Refer to explorations in literature for a complete version of the narrative.

in “goodbye to all that,” joan didion describes her first night in new york when she was fascinated by the summer rain but fighting a fever in an over-air-conditioned room. looking back, she comments on her own youth and naïveté, asking the rhetorical question, “was anyone ever so young? ”

which textual detail in this section emphasize didion’s youth and naïveté?

a. she recalls how she thought she could see the brooklyn bridge, but that it was actually the triborough bridge.

b. she mentions that she really thought she would marry her boyfriend from home by that spring.

c. she thinks that she is sick because she wore the wrong clothes on the plane from california to new york.

d. she describes how she calls her family doctor in california rather than one in new york.

beginner

government is strong when they have the ability to persuade those they govern to believe government has enough power to force them or should be forcing them to do government’s will.

when enough of the citizenry do not believe government can force them or should force them to do its bidding, government has lost or will lose its strength and power to coerce.

when enough of the citizenry do believe government can force or should force them to do its bidding, they become passive at the least or actively pro-government and repeat government’s own rhetoric to pass on what they have been persuaded by government’s propaganda.

a true majority isn’t always needed to govern or to stop government. many times all that is needed is a strong minority. if a determined 30% of the population rises up against government in a concerted effort to bring it down, this size minority usually will succeed as long as those actively opposing the minority are less in force than the minority. so if 41% of the population sits at home watching tv rooting for one side or the other, they don’t matter. it’s the active parties who make a difference.

which speech are you talking about?

- free verse.

- " in poetry, one of the best ways to practice technique is to write in. i want all to be unstressed so that “all the clocks” and “in the night” are matching anapests. many forms that sharpen skills are useful in free verse."

"the sandy walls seemed to collapse in on themselves"

and

"the bloodshot waters seemed to have no bottom"