You probably think that I have dropped out of both the Literacy Challenge and the Blogosphere at large. This is not the case. I have read something every day since my last blog, and though the stresses of college life have prevented me from informing you of them this week, I am now very much on track.
Right now, for example, I am reading an article about the role of government in both controlling and catalyzing the drug trade in the favelas of Rio. Best I can figure, favelas are small residential communities in the hills (or morros) that overlook downtown Rio. Samba, the national music of Brazil, is reported to be from these morros, though in reality the creation of samba was probably more an interaction between the morro and the city. Something we talked about in section is that both Brazilian samba and American rap music are represented as the music of the poor, black population, but the state of Brazil embraces samba and the state of United typically sanctions rap music. Both are problematic, as I'm sure you can imagine.
In the above picture, two of the best members of Team Indiana (a phrase I am coining for "friends who live in Indiana"- see alittleleeway's Husbandman, Kid with Many Problems) are referencing the tendency of the American rap group the Wu Tang Clan to say, "Dolla Dolla Bill Ya'll" while wearing expressions similar to these. After two Gender Studies classes and one Sociology class at Berkeley, I am still totally unsure as to the acceptability of these enfranchised white males to pose for photographs using the Wu Tang Clan as comedic fodder. But I'm less concerned about my own legitimacy in taking these pictures, because I am the subaltern Other. And anyway, they look damned cute.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI came across your corner of the earth while floating around the April Blogger Challenge world.
... and I pretty much had to comment to tell you how much I love the name of your blog.
It's awesome.
Hey IRoaCR,
ReplyDeleteAnother great blog entry. Not sure I'd call you the subaltern other, but you know better about that than I do.
I loved reading about your reading.
Your blog rocks!
Great post. I think you would have been an excellent study partner in the literary theory class that nearly broke me.
ReplyDeleteWhat will happen next week when Glee comes back, do you think??
I love this blog! As KC's study partner in literary theory, I can attest to the fact that we could have used you. I like pretending that I understand the subaltern other, but it's all an act.
ReplyDeleteThe title of your blog won me over immediately. Kudos! And, of course I love knowing what you're reading.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the novel based on a true story about babies that were given to colleges to use in their Home Ec Classes? They were set up in "practice houses." Very interesting.
I was coming to say that I loved your blog name, too. And that your use of 'subaltern other' had me reeling AND googling to remember what that meant. Others beat me to it, but I still wanted you to know.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the blogosphere- and to the April blogging challenge especially!
I'm reading Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs with some fourth graders. A great discourse about immigration and fair trade occurs every day. I don't think it has anything to do with samba music though.
ReplyDeleteKeep writing because I love reading it!
jw
Thanks for the props re: the title! I actually conceived of it last year after deciding to come to Berkeley, inspired by a book alittleeway discovered call "Six Word Autobiographies". Or at least it was a book containing six word autobiographies.
ReplyDeleteD- I would love to check out that novel! Sounds too cool.