Reading Response (Anzaldúa)

In her article, "Tlilli Tlapalli: The Path of the Red and Black Ink," Gloria Anzaldúa explains what writing means to her and how her writing process works. She feels her writing process is deeply influenced by her cultural believes and identity. She likes to think of her stories as performances and not as dead objects.

Her process begins in her soul, she sees these stories before she writes them. In her mind she is the director, the performer and the audiences of these stories. After she 'sees' them, her work is to find the perfect words to describe what she saw.

This piece reminded me of the others readings we've done about identity. First I thought about Cixous who wants women to write as women. In this case Anzaldúa want as to write from our souls and not to ignore our origins and believes. Then I thought about Villanueva who was sad about having forgotten his background an so many stories and memories that he had left behind. Instead of that, Anzaldúa embraces her culture and 'exploit' it in every was possible.

I liked this article because it was short and easy to follow. The topic was interesting and I liked learning about her culture. I was also happy to see that I'm not the only person who sees things in her head before they happen. I have a similar creative process when a make paper mache toys. First I see in my mind what I'm going to do every step of the way and then when I actually do it, it goes mostly the same way as I pictured it in my mind earlier.

APPLYING AND EXPLORING IDEAS

1. Her definition of individual and communal art is based on how culture is shared. She argues that Western culture is becoming more and more selective or elitist. If you want to see a painting or a sculpture you have to go to a museum hence you have to pay. On the other hand, communal art is there to be reached by everybody who wants to get in contact with culture. Like aborigines who painted in caverns.

2. I don't think it would have been more effective. In fact I think that writing that way helps her make her point. Also, it she had written it in a traditional academic format, it wouldn't have  been her writing it, it's not who she is and is not what she believes.