrelevant, and it may be called an exaggeration, but these little details are by no means innocent and do carry a strong sense of ideology within them.
Undoubtedly, the choice of the cast lacks innocence as well. Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin, two well-known black actors, were chosen to interpret two out of the three hyenas. Jim Cummings completes the trio, and as Goldberg and Marin do, he pitches his voice to portray the way in which the afro-American cultural groups speak. The three of them use the typical vocabulary and pronunciation of the African American vernacular English. Most people would laugh at these impersonations, but taking a deeper view, they only keep on undervaluing the black cultural society.
Actually, if the same characterisation had been imposed to all the members of the cast, there wouldn’t be any problem as the story is set in Africa, but, as far as it can be observed, none of the golden lions speak as the hyenas do.
Apart from their sounds and their previously mentioned dark colour, the feliforms were also fashioned with misshapen bodies and clumsy movements. To make a clear contrast, the amber lions carry an emblematic-shaped body and an elegant demeanor. In this sense, the visual aesthetic is added to the degradation and discrimination of black ethnic groups making them look hideous.
As if this wasn’t enough mistreatment for black cultures, the hyenas, the ones who represent what’s wrong and uncivilised, are out of place. They can not occupy a place in the kingdom, and therefore, they are segregated to the elephant graveyard, where they suffer from hunger and misery. This could be compared to black ethnic communities that live in ghettos located near great cities.
All these offenses cannot be ignored when deciding if it is good to bring back this classic into our lives. ‘The Lion King’ has been good in its time, but nowadays our society is much more conscious as regards tolerance to diverse ethnic groups. The underlying notions of racism in the film give enough reasons to question its revival.
The reissue of ‘The Lion King’ as a 3D film, and its subsequent 3D Blu-ray release back in 2011, brought the film back into discussion. It definitely stands as one of the most successful and well-received Disney’s classics of all time: it ranks 2nd in the list of the highest-grossing animated films, and 20th in the list of the highest-grossing films of all time. Moreover, the film has an overall approval rating of 90%, and thus, its re-release was not a surprise.
Its success can be partially justified by the apparent messages to children: on the one hand, the idea of being willing to obey parent’s orders, and on the other hand, the notion of growing up and, as a consequence, of being responsible. But the question is, are these the only messages of the film?
Certainly, there’s something really important to consider that needs to be brought into focus. The Lion King does not only encourage being obedient and assuming responsibilities, but it also stands for the notion of white supremacy and black segregation.
The golden lions from the royal family depict what is good and civilised, while the antagonist, Scar, being a lion from the same family himself, has a darker tone. This representation of evil characters as the ones whose fur colour is non-golden also applies to Scar’s hirelings: the hyenas. The indicated latent fact may look silly and irrelevant, and it may be called an exaggeration, but these little details are by no means innocent and do carry a strong sense of ideology within them.
Undoubtedly, the choice of the cast lacks innocence as well. Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin, two well-known black actors, were chosen to interpret two out of the three hyenas. Jim Cummings completes the trio, and as Goldberg and Marin do, he pitches his voice to portray the way in which the afro-American cultural groups speak. The three of them use the typical vocabulary and pronunciation of the African American vernacular English. Most people would laugh at these impersonations, but taking a deeper view, they only keep on undervaluing the black cultural society.
Actually, if the same characterisation had been imposed to all the members of the cast, there wouldn’t be any problem as the story is set in Africa, but, as far as it can be observed, none of the golden lions speak as the hyenas do.
Apart from their sounds and their previously mentioned dark colour, the feliforms were also fashioned with misshapen bodies and clumsy movements. To make a clear contrast, the amber lions carry an emblematic-shaped body and an elegant demeanor. In this sense, the visual aesthetic is added to the degradation and discrimination of black ethnic groups making them look hideous.
As if this wasn’t enough mistreatment for black cultures, the hyenas, the ones who represent what’s wrong and uncivilised, are out of place. They can not occupy a place in the kingdom, and therefore, they are segregated to the elephant graveyard, where they suffer from hunger and misery. This could be compared to black ethnic communities that live in ghettos located near great cities.
All these offenses cannot be ignored when deciding if it is good to bring back this classic into our lives. ‘The Lion King’ has been good in its time, but nowadays our society is much more conscious as regards tolerance to diverse ethnic groups. The underlying notions of racism in the film give enough reasons to question its revival.
Aug 21, 2013
Old Hat, New Hat
Stan and Jan Berenstain
(reviewed by Nicolas Vincenti)
Simple and original, "Old Hat, New Hat" is the proposal to be revived these days. The Philippine couple, Stan and Jan Berenstain, wrote and illustrated this great book forty-three years ago, and there had not been a better moment than this one to bring back this classic to our bookshelves.
In most of The Berenstains' stories, bears represent the main characters, and this one is not the exception. An unnamed bear walks alone thinking about his old hat, when he suddenly stumbles across a new one in a shop window. He enters the hat store wondering if he could find a new headgear to replace his ragged one. He tries more than thirty brand new hats, but none of them seems to be good enough to replace his shabby piece of cloth. Finally, he happens to find a suitable one that pleases him, and guess what? It is his old hat! He happily leaves the hat store with his old hat while everyone looks at him astonishingly for the decision he has just taken.
Colourful uncluttered illustrations, basic but descriptive sentences, and a great message are the main characteristics of this wonderful story. When everything in our society revolves around consumerism, the bear will teach us a great lesson: sometimes there's nothing better than what you already have. Besides learning this old-time message (which is not such a little thing), children will be easily caught and delighted when looking the colourful pictures offered by the authors. They will also learn simple concepts of shape and size through rhymes. What else could we ask a book?
This didactic story is an excellent option for any adult who is planning to spend an amazing time with children. It definitely stands as one of the best options in the market, and its message is one that society should take into account more often. Five-star book!
(reviewed by Nicolas Vincenti)
Simple and original, "Old Hat, New Hat" is the proposal to be revived these days. The Philippine couple, Stan and Jan Berenstain, wrote and illustrated this great book forty-three years ago, and there had not been a better moment than this one to bring back this classic to our bookshelves.
In most of The Berenstains' stories, bears represent the main characters, and this one is not the exception. An unnamed bear walks alone thinking about his old hat, when he suddenly stumbles across a new one in a shop window. He enters the hat store wondering if he could find a new headgear to replace his ragged one. He tries more than thirty brand new hats, but none of them seems to be good enough to replace his shabby piece of cloth. Finally, he happens to find a suitable one that pleases him, and guess what? It is his old hat! He happily leaves the hat store with his old hat while everyone looks at him astonishingly for the decision he has just taken.
Colourful uncluttered illustrations, basic but descriptive sentences, and a great message are the main characteristics of this wonderful story. When everything in our society revolves around consumerism, the bear will teach us a great lesson: sometimes there's nothing better than what you already have. Besides learning this old-time message (which is not such a little thing), children will be easily caught and delighted when looking the colourful pictures offered by the authors. They will also learn simple concepts of shape and size through rhymes. What else could we ask a book?
This didactic story is an excellent option for any adult who is planning to spend an amazing time with children. It definitely stands as one of the best options in the market, and its message is one that society should take into account more often. Five-star book!
Jul 8, 2013
The Gingerbread Boy, A Read Along With Me Book (reviews)
Debby Slier (author), Olivia Cale (Illustrator)
(reviewed by Aldana Pires and Nicolas Vincenti)
Didactic and enjoyable, “The Gingerbread Boy” retells the old fable about a gingerbread man who escapes from various pursuers, and his eventual death between the jaws of a fox. With Debby Slier's experienced writing and Olivia Cale's illustrations, the story can't help but being catchy for the youngest audience from beginning to end.
The gingerbread boy is born in the kitchen of an old woman’s house. She and his husband don’t have any children, but the sudden appearance of this little fairy shakes up their quiet lives. The gingerbread boy manages to escape from the house and starts a journey in which he upsets various animals. He makes fun of whoever he can with his catchy tease “Run, run, as fast as you can, You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!.” While looking for a way out, he finds a river which he can’t swim across, for he would die. A fox appears in the scene to help our little friend; but when he tells him to sit on his nose, the fox betrays the gingerbread boy. With just one bite, the animal enjoys the taste of the loaf.
From its very cover, the book is established as a read-along-with-me book. When it is opened, there’s a message to parents that offers suggestions about how to encourage children to read. This piece of advice is quite a helpful tool for parents who wish to give a hand to their children's reading skill. Furthermore, in order to stimulate and facilitate the first practices of the skill, the story is accompanied with some images* that replace words. These pictures are also found at** the margin of each page with its name beneath it for children to start learning the symbols that stand for words. Clearly, the didactic purpose of the book is mainly focused on the acquisition of reading skill, rather than on the message given by the fable.
In brief, the book serves as an excellent tool for parents to entertain their children and to help them on their first readings. It’s a must for every home bookshelf. Highly recommended for parents!
(reviewed by Aldana Pires and Nicolas Vincenti)
Didactic and enjoyable, “The Gingerbread Boy” retells the old fable about a gingerbread man who escapes from various pursuers, and his eventual death between the jaws of a fox. With Debby Slier's experienced writing and Olivia Cale's illustrations, the story can't help but being catchy for the youngest audience from beginning to end.
The gingerbread boy is born in the kitchen of an old woman’s house. She and his husband don’t have any children, but the sudden appearance of this little fairy shakes up their quiet lives. The gingerbread boy manages to escape from the house and starts a journey in which he upsets various animals. He makes fun of whoever he can with his catchy tease “Run, run, as fast as you can, You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!.” While looking for a way out, he finds a river which he can’t swim across, for he would die. A fox appears in the scene to help our little friend; but when he tells him to sit on his nose, the fox betrays the gingerbread boy. With just one bite, the animal enjoys the taste of the loaf.
From its very cover, the book is established as a read-along-with-me book. When it is opened, there’s a message to parents that offers suggestions about how to encourage children to read. This piece of advice is quite a helpful tool for parents who wish to give a hand to their children's reading skill. Furthermore, in order to stimulate and facilitate the first practices of the skill, the story is accompanied with some images* that replace words. These pictures are also found at** the margin of each page with its name beneath it for children to start learning the symbols that stand for words. Clearly, the didactic purpose of the book is mainly focused on the acquisition of reading skill, rather than on the message given by the fable.
In brief, the book serves as an excellent tool for parents to entertain their children and to help them on their first readings. It’s a must for every home bookshelf. Highly recommended for parents!
Jun 3, 2013
The ambitious red ants
Once upon a time, there was a colony of red ants who wanted to expand their kingdom. They wished to build markets, shopping centres, houses and flats. In order to have more space for their buildings, they needed to cut grass, plants, flowers and trees. But there was a little group of black ants who didn't like this situation.
When the red ants began their reformation, a black ant climbed up to a tree and shouted to the Red Ants: "You mustn't damage the environment!". "What's the problem with that?" said little red ant. "It makes room for new people", she continued. "What about the other animals? What about foxes, rabbits, frogs, birds and the rest of our brothers? They also need space and you’re taking it away from them!", replied the black ant furiously. The red ant said nothing and started to think.
After reflecting for a while the Red Ant said: "Oh! Shame on us! We didn't realize we were affecting our brothers. I think we should stop here. We're really sorry!". An this is how Red ants learned to leave their ambitions aside and to live in peace with other species.
The End.
When the red ants began their reformation, a black ant climbed up to a tree and shouted to the Red Ants: "You mustn't damage the environment!". "What's the problem with that?" said little red ant. "It makes room for new people", she continued. "What about the other animals? What about foxes, rabbits, frogs, birds and the rest of our brothers? They also need space and you’re taking it away from them!", replied the black ant furiously. The red ant said nothing and started to think.
After reflecting for a while the Red Ant said: "Oh! Shame on us! We didn't realize we were affecting our brothers. I think we should stop here. We're really sorry!". An this is how Red ants learned to leave their ambitions aside and to live in peace with other species.
The End.
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