This week in my Rhetoric of Travel Writing course, I read about a great number of ideas from Homi Bhabha’s notion of a “double narrative movement” (“Dissemination” p145) which encourages the minority, exilic, marginal and emergent people to “tell the details of everyday life” (142 - 149), to David Spurr’s premise that focuses on both nonfiction writing and literary journalism (“Rhetoric of Empire” p3).
My favorite reading this week was a piece from Susan Bassnett entitled, “Travel Writing and Gender” which challenged me to question, “Do women’s travel accounts differ from those written by men in any fundamental way, and is there a way in which travel writing is inherently gendered?” (227).
Bassnett began her piece with the following quote: “The essence of adventure lies in taking risks and exploring the unknown...”
In an effort to apply this quote and gender writing to my Phoenix Bus Station travel experience, I would like to (try to) continue my story, but from a third person omniscient point of view.
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With no set schedule or mandated destination, he sat in the Phoenix Greyhound Bus Station, listening to the Scorpions singing “Arizona” on his Walkman. As was his custom, he began people watching when he noticed a beautiful girl, sitting across the room, in the front row seats, on the corner. His gaze lingered on her, as he took in her natural beauty. She was certainly easy on the eyes. It appeared as if she was reading a book, but not wanting to get caught staring, he continued people-watching, but regularly looked her way. During one of his prolonged gazes, she looked up, directly at him, and caught him. He was rewarded with a quickly flashed, beautiful smile. Encouraged, he thought to himself, “How nice....she returned my gaze, with a smile!”
My favorite reading this week was a piece from Susan Bassnett entitled, “Travel Writing and Gender” which challenged me to question, “Do women’s travel accounts differ from those written by men in any fundamental way, and is there a way in which travel writing is inherently gendered?” (227).
Bassnett began her piece with the following quote: “The essence of adventure lies in taking risks and exploring the unknown...”
In an effort to apply this quote and gender writing to my Phoenix Bus Station travel experience, I would like to (try to) continue my story, but from a third person omniscient point of view.
********
With no set schedule or mandated destination, he sat in the Phoenix Greyhound Bus Station, listening to the Scorpions singing “Arizona” on his Walkman. As was his custom, he began people watching when he noticed a beautiful girl, sitting across the room, in the front row seats, on the corner. His gaze lingered on her, as he took in her natural beauty. She was certainly easy on the eyes. It appeared as if she was reading a book, but not wanting to get caught staring, he continued people-watching, but regularly looked her way. During one of his prolonged gazes, she looked up, directly at him, and caught him. He was rewarded with a quickly flashed, beautiful smile. Encouraged, he thought to himself, “How nice....she returned my gaze, with a smile!”
While listening to his music, he thought about the remainder of his summer leave. He had just completed the most strenuous and challenging school year of his life - Plebe year at the United States Naval Academy. Who would have thought that a boy from rural, Kinston, NC could have ever attended a service academy? He knew he had never imagined it and again found himself thanking his guidance counselor for her recommendation that he consider it. He had grown up in a small town, in a divorced home, knowing only that one day he wanted out. Even as a young boy he had his head in the clouds watching airplanes, curious as to who was in them and where they were going.
By the time he was 16 he was working at the FBO fueling airplanes. He was willing to do anything to be near the airplanes. By the time he was 18, he had his private pilot’s license and was flying recreationally. His dreams of flying and exploring places outside of his rural community were coming to fruition.
And now, here he sat, clear across the United States, far from Kinston, reflecting on his current juncture in life. He had just finished his Youngster Cruise, a 30 day mandatory training consisting of being assigned to a Navy ship in San Diego, learning about Navy life for a junior enlisted sailor. Having been granted leave from the ship, he intended to head to Tucson where he would eventually meet up with his Plebe roommate once he completed his summer cruise about a week later. In the meantime, he was invited by a ROTC Mid to stay at his family’s Phoenix home. With six more weeks of leave ahead of him, he was feeling untroubled and relaxed!
Understanding his fortune, his attitude after leaving the ship was only to meet friendly people, and have a relaxed time with no rules and regulations. His only set plan was to sight-see on his way back to North Carolina to visit his own family once his summer came to a close. Unconcerned, he knew he could end up scattered across the U.S. while catching MAC flights, until he eventually reached Annapolis where he would begin his second year of college - his Youngster year.
He continued people watching, hurrying along on their own private journeys, occasionally attentive to the bus destinations being announced over the speaker. When he heard the call to load the bus to Tucson, he gathered up his bags, taking note that the girl across the room had also begun to gather her things, giving the impression that she might be headed toward the Tucson bus as well. He delayed his movement toward the bus, thinking that if she got on the bus first and sat down, he could sit strategically nearby. After she boarded the bus, he got into the line to board the bus and scanned quickly to locate her. She was sitting about midway back, on the right side, next to the window. He thought he would sit in one of the seats behind her, but noticed that the bus was not very crowded and seeing the open the seat on the aisle, he couldn’t help but ask, “Do you mind if I sit with you?” He noticed that she nervously began twisting the opal earring in her right earlobe, and much to his surprise, she replied, “Sure!” And so began the bus ride that changed his life.
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Next week I am being challenged to incorporate an interview or conversation that illustrates the concept of "multiple stories" for my next blog! Perfect timing...because next week you get to read about how these two travelers finally started talking!
Understanding his fortune, his attitude after leaving the ship was only to meet friendly people, and have a relaxed time with no rules and regulations. His only set plan was to sight-see on his way back to North Carolina to visit his own family once his summer came to a close. Unconcerned, he knew he could end up scattered across the U.S. while catching MAC flights, until he eventually reached Annapolis where he would begin his second year of college - his Youngster year.
He continued people watching, hurrying along on their own private journeys, occasionally attentive to the bus destinations being announced over the speaker. When he heard the call to load the bus to Tucson, he gathered up his bags, taking note that the girl across the room had also begun to gather her things, giving the impression that she might be headed toward the Tucson bus as well. He delayed his movement toward the bus, thinking that if she got on the bus first and sat down, he could sit strategically nearby. After she boarded the bus, he got into the line to board the bus and scanned quickly to locate her. She was sitting about midway back, on the right side, next to the window. He thought he would sit in one of the seats behind her, but noticed that the bus was not very crowded and seeing the open the seat on the aisle, he couldn’t help but ask, “Do you mind if I sit with you?” He noticed that she nervously began twisting the opal earring in her right earlobe, and much to his surprise, she replied, “Sure!” And so began the bus ride that changed his life.
********
Next week I am being challenged to incorporate an interview or conversation that illustrates the concept of "multiple stories" for my next blog! Perfect timing...because next week you get to read about how these two travelers finally started talking!