Now I have toNow I have to show itshow it Now I have to show it T A N Y A ’ S L I T E R A R Y J O U R N E YT A N Y A ’ S L I T E R A R Y J O U R N E YT A N Y A ’ S L I T E R A R Y J O U R N E Y A ( K I N D O F ) B O O K B Y T A N Y A S C H N E I D E RA ( K I N D O F ) B O O K B Y T A N Y A S C H N E I D E RA ( K I N D O F ) B O O K B Y T A N Y A S C H N E I D E R

Dear reader, Tanya tried to make this book as genuine and Tanya-like as possible, so, at some point, you may wonder why you’re even reading it. Enjoy!

I N D E X 1. Literature & me: Love at second sight?............................ ...................................................................................................1 2. Stuck with you, but it’s not Ariana Grande....................2 3. Classic literature or Pop Culture?...................................... ...................................................................................................3 4. Forgot to bring my literary toolbox. Does anyone have a screwdriver?.........................................................................6 5. Everything I do is a creative task.........................................7

1. Literature & me: Love at second sight? 1 My relationship with literature has grown stronger over the past few years. I’ve always been interested in history, general culture, and learning new things, and I discovered that literature is one of the most effective ways to explore all of these areas. I truly enjoy reading because it allows me to imagine new worlds and experiences, and it fills me with a deep sense of joy and inspiration. The first book that had a real impact on me was Desde el ojo del pez by Pablo de Santis. It was the first complete book I ever read, and I absolutely loved it. That was when I first realized how magical reading could be. My two favourite genres are historical novels and adventure fiction. My favourite authors are Jane Austen and Jules Verne, who, in my opinion, have written some of the most remarkable works in these genres. I didn’t have any specific expectations for this course, but I remember feeling enthusiastic and curious about it. I would’ve liked to learn more about the cultural aspects and historical contexts of English-speaking civilizations, since I believe literature is one of the key ways to understand how and why these societies have developed into what they are today.

Literature & me: Love at second sight? 2 Below this text, I’d included the next quote from Sí, a novel by the Argentine author Viviana Rivero. I chose this quote because Rivero writes historical fiction, and although I didn’t expect to enjoy the book at first, I ended up loving it. It has become one of my favourites. “¿El destino existe? Creo que no. Pero díganme si a veces no se nos hace imposible liberarnos de la idea de que alguien puso esa calle, esa escuela, esa casa u oficina para que todos los que debíamos reunirnos en la vida nos encontremos allí conformando un todo perfecto y armónico, aprendiendo las lecciones que unos a otros nos brindamos y, por momentos, nos imponemos. La vida, a veces, se vale de un simple sitio físico, como una calle, para unir a quienes deben conocerse, tal como si una mano invisible hubiera hecho construir la calle Copérnico, levantar esas casas en París y abrir ese puesto de flores para lograr el cometido de reunir a los que debían estar juntos; ese lugar que atrajo, uno a uno, a quienes deben encontrarse y, juntos, conformar un todo armónico.” Rivero, Viviana. Sí. Editorial Planeta, 2019.

2. Stuck with you, but it’s not Ariana Grande 3 For this section, I thought I might share some of the phrases that caught my attention and have been stuck in my head eversince. The Wife’s Lament “I grieved each dawn, wondered where my lord, my first on earth might be” “My man’s kinsmen began to plot to divide us two” “Often we vowed that but death alone would part us two [...], but this is turned round now” “The man sent me out to live in the woods” “Woe be to them that for a loved one must wait in longing” I personally think this poem is fantastic. I loved it from the first line to the last one. I see not only a sad woman, but history here. I believe that if we look a little further into this text, we can get the idea of some meaningful aspects of daily medieval life. How relationships were, lifestyle, contemporary problems from a reliable source. I don’t know if who wrote this was a woman; but if he wasn’t, let me tell you, he did a hell of a job.

Stuck with you, but it’s not Ariana Grande 4 I admire how, regardless of time and age, we humans always have similar feelings towards similar situations. That’s what I love about literature; it is a record of people’s lives when people didn’t even know they were contributing to history. Apart from serious matters, I really relate to this lament. I think women live a universal experience of distrust and betrayal from the world in general, I can see it clearly from the first stanza. I also enjoyed some of the other works, but if I’m being honest, The Wife’s Lament was exceptional for me.

3. Classic literature or Pop Culture? 5 Many times during this course, I’ve thought about how the writers or people contemporary with the works we’ve read and studied would react to the future—our present. But then it hit me: many people don’t know a single thing about what we’ve learned here. So I thought, why not put what I’ve learned into simpler words or comparisons for someone who might need it? For this task, I chose to talk about the resemblance I found between Arthur from Le Morte d’Arthur and Captain America. To begin with, I think we all know some general facts about Steve Rogers: ignored, left aside, weak, and without the physical aptitude to endure military training; but also brave, committed, patriotic, and loyal. On the other hand, we have Arthur: a simple, humble, and obedient man who did not know about his noble roots; nevertheless, he was also brave, loyal, pure- hearted, and courageous—a man willing to take on the huge responsibility he had been given. Malory never talks about Arthur’s physiognomy; instead, he focuses on the character’s virtues, valuing not only his figure but, more importantly, his personality and feelings. For me, this is quite an interesting feature for a medieval literary work.

Classic literature or Pop Culture? 6 I’m certain that the author imagined a strong, handsome, and muscular hero—and readers did and still do—but the truth is that the description provided is more than enough to help us appreciate Arthur. In contrast, the physical nature of our other hero is instantly revealed for obvious reasons: movies need images. Despite being inspired by a comic, I believe modern works tend to limit people’s imagination. We get stuck with the idea that a hero must be the strongest man alive, and only then do we start thinking about courage. Regardless of this, I believe Captain America’s true value lies first in his virtues. After all, he is chosen because of his bravery and loyalty.

4. Forgot to bring my literary toolbox. Does anyone have a screwdriver? 7 I remember saying something about my expectations for this subject in the Literature & me forum. Those expectations were mainly cultural and historical. To be honest, I didn’t enjoy the first part of this subject that much. The other day I told Yoli, “Why is the subject getting good only now?” Throughout high school, I never enjoyed language or literature classes. I think that’s why I didn’t like the first part of this subject; I thought everything would be related to history and that no analysis would be necessary, but I was wrong. I had to put my laziness aside and start reflecting, analyzing, and identifying new things and patterns in texts. I believe the main tool and topic I’ll take with me are the parts of a story. My reading skills aren’t very well developed. I tend to read and just see words; I struggle to reflect on long texts. Even though we had to find the exposition of characters or climax of short stories, I think it will help me in the future to divide larger texts into smaller parts, making reading easier for me. As I told you, I thought Literature would just be about reading classics and explaining why they’re influential in Anglo-Saxon culture and history. But I learned that I also had to develop some critical thinking skills, being able to break a text down into smaller parts in order to really understand it.

5. Everything I do is a creative task 8 Dear reader, We’ve reached the end of this crazy, nonsensical book; a place and object where and with which I tried to show you a piece of me. Somehow, this chapter is the one I relate to the most. The name came to my mind instantly, as if it collocated naturally. The reason I feel everything I do is a creative task is because I’m always trying to make my life as performative as possible, kinda like a clown. I’ve hired myself to be the main entertainer of my life and others’ life. I believe that’s why I enjoy teaching so much. Anyway, here goes the actual writing you were hoping to see. In shadows I dwell alone, Far from my ring-giver’s throne. He feasts and dances While my heart cries and lingers. Had my heart wrapped around his fingers. He came with godly speeches. King-like, as he who preaches. Promised me land, promised me love, But before knowing it, it was all gone.