Angelos Final.

“ A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” By Dave Eggers

It’s a mouth full to read the title, so I just refer to it as “genius” because, that is exactly what it is.

“This was uncalled for” that’s how the book starts.
I guess, his situation was uncalled for.

This book is 400 and something pages literary greatness. Ok, maybe it hasn’t quite been discovered as that, but you can just take my word for it and read for yourself. But you really get that 90’s feel from it- surely we all remember the 90’s

Eggers does a brief introduction on his middle American/suburban household. His upbringing was normal, he has a sister, he has a brother. A very young brother.

And, he had his parents. Both who mysteriously die of cancer within months of each other.

Because he was now considered to be the man of the house, he was left to take care of his little brother. And, he does. They pack up- move to California, and begin a new life.

While Eggers struggles, to raise his brother, he becomes neurotic, cynical, angry, and I guess a father too.

Although this book seems to be full of heartbreaking work, Eggers leaves no room for anyone to start feeling sorry for him. No, eggers takes rough situations and gives a mundanely response as to how he has handled it; and he admits, that maybe he is a tad bit paranoid. Well, he doesn’t… but I totally get the vibe.

He loves his brother, and aside from his sister, that’s the only person he has left. He does not want to lose him. I get it.

I don’t really understand Eggers; and I guess that is exactly why I consider this to be great literature. I hate reading, and being able to figure everything out. I like mystery, and there is something very attractive about not figuring a person out completely. Eggers is an artist; he does not hide it.

I guess I feel like writing this doesn’t give the book justice; and I feel like I’m giving a boring summary on the book that changed my life.

But, I fell in love.

I love the writing, I love the words, I love the story, I love all the awkward moments… but mostly, I love that this book was the book that re-assured me that I wanted to me a witty- sarcastic writer too.

Banner Final.

The article that I am most proud of is my last article. It is for issue 12, and although I don’t know if it is going to make it in, I think that it is something that I consider valuable.

The article was a struggle.

I thought that doing an old/new perspective was going to be easy. You know, read an old Banner issue and a current one. Find a similar concept in both. Do some research, and voila! I have an article.

Well, this is exactly how I did it, only the issue I did it on was on Christians being martyred because of their faith.

Not easy.

As someone who doesn’t know too much about the issue that goes on, I was torn. I knew I had to produce a good article, and I knew it had to be honest.

I was surprised to see that not only are Christians being Martyred in international countries, but it is happening in OUR country as well.

This broke my heart. The concept does not make any sense to me. I don’t understand why people would want to punish someone for believing in something so good.

I don’t understand how these issues are being kept in the dark. I don’t understand why we turn our back on something like this…. And I guess, I don’t know how I have turned my back on something like this.

But, what do we do?
I don’t really know.
But I have prayed, and I was blessed to do an article like this. Although I didn’t want to write about something so serious, it was an eye opener. And I am thankful.

I didn’t realize how luck I am to be able to freely talk about Christianity. Or how lucky I am to be just be able to call myself a Christian.

And in the future, as I continue writing for The Banner, I hope to be able to break away from my entertainment comfort zone , and write about issues that will teach me something. Anything.