Huckleberry Pie

Huckleberry Finn is widely known for its inclusion of a rough, back of the woods dialect.  I have to be honest and say that the style of the broken sentences was a very entertaining component of the novel. Mark Twain's story could not have been properly portrayed without the improper grammar.  It was a portal through which he indirectly characterized Huck, Pap, Jim and other characters.  This could not have been done as effectively any other way.  As Jim would profess, this here was a by gone genius idea'r!

On a more serious note, I deeply appreciated the symbolism of the river and its representation of safety.  I understood the struggle Jim and Huck felt as they wallowed inbetween the dangers of life on land and hope of the water.  At the same time though, I felt that the tension between seizing the water and staying on land was quite overdone.  Throughout many chapters I just wanted to shout -excuse my bluntness, "Get off the stinkin' raft already!  Just go back to the widow's house.  It is safe, warm, and DRY!!!!"

Lastly, another part that I felt had much importance was the theme of freedom.  The irony I saw in the theme holds much truth.  It is the fact that the more Jim and Huck struggled to be free the more captive they became.  I believe that it was with these ideas that the novel gained its title as a literary classic.  They are perplexing and support Twain's argument.  For that reason, I appreciate that Twain used this novel as a platform to express his opinions about societal flaws of his day.  All I's gots to say is if this here book were a dessert it would be a piece of delicious Huckleberry pie.   

Keeping it Lively with Isaac Mizrahi

I was feeling whimsical and lighthearted so I settled on watching a presentation delivered by Isaac Mizrahi.  He is a well known and credited American designer, oh and he let his audience know it.  He made sure to make any listener aware of his list of endless credentials: working for Julliard, costume designing for operas, graduating from Parson's School of Design, name dropping left and right.  Even though it may seem as though his intentions of ethos would backfire into arrogance, his likable personality made it acceptable. 

Unlike a formal rhetor who is level in tone and eloquent in speech, Mizrahi was very conversational and quite himself.  He really got the crowd laughing with his use of humor.  Can you say pathos?  He made many jokes by poking fun at himself and daily life.  He moved about the stage in almost a frantic way, but it worked with his blithe attitude.  His personal appearance was unrestricted as well.  His hair was curly and tousled, and his paper of notes a bit crinkled.  You can tell he is a creative mind with gears always turning or perhaps that is just what he set out to make us think.  A part of his rhetorical strategy perhaps?  He does admit that he is a "sleep walking insomniac" so that may explain the tousled hair.   

Furthermore, the true merit to his presentation was about how living uncomfortably is the way to keep things fresh.  If you live within the realm of your comfort zone you will be, quite frankly..., bored.  He translates this to his fashionable designs by claiming that it is more interesting to see irregular things rather than mundane and hackneyed clothing.  Mizrahi tries to stress that mistakes make for a perfect ensemble . He shows many clips and pictures of bright and unique designs worn by classic, glamorous women.  Audrey Hepburn was among the gamut.  Women are dancing in daring fashions, and it is no surprise that some of his own works of art end up on the slides. He did this to gain that, "I need to be original!  I need to be colorful and fun just like Audrey!"  type of motivation from the audience.  Well, he succeeded because I feel encouraged to keep taking those risks and seizing opportunities in order to keep life billowing in the wind like a colorful garment.  No feather the same, no sequin of the same sparkle, and no day like the last.  Thanks Mizrahi. http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/isaac_mizrahi_on_fashion_and_creativity.html