Another one...


Comments

Unknown said…
He seems to be having trouble with gas prices in the same way we are now. Also, he is having trouble with renting because of the rain. It seems odd that he goes into such detail about farming matters.
August 24, 2012 at 12:45 PM
Anonymous said…
Snyder mentions that he stayed at Wendell's berry farm and describes what life is like there. When writing home, I might do the same thing, talk about where I have been spending some of my time and what it's like to be there. He also talks about what is going on in Washington D.C. Snyder expresses the political tensions and happenings in government. He seems to be affected by and in tune with his environment. It seems to have a large impact on his life.
August 24, 2012 at 12:49 PM
Unknown said…
In his first letter to his mom he talks about going to Kentucky and Washington DC. He talks about the weather and how it rained 30 inches and how many animals he has seen. He critisizes the government in Washington DC and says its demoralized. He worries about gas and tells his mom that instead of traveling for Christmas it would be smart to stay home. Obviously nature and environment are something Gary Snyder values
August 24, 2012 at 12:49 PM
Unknown said…
In this letter to his mother, Gary Snyder's places of focus are those that he has visited during his travels and his own home. He worries about the energy crisis and has a fairly self sufficient home, as he raises his own food. He has a strong focus on the places he visits and an attachment to those that remind him of his own home. With his praise of the places that are down to earth and self sufficient one can conclude that Gary Snyder has a deep rooted love and concern for the environment.
August 24, 2012 at 12:50 PM
Unknown said…
It seems like Gary Snyder is frequently trying to connect a lot of things back to his home, which also seems like an agricultural home. He talks about all of these huge cities he's been to but then just relays back to something related to farms. To me he seems homesick and wants to live back on a farm with his mother or he just misses his mother. My evidence is that he tries to persuade her to come live in his new town.
August 24, 2012 at 12:50 PM
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
August 24, 2012 at 12:50 PM
Dustin Bizub said…
Gary Snyder's mentions of place usually fall on his identifcation with the more rural areas of the country. He spends most of his time in this letter discussing the characteristics of a farm and then connects it to his small farm with his chickens. Notice how he doesn't write about the big cities he may or may not have visited and calls D.C. "strangely quiet." Snyder focuses more on the country, a location that he is likely more familiar with.
August 24, 2012 at 12:52 PM
Unknown said…
In his letter to him mother Gary is at first simply explaining his travels and what has been going on in his life, like anyone would start a letter off. Later into the letter he does throw some comments about his travels and more specifically the places that he had visited and seen. He comments that the countries capital is "strangely quiet" which one would not think of when it came to the headquarters of a country. Gary also goes more specifically into one place in particular which would be the farm he was staying, he went into such detail about what animals were residing in the farm. The small details and things that Gary would point out gave me the impression that he has a strong attachment to place. Each place that he went to he would make comments that one would not expect from a traveller. I would expect something more "touristy" about his travels but he made comments that were a bit deeper than "The city looked pretty, you should totally see it one day" he made comments referring to the atmosphere and that was very interesting to see.
August 24, 2012 at 12:52 PM
Unknown said…
Gary Snyder seems to be very intact with his surrounding environment since he is able to go in such detail about farming and the gas prices. He even makes decisions based on the particular conditions he's faced with.
August 24, 2012 at 12:52 PM
Adrian Taylor said…
Gary Snyder starts off his first letter by listing all of the places that he visited. Then he talks about individual places that he visited in more detail. He talks about while he was in Kentucky he stayed at Wendell Berry's farm. Wendell was an essays, novelist and poet. Wendell lives with his wife and two kids. He has many animals, that gather to make a full home and a"well-run" place. Gary almost seems envious of Wendell's full house and well-run home. I believe that he is envious of Wendell's livelihood because Wendell survives on his own. He is living in an environmentally friendly nature, and yet living happily. Another place that Gary also discusses is Washington D.C.. He explains the nature of the people, saying that the people of government seem "demoralized," but the people of the country are hopeful for a future political era. This seems to surprise Gary, even after an energy crisis the people are positive.
August 24, 2012 at 12:53 PM
Kyle Anderson said…
Snyder puts much emphasis on place in this letter to his mom. He starts by talking about the many places he has been over a month-long trip, throwing subtle details about the ones that stood out to him. He very descriptively talks about a farm that one of his friends now owns and operates, giving you a visualization of all the animals present.

Most importantly, Snyder focuses on meeting up with his mother. He explains plans and asks for his mother opinions about their next meeting. He shows that being with his mother is a very important place for him and that is where he truly wants to be.
August 24, 2012 at 12:53 PM
Logan.Adams said…
In this letter, Gary Snyder references the energy crisis and the lack, or "unpredictables" as he put it, of gasoline. This is somewhat preventing him from seeing his mom for Christmas. It seems that Snyder is almost ok with this issue judging by his attitude. By that I mean he doesn't seem to distraught over it and even says that some people say, "...its just what we need to slow us down." The reader can somewhat infer that Snyder cares about the environment enough judging by this attitude and how in detail he goes about his surroundings .
August 24, 2012 at 12:54 PM
ErnieR said…
In letter one, Gary talks about his visits to multiple places. One place he elaborated on in particular was his visit to Washington DC. In his description he describes Washington DC as being a quiet town around his time there because political problems were not present. He begins by saying, “Washington D.C. is strangely quiet” which can be used to conclude that usually the city of Washington D.C. is very busy and the government is constantly handling and trying to solve nationwide problems. Gary also makes a remark about the town’s people taking advantage of the peaceful time.

August 24, 2012 at 12:55 PM
Geoff said…
Snyder seems to be very descriptive with his writing. Especially with nature; he describes the number of animals and notes that his friends house is in the woods. He is very family oriented. Despite all the traveling and business he makes time for his family. He must really love his mom and miss home. Whenever he needs someone to talk to, I feel as if he seeks her.
August 24, 2012 at 12:57 PM
Emily Hines said…
Nature appears to be playing an integral role in Snyder's life. He seems to be extremely frugal and keenly aware of any pecuniary matters. Whether it be positive or negative, animals and nature have a significance influence on his life. His mother is clearly a vital companion and confidant.
August 24, 2012 at 12:58 PM
Unknown said…
The first surprise that I had when I read this letter was how much Snyder had traveled. I can't imagine traveling that much now, let alone in the seventies. Also, when he said "Washington DC is strangely quiet," that put an image in my head that I don't normally get when i picture DC.
August 24, 2012 at 1:53 PM
Unknown said…
I like how he is trying to alter his place by bringing his mother to it. He invites her to come and is even looking for a house for her to see if she likes the area. He wants his current place to feel more homey by bringing his mother into it.
August 24, 2012 at 1:54 PM
Unknown said…
Snyder writes of his experiences in a new place where he has created a new life. He talks about his livestock and his family and gives his mother an update on what is happening in his life. It is interesting to hear what Snyder considers to be an update. It seems as though this new home where he lives is different from the place where he grew up. It is interesting to hear the tone of the letter as Snyder sounds proud of his accomplishments and independent, yet still relaying information to his mother.
August 24, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Sarah Beebe said…
I thought it was interesting how much he included the places he has been in the letter to his mother. He mentioned each place and provided a small explanation or thought after each. It was interesting to see what he thought of Kentucky because by the way he explained it, it seemed like the place had some special meaning to him. By explaining small details and random thoughts, you could tell that Kentucky was a place that was similar to home. Also, he started to explain Washington DC as "strangely quiet" which to me (having lived in DC for many years) is not what i am used to. Of course this was written very long ago, but it was strange to read. Lastly, he mentioned the increasing gas prices which relates very closely to where i live also. It is very similar even though many years have passed.
August 24, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Christiana Tiburzi said…
It is interesting how Gary Snyder does not lose sight of where he came from or the values he obtained from before he left home. He writes about his thoughts about how many things differ from where he is now as to his previous home life. This portrays the values he still obtains as well as what he is accustomed to due to the people who brought him up and impacted his life. He proves to keep his priorities in line even with being away from home.
August 24, 2012 at 1:57 PM
Mikeyd said…
Something that stuck out to me in the first letter was how "random" some of the paragraphs seem compared to the others. He goes from talking about traveling the country and all the places and cities he visited to telling his mother that he may not come home for Christmas because there may not be enough gas. Then he goes on to talk about his farm with hens and roosters making eggs in the spring. I guess he was just making up for not talking to his mother in a long time and had a lot of topics to talk to her about and that's why he seemed so random.
August 24, 2012 at 1:58 PM
Unknown said…
In this letter, Snyder discusses the many places he has been. He gives the most attention to the stay he had in Kentucky, and I sense it is because this environment was new to him. He discusses his stay on Wendell Berry's farm and the livestock found on that farm. He also informs his mother that he purchased chickens. Throughout the letter Snyder seems very content with his traveling and his current place of residency.
August 24, 2012 at 1:59 PM
Mikeyd said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
August 24, 2012 at 1:59 PM
Unknown said…
Gary Snyder talks of the places he is visiting from being different from where he stays. Like in D.C he talks of how the community is demoralized which he refers to his own community as being moralized. At first when I read this letter I was confused. Now that I understand how he meant to write it I understand. He talks of how nature is playing a role in his life. He let's his mother know how he is responding to the new environments. Honestly I think he wants her opinion so he can know where she would possibly want to move to.
August 24, 2012 at 1:59 PM
AlexMelton said…
Although this letter was some time ago, Snyder experiences some of the same problems as today. In this letter, he has trouble with housing and with gasoline. This may be an indicator that not much has changed over the course of many years. If his housing and gasoline issues are a result of environmental decay, the problems we face today must originate from there as well. Maybe humans aren't doing anything to preserve our planet if the issues are still present today (or maybe it is irreparable).
August 24, 2012 at 2:00 PM
Alexis Cope said…
From this letter, it seems like Gary Snyder is doing well where he is. He tells his mother about the things he has already accomplished and what is going well. He obviously values his mother and wants her to know where he is and what he's doing.
August 24, 2012 at 2:01 PM
Olivia Chen said…
In this letter, he talks about many places that he has visited. He particularly talks about a farm in Kentucky. He seems to enjoy the farm and spending time with the animals very much. He also worries about the gas price because it has been very unpredictable. It's clear that gas price has been a big universal problem since a long time ago.
August 24, 2012 at 2:02 PM
Unknown said…
I this letter, Snyder often talks about the places he has been by talking about the people that were there. He also talks about the how things are going at certain places, like the progress of the animals, the attitudes of the people in Washington D.C., and also about how the house hunt is going. He does not pay too much attention to specific details when describing these places.
August 24, 2012 at 2:02 PM
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
August 24, 2012 at 2:04 PM
Unknown said…
In the post Gary tells his mother all of the places he has visited. It seems like he has such a hectic travel schedule that the sense of place gets lost in the speed of it. It's hard to tell what the places where like because he gave them so rapid fire. He talks about the farm most which shows what kind of place he enjoys.
August 24, 2012 at 2:05 PM
Emily Boyette said…
In this letter to his mom, Gary talks about Kentucky and Washington DC. They are on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to place. In Kentucky, Gary describes staying on the farm with all the animals and how the season affects what food they will eat. When he stayed in Washington DC, the focus of what he was writing about was politics and issues in the city. He was describing to his mom the way of life in Kentucky and Washington and how different they are in place.
August 24, 2012 at 2:06 PM
Unknown said…
Snyder seems to have an active involvement with nature throughout his life. In the beginning of the letter, Snyder mentions many cities that he has visited over the course of the month. In each city, he partook of different activities that enriched his life of culture and nature. By the way the letter was written, it seems as if Snyder is constantly embracing nature away from home. The letter seems to almost catch his mother up on what is going on in his life, however through his relations to his current activities to that of the ones at home; it seems that he in fact does have a deep respect for his home town as well.
August 24, 2012 at 2:06 PM
Deneisha Poe said…
Snyder talks about many goals that he hopes to achieve. He talks to his mom as if he has promised her something but has not really been able to fulfill them. He expresses his pain about his wanting to see her but there are many issues that may effect that. He just wants to update her on his life and all the things that he is doing.
August 24, 2012 at 2:06 PM
Unknown said…
the author is very descriptive about random little things in the places he visited, probably because his family is familiar with those things.
August 24, 2012 at 2:59 PM
Unknown said…
When I read this letter, it really reminded me of making plans to go see my family in Antwerp, NY. The letter informs his mother about his travels and his experiences away from home. It seems as if Snyder enjoys his travels, but also misses his mother at home.
August 24, 2012 at 3:02 PM
Unknown said…
Gary seems to feel at home no matter where he goes. He moves all around staying for a few days or a few weeks. He must feel more at home at Berry's farm since he decided to go more in depth about his time there. He mentioned all of the animals that Berry had. Berry had multiple chickens, as did Gary. Berry's chickens reminded him of his own roosters he had at home. Masa had butchered a chicken while he was gone with the help if John Hanlon. Gary wants his mother to come stay with them in the summer. He will find reassurance if she is close so that he knows she is well.
August 24, 2012 at 3:02 PM
Josh Jordan said…
He is very particular about things in this letter that relate to home or possibly lead to him coming home. He mentions he is stopping by home to see his mother regardless of his travel methods during his reading in LA san diego and phoenix
August 24, 2012 at 3:04 PM
SW said…
Even though he's on the road, Snyder seems to remember minute details about the places he goes. It's not difficult to change location frequently in a short period of time. He does seem to think that moving so often is problematic, though, with his mention of gasoline, and wanting to settle down if for only a little while near where he calls home.
August 24, 2012 at 3:05 PM
Nicholas Sheridan, Jr. said…
In this letter Gary describes the food that he prepares during the different seasons. He talks in detail about how Washington, D.C is oddly quiet and that the government is demoralized. A major concern of his is whether gasoline is available so that his mom could come and visit him.
August 24, 2012 at 3:05 PM
Unknown said…
I really appreciate Syder's writing style of being short and brief to be able to cover all of the things that he wants to say. Synder was able to be blunt and concise, while also expressing emotion and his feelings about his experiences in various cities. Snyder's writing style in this letter is partially focused and organized in an outline sense; however, within the paragraphs, his thoughts are more random and conversation-like. Using this style to describe the places he had been shows that he does not easily make deep attachments to cities and his experiences he made while visiting them.
August 24, 2012 at 3:05 PM
Unknown said…
Gary Snyder has a strong connection to his mother and his home town. He seems to prefer places, like where he stayed in Kentucky, that have similar characteristics to his home. He seems off-put by places that differ widely from his home town such as Washington D.C.
August 24, 2012 at 3:06 PM
Unknown said…
Snyder lists many details about where he has recently been and one specific location where he stayed. In this description he mentions Wendell Berry who is a writer, poet, and essayist. It seems to me that Berry is someone who Snyder would aspire to be like or someone he is friends with. Snyder has many things in common with him like being a writer, and also having chickens. It is also apparent that Snyder cares for his mother very much because he tells her pretty much everything he has been up to and wants to know what is going on in her life.
August 24, 2012 at 3:06 PM
Unknown said…
After reading the first letter it seems that Snyder might be homesick for the farm life he is used to. He talks about the agriculture aspect a lot, and even if he is talking about a larger city he makes connections back to details of a farm such as his discussion of chickens, cows, and hogs. I think that he would really like to get his mother moved to where he is so they can be close again. Maybe he worries about her and would just feel more comfortable if they were close. He uses many details when describing his locations. It seems that he felt most at home when staying at Wendell Berry's Farm because he comments a fairly decent amount on what it was like there. I think he was pretty much taking the time to update his Mom on his life because he misses her and wants her to feel included.
August 24, 2012 at 3:07 PM
Unknown said…
I thought it was interesting that "The people in government seem totally demoralized." It seems like there may have always been troubles in Washington DC, and the same holds true for today.
August 24, 2012 at 3:07 PM
aagforster said…
Gary Snyder is very detailed when he is explaining his feelings about where he is. He described Washington D.C. as strangely quiet and it seems like he was expecting something more from the place. He tries to connect where he is to where he was. Each place he goes he tries to create a home and to create a place where he is comfortable. He has trouble renting his house becuase of the rains and cannot find a place to settle down.
August 24, 2012 at 3:07 PM
Ivey Griffin said…
It seems that Gary Snyder is traveling about a whole lot. Today due to the economy it is very hard for anyone to travel around this much, and only those who have to travel for business do so that much. You can tell that he has a close relationship with his mother and likes to tell her everything. He has lots of information about what he is doing.
August 24, 2012 at 3:07 PM
Molly Casey said…
In this letter to his mother, Gary Snyder talks about his month long travels as well as an ongoing energy crisis. I find this to be very ironic because when he travels he is using energy. I also think Snyder has a very close relationship with his mother because he wants her to move closer to him and his family. Snyder is also probably worried about his mother being alone and aging and wants to keep her close, for those reasons as well.
August 24, 2012 at 3:17 PM
Karina Gomez said…
In this letter, Snyder is writing to his mother about all the traveling he's done the past month. He seems relieved to be back and not have to travel any more. Snyder also appears to miss his mother very much, which I think is very sweet. He seems homesick, and writing to his mother is his way to feel a little more at home.
August 24, 2012 at 4:04 PM
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