Ask me for the moon:

The one was one of the more shorter pieces we have been assigned so far. Its short but the meaning behind this piece is so massive. One thing that defintley stood out for me was that we as readers had no control over what we read. Once you click “Begin” the words just keep appearing and you sort of HAVE to read it. Nothing else on the screen is clickable so it kind of seemed as of we were trapped in this space. Don’t think I used “trapped” in a bad way. More or rather, the reader has to come to terms with the major point of this peace. “The land is now called real estate, rather than our mother”, caught my eye because it sounds a bit lyrical. In the sense that I can see this as a poem, as well as a song. However, one thing I have been enjoying about this piece is that there is always some kind of historic background information that makes this peace so much more heartbreaking. As readers you’re shown the beauty of this island but also the heartbreak every local goes through because their home is no longer a home, its a showcase.

The Vine and The Fish

Reading this one felt like an interactive comic book. I appreciated the art, the moving images, and the choice of colors the illustrator decided to use. This one was similar to “Ask me for the moon” as it was also not clickable. One thing about this piece that stood out to me was that as a reader, I was already hooked by the moving images, and so when I would scroll and wait for a page to load up… I was more excited to see what was coming next. Aside from the digital framework, the author compares how immigrants are treated to how people view invasive species like the Kudzu vine and Asian carp, showing how harmful words and labels can spread prejudice and fear. Which is why adding in the Trump’s headline of Corona virus being the “Chinese Virus”, was very significant to this strong pieace of e-lit. Leise Hook’s The Vine and The Fish brings awareness to how the human society and our ecosystems are intertwined in a sense. We must be compassionate towards one another, urge empathy and hold people accountable for the words they decide to use.