Stuart Woods Books

To write effective slam poetry, follow these tips and keep practicing for best results.
•Good slam poetry begins with a good topic. The topic you choose to write slam poetry is one that you should deeply feel about. You can write a poem on the water problems across the world if you truly think your poetry will strike a chord. Alternately, you could also write a poem about how you think romance is overrated. Anything close to your heart can make it as a topic for slam poetry.
•Just a good topic is not enough. Your passion for it should reflect in your poetry. The need for passion to show in the poetry cannot be repeated enough. If you choose a topic only because it is popular but don’t feel strongly about it, the topic will do you no good.
•Be clear about the point you are trying to make. When you choose a topic, you should be well aware about it, and should know exactly what you are trying to say through this poem. Write down these points before you try to put them in verse.
•Let the rhythm flow. Once the points have been compiled, it’s time to put them in verse and give the words a flow from one point to another.
•Start writing in basic English. You don’t have to force yourself to write heavy poetic words as soon as you write the first draft of your poem. Also, feel free to use slang or explicit imagery, but only if you think it is necessary. Try to stuff it in just because it is permissible and you will not be able to score any points with the audience.
•Replace basic with more hard-hitting terms. This is where the metaphorical nature of poetry will do you good. For instance, ‘lack of action’ can be rephrased as ‘nothing stirs these still waters’. Using such phrases adds depth to your poetry.
•Add emotion to your poem. You’ve written your poem as best as you can, and now it’s time to sprinkle into it the necessary emotion. Are you pleading for action or are you angry for the lack of it? Are you distressed by current affairs or wish to emphasize the need of the hour by eliciting a sense of urgency? With the right words will come the right emotions.
•Read it out for yourself. Assume you are a member of the audience and read out the poem aloud. Does it stir you? Do you feel affected by it? Is it making the point clear to you? If you think you aren’t confident enough and that your personal opinion could color your response to these questions, ask a friend to listen to the poem and give you an honest opinion. Only then will you be able to decide whether the poem needs re-working to be improved.

Paintings
The Iroquois painted on surfaces and animal hides, till about the year 1821. It was only in the year 1821, that they began painting on canvas and paper. Some of the best known Iroquois painters are Dennis Cusick, Jesse Cornplanter, Sanford Plummer and Ernest Smith. These painters mainly used watercolors, ink and oil colors to create some impeccable masterpieces. From the year 1970, Iroquois people started using painting as a medium to bring forth what their culture represented. Animals, nature, clan symbols and many other objects were painted to bring out the significance of Iroquois culture, in front of others.

Hand Woven Baskets
Hand woven baskets are an important part of Iroquois culture and tradition. In fact, during a marriage ceremony, it is mandatory for the husband and the wife to exchange baskets with one another. These wedding baskets are made in multicolors and are decorated with beads, ribbons and many other types of ornaments. Besides the wedding baskets, there are ones for everyday use, which are very simple. They are used by the Iroquois people for various things, such as storing food items, washing corn kernels, etc.

Pottery and Sculpture
Pots with a round bottom, made from clay, which have geometric designs on them, are a typical Iroquois art. They were used by Iroquois people to cook food. However, when colonial people came, they brought with them metals like brass, iron and copper. Thus, clay pots vanished and soon were replaced by metal pots, which were any day better to cook food than their clay counterparts. The Iroquois pots are decorated with antlers and many of the attractive clan symbols.

Bead Jewelery and Clothes
Iroquois use beads for creating some stunning designs on the clothes and jewelery that they wear. Earrings made from glass beads, which are threaded on a porcupine’s quill, have always been very popular in this culture. To really understand the beauty of the bead designs of the Iroquois, you have to look at the skirts worn by the women. The skirts have designs on them, such as, the never ending circular patterns, images of the celestial tree, to name a few. These beautiful designs enhance the look of the Iroquois clothing and make the women in this culture look distinctive and stunning. Read the rest of this entry »

There is no foolproof method that will be able to tell you how to understand contemporary art. One of the best ways to understand this type of artwork is to understand those characteristics of contemporary art that separate and distinguish it from other types and genres of art. To make it easy for you to appreciate contemporary art, we list out those characteristics of contemporary art that make it slightly more easy to understand.
•One key characteristic of contemporary art is that it focuses on originality. Artists question artistic notions that are held traditionally, and try and push boundaries in every sphere.
•The meaning of a piece of contemporary art to a very wide extent depends on how a viewer perceives the artwork. It is the concept that led to the piece of art that is more important than the actual tangible art.
•Contemporary art has become more and more having to do with the workings of our mind and the intellectual inside us, and this is defined in most examples of contemporary art.
•More often than not, contemporary artwork very successfully manages to raise questions about what is considered socially acceptable by society. Many contemporary artists aim to shake the foundations of particular social institutions. This is the reason why many experts believe that rejection of art by society is a legitimate response to most contemporary artwork.
•A viewer is forced to think while viewing contemporary art. In a day and age where cameras can capture, in the minutest details, any image that you want, a painting needs to give you more to see and appreciate. Artists like to define this as the soul of the painting. With contemporary art, the inspiration is almost always conceptual.
•When you are trying to understand contemporary art, do not be swayed by what other people have to say about the piece of work. The best thing about contemporary art is that it allows every person to reach their own conclusion about the artistic work. Differing interpretations is important to contemporary art, as it pushes the thinking of the public as well.
•In order to understand it better, you need to start reading about the art movement that has helped lead it to this stage in the artistic world. You also need to give your senses time to get accustomed to the shock value that contemporary art is famous for. Some of the artwork may definitely not appeal to your aesthetic sensibilities, but in order to understand contemporary art, you need to study it thoroughly. Read the rest of this entry »

Grammatical errors could occur no matter what. Be it written or spoken, you’d be surprised with some of the errors people could make. The right usage of grammar is very important when speaking any language, or it renders pretty useless. Today, let’s take a look at some grammatical errors that are frequently made, and how this could be worked on.

i) Common Grammatical Errors in Writing

One of the first and most common mistakes in written English is that of mixing up words! There are umpteen words that people just do not know how to distinguish between. Take a look at some of them…

Your & You’re: Why it is a task for so many to figure out the difference between the two, is hard to understand, but the fact is that this is one of the most common errors. It’s almost annoying to see people use them the wrong way. Here’s the difference between the two… Your is a possessive pronoun, whereas, You’re is a combination or contraction of the words “you are”.

Example

Your coat is at the cleaners, pick it up on your way home.

It doesn’t matter how tired you are, you’re going to clean your room now! (In this sentence, the word is a combination of the words “you are”).

Its & It’s: The next common mistake in the list would be that of its and it’s. Yet again, the same mistake. The criteria for these words too is the same. Its is a possessive pronoun, while It’s just like “you’re” is a contraction of either “it is” or “it has”.

Example

Do not touch the book, it’s not for you. (In this sentence, the word is a combination of “it is”).

This house is extremely beautiful, and has always had a charm of its own. Read the rest of this entry »