Once you finish reading this text, reflect on what it was like to read it. Create your post as a letter to a friend who doesn’t go to school at DU or a family member, telling them what it was like to read this book. Where were you when you read it? What else was going on around you? What did you think or feel as you read? What did you discover as a reader that might surprise someone back home or who knew you before you came to college? Make sure and discuss one or two specific examples from the text as you narrate how reading her book affected you. Your letter should be 250-350 words long.
Please post your response as a comment to this post before class meets on Monday, January 11.
Remember: This blog is a public space, so even though you might write to someone you’re very close to or write about issues that might be personal, make sure you’re comfortable having other people (that is, me, your classmates, and possibly folks out in the blogosphere) read what you write.
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For my writing class this quarter we were asked to read the book "Two Or Three Things I Know For Sure" by Dorothy Allison. Reading the book after getting back from dinner it was an interesting distraction from normal dorm room life. The only other thing that I remember when I was reading the story were the spontaneous outbursts of cursing by my suitemates at the computer-generated personas of their opponents in some multiplayer game.
ReplyDeleteAs for the story itself, Allison dances around various instances in her life that she feels hold special significance in her complex and often painful tale. She writes about the karate classes she accidently began taking as a feminist argument when she was younger and how they enabled her to come to terms with her own body after a lifetime without connection.
She confesses the numerous relationships that she has had with other women who did not love her and how she was able to learn from those experiences in order to come to terms with her rape as a young girl.
She also is able to give her family a voice which they would never have had without her writings. She reveals the hard lives that her family and friends had to lead. Lives that were hard and fast and full of sadness and sorrow and over before they got started.
These events and stories led Allison to escape the fate of her sisters and most other people she knew as a girl. The notion that people can stand to live in the conditions that Dorothy Allison grew up in is appalling. However, Allison does offer some consolation that it is possible to escape via a lifetime of stories worth telling.
When we were assigned to read the book “Two or Three Things I Know for Sure” I settled onto my bed hoping to get through the reading fast. I started the book trying to tune out my roommate and everything in my room ready to be done with my work for the night and was surprised by the content of the book. Dorothy Allison is straight to the point and informs the reader of some of her darkest secrets and events in her life. The way she lays herself out for everyone to see has shown me that sometimes the only way to get over events that have wounded you is to talk about it and show people that you aren’t as strong as you want to be and it did impact you. When Allison remembers talking to her sister about how she was beautiful while Allison was plain and jealous it shows the reader that there are two sides to everything. The people that you might think has it all in actuality have their own struggles to deal with. We get to see that her sister didn’t have all that Dorothy thought she did and had to deal with a lot in her life as well. As I was reading about how she was laughed at during her karate experience it made me realize how much of a mask she put on and I think that a lot of people try to act tough so they don’t have to deal with other things. This book has shown me that I can’t learn anything from other people if I am not willing to look at my life and talk about it while trying to recognize the events in my life that have shaped me into who I am today.
ReplyDeleteWhen we were assigned “Two or Three Things I know for sure”, I did not expect the story to be like this. It is a novel of a girl and the stories she has to tell to help her cope with her horrid childhood memories. I was really confused reading this story and now that I have finished reading it, I’m still unsure about what that book was attempting to teach me. Allison’s stories were vivid or graphic, while I enjoy reading detailed stories, I did not really get pulled into this book. The topic did not interest me. I felt as though I was reading words that had no meaning to me. I don’t wish to be close minded or rude to Allison but while her topic is of great debate but I could not engage myself in these stories. I agree with her way of talking about her problems and issues in order to get over them, but I don’t agree with her delivery as a novel. She’s choppy and as she attempts to but add pieces to her overall story, other pieces fall off. I got confused way to many times during my reading, her quick switching of topics did not help the fact that I felt very lost. I did relate to two points: the karate scene and her discussions with her sister. I liked the karate narrative because of how she channeled her anger to push her onward, to keep running after the boys. She was strong-willed and defining as someone who refused to let someone else say no for her. Her conversations with her sister reminded me of the relationships I carry with my brothers. While we don’t have such mangled relationships, we did grow up with envy and jealousy of the other and it often lef to menial quarrels.
ReplyDeleteI read this book in my bed and while sitting on my recliner, two very comfortable places to read. Since I was so lost during my readings, I often got distracted for periods of 5 minutes or more.
For my writing class, we were required to read “Two or Three Things I Know For Sure” by Dorothy Allison. Before I started to read, I thought that the book was going to be boring and full of writing strategies. But as I read through each page, my opinion of the book and the author changed. Dorothy Allison has a gift of drawing the reader in, even after the fact of saying that her stories might not all be true fact. As I sat at my desk, I could not put the book down, wanting to read more. Even as my roommate was skyping with her boyfriend, I could not take my eyes away from the book, needing to read more about her life. As I continued to read further and further into the book, an array of emotions went through my head. I felt sympathy along with pain, angry at how her life was so unfortunate at times but yet proud as I realized how she overcame them. Something that may surprise you is that I liked this memoir. As you know, I do love to read but memoirs have never been my favorites. I also really enjoyed her style of writing. I liked how at the end of every “chapter”, she would write, “two or three things I know for sure, and one of them is that…”. For me, this was the point of the chapter, what she wanted me to know, what she wanted me to get out of that particular story. It also made me feel closer to the author as a reader because after reading those lines, I felt like I knew exactly what she wanted me to know. Another thing that I liked about her writing style was how she started each new thought with “let me tell you a story…”. For me, when someone says that, I need to hear the story because I love stories. Stories make me feel like I know more about a person, and it also makes me feel important because that person is willing to share that story with me.
ReplyDeleteI was alone in my room as I turned the pages of Dorothy Allison's Two or Three Things I Know for Sure. I could hear vacuums in the hallway, people trampling up and down the corridor but inside the safe haven of my room I was able to focus on the images created by the author . While growing up in the south, Dorothy is surrounded by people unable to express themselves, but she tries to help them as well as herself through the expression of stories. In the past, I have often struggled with expressing myself and so I was able to relate to the hard woman characters that seem to only give off this desired impression. However, as I have grown I have learned to open up more in the way that Dorothy has, not through written stories but oral ones. While reading this book, I was surprised when I found myself internally rooting for the author's lesbian love. Many probably read the section beginning on page 72 beginning with “I had this girlfriend once scared all my other girlfriends off”(72) and are nothing but embarrassed. The author goes on to graphically explain how she seduced this big blond butch woman in the shower using phrases such as “She clenched her fists in my hair, moaned when my tongue touched her. The muscles in her thighs began to jump.”(74). Yes, this passage was intensely sexual but it made me love the author all the more. The way that she was able to love a woman who didn't even love herself. She is able to help the woman express her love, even though she may be embarrassed and I think that this is beautiful. Like Dorothy, I like to listen to the stories of others because you can learn from them as well as give them an outlet for expression.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was assigned to read Dorothy Allison's, "Two or Three Things I Know For Sure," I expected this to be a short and easy read. To get the reading done I took the book to the gym with me. Although activity was all around me, the book seemed to pull me in and forget everything that was going on. Little did I know that this book would be intended to evoke a strong emotional response. It is the blunt and honest way of writing that captures the reader and keeps them interested. Allison writes about honest strong issues and reflects upon her growing up in poverty, her rape, and hard living. She writes, "We were not beautiful. We were hard and ugly and trying to be proud of it." Allison's childhood was not an easy one, as everyone was upfront and honest on these realities of women. Although Allison had to deal with this, as well as her rape, through this story she grows and matures, making her the new person she is now. This story can serve as a tool for others going through hard times, whether it be school, work, or any other issue. There is always a way to grow and learn from hard experiences and make you a stronger person.
ReplyDeleteDear Evelynn,
ReplyDeleteI hope San Francisco is treating you well. You’ll never guess what happened the other day. I had a déjà vu that I was back at Ms. Rewey’s English class. Weird, right? I read this book at school, “Two or Three Things I Know for Sure” by Dorothy Allison, and it brought back the same feelings and thoughts as when I read “The Color of Water” by James McBride. In some sense both stories were written to help the narrator overcome the effects of a traumatic experience. A prominent topic in McBride’s story was the sexual abuse that his mother suffed as a young woman, and consequenly how it affected her character. Similarily, Allision confronts the trauma induced by her rape in order to reconcile her fears. And on top of that they both lived in similar settings, and dealt with similar problems. As much both of the main characters loved their family, there were certain parts where they resented it. Dorothy Allison said, “The women I loved the most in the world horrified me…every night I prayed a man’s prayer: Lord, save me from them. Do not let me become them.” (38) This idea is always weird for me to think about. On a normal day basis I wouldn’t introduce myself as another version of my mom with a few differences here and there. But I do believe that who you are as a person is a reflection of your mom in some aspects, good or bad (it may not even be obvious.) Reading books like this, the narrators can sound like they are making excuses for their imperfections; every now and then there’s an insprirational story, but for me reading stories like this make me realize how lucky my life is. While reading this I thought I was on my squishy bed at home but then I realized I’m on a bed that’s like a gazillion miles away from the floor. Well I can’t wait to come home to be on my squishy bed and see you and hear all of your amazing adventures! Miss you!
Love , Khanh
In my first year writing class I was assigned to read Dorothy Allison’s memoir, Two or Three Things I Know for Sure. There I was just sitting in my friends’ dorm room unprepared for the intense reaction the novel would exert. As I stared at the book with wide eyes and exclamations such as “wow”, my friends couldn’t help but stare at me and wonder what the book I was reading could possibly be about. Reading about the troubles and hardships Allison underwent as a child and a growing adult throughout her entire life didn’t necessarily surprise me. As despicable as it is, I was aware that violent rape and abuse happened to some children. I was, however, caught off guard by the blunt manner Allison used to describe such events and the later results; such as when she describes having sex with woman later on in her life as the act brought “both desire and hatred” because “she smelled like him.” Reading Two or Three Things I Know for Sure made me realize that really good writing is that in which shocks the reader and can be construed by some as offensive for the mere reason that it leaves an impression. I also learned the important role memoir’s can serve for both the author and the reader. Sharing her life story with the world proved to herself and loved ones that the events of her past did happen, and Allison acknowledges those events to make her the strong women she is today. Growing up, none of Allison’s family believed that she was raped. The memoir is Allison’s way of asking the public to believe her story. Allison’s memoir can also help others who were victims of the same crime and other people unsure of their sexuality to realize they are not alone.
ReplyDeleteI was assigned Two or Three Things I Know for Sure by Dorothy Allison for my Academic Writing course. I began the novel blindly expecting an appeal on the importance of writing; the value of free expression and rhetoric, but was stricken with a heavy journey through Allison’s youth – an account of pain, sorrow and struggles through domestic and sexual abuse, and the hardship of exploring her sexuality. The first few chapters were hard to get into, as she discussed so vividly her family – as I struggled to part with my own following a six week break and just leaving my mom at the airport.
ReplyDeleteThe book appeared on the surface “a quick read”, but required careful attention to detail, particularly with regard to the author’s vivid descriptions of how she came to depart from her abusive past, and conquer her struggles, the most striking example being the narration of her first sexual encounter since being abused by her father, and the particular and carefully-crafted clauses and words she uses (i.e. “the story of the female body taught to hate itself”, Pg. 49), both about the rape itself and her struggle in confronting it – the utter disbelief of her story and the feeling of shame that came with it.
Even more striking, however, was her examples of the stories told about her and her cousins, noting that “my cousins and I were never virgins, even when we were”, displaying both the passive and casual view of rape and her own view of herself using the eyes and mouths of others: “Hell, it wasn’t rape. She never said no. Maybe she said stop, but in that little bitty voice, so you know she wants you to love her, hell, love her for half an hour…who could love a girl like her?”
What I thought would be an easy read hit hard as I began to settle back into the fast pace of classes and campus activities, and part with my own family.
I started reading “Two or Three Things I Know For Sure”, in my dorm room alone and with no distractions. I can honestly say I did not have the highest expectations for this book. As I began to read, I was almost instantly captured by Allison’s off-beat style of writing. Her blunt, yet elegant writing differed from anything else I have ever read. Her openness about such tragic occurrences made me believe every word she wrote. She also wrote out of chronological order. Most of the time when authors do not tell the story in chronological order, I get lost. With this book, I felt connected the entire time. Even though I feel as if there is little I can relate to Allison with, her different experiences and views of life still intrigued me. This could be because I was curious of someone’s experiences that has lived an almost opposite life of my own. It amazes me that she was able to come from such a broken home and still make something of her life. Her ability to ignore all the negativity in her life and continue moving forward is inspirational. Allison was raped and beaten but she still learned to love and trust others. She was always told she was ugly or unable to accomplish but still learned to love herself. I think Allison’s message was that everyone has gone through rough patches in their own lives, some more severe than others, but if they can work through them, life will go on. Also, we have to except that no one is perfect, including ourselves, but we have to learn to except our flaws and still love every part of ourselves.
ReplyDeleteDear Family,
ReplyDeleteI hope all is well at home and I hope you are not having too much fun without me. Starting a new quarter of college has been quite challenging since I didn’t want to leave home, but I will be okay. Classes are fun and today in my Writing class we were assigned to read a book called, “Two or Three Things I Know For Sure,” by Dorothy Allison. This book was about a girl who tells her life story by explaining how her family was and the trouble they had to face. From a death in the family to brothers constantly going to jail. But the most shocking part of this book is when Allison explains that she was raped by her step father at the age of five to the age of sixteen. This changed her whole world, which later she discovers that she is a lesbian. When I was reading this book, I first thought it was boring that she was talking about her family so much, but I realized after that it had to be said to explain what truly happened to her and why she turned out the way she did. My feelings towards the book was that it kind of dragged in the beginning but I did like it towards the end because it did make you open your eyes and see that things could happen to anyone when they least expect it. Also, I like how she wrote the book because it seemed as if she was a little insecure in telling her story but it had to be said. This book may seem strange that I am having to read this for English, but mom and dad I assure you that this book allows me to become more open minded to people who truly have suffered. Well back to studying and I miss you guys.
Love,
Michelle Nguyen
Dear Mom,
ReplyDeleteSo I have been reading this like super interesting book by Dorothy Allison. It’s called two or three things I know for sure and it is kind of an autobiography of sorts. She puts the story’s of her life together with how she feels about them and how she needs to speak of the hardships she has seen in her life in order to overcome them. Reading the book was a little confusing. She jumped around a lot, but everything fit together well when it came to the end of the book. I read the last 40 or so pages starting at 12:30am on Monday. Took me about an hour and nothing else was going on in the lounge area on my floor at the time. I felt really lucky that my life has gone the way it has. Allison’s life as she describes it in her story sounds so terrible. At one point she talks about what her stepfather gave her for her 16th birthday. “The last time my stepfather beat me, I was sixteen years old. It was my birthday” Kids should feel loved on their birthdays. But that isn’t even the worst part of her story. Throughout the story Allison also discusses the fact that she is a lesbian and that she thinks she became one as a result of being sexually abused by her stepfather. She had problems talking about it her whole life. She says “I am not supposed to talk about hate that man when I grew up to be a lesbian, a dyke, stubborn, competitive, and perversely lustful.” I never thought of that kind of abuse being a cause for someone to become a lesbian before. It really opened up my eyes what sexual abuse can do to someone. But for now that’s it for me. See you at Syracuse.
John
As I read ”Two or Three Things I Know For Sure” by Dorothy Allison, all I could think was what do I know myself. Growing up with three sisters has allowed me to understand much more about females then I ever imagined I would; however, part of that understanding is that there is a hidden veil that can only be broken down with true love. True love isn’t just the expression either; she won’t trust a three-letter sentence or sweet subtleties. Women will protect themselves and men will fear if the effort is worth it.
ReplyDeleteDorothy says, “What is the story I will not tell? The story I do not tell is the only one that is a lie. It is the story of the life I do not lead, without complication, mystery, courage, or the transfiguration of the flesh.” Well I say hell to that story. Of course you won’t find pure peace in life. Mystery and complication are what make life worth living so embrace it.
But I worry now as I have just finished this book and heard the story of a hurt woman that love may be too deep for my heart. I cannot understand my own pain nonetheless cure another’s pain. Therefore for now, I am signing off from love and if life wants to come and seek me out then so be it.
For the beginning of my writing class this quarter, we were assigned to read the book named “Two or Three Things I Know for Sure” which is written by Dorothy Allison. As English is my second language, I’m afraid of not getting the point of this book. I tried to search some information about the book and the author, which can make the reading easier for me to understand. By the way, I was just in my room at that time. After the preparation, I just locked the door, turned off the light and closed the curtain. You know, I’m always a reader who can just read efficiently under a very silent condition. At first, I tried to catch the main point the author proposed to tell me. Then I combined what I thought of it with the information I found about it in Chinese. I found the author Dorothy who is one real role in her book is not just telling us a story, but also arousing other’s resonance about the experience she and the women in her family used to suffer in, especially for those women who have likely position as they experience. She is trying to use the way as sharing her secrets to make us believe that such kind of unbelievable experience is not just in the story. It really happened in the real life!
ReplyDeleteThe story told by her is cruel, just because of reason that the real life is cruel. The best part I love in her book is that she loved the women in her family. But she was also afraid of being them. This let me realize that the things you loved is not the things you want to be. All of these just come from one reason that the life is made by cruel. And I find that another purpose which is also the more important one for her to write this book is to teach others how to face their adversity, how to escape from it and how to make their new future