IRB Intro #3: Helter Skelter- The True Story Of The Manson Murders

I've always been interested in murder. Well that's not totally true, my real interest peaks at the idea of the criminal mind. I love Law and Order, and I have even gone as far as watching actual trials for serial killers online for entertainment. Most interesting is picking apart a person and trying to answer the question that often the victims, police and even a handful of psychologist can't, why? For this reason, I chose Helter Skelter, by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry for my new IRB. This book covers Bugliosi's firsthand account of the Manson cases as a former prosecutor on Charles Manson's trial. Helter Skelter remains the number one best selling true crime book written for its vivid depiction of the true story behinding the chilling Manson family. In 1974, when this book was released, it flew off of store shelves as people were eager to get an inside look at the mastermind behind the series of brutal murders uncovered at the time. Bugliosi accurately describes the truth and detail behind the murders and the murderers in a way that Americans have not soon forgotten.

TOW #16: IRB "The Seven Good Years"- Second Half

          For this week's TOW, I will revisit and analyze the second half of Etgar Keret's notorious memoir, The Seven Good Years. Keret has a reputation of  delivering powerful messages while also managing to make his readers laugh, this book was no exception. His collection of essays covering birth, death, and every surreal experience in between successfully sheds light on both the tragedies in Israel, and the beauty of life itself. The interesting thing about this book is that the plot is far from evident. When reading, it seems like nothing more than a series of events, most very humorous, but seemingly lacking direction and meaning. What I came to find is that the beauty in this book is that it really does not need a plot as each story ends up telling you more and more about Keret, his loved ones, and the world around us that so few of us are ever actually exposed to. Keret's message is to value the good times even in the face of disaster such as terrorism or death. This is something which he successfully displays to the reader through his use of satire and blatant remarks in the face of despair.

          Keret is most known for his humor, whether it is through his popular podcast channel, his books or his personality, he always finds a way to express the person he is. This is something which he never lacks, even when he is in the midst of disaster. Though the majority of his story covers the uplifting or happy times in his life, most of the events occurred during a brutal war in Tel Aviv where Keret was exposed to gruesome things while trying to protect his family and raise his son. Keret makes this an enjoyable series of stories by allowing the reader to see how he looks at things. Keret spends one small chapter describing why he no longer writes book dedications which leads to his own creation of a seminar called, " fictitious book dedications". He explains that he would write things such as, "To Danny, who saved my life on the Litani. If you hadn't tied that tourniquet, there'd be no me and no book." These are untrue statements, but they represent Keret's humor and personality. This is balanced well with his blunt perspective at disaster. Toward the end, Keret starts talking about how good of a dad he has and immediately following he says, "Last week, I went to the hospital with him for a fairly routine test, and the doctors told us that he was going to die. Throughout the book Keret speaks of the great experiences he has with him father and then out of nowhere he says he is going to die. Keret does not dwell on death, which is an even better representative of what Keret's life is like. He is constantly surrounded by chaos, so much to the extent that the idea of death, even of his father, is numbed to him. This is something I appreciated as a reader because it made this story really about the "Good" even with all of the bad. It's inspirational, revealing and it really puts life as I know it into perspective.

TOW #15- Nonfiction- Bush's Speech To Congress After 9/11

On September 11, 2011, two planes, hijacked by members of the Islam terrorist group al-Qaeda, flew into the Twin Towers in Manhattan, New York. A third plane was flown into the pentagon and a fourth crashed into an open field in Pennsylvania. Thousands were killed in these attacks and even more lives were shattered across the nation, leaving the country wondering what would happen next. Nine days later, President George W. Bush delivered a powerful speech on the moral resolve necessary to overcome the disaster and defeat the terrorist enemy. Throughout his speech, Bush used a medley of rhetorical devices to empower the American people to fight back against al-Qaeda and resist defeat. Bush is powerful in the way he offers the normal way emergencies are interpreted in America versus the way the attacks were actually accepted. Toward the beginning, he announces that the state of the Union is usually delivered by the president in his chamber to the people, however, he

turns this around by giving examples of how the people are actually the ones delivering the state of the union in their own actions. Bush states that it is through "the endurances of rescuers...the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, and the saying of prayers" that America had shown that the current state of the Union was nothing but "strong". In doing so, he empowers the nation, and helps them see that their strength, united, is greater than any damage done by the enemy. The president also successful in his use of demonizing diction. In reference to al-Qaeda, he uses words like "the enemy", "enemies of freedom", "murderers". This helps Americans identify the issue and the source of their distress, further unifying them against one, rotten, source. Bush is avid in insisting that the United States is far from defeated, and as far as fighting terrorists goes, far from stopping with al-Qaeda. He uses hyperboles and extreme logical fallacies in order to draw vivid lines in the sands to show that terrorists that the fight is far from over and their goals of weakening the US have completely failed. Bush even proclaims to the US citizens, "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." He is forcing people to join the fight and choose a side in this battle, making it clear that the US is ready to come back stronger than ever,

TOW #14- Nonfiction- Bill Cosby Scandal Going to Court

This week I decided to write about an editorial surrounding yet another scandal in our country spreading faster than wildfire; the Bill Cosby sex scandal. In case the Cosby name is not already etched in your brain like the rest of the world, he is a world renowned African American actor, and stand up comedian who has broken down countless gender and race barriers throughout the nation. Most known for his 20th century sitcom The Cosby Show, Bill Cosby quickly became a popular and powerful man on and off the screen. However, just about a year ago, several allegations from numerous women emerged pinning Cosby as a dangerous, sadistic, man, responsible for each of their own often drug induced rape and sexual assaults. A piece in the Los Angles times , written by a contact reporter, Carla Hall responds to recent news that the Cosby case will now move from the court of public opinion to the court of justice. Hall's account of the case and it's evidence both contribute toward proving her opinion that whether Cosby is guilty or not, it is time to leave this to our justice system, rather than public opinion. Hall describes what Cosby has already been forced to surrender, she mentions "1 million in bail", "his passport" and numerous "organizations taking away honors and awards he was once given". In doing this, she almost makes Cosby seem like the victim in what has become a war of words and hear say between himself and dozens of women coming forth with their stories. Hall also describes the alleged actions of Cosby, but backs each account with her own feeling of uncertainty with the "lack of sufficient evidence". She makes the reader think before persecuting against Cosby in a case where nothing is totally set in stone, further emphasizing the importance of taking this to court.

TOW #13- Visual: The Farce Awakens

This week I decided to analyze a political cartoon which honors two of the most interesting current events today, the infamous, Donald Trump and the even more infamous, Star Wars. Created by cartoonist, Dave Granlund, who has been featured in world renowned newspaper companies, the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek, this cartoon pokes fun at the recent campaign, highlighting the consistent false statements made by Donald Trump. The recent release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens has sparked quite an uproar as, contrary to the prequels, it was actually good. George Lucas disappointed mass amounts of Americans with the second trilogy of Star Wars which did not even remotely compare to his first. However, the newest in the series took people everywhere back to their childhood and transported them into a magical world of space, mystical planets and classic battles between good and evil. Granlund is attempting to convey a message to viewers showing the evil and often false nature of Donald Trump and his actions. This cartoon places Trump in the suit of Darth Vader, the leader of the "dark side" in the star wars series. Granlund does this in an effort to tag Trump as an evil being, although very powerful, ultimately wicked at heart. On top of that, Granlund clearly puts a belt around the Vader costume to even further identify this being as Trump as it is labeled "GOP" signifying that he is a republican. This cartoon even holds a satirical flare as Granlund changes the title from "The Force Awakens" to "The Farce Awakens", reminding viewers of the untrue, mockery of Trump and what he says. In adding these details to his cartoon, Dave Granlund creates a funny and powerful cartoon, using the recent release of a popular movie to poke fun at Donald Trump and his illegitimate means of campaigning for presidency.

TOW #12: IRB "The Seven Good Years"

When reading a book which features the tragedies of terrorism in Israel, one can anticipate a dreadful theme, stocked with loss, fear and overall woe. In a country where terrorist attacks become as frequent and expected as Sunday night football games, it's hard to imagine any "good " to write about. However, Etgar Keret manages to craft a masterpiece of humorous, uplifting and mostly undeniably interesting memoirs which bring light to those catastrophic events. In his critically acclaimed book, "The Seven Good Years", he focuses around the time between the birth of his child and the death of his father, the part of his life that was happiest, but this is far from a memoir about Keret. This book strings together numerous unforgettable stories which allow the reader to see the root of violence, pain and love which continue to last even in the eye of a savage war in the Middle East.

What makes Keret such a sophisticated and enjoyable author is his ability to tell stories which truly captivate the reader. Any man trying to survive and raise a family in the middle of a war, inevitably faces disturbing loss and invariable sadness, but Etgar Keret transforms that pain into some of the most insightful and satisfying stories ever told. One way he achieves his purpose is through his ability to focus on what seems like miniscule details and transform them into mind altering entities for the reader. Of course one can expect that Keret would, for a book bonded by terrorism, emphasize on just that, but instead he focuses very little on attacks and violence, pulling the reader closer to the things that people often overlook. At one point in the text, Keret does focus on an experience with a bombing in Tel Aviv, where he, his wife, and his son, Lev, where forced to dive onto the pavement, and take cover anticipating the backlash. He only spent about two pages describing this seemingly horrific experience, going on to describe something as supposedly insignificant as Angry Birds explaining, "Under the adorable surface of the funny animals and their sweet voices, Angry Birds is actually a game in which you are prepared to sacrifice your life just so you can destroy the houses of unarmed enemies and vaporize their wives and children inside" for about five pages. This ability to point out deeper concepts and speculation to the reader creates several full and generous tales. Keret's use of satire also creates a more colorful and passionate piece. In this half of the book Keret at one point describes the birth of his son, Lev, particularly the wait for assistance in the hospital after a recent terrorist attack which highly occupied the aids. With gurneys flying by carrying individuals missing limbs and nurses rushing to their side, Keret and his wife simply wait, almost feeling outshined by this attack, claiming "even the baby feels this whole getting-born this isn't that urgent anymore." When describing something like the birth of someones first child, this is usually supposed to be a moment of great excitement and importance, but the way Keret describes it makes the reader enjoy and empathise for his recurring, coincidental, misfortunes. His description of the baby's emotions also have the same effect. The humor used in a calamity like this makes the topic of terrorism a little less heavy and further establishes the existing light in an environment of great darkness. Etgar Keret is a master storyteller with an unbelievable collection of experiences to share. He speaks to anyone interested in captivating tales of sadness and joy, bravery and fear, gain and loss, successfully producing an inspiring memoir of hope at the center of disaster.

TOW #11- Nonfiction: Bill Clinton's August 17 speech to the American public: Monica Lewinsky

         In 1998 a sex scandal known as the Lewinsky scandal emerged when a sexual relationship was revealed between the president of the United States, Bill Clinton, and a white house employee, Monica Lewinsky. This world wide controversy led to a chain of perjury and eventually an impeachment of the president during his second term. Bill Clinton gave a public speech admitting to his affair to the nation on August 6, 1998. Throughout this speech, Clinton's use of personal anaphora and apologetic diction all contribute toward creating the sincere and humble speech he aimed to deliver as a president who has recently lost the trust of his followers and in grave danger of being impeached.

          Clinton wants to regain the trust of Americans and help them understand that he acknowledges the fault in what he has done. Upon acknowledging the events that took place and what he would like moving forward, Clinton speaks in first person beginning almost every sentence with "I did", "I know", "I can" and so on. By starting with "I", he makes his speech seem more personal when speaking to citizens everywhere. He is also trying to get off of the pedestal he is put on as a president and transform himself into a simple person who has made a mistake. He wants to make the public feel closer to him and feel like they can relate and sympathize for him. This is further achieved through an anaphoric use of the term "you". These terms are extremely effective when Clinton initiates, "I am speaking to you", making the viewer feel a connection to him as a person and not as a president. The president also used a massive amount of apologetic diction in order to show his audience the remorse he feels for his "scandalous" behavior and perjury. Clinton explains to the nation that his affair, "...constituted a critical lapse in judgment and a personal failure on..." his "...part for which..." he is "...solely and completely responsible." Not only does he admit to what he has done, but he takes complete responsibility for it and damages it caused. In a nation where most people most likely see his as a selfish and greedy man at the moment, he is taking the first step toward attempting to receive their empathy, admission. He refrains from explaining his personal feelings toward Lewinsky or his personal life being exposed, he simply takes responsibility which has a much more positive effect.
          Bill Clinton successfully delivers a speech to the public admitting his faults in having a sexual affair with Monica Lewinsky. Although the nation viewed him as an untrustworthy president, he manages to humble himself and appear apologetic for the what he has done through his use of remorseful diction and personal anaphora.