What is the trouble? In my family there is a letter that has gained quite a bit of infamy. The letter is from one of my relatives directed at his father in law, and is really quite a gem. It contains a poorly spelled indictment of the author's own father in law for such grievous offenses as lying about height and being an all around ass hole. The letter calls the subject, "the littlest man in the biggest way." I don't even know the author very well, but this letter has circulated to the whole extended family and has become a joke among everyone who reads it. While I was thinking of this letter I got to thinking about writing letters to people in general, and angry or regretful letters in particular. I might want to do a story about the letters, messages, or texts that can't be taken back but we wish could! Just recently my brother tried to text me a message telling me to, "suck on deez nutz," but he accidentally sent to it to a woman who he was going...
Hi Kelli,
ReplyDeleteI think this has a lot of potential, but you might flesh out the idea a bit more. In general, of course, our identities are, as you note, often shaped by where our ancestors came from. But of the many influences, what are some that most interest you? Which seem particularly troublesome, or raise interesting questions? And what's your stake in this? Do you find that your own ethnic or cultural background is something that appears on your radar from time to time? If so, how? Why do you find interesting about it when it does? One of the things that I find particularly relevant about the general topic is that we are a nation of immigrants, as is often noted, and that idea is increasingly complicated these days. Do you see an angle there?
I really like this idea! It's something we actually hear more than we think, someone doing something because of where their ancestors were from. I think you could find some really good evidence and interviews towards this topic.
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea, Kelli. I think this would take you down a path of not only finding out a lot about how people identify based on these things that they are often times several generations removed from but I think you would also find some interesting things on the side of people that don't have much knowledge of a clear background.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like a good start, but how are you going to interject yourself into the story? What, as BB's post states, is your personal investment into this story?
ReplyDeleteDo you think much about your cultural heritage? Is it something that is important to you, or--like in Dante's pitch--is it rather the absence of tradition that has made you curious about where people come from?
I'm curious how much ancestral knowledge survives in the digital age, as I couldn't even tell you my great grandparents names let alone my family history. However, this may just be unique to me, though I still think that family title don't carry the same weight they used to.
ReplyDelete