Huckleberries~

There's a lot in this book to reflect on - more than just one blog post can handle.  I had read this book previously when I was little, if you could even call it the same book. Sure, it had the same plot and everything, but it had completely different language that was fit for a child my age - it sure didn't have any of the "southern touches" in either Jim or Huck's diction. Reading the real version of this novel in high school was a completely different experience than skimming over a watered down abridged copy; I (hopefully) could capture all, if not most, of the nuances depicted in the story.

I'd previously read Tom Sawyer, so I was curious to learn more about his friend. It turned out that I liked Huck much more than Tom - while both boys matured in their respective stories, I had a deeper attachment to how Huck slowly progressed from "Oh, Jim's just a piece of property" to "Jim's actually my friend, and not only do I want freedom from him, I want freedom for myself."

It wasn't all just serious morals, though. Their colloquial way of speaking really brought a sense of informality to the novel, so I could enjoy the comedic effects Twain cleverly inserts in the book - the scene where Huck pretended to be a girl was hilarious. Although this book address some serious issues about racism, the hypocrisy of those who claim to be civilized, and the creation of personal morals, it does so in a way that I don't want to bang my head on my desk screaming for it to end (believe me, it wouldn't have been the first time.)

Marco Tempest: The magic of truth and lies (and iPods)

In his presentation about deception, Marco Tempest uses the trickery of magic to discuss lies in common life, art, and music. Most of this doesn't focus on him speaking, but rather on the presentation of iPod screens to depict what he discusses. It seems as if he is casually discussing this with the audience, as he is easily relatable with lies like "I'm stuck in traffic, sorry." Utilizing a variety of examples from everyday white lies to war strategies to display the ubiquity of lies today, the iPod presentation kept me interested with still able to absorb the meat of the content. Although I was free to do what I wished, I felt trapped underneath the spell of Tempest's words and illusions.