I thought this project was both fun and presented itself as a challenge. I mean this in the way that choosing items that encapsulated the entire store, essay, address, etc was difficult to decide on. Being quite honest, it took me a week plus to finally decide on what the cover was going to be. I had three versions of what I wanted “Earth, Speak” to be with focusing on different ideas in each. Mainly, each of the locations I chose to put together in the end I found through trying to write and construct a cover on solely one element or one location. In trying to do so I almost immediately noticed I didn’t have enough content to produce a final result. It also left a whole chunk of the story’s meaning which I then had to explain in the designer’s note anyway for understanding. This brick wall in producing a final product is what led me to then changing my entire idea. I noticed that I really wanted to focus on the multiple settings in the story and how they influenced Dee as an overall character. Also, how the setting drove home certain messages or symbols Talty wanted readers to notice. Examples of this would be the cultural context of Antique Roadshow or the meaning behind Dee’s moments in the sweat lodge. Once I decided on this idea, constructing the cover became much easier. I knew the exact locations to use from my previous drafts and what each one represented. All it took then was figuring out how to demonstrate each in a certain amount of space. It led to me adding this sign post to the center which labels each significant location. Although not the most exciting or colorful in my opinion, it allowed the reader to clearly understand what locations to take note of.
Thinking about how this project changed my view as a reader and writer, it opened my eyes to how writing serves a larger purpose. That on the surface level can be an enjoyable experience with reading, but on another level, sparks conversation and thought about how our world works. I found myself experiencing this the most with Talty’s work. He writes in a way that is extremely narrative, engaging, humorous, but all while trying to tell the reader something they need to hear. Yet, digging in, he points finger at the tragedies taking place in our modern day on reservations. It was a little jarring to read his story at first because most people, I think, believe that conflict with Natives stopped after colonization. That society has received their slap on the wrist and mistakes have not been repeated. As we see from stories like Talty’s, this is not the case whatsoever. His story functions as a living narrative for what Natives are still experiencing on reservations. It was interesting to me that we started with this text in the course because it acted as a reminder that these problems still exist. It shoved in our faces that yes, we may be reading about events from other centuries, but that doesn’t mean the issue has faded with history. In another way, it lights a fire in me. It makes me frustrated with the ways we have been taught about Natives in the past tense more than the present. It also makes me distrust most of the historical narrative I’ve followed for the greater part of my life.
The one critique I would have of this project is the creative process in making the cover. If we were given more time, perhaps the whole semester, I think the artistic potential would skyrocket. In another class, I recently constructed what is known as an Artist Book. This project was meant to hold our best, most meaningful, or favorite poems we wrote over the course of the semester. I wonder what it would be like if ENG200 made a version of this? Students could choose or be assigned a text at the beginning of the semester which would allow months of creative processing. The student would have to read the text a few times throughout the project, ultimately selecting 2-3 important passages for the book. From there, it would then require students to not only make the jacket but illustrate the inside pages. A trip to the art studio could be helpful in getting students thinking about how color, images, text, font, etc. play a role in book jackets. Maybe this idea is too much of a stretch, but I definitely think there are more creative outlets to be considered in the future. Or, simply spending more time looking at examples/learning about creative book jackets.
