Amy Tan

-U.S. Born to Chinese immigrant parents
-Wrote 5 novels
             1. The Joy Luck Club
             2. The Kitchen God's Wife
             3. The Hundred Secret Senses
             4. The Bonesetter's Daughter
             5. Saving Fish from Drowning
-Also wrote a memoir and 2 children's books, along with plenty of Magazine articles
-Worked with the creaters of performance adaptations of her works, including co-writing and co-producing the movie version of The Joy Luck Club.
-Has won 24 awards for her various works.

Source: http://www.amytan.net/

Othello 4.1 Key Passage

"Naked in bed, Iago, and not mean harm? It is hypocrisy against the devil. They that mean virtuously and yet do so, The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt heaven." (Lines 5-8)
I chose this passage because it confused me, but it seems to pose importance to the scene. I then looked the line up on NoFearShakespeare, where I found this: "Naked in bed together, but without doing anything? Come on, Iago. That would be like playing a trick on the devil: they’d make him think they’re going to commit adultery, but then back off. Anyone who acted like that would be letting the devil tempt them, and tempting God to condemn them." This helped a lot.
In the passage, we find out Othello's passion for his hate of adultury. His connection with his god is also illustrated. It's pretty clearly stated that he's sure that cheaters go to hell. Learning how tenacious Othello is to his opinions solidify the strong image of him in his mind. He does the whole "ask a question and then answer it yourself" thing. The tone of that is particularly intimidating and makes him sound somewhat wise.

Casting Othello

I was absent on the day this was assigned.

Othello: Michael B. Jordan, who is not an athlete. He's suave, and charming, like Othello.

Iago: Sean Whalen. He has a greasy, psycho aura about him, which pleases me and is simmilar to that of Iago.

Desdemona: Ashley Greene. She's a sweetheart and charming like Desdemona. And I think she matches well with Michael B. Jordan too.

Emelia: Alison Pill. She's wonderfully amazing.

Othello: 2.1

Original Monologue (Iago):
"He takes her by the palm. Ay, well said, whisper! With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as  Cassio. Ay, smile upon her, do, I will gyve thee in thine own courtship. You say true, 'Tis so, indeed.

If such tricks as these strip you out of your lieutenantry, it had been better you had not kissed your three fingers so oft, which now again you are most apt to play the sir in. Very good, well kissed, and excellent courtesy! ’tis so, indeed. Yet again your fingers to your lips? Would they were clyster-pipes for your sake! The Moor! I know his trumpet."   My Interpretation:  He holds her by the hand. Real smooth! I hardly have to work at all now to catch up to Cassio. Go ahead and smile at her, I will leave you two be. If you say it is true, then it must be. If your actions cost you your job, it would've been better to not be so conceited, it's too bad you are so. Very much so! Yes. You're going to continue the behavior? Would they were clyster-pipes for your sake! The Moor! I know his call.  Sparknotes' Interpretation: He’s taking her hand. That’s right, go ahead and whisper together. This is all I need to get Cassio. Yes, keep smiling at her, Cassio. Your fine manners around women will be your downfall. Oh, I’m sure you’re saying something very clever. If you lose your job because of little flirtations like this, you’ll wish you hadn’t been so courteous with her. Oh, how nice, you’re kissing your own hand, one finger at a time? I wish those fingers were enema tubes! That’s the Moor! I recognize his trumpet.

Epilepsy in the 16th Century

Medicine in the Renaissance: Paracelcus

 (1493 - 1541): On ailments which rob us of our reason (1525)
"'And such falling sicknesses have five seats: One is in the brain, the second in the liver, the third in the heart, the fourth in the intestines, the fifth in the limbs. [...] And this is not only so in human beings but also in every living creature, in animals, which also fall down in the same form as in humans, and the earthquake also has the same origin as the falling sickness. We say that it is impossible to cure the root of the disease, but that it is possible to prevent the root from growing. "

~ http://www.authorsden.com/categories/article_top.asp?catid=16&id=19461

1494:

A handbook on witch-hunting, Malleus Maleficarum, brings a wave of persecution and torture, leading to the death of more than 200,000 women. Written by two Dominican friars under papal authority, the book identifies the presence of seizures as a characteristic of witches.

~http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/history  (I figured 1494 was close.)

   

       In Europe in the Middle Ages, epilepsy was called the falling sickness, and people looked to saints and relics for cures. The three wise men and St. Valentine were particularly important patrons of people with epilepsy. If you had epilepsy you could a special blessed ring that would help control your seizures.  This idea was still around in colonial America when George Washington's daughter Patsy had seizures and was given an iron ring by her doctor.

        During the Renaissance, people started to read ancient writings again, and the ideas of long ago came back into fashion.  Some people thought that people with epilepsy were prophets, because they could see the past, present, and future when they were unconscious during a seizure.  People with epilepsy were thought to be very smart because some very great people in the Roman empire had epilepsy, including Julius Cesar and Petrarch.  Epilepsy was still believed to be a terrible disease by the common people.

~http://library.thinkquest.org/J001619/history.html

Journal 4

OHMYGOODNESS. There was some sex jokes in the book! Wow. That is...different. I mean I always saw the characters to be not very mature but "WOW!" I think this is like a thing that should be payed attention to. It's very important that the reader notices a character's most immature side. For we all know, this piece of the story could be foreshadowing a future event that features lame pickup lines, or something.
I like how they get Lymon all snazzy and dressed up. That could mean something... I mean, like, how he's not super smart or charming or anything like that, but they can still get him to look like a million dollars.
Boy Willie likes to cheat people out of money. He's always asking to borrow money or sell people things.

I commented on Tawnie's Blog:
"I also noticed how Wining boy always tries to cheat people out of their money. Perhaps Boy Willie will learn from Wining Boy?"

Journal 3

Bernice and Boy Willie are super rude to each other. All they do is bicker and it puts a fast paced, loud mood into the text.
Sutter's ghost is gonna add a lot to the story I think. At first when it came into play I thought that Bernice was just crazy or psycho or on drugs or something. But now I realize it's actually legit.
Lymon is a sly devil. I'm pretty sure he's up to no good. I think that's why he seems to keep quiet mostly. He never talks about his own life, really, just comments on what others say, and talks about other people. And the thing with the truck, that could be foreshadowing.