http://humanflowerproject.com/images/uploads/sistine-adam-and-eve.jpg

In reading all of Clifton's poems the one I liked the most was the one that told the stor of Adam and Eve from the different points of view of the different characters involved. I personally always enjoy when original stories are taken and remodeled in this way, providing a different perspective. I think Clifton's work with this provided a very deep and introspective look at this Biblical story. It causes the reader to reanalyze Adam and Eve's story in a new light by reading the story from 4 different angles, especially Lucifer's opinion.

In Mainardi's writing I like that she highlighted the universality of quilting. I think a lot of the times people  quickly associate quilting as solely an American thing. This discredits the contributions of women from all over the world to this craft, similar to how women are discredited for it in America. This also shows how art transcends so many socially constructed barriers that separate different cultures and how we, as humans, really are interconnected in so many ways that often aren't acknowledged or explored.

http://www.minerd.com/PhotosQR/QuiltNancyThompson.jpg

I like the way that Schapiro's piece sheds light on the autobiographical aspect of quilts. In my personal experience, quilts are used as a way to keep track of a family's history. They are passed down from generation to generation along with the craft of quilting. This just goes to show the versatility and importance quilts have in society.

http://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/images/scrappy-quilts2.jpg

In reading "Up, Down and Across: A New Frame for New Quilts", I think Lippard did a great job of showing how, once again, the artistic contribution of women is not appreciated by society. "Quilts, because they are useful, inspire less fear in their makers of being time-wasters, selfish, or self-indulgent;  they involve no confusion about  the  pretensions of Art" (pg 37). I feel like this quote is a prime example of how because quilts are associated with "women's work" and as a result under appreciated for what they are. The art world is a very exclusive domain and I think too many focus on trying to be as bizarre as possible because that has become society's definition of "art". Since quilts are useful very few will consider them as real art because of this extreme exclusivity yet the amount of dedication, thought and time put into making one quilt is rarely appreciated.

http://images.sodahead.com/polls/001701217/206231558_black_skin_lightening_answer_101_xlarge.jpeg

The part that stuck out most to me in Walke's "Everyday Use" was when Dee changed her name in an attempt to escape her opressor. It is interesting that Dee has put in so much work to get in touch with her untraceable African roots, I say this because very few African Americans are able to trace their roots back to Africa due to slavery. In contrast to this, earlier Dee's mother imagined her ideal self as a "whiter" Black person. The contrast is something that is still prevalent to this day. You have your African Americans who go through the motions of trying to tie themselves as closely back to Africa as possible, which I think is an attempt to find a more defined cultural existence. These individuals typically learn to love themselves and the way they look. However, with this they quickly face judgement now not only from the "oppressor" but their own Black community for seemingly trying to draw attention to themselves and cause problems. Then you have those who just want to blend in more as they to try and draw less attention to themselves in a prejudiced society. I think Walker did a very good job subtly displaying this contrast in her writing.

http://likeawhisper.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/tree-of-life-jigsaw-puzzle1.jpg

In Walker's title essay I see a lot of my history in it. Being a person who is only 4 generations removed from slavery times I can empathize with the struggle of the women of the past. I truly believe that the sacrifices made by my mother, grandmother, great grandmother and so on, were made for the betterment of my life. I agree when Walker depicts these women as forces full of so much art and life who are not able to express these talents and explore these desires because of the environment they were faced with. The fact that  I am where I am because of these sacrifices, I think their energy and resilience was passed down to the women of my generation to achieve the things they longed for but held onto in hopes that they could one day see their dreams manifest themselves through us.

http://www.edbasic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/self-education1.jpg

I truly enjoyed Walker's "The Unglamorous But Worthwhile Duties of the Black Revolutionary Artist or of the Black Writer Who Simply Works and Writes." This piece reaffirmed my belief that the best education can happen outside the classroom. Reading about how she took her education into her own hands to expand her understanding of not just those like her, but everyone, was a breath of fresh air. Too often do people allow themselves to be restricted to the readings given to them through school and too little do schools focus on providing students with the chance to explore and learn more. In my opinion, it is through education that ignorance and prejudice can be combated, an ideology I feel Walker fully embraced for herself and should be embraced in more classrooms and individually.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIj-BX-2SjuIdq7YuIaHjk_ax777-BGqMlFuJGhZjY-9P46F4Rm0cDs7LGb_Oc17h3Wz9nTDTJSlMdx7rfSB2rahFq6mGQJZI-Wq9T4UuY62KMWGjQXu8-a7L7MwJkvKX0mER8GhhUTg/s1600/fork-in-the-road.jpg

In Walker's, "Saving the Life That is Your Own", I found myself very interested in her comparison of literature by black and white authors. Her point caused me to look back on books that I have read in the past and shed a new light on their development of these stories from beginning to end. Typically in school I read stories by white female authors and any books by black authors were done in my own time. However, I often find myself more drawn to narratives written by black authors for the same reason Walker stated herself, the point that differentiates the black and white authors, the ending. I typically find myself more inspired and fulfilled reading black literature because of the fact that there does seem to be a moral or a lesson and the underlying resilience of the characters even if the story doesn't end on a happy note. It's something I have always and will always enjoy about black literature.

http://www.textileschool.com/Portals/0/Multimedia/Images/Weaving/WomenWeaving.jpg


Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times was a very eye opening read for me. It amazed just how overlooked the contributions of women are. If it were not for their contributions I think it is safe to say that we would be nowhere near to where we are as a society today. I feel like women are the unsung heroes and are only now beginning to be recognized for all they do since in the past it has just been seen as what they were meant to be doing and no praise was necessary. This reading is definitely a good way of giving the women of the past their long overdue appreciation.