Self Portrait - Back of Head

I have learned a lot by completing this project. Photographs can demonstrate many things about gender. Jeanna Dunning and Lorna Simpson's pieces give much insight into gender and the body. Dunning uses the human body to create color photographs that question issues of identity, sexuality, and the interior and exterior self. Simpson uses text to challenge the meaning of the visuals of the body and her photographs of black women challenge racial and gender stereotypes that still exist in America. Her black and white 15 Mouths is my favorite piece. These two women do an excellent job emphasizing how stereotyping (mostly in regards to women and the human body) is still a problem in todays society.

Sappho Translation

When I first read that we had to create our own translation of Sappho's jealously poem I was frustrated. I have never considered writing poetry as a talent of mine. I spent a lot of time staring at the 28 translations hoping for some inspiration. After reading some of my fellow classmates translations I felt a little more comfortable with the idea of creating my own version. I realized I was thinking about it too much. I just picked out a few examples from the 28 given that were similar and rewrote and reorganized them to my own liking. This lesson taught me that everyone will translate poetry in their own way. Depending on your own circumstances and beliefs words can have a different meaning for everyone.