Reading this book, the very first thing I noticed right off the bat was that Ellen mentions Pattyn's (the oldest of seven girls) Mormon background and how she didn't always understand or feel for the Mormon rules or religion. She shows this in a poem titled "It Doesn't Seem". She expresses her honest feelings about Mormon religion by saying, "So incredibly insane to me. In fact, it seems courageous to, for once in your life, make others react to a plan you set in motion. Not that I meant to cause anyone pain, only to make them realize that everyone has flaws. Even me." I've learned from this that internal conflict within the character is crucial in making a story inviting and interested, and it is something I am not always too focused on with my own pieces. Another thing this novel has taught me is that playing around with the format of the text can be a perfect amount of visual and uniqueness for a poem without having to add actual images or drawings next to the poem, as that takes too much away from what is being said through the words. On page fifty-nine, Ellen talks of an awkward moment at the kitchen table while eating spaghetti as their father is on edge. "Was spaghetti for dinner. Mom was waiting for the sauce, dad had already hit the sauce, and it wasn't tomato." The poem is in four curvy lines to represent the spaghetti noodles, similar to my "Spirit" poem that I shared for workshopping round three. One last thing that caught my attention about this novel is that many small parts can come together into one big detailed piece. Of course, this novel is one giant story told in sections of multiple separate poems at a time. I, too, would love to create something just as interesting. If you tell a story in small parts, you can go into deeper detail in each part without taking away from the entire book.
Another thing this novel has taught me is that playing around with the format of the text can be a perfect amount of visual and uniqueness for a poem without having to add actual images or drawings next to the poem, as that takes too much away from what is being said through the words. On page fifty-nine, Ellen talks of an awkward moment at the kitchen table while eating spaghetti as their father is on edge. "Was spaghetti for dinner. Mom was waiting for the sauce, dad had already hit the sauce, and it wasn't tomato." The poem is in four curvy lines to represent the spaghetti noodles, similar to my "Spirit" poem that I shared for workshopping round three.
One last thing that caught my attention about this novel is that many small parts can come together into one big detailed piece. Of course, this novel is one giant story told in sections of multiple separate poems at a time. I, too, would love to create something just as interesting. If you tell a story in small parts, you can go into deeper detail in each part without taking away from the entire book.