Reading Response #2

I selected Phillip Lopate's article "On the Aesthetics of Urban Walking and Writing" because it had an interesting opening paragraph. In it, Lopate compares walking to writing, and I enjoy writing a lot. The article in engaging, and as Lopate develops his argument, he draws the reader in, making them feel a connection with his words despite the fact that he is writing about solitude and the self, both being sort of lonely topics. One thing I really liked about Lopate's article is that he makes great use of his imagination and encourages other walker-writers to do the same. I also liked that he used examples from his own walks around Manhatten to show readers how he changed his walks from simply habit to a passion and even an art. Lopate writes of examples he has experienced on his walks that make him feel connected with people but also separate from them, and I found these experiences funny, interesting, and quite observant. Even though Lopate's walks stimulate his writer's side, they also relax his mind, and his article encourages readers to find the same relaxation and contentment in walking and writing.

Lopate's main point in this article is that walking (and having a writer's awareness) can connect an individual more intimately to a city than he may have thought. One way this connection is made is between the individual walking and other classes. A walker-writer observes differences between social classes that can open one's eyes to realities. Lopate encouarges one to use his imagination during these times-- writing that a "walker-writer can turn a corner and imagine being in Prague, say, or Montevideo." Another connection that an individual can gain through an aware walk is between himself and his senses. He can hear new noises, see new sights, and feel new sidewalks under his feet. These new things make one feel "purposeful, wary, pointed, athletic," Lopate writes. A walk can also make one feel a unique type of peaceful calm. This can connect an individual to his own mind, making him aware of his thoughts and therefore making him a writer of sorts. Lopate convinces the reader that through these connections, he can truly see a city, connecting him with the city more intimately than he could imagine.

The topics and points Lopate makes in his article are relevant to my own practice as a media artist because they encourage me to be aware of all people and things. Lopate reminds me that during a walk, I can't have a closed mind because then I might miss something revealing about the city. I have to walk with an open mind and be willing to experience all sorts of new things. The article encourages me to break out of my comfort zone and perhaps explore places that may be different from what I am used to.