Week 2 Reading: “Mama Blanca’s Memoirs”
Reading the first couple of pages of this week’s reading where the editor introduces the manuscript of memoirs felt very intriguing. The foreword felt very raw and real, much like I was reading a history book, but one that was told from the voice of a woman, which is certainly a less popular perspective throughout history. A quote that stood out to me in the lecture was in reference to the foreword of the piece that highlights how the editor made "what is private, public and what is singular potentially universal". This reminded of a creative writing course I took last year where the professor told us he wanted our writing to be unique and personal however in order for it to be good writing people need to relate to it and to feel something from the words you write, and I think “Mama Blanca” is a perfect example of that. As someone who knows very little about the time period of the memoir, I still found myself related to a woman I've never met or shared any experiences with. For example, Her childhood desire to look different than she does is one that I myself and I'm sure others can relate to.
I watched the lecture on the reading after I read it and I ended going back and skimming over a few sections, and found that there were elements I picked up a second time around. I would agree with the description in the lecture that a side of this memoir depicts a chain of memory that only exists because it was put to paper and written down. Memoirs exist because an individual believed their life was worth writing down whether that was for their own memory or for the education or enjoyment of us readers. Although, just because by definition a memoir is true, that does not mean the theatrics of writing, word choice or plot dont play a role in shaping how any piece of writing is inherently manipulated by the author to varying extents. To me the piece felt playful and mysterious in both the spying on Mama Blanca herself but also just that I knew from the foreword that these memoirs were not intended to be shared. This type of storytelling allowed for me as a reader to quickly pick on Mama Blancas insecurities and vulnerability, such as her comparisons to her sister Violeta. Although memoirs often feel personal, this felt like reading someone's diary when you know that they wrote it for only their eyes.
Hi Elisabeth! I also watched the lecture after reading and found myself wanting to go back to sections too. I was particularly interested in the concept of memory and nostalgia. I think it's interesting that people choose to write memoirs as a way of considering their memories for themselves and others as well. I think it's also interesting to mention how we can choose to remember a memory and how much detail we want to put into remembering it.
ReplyDelete"Although memoirs often feel personal, this felt like reading someone's diary when you know that they wrote it for only their eyes."
ReplyDeleteThis is true, but the chain of transmission is even more complicated here, isn't it? The memoir is supposedly written for Mama Blanca's children, but then displaced to the editor, who is told not to show it to anyone else, but then she makes it available to us all...
Hi Elisabeth,
ReplyDeleteit's interesting you bring up reading the book a second time, as it almost always provides new insights or more formed thoughts when culminated with your first reading. I think the same can be said about writing too. Perhaps the foreword's author felt differently about publishing it after reading the memoirs twice, or even maybe Mama Blanca herself, after reading it again decided not to give it to her children after all. It's interesting to see what new experiences we bring to our readings and the difference that a bit of time or experience makes.
Hi Elizabeth! You bring some interesting points forward, I appreciate the extra consideration you have paid the foreword as those are noteworthy points to bring at least some attention to. I had not thought of it in that way while I was reading it, but upon further thought I do agree that the foreword read a bit like a history book, told in a personal 'voice'. I wonder if due to the fact that the memoir was never intended to be seen by outside eyes, if somehow that fosters a stronger ability to speak in a more relatable sense.
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