The Assignment:

Review the submissions on the in[SPIRE] site, a community-created collection of the best work of ds106 from past semesters and the work from last semester’s students identified as their “best” work. Pick one story from each and blog about it.

There are so many talented folks out there.  Now, that’s not news really, but when you look around and actually take stock, it is astonishing.  I’m not just talking about ds106 either, look around you, there are talented people everywhere.  But, I digress…

ds106′ers of the past, you rock.  I looked at a TON of interesting work, some not so interesting, and some ‘eh’.  The thing each of these artists have in common is their “balls out” approach to making art, telling stories, and being themselves.  That is the beauty of stories, artists, and art in general, the ability to really hang everything out there for all to see.  Thank you for sharing with me.

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My all-time-number-one-favorite-est-of-all-time-thus-far-and-probably-for-a-long-time piece is from melindakumi.

Her piece is based on submissions to My Life Is True

“My Life Is True works with people at the hard edges of the economy to explain, in their own words, a significant experience or a stubborn problem and then submit their two-minute personal stories as public radio commentaries. Their stories have been recorded and produced by KQED’s Perspectives and aired in Northern California, as well as nationally on Marketplace.”

Not knowing if the story she is conveying is true or not doesn’t seem to matter to me, although with the beauty she spoke of her brother and her family I hope it is real.  Her voice is that of an advocate, a helper, a sister, and a friend.  In such a limited number of words (351)  Melinda’s story is vivid, heart-wrenching, joyous, and above all gritty and real.

I would love to read the book Melinda is sure to release to the world; this being just one part of a much larger story.

Thank you for sharing Melinda.

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The second piece I picked was GOOD MORNING from past ds106′er Annie.  That is all the info I have as her site has been taken down, and the submission on the in[spire] site is all I could find.

This piece, similar to Melinda’s could be a very small part of a larger piece.  Simple, pretty, and mundane at the same time, it is REAL.  We all wake up in the morning, wear clothes, eat food, walk, drink, and do.  The simple incorporated informative text adds a layer and adds punctuation to everyday items.

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Thanks for sharing your stories ladies.