Category Archives: Uncategorized

Introduction: Oz joined the room

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Hey guys,

my name is Oguzhan (hard to pronounce) but you can call me Oz. You cannot imagine how my teachers from middle school called me. As a child, I was ashamed of my name because no one could pronounce it. Today, I am proud of this name because my parents gave it to me. Thanks to them, I thoroughly enjoyed my childhood. They gave up their dreams to support my brother and me. My parents always put my education and career first. From school to university. As the first in my family to attend university, I had to adjust to a completely new world. I carry a certain responsibility and have set myself the goal of making my parents proud.

Enough about my goal in life and more about me. I am an international student from Germany with Turkish roots. I’m originally from Gaziantep, a city in Turkey that is very popular for its food, which is where my love of cooking comes from (I’m not a pro, guys!!!). I love trying new foods and cooking in general. If I didn’t study Education I would probably be a chef. My favorite food is constantly changing, but right now it’s smash burgers. It’s simple. I’m convinced that I can make the best ones in the world. That’s also one reason why I picked the US for my stay abroad. Obviously, because of the burgers. 🙂 

In addition to food and excessive eating, I have been kickboxing since childhood. I am also interested in other sports, such as basketball and soccer. Another hobby of mine is listening to music and reading books (sometimes). I really enjoy listening to RnB and hip hop and reading psychological books or novels that make you philosophize about the meaning of life. Besides, I generally like to have deep conversations, but at the same time I have a unique sense of humor, which I won’t go into detail about here (let’s just leave it at that). I also love to travel. In my opinion, the meaning of life as not only creating a beautiful family and having a good career. A person should travel the world, be open to new cultures, and eat new food.

I’m looking forward to the course, making new contacts, and broadening my perspectives through different opinions.

Introduction: A Cup of Coffee & a New Chapter – Tanja Daraghai☕✨

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I’m Tanja, 24 years old. I was born and raised in Germany, but my roots are in the autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq. My parents immigrated in the 90s to Germany. Growing up between two cultures has shaped who I am and made me curious about the world and the different ways people live their lives.

Right now, I’m in my last semester of my bachelor’s degree in teaching education. It feels a bit surreal to be so close to finishing but I’m excited for what’s next. Teaching has always been something that inspires me and I can’t wait to start building my own path as a teacher.

Outside of studying, I love spending time with my girls whether it’s going out, exploring new places, or just laughing until our stomachs hurt. One of my favorite things is discovering new cafés, especially because I’m a huge coffee lover. There’s just something about trying out a cozy spot with a good Flat white that makes me so happy.

I’m also really passionate about experiencing different cultures. Whether through travel, food, music or just meeting new people, I love seeing how diverse the world is and learning from it.

Marginalia in the Library of Babel by Mark C. Marino – responce, Trinity Buck

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The short reading, Marginalia in the Library of Babel by Mark C. Marino, left a lasting impact on me after I read it, which I believe was his intention. This work follows Marino as he creates a powerful reader response to Borges’ work “Library of Babel” and shows the effect that was imprinted on him after he read it. Marino describes how he craves leaving his mark on the world the same way Babel left such a mark on him. This is represented in the quote, “But my machine is evolving the power of speech. It told me I was not alone, that I could leave a record of my footsteps, carve my marks upon the wall for those who discover my hexagonal cell. How can I not help but be gladdened by the possibility? Unless it is not a possibility. Unless I am, as always no more than a trace imagined by these packet-switching machines and their omniscient fiber-optics.” This quote not only represents Marino’s lust for leaving a record of his footsteps in the world, but the undeniable human instinct to want to make a change and leave the world different from which they came. Humans crave to be special and to never be forgotten after they’re gone because death is such a scary idea. However, being able to leave a lasting memory or impact makes it less frightening. This quote also represents an existential crisis, because he is going back and forth on whether or not this is a possibility, then becomes insecure, thinking that maybe he isn’t special and will just be forgotten after all. Another powerful idea discussed in this response by Marino is the idea of being able to leave your footprints and mark behind by writing in the margins of a novel. That in itself is a reader response, and if somebody finds that book one day, they will see the mark you have left. It is a small gesture that can leave a lasting impact. That’s why it is important to write in your books, because you never know who might read them after you do.

Introduction– Josue

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Hello everyone,

My name is Josue Martin and I’m a fourth year standing student; I was born in San Diego but raised in my hometown Tijuana– our neighbor city right across the border. I did not start my academic journey in SDSU initially as I am a transfer student from Southwestern Community College. After high school, I was not sure what it was that I wanted to do with my life so I explored several majors and classes– ultimately, I took a gap year and spend it working several jobs. I worked several gigs such as: warehouse, construction and teacher’s aid. During my time as a SCIA and BIA I had the opportunity to work with several amazing groups of students–by then I realized what I wanted to do professionally. Afterwards, I finished my major pre-requirements and transferred to State. Also, with the help of my employer I was able to obtain certain permits to work as a substitute teacher– I continue to help my students not as an aid but as an educator. Although my job may be mentally draining, I am delighted to see their progress academically and behaviorally.

In my free time I enjoy spending time with my friends and family– we typically like to explore new beer pubs and cafes. Though, I also enjoy music festivals and concerts. Just recently, I went to Baja Beach Fest which is a Latin Reggaeton festival in Rosarito– it is a 35 minute drive from Tijuana; I love meeting and hanging out people who share similar interest as me. I am excited to work and collab with everyone in this class!

Here is a somewhat decent picture of me!

Hi, I’m Warren

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I think the title really says it all, don’t you? That’s my name. I’m originally from what used to be a very, very small town west of Austin called Dripping Springs, Texas. I lived in Birmingham, Alabama for about five years before coming to SDSU to start my MFA in 2023.

That’s me showing you what the bottom of Bridalveil Fall looks like. I go outside a lot.

I’ve done a number of things with my life. I used to build vintage Harley-Davidsons for a living. I still build them for fun. I ride them all over and sometimes fix them in motel rooms when they break down. I used to be homeless, living in a motorcycle shop called The Dojo. I used to clean septic tanks and grease traps. I used to work the door at a bar at the gnarliest intersection in Birmingham. I used to be an international terrorist of sorts. I used to, and still do, run an annual zine called Locating Troubles with my good photographer pal Liam. But I have always really been obsessed with the written word regardless of what I was doing with my life.

My mother read to me every night when I was a child. Maybe until I was twelve. I can still remember the first book I read and how proud I was: The Berenstein Bears on the Moon (Not Berenstain. I don’t care what they say). I wrote books for school projects and printed them out and illustrated them and bound them in elementary school. Something about the tangible book will always outweigh the worth of the digital book. Every time I publish in print there is a feeling of satisfaction that publishing online will never bring.

After I graduated from Texas State, I traveled to Rojava Kurdistan (Northeastern Syria), and I volunteered as an international member of a Kurdish militia called the YPG. I brought some physical books with me. I had a number to call when I landed in Iraq. I used a copy of The Grapes of Wrath, and I underlined the first time each digit of the phone number appeared in the book to record the name of a contact I was supposed to call who would smuggle me across the Iraqi-Syrian border of Kurdistan. That way, just in case I was detained and searched, it would be harder for them to find or notice any incriminating information on me or the people I was joining. Here I am reading that copy, with its page edges ~*tactically*~ blacked out, near a village called Qereçox.

I later volunteered in Ukraine after the Russian invasion in 2022, and books, physical books, were precious treasure in both places. Kurmanji was a forbidden language in Syria from the rise of Arab nationalism until early this year (2025, yes, really), and in all my time there and to this date I have only ever seen three books printed in the Kurdish language. In Ukraine the thought of printed matter being in Ukrainian was an abomination until Taras Shevchenko rebelled against Russian nationalism by daring to write in Ukrainian and about Ukraine in the nineteenth century.

We used to gather at the internet cafe to pirate books from Library Genesis that we downloaded on our phones. I read War and Peace off my phone in the span of a week this way. There’s a lot of free time in a war. We had a very modest library of printed material in Syria: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Sun Also Rises, To Have and Have Not, The Man in the High Castle with the first 18 pages torn out, Marx’s Kapital, Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively, Let it Come Down by Paul Bowles, to name the ones I can remember off the top of my head. We devoured those, and any time a new international would come to join us, one of the first questions we’d ask was, “Did you bring any books?”

I’m very excited to take this class and learn more about the history of the book as an object, what makes it so special, how they have been created, what it has meant to so many people, and what it will continue to mean.

Introduction

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Hello all! My name is Allea, and I’m a fourth-year English major. I’m super excited to learn more about books as a medium and the preservation of them in this new digital age. I think archival work is becoming more significant than ever in these times, as information is being warped and presented in a believable way. I cannot wait to learn alongside y’all!

Kiersten Brown

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Hello everyone! I am super excited to be taking this class! Professor Pressman is such a good professor- taking this class was an obvious choice- all her classes I’ve taken have been super intriguing and engaging. Excited to be a part of this new class/experiment with you all. I am from Berkeley California and am going into my Senior year at state. I love it here in SD and also back home as well. I am an English major and also have been getting my certificate in publishing/creative wiring, also just added a minor in journalism and media studies. No idea what I want to do- I have a lot of different ideas- but I have always loved to learn, read, and write. Super excited to learn more about the print and history of books this semester!

Trinity Buck

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Hi everybody! I am beyond excited and honored to be back in one of Dr. Pressman’s classes! I am so excited to learn more about books!! especially in the time we are in right now, where books are being banned and voices are being hidden. Books really are time capsules in a way that technology will never be. I really believe in physical things like photographs, physical art, and books, because they are easier to preserve than anything online.

My name is Trinity, and I am a senior at SDSU! I am currently working on my early fieldwork hours because I am going to be applying for my teaching credential very soon! I want to either be a Middle school or High school English teacher! I also play the drums and sing in an all-girl pop-punk band called Girls Got Nerve! My best friend and I started this band together, and it is our pride and joy. Our mission is to spread female empowerment and motivate other girls to be themselves, be confident, know their worth, know they’re the prize, and value their female friendships. We love to spread positivity and just have fun and not care what people think! In my free time, I make sustainable merch for the band from thrifted items, write songs, play the drums and guitar, and play shows! You guys should follow us on insta: @girlsgotnerve to see our shows coming up!

Welcome!

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Welcome to the WordPress site for our Fall 2025 class: ECL 596: BOOKS!!: Book as Medium, Object, Artform, Archive
This is new, experimental class, and you are lucky to be part of it! Truly, take a look at the course description below, and then look at the pages of the WordPress blog to get a sense of what we are planning to do, study, and make! Eager to meet you all soon.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This class is an experimental one-time offering, introducing students to the primary medium of literary study– the book– through a collaborative teaching partnership between a scholar of literature and media studies (Jessica Pressman) and Head of Special Collections & University Archives at SDSU (Anna Culbertson). This is a merger of theory and practice, pairing readings in book history with hands-on engagement in Special Collections, “labs” that support experiential learning with the subject of book history and the actual objects contained in SDSU’s archives.  We will learn about the history of books and learn to see them differently– as medium, object, artform, and archive– all while considering how and why books continue to matter as material objects in our digital age.

-Professor Pressman