Frost and Simon Baker

As I was watching The Mentalist repeats the other night I stumbled across some Frost references. I apologize for not being able to find the episode or remembering the quote, but Simon Baker began talking about reparing bridges and fences then he proceeds to quote Frost: "good fences make good neighbors". The Frost reference was obvious, and goes to show how literature appears everywhere in our lives and is even on nationwide television, and is present in our favorite shows.

Kafka Critic

 I found an article here that is very long and somewhat dense but I thought the writer had some interesting thoughts about Kafka's work. The writer, Alexander Provan, claimed that "The principal subject of Kafka's novels is not the mess of bureaucracy as such but rather alienation in the age of office jobs, assembly lines and advanced nation-states", which relates to both Gregor and Georg. He also described "Kafkaesque" as "a phrase that has come to represent very much about modern life while signifying very little"

Icebreaker

It seems that writing was the only tool Franz could use to release his inner feeling, and truly have an identity. He is frozen by his surrounding society, but breaks through, reaching to others with his writing

Kafka and Postmodernism

http://voices.yahoo.com/kafka-postmodernism-38542.html?cat=38

Here is an interesting take on the postmodernism and Kafka.

The author goes into a deep description with evidence about the vision he thinks Kafka has about death. We see Gregor ultimately give up on life in the end, which the author describes with his connection in Kafka's storytelling.

Just another take on the multiple thoughts people have about Kafka and his writing. We will never know exactly what Kafka was thinking when he wrote his stories, but thats the beauty of it. Discussion and thoughts like these make Kafka's stories so great, there is never one definitive correct answer.

Seinfeld and Kafka

http://splitsider.com/2011/07/seinfeld-the-most-kafkaesque-show-on-television/

Here is a great article that I found that is a persuasive argument about Seinfeld being the most "Kafkaesque" show to ever be on TV. Being a Seinfeld fan myself I noticed after reading Kafka, there a many connections between the two.

This also speaks volumes about how Kafka has left his mark on this earth, even years after his death. He will be remembered forever for his storytelling, no matter how society or the world has changed.

Interesting Interpretation: Short Film: Metamorphosis

I think it would be interesting if someone were to make a major cinema movie out of one of Franz Kafka's works, or a spin off of it.

Franz Kafka Love Song

I found this funny song that is basically a love song about the metamorphosis. It makes the story sound more upbeat than it actually is. The song is supposed to be from Gregors' point of view, but instead him being a gross bug, the song is calling him a love bug. Its suppose to be a love song from Gregor.

Kafka Quote

"You can hold yourself back from sufferings of the world, that is something you are free to do and it accords with your nature, but perhaps this very holding back is the one suffering you could avoid"  - Kafka

I thought this quote that he said really related to all of his stories because some of his most noticeable points in his stories are the idea of freedom and suffering. This quote relates the two together.

Kafka Manuscript

 Kafka's Manuscript of "The Trial" was auctioned by Sotheby's in London on Nov. 17 1988 for $1.98 million.  The auctioneer believed that it should have been sold for $4mil.  Its amazing how $1.89 mil for 316 pages can be considered a good deal...

Kafka fun facts as they relate to the stories we've read

Since most of the Kafka stories we've read relate to one animal or another, I thought this was interesting.

After he became a vegetarian, Kafka went to the Berlin Aquarium, stood in front of the tanks, looked at the fish and said (out loud), "Now at last I can look at you in peace. I don't eat you anymore."

Another fun fact is that Kafka wrote "The Judgment" in one nights time because he had a burst or creativity. 

Theatrical Spin off of A Report to an Academy coming soon to new york.

A new production of a familiar Franz Kafka short story is being created and will premiere April 3rd 2013 in New York at the Baryshnikov Arts Center. It's title, "Kafka's Monkey" is a spinoff of "A Report to an Academy". We should definitely have a class field trip to see this.

Brief Overview of the production.

Comment on Live performance of "The Metamorphosis"

I relieved enjoyed the live performance of the "The Metamorphosis" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music posted by Elijah. It's nice to finally get a visual perspective of Gregor Samsa in the story for once other than just in Crumb's cartoon illustrations. The affect of him climbing on the walls also is a great touch.

the mother by Gwendolyn Brooks : The Poetry Foundation

the mother by Gwendolyn Brooks : The Poetry Foundation

Scene from 'Metamorphosis' Live

Actor Gisli Orn Gardarsson narrates his performance of Franz Kafka’s novel, 'The Metamorphosis'. This show was presented at the Brooklyn Academy of Music by the Lyric Hammersmith of London and Vesturport Theater of Reykjavik. This is an interesting perspective to be heard.

Enjoy!

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/12/03/theater/20101203-metamorphosis.html?ref=reviews

I was reading this short fable by Kafka, and instantly thought of "The Metamorphosis". It is about a mouse who throughout his life, spent most of his days running around, admiring the size and vastness of the world around him. One day he realizes that the walls of great size are actually getting smaller, and therefore limits where he can run. The mouse soon runs into a corner and meets a Cat. This was his last encounter. Can we connect this to "The Metamorphosis" and how Gregor's job could be the walls growing smaller and smaller in his life and eventually leads to his final 'trap'?

Link below--
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/LittFabl.shtml

kitchenette building by Gwendolyn Brooks : The Poetry Foundation

kitchenette building by Gwendolyn Brooks : The Poetry Foundation

"A Report for an Academy" and Life of Pi

I was reading Life of Pi and this part in chapter 4 that reminded me a lot of "A Report for an Academy". In the book, the boy, Pi, lives on a zoo. He talks about people that come to visit the zoo and say that when animals are in the wild they are "happy" and "free", and that they have all these ideas about wild animals like lions and cheetahs running on the savannah, hunting and eating happily, and looking after their family and young. All in all, they envision the animals with a happy life. However, Pi knows that none of that is true. All animals (including humans) are territorial and run completely on a schedule based on their surroundings (which they grow very accustom and attached to). Even in the zoo, when one little thing is changed, the animals react a odd ways. They certainly wouldn't be able to have a comfortable schedule in the wild, and in the zoo they get a care they need while still able to live in a semi-natural habitat (a man-made area that replicates their normal home). It reminded me of Red Peter and our conversation about freedom and a way out. It made me think 'if freedom really it's all cracked up to be?' Red Peter, while comfortable in his ignorance and freedom, knew that once he dabbled in education and human ways, he could never go back. The animals in Pi's zoo are similar. They may not be able to fully tell the difference between real freedom and zoo-freedom, but they have better care and healthier, safer lives.